Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 11 · Verses 12-28
12 Then Iiphtah ſent meſſengers vntounto the kinge of the children of Ammon, ſayinge: what haſte thou to doe with me that thou arte come agaynſt me, to fyght in my land?
13 And the kinge of the children of Ammon aunſweared vntounto the meſſengers of Iiphtah: bicauſe Iſraell tooke my lande, when they came from Egipte, from Arnon, euen to Iaboc, and vntounto Iarden, now therfore reſtore them with peace.
14 Yet Iiphtah ſent meſſengers agayne vntounto the kinge of the children of Ammon.
15 And ſayd vntounto hym: Thus ſayth Iiphtah, Iſraell tooke not the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon.
16 But when Iſraell came vppe from Egipte, and walked thorowe the wylderneſſe, euen to the Sea Suph, then they came to Cades.
17 And Iſraell ſente meſſengers vntounto the kinge of Edom ſayinge: Let me, I praye thee, goe thorowe thy lande. But the Kynge of Edome woulde not conſente. And alſo they ſente vntounto the Kynge of Moab, but he woulde not. Therefore Iſraell abode in Cades.
18. Then they wente thorowe the wildernes, and compaſſed the Lande of Edome, and the Lande of Moab, and came by the Eaſte ſyde of the Lande of Moab, and pytched beyonde Arnon: neyther came they wythin the coaſte of Moab. For Arnon was the border of Moab.
19 Wherefore Iſraell ſente meſſengers vntounto Sihon kinge of the Ammorhites, and king of Hebron, and Iſraell ſayde vntounto him: Let vsus paſſe, we pray thee, by thy land into our place.
20 But Sihon truſted not Iſraell, to go thorough his coaſte, but Sihon gathered together all his people, and pitched in Iaaz, and fought agaynſt Iſraell.
21. And the Lorde GOD of Iſraell gaue Sihon and all his people into the handes of Iſraell, and they ſmote them: ſo Iſraell poſſeſſed all the lande of the Ammorrhites, the inhabitantes of that countrey.
22 And they poſſeſſed all the coaſte of the Ammorhites from Arnon euen to Iaboc, and from the wildernes euen vntounto Iordan.
23 Nowe therefore the Lorde GOD of Iſraell hath caſte oute the Ammorhites before his people Iſraell, and ſhouldeſt thou poſſeſſe it?
24 Wouldeſt not thou poſſeſſe that whiche Chemos thy God geueth thee to poſſeſſe? So whomeſoeuer the Lorde our God driueth out before vsus, them will we poſſeſſe.
25. And arte thou now farre better then Balac the ſonne of Zippor king of Moab? Did not he ſtriue with Iſraell? Did not he fyght agaynſte them?
26. When Iſraell dwelte in Heſbon and in her townes, and in Aroer, and in her Townes, and in all the Cities that are by the coaſtes of Arnon .300. yeares? Why did ye not then recouer them in that ſpace?
27 Wherefore I hauehave not offended thee: but thou doeſt me wrong to warre agaynſt me. The Lord the Iudge be Iudge thys day betwene the chyldren of Iſrael, and the chyldren of Ammon.
28 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not vntounto the woordes of Iiphtaph, which he had ſent hym.
When Iiphtah by his meſſengers ſaith vntounto the king of Ammon: what haſt thou to do with me? he vſeth a phraſe very much vſed of the Hebrues. He inquireth the cauſe, as though he woulde hauehave ſayde: why inuadeſt thou our landes? what diſcord or iniuries are there betwene thee and me? The king of the Ammonites anſwered, that he therefore made warre, bicauſe the Iſraelites did hym iniury, which tooke away his landes, namely from the borders of Arnon, euen to Iaboc and Iarden. He complayneth that all that coaſt was taken from hym, which was betwene thoſe riuers. This he pretendeth to be the cauſe of the war. And he deſired that they would reſtore peaceablye, that is, without warre, that which they had taken away from him. He ſeemeth to promiſe that he will leaue of from warre, if the Iſraelites woulde performe this. Iiphtah denieth that the thyng is ſo: VVe hauehave not taken away (ſayth he) your land. And bringeth a reaſon: Bicauſe when the Iſraelites came vp out of Egipt, they of their owne wyll ſent meſſengers vntounto the kyng of Edom, that they might hauehave leaue to paſſe throughe his borders: which thing he would not let them doo: ſo farre is it of that wee dyd them iniury. The people abode in Cades: ſo muche tempered they themſelues frō violence and weapons. They went on the ſyde of the land of Edom: for the Edomites would not permit Iſrael, to go ſtraight through the middeſt of their country. Wherefore my people rather iourneyed with great labour, then that they were troubleſome vntounto any man. And pitched beyond Arnon. There were the endes of Moab Wherefore ye can not complaine that we did anye man iniurye. Therfore when the Iſraelites ſaw that they could not leade their hoſt throughe the borders of Edom or Moab, they ſent vntounto Sihon king of the Amorhites: But he would not: neither did he onelyonly denye them paſſage through his borders, but alſo aſſembled an hoſt, and purſued them. And the battaile beyng ioyned, God deliuered him in to the handes of the Iſraelites.The Iſraelites poſſeſſed ye land by the righte of warre. Wherefore (ſayth he) we hauehave done thee no wrong: for this land we poſſeſſe by the right of warre. Sihon aſſayled vsus with his power, and the victory fel on our ſyde: wherfore both he, and all his land by the right of warre came into our power.
And the Lord delyuered. Wherfore, foraſmuch as Iſrael by the ryght of war ſucceded Sihon, that land which thou deſireſt, is not thine, but in the olde tyme pertained vntounto Sihon the king. Therfore when we occupied this land, thou diddeſt not poſſeſſe it, but the Amorhites.
Neither do we poſſeſſe this land by the right of warre onelyonly,They alſo poſſeſſed it by the gift of God. but alſo by the gift of God: for the Lord our God, which is Lord of al kingdomes, hath geuen it to vsus, and deliuered it into our power. This is the ſecond reaſon that Iiptah vſeth: for by the firſt he onelye ſheweth that thoſe places came vntounto him by the right of warre, without any wrong doing. But ſome man might ſay:It is well perceiued that god gaue it bicauſe he draue out the Ammonits. how knoweſt thou yt God gaue thee this land: Bicauſe (ſaith he) he expelled the old inhabiters the Amorhites before vsus: and wylt thou ſuccede the Amorhites? as though hee would ſay, by what right? He bringeth an argument a ſimili, that is from the lyke. You (ſayth he) worſhip the God Chemos, and you thinke you hauehave your lād by his benefite, and ye beleue that ye poſſeſſe it by very good right: So we hauehave receiued our land, not from an idole as you hauehave, but from the true God, Chemos the god of he Ammonites.and we retayne it by very good ryght. He calleth not Chemos god, bicauſe he beleued that idole to be a god: but ſpeaketh in this maner, bicauſe they iudged that it was ſo.
Art thou better then Balac the ſonne of Zippor? They poſſeſſed alſo by the right of preſcription.Thys is the thyrde reaſon. We poſſeſſe it (ſaith they) not onelyonly by the right of warre or gyft, but alſo by the right of preſcription: for we hauehave had it nowe in our handes this .300. yeares, and Balac though he were a mighty Prince, and other alſo, neuer required it againe: wherfore then doeſt thou demaund it againe, eſpeciallye ſeing we hauehave had it ſo long time? That which we tranſlate, Art thou better? in Hebrue it is Tob tob. For bicauſe they want the comparatiue degree, they vſe in ſteede of it a repeticion of the poſitiue degree.
Why Balac fought agaynſt the Iſraelites.Balac of whom he ſpeaketh, was he which hired Bileam to curſſe the Iewes. And when he fought againſt the Iſraelites, he did not therefore fight, bicauſe he would wreſt from them that land: this was onelyonly his entent, that they ſhoulde not enter into his borders.
Heſbon.Heſbon was the kingly Citye of Sihon. There dwelled Iſraell and in all her townes .300. yeares, and now at the laſt demaundeſt thou it agayne? If a man wyl count the number of the yeares euen to this time, he ſhall not fullye finde .300. yeares, but onelyonly .270. But ſo vſe they to doo which preſcribe any thing by time, to adde ſomwhat aboue the iuſt number. Although the ſcripture alſo is wont in ſupputacions, many times to follow the greater number. And .270. yeares come nere vntounto .300. yeares, then to .200. yeares. And for that cauſe it ſeemeth that the number ſhould be put whole.
Wherfore Iiphtah concludeth after this maner: I hauehave not offended thee. Bicauſe thou art the occaſion of the warre, and hauehave ſhewed thee my reaſons: now reſteth to put the matter in Gods hand, he wyll iudge beſt. Thys was the meſſage of Iiphtah.
We muſt fyrſt entreate by meſſengers, before we go to weapons. Titus Liuius.This Oration, as farre as it appeareth, pertaineth vntounto the iudicial kynde, and entreateth of poſſeſſion, and the reaſons are layde foorth. But nowe let vsus marke that Iiphtah before he moueth battail, ſendeth meſſengers before. That is a cuſtome verye laudable: For Titus Liuius writeth in his firſt booke, that it was the maner of Rome, that before warre was proclaymed againſte their enemies, meſſengers were ſent to complaine of the iniuries, and to require againe the thinges taken away. And if by their meſſage they nothing profited, they returned vntounto the Senate: who vnderſtanding the matter, proclaimed war by the publike aſſent. For wiſe men iudged it not beſt, raſhlye and ſodainlye to fall to warres. So Iiphtah, though he were a warlike and valiant man, yet woulde he gouerne the matter wiſely and moderatlye: For he was not ſo light brained as many now adayes are, who firſte prepare them ſelues to battaile, and make a bragging, before any man know that there is any warre proclaimed. God thus ordained in the .27. chap. of Deut. when thou ſhalt come to any Citye, thou ſhalt firſte offer peace. So Iiphtah aſſayeth firſte to compoſe the matter by woords, before he goeth to hand ſtrokes. The king of Ammon alledgeth a cauſe in dede, but it is but a fained cauſe: for firſt it was not the lād of Ammon, but of Moab, and the Amorhites draue them out, as the ſecond chap. of Deut. teſtifieth. For Iſrael had none of their landes. For God had before ſaid that he woulde geue nothing vntounto the Iſraelites, of that which pertained either to the Edomites, or to the Ammonites, or to the Moabites: and when they offred no wrong vntounto anye man, Sihon the king of the Amorhites purſued them with an hoſt, and aſſayed to deſtroy them: but God gaue the victory, wherin both Sihon was ſlain, and his kingdome came to the Iſraelites. Wherfore it can not ſeme that they did wrong vntounto the Ammonites: for that land at that time longed to the Amorhites, which they before had taken away from the Moabites.
Whither the Iſraelites ſent meſſengers vntounto the Moabites or no.But in this place ariſeth a doubt: for it is written that the Iſraelites ſent meſſengers vntounto the Moabites, and that is not found in the .21. chap. of Numb. The Hebrue interpreters ſay, that that may be gathered out of the .2. chap. of Deutr. where it is after this ſorte written: I ſent meſſengers vntounto Sihon the king of the Amorhites with woordes of peace, ſaying: Let vsus paſſe throughe thy lande, and we wil go by the high way, we wil not decline neither to the right hande nor to the leaft. Sel vsus meate for money, for to eate, geue vsus water for money to drink. OnelyOnly, geue vsus leaue to paſſe through, as did the children of Eſau, which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwel in Arre.
Ther are three principal pointes in this meſſage:What wer the chief points of I phtahs me… ſage. for firſt Iiphtah anſwereth that he poſſeſſeth this land by the right of war, ſecondly by gift, & laſtlye by preſcription, I thinke it good to examine theſe thinges ſingularly and aparte.