Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 1 · Verses 27-33
27 But Manaſſes did not expel Beth-Sean, with her townes, and Thaanach with her townes, the Inhabiters of Dor wyth her townes, the inhabiters of Iibleam with her townes, nether the inhabiters of Megiddo with her townes. And the Chananites began to dwell in the land.
28 And it came to paſſe, that as ſone as Iſrael was waxed mighto, they put the Chananites to tributes, and expelled them not.
29 In lyke maner Ephraim expelled not the Chananites that dwelt in Gazer, and therefore the Chananites dwelt ſtyll in Gazer among them.
30 Neither dyd Zebulon expel the inhabiters of Kitron, neyther the inhabiters of Nahalol, wherfore the Chananites dwelt among them, and became tributaries vntounto them.
31 Aſer alſo dyd not caſt oute the inhabiters of Acho, and the inhabiters of Zidon, & of Achlab, Achzib, Helbab, Aphik, and Rehob.
32 And the Aſerites dwelt among the Chananites the inhabiters of the land: for they did not driue them out.
33 Neither did Nephtalim driue out the inhabiters of Beth-Semes, nor the inhabiters of Bethanath: but dwelt amōgeſt the Chananites the inhabiters of the land: and the inhabiters of Beth-Semes, and Beth-Anath became tributaries vntounto them.
The ſynnes of the Iſraelites.In this place the holy hiſtory ſetteth foorth the ſynne of the Iſraelites, in that they did not caſt out and deſtroye thoſe peoples, as God had commaunded them, but made them tributaries vntounto them. Before the other tribes Manaſſes is reckoned: and the names of his Cities, which are here mencioned, ar rehearſed in the booke of Ioſuah, the, 17. chap. where almoſt theſe ſelfe ſame woordes ar reherſed, namely how Manaſſes although he did not conquer them, did for all that make them tributaries vntounto him. But that is not ſo to be vnderſtād, as though this ſinne were then committed: for as long as Ioſuah lyued, the people dyd not ſo openly fal, yea rather the people did their duty diligently all Ioſuas time, and al the time of the Elders, which had ſeene Moſes, and had liued together wyth Ioſua, as we ſhal heare ſtraight way in this booke: but theſe thinges are ſpoken in that place by foreign that is, by anticipation.
And the hebrewe phraſe is to be noted, namelye: And Benethiah, that is, her daughters. For it ſignifieth litle ſuburbes, townes and villages, whyche when they are compared with greater cities, do ſeme to be daughters of thoſe Cities. The ſame kinde of ſpeaking is vſed alſo in other languages.Cities called Matrices and foreign. Scithopolis. For we call often times the principal Cities Matrices, that is, chiefe Cities, and the Grecians call them foreign and foreign. Beth-San was a City in the tribe of Manaſſes, which was afterward called Scythopolis, of which city both Ptholomey and alſo Ierome hauehave made mencion. Thaanach is reckoned to be .x. myles diſtant frō Ceſaria, in the way to Ptolemais.
But the Chananites began to dwell in the land. This hebrewe woorde Ioel, which the latine interpretour tranſlateth preſumpſit, and we hauehave turned it caepit, that is, began, ſignifieth alſo to wyll, to be at reſt, and to ſweare. The ſence ſeemeth to bee this, that the Chananites, ſeyng they were not rooted out, would hauehave gladlye bene content to hauehave taryed in thoſe places, where before they dwelled, and that peraduenture with a bond and an othe, but in ſuch ſorte that they would hauehave giuen a certayne tribute vntounto the Iſraelites, which nowe had preuailed. But they of Manaſſes, bicauſe they could not caſt theſe out, were puniſhed for their ſmal faith. For if they had perfectly beleued, euen as God was with them in the conquering of Luz and other Cities, ſo would he alſo hauehave ayded them, in caſting them out: but bicauſe their fayth was ſo diminiſhed, God withdrew his ayde from them, but in the meane tyme hee referred this puniſhment (as I hauehave before ſaid) to profitable endes, & meete for his prouidence. And they although they could not vponupon the ſodayne expell their enemies, yet ought they not to ceaſe of from making warre againſt them, neither was it lawful for them to make any couenaunt or league with them.
And it appeareth that they required tribute of theſe nations, and bargained with them without anye lawfull cauſe: for thus ſpeaketh the ſcripture. And it came to paſſe that as ſoone as Iſrael waxed mighty, they put the Chananites to tribute. Wherefore they preuayled againſt them, and they wer ſtronger than thoſe nations: and therefore they can not be excuſed, in that they moſt filthilye made couenauntes with them. For they ſeemed to be entiſed thereunto by couetouſnes of money and ſeruitude of thoſe nations.
And in expellyng dyd not expell them. What the doubling of a word ſignifieth w…h the Hebrewes.Thys doublyng of woordes in the hebrew expreſſeth a perfect and abſolute action, and this ſignifieth as muche as if it ſhould hauehave bene ſaid: And they bruſed them, and ſome of them they expelled, but they did not vtterlye deſtroye them, as God had commaunded. But what can we anſwer of Salomon, Salomon alſo brought theſe nations vnderunder tribute.which (in the firſt booke of kings the .9. chap. and in the .8. chap. of Paralip.) is written to hauehave brought vnderunder tribute the reſt of the Amorrites, Hethites. &c. I beleue verely that the reſt of thoſe nations embraced the religion of the true God. For Dauid, who was otherwyſe a moſt noble king and valiaunt Captaine, and who poſſeſſed his kingdome perfectly, ſuffered them not to worſhip ydols in his dominions. And if Salomon dyd afterward lay a greater burthen on them, than hee did on the Iſraelites, hee can not lawfully be blamed: for he did ſo alſo with the Gabaonites. For it is meete that the Iſraelites ſhould be handled more gentlye of their King, than ſtraungers. Neither ſhould Salomon be excuſed, if he did that for to muche greedye deſire of money, or if he did bargaine with them for money, that they keeping ſtill theyr idolatrous and falſe worſhipping, might liue vnpuniſhed in his kingdome.
Ephraim alſo expelled not the Chananites. It is not declared that this tribe did put their enemies to tribute: which I thinke neuertheles they dyd, whē as it was declared before that Manaſſes did ſo, and we ſhall heare ſtraight way that the tribe of Zebulon did the ſame. For it is not verye lykelye that thoſe Ephraites wer better than their felowes. As touching the city Gazer, Ierome ſaith that it was .4. myles diſtant from Nicopolis, which is Emaus: and is called by an other name Gazer. Kitron alſo in the tribe of Zebulon and Nahalol were compelled to pay tribute, that they might hauehave Chananites to be their citizens. The city Acho was afterward called Ptolemais. Ptolemais. Diſpa.Achzib alſo was called afterwarde Diſpa, being .ix. miles diſtant from Acho in the way toward Tire. Likewiſe the tribe of Nephtalim brought the Chananites vnderunder tribute.