Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 11 · Verses 3-11
3 Then Iiphtah fled from his brethren: and dwelt in the lande of Tob: and there gathered idle fellowes vntounto Iiphtah, and went out with hym.
4 And in proceſſe of tyme the chyldren of Ammon made warre with Iſraell.
5 And when the Ammonites began to fyght with Iſraell, the Elders of Gilead went to ſet Iiphtah out of the land of Tob.
6 And they ſayd vntounto Iiphtah: Come and be our captayne, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
7 Iiphtah anſwered the Elders of Gilead, did not ye hate me, and expell me out of my fathers houſe? and why then come ye nowe vntounto me, when ye are vexed.
8 And the Elders of Gilead ſayde vntounto Iiphtah: Therefore we turne agayne vntounto thee now, that thou mayſt go with vsus, and fight agaynſt the children of Ammon, and be our head, ouer all the inhabitantes of Gilead.
9 Then anſwered Iiphtah vntounto the Elders of Gilead: If ye bring me home agayne to fight againſt the chyldren of Ammon, and if the Lord deliuer them before me, ſhall I be your head?
10 And the Elders of Gilead ſayd vntounto Iiphtah: The Lord heare betwene vsus, if we do not according to thy woord.
11 Then Iiphtah went with the Elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captayne ouer them. And Iiphtah ſpake al his woordes before the Lord in Mizpah.
The land whereunto Iiphtah fled, was called Tob, Why the land… was called Tob.namely of the name of the poſſeſſor therof, otherwiſe Tob ſignifieth good. But here it is the proper name of the Lord of that land.
Idle men. That is vaine. This woord ſignifieth poore men, and ſuch as were oppreſſed for debte. So alſo there came vntounto Dauid, when he fledde from Saule, men that were in debt, and heauy of harte.
And they went out with him. Namely to warre agaynſte the enemyes of the people of God: and they liued of the ſpoyle. For Iiphtah beyng a man baniſhed and dryuen oute of hys countrey, hadde nothynge wherewyth to maynetaine ſouldiers.
And the children of Ammon foughte. We hauehave tolde that the Ammonites made warre agaynſte the Iſraelites, whiche is vnderſtande to hauehave beene after Iiphtah departed from his fathers houſe: and when he ſhoulde goe into the land of Tob, he moued warre agaynſte thoſe Ammonites, and oute of theyr borders tooke praies and booties. Therefore, when the Gileadites wer oppreſſed, they came vntounto Iiphtah, to bringe him home agayne, and by hys conducte to defende the city from theyr enemyes. They deſire to hauehave him to be theyr head: bycauſe when they wer grieuouſly oppreſſed of theyr enemies, they iudged it expedient, that there ſhoulde be one to gouerne their thinges. And firſte they had decreed among themſelues, (as we hauehave heard) that he ſhoulde be theyr captayne, which fyrſt ſhoulde fyghte againſte theyr enemyes: but whither they did that by theyr owne iudgemente and ciuill reaſon, or by the oracle of God, the hiſtorye mencioneth not. But the act or cōdicion which the Gileadites ordeined, was fulfilled by Iiphtah: for he with a few ſouldiours aſſayled his enemies. Therefore they ſeyng that they were bound to ſtand to theyr couenant, came vntounto Iiphtah and choſe him captayne, bicauſe he fyrſte of all beganne the battayle agaynſte the Ammonites.
This is worthy to be marked, that the Gileadites call not Iiphtah kinge,Iiphtah a…oli… ted captayne, & not kinge. but only captayne or ruler. Wherfore they are not to be accuſed as the Sechemites were. For they did chuſe Abimelech kinge, but theſe men conſtitute Iiphtah captaine, to fight againſt theyr enemies now for the preſente time, and alſo hereafter when oportunity ſhould ſerue. And vndoubtedly they do wel and wiſely in chooſing Iiphtah: for he was a man expert and valiant in warres.
But god had with himſelf before in ſecret decreed, that he ſhoulde be iudge ouer all Iſraell, whiche manifeſtlye appeareth by thoſe woordes whiche we ſhall afterward heare: And the ſpirite of the Lord came vponupon Iiphtah. Farther, we muſt conſider, that Iiphtah therfore fled, bicauſe his bretherne had thruſt him out of his fathers inheritance, neither left they him any thing to defend his life with all: wherfore he had rather fly, and liue in exile, then to liue with ignominye in his country. This vndoubtedly came of a noble ſtoute courage, that he woulde not liue there, where he continuallye hearde his byrth vpbraided vntounto him, and where al men counted him for a baſtard. Therfore he got him to an other place, and exerciſed the arte of warrefare. It is alſo poſſible, that that matter came in controuerſy, and the Iudges, to gratify the legitimate bretherne, did not onelyonly iudge that he ſhould be depriued of his fathers goods,The law commaunded not to baniſh baſtardes. but alſo be thruſte oute of the citye, and ſeemeth to me verye probable. For when the Gileadits came vntounto hym, and of theyr owne accorde offred vntounto hym the pryncipalytye, he aunſweared: Did not ye expell mee oute of the citye? Theſe woordes declare that Iiphtah was handled more ſeuerelye, then the lawe commaunded. For the law commaunded not to baniſhe baſtardes. The Gileadites aunſweare that they did ſo in dede, but as before they coulde expel him, ſo alſo nowe it was in theyr power, to call him home againe and make him ruler. But nowe, ſayth Iiphtah, you call me agayne when ye are in miſerye. As thoughe he woulde hauehave ſaide, otherwiſe yee woulde not hauehave called me againe. It is ſo, ſaye they, and therfore we come vntounto thee, that thou maiſt fight againſt our enemies: bicauſe we are afflicted.
But in that it is written we are turned againe, we muſte not ſo vnderſtande it, as though they had before bene with Iiphtah, but to turne again, is in this place to be referred vntounto the mind: as though it ſhould hauehave bene ſayd, we hauehave chaunged our counſel & purpoſe. Then Iiphtah, like a wiſe mā, would not be ſatiſfied with theſe words, but required the couenants of the principality to be cōfirmed If I ſayth he, ſhal put my ſelfe in daunger, and god ſhal geue vntounto me the victory, ſhall I be your hed? He did not ſtreyght way geue credite to theyr firſte woordes: bicauſe he feared leaſt they would not kepe promiſe, which had before doone him ſuch hurt: nether worketh he theſe things priuely with them, but in a place moſt famous,What place Mizpa was. namely in Mizpa. There in the olde time the kinges of Chanaan aſſembled againſt Ioſua, whom when he had vanquiſhed, & returned wt the victory, he built in the ſame place an aultar to the Lord. Whefore it was a cuſtom frō that time, that they which ſhould take warre in hand ſhould aſſemble thither: wherevnto this alſo is to be added, yt Iiphtah (as we ſhal afterward vnderſtand) dwelled there. He would alſo hauehave them to ſweare, that the promiſes might be the more certayne, as by that appeareth whych foloweth: God heare betwene me and you. For to ſweare is nothinge els, then to call God for a witneſſe of thoſe thinges, which eyther we affirme, or deny.
But the requeſte of Iiphtah is not ambicious. For that vice then hath place, when the office of a magiſtrate is ſought by bribery,Iiphtah is not guilty or ambicion. deceite, corruption and euil artes. But when a man ſeeth himſelfe to be called vntounto it, and that he may profite the pub. wealth, and vnderſtandeth that he can obtayne the office of a magiſtrate vponupon an honeſt condicion, it can not be ſayde that he doth it ambiciouſlye. Iiphtah is now choſen, to endaunger himſelfe for his country, to fight agaynſte the enemies of god,A compariſon betwene Abimelech and Iiphtah. he vſeth no bribery nor deceat: Wherfore he is far from ambition. But Abimelech did far otherwiſe behaue himſelfe, he ſlew his bretherne, did violence vntounto the Sechemites, and tooke away the holy mony.
But Iiphtah although he were reprochfully handled of his owne friendes, yet he ſlayeth them not, neyther didde he ſollicyte the Gileadites to create him ruler, onelyonly he promiſeth that he will go to the battayle, ſo that they woulde performe that which of theyr own accord they offred.
A queſtion, whether theſe mens doyinges were lawfull.But here may iuſtly be demaunded, how it was lawfull for them to geue the principality vntounto Iiphtah, or for him to take it vponupon him, being Mamzer. For the law commaunded that no Mamzer ſhould not enter into the congregation of god which was, eyther to take vponupon him any ſacred miniſtery, or els the office of a magiſtrate. Vndoubtedly none of the Hebrewe, Greke and lattin interpreters, that I know of, once marked this doubte. But I thinke herein may two reaſons be alledged. Firſte, although the lawe ſeemeth to be violated, yet god, who was the author of the law, would at thime time by this priueledge hauehave infringed. And we may vnderſtand that they wer admoniſhed by an oracle, to chuſe him prince, which ſhould fyrſt ſet vponupon the enemies, whatſoeuer he were. This if they receaued by the inſpiration of god, then were they free from the lawe: for they myghte thinke with themſelues, that God made the lawe for men, and not for hymſelfe. This is a ſingular priueledge of god, wherein he commaunded that whoſoeuer fought firſt, ſhould be made the head. Iiphtah fought: Wherfore by the couenant and iudgemente of God, it was neceſſarye that he ſhoulde be choſen the heade. But what if without any oracle they had determined this thing onelyonly by iudgement among themſelues? Sinned they or no in making a baſtard their captain? No verely. For this is to be obſerued in all preceptes,What is to be done when two preceptes for one time are cō trary one to an other. aſwell ceremoniall as iudiciall and morall, when two preceptes of god do ſeme to be contrary one to an other, ſo that the one is a let vntounto the other, that they cannot both be obſerued at one time, yea rather it is neceſſarye that the one of thē be for that time omitted, then that which ſhalbe iudged to be more weyghtye and better is to be retayned. And yet in the meane time is not that other which is counted of les value violated: becauſe there in is nothing done againſt the will of god. The law commaundeth eueryevery man to defende the helth of his neyghbour, & if a man be magiſtrate,A ſimilitude. to defend his city by municions. The ſame law commaūdeth not to labor on the Sabaoth day. The enemye beiſegeth the city and that on the Sabaoth daye, bycauſe he knoweth that that law is layd vponupon the citizens. Here ſeemeth contrariety of preceptes: for on the one parte health is to be defended, and on the other part the Sabaoth is to be obſerued. The Machabites iudged it beſt to fighte, bycauſe the health of the publike wealth ſeemed greater and of antiquitye,An other ſimilitude. then the ceremony of the Sabaoth. Alſo the law is to feede the hungry, and an other law commaūdeth, that the ſhew bread ſhould be eaten of none, but of the prieſts onelyonly. Dauid being hungry cometh vntounto the prieſt, he hath nothing but the ſhew bread: wherfore two contrary preceptes come together. But the wiſe prieſt followeth and obſerueth that which is the greater, namely to feede the hungrye, and bringeth forth the ſhew bread, and helpeth Dauid. Alſo ther is an other law,The iii. ſimilitude. that we muſte miniſter weapons vntounto the Magiſtrate, For he muſte be holpen of his ſubiectes. And it is contrarily ordeyned that thinges conſecrated vntounto god ſhall not be tranſferred to other vſes. Dauid the kings ſonne in law, and his captayne which made warres for him, as the chiefe of his warrefare, was then vnarmed, the prieſt had no wepon at hand, but onelyonly the ſword of Goliath. Here ar two precepts which ſeme contrary, the prieſt followeth the one, & geueth vntounto the magiſtrate the ſword, bycauſe he iudged it better to arme the magiſtrate, then to obſerue the ceremony. There is alſo a law that the church ſhoulde not be without miniſters, ſo that it ſhoulde be deſtitute of them.The fourth ſimilitude And there is an other lawe in Paule that Neophytus, that is, a man newelye entred into Chriſtian relygion, ſhould not be made a byſhop. The church of Myllan was without a byſhop, neyther could it finde a mete biſhop, which was both pure from the ſect of the Arrians, and there withall had alſo greate authoritye and doctrine of god. There is none but Ambroſe, but he is Neophitus & Catechumenus. Ambroſe a Neophite and newly inſtructed in religiō is made a byſhop.Here doo twoo lawes mete together, which in ſhew ſeme contrary: but it was mete that the leſſe law ſhould geue place vntounto the greater. For Chriſt ſo taught, when by the ſentence of the prophete he ſayd: I will hauehave mercy and not Sacrifice. And yet he doth not ſay that he will not hauehave ſacrifice, but if two preceptes meete together, whereof the one is of mercy, and the other of ſacrifice, he teſtifieth that he had rather hauehave mercy then ſacrifice. So it ſeemeth was now don as touching Iiphtah, that whē two lawes vrged, the one to defend the city from ſtraungers: and the other that a baſtard ſhould not be made a Magiſtrate, that law was to be obſerued, which ſerued beſt for the ſafety of the city.