Exposition of the Laws of Moses, Exegesis 8 · Chapter 24
CHAPTER XXIIII. Of their diverſe ſorts of Rulers and Commaunders.
EXOD. 18.25. And Moſes chooſe able men out of all Iſrael, and made them heads over the people, Rulers over thouſands, &c.
foreign virga. foreign Tribus.THe people of the Iewes were divided into twelue Tribes, thoſe Tribes were called Shibhte, becauſe they had a rod carried before them.
Before the renting of the ten Tribes from Iuda they were called Iſraelites; but after the rent of the tenne Tribes, the two Tribes and the halfe were called Iuda, and the tenne Tribes were uſually called Iſrael; and ſometimes Ioſeph, and Izreel, and ſometimes Iacob. And in the Captivitie they are called Iewes, as Eſter 2.5. Mordecai of Benjamin is called a Iew, ſo Eſter 3. Haman ſought to deſtroy all the Iewes: and they are all called Iſrael in the Captivitie, and thou ſhalt beare the iniquitie of Iſrael and Iuda, foreign cum ה demonſtrative.Ezek. 4. And once halevj, Mal. 2.8. cum [he] demonſtrativo, to ſignifie that levi is not put here for a proper name.
Thoſe who ruled the twelue Tribes were divers, Ioſhua 23.2. Ioſhua called for all Iſrael, for their Elders, for their heads, for their Iudges and for their officers.
foreign Seniores.For the Elders, theſe are called Zekenim, and the Seventie tranſlate them foreign, id est, majores; Zekenim is ſometimes taken for the great Synedrion, and ſometimes for the Kings Councell, 2 King. 1.10. And Iehu ſent unto Samaria to the Rulers of Izreel, here the word Elders is taken for the Kings Councell, and not for the Synedrion, for it ſate in Ieruſalem: and ſometimes in the leſſer Cities Zekenim are called Senatores.
Secondly; He called for [roſhim] their heads, which the Seventie tranſlate foreign, Principes; foreign Capita, Priupes.This word [roſh] is taken ſometimes for the Captaines of the Armies, 1 Sam. 11.11. And Saul divided his Armie into three heads, that is three Companies. Iudg. 11.7. eris nobis [leroſh] in caput, the Seventie tranſlate it foreign. So [roſh] is taken for the heads of the families, and they are called [roſhe abhoth] here; Ioſhua ſent for the Captaines of the Armie.
Thirdly; He ſent for [Shophetim] the Iudges,foreign vel foreign Iudices. that is the Rulers of the Cities, and theſe alſo were called [Omanim] 2 King. 10.1.
Theſe who ruled the people,foreign. were either the heads of the Tribes, and they were called ſhare haſhebhatim, or foreign: theſe conveined the Tribes, and were Captaines in their warres, for the Tribes had their owne proper warres, ſometimes one againſt another; ſo the Danites made warre againſt them of Lachis, and they of Ephraim againſt Iepthe, Iudg. 12.
Or elſe they were Commanders in ſome part of the Tribe, for the Tribes were divided into families, and theſe who were cheife in the familie were called [Share miſhpahhim] or Patriarchae, capita familiarum, foreign Capita Familiarum.the Patriarchs or heads of the families.
Theſe families againe were divided into thouſands; Example. In Iuda there were fiue great families, or [alphe] thouſands, and they had fiue Commanders who were called foreign, Numb. 1.16. theſe were the heads of thouſands in Iſrael. And Micha alludeth to this chap. 5.2. Bethleem Ephrata although thou be little amongſt the thouſands of Iuda. Secondly, ſome were Commanders over hundreds, and they were called foreign. Thirdly, they were Commanders over fifties, Eſay 3.3. And laſtly, Rulers over ten. This diviſion was inſtituted by Moſes by the Councell of Iethro, and approved by Iehoſaphat, 2 Chron. 19. Theſe Commanders over thouſands, hundreds, and fifties were [bagnale ribhoth] Lords to take away ſtrife from the people,foreign like our Iuſtices of peace; and they differed from the ordinary Iudges called Shophetim.foreign
Laſtly, They had their [shoterim] which word is diverſly tranſlated by the Seventie: foreignfirſt they tranſlate it foreign, becauſe by force they compelled men to obedience, loro et baculo cogebant: and ſometimes they tranſlate them foreign, becauſe they carried a rod: and ſometimes foreign, Pro. 6 6. Goe to the Piſmire, who hath not [Shoter] over ſeer or ruler. So Exod. 5.15. they tranſlate Shoterim foreign, as yee would ſay, inſtitutores vel doctores, becauſe they taught the people obedience to the Magiſtrates: and Act. 13.35. foreign; Syrus habet, caput vrbis. Iunius tranſlates it moderatores, & Aquila tranſlateth it foreign, facinorum Vindices. Laſtly, they tranſlate ſhoterim, foreign, under-rowers; for as in a Gallie there are commanders, rowers, and under-rowers; ſo in this well conſtituted Common-wealth of the Iewes, there were ſupreame Commanders, Commanders in the middle degree, and Commanders in the inferiour degree.