Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · Judges · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
HEre first it is shewed, what enemies were left unexpelled, five Lords of V. 1, 2, 3, 4.the Philistims, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and Hivites of mount Lebanon, and from mount Baal Hermon, to the entring in of Hamath. And these are said to be left to prove Israel, and that they might know warre. Of these nations, see before Josh. 13. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. and the notes thereupon, and why they were not driven out as the Lord had promised, Ch. 2. 20, 21. they by their wickednesse were the cause hereof. These enemies, saith Ferus, were left Ferus.to prove them, that is, that being in continuall danger of them they might feare to offend God, as upon whose protection they alwayes depended. And to teach them warre, that is, that they might have need to apply themselves to military exercises, when their enemies should infest them for their sinnes, and Non faelicitatis, sed necessitatis refugium est discere bella▪ re.not lye downe in sloatgh and idlenesse. Warre is not then hereby commended, it is the refuge not of felicity, but of necessity, to learne to warre; it were much more happy to bee ignorant of warre, and to have God for our protector, thus he. These enemies then were left in their fathers times; whilst Joshua lived, before that they had provoked the Lord by their sinnes for these reasons, another reason also being rendred, Exod. 23. 29. lest the land should be left desolate, and the beasts of the field should be multiplyed against them. And where as one reason here rendred is, that they might learne to warre, it appeareth, that although peace be most desirable, yet for the vices that accompany it, sloathfulnesse, luxury and pride, warres arenecessary, and lest through continuall peace men should grow altogether ignorant, how to proceede in warre, when they are by their enemies assaulted. It is true indeed, that God can protect his, although they know not how to fight, but hee will have them so to depend upon his protection, as to use the meanes of warlike preparation, whereas all the Canaanites are said to be left, and Josh. 13. 4. all the land of the Canaanites, this is not to be understood, as if none of them were destroyed, for Numh. 21. those in the south were rooted out, and Josh. 9. many Canaanites more, Josh. 12. 8. but that still many of them remained in divers parts of the land, Josh. 16. and 17. all which onelyonly are ment here.
Mystically by the enemies left, understand our spirituall enemies, that yet remain, now that our Jesus hath brought us into the land of Christianity: Tbe Mystery. Ferus.the five senses set forth by the five Lords of the Philistims, and the world, flesh and Devill, set forth by the Canaanites, Sidonians, and Hivites; these remaine still to prove us, whether wee will be drawn hereby to evill, or follow the Lord, and that the greatnesse of our corruption might appeare, and so the greatnesse of Gods mercy in delivering of us, which otherwise would not so readily have beene acknowledged. And lastly, that wee might not live in security, which produceth many vices, as it is said, Exod 23. 29. lest the beasts of the field multiply against thee, but learne and exercise the spirituall warfare, all the dayes of our lives.
The enemies that were left to prove them, being hitherto particularized, now the effect hereof through their corruption is shewed. They take their V. 5, 6, 7.daughters to bee their wives, and gave them their daughters and served their Gods. The beginning of their wickednesse was in presuming to doe contrary to Gods expresse command, Deut. 7. whereby is shewed what horrible evils come of sinning in any thing, that we may not presume upon our owne strength to Note. offend in any kinde.
And they forgat the Lord and served Baalim, and the groves. The vulgar Latin hath Baalim and Ashteroth, but the word foreign groves, and so the Septuagint render it also, where by groves understand the Idolls worshipped in groves. Forget the Lord, saith Ferus, they could not, but because they contemned his word and neglected his precepts, they are said to have forgotten Ferus.him: neither is it to bee thought that they served other gods, but that they served God with the worship used unto Idols, as when they worshipped the golden calfe, they could not be so grosse as to thinke that calfe a god, or that Aaron could make them a god, wherefore it was proclaimed, To morrow is a holy day to the Lord, implying that they exhibited that worship to the Lord▪ Hee that doth any thing then contrary to the word of God, although hee intendeth his worship, committeth Idolatry, and likewise hee that setteth up any other worship, omitting that which he hath commanded. Wherefore let us looke to it, left it bee objected to us, Yee have forgotten God and served other gods. Thus that Fryer aiming doubtlesse at the Popish worship by images, and at their superstitious rites.
And hee sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim, King of Mesopotamia, &c. For Mesopotamia Hebr. is Aram Naharaim, and Aram alone, v. 10. V. 8.which is Syria, and so the vulgar Latin there rendreth it. But Aram is rendred Mesopotamia, because it stood within two rivers, as Naharaim signifieth. The Septuagint have Mesopotamia of Syria, for Mesopotamia was the chiefe City of Syria, and then the Metropolis of that Kingdome. Aram Naharaim Lyrasignifyeth Syria of the Rivers, it was betweene two famous Rivers, Euphrates and Tygris, and lay farre from the land of Canaan, yet from thence God brought enemies to chastise the rebellious Isralites, as Ferus noteth, even 400 miles. For it was not Cushan-rishathaims power, that could subdue Israel, Ferus.but God sold them into his hands: wherefore God, and not man, is to be feared. Josephus calleth this King the King of Assyria, but erroniously, and Math. 10. 28.here hee placeth the history of the Levites concubine, which followed long after Iudg. 19. They served this king 8. yeares, according to the time, saith Hugo Hugo Card. Lyra.and Lyra, that they had served idols.
And when they cried to the Lord, hee raised them up a deliverer, Othniel, &c. of V. 9.Othniels description see before Ch. 1. 13. for deliverer, Hebr. is a Saviour; a man, saith Augustine, is called a Saviour, because God saved them by him, and by the August.same name are other Judges afterwards also called. Wherefore both the Sept. and vulgar Latine, render it a Saviour. Bonfrerius, the Jesuite, because wee in Bonfrerius.our translations decline this word, and put for it a deliverer, falleth very foule upon us saying, that these Novatores will make new the Scriptures and all, and inferreth that the Virgin Mary, and the Saints departed, may well be called Saviours, and Mediators also, without derogating from God and his Sonne Jesus Christ, because as these Iudges saved by the helpe of God, as subordinate instruments and meanes, so Iesus being our chiefe Saviour, yet useth them as helpes under him to save the faithfull. But wee contend not so much for the word, but onelyonly oppose that doctrine and practise whereby it is derogated from Christ, our onelyonly Mediator, for they doe not onelyonly thus stile the Saints, but pray, unto them, and ascribe merit to them, which are incommunicable properties of our Lord onelyonly. Wee acknowledge that preachers save, according to that, 1 Tim. 4. 16. but as instruments by whose preaching and praying God worketh grace and saveth, and therefore that they are to be sought unto, whilst they live, but that the most excellent amongst them, the very Apostles should bee prayed unto, when they are dead, or their merits relyed upon in any part, wee doe utterly deny as being a thing, for which wee have no precept, or precedent in all the word of God, but divers passages to the contrary. But how was Othniel and other Iudges stirred up to Qu. be Saviours? An. Josephus and the Chalde Paraphrast say, that hee was bidden Ioseph. Chal. paraphr.by divine oracle to goe against the king of Mesopotamia, and that by the Spirit coming upon him was meant the Spirit of prophecy, whereby it was revealed to him, that hee leading forth the people to this warre should prevaile. Thus the Spirit is said to have come upon the Prophets to prophecy, Ezek. 2. 2. c. 3. 24. c. 11. 5. &c. But I do not think, that the Spirit came upon Othniel thus onelyonly, but to indue him with courage, wisedome, and extraordinary force also to subdue the enemie and to governe the people aright, and to make him a sufficient Judge over them all his dayes, for his proceedings were miraculous and extraordinary through that Spirit coming upon him, causing terrour in the enemies, and an awfull regard in the people of Israel, whereby they were kept in obedience, whilst hee lived.
The time of his being stirred, saith one, was anno mundi, 25 12. and 9 yeares after H. Bunt. patriar. travailesthe death of Joshua, his name signifying the God of Time, so that he was a type of Christ, that saved his people in the fulnesse of time. And if so, then the children of Israel fell away soone after the death of Joshua, viz. one yeare after, but a longer time hath beene already assigned upon Ch. 1. 1.
And the land had rest 40. yeares. If this should bee understood meerely of the time, that they lived under Othniel, after their deliverance from their 8 yeaaes V. 11.servitude, the time would not agree with the yeares mentioned, 1 King. 6. 1. and therefore the meaning must bee, the land had rest 40 yeares from the time, wherein they were first brought into servitude by Cushanrishathaim, and so the times of their oppressions afterwards are to be reckoned to the yeeres of their Judges, see Josh. 24. 32. and Judg. 1. 1. If this shall seeme absurd, that the land should be said to have had rest 40 yeares, when as 8 of them were spent in servitudes and oppressions: Bonfrerius answereth two things, first Bonfrerius.that the greater number of yeares of Peace carry the name of the whole time of 40 yeares, as the time that the children of Israel lived in Egypt, carried the name of 430 yeares, although many of those yeares were spent elsewhere. 2. That there is a rest from sinning as well as from being oppressed, and of this the rest of 40 yeares may be understood, they rested from entring upon the way of sinning so abominably 40 yeares. But either of these wayes seem to mee to be forced, and the most genuine to be this; the land had rest, till 40 yeares were expired from the death of Joshua and the Elders that over-lived him. For before, the time, since their coming out of Egypt, was counted first by their travailes in the wildernesse, and then by Joshua his time, and the time of that generation, now a new way of reckoning is followed throughout the rest of this booke, viz. by the yeares of Judges succeeding one another, each ones time beginning at the death of his predecessor, although he was not raised up, till many yeares after, and so Othniels time of 40 yeares began immediately after the death of the Elders, and because when that was, is uncertaine, and so how long time is to be reckoned to Joshua his government, and to the Elders overliving him, that wee might not erre in the generall, the whole summe of yeares from their coming out of Egypt, till Solomons beginning to builde the Temple is precisely set downe, 1 King. 6. 1.
Mystically by Cushanrishathaeim, signifying their humiliation according to The Mystery. Origen 1 Cor. 5. 5.Origen, wee may understand the Devill to whom the wicked are delivered for their humiliation, when they are excommunicated, but when they are throughly humbled and cry to God, they are delivered, and injoy peace a farre longer time then they suffered, even for ever and ever, unlesse they doe wickedly againe, for then they shall be humbled againe, as the Israelites were by Eglon, the king of Moah, as it followeth, v. 12, 13. &c. where it is said, they did V. 12, 13, 14.evill againe, and God strengthned Eglon against them, and hee came with the Ammonites, and Amalekites, and possessed the City of Palme-trees, and smote the Israelites, and made them serve him 18 yeares. Here againe sinne giveth power to the enemy, and so to the spirituall enemy, as the glosse noteth. The Moabites could doe nothing against Israel before, and Amalek was easily Glos. Ordin.overcome by them, but the sinnes of Israel now make these mighty to overcome them. The City of Palme-trees was Jericho, as hath beene before shewed, Ferus.and by the City, the limits where it stood and that belonged to it are to be understood, for Jericho it remained unbuilt. The enemy came hither then Lyra.saith Lyra, and having subdued thus farre, the whole Countrey yeelded and became tributary. In that God is said to have strengthned Eglon against his Qu.. people, it may be demanded how hee did it, and whether the act of Eglon in oppressing Israel were just? To this Ferus answereth, that God made him Ferus.his instrument justly to punish the Israelites for their sinnes, and gave him strength and courage to subdue them, but for so much as hee came against them, not with any such intention, but in tyranny, pride and covetousnesse, in wrath and hatred, the fact was wicked in him, and therefore he was slain by one raised up of God, as hee deserved. And the same is to be held touching Nebuchadnezzar, Senacherib, and other heathen tyrants. But how is God said then to strenghen him? Answ. Not as a godly judge directly sending him, but supplying him with power, courage and instruments of warre, and striking terrour into the Israelites, and infatuating their counsells, and so occasion being ministred of quarrell, he out of a milacious minde came against them and brought them under.
And when the children of Israel cryed out to the Lord, hee raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the sonne of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed, &c. For V. 15.Ehud the Vulgar Latin hath Ajoth, qui utra{que} manu pro d…xtra utebatur; the Septuagint foreign Hebr. Ehud foreign renbred by the Tygurin interpreters, qui vir fuit clausa manu dextra, because foreign signifyeth claudere, Psal. 69. 16. as Pagninus hath it, so likewise Amandus Polanus, Arias Montanus, Vatablus, Robertus, Stephanus, Rabbini. He was then a man whose right hand was shut up, and therefore said to be left handed, as being not able to use the right hand with such force. Elder interpreters generally follow Jeroms translation, and some reason stif…ly for it, both because the word foreign is used but once more in all the Scriptures, viz. Psal. 69. 16. where it may be as well expounded to open, as to shut, and because the men of Benjamin are celebrated for this, that they could use their left hands as their right, Judg. 20. 16. and Ehud was of that tribe, and lastly, because a man lame on his right hand was unfit for this imployment. In that place Judg. 20. 16. the same phrase is used, that in this place, and therefore they are doubtlesse to bee expounded alike, Ehud was left handed, and so were they, but not lame on the right, as some suppose Ehud to have been, but yet if he had beene so, the miracle had been the greater. But a man left handed, is as apt and able for any service, as one right handed. The phrase seemeth to be an Hebraisme, his right hand shut, because hee used not that, as men commonly doe, but his left hand for it, and therefore it is rightly rendred by our Interpreters, a man left handed, whether yee expound the word to open or to shut, for if, to open, then he used it not to hold his weapon, or to fight with it. For this word, a Benjamite, Hebr. is a son of Jemini, but by Jemini Benjamin is meant, who had his name from Jamin a right hand, and Ben a son, and hereunto Ehuds fathers name Gera agreeth, see Gen. 46. 21. but it is to be understood, that he was not the immediate sonne of Gera, for hee dyed too long before, but of that family, whereof hee was the father. So that H. Bunting, in his Patriarchs travailes was wide in this, when he set him forth H. Bunting Patria. travailesto be a man of Judah, that dwelt in Jericho, and lame on his right hand. But for his being lame on his right hand, Ferus also standeth, saying that the power of God herein appeared in delivering them by such an infirme instrument, but because the same is said of 700 of Benjamin, Judg. 20. 16. who, it is not probable, were all lame on their right hand, this phrase must needs have another exposition, as before.
By Ehud the Israelites sent a gift unto Eglon, and he prepared him a dagger, which he girded to his right side under his loose garment, & herewith, after the V. 16.the present delivered, having obtained privacy with him hee stabd him into the belly, and slew him &c. If it be doubted, whether Ehuds fact herein be justifiable, because Eglon now was his Lord, and every soule must be subject to the higher powers; To this Ferus answereth well, that for any subject of his owne private motion to rise up against his King, although a tyrant, is a great sinne, Ferus.but Ehud was stirred up by God, as Jehu was afterwards, & therefore is not to be condemned, but commended: this example then is not in any case to be imitated, but when God likewise giveth authority. St. Augustine questioneth, whether Ehud did not lye, when to cause him to put all men forth, he said, that hee August Qu. 21.had a secret word unto him, but yet said nothing but stab'd him? and answereth that by word in the Hebrew Phrase, an act may also be understood, as is usuall in many places, and to doe this act God stirred him up, wherefore he said, that hee had a word from God unto him. Lyra saith that he cannot bee excused from lying, but it was an officious, not a pernicious lye, because it tended to the killing of a tyrant, which was commendable, but not his lying. The place where this was done was about Jericho, where the king of Moab kept his court, as is intimated in v. 19. where he is said to have returned from the quarries at Gilgal, which was neare unto Iericho, Josh. 5. The word is foreign Ferus.and is rendred by the Sept. and in the Vulgar Latin, idols in Gilgal, and Ferus saith, that seeing the idols set up there by the king of Moab, it being a place of great esteeme in divers respects, his zeal so wrought with him, that hee returned and killed the king. But it is plaine, that Ehud prepared to doe this before, and therefore was not hereby moved. Moreover the word foreign signifieth to carve wood or stone, and although foreign sometimes signifieth carved images, yet it may also be taken for any hewed or carved stones, and for the places where this is done, as Pagninus sheweth, and Junius rendreth it, Lapicidinis, Arias Montanus, dolaturis. But because the word is commonly put for images, I thinke the Vulgar Latin of Jerom is herein to be preferred.
Ebud accompanyed those, that came with him to bring the present thus farre, that they might be out of danger, and then returned to doe that which God by his spirit had moved him unto. And happily he made a shew, as if he had beene at Gilgal to worship before the kings idols set up there, & had something touching the king revealed unto him, that he might the better get an opportunity of being alone with him. Howsoever, his plot tooke effect, for the king caused all men to goe out, and then Ehud told him, that hee had a word unto him from V. 20.God, at which hee arose out of his chaire, and Ehud stabd him not being aware of it. The Instrument wherewith is said to have beene a dagger with two edges, a cubit long, v. 16. the Vulgar Latin, Qui secit tibi gladium ancipitem habentem in medio capulum longitudine palmae manus, but although the word foreign here used, signifieth a sword or a dagger, yet these words, habentem in medio Capulum, are neither in the Hebr. Sept. or Chald. and the word foreign signifieth not the palme of an hand, but a cubit, as reason also evinceth that this must needs be the length of it, that it might pierce through his fat belly, and if it had beene but as long as the palme of a mans hand, hee should not have needed to hang it by his side, but in his pocket. The word rendred here from God, is plurall, from the gods, so that it may be applied, as before, to Eglons idols, that hee had set up in Gilgal, which was a great indignity, because there the arke had remained divers yeares, circumcision was made, and the first passeover was kept, Josh. 5. but the plurall word foreign is also put commonly for the true God. Eglons rising up when he heard of a message from God, shewed his reverence, which was a thing commendable in him, if it were to the true God: So Constantine the great, alwayes stood up to heare the word of God; and Carolus Borromeus, is said to have read it alwayes kneeling, as Joshua fell upon his face to heare the Lord speaking to him. The dagger Iosh. 5. 14.being thrust into the belly of Eglon, the haft went in also, and was closed so fast in his fat, that Ehud could not plucke it out, that is, without delaying the time to labour about it, which was not necessary, and might have beene dangerous to him: and therefore he left it sticking there still, and the dirt came out, that is, his dung, as the word properly signifieth.
Ehud having dispatcht the King, hastneth out by the porch, and locketh the V. 23.doore, &c. The Hebr. word foreign here used cometh of foreign ordo, and is expounded by Pagninus, a gallery, where they sat, that attended upon the king, amongst whom hee came forth, as having done nothing amisse, and so passed away, that the Courtiers might have no suspition of him, so Cajetan, Cajetan. Arias Montan.Arias Montanus, R. David. The Vulgar Latin hath it, by a back doore, but herein saith Lyra, it is corrupted, and it is not likely by that which followeth Lyrathat hee went out by a back doore, because the Kings servants came by and by to the doore, and finding it locked, suspected, that the king did his easement in his Summer Parlour, whereas if they had not seene Ehud come forth, they would not yet have dared to offer to enter in againe, or finding the doore fast, they would rather have thought, that the King had not done talking yet in private with Ehud. Whilst they delay the time about the V. 26.parlour doore, Ehud came againe to the place of the Idols, and from thence to Seirath: where this place was, it is not particularly knowne, but all agree, that it was in the tribe of Ephraim, not farre off, from whence hee might soone call some company together to surprise the Moabites, having now lost their head; which he did, and tooke the foords of Jordan, that the Moabites about Jericho might not be suffered to passe that way into their owne countrey, and so 10000 of them were slaine; For v. 27. hee blew the trumpet in mount V. 27. V. 29.Ephraim, the men of Moab, slaine at this time, are said all to have beene lusty men and men of valour, Hebr foreign all fat, so likewise the Sept. but fat is put for lusty or wealthy.
So Moab was brought downe, and the land had rest 80. yeares, that is V. 30.reckning from the death of Othniel, the first Judge, the time of their sinning, being oppressed 18 yeares, and living under Ehud, and Shamgar, the third Judge, being all put together, for unto Shamgar no yeares are reckoned, neither were they brought in subjection to any betwixt Ehud and him.
After him was Shamgar, the Sonne of Anath, which slew of the Philistims V. 31.600. men with an oxe goad &c. It is doubted by many, whether hee were a Judge or a private person, stirred up to doe one act onelyonly against the enemy, because hee hath no time assigned him, as all other Judges have; 2. because Ch. 4. 1. Ehud is spoken of, as unto whom Deborah was next; 3. because Eusebius omitteth him, and so doth Clem. Alexand. Isidor, and Beda. But hee was certainly Euseb. in chronico.a Judge, because he is said to have beene after Ehud, and to have saved Israel, as was said of him and Othniel. Wherefore Josephus saith, he was chosen Emperour next after Ehud, who dyed in the 80. yeare before spoken of, and Shamgar succeeding him, lived but to fulfill that yeare, and if so, it is Josephus.no marvaile, that his time was not counted, and that by and by it is said, the children of Israel sinned againe after the death of Ehud, and for the shortnesse of his time hee was omitted by Eusebius and others. Touching his exploit, which was so wonderfull, for oxe goad, the Vulgar Latine, and Sept. have, cum vomere boum; August. following a corrupt copie readeth it, praeter vitulos boum, whereupon hee moveth a needelesse question, whether hee killed their cattell also: The Hebrew word is foreign comming of foreign to learn, wherefore it is taken for an oxe goad, because hereby the husband-man learneth his oxen to worke, so R. David, Pagninus, Junius, &c. and Lyra saith, for vomer, Hebr. is an oxe goad of which hee thinketh, that he made Lyra.a speare, and others did likewise, and so together they slew herewith 600 Philistims, so that by an oxe goad in the singular number hee thinketh oxe goads are to bee understood, because it is improbable, that one man with one of them should slay so many. But this were to extenuate the miracle, as if when Samson is said with the jaw-bone of an Asse to have slain 1000. men, to make it the more probable, it should be feigned, that hee and others with many jaw-bones did it Shamgar is rather therefore hereby set forth, as an extraordinary Champion inabled by God to make this great slaughter with such a poore instrument, if it were an oxe goad or a plow share, for the word is no where else used, whereby wee may have some light, how best to understand it, and the authority of the Sept. is very great. I should think, that Ehud being dead, the Philistims began now in troopes to come and rob the Israelites, intending happily, after some mischiefe done to the nearest, to raise a greater power, and to invade the land to subdue it. But Shamgar, a plaine man being the first that they lighted upon, being with his oxen at plough or cart, the Spirit of God comming upon him, went against them, snatching up his coulter, or having nothing in his hand but his oxe goad, went with it against them, and made this great slaughter of them, and so was taken for their Judge and deliverer, because the Philistims were hereby so quelled that they durst not assault them any more. There is no neede hereupon, saith Ferus, of any great preparation for warre to those, that serve God, any weak instrument will serve the turne, as for David a sling, and for Samson the jawbone of an Asse, but to the wicked high walls, as those of Jericho, are of no force.
By Ehud mystically Ferus understandeth Christ, who first subdueth the Mystery. Ferus.Devill, and then calleth his forth to fight against spirituall wickednesses. Origen by him killing with the sword, understandeth the ecclesiasticall Judge Origen.killing with the sword of discipline and severity of correction; by Shamgar killing with a plough Share, the Minister destroying sinne by preaching, as by the spirituall plough, in plainly setting forth the doctrine of the word. So that by these two is shewed, that severity and sharpe punishments are not alwayes to bee used, but sometimes, and sometime preaching without this rigour hath the same effect.