Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 4 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Verſ. 1. ANd the Lord ſpake] Yeelding to the peoples importunity, and winking at their infidelity; for he had before ſpyed out the land for them, Ezek. 20.6. and ſearched it out, Deut. 1.33. but that ſatisfied them not; ſeeing was (with them) believing. See Deut. 1.22.
Verſ. 2. Every one a ruler amongſt them] That might be (as Vriah and Zachariah, Iſai. 8.2.) Faithfull witneſſes, for, lying lips become not a Prince, Prov. 17.7.
Verſ. 3. By the commandement of the Lord] That is, by his permiſſion; See the Note on verſ. 1. Gods command was, that they ſhould forthwith (without any further ſearch,) go up and poſſeſſe the land, Deut. 1.21. Now wicked men are eſteemed unjuſt, becauſe they act againſt Gods command, though according to his decree; like as believers are eſteemed juſt, not becauſe they obey Gods decree, but his command.
Verſ. 6. Caleb] A hearty man, according to his name; as Biſhop Hooper Martyr, was called hearty Hooper; and as one of our Richards, was called Coeur Delion.
Verſ. 16. And Moſes called Oſhea the ſon of Nun, Jehoſhua] His name was now changed, from, ſave us O God, to, God ſhall ſave us: Under the law which brings us, as it were, into a wilderneſs, we may deſire, wiſh and pray, that there were a Saviour: but under the Goſpell, we are ſure of ſalvation, and that our Iehoſhuah hath bound himſelf, to fulfill all righteouſneſs for us.
Verſ. 17. Go up into the mountain] This was the great mountain of Seir, which incloſeth Paleſtine on that ſide.
Verſ. 22. Was built ſeven years before Zoan] And ſo was one of the ancienteſt cityes of the world, ſeeing it did contend, with the Ancienteſt and chiefeſt city of Egypt, Iſai. 19.11. Hebron ſignifies an aſſociation: there lay buried, thoſe three reverend couples, Abraham and Sarah, Iſaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah, Gen. 39.41. Here David began his raign over Iſrael, 2 Sam. 2.1. and hither came Mary, to viſit Elizabeth, Luk. 1.39.
Verſ. 23. And they bare it between two] Chriſtum utrique portamus, (ut botrum Iſraelitae) tum illi qui adventum Chriſti anteceſſerunt, tum nos, &c. So Chriſt is born between the believers of both Teſtaments.
Verſ. 27. In vita. Camilli.And this is the fruit of it] Plutarch tells of the Gaules, that after they had once a taſte of the ſweet wine of the grapes that grew in Italy, they enquired in what country ſuch ſweet wine was: And after they had underſtood where ſuch grapes grew, they would never be at reſt, till they had got that country. Sextus Rufus, writing of Cyprus, ſaith, Cyprus famoſa divitiis, paupertatem populi Rom: ut occuparetur, ſolicitavit. Cyprus by her wealth, tempted the Romans to ſieze it into their hands. The pearles uſually caſt out with the floud, In vita Caeſar.and gathered with the ebbe, drew Caeſars affection, for the conqueſt of Britain, as Suetonius ſaith: God hath given us here, a grape of the heavenly Canaan, to edge our deſires.
Verſ. 28. Nevertheleſs the people be ſtrong] Thus many amongſt us, wiſh very well to Heaven, ſpeak glorious things of it, and could gladly go to it; but there is a lyon in the way: they complain, with theſe Male-contents, of the ſtrength of the Anakims, and the impoſſibility of the conqueſt. It is a hard thing, doubtleſs, to watch continually againſt a Spirituall enemy, to keep up the banks againſt the ſea of luſts, and paſſions; to bear daily croſſes without ſtooping, to carry the cup of proſperity, without ſpilling; to climb the hill of good duties, without fainting; to go againſt the croud, without ſweating; to bear the reproach of Chriſt, without buckling, &c. But hard though it be, ſhould we be diſcouraged? The ſweetneſs of the honey makes the beares break in upon the hives, contemning the ſtings. The Merchant refuſeth no adventure, for hope of gain: the hunter ſhrinketh at no weather, for love of game: the ſouldier declineth no danger, for deſire of ſpoil. The ſweetneſs of Gods face, though to be ſeen only in the dark glaſs of the ceremonies, cheared up thoſe good ſouls, in their hard and tedious travell to Zion, Pſal. 84.6. &c.