Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 9
I. SAMVEL.
CAP. I.
5 The Lord had shut up her wombe.BUt the Lord afflicted her with barrennesse.
When the full number of moneths were comne about after her conception.20 When the time was comne about.
28 I hauehave also lent him unto the Lord.I have, upon my vow, returned him to the Lord, as consecrated unto him by me formerly.
CAP. II.
3 Talke no more so exceeding proudly, &c.NOw let not Peninnah, or any other adversaries, that were wont to insult over me, open their mouthes against me.
5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry ceased: So that the barren hath borne seven.Those that were wealthy, are now so brought downe, that they are faine to hire out themselves to get bread for their mouthes, and those that were poore and hungrie are so filled, that they take their ease; The barren is now the mother of many children, &c.
The Lord hath founded the earth strongly,8 For the pillars of the earth are the Lords; and he hath set the world upon them. and immoueably; and hath made it the center, or foundation, whereon he hath framed, and stablished the world.
The sons of Eli were lewd, and wicked men,12 Now the sonnes of Eli were sonnes of Belial; they knew not the Lord. and did not acknowledge, and regard the Lord; but in their workes denied him.
The Priests were not content with those parts of the sacrifice, which God had allotted unto them,14 All that the fleshhooke tooke up, the Priest tooke for himselfe. but tooke whatsoever the fleshhooke brought first up.
Whereas by the ordinance of God,15 Also before they burnt the fat, the Priests servant came, &c. the fat was first to be offered, and burnt to the Lord, they would not stay the leisure of this due ceremony, but snatcht away the flesh before the time.
See chapter 1. verse, 28.20 For the loane which, &c.
Why do ye contemne my sacrifices; and make a scorne of them before the people?29 Wherefore kick you at my sacrifice?
Wherefore hast thou given more respect to thy sons then unto me,29 And honourest thy sonnes above me. in that thou hast suffered them to carve for themselves of my sacrifices, and to eate thereof before I am served?
I had indeed, at the first institution of the Priesthood,39 I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever: But now the Lord saith; Be it farre from me. truly (though conditionally) decreed, that thy house and the house of thy fathers should ever continue this sacred office before me; but now since ye have violated that part of the condition which concerned your selves, farre be it from me to perpetuate the Priesthood unto you.
Thou shalt live to know that an enemie (the Philistim) hath taken possession of my Arke, and Tabernacle.32 Thou shalt see an enemie in my habitation.
CAP. III.
IT was a rare and unusall thing for the Lord to reveale his will by visions, to any man, in those dayes:1 And the word of the Lord was precious in those dayes, there was no open vision. and if privately he did thus speake unto some one, yet the publike use of prophesie was a long time laid downe.
Samuel was not yet acquainted with the voice of the Lord.7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord.
CAP. IV.
ANd these words of Samuel which God had by him spoken concerning Heli;1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. came to the notice of all Israel.
CAP. VI.
5 Ye shall make images of your Emerods, & images of your Mice.IN acknowledgement that these judgements come from the hand of the Lord, ye shall make the fashions both of the Emerods, and of the Mice (wherewith ye are annoied) in gold; and offer them up to God for an expiation of that offence, which we have done against him.
19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the Arke of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand, threescore and ten men.He smote some of the men (that were Priests and Levites) of Bethshemesh, because, contrary to the charge of the Lord, they looked into the Arke; and of the common people, who resorted thither, upon the report of the returne of the Arke, he smote fifty thousand, threescore and ten men, for the same presumption and curiosity.
CAP. VII.
2 And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.ALl the house of Israel, being humbled by their servitude under the Philistims, made great means, and lamentation to God, for remission and favour.
6 And drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, &c.And drew water in great abundance, and washed, and purified themselves before the Lord from their long and generall uncleannesses.
CAP. X.
5 After this thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is a garrison of the Philistims.AFter this, thou shalt come to the hill of Gibeah, which is consecrated to God, in that there is a colledge of the sonnes of the prophets on the one side, as there is a garrison of the chased Philistims on the other.
5 Thou shalt meet a company of Prophets cōming down from the high place, with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harpe, and they shall prophesie.Thou shalt meet with a company of Prophets and their Scholers comming down from Gibeah, with much variety of the cheerefullest musicke, which they shall use for the raysing up of their spirits, and composing of their thoughts in a preparation to their prophesying, which they shall take up before thee.
6 And the spirit of the Lord will come upon thee; and thou shalt prophesie with them; and shalt be turned into another man.Thou shalt finde thy selfe suddenly indued with the same spirit, wherewith they are moved; and inabled to prophesie as they doe; and shalt feele a sensible alteration in thy selfe, by reason of those extraordinary graces which shall be wrought in thee.
9 God gave him another heart.God wrought a sensible change in him, by these new abilities which he infused into his heart.
Looke not unto the men themselves,12 One of the same place answered and said; But who is their father? but looke unto the hand of that God, who hath inspired them: What neede you to marvell that Saul prophesies? These other whom ye see, have not this power from their parents, but it is the gift of God, which is equally free wheresoever he pleaseth to bestow it.
CAP. XIII.
THat Kingdome whereinto thou wert elected,13 For now would the Lord have established thy kingdome upon Israel for ever. should have beene, all thy life, established unto thee; which now, by this sinne, thou hast lost the right unto, ere thou be throughly setled in it.
Such was the jealousie and tyranny of the Philistims over their tributaries, the Israelites,19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel, that as they had despoyled them of those weapons, which were taken from the Ammonites, so they would not suffer a smith amongst them, who might furnish them with new.
CAP. XIV.
I Finde a strong instinct from God, assuring me,10 But if they say, Come up to us, we will goe up; for the Lord hath delivered them into our hands. that if the Philistims shall say to us, come up to us, God would have us goe up, and we shall speed accordingly; this shall be a watchword from God to us, presaging our certaine victory.
He received new strength,27 His eyes were enlightened. whereby all his senses were cheared and revived.
Doe thou (O Lord) by this lot clearely and perfectly shew who is guilty this day.41 Give a perfect lot.
CAP. XV.
THou wilt grant that witchcraft is a most hainous and abhominable sinne; I tell thee,23 For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft. that this thy disobedience to Gods command, is no lesse odious to him, then that witchcraft which thou justly hatest, and punishest in others.
He that is the holy and strong God of Israel,29 And also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent. as hee hath decreed thy kingdome to another; so he will be sure not to falsifie his word, nor retract that his just purpose.
And God did (as those doe which repent them of their former actions)35 And the Lord repented that he had made Saul King over Israel. professe to undoe that which he had done in setting up Saul; and therefore did now cast him off; and anoint another in his stead.
CAP. XVI.
14 But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evill spirit from the Lord troubled him.ANd the Lord tooke from Saul those graces of wisedome, and moderation, wherewith he had indued him; and gave power to an evill spirit to seize upon him, and to vexe him with frenzy, and distemper.
By the sweet and holy musicke of David, the spirits of Saul were so composed for the time,23 And the evill spirit departed from him. and calmed, that he brake not forth into his wonted fury.
CAP. XVII.
29 What have I now done? Is there not a cause?IS it not a just reason, that my father hath sent me hither for your good? have I not a lawfull businesse here? Wherein then have I given thee cause of displeasure, or exception?
58 And Saul said unto him; Whose sonne art thou, thou young man?And Saul, having never seene David, till this occasion of vanquishing the Philistim (which fell out before his frenzie, and Davids playing before him) said unto David, Whose sonne art thou, thou young man?
CAP. XVIII.
1 And it came to passe when he made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soule of Ionathan was knit with the soule of David,WHen Saul had called David to the court, and entertained him as an attendant there, it came to passe that upon his conference with Saul, the heart of Jonathan was deeply affected towards David.
And he carried himselfe as a man distracted of his senses,10 And he prophesied in the midst of the house. both in his speeches, and motions.
CAP. XIX.
20 And they also prophesied.See chapter 10. verse, 6. and 18.10.
24 And he stript off his clothes also; & prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay downe naked all that day and all that night.ANd he stript himselfe of his military habit, or of his kingly attire, and carried himselfe in a wild distracted fashion; and lay downe so dis-robed all that day, and that night; appearing before Samuel, in the habit and fashion of a Prophet, amongst the rest.
CAP. XX.
SOme legall uncleannesse hath happened to him,26 Hee is not cleane; surely he is not cleane. that hinders him from this holy feast; for the Law forbids any uncleane person to eate of these holy Sacrifices.
This thy favour to David shall be to thine owne wrong, and shame,30 Thou hast chosen the sonne of Iesse to thine owne confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mothers nakednesse. since by this meanes thou shalt be defeated of the Kingdome, as if thou wert base borne, and therefore uncapable to succeed me; & to the shame of thy mother who shall by this act be proclaimed an adulteresse, and a dishonourer of my bed.
CAP. XXI.
THere is hallowed bread,4 But there is hallowed bread: if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. which having been consecrated to the Lord, may not (thou knowest) be received by any ordinarie person, much lesse by any that is uncleane; but in this necessitie, if the yong men have abstained from the use of women, and have kept themselves this way undefiled, I shall condescend to give it unto them.
The bodies of the young men are, this way undefiled,5 The vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it it were this day sanctified in the vessell or (as in the margin) especially when this day there is other sanctified. and the bread how ever consecrated, is unto us in this case of necessity, but as common bread; so as we may lawfully receive it; especially when as this day there is other bread sanctifyed according to the law in the roome thereof.
Is not this David that swayes so much in Israel?11 Is not this David the King of the land?
CAP. XXIIII.
TO discharge the necessities of nature.3 To cover his feet.
Were I such as thou supposest me, wicked, surely wicked acts would proceed from mee;13 Wickednesse proceeds from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. but now thou findest how farre I am from any villainous intention against thee; neither shall my hand lift up it selfe against thee to thy hurt.
CAP. XXV.
IF I leave so much as a dogge alive in all the house of Nabal.22 If I leave of all, &c. any that pisseth against the wall.
Nabal was so deeply stricken with an apprehension of37 That his heart died within him, & he became as a stone. the danger that was towards him, by the relation of his wi… that his heart was cold within him; and he became stupid, and sencelesse with feare and astonishment.
CAP. XXVI.
19 They have driven me out this day from abiding in the Lords inheritance; saying, goe serve other Gods.THey have driven me away from Gods people, and from his holy ordinances, and have in effect as good as said, goe serve other Gods.
CAP. XXVIII.
6 Neither by Vrim nor by prophets.GOd had withdrawn himselfe frō Saul, & gave no answer to him, either by his Priest, or by his Prophets.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up?And the evill spirit (which appeared in the likenesse of Samuel,) as counterfeyting the speech of the Prophet also, said to Saul, why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up?
19 Shalt thou and thy sons be with me.To morrow shalt thou and thy sonnes be dead men.
CAP. XXXI.
10 They fastned his body to the wall of Bethshan.THey hanged up Sauls body on the wall of the City of Bethshan.