m The ſenſe 1s, either 1. Take, to wit, to thy ſelF and thy aflift- ance, all rhe heads, i. e. the Judges, as they are called wer. 5. Or Rulers, of he- People, and in their preſence, and by their help, Fang them, i.e. the people, now mentioned, to wit, ſuch of them as were guilry, as was ſaid ver. 2. And this ſenſe ſeems to be favoured by the next verle, where the execution of this command is mentioned, Moſes ſaid upto the Judges of Iſrael, whom he had taken to himſelf and called together, Slay ye every one his man, i. e. Each of you execute this command of God, and hang up the d-linquents under your ſeveral juriſditions. Or 2. Take, i. e. apprehend, all the heads, 3. e. the chief, of che people, ſuch as were chief,cither in this rranſgreſſion, or rather in place and power, who are finsled out to this examplary puniſhment cither for their negle& in nor preventing, reſtraining or puniſhing the offenders according to their power and duty, or for their concurrence with others in tis wickedneſs, which was more odious and miſchievous in them than in others. And then this mult be neceffarily limited to ſuch heads as were guilty, which 15 evident from the nature of the thing, and from the words of the verſe. And fo theſe heads of the people differ as in name and title, fo in place and dignity fiom the Judges of the People, werſe 5. which may ſeem to note the ſuperior Magiſtrats,. even the 70 Elders, which, being perſons of great worth and piety, choſen by God, aniendowed with his ſpirir, molt probably kept themſelves fiom this contagion, and therefore were fitter to puniſh others ; and che heads of the People, ſeem to be the inferiour Magiſtrates, the rulers of tens or hundreds, or the like, who as they did many of them, partake with the people in other rebellions, !o probably were involved in this guilt. Now theſe are to be hanged up as other malefaQors,and condemned perſons were, Deut. 21.23. 2 Sam. 21. 6 # To the vindication of God's honour and juſtice. 0 (7. e. ) Publickly, as their fin was publick and ſcandalous, and ſpeedily before the Sun go down. But withal this phraſe may tignifte,
that theſe alſo muſt be raken down about Sun-ſetting, as other malefattors were, Deut. 21. 23.
5 And Moſes faid unto the judges of Iſrael, * ſlay ye * Exod.
32.27.
every one his men p that were Joyned unto Baal-Peor.
? (7.e.) Thoſe under his charge : for as theſe 70 were choſen to afliit Moſes in the government, ſo doutrtleſs the care and manage- ment of rhe people was diſtributed among them by juſt and equal
, proportions.
6 And behold q one of the children of Ifrael came, andbrought unto his brethrenra Medianiciſh woman,in the fight of Moſes 5s, and in the ſight of all the congre- gation # of the Children of Iſrael, who were weeping # before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
q This was done, either 1. Before God's command to Moſes, and by him to the Judges, ver. 4, 5. ſuch tranſpoſitions and diſorders being not unuſual in ſacred ſtory. Or rather, 2. In the order ir is related, to wit, when Moſes had given the charge to the Judges, and, as it may ſeem, before the execution of it, otherwiſe it 1s Pro= bable he would not have been ſo bold and fooliſh ro have run upon preſent and certain ruine, when the examples were freſh and fre- quent before his eyes. 7 (5.e. ) Into the camp of the 1/-aelites, or to his Friends and Relations in his tent, whither he carried her,v, 8. for 11s or their fleſhly fatisfaQtion. s An Argument of intolerable 1mpudence and contempt of God and of Moſzs. # (:. 2.) The rulers of the congregation with divers of the people. « Bewailing the
| abominable wickedneſs of the people, and the dreadful judgments
of God, and imploring God's mercy and favour.
7 And* whea Phinehas the * ſon of Eleazar, the ſon of Aaron the prieſt, ſaw ir, he roſe up from amongſt the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand,
8 And he went after the man of Iſrael into the||cent x, and thruft both of chem through y, the man of Iſrael and the woman through her belly z : ſo the plague «was ſtayed from the children of Iſrael. |
x Or, Brothel-houſe : For ſince they gave way to ſuch lewd Pra- ices, no doubt they ſingled out convenient places for theirwicked- neſs. ; Which is no warrant for private perions to rake upon them the exccution of juſtice upon any, though the greateſt malefaQors, becauſe Phinehas was himſelf a man in great authority and power, and did this after the command given by Moſes to the rulers to flay theſe tranſgreſſors, and in the very ſight, and no doubt, by the CON ſent of Moſes himſelf, and alſo by the ſpecial inſtin& and dire&ion of God's ſpirir. z Or #n her brothe!-houſe, for the word is the ſame before uſed, and tranſlated renr, and it may be called hers, becauſe ſhe choſe or uſed that place for her wicked: purpoſes, as the reſt
doubtleſs did other places of like nature. 2 Either the peſtilence, or ſome other ſudden and grievous mortality,
9 And * thofe that died in the and four thouſand b.
b Objeft. They were but 23090. 1 Cor. 10, 8. Auſw. The odd thouſand here added were {ſin by the Judges according to the or- der of Moſes, the reſt by the immediate hand of God, but both ſorts
died of the plague, the word being uſed, as off it is, for the {word, or hand, or ſtroke of Ged.
io And the LORD ſpake"unto Moſes, ſaying,
11 * Phinehas the ſon of Eleazar, the ſon of Aaron the prieſt hath turned my wrath away from the children of Ifrael, ( while he was zealous c for my fake 4 among them ) that I conſumed not the childrea of Iſrael in my jealouſie.
e Fervent and reſolute and valiant. vindicatien. ;
12 Wherefore ſay, Behold, F give unto him my co- venant of peace e, |
ce (7. e. ) The covengnt of an everlaſting Prieſs2002, as it is expound. £d, v. 13. which is called » covenant of peace, partly with reſpe& to the happy effeCt of this heroical ation of his, whereby he made peace between God and his people; and partly with regard to the principal end and wle of the Prieftly office. which was conſtantly to do that which Phincþzs now did, even co mediate between _
z D an
plague, were twenty
4 For my ſatisfation and
Chap. XXV.
* Pal. 108.30? , * Exod.6 25, | Or,. , brothel,
og S
—-
>>.
I 3. 20—E —— ti —anrIn IR ALI > 7 - Ir CLARET T7 "EEE > T7 RI EEE
} Heb.
| houſe of a | father,
| * Chap:
Chap, .” Zo
"Chap. XXVI-
"MM