knows that it was the King that made the Order or Deeree: It x ſufjiciens, that unto the Fews were committed the Oracles of GOD, Rem. 3+ 2. 1.0. the Holy Scriptures of the Old Tefiamens, one part of 2which this was, by confeſſion af all : and that the Fes did nat falſify their truſs therein, but kept thoſe Holy Books themſelves, and delivered them to the World extire, with out addition or diminutios:for neither Chri}t nor his Hpuſtles, who ſeverely rebuke them for their miſtakes and miſunderflandings
of ſome paſſages of Scripture, ever charge them 22” 5s called the Book of Judges, becauſe it rreats o/
Fudges, excep ment, ere omitted in . mor impoſe any Tributes, but were the [ip
CHAP.IL
The Tribe of Judah by God's Command begin fo make Wir againſt the Ca NAANItes, 1 === 4o Adonibezek juſtly requited, 5 7 They Fake Jeruſalem. 8. And Hebrots ANAR 5 S915 [lain 1 ©. Othmel ſubaueth Debir, and ſo obtained Caleo's Daughtcr 30 ifey I1=— IF Tie Kenites dwell in Judah, 16. $:v:007 ſubdueth Zephath, 7 And Judah divers Cities of the Philiſiins, 18: 20. Toe Sebuſfres dwell with Benjamin, 21. Tvey of the heuſe of Joſep ſubdue Bethacl, 22-26. Mi naſſeh,' Eprraim, Zebulm, Aber Napntets, Dan, arive 07 our the Canaanites; for which they are vexed by 5,:m, anc are lej; ro awell one
among another, 26 ——— 27- : Ow after the death of. Joſhua a, it came to aſs. that the children of Ifrael asked the
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LORD6,faving, Who ſhal goup tor usagainſt
-
che Canaanites firſt c, to fight againſt them 2 s Not long after ir, becauſe Otnic!, the firſt judge, lived in Joſbus's time. 6 Being aſſembled rtogetiter at S$2ilh, they enquired of the High Prieſt Ly the Urim and Timm, Sze Numb. 27; 21, Judg. 20. 18, I Sam. 23.9. C Being ſen{ible that the Canaanites are
d expeQtd great advantage agaiaſt them by thzir heedleſs condicion, and finding their People to encreaſe and multiply exczedingly, and conſequently the neceflity of eplarging their Quarters, they renew the War. T hey do not enquire who ſhal be the Captain General to all the Tribes; bur ( as appears by the anſwer ) What Tribe fhal firit undertake rhe Expedition,that by their ſuccceſs the cther Tribes may be encouraged to make the like ettempt upon the Canann:tes 1h ctr {zveral Lots.
2 And the LORD ſaid, Judah d ſhall go up: behold,
T have delivered the land into his hand.
d Not a perſon ſo called, but the Tribe of Judah, as is manifeſt from wv. 3. 4, 8, 9- which is*choſen ſor the firſt entcrpriſe, becauſe they weie both moſt populous, and 19 moſt needing enlargement ; and withal moſt Valiant, and theretoze molt likely to ſucceed : for God chuſeth fir means for the work which ae deligns ; and becauſe the Canaanites were numerous and ſtrong in tiole parts,and therefore
were in time to be ſuppreſſed, before they grew too ſtrong for them.
2 And Judah ſaid unto Simeon his brother e, Comeup with me into my lot, that we may fight againſt the Ca_
3th any perfidionſneſs about the Eanon or Books of the Scripture. This Book ' the Tuages, or of the ſlate of the Commonwealth of Iſrael ander all the : Eli 2nd Samuel, who being rbelaſt of rhe Fuages, and tbe occoſions or inſtruments of the change of this Govern- this Beok. The Fuges were a ſort of Magiftrats infericur to Kings, and could neither make new Laws, preme Executors of Gods Laws and Commands, and the Generals of their Armies.
naanites f, and I likeways will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.
e As neareſt to him both by relation, being his Brother by both Parents, which few of them were; and by habitation, as appears from Jel. 19. 1, 2+ f Specially ſo called,becauſc they are diſtinguiſh= ed fron the Perizzite, ve 4+
4 And Judah wentup, and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they
flew of them in Bezek g ten thouſand men.
g Nor in the City, for that was not yet taken, v. 5. but in the Territory of it, or neartoit; as i Her is taken, Numb. 33.37. And in Fericho, Joſe 5. 13+
5 And they found Adoni-bezek þ in Bezek 5 ; and they fought againſt him &,and they ſlew the Canaanites, and the Perizzites. |
h The Lord or King of Beze#; as his Name ſignifies. 5 Whither he fled, when he had loſt the Field. &k 7. e. Againſt the Ciry wherein he had Encamped himſelf, and the reſt of his Army.
6 Bur Agoni-bezek fled,and they purſued after him,and
caught hira, and cutoff his thumbs, and his great toes /. ! Phat he might be diſenabled ro fight with his Hands, or to run away upon his Feet. An this they did,either by the ſecret inftin& and direCtion of God, or upon notice of his former Tyranny and Cruclty expreſicd upon others, in this manner, as it follows : either way it wes a juit 1£quital. 7 And Adoni-bezek ſaid, Threeſcore and ten kings 7m having + their taumbs * and their great toes cut off, [| + 7744: The athered 7209r meat under my table z: as I have done, thumbsof lo God hath requited me 9: and they brought him p to their Jeruſalem 9, and there he died. ery wn 1m Which is notitcange in thoſe times : aces: hike OED ra bi a 0h a time and Places: for theſe might o-,gleans e either, Þillt, £335 tucceſſively, and ſo there mighr be givers of q thoſe Kings iN ONC place, and 10 ia others: Or, Secondly, Co- _ temporary Kings. For it is well known, that anciently each Ruler of a City,or great'i OWN, Was called a King,and bad Kingly Power in that place;. and many inch Kings we meet with in Cana: and it is pro- bable, taat ſome years before, Kings were morc numerous there, till the greater devcured many cf the leſs, * That fo their hangs might
be
|
Chap
| Or, h Polleſiec themon: Mills
+ UV D . : hu- ble to manage weapons of War. » An af of Barbarous In OG thus to I _ the miſerable, joined with abominable Luxury. o He acknowledgeth the providence and vindiCive Juftice of God which alſo Pharaoh did, and others toc, without any true ſenſe of Pity. p They carried him in triumph as a monument © Gods righteous Vengeance. 9 It being the Merrepolisof the nat191.. 3 ( Now the children of Judah had fought againſt Jeruſalem, and had taken it r, and ſmitten it with the edge of the ſword, and ſet the city on fire )