G E S. __ Chap y* Pits or Springs of Water, which were Tearee ghd pretions in thoſe | het Countreys, to which the peoples Neceſſities forced them oft - reſort, and nighunto which the Archers did uſually lurk in Woods, or Thickets, or Hedges, that from thence they might ſheor ar them, and kill and ſpoil them. f When they come to thoſe places | with freedom and ſafety, which before they cculd nor, they ſhall with thankfu'/neſs rehearſe this Righteous, and Faithful, and Gra. cious work of God, in reſcuing his peoplez and puniſhing hig Enemies. g Whcm he mentions, becauſe as their Danger was greg» ter. ve 7. lo was their Deliverance, and their Obligation to praiſe God. + To wit, of their Cities, which were the chief places to which both City and Countrey reſorted for publick Buſineſs ang: matters of Juſtice, from which they had been debarred by their Oppreflors; but now they had free acceſs and paſlage, either in or our of the Gates, as their occaſions required ; and they who had been driven from their Cities, now returned to them in peace and Triumph ; ſo the Citizens Deliverance is celebrated here, as the Countrey-mens is in-the foregoing words. |
12 Awake, awake ; Deborah: awake, awake, utter a ſong : ariſe Barak, and lead thy captivity captive k, thou fon of Abinoam. c Stir up thy ſelf and all that is within thee, to admire and | Praiſe the Lord. k How could this be done, when there was none of them lefc ? Judg. 4. 16. Anſwer, 1. None were left to make head againſt them. 2. None is oft put for few, and theſe few might be taken after the Batte1,a::d carried Captive, and Iced in Triumph,and afterward ſlain.
13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people /: the LORD made me »» have dominion over the mighty.
{ Thus God did not only preſerve the poor and deſpiſed Rem- nant of his people, from the Fury of the Oppreſſor before this War, and from the Deſtruftion which Siſera deſigned and promiſed him- ſelf to bring upon them by this War; but alſo gave them' the Viftory, and thereby the Dominion over the Princes and Nobles of Canaan, who were combined againſt them. m Though but a weak Woman.
14 Out of Ephraim » was there a root of them o a- gainit Amalek p, after thee Benjamin q, among thy peo- pler: out of Machir /came down governours z, and out of Zebulun they that + handle the pen of the writer «.
» New the relates the carriage and miſcarriage of the ſeveral + Heb:
Tribes in this Expedition; and the begins with Ep:raim o Either Draw wi Firſt, of the Ephraimite- : Or Secondly, of them thar came forth to the pm this Expedition. By root ſhe ſeems ro mean 3 branch, as that word is | lomer:mes uſed, as 1s. 11. 20. and 53. 2+ By which alſo ſhe may note the fewneſs of thoſe that came our of Ephraim; that Jruitful bough conliſting of many branches, Gen. 49. 22+ yielding but one Branch or an handful of men to this ſervice. p The conſtant and ſworn E. nemy of the 1/-aelites, who were confederate with their laſt Oppreſ. ſors the Meabires, Judg 3. 13. and in all probability took their ad= vantage now againſt the Jraelites in the Southern or middle parts of Canaan, Wh:1:ſt their main Forces was drawn Northward againſt Jabin and Siſra, Againſt .heſe therefore Ephraim ſent forth a party, and 10 dig Benjamin, as 1t here follows; and theſe hindred their conjunQiion wich jabins Forces, and gave their Brerhren the advan- tage of ighti:.g with Sera alone. q Benjamin followed Ephraims examp's. Or, frer thee, O Benjamin ; and thus the Pre-eminence iS heregiven ro B:njamin 1n two reſpeAs ; Firſt, that he was firſt in his Expeciricn, as indeed he lay nearer the Amalekits, and by his Example enc: ur»ged the Ephraimites. Secondly, That the whole Tribe of Benjamin, though now bur ſmall, came forth to this War when the numerous Tribe of Ephraim tent only an handful to it. r Either Firſt, among the people of Benjamin, with whom thoſe few Eptraimites united themſelves in this expedition. Or, Secondly among the people or Tribes Of /ſrael; to wit, thoſe who engaped themlelves jn this War. ſ (4. c. ) Out ofthe Tribe of Manaſeh which are elſewhere called by rhe name of Machir, as 7oſ. I3. 3I. to wit, cut of the half Trike which was within Jordan; for of the otter the ſpeaks, v. I7. t Either Civil Governours, the Princes and great perſens, who were as ready to hazard themſelves, and their ampie Eſtates. as the meaneſt : Or Military Officers, valiant and expert Commanders, ſuchas ſome of Machirs poſterity are noted to have been. « ( #. e. ) Eventhe Scribes, who gave themſelves to Study and Writing, whereby they were exempted from Military Service, did voluntarily enter into this Service. Or, they that drew, to wir, the people after them, as that Verb is uſed, Judg. 4. 6. With the pen of the ſcribe or writer. (i, e. ) Who did not only go themſelves, but by their Letters invited and engaged others to go with them to the Battel.
Is And the princes of Ifſachar »ere with Deborah x: even Iflachar y, and alſo *Barak z, he was ſent on # foot into the valley, ||for the diviſions « of Reuben there * Chap: were ”_ + choughts 6 of heart, +ab!
x (7.6, ) Ready to aſſiſt her. y Heb. And Iſachor, (i.e.) the ;.. c..
Tribe or people of 1/zchar, following the Court and Cane ) the bi fot their Princes, and being now at their Commandments, as they _ were afterwards upon another occaſion: 1 Chron. 12, 324 z Or,even \ . 6 as Barak, (1.e.) They were as hearty and valiant as Barak their 2 1cbiime General ; and as he marched on foot here and Judg. 4: 10. again Fm ; their Enemies Horſes and Chariots, and that into the Yalley, where? —_ the main uſe of Horſes and Chariots lies; ſo did they with no leſs Courage and Reſolution. s Or, Separar:ons, whereby they were di- videdor ſeparated, notſo much one trom another in their Thoughts Counſels, «n1 Carriage in this War, ( for they ſeem to be all too well agreed in abiding at home with their Sheep, as it follows ) as all trom their Brethren, from whom they were divided no leſs in their Deſigns and Affe&ions, than in their Situation by the River Jordan : and they would nor joyn their Intereſts and Forces with them in this cemmon Cauſe, 6 Or, great ſearchings, as it is v. 16. Great and ſad Thoughts, and Debates, and perplexities of Mind among the J1/rael:tes, to ſee themſelves deſerted by ſo grear and pc= tent a Tribe as Reuben was,
16 Why abodeſt thou among the ſheep folds, to hear
the
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