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i Or, + the bleatings of the Flocks c? || for the diviſions of
Reuben there were great ſearchings of heart. |
© Why waft then ſo unworthy and cowardly,fo void of all Zeal tor God, and Compaſſion towards thy Brethren, and Care for the Recovery of thy own Liberties and Priviledges, that thou wouldeſt not engage thy ſelf in {o juſt, ſo neceſſary, and ſo noble a Cauſe, bur didfſt prefer the care of thy Sheep, and thy own preſent Eaſe and Safety, before this gener2us Undertaking ? Reuben thought Neutrality their wiſeſt courſe ; being very rich in Cattel, Numb. 32. 1. They were loth to run the hazard of ſo great a Loſs, by taking vp Arms againſt ſo potent an enemy as Jabin was: and the b e2tines of their Sheep were fo loud in their ears, that they could nct hear the Call of Deb:rah and Barak to this Expedition- :
1- Gilead d abode beyond Jordan e: and why did Dan remain in ſhips f? Aſher continued on the fea
| Or, parte || ſhore g. and abode in his || breaches h.
\Or,cr.eks. d Gilead is ſometimes taken more largely, for all the Land of the Iſraelttes beyond Jeraan, as Numb. 32. C8, 26,.29. So 1t 15 not here taken, becauſe Gilead is here diſtinguiſhed fiom Reuben and his Land : ſometimes it is taken more ſtrictly for that part of rhe Land beyond Jordan which fell to the half-tribe of Manaſſeh, as Num. 32, 39, 40. Deut. 3« 15+ Joſh 17+ 1» And ſometimes both for that part of Manaſſehs, and for Gads portion, as Jeſh. 13+ 24, 25, 29> 39) 3I» And ſo it ſeems to be underſtood here ; and the Land Gilead 15 here put for the peopleor Inhabitants of it, Gad and Manaſſeh. e In their own Portionss and did not come over Jordan ro the help of the Lord, and of his people, as th:y ought to have done. f Dan, whoſe Coaſt was near the Sea, was wholly intent upon his Merchandite, and Shipping, as the great Inſtrument both of his Riches and Safe- ry; and therefore would not joyn in this Land-Expedi.1on. g Where their Lot lay. h Either, Firſt, in the creeks ot the Sea, whether in deſign to ſave themſelves by Ships in caſe of danger, as Dan allo intended ; or upon pretence of repairing the Breaches made by the Sea into their Countrey. Or, Secondly, in their broken and craggy Rocks and Caves therein, in which they thought ro ſecure themieIves. :
Sh tes. * Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that Þ jeo-
+ Heb. ex. Parded z their lives unto the death, in the high places
poſed to re= of the field &. ;
proache i Heb. deſpiſed, or reproachel, or contemnedy comparatively ; they choſe rather ro venture upon a generous and honourable Death, than to enjoy a ſhameful and ferviie Life. & (7.e. ) Upon that large and eminent Plain in the top cf Mount Tabor, where they put themſelves in Battel Array, and expeted th: Enemy ; though when they faw he did. not come up to them, they marched down to meet ani fight him.
19 The kings / came and fought: then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach, by the waters of Megid- do /: they took no gain of mony m.
I Either confederate with him, or ſubjeC& ro him ; for it is known, Thar there were divers petty Kings in thoſe parts ; which alſo ofc- times were ſubject to ene gre-te: and more purear King ; and par- ticu/arly, this Hoz'r, where this Jabin row Reigned, Judg. 4. 2- Was beforet/me the head of divers petty Kingdoms, Joſb 11. ro» 1 Taanah aid Mcgiddo wererwo eminent Cities, belonging 1ndeed to Manaſſeh, Judge 1. 27, but ſeatedin the Tribe of 1ſachar, Joſ 17. 11+ not far from Mount Taber, Joſ. 17. i0. Juag. i. 27. nor from the River Kiſhon. m Either Firit, from Siſera. They fought without Pay, whether trom meer hatred of the 1ſraelites, and a deſire to be reven- ged upon them : or from a full hope and confidence of paying themtzlves abundantly out of 1ſ-aels Spoils. Or, Secondly, From the Iſraclites; fo the ſenſe is, They fell, loſt all their hopes of Mo- ney, and rich Spoils and Booty, which they aſſured theintelves of; initead of gaining a prey, they loſt Themſe]ves.
20 They fought from heaven » ; the ſtars o in their + courſes p fought againſt Siſera.
n Or, they jrom heaven, or the heavenly Hoſt fought, by Thunder, and Lightning, and Hail-ſtones, poſſibly mingled with Fire. Com- pare Jeſ. 10. 11. and 1 Sam 7. 1c. 0 Which raiſed tkeſe Storms by their Influences, which they do naturally and ordinarly, but now far more, when God ſharpened rheir Influences, and diſpoted the Air to receive and improve their imprefſions. p Or, from their paths, or ſtations, or high-places. As Soldiers fight in their Ranksand places aſſigned them, 1" did theſey and that with advantage, as thoſe Ene- mies do, which fight from the higher ground.
t Heb,
[8/18
21 The River of Kiſhon q ſwept them away ; that
JUDGE $
|
ancient River q the River Kilhon. O my ſoul, thou haſt tredden down ftrength r.
q Which, though not great in it felf, and therefore fordable, was new much ſwelled and encreaſed by the foregoing Srorm and Rain, as Joſephus afhiems ; and therefore drowned thoſe who b:ing purſued by rne hand of God, and by the 1azlites, were forced into it, and thought to paſs over it, as they did before. q So called, either, Firſt in oppcſiricn to | hofe Rivers which are of a later Date, be-
ing made by the ha”d ana Art of Man. Or, Secondly, becauſe ir was a River anciently famous for ſume remarkavie Exploits, for which it was celebrated by the 2ntient Poets or Writers, though nor ii-re mentioned. #7 (7z.e.) Thru, O Deborah, though bur a we:zk Woman, haſt by Gcds Atliſtance and Blefling upon thy Coun- ſels and Prayers, tubdued a poterr Enemy. Such Apoſtrophes and abrupt Speeches are frequent in Poetical Scriprures.
22 Then were the hoiſe hoofs broken { by the
means of the || pranfiugs 7, rhe pranſings of their migh- ty ONEs #»
ſ Their Horſes, in which they put moſt confidence, had their Hoofs, whico 15s their ſupport and ftrengthy broken, either by dreadful Huil- ſtones, Or rather, by cheir {witt and vio'ent running over tie ſtony grounds, When They fled away witn all potſible ipeed
L Or, tram P:ings, or Mungings,
from God and from 1ſrael. t Or, becauſe of their fierce or ſwift courſes. # Either, Firſt, of their ſtrong and vaiianc Riders, who forced their
Horles to run away as faſt as they could. Or, $zcondly, Of their
=
--
Horſes, as this word ſignifies, Jer. $. 16. and. 47. 3. and 50. 42+ ( z. e. ) of themſelves ; the Antecedent for the Relative.