23 Curle ye Meroz x, (ſaid the angel of the LORD y ) curſe ye bitterly the inhabirants thereof ; becauſe they came not to the help of the LORD 2, co the help of the LORD againſt the mighty.
x A placethen, no doubt, eminent and conſiderable, though now there be no remembrance of it lefr, which poſſibly might be the effeCt of this bitrer Curſe ; as God curſeth Amalek in this manner, that he would utterly blot out their remembrance, &c, Exod. 17. 14+ Deut. 25. 19. And this place above all others may be thus ſeverely curſed ; either becauſe ir was near the place of the Fights and therefore had rhe greateſt opportunity and obligation to engage with, and to afſiſt their Brethren ; and their denying their help) was a great diſcouragement to all their Brethren, whoſe hearts, no doubt, were greatly afflited, and might have utterly fainted at this great Miſcarriage, and ſcandalous Example; or for ſome other great Aggravation of their Cowardiſe and Treachery. which may eaſily be imagined, though it be not here expreſſed. y She ſignifies, that thisCurſe proceeded not from her ſpleen or ill will cowards thar place, nor from her own private opinion or ffeCtion, but from Di- vine inſpiration; and that ifall the reſt of the Song ſhould be ta- ken but for the Breathings and Expreſſions of a pious and devour Soul, bur liable to miſtake, yer this Branch of it was immediately dictated to her by the Lord, by the Miniſtry of an Angel : other- wiſe ſhe neither would nor durſt have uttered ſo bitter a Curſe a- - gainſt them. z Either, Firſt, Of the Lords people: for God rakes what is done for, oragainſt his people, as if it was done to himſelf, See lſa. 63+ 9. Zech. 2.8. Matth. 25- 45. Or, Secondly, Ofthe Lord himſelf, who though he did not need, yer did require and expe& their help and concurrence: and he expreſſ=th it thus, to ſhew the ſinfalneſs and unreaſonableneſs of therr cowardly deſertion of this Cauſe, becauſe it was the Cauſe of God, and they had the Call of God toir, whom they knew to be able eaſily to cruſh thatEnemy whom they dreaded, and who had promiſed to do it-
24 Bleſſed above women. s, ſhall * Jae] the wife of * Chap: Heber the Kenite be ; bleſled ſhall ſhe be above wo- 4 17. men in the tent ho
a Celebrated, and praiſed, and endowed with all ſorts of Bleflings more than they. Bur of this fa&t of 7aels, ſee the Nores on Judg. 4+ 21. 6b In her Tent or Habitatien, in her Houſe and Family, and all her Afffairs : for ſhe and hers dwelt in Tents. The Tent is here men- tioned in Allufion to the place where this Fa& was done.
25 He asked water, and ſhe gave him milk ; ſhe jos, brought forth || butter c in a lordly diſh 4.
c Or, Cream, (7. e. ) ThechoiceſFof her Milk; ſo the ſame thing is repeated in differing words. d Which you are not to endertions of ſuch a ſtately and coſtly Diſh as the Luxury of after Ages brought in. which 15not agreeable tothe fimplicity either of this Family, or of thoſe ancient "Times ; but of a comely and convenient Diſh, the beſt which ſhe had, and ſuch as the berter ſorr of perſons then uſed.
26 She put her hand e tothe nail, and her right hand co the workmans hammer : and with the hammer ſhe + ſmote Siſera, ſhe ſmote off F his head, when ſhe had peirced g and ſtricken through his temples.
e (7. e.) Her left hand, as appears from the nature of the thing ; and from the right hand, which 1s oppoſed to it. f Or, fruck through, 2s the LXX and Syriack render it : or brake, as the Chaldee hath it. g Heb. ans ſhepierced : or, and the Nail pierced.
27 f Acher fteethe bowed, he fell, and lay down þ : + Heb: at her feet he bowed, hefell ; where he bowed, there between. he fell down T dead. " ws
þ Here is alively Repreſentation of the thing done. Ar the firſt deftr oye#. blow or wound he was awakened, and made ſome attempr to riſe; bur being aſtoniſhed and very weak, ſhe alſo following her firſt blow with others, he found iimfſclf impotent, and fell eown dead; and then ſh:ſtruck the Nail quite through his head into the ground, as isfaid, Judg. 4. 21- 28 The mother of Siſera looked out at a window 3, and cried through the latteſs, Why zs his chariot ſo long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots ? ; Expetting to fee him returning : for the concluded, that he went forth nor fo much to Fight, as to take the Spoil 29 Her wile ladies anſwered her, yea, the returned + Heb- t anſwer to her ſelf, ber _ 39 * Have they not ſped? have they not divided the , _ ; prey &, | toevery man adamſfel or two ? To Siſera a + Heb. #» prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of nee- the head of le-work, of divers colours of needle-work on both * 9"
ſides, meet for | che necks of them that take the {ſpoil J. 7 k (7.e.) Ir is cerrain they have got the prey, only they tarry jecks of the
to view it and diſtribute it, according to every Mans quality and ſpoil, merite / Heb. of the prey; the prey pur for the men of prey, thoſe, or who take the prey ; as k:nared is put for a man of kindred, or a kinſ- man, Ruth 3. 2 and B:lial, for 2 man of Bel:al, - 2 Sam. 16. 7. And days, for a man of days or an old man, 5: 32,
7. 21 So mletall thine enemies periſh, O LORD: but Jet them that love him, be as * the ſun when he go- * 2 Sams
eth forth in his might ». And the land had reſt forty 3* + years 0. m ( i.e. ) So ſuddenly, ſo ſurely, ſo effeQually and irrecoverably. n Wheahe firſt riſeth, and ſo goeth on in his courſe, which he doth with great might, even as a ſtrong man that runneth a race, Pſal. 19. 5- and fo as no creature can ſtop, or hinder him; even ſo irreſiſtible let the People be. o How to be computed, ſee before on Judg. 3. 11. CHAP. VL The Midianites opdreſs Iſrael, 1 6. A prophet raiſed rebukes them, 7 «== An Angel calls Gideon 16 Iſraels deliverance, 1116+ Con« firms him by a mitacle, 11 — 21+ He builds an altar: calls it Fehavs Shalom ; and offer::h there. By Gods command he break; dawn ths Altar 27 3 | 0
YEA:
f Heb,
hammered.
Chap. VI.
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