other tings agreeable and appertaining to it ; which elewhere are comprehended under the name of the Epbod, as Judges 17. 5. and 18. 14, 18. Hoeſ: 3: 44 & Notas a Monument of the Victory, for ſuch Monuments were neither.proper nor uſual ; bur for Reli-
ſeems to be this, G/deen having by Ged's command eretted an Al- tar in his own City, Ophrah, ſudg: 6: 26. for an extr2ordinary
and theretore as he intended ro procure 2?:ielts, fo he defigoed to make
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:eftly Garments, and eſpecially an Ephod, which was the
Def rp coſtly ; which belides its uſe in ſacred miniſtrations, Iras allo the inſtrument by which the mind of God was enquired and diſcovered, 1 Sam: 26: 6, 9. and 3c? 7. which might ſeem neccſa- ry for the Judge to have ar hand, that he might conſult with God upon all occaſions. 1 Commirting Superſtition or Idolatry with it ; er going thicher ro enquire the will of God ; whereby rhey were drawn from the truc Ephod, intituted by God fer this end, which was to be worn by the High Prieſt only. »» An occaſion of Sin,
and Ruine to him and his, as the nexr Chapter ſhewerh. Though Gidetn was 2 good man, and did this with an honeſt mind, and a de-
fire to ſet up Religion in his own Ciry and Family ; yet here ſeems to be many Sis in ir; 1. Superſtition and Will-worthip, Worſhip- ; ping GOD by a device of his own, which was frequently and ex-: preſly forb'dden. 2: Pr:ſumption, in wearing, or cauſing other L Prietts to wear this kind of Ephod, which was peculiar to the High- Prieſt. 3. Tranſgreſſion of a plain Command, cf Worſhipping | GOD ordinatly but at one place, and one A'tar, Deur: 1275, I1y 14. and withdrawing people from that placey to his. 4+ Makiog « fear-
ful Schiſm or Diviticn among the People. 5. Laying a Stum bling-block, or an __—_— of Superſtition or 1dolatry before that eople, whom he knew to be too prone to 1t.
g 28 C Thus was Midian ſubdued before the children of Iſrael,ſo that they lifred up their head no more ».and
thecountrey was in quietnels fourty years o in the days of Giedeon p. Ni. 0 ——m" AP not their former Strength or Courage, ſo as to Conquer or Oppreſs others, as they had done. » z e To the four- tieth year, from the beginning of the Midianitiſh Oppreſlion ; ſee on Judges 3: 11. 4.6. As long as Gidemn lived. : 29 4 And Jerubbaal the of Joaſh went and dwelt in his own houſe 9. | | q Not in bis Fathers Houſe, as he did before z nor yet IN a Court liks a King, as the Peopie defired ; bur ina middle ſtare, as a Judge for the preſervation and maintenance of their Religion and Liber- ries. : 30 And Gideon had threeſcore and ten ſons | of his FHeb. go- body begotten : for he had many waves. =_— of 1 Azd his Concubine that was in Shechem r, ſhe + Het. ſz, Alſo bare hima ſon,whoſe name he fcalled Abimelech /. eJE* » She dwelt there, and he oft came thither, eirher ro execute Judgement, or upon other occzſions. ſ i. e» My Father the King ; ſo he called him, pr-bably, to gratific his Concubiue, who deſired it either our of P:1de, or D-ſign. 2 2 22 And Gideon the fon of Joaſh died in a good old age 7, and was buried in the ſepulchre of Joath his fa- ther, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrite. ; ; His long Life being Crowned with the continuance of his Ho- nour, Tranquility and HappineſSe ; Andit came to paſs,as ſoon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Ifrael turned again #, and went a whoring after Baalim x, and made Baal-berith y their
od. G u Whereby we ſee the wicked Temper of this people, who did no
i 5 $8
3 And his mothers brethren «© ſpake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all theſe words,and their hearts inclined + to follow Abimelech : for they ſaid, F Het, He z our brother d. | after,
c ti.e. Kinſmen, as that word is oft uſed, as Ger: 142 16. and 294 12. d They were eaſily perſuaded to believe and follow what ſcr- ved their own Intereſt.
4 And they gave him threeſcore and ten e pi:ces of filver f out of the houſe of Baal-berith g, wherewith Abimelech hired * vain and light perſons þ which fol-, lowed him. Chap,
e Agreeably to the number of his Enemies, Gideon's 70 Sons. f Not he. Sheke!s,as ſome fanſie, which were too ſmall a Sum for this purpoſe ; bur far larger Pieces the exa&t worth whereof it is neither poſſible nor needful for us now to know. g Out of his ſacred Treaſury ; for even they who were very parcimonious and baſe in their Expen- ces about Gods ſervice, were liberal in their contributions to Idols : having ſince Gid:on's death, built this Temple ( which he would never have ſuffered whilſt he lived) and endowed it with conſider. able Revenues. h Unſettled, idle and neceſflitous Perſons, the moſt proper Inſtruments for Tyranny and Cruelty.
5 And he went unto his fathers houſe at Ophrah,and flew his brethren the ſons of Jerubbaal 3, beizg three- ſcore and ten perſons &, upon one ſtone ! : notwith- ſtanding, yet Jotham the youngeſt ſon of Jerubbaal was lefr, for he hid himſelf.
_7 The only Perſons who were likely to hinder him in eſtabliſhing his Tyraray. &k Wanting cone, who is here expreſſed ; and thelc Synecdochical Expreſſions are frequent in Scripture; ſee Genz 3<e 26e and 42: 13- Numb: Wq3 32, 33» Joh: 20: 24. 1 Cir: 158 F_ { Whereby he wovld ſignifie, that this was either, r. An a& of Juſtice, n cutting them all off in an orderlymanner,forſome ſuppoſed Crime, probably, as defignjng Sedition and Rebellion: Or, 2. An att of Religioa in avenging the D:ſhonour and Injury done to Baal by Gideon, Judg: 6: :7, 2% upon his Children, whom he offered up as ſo many $:crifices to Baal upon this Stone, which ſerved for an Alrar; and for rhis reaſon ir ſeems the Money was taken out of Ba. al's houſe, becauſe it was to be laid our in his ſervice.
s And all the men of Shechem gathered together,