and all the houſe of Millo , and went and made Abi- melech king », || by the plain of the pillar o that ws in ; Or, 51 Shechem. oak of the | m Of a Place or Perſon ſo called ; ſome eminent and potent Fa. f'llar, 5 mily living in Shechem, or near to ir, either the Family of Abimelech's Jolh, 24, Mother, or ſome others ; or, and all Beth-millo; ſo Beth is not an Houſe, 26. but a part of the name of the place. n To wit, over all Iſrael, wv. 22. which was aſtrange Preſumption for the Inhabitants of ene City ta undertake; but they had many advantages and encouragements for It; as the eager, and general, and conſtant inclination of the 1/-9- | elites to kingly government ; 4bimelech's being the ſon of Gideon, to whom, and ro his Sons, they offered the Kingdcmg Judges 8: 12, And though the Father could, and did refuſe it for himſelf; yet they might imagine, that he could not give away his Son's Right conveyed to them by the 1/raelites, in their offer ; the univerſal de. feCticn of the 7raclires from GOD to Baal, whoſe great Patron and
longer cleave to God, than they were 11 a manner conſtrained to ity by th- Preſence and Autbority of their Judges, x This was the genera] name including all their Idols, whereof one kere follows.
Champion Abimelech pretended to be ; the-power and prevalency of the Tribe of Ephraim, in which Shechem was, Joſt $0; 75, whoſe proud
9 7. e. The ORD of rhe Covenant, ſo called, either from the Covenant wherew:t | tain his Worſhip, or to defend one another therein ; or rather, bes. : cauſe he was reputed the God and Jud; e of all Covenants, and Pro- miſes, and Contra&s, to whom it velonged ro maintain them, and to puniſh the violaters of them; and ſuch a God both the Greciaxs
h had. m_ "And the children of Iſrael remembred not the
LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the
| hand of all their enemies on every ſide: 25 Neither thewed they kindneſs to the houſe of Je-
rubbaal, »amely Gideon, according to all the goodneſs | which he had thewed unto Iſrael.
, CHAP. IX.
Abimelech Gideon's ſon by conſpiracy with the Shechemites ; and the murther of his brethren, Jotham the younge# eſcaping, is made king, 1 ==6, Jotham by a parable rebuketh them and forerellet? their ruine: He flees and awells | at Beer, 7—— 2 1. The Shechemites con[pire againſt Abimelech, 22. Gaal | joyns himſelf to the Shechemires, 29. Zebul relveals it, 30 — 33. Berray- th Geal,z4— 38. Abimelech overcome-th them 3 And ſoweth the city with ſalt,z9 =—45+ Sets the toner on fire: Alſo the hold of the god Berith, 46 wma 49. He ſubdues Thebez'$ Going near to the tower to burn it % A wo- man cafis down a piece of a milſtone on his head, breaks his shu!l, FO 2% bs flea his Armour-bearer to thruſt him through, « Jotham's cuyſe is fulfilled, 56+ 57.
Wo Abimelech the ſon of Jerubbaal went to She-
_-
* Chap. chem, unto his * morhers brethren,and commun-
8:31 ed with them, and with all the family ut che houſe of his mothers father, ſaying,
2 Speak,lI pray you.in the ears of all the men of She-
chem, + Whether is better for you, either that all the
+ What is (ons of Jerubbaal ( which are threeſcore and ten perſons )
2 = « \ \ good? whe reign over you 4, or that one reign over you? Remem-
Ms ber alſo, that I am your bone and your fleſh 6 ? a He ſuppo'eth that they would take that Government which their Father modeſtly refuſed ; and that the mutitade of his S»ns would occaſion horrivle diviſions, and Confuſions, and Conrelts abour the Soveraign Power; all which they mighr avoid, by chuling him King; and ſo they might enjoy che Mo.arciy which chey hid long and otr defirzd. 6b Your Kinimzn, of rhe fame Tribe and City wich you ;
which will be no {inall Honour and Advantage to you: p | $
and imperious Spirit, manifeſted Judges 8: 1. ard 12: 1. would make
h the Worſhippers cf this God bound themſelves to main=- jthem readily cloſe with a King of their own Brethren ; and Abime-
lech's getting the ſtart-of all orhers, having the Crown aQually pur upon his Head. and an Army already raiſed ro maintain his Tyranny. o Or, by the Oak of the Pillar, i» e. By the Oak, where 7oſhua ercted a Pillar as a Witneſs of the Covenant renewed between GOD and Iſrael, Joſs 243 26. This Place they choſe.to ſignifie that rhey till owned God, and their coveniat with him ; and did not worſhip Bal in oppoſition to GOD, but in ccnjun&tion with him, or in ſub- ordination to hime
7 T' And when they told it to Jotham, he went and ſtood in the top of mount Gerizim p, and lift up his voice, and cried 9, and faid unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem r, that God may hearken un- to you /. .
p Which lay near Shechem, and near Mount Ebal. The Valley be. | tween theſe two Mountains of Gerizim and Ebal, was a famous Places employed for a Religious Uſe, even for the ſolemn reading of the Law,and its Bleflings and Curſes, Deut: 11: 29: and 27: 12. Jof: 8: 33. and therefore it is probable it was ſtill uſed, even by the Superſtici- ous and IdolJatrovs 1/raelites for ſuch like occaſions, who delighted to uſe the ſame Places which their Religious Anceſtors had conſe- crated and uſed. 9 $o as they that ſtocd in the Valley might hear him, though not ſuddenly come at him to take him. » Who are here met rogether upon a ſolemn occaſion, as Joſephus nores, 4b;- melech being abſent. { When youcry unto him for Mercy ; ſo he conjures and perſuades to givehim patient Audience, as they did.
8 Lhe trees went forth on a time 7 to anoint a king over them, and they ſaid unto the oliv-tree x, Reign
thou over us. z A Parabolical Diſcourſe, uſual among the Ancients,eſpecially in the Eaſtern parts ; wherein, under the names of Trees, Men are re-
Chad. 1x, |
preſented. u i.e. To make a King, which was oft done among the Iſrachtes, and ſome others, with the Ceremony of Anointing. » By which he underſtands Gideon:
9 But the olive-tiee ſaid unto them, Should I leave my fatneſs * wherewich by me they honour God 7 and * Pla
man z, and || go to be promoted 4 over the trees ? : We 2 In whoſe worithip and ſervice Oy] was vſed for divers things; " a] doo
2Sz about the Lamps, Exod: 353 14. and Offerings, Lev: 226, 7. an:
CES =—_ 6 *, tay Od for the anointing of Sacred Perſons and Things. z For Oy1 was uicd —_
in the Conſtitution of Kings, and Prieſts, and Prophets, and fer 3 , Prefent to great Perſons, and to anoint the Head and Face, &e a Heb. 70 move hither and thither, ro wander to and fro, to ex- change 54
bis
IX
W Chap. IX: