6 Which, till his coming they durſt not do, for fear of Abimelech; but now took confidence to do ſo, in contempt of him. c Partly, from the Cuſtom of rejoycing, and ſinging Songs in Vintage-time, Levit 198 24+ 1a: 16: 10. Jer: 25330, and partly, for the hopes of their Redemprion from Abimelech's Tyiany. d Baal-berith, wv. 4. either to beg his help againſt Abimelech, or to give him thanks,either for the Fruits of the Earth now received, or for the Hopes of reco- vering their formery and loſt Liberty. o To the honour of their Idols, and out of the Oblations made to them, as they uſed to do to the Honour of JEHOVAH, and out of his Sacrifices. f Either by reviling and reproaching him after their manner; or, rather in a more folemn and Religious manner, curſing him by their god, as Goliah did Dawidy 1 Sam: 17: 43- Or, calling upon their god to ra« tifie their Curſes pronounced againſt him,
28 And Gaal the fon of Ebed ſaid, Who is Abime- lech g, and who is Shechem þ that we ſhould ſerve him ? zs not he the ſon of Jerubbaal 32 And Zebul his officer &? ſerve the men of Hamor the father of She-» chem /: for why ſhould we ſerve him ? |
g What is he but a baſe-born Perſon, an ambitious, imperious and cruel Tyrrant, and one every way unfir and unworthy to go- vern you? h Shechem is here the name, either, 1+ Of the Place or City of Shechem ; and ſo the Hebrew Particle mi, who, is put for mah, what, as it is Judges 13+ 17. and then the ſenſe of the plzce 5s this; Conſider how obſcure and unwortky a perſon Abimelech is, and what a Potent and Honourable City Shechem is ; and judge you whether it be fic that ſuch a City ſhould be ſubje& to ſuch a Perſon : Or, ra- ther, 2. Of a Perſon, even of Abimelech, named in rhe foregoing words, and deſcribed in thoſe which follow, the ſon of Jerubbaal, be= tween which Shechem js hemmed in, and therefore cannot cunveni- entiy belong to any other. He is called Shechem for the Shechemize, by a metonymie «<f the Subje&, whereby the Place is put for the Perſon contained in it, and belonging ro it ; as Egypt,ZEthiupia, S:hay Jrdea, Macedenia, and Achaia, &c. are put for the People of thoſe Counrries, Job 1. 15. and 6. 19. Pſal: 68: 31. and 105: 38. 1ſs: 43t 3. Mats 3s 5. Rom: 15: 26. Thus mi is taken properly, and the Senle is, Who is this Shechemite? For ſo he was by the Mothers ſide, born cf a Woman of your City, and the but his Concubine and Servant; why 'hould you tubmit to one ſo baſely deſcended? 7 i. ee Of Gid*on, a Perſon obſcure by his own confeſſion, Judges 6: 15. and famous only by his boldneſs & fierceneſs againſt thar Bas! which you juſtly konour and reverence, whoſe Altar he overthrew, and whoſe Wor ſhip he en- Jeavoured ro ?boliſh. k And you are fo unworthy and mean-{prrited, that you do not only ſubmit to him, bur ſuffer his very Servants to bear rule over you,and enflave you;and particular'y.this 1gnoble and hareful Perſon Zebul | It you love Bondage, call in the o'd Maſter and Lord of the Place; chuſe not an Upſtart, as 4bimelech is ; but rather take one & the old Stock, one dcſcended from Hamer, Gen:' 34; 2» Who did not carry hunſelf like a Tyrant, as Abimelech did, bur likea Father @f his City of Shecbem, this he miSkt ſpeak, either, r. Sincerely, as being himſelfa Canaanite and a Shechemite, and poſ- fibly comefrom one of thoſe little ones whom. Simeon and Levi ſpared when they flew all the grown Males, Ger: 343 29. And it may be
hart he was one of the Royal Blood, a deſcendant of Hamor, who hereby ſoughr to 1:{inuate himſelfinto their Minds and Government a+ i: follows, v. 29. Would to God this people were under my hand ; whicls he might judge the People more likely to do, both becauſe they were now united with the Canaarites in Religion; and becauſe their preſent Diſtreſs might oblige them to put themſelves under him, who ſeemed or prerended co be a valiant and expert Commander.Or, 2. In way of Deriſion, he being an 1a:1/:e; if you are fo ſervile, ſerve ſome of the Children of Hemor; which becauſe you rightly judge to be ab(urd and diſhonourable, do nor now ſubmit to a far aſer Perſon ; bur caſt off his Yoak, and recover your loſt Liberties
29 And wouid to God this pzople were under my hand »,then would I remove Abimelech ». And he ſaid to Abimelech o, Increaſe thine army, and come our p.
m i. e Under my Command; I with yon would unanimouſly ſubmar to me, as your Captain 2nd Governeur ; for he fortnd them divided; and ſome of them hearkening after Ab:melech, whom they had lately rejeQed, according to the levity of the popular Humour. n As you bave driven him our of your City, I would drive him out of your Countrey: o He ſent this Meſſige or challenge to thim. p I| deſire not to ſurpriſe thee at any diſadvantage ; itrengthen thy ſel as muchas thou canſt, and come out into the open Field, that thou and [ may decide it by our Arins. |
2 Q 30 T And
26 And Gaal the ſon of Ebed z came with his bre- -
[| Or; Songs,
frength |
ed hrs bual
co kil,
ap. IX. ; | | '} $0 C And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard tr; tor. the words of Gaal the ſon of Ebed,his anger was [| kind-
| led 9. Et [| e had temporized and complied with the Peoples Hu- Mb pe againſt Aimelech, either 1n Diſhmulation and Driign, and by Abimelech's Connivence or Advice; or, really 3 but __ e heard Gaal's words, and himſelf tradncedy and ſtruck at by ys he changed his mind, repented of his defettion from Abrmelech, my iatended to return cn, _ to bring the People again to the O- bedience of their Lord and King. : F 1 And ihe ſent meſſengers unto Abimelech 7 pri-
3 . : =: hold, Gaal the ſon of Ebed, and his TK, Bene behold, they forti-
Heb. Mafrilys W, ze Tor* brethren be come to "4/2004 1 and | fie the city againſt thee /. : | | r SOas x = his Confederates might not know it. Or, _ »mah : or. who was in Thormah; for ſome make it the name of the place where Abimelech was, which is called with ſome variation, 4- rumah, v.4t. | They Beliege or Guard the ny of Sh:chem, 1o as
none may £0 out to thee, nor COME IN from thee. 32 Now therefore, up by night, thou and the people
that & with thee, and lie in wait in the field.
22 And it ſhal be, #hat in che morning as ſoon as the ſun is up, thou ſhalt riſe early, and fer upon the city : and behold, when he :, and the people that zz with him come out againſt thee, then mayelt thoudo to them
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