I Called alſo Leſhem, Jejh: 19: 47- Place, and abounding in Wealth, and undeiſtanding that they were not a part of that Land which GOD gavetoh's People; and percei« ving that the Jſraelites never attempted any thing againſt them, were grown ſecure and careleſs » Or, that might rebuke or pumjh any thing ; 1. e. any Crime; Heb: that might put any thing to ſhame, or, make any thing ſLameful. Putting to fbame ſeems to be uſed Meto« nymically for inflicting Civil Puniſhment, becauſe ſhame is general Iy the adjuatt or effe&t of it, o Who otherwiſe could have tuccour- ed them, and would have been ready to do it. p No League or Confederacy, nor much Converſe wich other Cities, »r being ina pleaſant and plentiful Soil, between the tx oRivo/ers of Jor and Dan, not needing Supplies from others, and therefore mindirgg only their own Eale and Pleaſure. :
8 And they camejunto their brethren to Zorah, and Eſhtaol, and their brethren faid unto them, What ſay ye ? on
9 And they ſaid, Atiſe, that we may go up againſt them : for we have ſeen the land, and behold, it is ve- ry good 3 and are ye ſtill q? Be not flothful to go, nd to enter to poſſeſs the land. |
9 Heb: ſilent ? Silence is oft put for fileſs or ceſſation from ation or motion, as Exed: 147 14. Iſa: 62: 1. Lament: 2: 18 For they do not accuſe rhem for want of ſpeaking, for that they did ; but for want ofdoing, and puting their words and reſolves into exes CUTIONe
Io When ye go, ye fha)l come unto a people ſecure, and to a large land : for God hath given it unto your hand r : a place where there is no want ot any thing, that is 1n the earth,
y This they gather partly from GOD'S Word or Promiſe, which they ſuppoſed they had from the Levices Mouth ; and partly from his Providence, which hath ſo diſpoſed them, that they will-be an eaſy Prey to you.
Ir 9 And there went from thence of che family [ of the Danites out of Zorah, and out of Eſhtaol fix
hundred men, f appointed with weapons of war.
Family.
12 Andthey went up and pitched in Kirjath-jearin t in Judah : wherefore they called that place Mahaneh- dan, unto this day ; behold it x behind Kirjath-jeas rim «,
t Called Kirjath-baaly Joſh, 15. Gor a City lying in the Northern Parts of Judah in the Road to Laiſh; yet not in the City, bur in the Fields belonging to it, as the following words evince, « i. e.
. Weſt-ward from it, as the Weſtern Sea is called the hindermo# Sem,
Deut, 11. 24+ and as on the contrary, the Eaſt 1s called Kedem, which ſignifies rhe fore-part.
13 And they paſled thence untomount Ephraim,and
' they came unto the houle of Micah x.
* i.e. To the Town in which his houſe was, for they Were not yetentred into it.
14 © Then anſwered 'y the five men that went to
' ſpy out the countrey of Laiſh, and ſaid unto their bre-
thren, Do ye know that there is in thoſe houſes z an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven infage, and a mo!- ten image 2 Now therefore conſider what 'ye have to do 4.
y i.e. Spake. the wofd anſwering being oft uſed in Scripture of the firſt Speaker, as 1 Kings 1. 28. and 13. 7. Ezra 10. 2. Iſa. 14 iO. Z 1. e« In one of theſe Houſes, the P:ural Number for the Singular, as Judges 12.7, # Whether it be nor expedient ; either, 1. Ts conſult them again for your ewn ſatisfation ; or, rather, 2. Torake
them away for your further uſe, as you ſhal have occaſion 35 for their Attion is the beſt Comment upon their words.
I ; And they turned thitherward, and came to the houſe of the young man the Levite, even unto the houſe of Micah, and Þ ſaluted him 6.
commonly put for Health and Proſperity.
16 And the fix hundred men-appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, {tood by the entring of the gare. ;
17 And the five men that went to ſpy out the land went up, «nd came in thither c, and took the graveri image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the mol- ren image, and the prieft ſtood in the entring of the
gate d with the fix hundred men 7hat' were appointed '
with weapons of war.
c To wit, into the Houſe, and that part of it, where thoſe things
were. 4 Whether they had drawn him forth, that they might with= out noiſe or hindrance take them away,
18 And theſe e went into Micahs houſe: and fetch- ed the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim,an# the molteri image ; then ſaid the prieſt unto them, What do ye f 7 | _ e To wit, the five mentioned, v. 17. f Whatdo you mean to do? I hope you will net do ſo Impious and Injurious an Aion.
i9 And they faid unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thy hagd upog thy on £, and go with us, and be
2 3 t&
Chap. XVII and ſecure, and there 45 no + magiſtrate in the land t Heb? F that might put them to ſhame in any thing =, and they oY ſtrains, | ; 1 Sam; | 2 Who living in a very ſtrong 9g: 174
+ Heb: ſ By which it again appezrs, That the 7ribe, v3 r. is put for girded,
t Heb? | b Heb. asked him of Peace; i. e. if he were in Peacey Peace being acked him of peace -
pra rE EIT ET * EPL; CVDRS—c re eng ted = rr I ena rar tt re WO EI eee
Hf Heb.
that thou
|
| + Heb. bitter of {ſoel.
* Toſh. 19. 47»
ap. XVIII.
though placed before this,
2) D to us a father, and a prieſt hb: Is it better for thee to be
a prieſt unto the houſe of one man, or that thou be a
, —P 4 : ft unto a tribe, and a family 7 in Iſrael ? | _ Be ſilent, as this Phraſe 1s uſed, Job 21+ 5- and 29! 9: —_ 0: 4+ Prov. 30: 32. The ſame thing repeated 1n other mou P - *”_ Judges 17. 10+ 7 To wit, a tribe, that is, ( and being oft pur ” that is ) # family. For it is certain this was not an 5; nog 1a n - whole Tribe, which numbred 64000 Men, Numb. 26. 43: args ly of one Family, which it ſeems were more vexed with the P/t os or Amorites, and therefore reſolved to ſcek new pon: of a £ _ diſtance from them. And after this time we tind the Body nk , Danites in their od and proper Portions in Samſor's times Which, was long after 1t. 20 And the prieſts heart was glad &, and he took the ephod, and the. teraphim, and the graven image, and
t in the midft of the people /. | | "© Doing wholly governed by his own Intereſt, and making all his
igati uſtice and Gratitude give place to it. Butir 15 not ee — was before perfidious to God, ſhould prove ah Mcn. 1 i. e. Among the People : or properly in the midſt,both # the greater ſecurity of ſuch precious things, and that Micah mig _ nct be able to come at him, either to injure or upbraid jm; and, it may be, becauſe that was the place where the Ark uſed to be car-