wherein they ſhould have taken care to reſerve a ſufficient Number, wh ch they might have done, by ſpareing, either ſo many of the Marr.ed Women as were neceſſary, who, their former Husbands
Ca gry”
23 And the children of Benjamin did ſo, and took them wives according to their number 4, of them that danced,whom they caught : and they went and rerurn- ed unto their inheritance e, and repaired the cities,and dwelt in them f.
d ive. Each Man his Wife, as is ſaid, v. 22: By which we may ſeey they had no very favourable opinion of Poligamy, becauſ- they did nor allow it in this caſe, when 1r might ſeem moſt neceſſary for the Reparation of a loſt Tribe. e Which being very near the place, they could tpeedily do, before the Parents could obtain Reoreſs. f Not at that inſtant, which could not be ; but by degrees,lncreafipg
24 And the children of Iſrael departed thence at that
rife win cauſe we reſerved not to each man his wite in the war time, every man to his tribe, and to his family. and b: for ye did not give unto them at this time, hat ye Gould be guiity c.
they went out from thence, every man to his inheri- tance |
25 * In thoſe days there was no king in Ifrael ; every * Chap.1p] 13)
man did bat which was right in his own eyes.
TL
f Heb. juaged.
* 2 Kings d I,
F Heb.
were: Numb. D- 20,
R 77
1
The ARGUMENTKEG
David ; and conſequently of Chriſt ; and the Rile of Cnriit
His little Book, by whomſoever Written, wich is not material ro know, is annexed to the Book of Judges, and by ſome of the Hebrew Doctors made a part of ir. It is uſeful, as for many other points, ſo eſpecially to ſhew the Genealogy of
[rem a Moabitilh Woman 3 2vhich was an uſeful document,
and a great Encouragement to the Gentiles to believe in CHRIST,
CHAT. Ib
'A Famine in Canaan. and hu twe Sons, who Marry Orpah and Ruth ther: : And dye, 1
- ©»
Naomi returns to Judah : Her Daughters in luw accompany her on her way, ; of the other Ruth :
G6 —— 13. Orpahreturns home to her People and goas : Rutn remains be-= ing Converted, 14 18. They come to Bethlehem, 1g = 22.
Ow it came to paſs in the days when the judges |
ruled «, that there was a * famine in the land
b: and a certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to ſo-
journ in the countrey of Moab c, he, and his wife, and his cwo ſons.
a Which 1s noted as the cauſe of the following Famine, becauſe in much of that time they were guilty of great defe&ion from Ged. Bur under which of th: Judges this happened,Scripture being ſilent, it ſeems preſumpruous ro determine ; nor is ir neceffary ro know.
What is ſaid about this matter, from the Genealogy mentioned, |
Chap.4+18, Ofc. it will be moſt proper to conſider it there» b Or, in that land ; to wit, of Canaan. c A fruitful land, beyond Jordan
Eaſtward.
2 Aud the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi, and the name of his two ſons, Mahlon, and Chilion, Ephrathites 4 of Bethle- hem-Judah e: and they came into the countrey of Mo- ab, and F continued there f.
4 So called, becauſe rhis Bethlehem is otherwiſe called Ephrath or Ephraths, Gen. 35. 19+ Mich. 5 2. either from Caleb's Wite of rhar Dame, I Chron. 2-19. and 4.4 or from the fertitity of the Soyl a- bour it ; which Title may th.r-fore be uſed here, ro ſhew the great- neſs of the Famine, which aff-&cd even fertile parrs. e Sce the Notes en Judges 17+ 7y 11, 5. f To wity during the Famine«
| 3 And Elimelech Naomies husband died, and ſhe was left, and her ewo 1ons.
Elimelech removes to Moab: W th Naomi his ad 4 And they took them wives of the women of Mo-
[1 7
abg: the name of the one w4s Orpah, and the name and they dwelt there about ten years þ.
£ Either theſe were Proſelytes when they Married them, which may we}i be doubred, from wv. 15. or they ſinned in Marr: ing them, as appears from Deut. 7. 3- and 23.3 Ezra 9. I, 2. N-heme 13- 23. and therefore were puniſhed with ſhort Life, and want of If ſue, wv. 5. 19, 21: h As long as the Famine laſted.
5 And Mahlon, and Chilion died aifo both of chem,
and the woman was lefc of her two ſons, and her huſ- : band.
6 Then (he aroſe wich her daughters in law, that
ſhe might return from the countrey of Mcabtfor ſhe had heard in the countrey of Moab, how that the LORD had viſited his people in giving them bread i.
th i» e. Food ; ſo ſhe ſtayed no longer there than neceſſity forced er.
7 Wherefore ſhe went forth out of the place where ſhe was, and her two daughters in law with her : and
they. went on the way to return unto the land of Ju- dah.
8 And Naomi ſaid unto her two daughters;in law,
* Go, return each to her.mothers:houſe &:2 ,the LORD «+ deal kindly with yau, as ye have dealt with the dead
/ and with me.
k Not that they wanted Fathers, Ruth 2. 11. but becauſe Daugh- ters uſed to con-erfſe more frequently, with their Mothers, and to be moſt endeared to them, ard to dwell in the fame Apartments with them, which then were diſtin& from. thoſe parts of the Houſe where the Men dwelts / With my Sons, your Husbands, whileſt
\
| they lived.
Fx $9 The
Chap. 1
/
j
I. and GeF |
See Folks
X10
© The LORD grant you, that ye may find reſt », WA of you in the houſe of her husband ;_ Then ſhe kifſed them », and they lift up their voice and wept-
\ 2 is e. A quiet and happy life, free from thoſe Cares, Vexations, Incumbrances, and Troubles which Widows are in a ſpecial man- ner expoſed unto. n As the manner there was when Friends
parted : ] xo And they ſaid unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people, 2: : it And Naomi faid, Turn again my daughters 3
why will ye go with me ? are there yet any moe ſons in
my womb, that they may be your husbands o ?
+ According to the Ancient Cuſtom, Gen: 38. and the expreſs "Law of GOD, Deut: 25: 5- which doubtleſs ſhe had acquainted them with before, among other branches of the Jewiſh Religion, wherein the did-inſtru@ them. 2 | x2 Tura again my daughters, go yowr way Þ, Lor 1 T am too old to have an husband : if I ſhould fay, I J Ors 1 have hope, || if 1 ould have a husband alſo to night, p>7* 22 nd ſhould alſo bear ſons : | þ en buiband. ” 0, Why dorh ſhe diſwade them from this journey, and not | rather perſwade thom to go. wirh her, and to imbrace the Jewiſh "Religion? . ſw. 1. Poſhbly ſhe,ghoughr ſuch diflwaſion might 'be the belt way to periwade them, as it oft happens 3 eſpecially in "that Sex. 2+ She would not have them raſhly and inconſiderately to embrace the Jewiſh Religion, in hopes of ſome advantage from ity