nels 9. F2 They ſecretly confeſs the LORD to be Higher and Greater than'their gods, and-yer againſt their knowledge preſume to oppoſe him. 9 They mention the Wilderneſs, not as if all the Plagues of the Egyptians came upon them inthe Wilderneſs, but becauſe the laſt and foreſt of all, which is therefore put for all, to wit, the De- ſtrution of Pharaoh and all his Hoſt, happened in the Wilder- dets,. namely, in the Red-Sea, which having the Wilderneſs on both ſides of it, Exod 13: 18, 20+ and 14: 3, I, and 353 22, Oc. may well be ſaid to be in the Wilderneſs. Although ir is noc ſtrange if theſe Heathens did miſtake and miſreport tome Circum- ſtance, in a Relation of the 1ſraelitiſh Affairs, eſpecially ſome hun- dreds of Years after they were done, ſuch miſtakes being frequent in divers Heathen Authors, treating of thoſe matters, as Juſtin, and Tacitizss and others: : ; 9 Be ſtrong, and quit your ſelves like men r, O ye Philiſtines,that ye be not ſervants unto the Hebrews, If +Jud:13:1+* as they havebeen to you: Þ quit your ſelves like men, + Heb: and fight. | | Ge men. r Since you can expeC& no Relief from your gods, who are not able to reſiſt theirs,it concerns you to put forth all your Scrength and Courage,and once for all to att like brave and valiant Men. * 10 4 And the Philiſtines fought, * and Iſrael was RIO. ſmitten, and they fled every man into his tent / and there was a very great ſlaughter, for there fell of Iſrael
thirty thouſand 7 foormen #«. ; | ſ i. e- To his habiration, called by the Ancient Name of his Tent. # Before they loſt but 4000, now in the preſence of the Ark 30000, tO reach them that the Ark and Ordinances of GOD, were never deſigned for SanQuaries or Refuges to impenitent Sinners, but only for the Comfort and Relief of thoſe that Repent. « Horſe- men are not mentioned ; Eeither Firſt, becauſe they had few or none, GOD having forbidden the multiplication of their Horſes, Deut: 17: 16. and the Philiftines, their lords and Oppre ſors, having taken away what they had. Or, Secondly, Becauſc they fled away, 25 is uſual in ſuch Caſes, whilſt the Footmen were more eaſily 0- vertaken. 1x And* the ark of God was taken x, and the two | ſons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas Þ were ſlain. x Which God juſtly and wiſely permitted ; partly, to puniſh the Iſraelites for thir Profanation of it : partly, that by raking away the pretences of their fooliſh and impious confidence, he might more deeply humble them, and bring them to true Repentance : partly, that the Philitines might by this means be more effeually con- vinced of GOD'S Aimighty Power, and of their own, and their gods impotency, and fo a ſtop might be put to their Triumphs and Inſu}rations, and to their Rage againſt the poor [raeliter, whom otherwiſe in human appearance they mightr eaſily have rooted out- Thus as God was no loſer by this event, ſo the Philiftines were no gainers by it; and Iſrael, all things conſidered, received more good than hurt by it, as we ſhal ſee. # i T0 12 © And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the
army, and came to Shiloh the ſame day, with his cloths rent, and with * earth upon his head y.
3 The uſual Rites in great ſorrows ; See Genz 37: 29. Joſhs 7: 6, Ofc. 2 Sam: I; 2g Ine
And when he came, lo, Eli ſat upon * a ſeat z by mala he w_y ſide, watching : for his heart trembled for the ark of God a And when the man came into the city,
and told zt, all the city cried out. : : z Placed there on purpoſe for him, that he might ſoon receive the Tidings, which he longed for. # Whereby he diſcovered a publick and generous ſpirit, and a fervent Zeal for GOD, and for his Honour and Service, which he preferred before all his natural AffeRions and worldly Intereſts, not regaiding his awn Children in compariſon of the Ark, though otherwiſe he was a moſt Indul- p gent Father, and had reaſsn to believe chat they went out like Sheep for the ſlaughter, according to Sarwel's Prediction,
*Job 2412.
ER HH DEE
14 And when Eli heard the noiſe of the crying, he ſaid, What weaneth the noiſe of this tumult 2 And the man came in haftily, and told Ehli-
I5 New Eli was ninety and eight years old, and * his eyes | were dim, that he could not ſee.
out of the army 5, and I fled to day out of the army, And he ſaid, What Þ is there done, my ſon ?
b I ſpeak not what F have by uncertain Rumours, but what mine Eyes were witneſſes of.
17 And the meſſenger anſwered and ſaid, Iſrael is fled before the Philiſtines, and there hath been alſo a great ſlaughter among the people, and thy. two ſons alſo, Hephni and Phinehas are dead, and theark of God is taken.
18 Andit came to paſs when he made mention of the ark of God, that he'fell from off the ſeat backward c, by the ſide of the gate 4d, and his neck brake, and he died : for he was an old man, and heavy e, and he had judged Iſrael f fourty years.
c Being. ſo oppreſſed with Grief and Aſtoniſhmenr, that he had ne'Strength lefc to ſupport him. d To wit, the Gate of the City, which was moſt convenient for the ſpeedy underſtanding of all Occurences. e Ola, and therefore weak and apt to fall ; Heavy, and
therefore his fall more dangerous and pernicious. f He was their Supreme Governour, both in Civils and Spirituals.
i9 E And his daughter in law, Phinechas wife, was with child, near || to be delivered : and when ſhe heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law, and her husband were dead, ſhe bowed her ſelf and travelled ; for her pains + came upon her g.
g To wit, before her time, which is oft the effe& of great Ter- rours, both in Women, and in other Creatures, Pſal: 29: g.
20 And about the time of her death, the women that
ſtood by her, ſaid unto her, Fear not, for thou haſt born a ſon. But ſhe anſwered not, + neither did the regard it þ.
þ Being overwhelmed. with Sorcow, and ſo uncapable of Com-