7 Fhat they _—_ ſet their hope in God »,and not forger the works of God, but keep his commandments.
mM That by the conſideration of Gods gracious Promiles, and wonderful Works wrought by God for his People, they might be incouraged to truſt in him.
8 And might notbe as their fathers, *a ſtubborn and , th rebellious generation;a generation}rhar ſet not theirheart g agg aright », and whoſe ſpirit was not ſtedfaſt with God 0. & 34 9,
» Who though they outwardly and ſeemingly complyed with the Deut. 9. forms of Worſhip which God had preſcribed, yer did not dire#; or 6, 13: prepare their Hearts, to the Obedience and Service of God. o Who & 31. 27! quickly diſcovered their Hypocrifie by their Apoſtacy from God, t Heb. and from the Religion which they had profeſſed. That pres
6 * Thechildren of Ephraim p being armed and + 29d
carrying bows q, turned back in theday of battel. op ? This paſſage concerns; either, r. The Tribe of Ephraim, and m_
ſome exploit of theirs, wherein they met with this diſaſter ; whc- +4 Heb,
ther it were that mentioned 1 Chron. 7, 21. or ſome other not parti= 7/y9win
cularly related in any other*place of Scripture. For we muſt not £
think that all the Aftions and Events ofthe ſeveral Tribes are coed. oy
ed in Scripture, but only ſome of the moſt memorable ones. Or, 2.
The ten Tribes, who are very frequently called Ephraim, becauſe
that Tribe was the chief of them, and'the ſeat of the Kingdom.
And ſothisis referred by ſome to the Captivity of the ten Tribes,
2 Kings 179. Although the Hiſtorical references of this Pſalm, ſeem
not to go beyond Davias time. Or rather, 3. All the Tribes and
People of 1/rael, who are ſometimes deſigned by the Name of E-
phraim, as Jer. 31+ 9, 18, 29. Zech. 10. 7, as .well they might be,
becauſe of the eminenty of this Tribe, out of which came Joſhua
their firſt Governour in Canaan, and in which the Ark of God con-
tinued for a long time, and whoſe people were both moſt nume-
rous,and moſt valiant, and therefore they are fitly named for all, to
ſhew that this ſlaughter was not made amongſt them for any defe&
of power or courage ini them, but merely from Gods juft judgment
upon them for their fins here following. And that Ephraimis here
put for all Jae ſeems to be evident from the following* Verſes,
wherein the ſins, upon which this overthrow is charged, are mani-
feſtly the ſins of all the chiliren of 1/rael, and they who are here
called Ephraim are called 7acob and Iſrael, v. 2s: And fo this paſſage
is by divers Learned Interpreters referred unto that dreadful over-
throw related 1 Sam. 4. Wherein they did-not ſtand to fight, but
: Pf. 44.1)
—_—
reached
Pal. LXXVny,
, 10 3,
*Exod 14. 2. *Exod i58.. t Exod 1 21. & rg. © p{. 104
J9
* Exod 17. 6, Numbs 0, II. Pal, r6 (1.
iCorz0
* Exod. 16, 2,
*Numb. 2 T1 4.
i ticds Oraer,
* Exod. ty. 6. Numb. 20, 11,
f Heb, The Skies
*Exod!
16+ 4, 1 Plto $4 Joh. 6. I Cor
Or,-v Me dide the brea of the mighty,
wal, LXXVIIL.
Ip 2I.
F- 5-4
reached all 1fral, yet Ephraim 1s particularly named, be- cauſe asthe Ark ſo the Fight was in that Tribe; and there- fore it may be preſumed that the Ephraimites were a very Con- ſiderabl? part of that 1ſ-aeliriſh Army. Ani the Pſalmiſt having re- lated this amazing Providence and Judgment of God upon his own People, he falls into'a large Diſcourſe of the cauſes of it, to wat, the great and manifold and continual ſins of that and the former Generations, which having proſecuted from hence to ver. 60, he there returns to this Hiſtory, and relates the ſad conſequences of that diſa'ier, to wit, the Captivity of the Ark, and Gods forſaking of Shiloh and Ephraim, and removing thence to the Tribe of Judah and Mounr Z:0z, the reaſon of which change of place he deſigned to give in the relation of this paſſage. q Which includes Arrows, and theſe b-ing then the chicfeſt and moſt common Weapons are put for all other Arms.
to 'Fhey kept net the covenant of God, and refuſed to walk in his law ».
r Their diſobediencewas accompanied with obſtinacy and con-
tempt of Gods Laws.
11 And forgate s his works, and his wonders that he had ſhewed them.
s Not hiſtorically, but prafically. They did not ſo remember them, as to iove and ſerve, and truſt that God of whoſe infinite power and goodneſs they had fuch ample experience. Words cf knowledge, ſuchas knowing, rememvring, ©. in Scripture uſe, Frequently comprehend affe&ion and praCtice, as hath been oft ob- erved.
12 Marvellous things did he in the ſight of their fa-
thers in the iand of Egypt; in the field z of Zoan «.
e 7.e.In the territory or juriſdiftion,not excluding theCity it ſelf. In the like ſenſe we read of the field of Edom, and of Moab, Gen. 3. 3- and 36. 34. Numb. 21, 20, « An ancient and eminent and the Royal City of Egypr. See Numb, 13- 22. 1s. 19+ 11. and 30.
" oy i T3 *He divided the ſea,and cauſed them to paſs through, and * he madethe waters to ſtand as an heap.
14 * In the day time alſo he led them with a cloud x, and all the night with a light of fire,
x Which was very comfortable both for a ſhadow from the ſcor- | ching heart of the Climate and Seaſon, and for a companion and di- |
& 14. 24+ reQtor in their Journey-
mighty,
Nl. 205. i5 * He clave the rocks y in the wilderneſs, and gave
Prod them drink as cut of rhe great depths z. |
17. 6. y He uſeth the plural number becauſe it was twice done, once 1n
Numbs Rephidim, Exod. 17, 6. and again in Kadeſh, Numb 20. 1, i11.% In
%. 11, greatabundance.
Pl. ros. 16 He brought ſtreams alſo out of the rock, and cau-
Wl ſed waters'to run down like rivers 4.
Cer19-4 , Which did miraculouſly follow them in all their travels,even to the borders of Canaan. See Deut, 9. 21. ſal. tos. 41. 1 Cor. 10. 4. |
17 And they iinned yer more againſt him, by . pro-
vocking the moſt High in the wilderneſs 6 ?
b Where th-y had ſuch ſtrong and ſingular obligations to obedi- ence both from the grear things which Lod had then and there done for them, and from their dependance upon Gods favour and help for their ſafety and ſubſiſtence. This was a great aggravation of
n their ſin and folly. : : Exod. 18 And *they tempted c God in their heart, by af- te king mcat for their juſt d.
c Deſired a tryal and proof of Gods power, as the next Verſe plainly ſhewetn. See Numb. 11. 4. & Not for their neceſlary | ſubſi*ence for which they had Mans, but out of an incrdinate and luxurious apperite. on ;
"Numb. 419 * Yea, they ſpake againſt God : they ſaid, Can
14 God þfurnijtha tabie in the wilderneſs.