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ANNOTATIONS

THE PENTATEUCH

©r tfte dFt'be Uoofes of fttoses;

THE PSALMS OF DAVID

SONG OF SOLOMON.

BY HENRY AINSWORTH.

WITH A MEMOIE OF THE AUTHOR.

VOL. I.

B L A C K I E & S O N,

QUEEN STREET, GLASGOW; SOUTH COLLEGE STREET, EDINBURGH;

AND WARWICK SQUARE, LONDON.

MDCCCXLIIL

GLASGOW:

W. G. BLACKIE AND CO.,

PRINTERS.

CONTENTS.

VOL. I.

Page.

Genesis, ....... 1

Exodus, ....... 245

Leviticus, ....... 457

Numbers L— X. ...... 697

VOL. IL

Page.

Numbers XI. to end, ...... 1

Deuteronomy, . . « . . . 186

Psalms, ...... o 408

Song of Solomon, . . . . . . 681

-C. NOV BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF IIEMY AINSWORTH.

Amongst the English nonconformist theologians, in the reign of Elizabeth, few rank higher than Henry Ainsworth, the learned author of the Annotations on the Pentateuch, and other portions of Holy Writ. He was born about the middle of the sixteenth century; but, unfortunately, we possess no satisfactory evidence regarding the place of his birth, and his early personal history. There can be no doubt that he was a zealous defender of the faith once delivered to the saints; and that, for the sake of a good conscience, he was willing to forego all the pleasures of his native land, in order that he might be permitted peacefully to worship God on a foreign shore. He belonged to a body of pious, and many of them learned men, who, on seceding from the Church of England, not on account of its faith but its discipline and form of government, obtained the name of Brownists, from John Brown, the founder of the sect.

The Brownists, on account of the democratical opinions which they promulgated on church government, being debarred by the court from holding meetings in England, flocked in great numbers to different towns in the United Provinces. They maintained, that every distinct society was a body corporate, and was not accountable to any other jurisdiction. They did not allow the priesthood to be a distinct order; but asserted that any lay brother had the liberty of prophesying, or giving a word of exhortation in their church meetings. It was usual after sermon for the members to propose questions, and confer with each other, upon the doc- trines that had been delivered. They were opposed to all prescribed forms of prayer; and as for church censures, they were for an entire separation of the ecclesiastical and civil sword. They alleged, among other reasons for their withdrawing from the Establishment, that the laws of the realm, and the Queen's injunctions, had made several unwarrant- able additions to the institutions of Christ; that there were several gross errors in the church service, which were imposed and made necessary to communion: that, if persecution for conscience sake was the mark of a false church, they could not believe the Church of England to be a true one. They apprehended further, that the constitution of the hierarchy was too bad to be mended; that the very pillars of it were rotten, and that the structure should be raised anew. Since, therefore, all Christians are obliged to preserve the ordinances of Christ pure and undcfiled, they

U BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF

resolved to lay a new foundation, and, at all hazards, to keep as near as they could to the primitive pattern.*

According to the testimony of Sir Walter Raleigh, in a speech which he delivered in 1592, the Brownists were then computed at twenty thou- sand. The laws were executed with great severity against them; their books were prohibited by the queen, their persons were imprisoned, and many of them hanged.

Ainsworth having become conspicuous among the Brownists, was spe- cially involved in their difl&culties and troubles. With several of that body, he was compelled in 1592 to seek shelter at Amsterdam. Thither, how- ever, the opposition of his own countrymen followed him; and the liigh church party used various unseemly methods to poison the minds of the Dutch authorities. The Brownists were thus looked upon, in the country of their adoption, with a suspicious eye, though they found sympathising friends among the English and Scottish settlers. Ainsworth appears to have been a man of independent mind, as well as a hard student. Rather than rely, like some of the other Brownists, on the uncertain generosity of others, having no patrimony of his own, he did not hesitate to enter the service of a bookseller, that he might secure the necessaries of life. It is even said, that he actually supported himself on ninepence a week. His employer, highly satisfied with the manner in which he discharged his duties, brought Ains worth's attainments in Hebrew and Greek litera- ture under the notice of those scholars who frequented his shop. Such was the humble origin of his continental fame. He was now diligently preparing those valuable works which have secured him so eminent a place among the theological writers of his age. In Amsterdam he enjoyed, during his leisure hours, the most ample opportunities of enlarging his knowledge of biblical learning.

A few years before the close of the sixteenth century, the Brownists who had settled in Amsterdam chose the well known Francis Johnson as pastor, and Henry Ainsworth as doctor or teacher. The former, a fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge, had been expelled from the Uni- versity for declining to retract sentiments which he had publicly avowed respecting the necessity of teaching and ruling elders in every scriptural church. Johnson's doctrine was construed to derogate from her majesty's authority in causes ecclesiastical. f Like Ainsworth, his associate Johnson, entertaining the same views on church aflFairs, had for similar reasons been compelled to seek an asylum in the city of Amsterdam. Though for a while Ainsworth and Johnson were usefully and quietly employed

* Neal's History of the Puritans, vol. i. 253.

t Hanbury's Historical Memorials relating to the Independents or Congregation- alists, vol. i. p. 84.

HENRY AINSWOBTH. HI

among their adherents, they shortly experienced that an under current was set in against them. We have adverted to the conduct of parties in England prejudicing the authorities in Amsterdam against the Brownists; but they had to contend also with the noted Arminius, who had been appointed, in the year 1588, one of the ministers of Amsterdam. Neither could the Brownists procure the countenance of several learned Dutch- men, whom Ainsworth endeavoured to conciliate to the views of the Separatists. All these circumstances induced them to vindicate their conduct in an appeal to the Reformed Churches.* Accordingly, they published in 1597, "The Confession of Faith of certain English people, living in the Low Countries, exiled." t The Preface, dated 1596, contains reference to the state of affairs at home, which led to the imprisonment, banishment, and death of the Brownists. It commences with these w^ords: —

"It may seem strange unto thee, Christian Reader, that any of the English nation should, for the truth of the Gospel, be forced to forsake their native country, and live in exile; especially in these days when the Gospel seemeth to have free passage, and to flourish in that land. And for this cause hath our exile been hardly thought of by many, and evil spoken of by some, who know not, as it seemeth, either the true estate of the Church of England, or the causes of our forsaking and separating from the same; but, hearing 'this sect,' as they call it, to be 'every where spoken against,' have, without all further search, accounted and divulged us as heretics, or schismatics at the least; yea, some, and such as worst might, have sought the increase of our afflictions even here also, if they could ; Avhicli thing they have both secretly and openly attempted. And though we could, for our parts, well have borne this rebuke of Christ in silence, and left our cause to him who judgeth justly all the children of men; yet, for the manifestation and clearing of the truth of God from reproach of men, and for the bringing of others, together with ourselves, to the same knowledge and fellowship of the gospel, we have thought it needful, and our duty, to make known unto the world our unfeigned faith in God, and loyal obedience towards our Prince and all governors set over us in the Lord, together with the reasons of our leaving the ministry, worship, and Church of England; which we are not, as they pretend, for some few faults and corruptions remaining, such as we acknowledge may be found in the perfectest church on earth."

The "Confession" itself is composed of forty-five articles, comprising doctrine and discipline. Two years after its publication, it was reprinted with a dedication "to the Reverend and learned men, students of

• Hanbury's Historical Memorials, vol. i. p. 91.

t This "Confession" was immediately rendered into Dutch; and it was reprinted at Amsterdam in 1609.

iv UIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OP

Holy Scripture in the Christian Universities of Leyden in Holland, of St. Andrew's in Scotland, of Heidelberg, Geneva, and other the like famous Schools of learning in the Low Countries, Scotland, Germany, and France.''

The plan adopted for giving pubhcity to the "Confession" was not unproductive of almost immediate consequences. Francis Du Jon, better known by his Latinized name Junius, an able^professor of divinity in the University of Leyden, addressed several letters to Ainsworth regarding the Confession, which he thought calculated to do little good to the cause of the Brownists. Not only did they endure to the utmost all the hard- ships to which their condition rendered them liable; but, what is more to be lamented, their sufferings were aggravated by dissensions among themselves. "It must occasion perpetual regret," says Mr. Hanbury,* the best British authority on this subject that we have seen, "that there are such scanty particulars to be found concerning a scholar so eminent as Ainsworth, whose volinninous works testify that his application must have been almost incessant amidst painful scenes of distraction, and this notwithstanding the deficiency of those comforts and conveniences which contribute to the success of literary employment."

The Brownists were joined by Mr. John Smyth of Gainsborough, and several others, in 1606; but this new auxiliary was in a little while expelled for adopting and promulgating Arminian doctrine. Mr. Smyth and his followers subsequently established themselves at Leyden. Another schism took place in the Amsterdam congregation on the subject of dis- cipline. Johnson insisted that the government of the church was vested solely in the eldership, whilst Ainsworth, on the other hand, contended that it was in the whole body of members, including the elders. The former opinion generally prevailed among the Puritans, while the latter was maintained by the Brownists with increasing distinctness, and marks their approach to the modern Independents.t The dispute unfortunately was conducted witli so much warmth, that a separation took place; and two meeting-houses for a time existed in Amsterdam, called from the respective leaders, the Franciscan and Ainsworthian Brownists. Johnson having retired to Emden in East Friesland, his small flock was dispersed or joined that of Ainsworth. Nor did Ainsworth and his followers live

* Historical Memorials, vol. i. p. 98. To such as wish to possess more minute informa- tion relative to Ainsworth and his writings, we beg to refer to Neal's Puritans; to Dr. Stuart's Life, prefixed to the reprint of the Communion of Saints, Edin. 1789; Moron's Diet. IJiographia Britannica; Biographic Universelle ; Young's Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers of the Colony of Plymouth, from 1602 to 1625. Boston, U. S., 1842, 8vo; and Watt's Bibliotheca Britannica. The statements contained in most of those authorities, have been thoroughly scrutinized by Mr. Ilanbury.

t Price's History of Protestant Nonconformity in England, vol. i. p. 501.

HENRY AINSWORTH. V

long in harmony; upon which, according to the statement of the accurate Ilornheek,* one of the professors of divinity at Leyden, he visited Ireland. When the spirits of his people were quieted, he returned to Amsterdam, and remained with them till the close of his laborious days.t The circumstances attending his death are thus related by Neal : — " His death was sudden, and not without suspicion of violence ; for it is reported, that having found a diamond of very great value in the streets of Amster- dam, he advertised it in print; and when the owner, who was a Jew, came to demand it, he offered him any acknowledgment he would desire. But Ainsworth, though poor, would accept of nothing but a conference with some of his rabbies upon the prophecies of the Old Testament relat- ing to the Messiah, which the other promised ; but not having interest enough to obtain it, and Ainsworth being resolute, it is thought he was poisoned.":}; According to another account, Ainsworth obtained the de- sired conference, and so confounded the Jews, that from spite and malice they in this manner put a period to his life, in the winter of 1622.§ It must be confessed, however, that though the date is correct, the particu- lars regarding the immediate cause of his death are not borne out by sufficient evidence.

A member of his congregation has prefixed tlie following character of Ainsworth to the first edition of the "Annotations upon the Song of Solomon," published in 1623: —

" Christian Reader ! Be pleased to take notice that the Lord, in whose liand our life is, took to himself this reverend and judicious man, Mr Henry Ainsworth, before he had perfected this his last labour, as his desire was. Of this kind he hath wrote divers upon the Book of Psalms ; || but, in my shallow understanding, he hath, like the swan, as some report at his death, sung swectliest in this. Works of other subjects he hath wrote divers; all useful and profitable for the people and churches of Christ. I, being one of his charge, if I commend him, it may haply be applied to me as one ' that openeth his mouth Avide to praise his neigh- bour in the gate.' Yet, to stop the mouth of opened envy, and to per- form, in reverence and thankfulness, some duty in this behalf; and that others may labour to be imitators of those good things they hear, and I know, to be in him, which I doubt not but all that knew him will testify

* Summ.a Controvcrsiarum, p. "740.

t Hiographia liritannica, 2tl edition, vol. i. p. 100.

I Ncal's History of the Puritans, vol. ii. p. 50. ■^ Dr. Stuart's Life of Henry Ainswoi'th, p. Ixi.

II All Ainsworth's " Annotations " were printed collectively in the year 102*7, and again in 1C39, folio. They appeai-ed separately in the following order: — Psalms, 1012; Second Edition, 1G17; Leviticus, 1618; Numbers, 1619; Deuteronomy, 1619: Genesis, 1021; Exodus, 1622; Song of Solomon, 1623.

■vi BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OP

with me, — he was of nature kind, courteous, and affable; of disposition, humble, meek, loving, and peaceable: in judgment, sound, modest, and judicious: in knowledge excelling most, as an able minister of the New Testament, continuing a lightsome star in God's right hand, where the Lord placed him ; in speech, profitable and famihar: patient in bearing injuries; not opening his mouth to disgrace in the least even him that notoriously and untruly slandered him ; but, clearing himself, commended his case to Him that judgeth justly. Briefly, for personal qualifications, he was a man of a thousand; yea, worthy of the rank of them that are to be preferred before ten thousand. In the ministry, painful and faith- ful, as a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. Full of faith and good works; fruitful in his life, comfortable in his death to all beholders, of whom there were many, myself being one. But I must forbear to en- large further, in that the more I consider of those excellencies that were in him, and the sweet society and profitable converse enjoyed in him, the more doth it pierce my heart with grief when I do consider the loss, not only I, but the whole church of God that depended upon him hath, in special, besides the general want amongst others, by such profitable labours for general good, had the Lord pleased to give life and health to him."

Dr. Joseph Hall, the Bishop of Exeter, who wrote the well-known Apology for the Church of England against the Brownists, highly compli- mented the abilities of Ainsworth, whom he considers the greatest man of his party. His talents were held in similar estimation by Mr. John Paget (the first minister of the English Reformed Church in Amsterdam), with whom Ainsworth, in maintaining his own views of ecclesiastical government against the staunch Presbyterian, fought many a hard battle, and published various pamphlets.

On their first establishment in Amsterdam, the Brownists held their meetings without the walls of the city; but about the time of Ainsworth's death they obtained permission to have a chapel within the gates. The Brownists existed as a separate community in Amsterdam till the year 1701, when their last representatives, six in all, were at their own solici- tations, received as members of the British Reformed or Scottish Presby- terian Church in that city.* We would merely add, that it accords with our knowledge, that the records of the Consistory of that congregation, and those of the classes of Amsterdam and Leyden, contain several par- ticulars, hitherto unpublished, regarding the Brownists.

In announcing their intention of laying before the public a new edition of Ainsworth's Annotations in a portable form, and at a moderate price,

* Dr. Steven's History of the Scottish Church in Rotterdam, &c., p. 212.

HENRY AINSWORTH. "Vll

the present Publishers thus adverted to the work, which they have now the pleasure of seeing completed : —

" It is not easy to assign an adequate reason, why a Work, so emi- nently calculated to elucidate the Sacred Scriptures as Ainsworth's Annotations, should have been so long buried in obscurity; — a Work which has been praised by men of all denominations, who have had ac- cess to consiilt its valuable pages — a Work, combining a thorough know- ledge and explanation of the original Hebrew, with a most indefatigable comparison of the Old and New Testament dispensations, illustrating Scripture by Scripture, and admitting nothing that is fanciful, or founded on mere conjecture, but establishing the true meaning of the passages ex- plained, by a patient investigation of the sense of the various places in the Sacred Oracles where the subjects are treated — a Work, suited to enrich the mind, to facilitate an understanding of the divine Records, and to re- pay the diligent research of the most learned, while it is calculated to excite in all an earnest desire to be better acquainted with those copious streams of divine instruction.

" All such, therefore, who value the Scriptures as communicated by divine inspiration, and sanctioned by divine authority; who believe that ' they are able to make men wise imto salvation, through faith that is in Christ Jesus,' must regret that a help so useful to open up and elucidate the Sacred Oracles, should have been so long withheld from the public.'*

A careful perusal of the Annotations has impressed the writer of these prefatory pages with a profound respect for the talents of Ainsworth as a linguist and a biblical critic. That such a production, justly prized by foreigners, should have been comparatively overlooked by British scholars, is assuredly not creditable to the country which gave the author birtli. This edition, being much more accurate and elegant than any of its pre- decessors, will, we fondly trust, meet with that encouragement which it really merits. Ainsworth's translation — for the learned Brownist gives a new version also with his Annotations, — is often peculiarly happy, and, as observed long since by the excellent Doddridge, is superior in several instances to our authorised version. The Notes, displaying rare erudi- tion, abound in judiciously selected and valuable illustrations of Scripture from the Rabbinical comments.

The writer has examined several Dutch versions of Ainsworth's lesser works, published in the beginning of the seventeenth century. It is somewhat remarkable, and it clearly proves that his writings ex- cited no little interest abroad, that two translations of Ainsworth's small treatise entitled the "Communion of Saints," appeared almost simul- taneously at Dort and Utrecht. The theological productions, critical

viii BIOGRAPUICAL EKETCH OF

and practical, of this talented and good man, who was indeed mighty in the Scriptures, were much valued in Holland. We have had an oppor- tunity of glancing over a Dutch version of the Annotations, printed at Leeuwarden, in 1G90. The translator was Sibrandus Vomelius, minister of Bolsward in Friesland. He characterises Ainsworth's work as one of the most learned of the class to which it belongs; and adds, that in its own circle it shines like the moon among the stars. He then quotes the testimony of the celebrated Matthew Poole, as given in his Si/nopsis Criti ■ corum, where the labours of Ainsworth in the field of theological litera- ture mark their author as having possessed an acute judgment, profound erudition, and the skill of a practised hand. This version, sanctioned by the Dutch Reformed Church, and executed by a divine of no common ability belonging to that respectable body, was well received. A con- tinental periodical, long conducted by the most eminent literary men in Germany, favourably noticed the acceptable labours of Vomelius, and at the same time passed a high encomium upon Ainsworth.* The Annota- tions on the Song of Solomon were translated into German verse by Jere- miah Schrey, and published in 1G92 at Frankfort, in an octavo form.

The ablest commentators, British and Continental, have mentioned Ainsworth's labours in the field of biblical criticism in veiy respectful terms. His writings display sound learning and ardent piety; and to the anxious student of Scripture, require only to be better known, in order that they may be duly appreciated.

Edinburgh, January 1843.

Acta Erud. Lips. Anno ICOl, pp. 340—342.

HCBTOH tC. NOV 1881 OLOGIGiC

^

THE

BOOK OF GENESIS.

CHAP. I.

1. Tlie heavens and the earth are created, and the light, in the first dai/. 6. In the second, the firmament is spread and the loatcrs divided. 9. In the third, the earth is made dry land andfridtful ; the ivaters are gathered to he seas. 14. The sun, moon, and stars, are created for lights, the fourth day. 20. Fish and foiols are brought forth and blessed, in the fifth. 24. In the sixth, beasts are made out of the earth. 26. 3Ian is created in the image of God. 28. He is blessed, and hath dominion of the world. 29. Food is appointed for man and beast. 31. God's tvorks are cdl good.

^ In the beffinninfj God created the heavens and the earth. ^ And the earth was empty and void ; and darkness ivas upon the face ot" the deep : and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Book of Moses;] So it is entitled in Mark xii. 26. called else'vvhere, the * book of the law of Moses,' 2 Kings xiv. 6. Luke ii. 22. being- indeed ' the book of the la\v of the Lord by the hand of Moses,' 2 Chron. xxxiv. 14. Of this Moses, his birth, edu- cation, authoiity, and death, see Exod. ii, iii, iv, &c. Num. xii, xxxiv. Deut. xxxiv. He was forty years a philosopher in king Pharaoh's court in Egj-pt ; forty years a shepherd in the land of Midian ; and forty years a king and lawgiver of Israel, leading them through the ■wilderness of Arabia ; and dying a himdred and twenty years old, he was buried of God, Acts vii. 22, 23, 29, .30, 35, 36. Deut. xxxiii. 4, 5. and xxxiv, 5, 6, 7. His writings are approved of by the pi'ophets after him, by the testimony of Christ and his apostles, and by the church of God in all ages, Neh. viii. I, 2, 3. Dan. ix. 1 1, 13. Mai. iv. 4. Luke xvi. 29, 31. and xxiv. 27, 44. Acts XV. 21. Rev. xv. 3.

Genesis,] That is, ' Generation ;' so the Greek version calleth this book, because it setteth forth the ' generations of the heavens and earth,' and of Adam, or mankind. Gen. ii. 4. and v. 1. Howbeit, in Hebrew, tlie five books of Moses have no names but by

I.

the first words of them ; as this book is called Breshith, that is, 'in the beginning.'

Ver. I. — In the beginning,] Namiely, 'of the creature which God created,' as our Saviour expoundeth it, Mark xiii. 19. the whole frame ■whereof is called the ^\'orld, Mattli. xxiv. 21. Beginning, therefore, is here extraordinaiy and supernatural, of tlie creature or creation ; and so, of time. Tlie Chaldee paraphrase called Jerusalemy, trans- lateth it, 'in wisdom:' so sundry Hebrews apply this mystically to ' the wisdom of God, whereby the world was created, as it is written, the Lord by ■wisdom founded the earth,' Prov. iii. 19. and, 'in ■wisdom hast thou made them all,' Ps. civ. 24. R. IMona- chem on Genes, i. IMany Christian writei's also apply it unto Christ, ' the wisdom of God, by whom he made the world,' I Cor. i. 24. Heb. i. 2. Prov. viii. 27—30. God,] In Hebrew, Elohim, which signifieth the Almighties, or Almighty pow^ers ; his name is most used in this fonn plm-al, but joined with a ^vord singular, he created, because God is but one, Deut. vi. 4. although in power infinite ; in person or manner uf being, there axe ' three which Lear witness in heaven, the Father, and the V/orJ, and B

2 GENESIS.

'And God said, Let there be light : and there was light. ^And God saw the light, that it teas good : and God separated between the light and the darkness. ^Aiid God called the Ho-ht Dav ; and the dark-

the Holy Spirit, and these three are one,' 1 John V. 7. The Father is this creator, as is shown in Ephes. iii. 9. The Word (or Son) is the creator, Heb. i. 8, 10. Coloss. i. 16. so is the Holy Spii'it, as is here in the second verse, and in Psal. xxxiii. 6. and civ. 30. Job xxvi. 13. and sxxiii. -1. Hereupon Solomon saith, ' Remember thy creators,' Eocles. xii. 1. and God said, ' Let us make man,' Gen. i. 26. The apostles apply the general name God, to the persons severally ; unto the Father, Heb. i. 1,2. unto the Son, Acts xx. 28. Rom. ix. 5. and unto the Holy Ghost, Acts v. 3, i. The HebreTv doctors have left records of this mystery, though at this day that nation un- derstands it not : ' Come and see the mys- tery of the word [Elohim] : there arc three degrees, and every degree by itself alone, (that is, distinct,) and yet notwithstanding they all are one, and joined together in one, and are not divided one from another,' saith R. Simeon Ben Jochai, in Zoar, upon the sixth section of Leviticus. Sometimes this word is used singulai'ly, Eloah, the Almighty, Job xii. 4-. and m a shorter form. El, mighty, Gen. xiv. 18. And Eloah hath affinity with Alah, he adjured ; for by oath and execration men entered into cove- nant with God, Deut. xxix. 12, 1-i, 19. Neh. X. 29. Eccles. viii. 2. Angels and ma^strates are sometimes called Elohim, gods, Psal. viii. 6. Heb. ii. 7. Psal. Ixxxii.

1, 6. but in this work, Jehovah Elohim was the Creator only. Gen. ii. i. Isa. xliv. 24. and angels were his creatiu"es, Ps. cxlviii.

2, 5. Col. i. 16. The apostles, writing in Greek, use it always singularly, Theos, God ; so La our and other languages, which caruiot attain the grace and propriety of the Hebrew speech. Created,] That is, excel- lently and perfectly made of nothing at aU, or of that which is as good as nothing, as man's body of the dust. Gen. ii. 7. and i. 27. Therefore creation is a work of God alone, to be understood of us by faith, Heb. xi. 3. although the eternal power and Godhead of the Creator are seen by his works, to make all men without ex<;use, Rom. i. 20. where- fore no heathen writer almost but hath ac- knowledged the world to be the workman- ship of God, whereby his wisdom, power, and goodness, is manifested. The heavens Awn THE ea.ith:] The world and all things tliatare therein, Acts xvii. 24. things visible arid invisible, Colos. i. 16. The Hebrew arti-

cles eth and ha seem also to imply so much : efh having the first and last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and so being of general comprehension ; and ha, of plain demonstra- tion. This creation of heavens and earth, the scriptures do apply to the new and spi- ritual estate of the church in Christ, Isa. Ii. 16. and Ixv. 17. and xliii. 7. Eph. ii. 10. Rov. xxi. 11. The Hebrew doctors say: ' All whatsoever the holy blessed [God] hath created in [this] his world, is parted into three parts. Some creatures are com- pounded of matter and form, and are gene- rated and coiTupted continually, as the bodies of men, and beasts, and plants, and mine- rals. Other some are compounded of mat- ter and form, but ai'e not changed from body to body, and from form to fonn like the former ; and they ai-e the [heavenly! spheres and stars in them. And their mat- ter is not like other matters, nor their form like other forms. And some creatures have form without matter, and they are the an- gels : for the angels have no body nor cor- poral substance, but forms dispai'ted one from another. ' Maimomj in Misnch, in Je- sudei hatorah, chap. ii. s<^ct. .3.

Ver. 2. — Emptv ;] Hebr. emptiness ; a thing empty, without inhabitants, and void, without ornaments, a deformed ■wilderness, and a wuste ; and so unfit for use, not being separated from the waters, not ha^^ng light, herbs, trees, beasts, birds, or people, to adora and inhabit it. Gen. ii. 5. Tliis sense the Chaldee paraphrase also yieldeth ; and the prophet confii-meth it, saj-ing, ' He created it not to be empty, he formed it to be inha- bited,' Isa. xlv. 18. and when extreme emptiness and desolation of a place is meant, it is expressed by ftohu and bohuj the words here used, Isa. xxxiv. 11. Jer. iv. 2.3. or by one of them, as Psal. evil. 40. Deut. xxxii. 10. Darkxess was .-"^ It is not said, God created darkness, for it was but the want or privation of light, and so mere nothing. This darkness is mystically ap- plied to man's corrupt state, destitute of heavenly light. Eph. v. 8. and iv. 18. .Sometimes it signifieth affliction, and then God is said to create it, Isa. xlv. 7. Th* word was, and such like, are in the origijial tongues often understood, but not expressed ; though in translations we usually set them down for plainness' sake ; which the Scrip- ture warranteth, for in repeating matters it many times expresseth words wanting : fs

C H A p. I. 3

nesSj he called Night : and the evening was, and the morning was, the first day.

^And God said, Let there be an outspread firmament in the

2 Chron. ix. 5. 'true the word,' for which io 1 Kings X. 6. is written ' true was the word.' So in 2 Sam. xxiii. 18. 'he chief among the thi'ee,' for ■which in 1 Chi'on. xi. 2.3. is said 'he vras chief.' And the Greek translation adding such words, the Holy Ghost alloweth it, as in Ps. ii. 7. ' thou my son,' in Greek, ' thou art my son ;' and so the apostle allegeth it. Acts xiij. 33. The like is in many other places. Compare IMatth. xxii. 32. -with Exod. iii. 6. 3Iark xii. 29. with Deut. vi. 4. John X. 31. with Ps. Ixxxii. 6. Acts ii. 25. with PsaL xvi. 8. Heb. i. 12. with PsaL cii. 28. Rom. iii. 12. -with Ps, xiv. 3. Face of the deep : ] Face is used for the up- most part or outside of any thing ; the Greek version omitteth it, saying, 'upon the deep;' and the Hebrew text sometimes doth the like, as in 1 Kings ix. 7. ' from on the face of the land ;' which elsewhere is written ' from on the land,' 2 Chron. rii. 20. By the deep, or abyss, is meant the deep of wa- ters, Trhich as a garment covered the earth, and stood above the moimtaios, Ps. civ. 6. Hereupon the apostle saith, ' the earth con- sisted out of the water, and in the water, by the word of God,' 2 Pet. iii. 5. Spirit.] The Hebrew, Ruach, is generally any spirit, ghost, breath, or ^vind ; here, it is (as the work thereof showeth) no created spirit, but the creator and cherisher of aU ; as Ps. civ. 30. ' thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created.' So PsaL xxxiii. 6. Isa. xL 12, 13. Later Je'ws (whom some christians foUow) expound this, ' a wind of God,' or • a mighty ■wind ;' but the ^vind (■which is the moving of the air, ) ■was not created tUl the second day, that the firmament was spread and air made. The ancient Rabbins spake better, as Targum Jcrusclcmy here saith, ' The spirit of mercies from before the Lord ;' and R. Menachem on this place interprets it, 'the spirit of wisdom, called the spirit of the living God;' and the author of the Zoar, coL 83. caOeth it, ' the spirit of the Messias,' (or of Christ.) Moved,! Or ■was moving. The Hebrew ra- thaph, signifieth generally a wa^vingor mov- ing, Jer. xxiil. 9. and in special, such a moving and fluttering as eagles use over their young, cherishing and stirring them up, Deut. xxxii. J 1. So it is used here for the etFectual comfortable motion, ■whereby God's Spirit sustained, and as it were, stir- rtJ up the waste a-eatui'e. Here again.

moving is used for moved; as, the queen of Sheba Acartn^, 1 Kings x. 1. for, the quceu of Sheba heard, 2 Chron. ix. 1 : warring. 1 Sam. xxxi. 1. for icarred, 1 Chron. x. 1. Or, ■we may understand, teas moving ,- as, the Cherubims spreading the wings, 1 Kings viii. 7. for, they tcere spreading, 2 Chron. v. 8.

Vee. 3. God said ;] This sho^weth ho'^ God created things by his word ; saying, and it was, commanding, and it was created, Psal. xxxiv. 6, 9. andcxlviii. 5. Light,] The first ornament of the world, wherewith the Lord decked it as ■with a garment, PsaL civ. 2. This glorious work, Paul applieth to our re- generation, thus, ' God who said that out of darkness light should shine, he hath shined in our hearts,' &c. 2 Cor. iv. 6. that we ■which ' ■were once darkness, are no^v li^ht in the Lord,' Eph. v. 8. yea, God himself, and Christ, is called light, for the brightness of his glory, and graces giren unto us, 1 John L o, 7. John i. 4-, 5. PsaL xxA-ii. 1. and ex viii. 27. And as God made light in the first day, so Christ rose from death in the ame day, the first of the ■week, Mjirk xvi. 1, 2. and he is ' the true light, ^vhich lighteth every man that cometh into the world,' John i. 9. No man perfectly knoweth the nature of this excellent creature, as Job xxxvliL 1 9. ' where is the •svay where light dweUeth ?' &c, how much less of the Creator, ' who dweUeth in the light that no man can approach unto,' 1 Tim. xi. 16.

"\*EK, 4-. It icas GOOD,] That is, agreeable to the 'O'Dl of God, and so, as it might draw the liking of the creatures thereto. Abso • lately ' there is none good but God,' 3Iaik X. 18. who is good of himself, without de- pendance on others, and Tvithout limitation. But every creature, so far as in the being thereof it agreeth ■with the will of the Crea- tor, is also good by participation of God's goodness, Gen. i. 31. 1 Tim. iv. -1. And the Hebrew ■word is largely extended also to that which is goodly, fair, sweet, jdeasing, profitable or commodious, and causing joy ; 1 Sam. is. 2. Gen. xxiv. 16. Sons i. 2. and iv. 10. Deut. vi. 11, 18. Esth. i. 10. So that which one evangelist caOeth good, IMark ix. -12. another caUeth profitable, Ltike xvii. 2. and goodness of heart is opposed to sorrow. Isa. Ixv. 14. And of light in spe- cial, S«»]omon saith it is street, Ecd. xL 7. and light is used for contort aj:d Joy, Esth. viii. 16. Psal. xcvii. 11. and cxii. 1.

4

GENESIS.

midst of the waters ; and let it separate between waters and waters. ''And God made the outspread firmament ; and separated between the waters which were under the outspread firmament, and the waters which iDere above the outspread firmament : audit was so. ^And God

Separated between ;] That is divided the light from the darkness, that always natu- rally the one expelleth the other, and in course of day and night do succeed each other ; as is shown in 2 Cor. vi. 14<. Psal. riv. 20, 22. Gen. viii. 22. Jer. xxxiii. 20. The Hebrew phrase is, he ' separated between the light, and between the darkness.' So after usuallj'.

Ver. 5. Light, day ;] Hereupon one of these words is put for another, ' the day shall declare it,' 1 Cor. iii. 13. that is, the hqht, Eph. V. 13. So the apostle, applying this to our spiritual estate, called us both * children of the light and of the day, not of the night nnr of darkness,' 1 Thes. v. 5. The names which God gave in Hebrew, are now in other languages changed ; as that which he called jom, we English, day, and lailah, we call night : yea, the reason of these names, is not always understood, so great punishment do ^ve sustain by that confusion of tongues, Gen. xi. Howbeit, by affinity with other vi'ords, it seemeth the dot/ was named ^OM, of the tumult, stir, and business in it ; and the night, lailah, of the yelling or howling of wild beasts therein. Experience also confirmeth this, and the scriptui'e ac- cordeth, Psal. civ. 20, 21, 22, 23. The

EVENING WAS, AND THE MORNING;] The

evening, which is the beginning of tlie night, and the morning, which is the beginning of the day, are here »ised for the whole time of the light and darkness in one succeeding (»urse; w^hich is with us the space of twen- ty-four hours, ■which also in a more large sense is here called a day j as the time ■while light shineth is the day, strictly taken, in which sense Christ saith, ' there are twelve hours in the day, John xi. 9. From the phrase here used, a large day is called glinereb- holier ; that is, an evening-morning, Dan. i. l-i. and Paul in Greek caUeth it nuchtlie- meron, a night-dm/, that is, a day compre- hending the night also, 2 Cor. xi. 25. And because darkness was in time before the light, therefore is the evening set before the morning, and so among the Jews they be- gan their large day at evening ; as. Lev. xxiii. 32. ' from evening to evening you shall rest your Sabbath. ' At the same time the Athe- nians also began the day ; but the Chaldeans counted the beginning at sun rising, the I''ff>'P*'a"s ^^ noon, and the Romans at mid- niglit. This latter our western nations fol-

low : counting from midnight, one of the clock in the morning ; and so forward. First day,] Hebrew, one day ; whereupon the Ilebrews often say one, for first : Gen. viii. 5. Num. xxix. 1. Dan. ix. 1. which phrase the Apostles use also in Greek, Matth. xxviii. I. John xx. 1, 19. 1 Cor. xvi. 2.

Ver. 6. Outspread firmament :] This name is of the Hebrevr rakiagh, which sig- nifieth a thing spread abroad, and of the Greek stereoma, "which signifieth a fiiina- ment, or fast thing : for the heavens are ' stretched out as a cui'tain, and spread out as a tent to dwell in,' Psal civ. 2. Isa. xl. 22. the skies are also fiy'm and fast, and 'as a molten looking-glass,' Job xxxvii. 18. Prov. viii. 28. These tell God's glory, and sho"\v his handy work, Psal. xix. 1 . for ' in the heavens he buildeth his stories ;' (or spheres) Amos ix. 6. ' and planteth his lofts in the water,' Psal. civ. 3. ' and stretcheth forth the north over the empty place, Job xxvi. 7. and in visions of God's gloiy, the firmament is mentioned, Ezek. i. and x. And as his power is shown in making the earth, so is his ' prudence in stretching out the heavens,' Jer. x. 12. Psal. cxxxvi. 5. And under the name firmament is comprehended the air, and all that is to be seen above the earth ; for the fowls fly, and the sun, moon, and stars, are set in the finnament of the heavens, Genes, i. 16, 17, 20. In the midst of the waters,] Namely, of the deep forementioned ; part whereof was lifted up into the air, spread abroad into thin va- pours, Psal. cxxxv. 7. ' boimd up in thick clouds, and the cloud is not rent under them,' Job xx^i. 8. the other part was ga- thered into one place, the sea, Gen. i. 9. Separate,] Or, let it be separating, that is, let it continually separate, or divide. A like phrase is in Isa. lix. 2.

Ver. 7. And the waters,] Hebrew, and between the waters. Which were above,] To wit, in the air, above the lowest region whereof the waters are. So elsewhere they are said to be above the heavens, Psal. cxlviii. 4. meaning those heavens, and that firma- ment, wherein the birds fly : for above that, are the watery clouds. As every part of the water is called wafer : so every part of the heaven and firmament is called by the name of the whole.

Ver. 8. Heavens ;] Hebrew, shamajim : so called, as is thought, of sham, there, and

CHAP. 1.

called the outspi'ead firmament Heavens : and the evening was, and the morning was, the second day.

^And God said. Let the waters under the heavens be gathered to- gether unto one place, and let the dry land appear : and it was so. '"And God called the dry land Earth ; and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas : and God saw that it ivas good. ^'And God said. Let the earth bud forth the budding grass, the herb seed- ing seed, the fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in

majim, wafers, which are removed, or heaved lip from us. And so the whole liath the name of a pai't tliereof. The word heavens is put for the air, wherein winds, clouds, and fowls do fly, Dan. vii. 2, 1.3. Psal. viii. 9. and for the upper firmament, where the sun, moon, and stars are set, Gen. i. 16, 17. and for the high places, where angels dwell, Matth. xxii. 30. Hereupon Paid mentioneth the third heaven, 2 Cor. xii. 2. And hea- ven is called God's thi'one, Isa. Ixvi. 1. and sometimes put for God himself, Dan. iv. 26. and the kingdom of Iteaven is expound- eil the kingdom of God, iVIatth. xi. 11. and xiii. 11. with Luke vii. 28. and viii. 10. And the evangelists express it in Greek, heaven, or heavens, indifferently, I^uke vi. 23. with IMatth. v. 12.

Ver. 9. Be gathered,] Or, floto to- geiher, as with intent, to an expected jilace. This Hebrew ■word is used only for the gathei'ing together of men, and of waters. 'i"o ONE vlace:] Which is, the ocean or main sea, from ^vhich many arms of seas are derived. Or, each to his several i)lace. Hereby all the face of the earth is no longer covered with waters, as till this third day it was, the waters standing 'above the moun- tains,' Psal. civ. 6. So now, ' all rivers go into the sea,' their common receptacle, Eccles. i. 17. It was so.] ' At God's re- buke, the waters fled, at the voice of his thunder they hasted away, to the place which he had founded for them,' Psal. civ. 7, 8. ' And he put the depths into treasu- ries,' Psal. xxxiii. 7. (as appeareth by the water-springs, that come out of the bowels of the earth, Job xxviii. 4-. 10.) and he ' shut lip the sea with doors, and set bars, and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, l)ut no fur- ther,' Job xxxviii. 8, 10, 1 1. and so the earth is ' founded ui>on the seas, and stablished upon the rivers,' Psal. xxiv. 2. the waters which were above, are put beneath ; and men arc said to 'go down (.not up) to the sea in ships,' Psal. cvii. 23.

Ver. 10. Earth:] So named of the He- brew, erets ; which imjdieth a thing trode and run upon by the creatures on it, and heavenly orbs about it. The aimie word,

spoken of particular places, we English, land: as 'the land (or eiu'th) of Canaan,' Gen. xii. 5. The e.irth is the midst or cen- time of the woi'ld, and found in I'onn as a globe or circle, Isa. xl. 22. It is said to be ' founded on her bases, (even strong I'ounda- tions, Mic. vi. 2.) that it shall never be moved,' Psal. civ. 5. and yet it ' hangcth upon nothing' Job xxvi. 7. Seas:] That is, each place where waters are gathei'ed to- gether, is called a sea. Whei'efoi'e not on- ly the main ocean, but other lakes find pools, yea and greater vessels that hold waters, are called soixs ; as the brazen sea ■which Solo- mon made for the priests to wash in, con- taining 3000 baths of water, 2 Chron. iv. 2—6. So that ■\vhi(di one evangelist cal- leth a lake, Luke viii. 3.3. another calleth a sea, Matth. viii. 32. And seas, (in Heb- rew, jamimj ai'e named of majim, ivatei's, and of the tumultuous noise which they make. Whereupon the prophets apply the name of waters and seas, to troubles and troublesome peoples, Jer. li. 42. Ilcv. xvii. 15. Isa. Ivii. 20. Psal. Ixv. 8.

Ver. 11. Yielding :] Hehr. mah'iig ,- that is, bearing and bringing forth. From this fruitfidness of the earth are many ar- guments of God's praise in Psal. civ. 14-, 15, 16. The holy Ghost compareth man's nature hereunto, Heb. vi. 7. and men are likened to trees, their \vords and %vorks to fruits, Jer. xvii. 7, 8. Matth. iii. 10. After HIS KiKn:] So that 'men do not gather figs of thorns, nor grapes of the bramble,' Luke vi. 44. This also notcth the great A'ariety of herbs, ■vveeds, trees of siuidiy sorts, and different qualities. The like is after, con- cerning beasts. Whose seed is,] Or, u-likh hath its seed in itself; whereby it is continued, and yearly renewed. For by seed sown, the herbs and trees spring up again, 1 Cor. XV. 37, 38. And from this word of God in nature, the Apostle showeth his ■work in grace, when the seed of God remaineth in us, 1 John iii. 9. and from the springing up of seed, after it is dead in the eaith, a simi- litude is taken of the fruit of Christ's death, and of our bodies' resuri'ection j John xii. 24. I Cor. XV. -M, 37

GENESIS.

itself, upon the earth : and it was so. '^^nd the earth brought forth budding grass, the herb seeding seed, after his kind ; and the tree yiekhng fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind : and God saw that it icas good. "And the evening was, and the morning was the third day.

"And God said. Let there be lights in the outspread firmament of the heavens, to separate between the day and the night ; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. ^^And let them be for lights in the outspread firmament of the heavens, to give light upon the earth : and it was so. ^And God made the two

Ver. l-l. Lights,] Or, lighters, that is, lightsome bodies, or instruments that show light. This name Paid applieth to the samts, that shine in the world, Pliil. ii. 15. For signs,] To signify things, both natural and ordinary ; and extraordinarj' for mercy or judgment, Luke xxi. 25. Acts ii. 19, 20. Psal. Ixv. 9. Seasons,] Or, set times ; as, summer, ^vinter, spring and autumn, Gen. viii. 22. which come by the course of the sun ; the moon also is ' for appointed times,' Psal. civ. 1 9. so be the stars and constellations, Job xxxviii. 31, 32. In Israel also the set times of God's service were, by them, as ne%v moons and festivities. Num. xxviii. Of thj stars Job saitli, God ' maketh Arctums,' (whicli riseth in September, and begumeth autumn,) and ' Orion,' (which ariseth in December, and beginnetli winter,) ' and Pleiades,' (which arise in the spi'ing;) 'and the chambers of the south,' (that is, the soutliem stars, which are for the most part hidden from us, as in chambers, but some arise to us in summer, as the dog-stai", and the like) Job ix. 9. Days,] Both large days, of 24 hoiu's, from sun-setting to sim-setting ; and strict, of 12 hours, from sun-rising to sun-setting, as is observed before on ver. 5, a special use wliereof is showii in Psal. civ. 19 — 23. And years :] That is, and for years, as the Greek translateth it. A property of speech, when a word oft be- fore expressed is in tlie last branch omitted for brevity. The like is in Hosea iii. 4. Ephes. iv. 11. Galat. iii. 28. A year hath the name in Hebrew of changing or iteration, which is by the revolutions of tlie sun, moon and stai"s. For in saying years, he may compreliend not only the period or circuit of tlie sun, (which is in 365 days, and G hours,) but of the other ])lanets also. The Hebrew doctors say ; ' The months of the year, they are the montlis of the moon ; and the j^ears that we count, they are the years of the sun. The days of the year of the moon, 354'. The ycaJ of the sun hath 305 days, and a quar-

ter, which is six hoiu's.' Maimony in Mis- neh, in Kiddush hachodesh, chap. i. sect. \. and chap. viii. sect. 3. and chap. ix. sect. 1. Ver. J 6. The greater,] Ov,the great light, meaning the sun, Psal. cxxxvi. 8. which is called in Hebrew, sometimes chammah, the warm sun, Isa. xxx. 26. ' because none is hid from his heat,' Psal. xix. 7. sometimes cAeres, the glisteruig sun, Job ix. 7. but usually it is named sliemesh, that is, a minister or ser- vant, because by it God ministereth light, lieat, and precious fruits, to all people under heaven, Deut. iv. 19. and xxxiii. ll. The sun is in the midst of the planets as principal ; and when he riseth, he is glorious, ' like a bridegroom coming forth out of liis cham- ber,' Psal. xix. 5. and he is the greatest of aU the heavenly lights. By the account of our astronomers, the sun is 166 times gi'eater, and by the Hebrew Doctors' reck- oning, about 170 times greater than the earth : Maimony in Jesudei hatorah, ch. iii. sect. 8. The name of the sim is spiritually applied imto Christ, Mai. iv. 2. whose face appeared ' like the sun shining in his strength,' Rev. i. IG. at whose death this created sun was darkened at noon day, foi- the space of three hoiu-s, Amos viii. 9. Matth. xxA'ii. 45, with him, this spiritual sun, his church is clothed, Ilev. xii. 1. and shall shine also as the sun in the kingdom of heaven, Matth. xiii. 43. Lesser,] Or, little light, that is, the moon ; called in Hebrew, of her fair ^vhiteness, lebanah. Song vi. 9. and of refreshing the eai'th with her cool in^uencesyjareach, Deut. xxxiii. 14. Stars,] Which also are for to rule the m'ght, Psal. cxxxvi. 6. called ' stars of light,' Psal. cxlviii. 3. Of these, some are fixed, other some, wan- dering stars, (or planets,) whereunto imstable men ai'e compared, Jude, ver. 13. The stars differ one from another in glory, 1 Cor. xv. 41. and are not for man to iiumbei'. Gen. XV. 5. but God 'counts their number, and caUeth them all by names,' Psal. cxlvii. 4. and with them, 'he hath by his Spirit, gar- ni;shed the licavensj' Job xxvi. 13. Some oi

CHAP. I.

great lights : the greater light for the rule of the clay ; and the lesser light for the rule of the night ; also the stars. ^"And God set them in the outspread firmament of the heavens, to give light upon, the earth, ^'^And to rule over the day and over the night, and to se- parate between the light and the darkness : and God saw that it ivas good. '^And the evening was, and the morning was, the fourth day.

^°And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving thing, the living soul ; and fowl that may fly above the earth, on the face of the outspread firmament of the heavens. '^And God

the stars or constellations, have names in holy scripture ; as, Ash, Cosil, Cimah, and Mazzaroth, (or Mazzaloth, j Job ix. 9. and ?:xxviii.31. Amosv. 8. 2 Kings xxiii. 5. ■vvhich we caU by other names, Arctiuiis, Orion, Pleiades, Planets, and Signs in the Zodiac. They might weU be Englished, water-stars, ■^vinter-stars, thunder-stars, and the like : for by their rising and influences, stoiins, tem- pests, fair and pleasant weather, &c. do pro- ceed by the disposition of God. Consider those places. Job xxxviii. Amos v.

Ver. 17. Set,] Hebrew, (jave them; which word is often used for setting or putting ; as, ' I have given my spirit,' Isa. xUi. 1. that is, ' I have put it,' Matth. xii. 18. It signifieth also 8 firm settling : as, ' Thou hast given thy people, 1 Chron. xvii. 22. for which in 2 Sam. vii. 24. is written, ' Thou hast confirmed thy people.' Accordingly David saith, that God hath ' firmly consti- tuted the moon and stars,' Psal. viii. 3. Of the stars, with their orbs and spheres, the Hebrew Doctors write thus ; ' The spheres are called heavens, and the outspread fii-ma- ment, &c. and there are nine spheres ; that which is nearest unto us is called the spliere of the moon ; and the next above it, is the sphere w^herein is the star called Cocab, (or INIercur}-. ) And the third sphere is that w^herein N^ogab (or Venus) is. The fourth sphere hath in it the sun : the fifth, Maadim, (or Mai's : ) the sixth hath in it the star Tsedek (or Jupiter : ) the seventh. Shah- thai (or Satmn : ) and the eighth sphere hath in it aU the other figures that are seen in the fii'mament. The ninth sphere, is that which txu-neth about eA'ery day, from the east to the west, and it compasseth all roimd about, &c. The stars that are aU in that one (eighth) sjihere, although they be one above another, yet because the spheres are pure and clear as crystal, and as sapphire, therefore the stars in the eighth sphere are seen underneath the first sphere, &c. None of the sjdjeres are either light or ]iea'\'y, or

coloiu'ed red or black, or of any other colour : and whereas we see them of a blue coloui', it is only to the appearance of the eye, by rea- son of the height of the air. Also they have neither taste nor smcU ; because these acci- dents have no place, but in bodies that are beneath them. Maimony in Misn. treat. Je- sudei hatorah, chap. iii. sect. 1, 3.

Ver. 18. Over the bay :] Or, as the Gi'eek translateth, to rule the day : for, by their siiccessive courses, the light is dispensed of God unto the world, by day and by night, Jer. xxxi. 35.

Ver. 20. The jioving thing ;] Or, as the Greek translateth, creeping things. But the Hebrew, shcrets, is more large than tliat ■\vhich we call the creeijing thing, for it con- tameth things moving swiftly in the waters, as, swimmuig fishes, &c. Lev. xi. 10. and on the eai'th, as limning weasels, mice, &c. Lev. xi. 29. and fowls also flying in the air. Lev. xi. 29. IMoving things in the waters there are innmnerable ; one argu- ment of God's praise, in Psal. civ. 25. Soul,] Named in Hebrew, nephesh, of breathing : and the scriptures apply this word not only to mankind, but to all crea- tures that live ; and the breath of them, as here, and in Job xli. 21. The Hebrews say, ' The soul of all flesh is the form there- of, which God had given thereunto;' Mai- mony in Jesudei hatorah, chap. iv. sect. 8.

Ver. 21. Whales,] Or, dragons : the Hebrew tannim is used for both. These are the greatest creatures in the waters ; one kind of them called leviathan, is described in Job xli. In the belly of a whale Jona-s lived three days and three nights, John i, 17. And human writers testify, that 'into the river of Arabia, thei'e have come wh;iles 600 feet long, and 360 feet broad,' Pliny, Hist. b. 32. c. 1. so that they are not without cause called ' gi'eat whales. ' These whales and dragons are used in scriptm-p to signify great princes, Psal. Ixxiv. 13. Ezek. xxix. 3. Creei'Ing :] The Hebrew remes, which hatli

8 GENESIS.

created the great whales ; and every living creeping soul, which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind : and God saw that it was good. ^And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the fowl multiply in the earth. ^And the evening was, and the morning ^vas, the fifth day.

^*And God said. Let the earth bring forth the living soul after his kind ; cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind ; and it \vas so. "And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing of the earth after his kind : and God saw that it was good. -"^And God said. Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness ; and let them

the name of treaiilns;, is also largely used for things creeping on the earth, or swimming in the waters, Levit. xi. iti 4G. Genes, i. 25.

Ver. 22. Blessed ;] That is, gave power to conserve tlieir kind by generation, and to increase unto many, for so the word blessing is often applied unto multiplication, Gen. xxiv. 60. Psal. cxxviii. 3, 4. This word is also largely used for God's gracious giving of all good things, earthly or heavenly, Gen. xxiv. 35. Deut. xxviii. Eph. i. 3. And when men give thanks therefore unto God, that is call- ed blessing also: see Gen. xiv. 19, 20.

Ver. 21. Cattle:] In Greek it is tran- slated, four-footed beasts. The Hebrew behemah, is generally all beasts of the greater sort ; ■whereof the elephant is called behe- mntli, Job xl. 15. Tlie Apostle once ti'ans- lateth it in Greek, iherion, which properly is, wild beast : Heb. xii. 20. fi'om Exod. xix. 13. Beasts,] Or, wild-beasts; named in Hebrew, of life, or liveliness ; ■which is most seen in the wild beasts. In Perkei R. Eliezer, chap. xi. the Jewish Doctors say, ' These that were created out of the earth, their souls and their bodies were of the earth ; and when they die, they I'cturn to the place where thsy were created, as it is said (in Psal. civ. 29.) Thou takest away their spirit, they die : and another scri]>- ture saith, (Eccl. iii. 21.) and the spirit of the beast, that goeth downward to the earth.'

Ver. 26. Let us :] This is meant of the ' three in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Spirit, which tln-ee are one,' 1 John V. 7. Hereupon he is called ' God our maVers,' Job xxxv. 10. Psal. cxlix. 2. After tlic world was made and garnished, the holy Trinity mentioneth the making of man, the excellentcst creature under heaven : he is 'fearfully and marvellously made,' Psal. f.xxxix. li. Man,] Or, earthli/ man ; in

Hebrew, Adam : so called o( adamah, that is, red-inoTild, or earth ; because of it his body ■was created. Gen. ii. 7. It ■was the name of the woman also. Gen. v. 2. and so of all mankind, usually called Adam, and Adam's sons, Gen. ix. 6. Psal. xi. l. Our image,] The image of the holy Trinity ; whereby man in nature, knowledge, righteousness, holiness, glory, &c. resembled God his ma- kers. See Gen. ix. 6. Jam. iii. 9. Col. iii. 10. Eph. iv. 21. 1 Cor. xi. 7. 2 Cor, iii. 18. The Hebrew Doctors say ; ' The excellent knowledge (or reason) that is found in the soul of man, it is the form of man : and for this foi-m it is said, Let us make man in our image,' &c. R. INToses, Maimony in Misn. treat. Jesudei hatorah, eh. iv. s. 8. Also this image and likeness is said to be in man, ' for the understanding mind which is in him, such as is notin other living creatures,' R. Menachem Rakanat, on Gen. i. The heathens' opinion agi'eed hereunto, as Pro- clus saith, ' The mind that is in us is an image of the first mind,' that is, of God. Man is also called of the Hebre'ws, olam ha- katon, of the Greeks, microcosmos, that is, a little world : for he hath in him the beau- ty of things without life, even the chiefest, as of the sim, moon, and stai-s, &c. Eccl. xii. 2. Gen. xxxvii. 8, 9. Ezek. xxviii. 13, 14?. hehath growth as plants. Gen. xxxviii. 11. and Ixix. 22. sense and sensible properties ■with beasts, Gen. xlix. 9, 1 7. 2 Sam. xxiii. 20. reason and wisdom with angels, 1 Sam. xiv. 20. But the image of God in him excelleth all. I^et THFJi have] That is, man and woman, with their posterity : for ' if the root be lioly, so are the branches,' Rom. xi. 16. Adam had God's image and glory for him and his, if he had stood in his integi'ity ; but falling, he lost them from him and his, Rom. v. 12, 17, 18, 19. Howbeit, in the dominion and glory of man and ■woman, there is inequality, 1 Cor. xi. 7, 8, 9. 1 Tim. ii. 12, 13.

C H A p. I. 9

have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creepin(»- thing that creepeth upon the earth. ^And God created man in his image, in the image of God created he him : male and female created he them. ^*And God blessed them, and God said unto them. Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it : and have do- minion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing that creepeth on the earth. '^And God said, Behold I have given to you every herb seeding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree seeding seed ; to you it shall be for meat. ^°And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every creeping thing upon the earth, which hath'in it a living soul, every green herb, for meat : and it was so. ^'And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good : and the evening was, and the morning was, the sixth day.

Ver. 27. Created :] By reason of the excellency of man above all earthly things, and of God's image in him. The name creature is appropriated unto him as often in the HebreAV Doctors' writings as by Christ and his apostles : every creature, that is, evei-y man, Mark xvi. 15. Col. i. 23. So, all living ; for all men, Gen. iii. 20. because the most excellent life is in man. Male :] Or, a male and a Jemale, meaning one, and not more females for a male. This beginning of man's creation Christ allegeth against unlawful divorces, and taking more wives than one, Mark x. 6. See also Mai. ii. 15. And when a thing is set down thus singiilarlj'-, it is often to be restrained unto one. This the scripture showeth in repeating matters ; as, ' a loaf of bread, and a flagon of wine,' 1 Chron. xvi. 3. which another prophet writeth thus, ' one cake of bread, and one flagon of wine,' 2 Sam. vi. 19. So the law, ' him shalt thou serve,' Deut. vi. 13. Christ restraineth to ' him only,' Matth. iv. 10.

Ver. 28. Subdue it :] Or, keep it in sub- jection ; the Greek translateth, exercise do- minion over it. Subduing meaneth such a prevailing and possessing as a master hath over servants, Jer. xxxiv. 11, 16. 2 Chron. xxviii. 10. Neh. V. 3. For this state of man, made a little lower than the angels, but crowned with glory and honour, and set over the ■works of God's hands, D.avid laudeth the Lord in Psal. viii.

Ver. 31. Evert thing :] Or, as the Greek translateth, all things. Very good : ] or, vehemently good ; and so pleasing and profitable : see before in verse 4. This showeth that sin and evil were not of God, or by the work of his hands ; but came in I.

after, by the creature itself falling from God, Eccl. vii. 31. The sixth day,] Ac- cording to this number of daj's in the crea- tion of the world, the Hebrew Doctors have guessed at the number of years, that the world should continue. They say it is a tradition of Rabbi Elias ; ' Six thousand years shall the world be, and then it shall be destroyed. Two thousand empty (that is, before the promise unto Abraham) ; two thousand the Law (the time of circuBi- cision) ; and two thousand the days of Christ : and for our iniquities, (say they) which are many, they that are past of them, are past,' (that is, the years are past, and the Christ is not come : ) Talmud in Sanhe- drin, chap. Chelek. This conjecture some do the more regard, because it is both a tes- timony that the Christ is long since come, even by the Jews' owti tradition ; and be- cause it is ivritten, ' One day is with the Lord as a thousand years ; and a thousand years as one day,' 2 Pet, iii. 8. We may compare with these six days the six ages of the world, as they are manifestly distin- guished in scripture. The first from Adam to Noah's flood, which was of ten genera- tions : this is called, ' the old world,' 2 Pet. ii. 5. The second from the flood unto Abraham, which was also of ten genera- tions : at him the New Testament beginneth the genealogy of Christ, Matth. i. 1, 2. The third, from Abi-aham to David, four- teen generations. The fourth, from David imto the captivity of Babylon, fourteen ge- nerations. The fifth, fi'om the captivity of Babylon unto Christ, fourteen generations ; all which are so reckoned by the holy Ghost in Matth. i 17. The sixth is tha C

10

GENESIS.

age after Christ, called ' the last days,' Heb. i. 2. ' the last time,' 1 Pet. i. 20. 1 John ii. 18. after which remaiiieth the rest

(or sabbatism) for the people of God, to be- gin at our Lord's second coining, and to continue for ever, 1 Thes. iv. 16, 17.

CHAP. II.

TJie seventh day is sanctified for a Sabbath. 4. The manner of the creation- 8, The planting of tlie garden of Eden ; \^, and the river thereof. 17. Tlie tree of knowledge only forbidden. 19. Adam nameth the creatures. 21. The making of woman., and institution of marriage.

And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. ^And in the seventh day God had finished his work which he had made ; and he rested in the seventh day from all his work which he had made. ^And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it ;

Ver. 1. Finished:] Ov, all done, perfected. Host : J Or, army ; called in Hebrew, saha, w^hich meaneth ' an army standing in order, or battle array.' The Greek here translat- eth it garnishing, or furniture. Hereby is meant all creatures in the earth and heavens, which stand as an aiiny, servants to the Lord, Psal. cxix. 91. and by him command- ed, Isa. xlv. 12. The angels are of this army, 1 Kings xxii. 19. and are called, ' The multitude of the heavenly host,' Luke ii. 13, 15. and they were (by likelihood) created with the heavens in the first day, because those ' morning stars' and ' sons of God' did sing and shout, when God laid and fas- tened the foundations of the earth, Job xxxvii i. 4-, 6, 7. The stars and furniture of the vi- sible heavens are also God's host, Isa. xxxiv. 4. Deut. iv. 19. ' and the stars in their courses fought against Sisera,' Judg. v. 20. The Israelites' coming out of Egypt are called the 'Lord's hosts,' Exod. xii. 41. Hereupon he is often named • the Lord of hosts,' or, ' of sabaoth :' and the apostles in Greek sometimes keep the Hebrew name, ' Lord of sabaoth,' Rom. ix. 29. James v.

4. sometimes they translate it, ' Lord God Almighty,' Rev. iv. 8. from Isa. vi. 3.

Ver. 2. Seventh day:] The Hebrew ihchang, (from which the German word sieben, and English seven, are derived,) hath tlie signification of fulness, and is a perfect and complete number, after which we begin again with the first day of the week. Therefore seven is used for many, or a fuU number. Gen. xxxiii. 3. Lev. iv. 6. 1 Sam. ii.

5. Jer. XV. 9. Prov. xxvi. 25. And many mysteries are throughout the scripture set

forth by the number of seven, as in the feasts and sacrifices of Israel, Deut. xvi. 3, 8, 9, 15. Num. xxviii. 19. andxxix. 12, 32. especially in the book of the Revelation. See also Gen. xxi. 31. The Greek interpre- ters translated the sixth day for the seventh, lest the heathens should think, (mistaking the phrase) that God wrought upon the sabbath. Rested:] Or, sabbathised, that is kept sabbath : for of this Hebrew shabath, it is called the sabbath (or rest) day. God rested (or ceased) from making more crea- tures, Exod. XX. 11. Heb. Iv. 3. though as touching the preserving, ordering, governing of the world, the Father vrorketh hitherto, and Christ worketh, John v. 17. God's sabbath was also his ' rejoicing in his vporks,' Psal. civ. 31. and this the Chaldee paraphrast ob- served here, saying, 'and God delighted the se- venth daj' in his work which he had made, and rested. ' This resting is spoken of God af- ter the manner of men, and implieth not any weariness in him ; for * the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary,' Isa. xl. 28. Work:] Generall)' put for works ,- as the apostle expounds it in Heb. iv. 4.

Ver. 3. And God blessed:] In Exod. XX. 11. it is said, 'Therefore God blessed,' that is, because he himself rested in the seventh day, therefore he blessed and sancti- fied it unto man ; whereupon the apostle reasoneth, ' he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his;' Heb. iv. 10. and he ' blessed the seventh day,' by giving it this singular privilege, to be a day of rest and holiness, of delight and of feasting unto the

C H A P. 1 1.

11

because in it he had rested from all his work which God had created uiid made.

^These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth, when

n'orld, Exod. xx. 10, 11. Neh. ix. 13. Isa. Iviii. 13. Lev. xxiii. 2, 3. Wherefore this day is not described by ' evening and morning,' as were the other six, -which consisted of light and darkness ; but this is all day (or light) figuring out our perpetual joys, Isa. Ix. 20. Zech. xiv. 6, 7. Rev. xxi. 25. And so the Hebrew Doctors understand it of the world to come : for in Breshith rabbah, they say, ' The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, (Prov. x. 22.) this is the sabbath day, as it is written, And God Ijlessed the seventh day, (Gen. ii. 3.) he calleth the sabbath, the blessing of the Lord, because it is receiv- ed from the blessing that is on high -. there- fore he saith, it maketh rich, because it is the abundant wealth of the world, &c. And if we expound the seventh day, of the seventh thousand of years, which is the world to come, the exposition is, and he blessed, because in the seventh thousand, all souls shall be bound in the bundle of life ; for there shall be there, the augmentation of the Holy Ghost, wherein we shall delight ourselves : and so our Rabbins of blessed memory, have said in their commentary ; God blessed the seventh daj"-, the holy God blessed the world to come, which be- ginneth in the seventh thousand' (of years.) Compare the last note on Gen. i. 31, Sanctified : ] Or, hallowed ; that is, sepa- rated it from common use and work, unto his own service alone : that it might be a sign unto men that they should enter into his rest (or sabbatism) Heb. iv. 9. and that the Lord their God doth sanctify them, Ezek. XX. 12. and thus the ' Sabbath was made for man,' Mai'k ii. 27. And made,] Hebrew, to make ; that is, ' to exist and be,' and that perfectly and gloriously, as by di- vine power of creation. Or rather ' creat- ed and made,' perfectly and excellently ; for so the Hebrew phrase may be explained, as ia 1 Chron. xiii. 9. Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark, for which in 1 Sam. vi. 6. is said, and held it : so in Exod. xvii. 10. Making also is often used for perfect- ing, polishing, magnifying, Exod. xxxvi. 2. Ezek. xli. 18, 19. 1 Sam. xii. 6. Psal. cxviii. 24>. The Greek translateth, ' which l?OD had begun to make.'

Ver. 4. The generations : ] The Greek turneth it, 'the book (or story) of the ge- neration,' that is, of the procreation or mak- ing of the world, and of the accidents that fell out ia time after. So other scriptures

speak of the begetting and gendering of the dew and frost. Job xxxviii. 28, 29, of the bearing and bringing forth of the earth, Psal. xc. 2. and of that which ' a day may bring forth,' Prov. xxvii. 1. The day :] That is, the time : so day is used for the time wherein any thing is done; as 'the day of salvation,' 2 Cor. vi. 2 : ' this thy daj',' Luke xix. 42. and sundry the like. Jehovah:] This is God's proper name, Exod. XV. 3. the force whereof is opened in Rev. i. 4, 8. and xi. 17. and xvi. 3. by ' He that is, that was, and that will be,' (or, is to come.) It cometh of liavah, he ivas : and by the first letter /, it signifieth, he will be, and by the second ho, it signifieth, he is. This the Hebrew Doctors acknowledge, for R. Bechal, (on Exodus, fol. 65.) saith, that ' these three times, past, present, and to come, are comprehended in tliis proper name, [Jehovah] as is known unto all.' It im- plieth also, that God hath his being or exis- tence, of himself, before the world was, Isa. xliv. 6. that he giveth being unto all things : for in him they both are and consist, Acts xvii. 25, that he giveth being to his word, effecting whatsoever he speaketh, Exod, vi. 3. Isa. xlv. 2, 3. Ezek. v. 17. And thus it dif- fereth from Adonai, Lord, which is God's name, of his sustentation and dominion ; ■whereas Jehovah is his name of existing or being, to which agreeth that name Ehjeh, I am, (or will be) Exod. iii. 14. and Jehovih, Gen. XV. 2. a.nAJah, Exod. xv. 2. Howbeit, the Greek version tumeth Jehovah, Lord, as well as Adonai ; and the New Testa- ment often followeth the same : as, ' The Lord said to my Lord,' Matth. xxii, 44, for that which is in Hebrew, ' Jehovah said to my Lord,' Psal. ex. 1. and many the like ; which is to be observed in the apos- tles' writings for the understanding of sun- dry speeches, as Rom. x. 9. ' if thou shalt confess that Jesus is the Lord,' that is, Je- hovah (as he is named in Jer. xxiii. 6.) so in 1 Cor. xii. 3. ' no man can say that Jesus is the Lord (that is, Jehovah) but by the Holy Ghost.' Many times they use God instead of this name Jehovah, as 2 Sam. vii. 3. ' Jehovah is with thee ;' for which in 1 Chron. xvii. 2. it is written, 'God is with thee,' 2 Kings xi. 10. 'tha house of Jehovah :' for which, in 2 Chron. xxiii, 9, is, ' the house of God. ' So ' tho mouth of Jehovah,' Deut. viii. 3. is inter- preted ' the mouth of God,' Matth. iv. -J.

12

GENESIS.

they were created; in the day that Jehovah God made the earth and the heavens, ^ And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew up : for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. ^And a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole face of the earth. ^And Jehovah God formed man, dust

and, ' believe in Jehovah,' Gen. xv. 6. is, ' believe in God,' Rom. iv. 3. James ii. 23. 'Jehovah hath given me,' Isa. viii. 18. is, ' God hath given me,' Heb. ii. 13. And this is the name not only of God tlie Father, but also of the Son, and of the Holy- Ghost, as in John xii. 40, 41. Acts xxviii. 25, 26. compared with Isa. vi. The Jews at this day hold it imlawful to be pronounced so as it is written ; but read Adonai Lord for it. But in the sanctuary they grant it Avas pronounced when the priest blessed the people according to the law, in Num. vi. 23 — 27. Talmud in Sotah, chap. vii. fol. 37.

Ver. 3. Plant :] Or tree, as the Chaldee intei-prets it. A general word, therefore the Greek ti'anslateth it green thing. Before it WAS :] Or which was not yet ; neither should have been, had not Gwl made them by his word : who still causeth such things to grow, Psal. civ. 14. Caused it to rain :] Which rain is the ordinary means to make the earth fruitful, Job xxxviii. 26, 27. Heb. vi. 7. And this is spoken of God, because none but he can give rain, Jer. xiv. 22.

Ver. 6. And a mist ;] Or vapour : the Chaldee calleth it a cloud ; the Greek, a fountain ; as being the original matter of the rain : for by vapoui's ascending from the earth and sea, rain is engendered and poured out on the earth, Psal. cxxxv. 7. Amos v. 8. 1 Kings xviii. 44.

Ver. 7. Forjied man;] Or, the earthly man, Adam. Hereupon it is said, 'we are the clay, and thou (Lord) our fonmer,' (or pot- ter,) Isa. Ixiv. 8. Dust:] Or jho^/W; that is ' of the dust,' as Eccles. iii. 20. but the speech is forcible, noting man's base original, whereof he was after put in mind. Gen. iii. 19. and we all, Eccl. xii. 7. Hereupon Paul saith, ' The first man was of the earth, dusty,' 1 Cor. xv. 47. and we are said ' to dwell in houses of clay,' and to have our ' foundation in the dust,' Job iv. 19. In- spired :] Or, hleiv. This showeth man's spirit not to be of the earth as his body ; but of nothing, by the insufflation of God ; and so dift'ering from the spirit of beasts, as Solo- mon observoth, Eccl. iii. 21. This word is used also, when Christ, to make men new- creatures by the preaching of the Gospel, in- spired his apostles with the Holy Ghost,

John XX. 22. The Rabbins say, ' The form of the soiU (of man) is not compounded of the dements, &c. but is of the Lord from heaven. Therefore when tlie material body, which is compounded of the elements, is se- parated, and the breath perisheth because it is not found, but with the body, and is needful for the body in all the actions there- of; this (essential) form is not destroyed, &c. but continueth for ever, even for ever and ever. This is that which Solomon by his wisdom said, (in Eccl. xii. 7.) and dust shall return unto the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.' Maimony in Misneh in Jesudei hatorah, chap. iv. sect. 9. Breath of life:] Or spirit of lives : whereby is intimated one spirit or soul to be in man, which hath sun- dry faculties and operations. The breath here, is in Hebrew neshamah, which hath affinity with shamajim heavens : usually it signifieth either the breath of God or of men, not of other things ; and so it is put for man's mind or reasonable soul : and the Latin Avord meti's mind, is of the same con- sonant letters with the Hebrew, and of it derived. And this ' mind is the Lord's candle, searching all the inward rooms of the beUy,' Prov. xx. 27. The Hebrew lives is by the Holy Ghost translated in Greek life, Acts ii. 28. from Psal. xvi. 11. and it is so named in the form plural, because in life there are many operations, changes, occurrences, &c. that do fall out. And man :] Or Adam ; which Paul openeth thus, ' the first man Adam,' 1 Cor. xv. 45. Was,] Or was to, that is, ' become a living soul,' The word to, as it is often expressed, so is it sometimes omitted in the Hebrew text : as 2 Chron. xviii. 21. ' I will be to (^orfor) a lying spi- rit : ' which in 1 Kings xxii. 22. is written, ' I will be a lying spirit.' Unto this 'living soul,' Paid opposeth ' the second Adam,' Christ, who isa 'live-making spirit,' 1 Cor. XV. 45. where he compareth living or quick, with live-making, or quickening ; and soul, with spirit : as also the souly (or natui-al) body, with the spiritual, ver. 44, 46. So by ' living soul ' here, is meant the natural estate of life in this world, where men do eat and drink, procreate children, &c. which in the world to come shall be otherwise, wlien

CHAP. II.

13

of the earth, and inspired his nostrils with the breath of hfe ; and man was a hving soul. ^And Jehovah God planted a garden in Eden, eastward ; and there he put the man whom he had formed. ^Aiid Jehovah God made to grow up out of the ground every tree desirable for sight, and good for meat ; and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the know- ledge of ffood and evil. ^°And a river went out of Eden to water the garden ; and from thence it was parted, and was to four heads.

this animality, or soulij state shall be changed into spiritualitj'. As for the term of this our souly or natural life, it dureth while our ' breath is in us, and the Spirit of God in our nostrils,' Job xxvii. 3. for ' the breath of the Almighty giveth ils life,' Job xxxiii. 4. And here, for a licing soul, the Chaldee translateth speakbuj, that is, reasonable, be- cause man hath a soul i-easonable, whereby he speaketh : so differing fi'om dumb beasts, Psal. xxxii. 9. 2 Pet. ii. 16. The Hebrew Doctors say, ' The form of the inferior Adam mystically signified the form of the superior Adam ;' R. Menachem on Gen. v. 1. The mystery is opened by the apostle thus, ' the first man is of the earth, earthy ; the second man is of the Lord from heaven,' 1 Cor. XV. 47.

Ver. 8. A GARDEN :] Called hereupon, * the garden of Jehovah,' Gen. xiii. 10. the Greek translateth it, a paradise, ■which name is borrowed from the Hebrew pardese, that signifieth an orchard. Song iv. 13. Eccl. ii. 5. This place, for the pleasantness of it, is made a figin-e of heaven, named paradise in Luke xxiii. 43. 2 Cor. xii. 4. It is also applied to the church of Christ, Rev. xxi, and xxii. So the Hebrew Doctors ga- thered from Song iv. 12. that this 'garden signified the church of Israel : ' R. Mena- chem on Gen. ii. 8. In Eden:] A country in the upper part of Chaldea, mentioned in Isa. xxxv. 12. Ezek. xxvii. 23. and other- where. Eden signifieth pleasure, (of it, the Greeks name pleasure HedoneJ and the name showeth it to be the pleasantest part of the world : wherefore comparisons are made by it, Isa. Ii. 3. Ezek. xxxi. 16, 18.

Ver. 9. Desirable :] That is, goodly, plea- sant, tall, excellent : as cedars and the like. See Ezek. xxxi. 8, 9, 18. Tree of life:] Which was continually flourishing and fruit- ful; unto which the scripture seemeth to have reference, in describing the spiritual paradise under the Gospel, mentioning ' the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the heal- ing of the nations,' Rev. xxii. 2. This was

unto Adam a symbolical tree, a sign not only of a blessed natural life in paradise for a time, but of a spiritual life after in heaven for ever, if he continued in obedience to his Creator. For as 'the bread of life' is that which giveth life eternal to them that eat of it, John vi. 48, 51, 53. so this ' tree of life' signified the like, as God himself after show- eth. Genes, iii. 22. Compai-e also Prov. xiii. 12. Midst of the garden:] The Greek saith, of the paradise : which the Holy Ghost foUoweth in Rev. ii. 7. saying ' to him that overcometh I wiU give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.' The word midst often signifieth no more than within ; as in Gen. xli. 48. amidst the same city, that is, within the same. So ' in the midst of thorns,' Luke viii. 7. is ' among, (or into the) thorns,' Matfh. iv. 7. And the tree of knowledge is said also to be in the midst of the garden, that is, •within it. Gen. iii. 3. The know- ledge OF GOOD AND EVIL :] So named because God's law Avhich forbade man to eat of this tree, should teach what is good and evil ; be a rule of obedience, showing man's goodness, and righteousness if he did obey, (as Deut. vi. 25.) or his evil if he did transgress : Ra- the ' knowledge of sin is by the law,' Rom. iii. 20. Also knowledge is used for sense, or experience, Gen. xii. 12. Song vi. II. Isa. lix. 8. and sometimes for most near union and conjunction. Gen. iv. 1. and this tree might so have the name of the event, because Adam, by eating of it, brought evil into the world, was commingled and defiled with it, and felt the misery of it in his own conscience and experience. Gen. iii. 6, 7. The Greek translateth, ' a tree to know that which may be known of good and evil:' and the Chaldee thus, ' a tree of whose fi-uit they that eat, shall know the difference be- tween good and evil. ' So in Targum Jeru- salemy, likewise.

Ver. 10. To water:] From this river and the use of it in paradise, the scriptui'e speaketh of God's Spirit and graces in his church : as, ' the ])ure river of the water of life,' Rev. xxii. 1. ' the river of God full o/

14

GENESIS.

"The name of the one, Pison : the same is it that compasseth tlie whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. '"And the gold of that land is good ; there is bdellium, and the beryl stone. '^And the name of the second river, Gihon ; the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush. ^^And the name of the third river, Hiddekel ; the same is it that goeth to the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. '^And Jehovah God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and to keep it. '^And Jehovah God

waters,' Psal. Ixv. 10. ' the river whose streams make glad the city of God,' Psal. xlvi. 5. See John vii. 38, 39. Was to:] That is, ' became into four heads,' meaninjf four beginnings of other rivers.

Vek. 11. Pison:] Or, as in the Greek, JPhisun : it is so called of the multitude or increase of waters. The scripture elsewhere speaketh not of it. Compasseth:] This word is sometimes used for turning and passing along by, though not round about : as in Jos. xv. 3. and xvi. G. where the Greek translateth it, perieleusetai, pass by : and so it may be taken here. Havilah :] In Greek, Evilat. This was the name of two men, one the son of Cush, the son of Ham, the son of Noah, Gen. x. 7. the country whei-e he dwelt was called by his name, and that is it here mentioned and after in Genes, xxv. 18. 1 Sam. xv. 7. Another Havilah was the son of Joktan, the son of Heber, of the race of Shem, son of Noah, Gen. x. 29. His country betel him in the East Indies.

Ver. 12. Good :] That is, fine, precious, so in 2 Chron. iii. 5. Bdellium:] The name of a tree, and of a sweet gum that runneth from it. The Hebre\v name is Bedolach ; and some think it to be a kind of pearl : the manna was like unto it, and the colour white, Num. xi. 7. Exod. xvi. 31. Beryl:] A precious stone, called in Hebrew Sholiam; which the Greek in Exod. xxviii. 20. translateth, a Beryl : the Chal- dee calleth it Burla, and the Arabic, al Bel- or. On two of these stones the names of the twelve tribes ■vvei'e graven, and borne on the high priest's shoulders, Exod. xxviii. 9, 10. See the notes there.

Ver. 13. Giiion:] In Greek, Geon : a river about the laud of Cush. There %vas also another river Gihon in Canaan, near Jerusalem, whereof see 2 Chron. xxxii. .30. Cush:] The son of Ham, the son cf Noah, Gen. x. 6. whose posterity in these parts of the world are called Ethiopians; and so the Greek here translateth Ethiopia.

Ver. 1-1. Hiddekel:] The signification of this word is of sharpiicss and lujhtncss ;

for it was a swift iixnning river. Tlie Greek translateth it Tigris, the Tiger, which is the name of a beast very light of foot, as Pliny showeth in Book viii. chap. 18. Tigi-is also, in the Medes and Persian tongue, sig- nifieth an arrow, saith Pliny Book vi. chap. 27, and Q. Ciu'tius, Book iv. speaking of this violent river. By it Daniel saw visions of God, Dan. x. 4. The Chaldee calleth it Diglat : whereupon the Latins also named it Diglatio; Pliny in Book vi. chap. 27. Assyria:] In Hebrew Assur ; he was the son of Shem, the son of Noah, Gen. x. 22. of whom his country was called Assyi-ia, famous through all the scriptui'e ; which usually nameth countries and posterities by the names of the first inhabitants and pa- rents. See the notes on Gen. xii. 10. and xlx. 37. Is Euphrates:] Hebre^v, it is Phrath : which river the New Testament calleth Euphrates, Rev. ix. 14. It hath the name of increase ; for the waters there- of wax mighty by snow meltiiig from the mounts of Armenia, and do make the coun- try fruitful. This is called ' the great riv- er,' Deut. i. 7. and xi. 24. Rev. ix. 14.

Ver. 15. Garden;] In Greek, paradise. To TILL : ] Or dress : the Greek saith, to labour it. The Hebrew Doctors apply this mystically to Adam's labour in, and keeping of, God's law : Pii'ke R. Eliezer chap. xii. And that the moral law and work thereof were written in his heart is manifest, seeing the same yet remaineth in the corrupted hearts of men, Rom. ii. 14, 15.

A^'er. 16. Commanded ;] Besides the law of nature, graven on Adam's heart, whereby he was bound to love, honour, and obey his Creator ; God here giveth him (for a trial of his love) a significative law, concerning a thing of itself indifferent, but at the plea- sure of God made unlawfid and evil for man to do ; that by observing this outward rite he might testify his willing obedience unto the Lord. See 1 Sam. xv. 22, 23. Eating thou mayest eat :] That is, * may est (or shalt) freely eat:' thus God first showeth his love and liberality before he makes any restraint. The doubling of

CHAP. ir.

15

commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden eating thou mayest eat; ^''But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou mayest not eat of it ; for in the day thou eatest of it dying thou shalt die. ^^And Jehovah God said, It is not good the man should be himself alone , 1 will make for him an help as before him. ^^And

words is often used in scripture for more earnestness and assurance, and in things to come, to signify speedy performance. Gen, xli. 32. Sometimes God altereth this man- ner of speaking into other the like ; as 2 Kings xiv. 10. ' smiting thou hast smitten ;' for -ivhich in 2 Chron. xxv. 19. is ^Titten, ' Thou sayest, Lo, I have smitten.' So, ' Building I have builded,' 1 Kings viii. 13. or, as in 2 Chron. vi. 2. ' And I, I have builded.' Sometimes the doubling of the word is omitted ; as, ' hath any delivering delivered ?' 2 Kings xviii. 33. which ano- ther prophet writeth thus, ' hath any de- livered?' Isa. xxxvi. 18. In translating also, God useth sometimes the phrase which we follow here ; as in Heb. vi. I4>. ' Blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee :' translated in Greek from Gen. xxii, 16. 'Seeing I have seen,* Acts vii. 34. fi-om Exod. iii. 7. Some- times otherwise ; as, ' shot through with darts,' Heb. xii. 20. for that which is in Hebi'ew ' shooting shot through,' Exod. xix. 13.

Ver. 17. But of:] Hebrew, and of : and is often used for hut : so translated in the Greek version, Isa. x. 20. and by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament, as 1 Pet. i. 25. from Isa. xl. 8. Heb. i. 11, 12. fi'om Psal. cii. 27, 28. So here again in ver. 20. and in Gen. iii. 3. and xlii. 10. and in many other places. Thou mayest NOT,] Or, thou shalt not eat. This law whs given both to the man and woman, which were both called Adam, Gen. v. 2. and the woman coufesseth so much, Gen. iii. 3. and the Greek version here manifesteth it, say- ing, ' ye shall not eat.' Dying thou shalt DIE :] That is, ' shalt surely and soon die;' or, as the Greek translateth, ' ye shall die the death.' Under the name of death, the Scripture comprehendeth, deadly plagues, as the punishment of Eg-j-pt with locusts is called a death, Exod. x. 17. Also inward astonishments, fears, &c. as ' Nabal's heart died in him,' 1 Sam. xxv. 37. Likewise outward deadly dangers, and miseries ; as Paul was ' in deaths oft,' 2 Cor. xi. 23. It is also used for ' death in sin,' when men are ' alienated from the life of God,' Eph. ii. 1. and iv. 18. And for the dissolution of man's soul and body, which we common-

ly call death, when the ' soul (or spirit) goeth out' of the man, Gen. xxxv. 18. Psal. cxlvi. 4'. And finally, death is the perdition of body and soul in hell, which is ' eternal per- dition from the presence of the Lord ;' and called, ' the second death,' Matth. x. 28. 2 Thes. i. 9. Rev. xx. 6, 14. These, and whatsoever else mortality, misery, death, the scriptures mention, are implied in this judgment here threatened upon disobedience, Rom. V. 12. besides miserable ' bondage' un- der him which hath ' the power of death, that is the devU,' Heb. ii. l4, 13. On the contrary, here is implied, upon condition of his obedience, the promise of eternal life, whereof the ' tree of life' was a sign, Gen. iii. 22. So Paul opposeth death, as the wages of sin ; and eternal life, as the gift of God : Avhich now since man's fall is only by Christ, who giveth us to eat of the tree of life : Rom. vi. 23. Rev. ii. 7. The Hebrew Doctors also say, ' After the opinion of our Rabbins of blessed memory, if [Adam] had not sinned, he had never died ; but the breath which he was inspired ■with, of the most high blessed God, should have given him life for ever ; and the good will of God, which he had in the time of his creation, had cleaved unto him continually, and kept him alive for ever,' R. Menachem, on Gen. ii. 17.

Ver. 18. Himself alone :] Or, alone, as the Greek translateth it: so 1 Kings xix. 10. 'I am left myself alone :' for which Paid saith, ' I am left alone,' Rom. xi. 3. God who made other creatures male and fe- male together, did not so in mankind ; which Paul observeth, saying, ' Adam was first formed, then Eve,' 1 Tim. ii. 13. making it one reason of the ^A-oman's subjec- tion.' As BEFORE HIM.] The Greek here translateth it, ' according to him ;' and in the 20th verse, 'like unto him:' meaning, one that should be as his second self, like him in nature, knit imto him in love, need- ful for procreation of seed, helpful in all duties, present always •n'ith him, and so very meet and commodious for him. The apos- tle hence gathereth another reason of the woman's subjection, in that ' the man was not created foi- the ■n^oman, but the woman for the man,' 1 Cor. xi. 9.

Ver. 19. Them unto Adam] Or ' unto

16

GENESIS.

Jehovah God had formed out of the ground every beast of the field, and every fowl of the heavens, and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them : and whatsoever Adam called each living soul, that rvas the name thereof. ^And Adam called names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the heavens, and to every beast of the field : but for Adam, he found not an help as before him. ^And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept : and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof. "And Jehovah God builded the rib, which he had taken from Adam, to a woman : and he brought her unto Adam. ^And Adam said, This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh : she shall be

the man:' but the Greek version keepeth the Hebrew name Adam, and addeth tlie word them, to make the sense plain. So the Holy Ghost sometimes doth, in repeating matters ; as, ' he blessed and brake,' Matth. xiv. 19. that is, 'and brake them,' Luke ix. 16. « Show to the priest,' Mark i. 44. that is, ' sliow thyself, Matth. viii. 4. See also Gen. xxxi. 42. Would call them :] Or, call it, that is, every of them. This showeth God's bounty in giving man dominion over aU eartlily creatures, Psal. viii. for the giv- ing of names is a sign of sovereignty. Num. xxxii. 38, 41. Gen. xxxv. 18. and xxvi. 18. It manifesteth also Adam's ■wisdom, in naming things presently according to their natures ; as the Hebrew names by which he called them do declare.

Ver. 20. He found not:] That is, the man found not a meet help for himself, among all the creatures ; therefore the woman when she Avas made, was the more acceptable. Or, as the Greek translateth,

* there vras not found a helper like unto him.' So in Gen. xv. 6. 'he imputed it,' is translated, ' it "was imputed,' Rom. iv. 3. See also Gen. vi. 20. and xvi. 14.

Ver. 21. A DEEP SLEEP :] This the Greek cfiUeth an extactj or trance ; which the scriptures show to have fallen also on men, when they did see visions of God, Gen. xv. 12. Acts X. 10. In such deep sleep the senses are all bound up, as 1 Sam. xxvi. 12.

Ver. 22. Builded:] To ' build the rib to a woman,' is to make, or create a woman of it, as with a special care, or art, and fit proportion. Hereupon our bodies are called houses, Job iv. 19. 2 Cor. v. 1. And al- though by building is meant making ; (as,

* the Lord will build thee a house,' 1 Chron. xvii. 10. is the same that he ' will make thee a house,' 2 Sam. vii. 11.) yet by tlie many words used in the generation of mankind, as creating, Gen. i. 27. making.

Gen. i. 26. forming, and inspiring. Gen. ii. 7. and now building ; Moses would set forth this wondrous workmanship for which the Psalmist so laudeth God, Psal. cxxxix. 14. He brought :] God her builder was also her bringer, and so her conjoiner in mar- riage with the man, Matth. xix. 6. and the scripture noteth a wife to be a special fa- vour of the Lord, Prov. xviii. 22. and xix. 14. He also blessed them together, as Gen. i. 28. whereby may be seen how Moses changeth the order in this chapter, enlarg- ing things here which before he had touched briefly.

Ver. 23. This now:] Or, ' this time : this once.' Flesh, &c.] Hereby Adam showed both his thankfulness to God, and love to his wife ; and from hence Paul teacheth, that men ought ' to love their wives as their own bodies, for no man ever hated his oum flesh,'' Eph. v. 28, 29. The like speeches are used of persons near akin, that they are their ' bone and their flesh,' Gen. xxix. 14. Judg. ix. 2. So the apostle by this, setteth forth Christ's mystical union with his church, that we are ' mem- bers of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones,' Ephes. V. 30. Woman:] Or, manness, of viayi : as in Hebrew she is called ishah, of ish : which word ish hath the significa- tion of strength and valour : so that the Scripture useth this word, ' show yourselves men,' for, 'be ye strong, or courageous,' Isa. xlvi. 8. 1 Cor. xvi. 13. And it hath afii- nity with ish, which in Hebrew is fre ,- for heat in man causeth strength and cou- rage. Therefore as Adam is used for base men, born of adamah, the earth; so ish is used for noblemen, Psal. xlix. 3. Also ish is used both for man and husband ; and ishah both for woman and wife : as in the verses following. Out of man:] The Greek translateth, ' out of her man ;' and the Chaldee, 'out of her husband.' Hence isa third reason of women's subjeetion, because

CHAP. III.

17

called Woman, because she was taken out of man, ^^Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and he shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh. "^And they were both of them naked, Adam and his wife, and they were not ashamed of themselves.

' the man is not of the woman, but the wo- man of the man,' as Paul saith, 1 Cor. xi. 8. Ver. 24. Leave his father, &c.] This is a perpetual law given of God, as Christ showeth, Mattli. xix. 4, 5. and teacheth that the band of man'iage is the nearest con- jimction in the world, and all societies rather to be left than this between man and wife, ■who may not depart one from another, 1 Cor. vii. 10, II. as they do depart from their parents, Gen. xxiv. 58, 59. and xxxi. 14. Lev. xxii. 12, 13. The like is observ- ed in the spiritual marriage between Christ and his church, Psal. xlv. 11, 12. The Chaldee translateth it, ' he shall lea've tlie bed of his father and mother.' And tlie Hebrew Doctors gather from hence a law imto aU Adam's sons, against unjust carnal . copulations and incestuous man'iages ■with a man's ' father's wife' or mother in law, and ' with his o-rni mother ;' as after, by ' he shall cleave to his ■wife,' (they say) is forbidden any other man's wife ; and all pollution with the male, and likewise with beasts, Maimony in IMisn. book 14. treat, of Kings, chap. ix. sect. 5. To his wife :] Or, to his woman : for it is the same ■word ishah, used before in verse 23. and by liis Avoraan lie showeth there is no law- ful conjunction for a man but with one, and she a icife, become his by marriage. Wherefore aU other women are in this re- spect called ' strangers' to him, Prov. v. 3, 18, 20. And for 'shall cleave,' the Greek saith, ' shall be glewed : ' which word is also iji Mark x. 7. and maketh against aU unjust

divorces. They shall be:] The Greek translatetli, ' they two shall be one flesh : ' and so it is alleged in tlie New Testament, Matth. xix. 5. that hereby a man is re- strained from more ■wives than one : which is to be observed in other speeches of scrip- ture, vi^herein like restraint is implied : as, ' him thou shalt sei've,' Deut. vi. 13. that is, as Christ allegeth it, 'him only,' Matth. iv. 10. Luke iv. 8. So, 'but for the priests,' Mark iii. 26. which another evan- gelist ■wi-iteth, ' but for the priests only,' Matth. xii. 4. Of like force is that saying, ' a man is not justified by the ^vorks of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ ;' that is, by faith only, Gal. ii. 16. One :] Or, to one flesh : see verse 7. This is meant in special by generation of children ; where- fore Paul doth by proportion apply these words even against unlawful flesMy copula- tion, 1 Cor. vi. 16. adding a further mys- tery of our union with Christ, ' he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit,' ver. 17.

Ver. 25. Not ashamed :] Though not themselves in any shameful plight : as a Chaldee paraphrase saith, ' they Itnevr not ■what shame ■was.' For they being inno- cent, and adorned ■with the image and glory of God, had nothhig in soul or body that was defective, miserable, or shameful ; but, now by sin nakedness in us is a want, a filthy thing, and a shame, Deut. xxviii. 48. Rev. iii. 18. For shame or confusion is the fruit of sin, Rom. vi. 21. the opposite of joy, Isa. Ixv. 1.3. and companion of destruc- tion, Jer. xlviii. 20.

CHAP. III.

1. The serpent deceiveth Eve. 14. The serpent is cursed. 15. 16. Mankind is chastised. 21. of paradise.

6. Man falleth, 9. God arraigneth them. A seed promised that should bruise his head. God clothcth them, 22. and drives them out

'Now the serpent was subtile more than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made : and he said unto the woman. Yea, because

Ver. 1. Serpent :] Named in English, of creeping on the earth ; but in Hebrew, I.

nachash, of ' subtile observation, searching,' and ' finding out by experience,' Gen. xxx.

18

GENESIS.

God liatli said ye shall not eat of every tree of tljc garden. ^And the woman said unto the serj^ent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat ; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the

27. and xliv. 5. The greater serpents are called dragons : and nachash is sometimes turned in Greek a dragon : Job xxvi. 13. Amos ix. 3. and for it iu Hebrew, is put tannin, a dragon, Exod. vii. 10. with iv. 3. And in the New Testament, the same thing is called both a dragon, and a sei-pent, Rev. XX. 2. Subtile :] That is, prudent and crafty -. prudent to save and help itself, whereupon it is said, ' be prudent as ser- pents,' Matth. X. 16. crafty, to deceive others, as Paid saith, ' the sei-pent by his craftiness beguiled Eve,' 2 Cor. xi. 3. by which two words, the scriptures do ex- press the Hebrew here used : which often is taken in the good part, opposed to simplicity uml folly, Prov. i. 4. and viii. 5. and xiv.

15, IS. and xxii. 3. More than:] The word more is usually omitted in the Hebrew, as easy to be understood : yet sometimes is expressed, as in Esth. vi. 6. And the Holy Ghost setteth it down in Greek, when it wanteth in Hebrew, as in Gal. iv. 27. from Isa. liv. 1. 'many are the children of the desolate, more than of the married ; ' in Isa. liv. 1. the word rno7-e is not written. So the Greek version in this place addeth it : though sometimes the Greek also wanteth it, as Gen. xxxviii. 26. Luke xviii. 14. He said :] Whereas beasts are knoi^Ti in nature to be speechless (and the scripture confirmeth it, 2 Pet. ii. 16.) because they want reason or understanding, Psal. xxxii. 9. Judg. V. 10. Moses under the name of the ' serpent's speaking,' closely meaneth ' Satan,' who opened the serpent's mouth, and caused it to speak with man's voice, as the Lord by an angel opened the mouth of Balaam's ass, Num. xxii. 22, 28. 2 Pet. ii.

16. And so the Hebrew Doctors wi'ite, ' that the imclean spirit Sammael (the devil) was united with the serpent : ' R. Menachem on Gen. iii. And, ' as a man possessed with an evil spirit, all the works that he doth, and all the vrords that he speaketh, are not but by the reason of the evU sjiirit that is in him ; so the serpent, all the works that he did, and all the v/ords that he spake, he spake not, neither did, but by the reason of the devil,' Pirke R. Eliezer, chap. xiii. The angels (of whose creation we spake be- fore, on Gen. ii. 1.) being 'spirits,' and a ' flaming fire,' Psal. civ. 4. excellent in wis- dom, and mighty in strength, 2 Sam. xiv. 20. Psal. ciii. 2(). they many of them, (hav- ing one for principal.) did sin against God,

Mark V. 9. Matth. xxv. 41. 2 Pet. ii. 4. by ' not abiding in the truth, nor keeping their first estate, but leaving their ow^n habi- tation,' .John viii. 44. Jude 6. and are now still called, of their cunning and laiowledge, demons, Mark v. 12. of their mighty strength, ' principalities and powers,' Col. ii. 15. of their calumniation and enmity to God and his creatures, they are named ' the malicious,' the ' devil,' and ' Satan,' 1 John ii. 13. 1 Pet. V. 8. Matth. iv. 8, 10. And the devil speaking by this serpent, is there- fore called ' the great dragon, that old ser pent, which deceiveth all the world.' Rev. xii. 9. And as himself stood not in the truth, but ' sinned from the beginning,' I John iii. 8. so soon upon man's creation he overthrew him ; and is therefore said to be 'a mankiller from the beginning,' John viii. 44. And man's fall and misery is here im- mediately joined to his creation, and seating in paradise. Also the Hebrew Doctors hold, that nothing here mentioned was done after the six days of the creation : ' all our wise men do agree, that this whole matter was done the sixth day,' saith Maim, in Moreh. Nebuchim, chel. 2. per. 30. The wojian] ' The weaker vessel,' 1 Pet. iii. 7. whom Satan thought the more easily to de- ceive, and so did : as Paid observeth, ' Adam was not deceived, but the woman being de- ceived, was in the transgression,' 1 Tim. ii. 14. 2 Cor. xi. 3. So the sei"pent set upon Christ, in his hunger and infii-mity, Matth. iv. 2, 3. Yea : ] Or, moreover : it is a word proceeding from an earnest mind ; and usually it is an addition to something spoken before. So it is likely the serpent had uttered words against God, the sum whereof is in this speech. A like phrase is in 1 Sam. xiv. 30. Because God hath : "] Or, ' hath God Indeed said ?' So the Chaldee paraphrase translateth, ' in truth, (that is, is it true) that God hath said ?' arul the Greek, ' why is it that God hath said ?' In this understanding, Satan be- ginneth with a question, as when by his servants he sought to have taken Christ in his talk, Luke xx. 20, 21, 23. The tenta- tion is directly against God's word ; vi^hich as it ^v;is that whei'eby the world was inade and existed, Psal. xxxiii. 6. 2 Pet. iii. 4. so by it ' all things are upholden,' or carried, Heb. i. 3. and if God's word had abotle in Eve, she had overcome the wicked one. 1 John ii. 14. So Satan began the assaidt

CHAP. III.

19

garden, God liatli said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. *And the serpent said unto the woman. Ye shall not dying die : ^For God doth know, that in the day that ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened ; and ye shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil. ^And the woman saw that the tree zvas good for meat, and that it was a desire to the eyes, and a tree to be co- veted to make 07ie wise : and she took of the fruit thereof and did eat,

upon Christ, taking occasion at the word of God, (' this is my Son,' Matth. iii. 17.) say- ing, ' If thou be the Son of God,' Matth. iv. 3. Of every tree :] Or, ' of all trees : ' but the Hebrew ■word for all, is sometimes used for every one, sometimes for any one, as Psal. cxliii. 2. so the sei-peut's speech ■svas doubtful, and bent to deceive. And as here he assailed the woman about food, so he be- gan with Christ, Matth. iv. 3.

Ver. 2. Trees :] In Hebrew, tree : so in ver. 7. leaf, for leaves. This the scrip- ture opencth, as parable, Psal. Ixxviii. 2. is expounded parables, Mattli. xiii. 35. heart, Psal. xcv. 8. for hearts, Heb. iii. 8. work, Psal. xcv. 9. for works, Heb. iii. 9. And in the Hebrew text itself; as, spear, 2. Kings xi. 10. for spears, 2 Chron. xxiii. 9. ship, 1 Kings x. 22. for ships, 2 Chron. ix. 21. See also Gen. iv. 20.

Ver. 3. Lest te die : ] Oi', as the Greek translateth it, ' that ye die not. ' Tliis manner of speecli doth not always show doubt, but speaks of danger, and to prevent evil: as Psal. ii. 12. 'lest he be angry :' Gen. xxiv. 6. ' lest thou bring,' for, 'that thou bring not. ' So Mark xiv. 2. ' lest there be an uproar,' for, ' that there be not an uproar,' IVIatth. xxvi. 5. Yea sometimes it rather affirmeth a thing, ' lest Hezekiah deceive,' Isa. xxxvi. 18. for which in 2 Kings xviii. 3. is written, ' for he deceiveth you.' So, 'lest they faint in the 'tvay,' Matth. XV. 32. that is, ' they will faint,' Mark viii. 3.

Ver. 4<. Not dying die :] Tliat is, not sure- ly die : the Greek translateth, ' not die the death.' Here he impiigneth the certainty of God's word, which had threatened as- sured death. Gen. ii. 17. And tiius the devil was ' a liar, and the father thereof,' John viii. 4-t.

Ver. 5. In the day :] That is, presently : so he opposeth present good unto the present evil threatened of God ; wliom he also ca- lumniateth, as of iU wiU he had forbidden them this tree. Then your eyes, &c.] By an ambiguous deceitful promise he draw- eth her into sin: for by 'opening of eyes,' she understood a fiu'ther degree of wisdom,

as the like speech importeth, Acts xxvi. 18. Eph. i. 18. but he meant, a seeing of their nakedness, and confusion of conscience, as fell out immediately. Gen. ii. 7, 10. The Hebrew phrase is, ' aud youi- eyes : ' but and is often used for then ; as IMark xiv. 34<. 'And he saith:' which another evangelist ■wi-iteth, 'then saith he ;' Matth. xxvi. 38. so Mark xv. 27. ' and they crucify,' Matth. sxvii. 38. ' then were crucified : ' and many the like. As Gods :] This the woman im- derstood of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as appeareth by the words of God himself in ver. 22. but the tempter might mean it also of the angels which hatj sinned, (for angels are called gods, Psal. viii. 6.) who of their knowledge are named demons, and have woful experience of the good which they have lost and the evil wherein they lye. The Chaldee saith, 'as princes :' and devils are also called ' principalities and powers,' Col. ii. 15. Another Chaldee paraphrase, which goeth under the name of Jonathan, for gods, translateth angels. Knowing, &c.] the name before given to this tree, Gen. ii. 17. the sei-pent here wresteth to a wrong sense : as if to ' know good and evil,' were to be ' like God himself,' and that the eat- ing of the fruit would w^ork such an effect : whereas the tree was so called for another cause. See Gen. ii. 9.

Ver. 6. Saw :] That is, looked upon with affection. So Achan saw, and coveted, and took. Josh. vii. 21. A desire:] Or 'a lust,' that is, most pleasant, and to be de- sired. To make 07ie wise:] Or, ' to get prudency,' and so prosperity and good suc- cess thereby ; as the Hebrew word often signifieth. According to these three things which the woman, by false suggestion, sa'w in the tree, for meat, for the eyes, and for prudency : the apostle reduceth all that ' is in the world, and not of the Father,' to ' the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,' 1 John ii. 16. With which we may also compare the three ten- tations of Christ, Luke iv. She gave :] Together with w^ords to move and persuade him : for he is said to have ' hearkened to her voice,' ver. 17. He did eat :] So the

20

GENESIS.

and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. ''And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they we7-e naked : and tiiey sewed together fig-leaves, and made themselves aprons. ®And they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the wind of the day : and Adam and his wife hid them- selves from the fece of Jehovah God, amongst the trees of the garden. ^And Jehovah God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou ? '"And he said, 1 heard thy voice in the garden ; and I feared because I am naked, and I hid myself. "And he said. Who told thee that thou art naked ? Hast thou eaten of the tree, which I

sin was accoinplislied that brought death in- to the world, as God threatened, Gen. ii. 17. and the ' death is gone over all men, for that all have sinned ;' and ' by the disobe- dience of one, many are made sinners,' Rom. V. 12, 19. By eating, tlie scripture else- ■vvhere signifieth the committing of sin, Prov. XXX. 20. Again, by eating, sin and death are done a'way, and life restored in Christ, John vi. 30, 34. w^hom Satan sought to have drawn into sin also by eating, but w^as defeated, Mark iv. 2— i. This first sbi of man is called in respect of himself an ' of- fence ' or ' fall ;' because by it he fell from his good estate : in respect of God, it t/vos, ' disobedience ;' as unto whom hereby he denied subjection, and renounced obedience, Rom. V. 18, 19. Neither was it his own sin only, but the common sin of us all his jios- terity, which were then in his loins ; for by this ' one man's disobedience many were made sinners,' Rom. v. 19. and 'in Adam all die,' 1 Cor. xv. 22.

Ver. 7. Naked :] Both in body and soul, which were bereaved of the image of God, deprived of his glory, and subjected to inordinate lusts, and thereupon to shame : of which nakedness the scriptures often spe<ik, as Exod. xxxii. 25. Ezek. xvi. 22. Rev. iii. 17. and xvi. 13. IIos. il. 3. 2 Cor. V. 3. Sewed :] That is, ' fastened together,' bj' twisting and plaiting the leaves and twigs to gird about them. Fig leaves :] in Hebre^v leaf, or branch, as ■n'e English the Tvord in Neh. viii. 15. and as the Greek translateth it in Jer. xvii. 8. This was to cover, not to cure their filthy nakedness ; therefore in ver. 10. they nevertheless do liid(^ themselves for shfime. The like natu- ral lij'pocrisy, is elsewhere compared to the ' spider's web,' Isa. lix. 3, 6. And the fig tree which liad leaves and no fruit, was cursed of Christ, and withered, Matth. xxi. 19. Apuons :] Named in Hebrew of ^iVrf- in() about the loins. So Peter when he was naked girded a garment on him, John xxi. 7. And those parts of the body whicli serve

for generation, were then, and stiU are most shameful, and studiously covered ; because sin is become natural, and derived by gene- ration, Psal. li. 7. Gen. v. 3. Therefore circumcision (the sign of regeneration) was al- so on that part of man's body. Gen. xvii. 1 1.

Ver. 8. The voice of Jehovah:] This sometimes signifieth any noise or sound, Ezek. i. 24'. sometimes the thunder, Exod. ix. 28, 29. sometimes God's distinct voice like thmider, as John xii. 27 — 29. Walk- ing ;] This by the Greek is referred to God walking : it may also be meant of the voice, which is said to walk, or go on, when it in- creaseth more and more, Exod. xix. 19. The wind :] By the Greek version this w^as the eventide. So in the evening of the w^orld at the last day, the Lord shall descend from heaven, ■with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and ivith the trumpet of God, &c. 1 Thess. iv. 16. Hid them- selves:] Through conscience and feeling of their sin and misery, and for fear of God's majestj', ver. 10. Howbeit, ' there is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves :' Job xxxiv. 22. Amos ix. 3. Psal. cxxxix. 7—9. Prov. XV. 3. Jer. xxiii. 24. From THE FACE:] Or, the presence, that is, for fear of the Lord's coming.

Ver. 10. Feared:] Or, was afraid: this fear was a terror through feeling of God's wrath for sin ; as Israel also felt in them- selves, when they heard the voice of God at moxmt Sinai,' Exod. xx. 18 — 20. It was such as had toi-ment with it, which ' whoso feareth is not perfect in love,' 1 John iv. 18. and proceeded from the ' spirit of bondage,' Rom. viii. 13. Otherwise there is also a fear which proceedeth from tlie spirit of adoption, and accordeth well with love and comfort, 1 Pet. i. 1, 17. Psal. ii. 11. and cxlvii. 11. Jer. xxxii. 39, 40. Prov. xix. 23. Tliis fear if Adam had kept, he had eschew- ed evil, Prov. xvi. 6. Am naked :J He dis- senibleth the main cause, which was bis sin: pure nakedness was God's creature.

CHAP. III.

21

commanded thee that thou shoiildst not eat of it ? "^And Adam said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. ^^And Jehovah God said unto the woman. What is this that thou hast done ? And the woman said. The serpent be- guiled me, and I did eat. "And Jehov^ah God said unto the ser- pent. Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou above all cattle, and above every beast of the field : upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. ^^And I will put enmity

viii. 17. Psal. Iviii. 5. Matth. xxiii. 33. Thy belly : ] Or, thy breast : as the Greek hath a twofold translation, upon thy breast and belly : meaning with great i)ain and difficulty. For other cveatiu'es also go on the belly. Lev. xi. 42. but as Adam's labour, and Eve's conception, had pain and sorrow added to them, (ver. 16, 17.) so the serpent's gait. Dust :] That is, vile and imclean meats : noting also hereby baseness of con- dition, Mic. vii. 17. and hunger and penu- ry, which this beast should suffer above othei's, which eat the herbs of the field : Gen. i. 30. This eating of dust, is again remembered in Isa. bcv. 25. where speech is of our redemption from Satan by Christ : which showeth that these outward curses implied further mysteries.

Ver. 15. Enmity:! This is opposed to the amity and familiarity which had been between the w^oman and the serpent, which God ■would bi'cak. And here beginneth the first promise of grace and life, to Evah and mankind now dead in sin, and enemies to God, Col. ii. 13. and i. 2. For the amity of this vs^orld is enmity of God, James iv. 4. Thy seed and her seed :] That is, thy posterity and hers. Seed is often used for children : by the serpent's seed, are meant not only those venemous beasts, which have enmity ■with mankind ; but also w^icked men, called ' serpents, generations of vipers, and children of the devil,' Matth. xxiii. 3.3. 1 John iii. 10. By the woman's seed, is meant (in respect of Satan) chiefly Christ, who being ' God over all, blessed for ever,' should come of David and Abraham, and so of Eve, ' according to the flesh,' for she was ' the mother of all living,' Rom. i. 3. and ix. 5. And with Christ all Christians, who are Eve's seed both in nature and in faith, as all Christians are called Abraham's seed: Gal. iii. 29. He:] Or, if; that is, the seed. This is first to be imderstood of Christ, who ■was ' made of a woman,' Gal. iv. 4. the ' fruit of the womb' of the Virgin Mary, Luke i. 42. ' He, through death, l)ath destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil,' Heb. ii. 14. Se- condly, it implieth Christians ((he liiildrcii

and he was naked before, without fear or shame, Gen. ii. 25.

Ver. 12. Thou gavest:] Adam's con- fession is mixed ■with excuses, and further evils : asking no mercy, but charging tlie woman, and God himself, ■with the cause of his fall. ' The foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth against the Lord : ' Prov. xix. 3.

Ver. 13. What is this?] Or, tor what? that is, ' why hast thou done this ?'

Ver 14. Unto the serpent :] Unto the beast and the devil ; ■which together were the means to draw into sin, ver. 1. and therefore are joined as one here in the pim- ishment. Cursed :] This is contrary to blessed, Dent, xxviii. 3, 16. and as to bless, is to say ■well of any: so to curse, is to say evil : so expounded by the Holy Ghost ; as, ' thou shalt not curse the ruler,' Exod. xxii. 28. which Paid citeth thus, ' thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler,' Acts xxiii. 5. And as God's ■o^ord is one ■with his deed, so Ills curse is the pouring out of evils upon the creatures for sin, unto their perdition, Dent, xxviii. 20, &c. So the fig-tree being cursed, withered, Mark xi. 21. The chil- dren cursed were torn of beasts, 2 Kings ii. 24. And that the devil was implied under this curse, the Hebre'w Doctors have ac- knowledged, saying of God, that ' he brought those three, and decreed against them the decrees of judgment, and did cast Sammael (the devil) and his company out of his holy place, out of heaven, and cut off the feet of the serpent, and cursed him,' &c. Pirke R. Eliezer, chap. xiv. So Peter saith, * God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down into hell, &c. 2 Pet. ii. 4. And in Rev. xii. 7 — 9. speaking of a spiri- tual combat with the devil in the church, it is said, 'the dragon fought, and his angels ; but they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven ; and that great dragon, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan was cast out,' &c. As the devil is cvu-sed above aU creatures, Matt. XXV. 41. so the cui'sed sei^pent is in scriptiu'e a similitude of the most hurtful, venemous and hatefid beaits, as Dcut. viii. 15. Jer.

22

GENESIS.

between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed : he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

^'^Unto the woman he said, Multiplying I will multiply thy sorrow

of Clirist, Pleb. ii. 13.) who resisting the devil steadfastly in faith, the God of peace hriiiseth Satan under their feet ; 1 Pet. v. 9. Rom. xvi. 20. When promise is made concerning the seed, the faithful parents are also included, and soon the contrary : as when Moses saith, ' 1 will multiply thy seed,' Gen. xxii. 17. Paid allegeth it thus, ' I will multiply thee,' Heb. vi. 14. Again, where Moses saith, ' All families shall be blessed in thee,' Genes, xii. 3. Peter alleg- eth it, ' tiiey shall be blessed in thy seed,' Acts iii. 25. Also this word seed, is used either for a multitude, as Gen. xv. 3. or for one particular person, as Gen. xxi. 1.3. and iv. 25. so here it meaneth one special seed, Christ, Gal. iii. 16. This the ancient Hebrew Doctors also acknowledged, for in Thargum Jerusalemy, the fulfilling of this promise is expressly referred to the List days, the days of the King IMessias. And the mystery of original sin, and thereby death over all, and of deliverance by Christ, R. Menachem on Lev. XXV. noteth from the profound Cab- balist, in these Avords ; ' So long as the spirit of uncleanuess is not taken away out of the world, the souls that come down into the w^orld, must needs die ; for to root out the power of imcleanness out of the ^vorld, and to consume the same. And all this is, because of the decree which w^as decreed for the imcleanness and filthi- ness which the serpent brought upon Eve. And if it be so, all the souls that are cre- ated and become unclean by that filthiness, must needs die before the coming of the Messias, &c. and at tlie coming of the Messias, all soids shall be consummate thenceforth.' Bruise,] Ov, pierce, crush : the Hebrew word is of rare use, only here, and in Job ix. 17. Thy head :] Or, thee on the head. Hereby is meant Satan's over- throw and destruction in respect of his power and works, John xii. 31. 1 John iii. 8. for the head being bruised, strength and life is perished. So in Tharg. Jerusalemy it is expounded thus, ' The woman's children shall be cured ; but thou, O serpent, shalt not be cured.' And he saith thee, (rather than thy seed,) because Christ was to van- quish that old serpent, which overcame our lirst parents : who being destroyed, his seed perish with him, Rev. xii. 9. John xiv. HO. and xii. 31, 32. His heel:] Or, his foot- sole : for the Hebrew and Greek here used, tiiguify not only the heel, but the wJiole foot-

sole, and sometimes the footstep, or print of the foot. By the heel, or foot bruised, is meant Christ's ways, which Satan should seek to suppress by afflictions, and death for our sins, here foretold ; as appeareth by the I'eference which other scriptures make to this prophecy, Psal. Ivi. 7. and Ixxxix. 52. and xlix. 6. and xxii. 17. ' He was cruci- fied through infirmity, and put to death con- cerning the flesh, but was quickened by the spirit, and liveth through the power of God,' 2 Cor. xiii. 4. 1 Pet. iii. 18. and so his foot, not his head, was bruised by the serpent. Who yet brought upon him a death that was shameful, and painful, and cursed, because he was ' hanged on a tree,' Gal. iii. 13. for it is probable, that partly in remembrance of this first sin, by eating of the tree of knowledge, (which tree was a sign of curse and death if man transgressed : ) God's law after accounteth such as die on a tree, to have in more sjjecial manner, the sign of curse upon them, Deut. xxi. 23. But Christ swallowed up death in victory, Isa. XXV. 8. through whom, God also ' giveth us the victory,' 1 Cor. xv. 57. unto which promise the prophet hath reference, saying, ' Why shoidd 1 fear, in the days of evil : vehen the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about ? God will redeena my soul from the hand of hell,' Psal. xlix. 6, 16. Ver. 16. Multiplying I will multi- ply :] That is, I wiU much and assui'edly multiply : see this phrase opened, on Gen. ii. 16. Here are annexed not cui-ses, but chastisements for Eve and Adam : that their faith in the promised seed might continually be stirred up, and their sinfid nature subdued and mortified, Heb. xii. 6. Psal. cxix. 71. Conception :] Meaning painful conception ; and this word is used for the \vhole sjiace that the child is in the mother's body, imtil the birth : and so here implieth all the gi'iefs and cumbrances which women do endui'e at that time. The Greek translateth itgroanitig. The reason of this chastisement, is, because sin is from Adam derived by propagation to all his posterity, Psal. Ii. 7. Rom. v. Children : ] Hebre^v, sons : which implieth daughters also ; therefore the Greek trans- lateth it children : so for son, and sons, the Holy Ghost saith in Greek, children, as in Matth. xxii. 24. from Deut. xxv. 5. Gal. iv. 27. from Isa. liv. 1. By ' bringing forth,' is also meant ' bringing up' after the bu'th, as Gen. 1. 23. Unto the soiTows of

CHAP. III.

23

and thy conception ; in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children : and thy desire shall be to tliy husband ; and he shall rule over thee.

^'And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it : cursed is the ground for thy sake ; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. ^'*And thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee ; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. ^^In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,

childbirth, the scripture oftenhath reference, in cases of great aifliction in body or mind, Psal. xlviii. 7, Mic. iv. 9, 10. 1 Thess. v. 3. John xvi. 21. Rev. xii. 2. Howbeit this chastisement hindereth not a ^voman's salvation ^vith God, for ' nevertheless she shall be saved in childbearing,' if they [women] continue in faith, and love, and holiness, with sobriety : 1 Tim. ii. 15. Desire :] The Greek translateth it, thy turning, (or conversion:) the w^ord implieth a desirous affection, as appeareth by Song vii. 10. And that this should be to her husband, it noteth subjection, as in Gen. iv. 7. Elsewhere this word is not used : the apostle seemeth to have reference unto it, in

1 Thess. ii. 8. Rule :] So Paid saith, ' I permit not the woman to usurp authority over the man,' 1 Tim. ii. 12. And Peter, ' Wives be in subjection to your own hus- bands,' 1 Pet. iii. 1. And this being here a chastisement for sin, implieth a further ride, than man had over her by creation, and Tvith more grief unto womankind.

Ver. 17. The Ground:] Or, the earth : whereby is implied all this visible woi'ld, made for man, Psal. cxv. 16. 2 Pet. iii. 7. So all hope of blessedness on eai'th, is here- by cut off, for all things under the sun, are vanity and vexation of spirit, from man's birth to his dying day, Eccl. i. 2, 3, 14. and xii. 7, 8. and a heavenlj' heritage is to be sought for, immortal, and which fadeth not,

2 Pet. i. 14. Of gi'ound cursed, there fcl- loweth barrenness, or unprofitable fruits, and desolation. Gen. iv. 12. and iii. 18. Isa. xxiv. 6. and the end is to be burned, Heb. vi. 8. ' So the earth, and the works there- in, shall be burnt up,' 2 Pet. iii. 10. And as for man's sake this world is cursed, and the 'creature made subject to vanity;' so it ' earnestly expecteth the manifestation of the sons of God,' that it may be ' delivered from the bondage of corruption,' Rom. viii. 19, 20, 21. In sorrow :] With painful labour, as Prov. v. 10. Hereupon the scripture mentioneth our 'bread of sorrows,' Psal. cxxvii. 2. Adam was to have la- boured in his innoconcy, Gon. ii. 15. but without sorrow ; being under the Lord's

* blessing, which maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it,' Prov. x. 22. Concern- ing this son'ow (or toil) of our hands, Noah (the figure of Christ) was a comforter, Gen. V. 29.

Ver. 18. Thorns :] Heb. the thorn. Hereby is meant hannful weeds, instead of wholesome fruits. Job xxxi. 40. Jer. xii. 1.3. for men 'of thistles do not gather figs,' , Matth. vii. 16. Thorns do choke the good corn, as Matth. xiii. 7. And spiritually, these signify evil fruits, which wicked earthly men bring forth, Heb. vi. 8. Of THE JFIELD :] And so, no longer the pleasant fruits of paradise, Gen. ii. 9, 16. But as Nebuchadnezzar, vclien he had ' a beast's heart,' was driven out among beasts, ' to eat grass as the oxen,' Dan. iv. 13, 22. so man, not lodging a night in honour, nor under- standing, but becoming like beasts that perish, is to eat herbs with them, Psal. xlix. 13, 21. but by the labour of his hands, his diet is bettered.

Ver. 19. Sweat:] With much labour, which Adam and all his posterity was con- demned unto ; that this is a general rule, ' if any wiU not work neither should he eat,' 2 Thes. iii. 10. The ' sweat of the face,' though it is to be distinguished from the care of the mind, which Christ forbiddeth, Matth. vi. 25, 34. yet it doth imply all lawful labours, and industry of body and mind for the good of both, Eph. iv. 28. Matth. X. 10. 1 Cor. ix. 14. so that the giving of the heart also, to seek and search out things by wisdom, is ' a sore occupation, which God hath given to the sons of Adam, to be occupied therein,' and humbled there- by: Eccl. i. 13. Bread :] That is, all food ; whereof bread is the principal, as that ' which upholds the heart of man,' Psal. civ. 15. Therefore that which one evangelist calleth bread, Mark vi. 36. another caUeth victuals, or meats, Matth. xiv. 15. The GROUND :] Or, the earth ; (called elsewhere our earth, Psal. cxlvi. 4. and our dust, Psal. civ. 28.) meaning till man return to the ' dust of death,' the grave : and there, ' tlie w^caried be at rest from their labours,' Job iii. 17. Rev. xiv. 13. Dust thou art .•]

24

GENESIS.

till ihou return unto the ground ; for out of it wast thou taken : for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. '^°And Adam called his wife's name Eve : because she was the mother of all livino;. "'And .Tehovah God made to Adam and to his wife, coats of skin, and clothed them.

"And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take

to know good and evil

Or, thou wast, to wit, concerning the body, as Gen. ii. 7. not tlie spirit, which being immortal, goeth unto God for eternal joys or torments, I^uke xvi. 22, 23. and xxili. 43. This difference Solomon teacheth, ' And dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God that gave it,' Eccles. xii. 7. Here God condemneth man- kind to death, which is ' the wages of sin,' Rom. vi. 23. and to the grave, ' the house ai»pointed for all living,' Job xxx. 23. where they must ' wait till their change come,' Job xiv. li. for it is ' appointed to men once to die, and after this is the judgment,' Heb. iv. 27. Otherwise the life eternal ^ould not be obtained : for ' flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth coiTuption inherit incorruption ;' therefore we must aU either die, or ' be changed, and this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality :' and then «baU ' Death be swallowed up in victory,' 1 Cor. xv. 50, 31, 53, 51. So the Hebrew Rabbins also taught, saying, ' that unto this world there cleaveth the se- cret filthiness of the serpent which came upon Eve, and because of that filthiness, death is come upon Adam and his seed. For when God saw how uncleanness cleaved, and spread itself abroad in the world con- tinually, he intended to consume it, and to root out the power of it ; and therefore the bodies do consume and corrupt ; and have no continued life. But when the filthiness is consumed, and the spirit of uncleaimess taken out of the earth ; behold God will re- new his world, vpitbout any other filthiness, and will wake up by his power, those that dwell in the dust, &c. and the Lord will re- joice in his works, as the intendment of the creation was at the first:' R. Menachem on Gen. iii. The Greek philosophers have observed, that some dead men putrified, turn to serpents ; Plutarch in vita Cleomenis. If so, it is a notable memorial of man's first poisoning by the serpent.

Vkb. 20." Eve :] In Hebrew Chavnh : which is by intei-jiretation ///(•, (as tlie Greek also translatetli it) or living ; Adam first called her Woman, Gen. ii. 23. God called her Adam, Gen. v. 2. and now the man

calleth her Eve, life : by which new name, he testifieth his faith in, and thankfulness for God's former promise in vei'se 15. In which he also trained up his children, teach- ing them to sacrifice, and serve the Lord, Gen. iv. 3, 4. So the Hebi'ew Doctors reckon Adam as a repentant sinner : and by ' ^visdoni, (that is, faith in Christ) brought out of his fall :' Joseph. Antiq. book 1. chap. iv. and the author of the book of Wis- dom, chap. X. ver. 1. All living :] That is, as the Chaldee paraphraseth. ' of all the sons of man :' meaning this both naturally, of all men in the world, (and so of Christ the promised seed;) and sph'ituaJly, of all that live by faith : in which sense, Sarah is also counted the mother of the faithful, I Pet. iii. 6. Gal. iv. 22, 28, 31.

Ver, 21. Coats:'] To cover the body from shame and harm, and for a memorial of man's sin, and a fui'ther sign of those ' garments of justice and salvation,' which men have of God, that their filthy naked- ness do not appear. Rev. iii. 18. and xix. 8. 2 Cor. V. 2, 3, 4. The Chaldee calleth these here, ' gai'inents of honour.' Or SKIN : ] That is, in likelihood, of the skins of beasts, which God taught him to kiU for sacrifice. Which offerings were even from the beginning of the Gospel preached, as appeareth, Gen. iv. 3, 4. and viii. 20. And after by the law, the skins of the sacrifices were given to the priests. Lev. vii. 8. And the sacrifices being aU figures of Christ, (Heb. X. 5, 10.) the skins were fit to re- semble man's mortification, (as the girdle of skin which John Baptist wore, Matth. iii. 4.) and new life, by 'putting on the Lord Jesus Christ,' Rom. xiii. 13, 14. and the 'gaiinents of salvation,' wlierewith God dotheth his church, Isa. Ixi. 10.

Ver. 22. Is become as one,] To wit, of us ' three, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit,' 1 John v. 7. See before in Gen. i. 2G. Thus God upbraided Satan's lying speech, used in verse 5. and would leave an impression in Adam's heart, of his pride and folly in believing the serpent's de- ceitfid promises ; that so long as he lived an exile here on earth, he might have con- tinual motives of repentance and humilia^

CHAP. II I.

25

ulso of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever. ^And Jehovah God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. ""^And he drove out the man : and he placed

tion. The Hebrew plii'Eise, is as one ; meaiieth, ' is made,' or ' become as one :' as, this is, Psal. cxviii. 23. the evangelist traiislateth, ' this is done,' Matth. xxi. 42. LiEST HE PUT :] An imperfect speech ; where we may understand by that which followeth, ' he must be driven out, lest he be put,' &c. Such phrases ai'e usual, as Gen. xxxviii. 11. and xlii. 4. Matth. xxv. 9. ' and eat and live :' or, ' that he may eat and live.' And, is often used for that, and noteth the end and pui'pose of an act : as here, so in 2 Sam. xxi. 3. 2 Kings iii. 11. Lam. i. 19. Ee- cause ' the tree of life,' and the eating of it, was at first a sign of eternal life to man, if he had obeyed his Creator, (as is noted on Gen. ii. 9.) it might not no-sv in the justice of God, be so continued to man fallen into disobedience. Neither was the new cove- nant between God and man, of obedience again by the woi'ks of the law, imto life : but of faith in Christ, tlie woman's seed, unto forgiveness of sins, Gen. iii. 15, 20. God therefore, in di'iving the man from this tree, would drive him from all confidence in him- self and his own works, (and so from abuse of this tree also, which might turn to his further judgment,) that he might seek the life in heaven, which ' is hid with Christ in God,' Col. iii. 1, 2, .3. ■vvho will give to such as by faith do overcome the world, ' to eat of the tree of life, w^hich is in the midst of the paradise of God,' Rev. ii. 7.

Ver. 23. To TILL ;] Tillage, hath the name in Hebrew, of servile ivork, for all, even kings, are as sers-ants to the field, Eccl. v. 8. And this hai'd labour was a continual remembrance of sin, and doctrine of humiliation and repentance. WherefoJ'e God after in the law, freed every seventh (or sabbath) year, from this tillage in his land, when they did aU alike eat of that \vhich gi'ew of its own accord. Lev. xxv. 4, 6. to remember their fonner ease, lost by sin, but to be restored spiritually by Christ, when he should preach ' the acceptable year of the Lord : ' Isa. Ixi. 2. 2 Cor. vi. 2.

Ver. 24. Drove out :] Or, expulsed, not to return thither again, but that he might seek admission into the heavenly para- dise, whereuiito Christ giveth entrance, Luke xxiii. 43. minding himself an exile and pilgi'im here on earth, 1 Pet. ii. 11. 2 Cor. V. 1, 4. The Hebrews srj {in Sreshith ketanna on this place,) ' Adam was driven out of paradise in this world, but in the world I.

to come, he shall not be driven out.' The remembrance of this future mercy, was kept afterward among the Gentiles ; for it is one of the Clialdean oracles, ' seek paradise, the glorious country of the soul.' Cherueims :] Oi', cherubs. These were living creatures with wings, as may be gathered by compar- ing Ezek. i. 5. and x. 1, 15. the figures of such were wrought in tlie tabernacle, Exod. xxv. 18. and xxvi. 1. See the annotations there. Moses here seemeth to mean angels, by this name : for they have appeared some • times with wings ' flying,' Dan. ix. 21. suid with 'sword,' 1 Chron. xxi. 16. and as ' fiery chai'iots,' 2 Kings vi. 17. as here they have the ' flame of a sword,' that is, ' a flaming sword,' as the Greek translat- eth it, to keep man out of pai'adise. Of angels, see the notes on Gen. xvi. 7. By these also, God further might signify, the angels or ministers in his spiritual para- dise the church, and the sharp two-edged sword of his word, wherewith they are amied, against all the disobedient, 2 Cor. x. 4, 5, 6. But the twelve angels at the twelve gates of that paradise, direct from aU quarters of the world, to enter thereinto by the gates which are never sliut, such as are written in the Lamb's book of life; where the tree of life gro^veth and giveth fruit, wherein they have right, that do the com- mandments of God, Rev. xxi. 12, 25, 27. and xxii. 2, 14. Turned itself :] To wit, everi/ u'oy, for more terror, that man should not there attempt re-entrance. Such ' spiritually is the use of the law^ and doctrine thereof, •which terrifieth the conscience, and by the works ivhereof no flesh can be jus- tified, Rom. iii. 20. but it sei'veth to drive men unto Christ, that they may be made righteous by faith. Gal. iii. 24. The an- cient Jews had an expectation of recovery of this loss by Christ, though now they are ignorant of him : for they write of ' seven things which the King Christ shall shov^r unto Israel ;' two of which are, ' the garden of Eden ;' and the ' tree of life,' R. Elias Ben Moses, in Sepher reshith choemah, fol. 4, 12. Also expounding that in Song i. 4. ' the King hath brought me into his chambers : ' our Doctors of blessed memory, have said, that these are the chambers of the garden of Eden. And again, ' There are also that say of the tree of life that it was not cre- ated in vain, but the men of the resurrection (that are raised from the d^ad) shall eat D

26

GENESIS.

at the east of the garden of Eden, cherubhiis, and the flame sword which turned itself, to keep the way of the tree of hfe.

of

thereof and live for ever,' R. IMenachem, on Gen. ili. And by the 'garden of Eden,' (or paradise,) it seems they understood the kingdom of heaven : for the Chaldee para- phrast on Song iv. \'2. saith, ' as the gar- den of Eden, into which no man hath power to enter, but the just ; whose souls are sent thither by the hands of angels.' According to these speeches, familiar in old time among the Jews, the Holy Ghost also speaketh, of ' carriage by angels, into Abraham's bosom,' Luke xvi. 22. of being ivith Christ ' in paradise,' Luke xxiii. 43. and of ' eating of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the pai'adise of God,' Rev.

ii. 7. And that the Jews understood not these things carnally, appeareth by these words of theirs. In the world to come, ' there is no eating or drinking, nor any other of the things which the bodies of the sons of Adam have need of in this world ; as sitting, and standing, and sleep, and death, and sorrow, and mirth, and the like : so our ancient wise men have said. In the world to come there is no eating nor drink- ing ; nor use of marriage^ but the just do sit with their crowns upon their heads, and have the fruition of the glory of the Majes- ty of God.' Maimony in Misn. treat, of repentance, chap. viii. sect. 2.

CHAP. IV.

1. T/ie birth, trade, and religion of Cain and Abel. 8. Cain killeth Abel ; 9. for it he is examined of God ; 11. and cursed: 13. he des- paireth ; 16. and departeth from God's presence. 17. Cain btiildeth the city Enoch, and hath children to the seventh generation : amongst ivhom ; 19. Lantech taketli two wives ; 20. Jabel is a chief shepherd. 21. Jubal a musician. 22. Tuhal-cain a smith. 25. Adam begetteth Seth, who is in Abel's stead : 26. and Seth, Enos.

'And Adam knew Eve his wife ; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man of Jehovah. "And she again bare his

Ver. 1. Knew :] By lying with her ; as this phrase is explained in Num. xxxi. 17. A modest manner of speech, used again in verse 17 and 25. and throughout the scrip- tures, Matth. i. 25. Luke i. Si. Cain :] By interpretation, gotten, or, a possession ; the reason followeth, ' I have gotten (kani- thi) a man of Jehovah :' or, ' with Jehovah,' that is, with his favour, and of his good will. The Greek translateth it, hy God. Thus showed she her thankfulness to the Lord, whose heritage children are, Psal. cxxvii. 3. and her hope of good in that first born son : howbelt her expectation fail- ed her; for ' Cain was of the wicked one' Satan ; 1 John iii. 12. The Hebrew Doctors also say, ' Cain was born of the filth and seed that the serpent had conveyed into Eve :' R. Menachem on Gen. iv. Here- in Cain was a figure of all reprobates, the

children 'of the devil:' John viii. ik 1 John iii. 10.

Ver. 2. Again bare:] In Hebrew, she added to bear. From this phrase of her ' adding to bear,' without mention of any other conception, some of the Jew Doctors gather, that Cain and Abel were twins : Pirkei R. Eliezer, chap. xxi. Abel:] So the Greek and the evangelists ■write him, Matth. xxiii. 35. The Hebrew name is Hebel, which signifieth 'vanity,' or 'a soon vanishing vapour:' such is every man's life, James iv. 14<. and so was Abel's in special, being soon killed by his brother. And David saith, that every man is vanity, [Abel] though settled as men may think, Psal. xxxix. 6. Feeder:] Or, 'shepherd, pastor and governor of a flock:' which flock (in the original) comprehendeth both sheep and goats, as is explained in Lev. i. 10. The

CHAP. IV.

27

brother Abel : and Abel was a feeder of sheep, and Cain was a tiller of the ground. ^And it was at the end of days, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto Jehovah. '*And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat of them :

New Testament translateth it into Greek, sometimes sheep, as Rom. viii. 36. from Psal. xliv. 23. sometimes flock, as 1 Cor. ix. 7. and sometimes both together, as, ' the sheep of the flock," Matth. xxvi. 31. from Zech. xiii. 7. for which in Mark xiv. 27. is writ- ten only, 'the sheep.' Abel in shepherd y, as in saci'ificing and martyrdom, was a fi- gure of Christ, John x. 11. Of this trade also were the patriarchs of Israel, Gen. xlvi. 32, 34'. and Moses, David, and many other men of note : Exod. iii. 1. Psal. Ixxviii. 70, 71.

Ver. 3. At the end of days :] that is,

* at the end of the year. ' Some understand it to mean, 'after many days,' that is, 'in process of time.' But a full year is called ' a year of days,' Gen. xli. 1. 2 Sam. xiv. 28. because of certain days that are in the year, besides the months. And for shoi'tness of speech (which the Hebrew tongue aff^cteth), days, are used for a ' year of days,' that is, ' a whole year,' as in Lev. xxv. 29. days is in ver. 30. expounded to be 'a perfect (or fuU) year :' and the 'revolution of days,' 1 Sam. i. 20. is that which Moses calleth the ' revolution of the year,' Exod. xxxiv. 22. And in Numb. ix. 22. ' or two days, or a month, or days,' that is, a year. And in Amos iv. 4. ' after three days,' meaneth

* three years,' Deut. xiv. 28. and in Exod. xiii. 10. 1 Sam i. 3. ' from days to days ;' is, ' from year to year : ' and the ' sacrifice of days,' 1 Sam. ii. 19. was the 'yearly sac- rifice.' Whereupon in prophecies, often- times, days are used for years. Rev. xi. 2, 1 1. At the year's end, men were wont in a most solemn manner to sacrifice unto God, w^ith thanks for his blessings, having gather- ed in their fruits : so the law of Moses did command, Exod. xxlii. 16. which order (as by this appeareth) the fathers obsei'ved from the beginning : and it was so accustomed among the Gentiles ; for ' the ancient sac- rifices and assemblies unto tliat end, were after the gathering in of the fruits, for (an oblation of) the first fruits ;' saith Aristotle in Ethics, book viii. Brought:] In Greek, offered. It is likely, that the sons brought their off"erlngs unto God, by Adam their father, who w^as high priest, (as after, all the first born in families were priests, Exod. xix. 22.) and upon one altar he offered their gifts. The Hebrew Doctors say ; 'it is a

tradition by the hand of all, that the place Avherein David and Solomon built an altar in the floor of Araunah, (1 Chron. xxi. 22, 26. and xxii. 1. 2 Chron. iii. 1.) was the place where Abraham builded an altar, and bound Isaac upon it, (Gen. xxii. 9.) and that was the place ^vhere Noah builded, after he came out of the ark, (Gen. viii. 20.) and that was the altar upon which Cain and Abel offered : and on it, Adam the first man off'ered an offering after he was created, and out of that place he was ci'eated. Our wise men have said, Adam was cre- ated out of the place of his atonement.' Maimony in Misneh, book viii. treat, of the temple, chap. ii. sect. 2. An offering ;] Or, ohlation, called in Hebrew, a minchah, by ^vhich name the meat-offering is call- ed in the law. Lev. ii. which commonly w^as of wheat flour ; although the word is sometimes used generally for any gift or present. Gen. xxxii. 13. But Cain brought ' of the fruit of the ground,' which custom continued ; so that in Israel men might eat neither bread nor corn, till they had brought an offering unto God, Lev. xxiii. 14. Among the Greeks also they used to sacrifice the fruits of the earth. Homer, Iliad I. and Numa ordained the like among the Romans, who ' tasted not new corn or wine before the priests had sacrificed the first fruits,' saith Pliny in book xviii. chap. 2. and in the Roman laws of the twelve tables the same oblation of corn is commanded : de relig. tit. i. lex 4. The like was for sa- crificing of beasts, as Abel did : wliich was used of Israel, and of all nations tiU the coming of Christ : see Lev. i.

Ver. 4. The fat of them :] As the first fruits of the earth, of beasts, of men, were given in thankfulness to the Lord, that all the rest might be sanctified and blessed, Exod. xxii. 29, 30. and xxiii. 19. so God challenged the fat of aU sacrifices peculiarly to himself, Lev. iii. 16, 17. and vii. 25. Avhich fat sometimes figured man's unbelief, hardness of heart, and want of sense, Psal. cxix. 70. Acts xxviii. 27. which was to be consumed by the fire of God's spirit : some- times it signified the best of all things. Num. xviii. 12. in which sense it seemeth to be spoken here of Abel. From whose example, the Hebrew Doctors teach, that a man should ' enlarge his liand, and bring hi*

28

GENESIS.

and Jehovah had respect unto Abel and unto his offering; ^Bat unto Cain and unto his offering, he had not respect ; and Cain was vehe- mently grieved, and his countenance fell. ''And Jehovah said unto Cain, Why art thou grieved, and why is thy countenance fallen ? ''If thou do well, i's there not forgiveness ? and if thou dost not well, sin lieth at the door : and unto thee shall be his desire ; and thou shalt

offering of the fairest and most laudable amongst those kind of things whereof he bringeth. Behold it is written in the law, " and Abel he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat of them." And this is a common law, in every thing which is for the name, of the good God, that it be of the goodliest and best. If one build a house of prayer, let it be fairer than his own dwelling house : if he feed the hungry, let him feed him with the best and sweetest that is on his table : If he clothe the naked, let it be with the fairest of his clothes ; if he sanctify any thing, let him sanctify of the fairest of his goods ; and so he saitli, (Lev. iii. 16.) all the fat is the Lord's,' Maimony in Misneh tom. iii. in Asurei mizbeach, chap. vii. sect. 11. By thesacri- . fices of old, there was, besides a thankful- ness to God, a yearly remembrance also of their sins, Heb. x. 3. and hope of the for- giveness of tJiem by Christ to come, Heb. x. i , 10, 14. And seeing the godly offered in faith, Heb. xi. 14. and faith is ' by hearing the word of God,' llom. x. 17. Abel and the rest were taught of God thus for to worship him ; for all wiU-ivorship devised by men is vain, Matth. xv. 9. Col. ii. 22, 23. Had respect : ] To wit, with delight, as the Hebrew Avord implieth ; (and so one Greek version translateth it, ' was delight- ed :') and with 'favourable acceptation,' as the Chaldee paraphrase explaineth it. So God commanded every man to offer sacrifice ' for his favourable acceptation,' Lev. i. 3. that he and it might be accepted of the Lord. This gracious respect unto Abel, was seen of Cain, for which he was grieved : and the apostle noteth it to be a testification of Abel's 'justice by faith,' Heb. xi. 4. It is likely therefore that God showed it by some visible sign, as by fire from heaven consuming the sacrifice, for so he used to do in such cases after, as Lev. ix. 24. 1 Chron. xxi. 26. 2 Chron. vii. 1. 1 Kings xviii. 38. and the burning of the sacrifices to ashes, -vvas a sign of his favourable acceptance, Psid. xx. A: and Theodosio, a Greek interpreter, translateth it here, ' he set on fire.' 13y this God's acceptance, Abel's faith was confinn- rd touching life and salvation in Christ : otherwise God would not have received an

ofl'ering at his hands ; Judg. xiii. 23. Un- to Abel : ] For his faith in Christ, whereby he -was just, and by which he ' offered a greater sacrifice than Cain,' Heb. xi. 4. And so the sacrifice was respected for the man, not the man for the sacrifice, Prov. xii. 2. and xv. 8.

Ver. 5. Grieved :] Or, displeased j very icroth. The Hebrew vi^ord signifieth to burn or be inflamed, either with anger or grief: the Greek here translateth ' he was grieved ;' and in sundry other places, as John iv. 1, 9. w^liere both the Greek version and all the circiunstances show it to mean grief. So in 1 Sam. xv. 11. Samuel was grieved; and David, 1 Chi'on, xiii. 11. and Nehemiah, Neh. v. 6. and many the like. Countenance :] Or, ' his face fell ;' that is, ' he showed himself ashamed, gi'ieved, and discontented.' This is elsewhere expressed by the ' falling of the light of the counte- nance,' Job xxix. 24. contrary to which, is the 'lifting up of the face,' for a sign of comfort and joy, Job xi. 13. See also Gen. xix. 21.

Ver. 7. Do well:] Or, do good. Here- by God teacheth that well-doing consisted not in the outward offering which Cain brought : but in faith, which he wanted, Heb. xi. 4. John vi. 29. And the apostle hence concludeth, that Cain's ' works were evil,' 1 John iii. 12. Forgiveness:] Or, acceptation. The Hebrew word which pro- perly signifieth elevation or lifting up, when it is spoken of sin, as the words following show here it is, meaneth forgiveness at God's hand, who lifteth up, and so easeth us of the burden of it ; as Kom. iv. 7. from Psal. xxxii. 1. And one end of sacrificing, was the forgiveness of sin, Lev. vi. 2, 6, 7. So the Chaldee hei'e explaineth it ' if thou do thy woi'ks well, shalt thou not have for- giveness ?' Otherwise it may be expounded, 'is there not a lifting up,' to wit, of thy countenance which now is fallen, that is, an acceptation of thy face and petition, and consequently of thy offering, in Gen. xix. 21. 'lifting up, (or accepting) the face,' signifieth favourable acceptation with God ; and in Job xi. 15. it signifieth comfortable bold carriage. Or, ' is there not a bearing (or carrying away) of blessing

CHAP. IV

29

rule over him. *And Cain spake unto Abel his brother : and it was, Avhen they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and killed him. ^And Jehovah saith unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother ? and he said, I know not : am I my brother's keeper ? ^°And he said. What hast thou done ? the voice of thy

and retvard, as Psal. xxiv. 5. A question thus asked, is an earnest affirmation that so it shall be ; as, ' are they not wi-itten ?' 2 Kings XX. 20. is expounded, ' Lo they are written,' 2 Chron. xxxii. 32. and ' is not the life more than meat ?' Matth. vl. 23. that is, ' the life is more,' Luke xii. 23. Also the Holy Ghost turneth into a question, ' hath not my hand made all these ?' Acts vii. 1:9. that which the prophet aihrmeth plainly, ' all these my hand hath made,' Isa. Ixvi. 1. So Gen. xiii. 9. and many the like. Sin,] Or, the inisdeed, error. By sin and iniquity the punishment for it is often meant, as in Gen. xix. 15. Lev. XX. 20. 2 Kings vii. 9. Zech. xiv. 19. And sin is the en'ing or missing as of the mark aimed at, Judg. xx. 16. God's law is our mark, and way to walk in : therefore sin is defined to be ' swerving from,' or ' trangression of the law,' (ano- my or enormity,) 1 John iii. 4. In Hebrew it is called chattaah, whereupon the Greeks framed the name, atee, that is, hurt or da- mage ; and their poets feigned that it was a woman cast out of heaven, ' pernicious Atee, that [aatai) hurteth aU men,' Homer, Iliad.

19. LiETH :] Or, couchelh, is coucliing : a word usually spoken of beasts, applied here to sin, as a hurtful beast ready to devour. For to lie ' at the door,' is to be near at hand, Mark xiii. 39. and in Deut. xxix.

20. the curses are said to couch (or lie) upon the sinner, whom the Lord wDl not be merciful unto. The Chaldee referreth it to the last judgment, saying, ' thy sin is kept lo the day of judgment, in which vengeance shall be taken on thee, if thou convert not.' And other Rabbins thus ; ' Sin couching at the door, meancth at the gates of justice ; for from thence judgment cometh for ever, upon them that are in transgression, for from thence the angel of death hath his power,' R. Menachem on Gen. iv. His desire:] That is, Abel's; who, being the yoxuiger brother, is subject unto thee. For Cain being the first born, had great privi- leges by nature over his bi'cthren, as is shown on Gen. xxv. 31. and xxvii. 19. Or, 'the desire of it, (that is, of sin) is unto thee, but thou sbalt rule over it ;' that is, (as Paul speaketh) 'let not sin reign in thy n;ortal bodv, tliat thou shouldest obey it in

the lusts thereof,' Rom. vi. 12. The Tar- gum Jerusalemy thus referreth it to the subduing of sin ; although the Hebrew dif- feretli in gender from sin, as the word lieth doth likewise. But such differences may often be observed, and sometimes m the very Hebrew text, as jaho, aud jchi, 1 Chron. xviii. 2, 5, 6. and xxi. 5. for which else- where is tabo and tehi, 2 Sam. viii. 2, 5, 6. and xxiv. 9. lahem, and bahem, 1 Kings xxii. 17. and 1 Chi'on. x. 7. which also is written lahen, and buhen, 2 Chron. xviii. 16. 1 Sam. xxxi. 7. See also Exod. i. 21.

Ver. 8. Spake:] Or, 'said xmto Abel his bi'other,' but wliat he said, is not set down. The Hebrew text hath here a pause extraordinary, implying further mat- ter. The Greek version addeth, ' let us go out into the field :' and Targum Jeru- salemy addeth the same and much more, how Cain (when they were in the field) should say, there was ' no judgment, nor judge, nor other world to come, nor good reward for justice, nor vengeance for wick- edness,' &c. all which Abel gainsayed, and then his brother slew him. It seemeth to imply a dissimulation of Cain's hatred, in that he conversed friendly with his brother, till he found opportunity to kill him ; as others in their hatred, are observed to speak (of the matter of their grief,) ' neither good nor bad :' 2 Sanf{. xiii. 22. Killed him:] ' And wherefore kUled he him ? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's good.' 1 John iii. 12. Hereupon the sci-ipture givetli them these titles, ' Abel the just,' Matth. xxiii. 35. and 'Cain of that wicked one,' 1 John iii. 12. that is, of the devil : for ' he was a mui-derer from the beginning,' John viii. 44-.

Ver. 9. Where is Abel?] Here God showeth himself to be the ' si^eker out of bloods, ' Psal. ix. 13. So Zechaviah, when he was murdered, said, ' Tlie Lord look upon it and require it,' 2 Chron. xxiv. 22. Here- upon these two martyrs are mentioned by our Saviour, whose bloods, with all the rest, should come upon the Jews, Matth. xxiii. 35, 36.

Ver. 10. Bloods:] This word in (he plural number, usually signifieth murder, and the guilt following it : and such as gave themselves to this sin, an; called ' men of

30

GENESIS.

brother's bloods cries unto me from the earth. "And now, Cursed art thou from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's bloods from thy hand. ^When thou tillest the ground, it shall not lienceforth yield her strength unto thee : a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. "And Cain said unto Jehovah, My iniquity is greater than may be forgiven. ''^Behold, thou hast

bloods,' Psal. v. 7. Sometimes bloods mean- eth man's natural generation, John i. 13. To this latter, the Chaldee paraphrases have reference, translating it, ' The voice of the bloods of the generations, (the multitudes of just men,) which should have proceeded from thy brother. ' Cry : J Or, are crying. This word hath reference in number to the bloods fore-mentioned, as if many were spilt, and cried. From hence the apostle noteth the effect of Abel's faith, how by ' it, being dead he yet speaketh,' Heb. xi. 4. This crying, was unto God for vengeance, wliere- fore Christ's blood is prefen-ed before this, as ' speaking better things than Abel,' Heb. xii. 24. Compare also Rev. vi. 10. In this first death which fell out in the world, God manifested the immortality of man's soul, the forgiveness of sins to the faithful, with the contrary concerning hypocrites ; and the resurrection of the body : as Christ gathereth from another like scripture, Matth. xxii. 31, 32.

Ver. 11. Cursed:] As God's blessing implieth among other good things, ' the light of his face,' and favoiu' towards men, Psal. Ixvii. 2. so his curse bi'ingeth with other evils, the hiding of his face, and withdraw- ing of his favour ; as Cain after complain- eth, verse 14. By this sentence Cain is cast out from God's presence and church, and is the first cursed man in the world.

Ver. 12. Not henceforth :] Hebrew, not add to yield : that is, ' not yield any more her strength,' meaning the natural fruit, which otherwise, through God's bless- ing it could, Joel ii. 22. For as the cursed fig-tree lost the vigour, and withered : Mark xi. 21. so the fruitful land is made baiTen, when it is cursed for the sin of the inhabitants. Lev. xxix. 20. Psal. cvii. 34. Here the foinner curse laid upon the earth. Gen. iii. 17. is increased for Cain's sake ; and the destruction of the ^'orld hastened : see Gen. v. 29. A contrary blessing is promised to them that fear the Lord, Lev. Vxvi. 4. Ezek. xxxiv. 26, 27. Fugitive:] Or, wanderer : a curse which David wished to his enemies, Psal. lix. 12. and cix. 10. contrary tr the safe and settled estate of God's people ; Psal. cxii. 6, 7. Mic. iv. 4. I'he word is sometimes used for the fearful

moving of the heart, as in Isa. vii. 2. so the Greek here translateth, * Sighing and trem- bling shalt thou be on the earth.'

Ver. 13. My iniquity:] Or, ' my pun- ishment for iniquity : ' see the annotations on verse 7. and Gen. xix. 15. Than imay be FORGIVEN-] Or, ' than thou mayest forgive.' Or, referring it to the punishment, ' greater than I can bear.' In this sense, Cain mur- mureth against God's justice : in the former, he despaireth of his mercy. So the Greek translateth, 'my fault is greater than may be forgiven me :' and the Chaldee para- phi'ase maketh the same exposition. Here in Cain is fidfiUed that saying, ' he believeth not to return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword : ' Job xv. 22. And in him may be seen seven abominations, (so many as are in the heart of him that hateth his brother, Prov. xxvi. 25.) for, first, he sacrificed without faith ; secondly, was dis- pleased that God respected him not ; third- ly, hearkened not to God's admonition ; fourthly, spake dissemblingly to his brother ; fifthly, killed him in the field ; sixthlj', de- nied that he knew where he was ; seventh- ly, asketh not, nor hopeth for mercy of God, but despaireth, and so falleth into the condemnation of the devil.

Ver. 14. Shall I BE hid:] Or, be abseiit, as Gen. xxxi. 49. This meaneth a fearful banishment from the face or presence of God in his church ; as after followeth in verse 16. Contrary to which, is the ap- pearing before God's face, in the place of his public worship, Exod. xxiii. 17. Psal. xlii. 3. Job professeth his faith in this respect, opposite to Cain's despair, Job xiii. 20, &c. Whosoever : ] Or, ' every one that findeth (or meeteth) me.' This showeth his ter- ror in conscience, fearing just recompense, and ' heeing where none doth pursue:' as Lev. xxvi. 17, 36. Job xv. 20, 21. Prov. xxviii. 1. Amongst the ancient Romans, when a man was cursed for any wicked fact, -whosoever would, might freely kill him : Dionys. Halicarnass. I. 2. And of old, among the Gauls (or J<"renchmen) such as obeyed not their priests the Druids, were forbidden the sacrifices, (their divine wor- ship :) and those so forbidden, were reputed amongst the most wicked ; all men shunned

CHAP. I V.

31

driven me out this day from the face of the earth ; and from thy face shall I be hid : and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth ; and it shall be, that whosoever findeth me will kill me. '^And Jeho- vah said unto him, Therefore, whosoever killeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold : and Jehovah set a sign upon Cain, lest any finding him should slay him. ""And Cain went out from the presence of Jehoviih, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. ^"And Cain knew his wife ; and she conceived, and bare Enoch : and he was building a city, and he called the name of the city, as the name of his son, Enoch. '^And unto Enoch was born

them, and would not converse or talk with them, fearing to be defiled even by light communication with them, no benefit of law w^as allowed them, nor any honour done unto them : Casar Comment, de hello Gall. I. 6. A like severe censure was also among the Greeks, as K. CEdipus's words sho^v, in Sophocles, in CEdip. Tyr.

Ver. 15. Sevenfold :] That is, he shall have much gi'eater punishment : for seven, meaneth much or 7nani/ : Prov. xxvi. 25. Job V. 19. Psal. xii. 7. The Chaldee here luiderstands it of punishment to ' the seventh generation.' Hereby God repressed further bloodshed, which men else might rush into ; for soon after ' the earth -was filled with violence,' Gen. vi. 11. He let Cain live miserably, for a warning toothers, as David (having reference hereto) saith, ' Slay them not, lest my people forget : make them wan- der abroad (as fugitives) by thy power :' Psal. lix. 12. Thus also he provided for the increase of the world at the beginning : wherefore Cain's posterity is after reckoned, to the seventh generation. Upon Cain :] Or, unto Cain, to secure him from his fear. 'Upon him,' to keep others from killing him : as in another case, in Ezek. ix. 4, 5, 6. they that had God's mark set upon them, were not slain. Lest any :] Or, that not any. Slay:] Or, smite, that is, kill him. The full speech is ' to smite him in soul,' as Gen. xxxvii. 21. and where one prophet saith, ' he smote,' 2 Kings xiv. 5. another expounds it, ' he killed : ' 2 Chron. xxv. 3.

Ver. 16. From the presence:] Or, ' from before the face of Jehovah :' that is, from the place of God's word and public worship, which in likelihood was held by Adam the father, who being a prophet, had taught his childi'en how to sacrifice, and serve the Lord. So on the contrary, to ' come unto God's presence' (or before him) 1 Chron. xvi. 29. is explained in Psal. xcvi. 8. to be the coming 'into his courts.' God's face, or presence is man's greatest joy in this life, and in that which is to come,

Exod. xxxiii. 14, 15, 16. Psal. xvii. 15. Of which Cain -was now deprived : for, ' the evil shall not sojourn with God, nor fools shall stand before his eyes,' Psal. v. 5, 6. Otherwise, as God's face signifieth his all-seeing providence and government, none can flee from it, Psal. cxxxix. 7, 12. Jer. xxiii. 24. Of Jonas, it is likewise said, he rose up ' to flee from the presence of the Lord;' Jon. i. 3. Dwelt :] Or, sate : that is, 'seated himself.' Sitting, is used for dwelling, as after in verse 10. and often in the scriptures. Nod :] Li Greek, naid ; so named, because Cain was there. Nad, that is, a vagabond, as God threateneth be- fore, in verse 12.

Ver. 17. Knew his wife :] That is, lay with her, as verse 1. This was one of Adam's daughters, spoken of in Gen. v. 4. to ■whom it seemeth he was married before. And here follow^ seven generations of Cain reckoned : for God letteth the wicked pros- per in this world, Psal. xvii. 14. 'he in- creaseth nations, and (afterward) destroyeth them,' Job. xii. 23. Enoch : ] In Hebrew Chanoch : by interpretation, 'catechised, in- structed, or dedicated.' It ^vas the name also of that godly man mentioned in Gen. V. 18, 22. Was building :] This manner of speech (which the Greek translation, also keepeth,) may imply a beginning of the work though perhaps not finished, as after in the building of Babel, Gen. xi. And Cain's building of a city, seemeth to be for his better security from his fears, and to de- note his worldly affection, otherwise than Abraham had, who ' looked for a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God:' Ileb. xii. 10. The name of his SON :] So proclaiming his name on the city, as David showeth vain ■worldly men do on lands, Psal. xlix. 12. As Cain's name sig- nifieth possession, so had he possessions of children, city, I'iches, arts, &c. in this world all which Abel wanted, whose inheritance ^vas in heaven.

Ver. 18. Irad:] Or, Ghnirad, in

32

GENESIS.

Irad; and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael; and Methusael begat Lamech. ^^And Lamech took unto him two wives : the name of the one luas Adah ; and the name of the second, Zillah. -°And Adali bare Jabel : he was the flither of them that dwell in tents, and that have catde. ^And his brother's name was ■Jubal : he was the father of all that handle the harp and organ. "And Zillah she also bare Tubal-cain ; an instructer of every artifi- cer in brass and iron : and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. ^And Lamech said unto his wives ; Adah and Zillah, hear ye my

Greek, Gaidad : for the Hebrew letters R. and D. are one much like another, and often put one for another by the Greek translators ; and in the Hebrew text itself : as Riphath Gen. x. 3. is Diphath, 1 Chron. i. 6. Chcmdan, Gen. xxxvi. 26. is Chamran 1 Chron. i. 41. Hadar, Gen. xxxvi. 30. is Iladad, 1 Chron. i. 50. lladarezer, 1 Cliron. xviii. 3. is Hadadezer, 2 Sam. viii. 3. and sundry the like: which show that the Hebrew letters had the same form and figure of old, wliich they have at this day. IVIe- HUJAEL :] Or, Mechujael; written imme- diately after, Mechijael ; in Greek, ]Maleleel, according to the name of Cainan's son, in Gen. V. 12. Methusael:] In Greek Ma- thusala ; as also they write Enoch's son, Gen. V. 21. Lamech:] Or, Lemech : so Gen. V. 21. Cain's posterity accord in name with Seth's.

Ver. 19. Two WIVES :] So violating the law of marriage, which by God's ordinance was to be but with one wife. Gen. ii. 18, 21. Adah :] By interpretation an orna- vient : as Zillah (or Sella) signiiied her shadow.

Ver. 20. Jabal :] In Greek, Jobel. Father :] That is, master, as the Chaldee expoundeth it. Every crafts-master that cither first inventeth, or perfecteth and teacheth any art, is called a father. So in the verse following. Dwell in tents :] That is, 'used shepherdy :' for shei)herds used tents, to remove from place to place, where best pasture was to be found : Isa. xxxviii. 12. Song. i. 8. Jcr. vi. 3. and xlix. 29. The Hebrew phrase, ' him that dwell- eth,' is meant of manj', as the Greek also translateth it, ' them that dwell.' So dweller, 2 Sam. v. 6. is expounded dwellers, ] Chron. i. 4. enemy, 1 Kings viii. 37, 44. is enemies, 2 Chron. vi. 28, 34. and many the like. See also Gen. iii. 2. Cat- tle :] Heb. possession : understanding the w^ord cattle, as is explained in Gen. xxvi. ] 4. ' he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds.' So the Greek here ti'anslateth, 'feeders of cattle.' The supply of such

words is often made in the text itself : as a ' thousand,' 2 Sara. viii. 4. that is, ' a thousand chariots,' I Chron. xviii. 4. Uz- zah ' put forth to the ark,' 2 Sam. vi. 6. that is, ' he put forth his hand to the ark,' 1 Chron. xiii. 9. See also Gen. v. 3.

Ver. 21. Handle :] That is, play upon : as the Chaldee paraphraseth, ' he was mas- ter of all that play on the psaltery, and knew music,' which the Greek translateth, ' this was he that showed the psaltery, and the harp.' Organ :] It hath the name in Hebrew, of loveliness and delight ; and it was an instrument of joy. Job xxi. 12. so %vas the hai-p called therefore the ' pleasant harp,' Psal. Ixxxi. 3. Thus God gave the Cainites skiU to invent things profitable and delightful to the flesh : yet were they irre- ligious, as is written : ' they said unto God, depart from us : and what should the Al- mighty do for them ? For he filled their houses with good things:' Job xxii. 17, 18.

Ver. 22. Instructer :] Hebrew, a whetter (or sharpener :) which the Chaldee expoundeth also a master. He shai-ply and wittily taught smiths-craft, and instruments of war. The heathens after feigned Vul- can, (which name seemeth to be borrowed fi'om this Tubal-cain,) to be the god of smiths. Naamah :] She hath her name of pleasance. Thus with profits and pleasures, they of the old world passed their time, ' eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that the flood came, and took them all away :' Matth. xxiv. 38, 39. The Hebrew Doctors (in Midras Ruth, and Zochar) say of this Naa- mah, that ' all the w^orld wandered (in love) after her ; yea even the sons of God, (as in Gen vi. 2.) and that of her there were born evil spirits into the world.'

Ver. 23. I HAVE KILLED, &c.] Or, ' I

would kill a man in my wound, yea, a young man in my hurt.' The Hebrew is of the time i)ast, as speaking of murder committed ; (and so the Greek translateth, ' I have killed a man :') but it may also be interpreted, as

CHAP. IV

33

voice; ye wives of Laniech, hearken to my speech : for I have killed a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. ^'If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold ; then Lamech, seventy and sevenfold.

^^And Adam knew his wife again, and she bare a son ; and she called his name Seth : for God hath set unto me another seed instead of Abel : because Cain killed him. -^And to Seth also himself there

a boastful threat for time to come ; that if any did wound or hurt him, he should sure- ly die for it. And it may be, that for vio- lating the law of marriage by taking two wives, God vexed him with a disquiet life between them, that they lived in discon- tent and emulation one with another, (as there is an example in 1 Sara. i. 6, 7.) and both of them with their husband : so in his wrath he uttered these ^vo^ds unto them, to repress their strife. Or he thus boasteth of his valour, for some other cause. The Chaldee paraphrast luiderstood this in a con- trary sense ; as if it were a question, ' for have I killed,' &c. that is, ' I have not :' and expoimdeth it thus ; ' For I have not killed a man, that I should bear sin for him; nor destroyed a j'oung man, that my seed should be consumed for him.' To my hurt] Or, ' for my stripe :' the original word signifieth a loale, or mark of a stripe, or wound in the Hesh.

Vek. Si. Seventy and sevenfold :] That is, ' if he that killeth Cain, shall be punished sevenfold ; then he that killeth me, shall be seventy-sevenfold.' It seem- eth to be an insolent contempt of God's judgment, and abusing of his patience to- wards Cain, verse 15. ' Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedi- ly, therefore the heart of the sons of men is full in them to do evil,' Eccl. viii. II.

Ver. 25. Seth,] Hebrew, Sheth : that is, set or appointed, to wit, in Abel's room. He was not born till 130 years after the creation. Gen. v. 3. It might be, Adam had other sons and daughters before. Gen. v. 4. but none, in whom such expectation of good was : for Seth's posterity only remain- ed at the flood, when all the world perished. Gen. vii. Seed,] That is, ' another son : ' that as Abraham's seed was called in Isaac, (Ishmael being excluded,) Gen. xxi. 12. so Eve's seed should be in Seth ; and not in any other of her children. Sfeed is usually put for children ; as, ' they left no seed,' Mark xii. 22. is expounded, ' they left no children,' Luke xx. 31. Stead of Abel :] Eve showcth a reason of her son's name, al- so her faith grounded on God's appointment and settling of his mercy coacerning this seed, who should be faithful as Abel; and a

I.

fiither of the world, who are all called 'the sons of Seth,' Num. xxiv. 17. and the father of our Loi'd Jesus after the flesh, Luke iii. So in Ezek. xxxvii. dead bones revive again ; and in Rev. xi. 11. tlie wit- nesses kiUed, have the spirit of life from God, entering into them.

Ver. 26. Also himself,] Or, to him also : when he was a hundred and five years old, Gen. V. 6. and the world two hundred and thirty-five. Exos,] So he is written in Greek, Luke iii. 38. in Hebrew, Enosh ; that is by interpretation, ' sorrowful, griev- ously sick, miserable.' So named, (as seem- eth) for the sorrowful state of those days, wherein gi-eat corruption grew in the church. Gen. vi. 2, 3, 5. Therefore this name is in scripture usually given to all men, as being Enos, or sons of Enos, full of sorrow and misery, Psal. viii. 5. and cxliv. 3. And to abate men's pride, David saith, ' Let the nations know, that they be Enos,' (or woful men:) Psal. ix. 21. Began men profanely to call,] Or, 'profaneness began, in calling (or, for calling) on the name of Jehovah.' The Hebi'ew word may be translated, men began, or men pro- faned : but is commonly vmderstood here, of the learned Hebrews, to mean profane- ness ; and some translating it beyan, yet take it thus, men 'began to call (their idols) by the name of the Lord :' as images and representations of God, were called gods, Exod. xxxii. 4. The sorrows of this age were great, as the very name of Enos testi- fieth, and the history following in Gen. vi. confirmeth : for impiety crept into the church, by unlawfid marriages with Cain's seed ; and religion and manners were much corrupted. Gen. vi. 2, II. The Hebrew Doctors describe it thus : ' In the days of Enos, the sons of Adam eiTed vi^ith great error, and the counsel of the wise men of that age became brutish : and Enos himself was (one) of them that erred : and their er- ror was this ; They said, forasmuch as God hath created these stars and spheres to go- vern the world, and set them on high, and imparted honour unto them, and they are ministers that minister before him : it is meet that men should laud and glorify and give them honour. For this is the will of God, that F

34

GENESIS.

was born a son ; and he called his name Enos : then began men pro- fanely to call on the name of Jehovah.

we magnify and honour, whomsoever he magnifieth and honoureth ; even as a liing would ha\e them honoured that stand before him, and this is the honour of the king himself. When this thing was come uj) into their heart, they began to build temples nnto stars, and to offer sacrifice unto them, and to laud and glorify them with words, and to worship before them, tliat they might in their evil opinion obtain favour of the Creator. And this was the root of idolatry, &c. And in process of time, there stood up false prophets among the sons of Adam, wliich said that God had commanded and said unto them, worship such a star, or all the stars, and do sacrifice nnto them thus and thus ; and build a temple for it, and make an image of it, that all the people, wo- men, and children may worship it ; and he showed them the image which he had feigned out of his own heart, and said, it was the image of such a star, which was made known unto him by prophecy : and tliey be- gan after this manner, to make linages in temples, and under trees, and on tops of mountains, and hills, and assembled toge- ther, and worshipped them, &c. And this thing was spread through all the world, to ser>e images with services different one from another, and to sacrifice unto, and worship them. So in tract of time, the glorious and fearfid name (of God) was forgotten out of the mouth of all living, and out of their knowledge, and they acknowledged him not. And there was found no people of the earth, that knew ought, save images of wood and stone, and temples of stone, which they had been trained up from their childhood to worship and serve, and to swear by their names. And the wise inen that were among them, as the priests, and such like, thought there was no God, save the stars, and spheres, for whose sake, and in whose like- ness they had made these images : but as for the Rock everlasting, there was no man

that acknowledged him, or knew him, save a few persons in the world ; as Enoch, ]\Ie- thuselah, Noah, Shem, and Eber. And in this way did the world walk and converse, till the pillar of the world, to wit, Abraham our father was born ;' Maimony in Misn. tom. 1 treat, of idolatry, chap. i. sect. I, 2, 3. That the heavens and stars were of old, ■\voi"shipped, both Moses and the prophets after him show, Deut. iv. 19. Amos v. 26. 2 Kings xxi. 3, 5. And as the heathen philosophei's counted the heaven ' a living body,' (Arist. dp ccel. 1. 2. chap. ii.)sodid the wisest of the Hebrew Rabbins : ' All the stars and all the spheres have souls, and knowledge, and understanding, and are living things, and stand and acknowledge him who said, and the world was, every one accord- ing to his greatness, and according to his dignity, lauding and glorifying him that formed them, even as the angels. And as the}' kno^v the holy God, so they know themselves, and know the angels which are above them : and the knowledge that the stars and spheres have, is less than the knowledge of the angels, and greater than the knowledge of the sons of men ;' saith Maimony in .Tesudei hatorah, chap. iii. sect. 9. Upon this persuasion men might the easier be drawn to the worship of them. If we imderstand Moses here otherwise ; ' Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord ;' then it may be meant of more public worship now erected than before : or, of public preaching in the name of the Lord, to call the wicked to repentance : or of calling themselves by the name of the Lord, as in Gen. vi. 2. the faithful are called ' the sons of God.' Onkelos the Chaldee paraphrast, translateth, ' then began men to pray :' But the Chaldee in the Ma- sorites' Bible saith, ' Then in his days the sons of men left off from praying, (or be- came profane, so that they prayed not) in the name of the Lord.'

CHAP. V.

1. The genealogy of the ten first patriarchs of the world. 3. Of Adam, 6. Seth, 9. Enos, 12. Cainan, 15. Mahalaleel, 18. Jared, 21. Enoch, (tijJio walked loith God, and was tahen away loithoxd death;) 25. Methu- selah, 28. Lantech, 32. and Noah.

'This is the book of the generatioiib of Adam : in the day God crcat-

CHAP. V.

3i>

ed Adam, in the likeness of God made he him. "Male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day they were created. ^And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years ; and begat a son in his likeness ; in his image : and called his name Seth. ""And the days of Adam were, after he had begotten Seth, eight hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. ^And all the days of Adam which he lived, were nine hundred years, and thirty years : and he died.

^And Seth lived a hundred years, and five years, and begat Enos. 'And Seth lived after he begat Enos, eight hundred years, and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. ^And all the days of Seth were nine hundred years, and twelve years : and he died.

^And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan. '"And Enos lived, after he begat Cainan, eight hundred years, and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters. "And all the days of Enos were nine hundred years, and five years : and he died.

Ver. 1. The book :] That is^ the narra- tion, or rehearsal. Generations or Adam :] The Greek translateth, ' generation of men,' it meaneth both the children which Adam begat, and the events tliat did befall them ; as the word generation Is used for all acci- dents in times and ages, whatsoever the ' day may bring forth,' as Solomon speak- eth, Prov. xxvii. ]. So Gen. ii. 4. and vi. 9. and xxv. 19. And here are ten gen- erations reckoned from Adam to Noali ; the chief end whereof, is to show the genealogy of Christ, the promised seed, according to the flesh, and so of liis church, Luke iii. 23, 38. 1 Chron. i. 1, &c. Likeness of God :] See Gen i. 26.

Ver. 2. Their name :] So Adam was the common name of man and -n'onian, which were one flesh, Gen. ii. 23, 24. and of all their posteritj', Gen. ix. 6. for we are all ot one blood, Acts x^-ii. 26.

Ver. 3. And begat] To wit, a son, as the sequel showeth. The scripture often omitteth such words, and sometimes show- eth they must be understood : as ' David put in Syria,' 1 Chron. xviii. 6. that is, ' he put garrisons in Sp'ia,' 2 Sam. viii. 6. See before the note on