Judges — Chapter 18

to feruc an idol: fo he - ora Deacon once carho- likely c6fecra- ced,is a fuffi- Cucherenc ) aunrfter with Proteftants, 4: Their whole vortid was ale ened’ Lofay., ‘his hands with lue,. where was} Aaron, but of} that is aPrieft}: cient ( yea too}: ane but threugh their owne flouth they pofleiied litle of it, fo.rhat hitherto the greacett part was not recei- wed. (6) They ment ithe falfe God which the A- potara Leuice ferued.. (c.) The diuel anfwered , as his manner is, obf{curely, fometimes jtruly and fom- times falfly. 513 IVDGE 8 The tribe of Dan they defired him that he would confult (6) the Lord,that they night know whether they fhould goe 02 a profperous iourney , and the thing fhould haue effe&.6. (c) Who anfwered them:Goc in peace : The Lord regardeth your way,and the iourney that you goe.7.The fiue men ther- fore going came to Lais,& they faw the people dwelling in it without any feare,according to the cuftome of the Sidonids, fecure and quict,no man atal refifting chem, &of great riches, & feparated farre trd Sidon & frd al men.8.And returning to their brethren in Saraa & Eftaol,and af- king what they had done, they anfwered them:9. Acife,& let vs goe vp to thé:for we haue feen the Lad exceeding rich & plentiful:neglec nor, flacke not : let vs goe, & poffeffe it,it wil be no labour.to.We thal enter . vnto then being {ecure,into a moft large countrie, & our Lord willdeli- uer to vs the place, wherein is penurie of nothing of thofe things that grow onthe earth.1'. There departed therfore froin the kinred ot Dan, that is to fay,from Saraa and Eftaol fix hundred men, turnifhed with warlikearmour , 12, and going vp they taried in Cariathiarim of luda: which place tro that time tooke the name of the Tenies of Dan, and it is at the backe of Cariathiatim:13. Théce they paffed into mount Ephraim. And whenthey were cometo the houfe ot Michas,14, the fue men,that betere had been fentto view the Land of Lars ,faid to the reft of their brethren :; You know that in thefe houfes there is an Ephod , and The- raphim,and a grauen,and molten God : See what picafeth you. 15, And when they had turned alitle afide,they entred into the house of the yong man the Leuite , which was in the:houfe of Michas : and faluted him with peaceable words. 16, And the fixnundred men fo as they were armed , {toode before the doore, 17. But they , that were entred the houfe of the yong man,endeauoured to take away the grauen, the E~ -phod , and theidols , and molren God , and the Prieft {tood betore the doore,the fix hundred moft valiant men expecting not farre off.18, The therfore that were entred tooke the grauen , the Ephod, the thera- phim and molten God.To whom the Prieit faid: What doe you? 19.To whom they anfwered : Hold thy peace, and put thy finger vpon thy mouth and come wich vs,that we may haue thee for a tather, anda Prieft, Whether is better for thee , that thou be a Prieft in the houfe of one man, orinone tribe and familie in Ifrael > 20. Which when he had heard , he agreed to their words , and tooke the Ephod , and idols and grauen God, & departed with them, 21. Who whenthey went fore ward,& had made the children and the cartelto goe betore them, and al that was precious , 22. and were new farre from the houfe of Michas the menthat dweit in the houfe of Michas crying out together folowed. 23.and at their backe began to (hour, Wholooking backe , faidto Mi- chas: What meaneft thou? Why doett thou crie?zq, Who anfwered:My. Geds,which I made me,you haue taken away,& the Prieit,and al that I haue,and doe you fay: What aileth thee? 25.And the children of Dan faid to aimr: Beware thou {peake no more vntovs,and there come vnto thee fetceth vp idolatrie, IVDGES, 519 thee men prouoked in mind,and thou with al thy houfe peri:a.26,And fo they went on their iourney begun, But Michas (ceing that they were ftronger then he, returned into his heufe. 27. And the f1x hundred men tooke the Prieft , and the things which we fpake of betore, and came into Lais to a people that was quiet and fecure,and {trucke them in the edge of the {word : and the citie they deliuered to fire, 28. no man at al bringing them fuccour, for thatthey dwelt tarre from Sidon, and had with no men anie focietie and affayres.And the citic was fituatedin the countrie of Rohob: which building agayne they dweltin it,29. calling the name of the citie Dan, according to che name of their tather, whom Ifrael had begotten,which betore was called Lais.30. And they fet vp to themfelues the (4 } grauen idol, and Ionathan thefonne of Gerfam the fonne of Moyfes,an of their captiuitic, 31. And the idol of Michas remayned with them al the time that the houfe of God was in Silo.In thofe daies there was not a King in Ifrael. CHAP, XIX. Benianain hardly getteth lodging. 25.Hss wife is there vslanoujly abufed by wicked men, andin the morning founddead. 19. Whereupon her husband curteth her bodie, and fendeth preces to euerie tribe of Ifrael, requiring them to reuenge the wicked act, WAN HERE was acettaine man a Leuite , dwelling on the N\) bes fide of mount Ephraim, who tooke a wife of Bethlehem luda : 2.which lete him, and returned vnto her fathers heufeinro Betalehem , & abode with him foure months. 3.And her husbard tolowed her,willing to be reconciled vnto her,& to {peake her fayre,& to bring her backe with him, hauing in his companie a feruant and two afles:who receiued him,& brought him into her tathers houfe. Which when his father in law had heard, and had feen him., he met him ioyful, 4. andembraced the man. And the fonne inlaw taried in the houfe et his tather in law three daies , ea- betore day , he would depart. Whom his father in law held,and {2id to him : Taft firft alitle bread, & ftrengthen thy ftomacke, and fo thou {hale depart.6.And they fare together,& did eate & drinke.And the fa- ther of the yong woman faid to his fonne in law: 1 befeech thee that thou tarie here to day, and let vs make merie together. 7. Buthe ryfing vp, began as if he would depart.. And neuerthelcs with much adoe his tather in law ftayed him, and made himto tarie with him. 8, But Tet 3 when A Lenite bringing homeward bis reconcilied wife , 15, at Gabaain the tribe of ting with him and drinking familiarly, 5. But the tourth day aryfing d) Pefel, esdolon, his fonnes Priefts in the tribe of Dan,vneil the day /culptile, she granen thing, fafly. called God,¢.17.¥. 5. inant (4) She was his lawful wife and fo called U. Tey g.yet alfo is called concubine be- caufe-fhe had no dawrie, nor as yer enioyed the priuiledees of amiitris in her husbands houfe, ‘S20 IVDGES. when morning was come, the Leuite prepared to goe his iourney. To whom his father in law againe: I befeech thee , quoth he , chat thou take alitlemeate , and making thy felf {trong , til the day be farder {pent-, afterward chou mayeft depart. They did eate therfore together. gy; And the-yong man arofe, that he might fet forward with his wife and his: feruant. To whom his father in law fpake againe : Confider thatthe day is more declining to the weft,and draweth nigh to cuening: tarie with me to day alfo, and fpend the day in mirth , and to morrow A Leuttes wife flaine, - ehou fhale depart that thou mayft goe into thy houfe. 10. His fonne in law would not condefcend to his words: but forthwith went for- ward , and came ouer againft lebus, which by an other mame is called lerufalem, leading with him two affes loden and his.( 4) concubine.r1. And now they were come nigh to Iebus & the day changed into nig hr: & the feruant faid to his malter : Come,I befeech thee, let vs turne into the citie of the Iebufeites , and tarie init. 12. Towhom his matter an- {wered : 1 wilnot enter into che towne of a ftrange nation, which is nor of the children ot Ifrael but I wil paffe as farre as Gabaa: 13. and when I fhal come thither,we willodge mic, or ar the leaft in the citie of Ra- ma.14.They pafled therfore by lebus,and went on their tourney begun, and the fonnewent downe to them betide Gabaa , which is im the tribe of Beniamin : f5. and they turned into ir, that they might lodge there, Whither when they were entred , they fate in the {treet of the citie, and no man would receiue them to lodge. 16,Andbehold there appea- red an old man, returning out of the field and from his worke in the euening., who bim(elf alfo was ot mount Ephrarm , and dwelt as a {tranger in Gabaa ; but the men of thae countrie were the children of Iemini. 17. And lifting vp his eies, the old nan faw the man fittin with his fardels in thatftreet of the citie , and {aidto him : Whence commeft thou ? and whither goeft thou ?18.Who anfwered him ; We departed trom Bethlehem luda , andwe goe to our place, whichis on the fide of mount Ephraim , from whence we went into Bethlehem: and now we goe to the houfe of God, and none wil receiue vs vnder his roote , 19-hauing ftraw and hay for prouender of the affes , and bread and wine for the vfe of my felt and of thy handmaid , and of the feruant that is withme:we lacke nothing but lodging.20.-To whom the old man anfwered : Peaccbewith thee , I wilgiue althings that are neceflarie: only,] befecch thee,tarie not in theftrect.21.And he brought hin into his houfe, and gaue prouender to his affes: and atter they had wathed their feet,he recciued tham to a banker. 23. They making me- tie , «nd after the labour ct their iouracy refrefhing their bodie with meate & drinke,there came men of that citie,the children of Belial(that isto fay , without yoke ) and befetting the old mans houfe , beganto knock at the doores, crying to the maiter of the houfe , & faying:Bring forth the md,that entred into thy houfe,that we may abufe him.23.And the old man wét outto them, and faid : Doe not fobrethré, doe not this euil: —t Bartle againtt Beniamin, IVDGES, g2t euil : becaufe this man is entred ro-my lodging, and ceafe trom this folic :2-4.1 haue a daugther that is a virgin , & this man hath a concu- bine, I wilbring them forth co you, that you may humble them , and fulfil your luit: only, I befeech you, worke not this wickednes againtt nature onthe man, 25, They would not agree to his wordes, Which the man feeing , he brought forth his concubine to them, and he deliuered } her to them to be illuded : whom whenthey had abufed al the nighe, they let her goe in the morning, 26, But the woman, when the darke- nes departed , came to the doore of the houfe , where her Lord lodged, & there fel downe, 27, Morning being coine, the man arofe, & opencd the doore , thar he might fintih his iourney begun ; & behold his concu- bine lay betore thedoore, her hands {pred on the threlhold. 28. To whom he, thinking thac {he tooke her reft, fpake: Arife, and let vs walke, Who anfwering nothing, perceiuing hat ihe was dead, hetooke her, & laid her vpon his affe, & returned into his houfe, 29. Which whé he was entred vnto , he tooke af word , and cutting the carcaffe of his wife with her bones iato twelue parts and pieces , he fent them into al the borders of Ifracl. 30. Which when euerie one had feen, they cried together : There was neuer fuch a thing done in Ifrael from that day, when our fathers afcended out of Agypt, vntil this prefent time : giue fentence, and decree in common whatis needful to be done.

But the made him to {leep vpon her knees, and to Jay his head in Profeilion, her bofome. And the cailed a barber , andihaued his feuen haires , and began to driue him away , and thruft him trom her: tor immediatel the ftrength dcparted trom him: 20, and {he faid : The Philitthiiins vpon thee Samfon, Who aryiing trom ileepe, faid in his mind: I wil go¢ torth as did before , and wilihake my felf, not knowing that our Lord was departedtrom him, 21, Whom when the Philifthiims had apprehended , forthwith they plucked forth his cies , and led him to Gaza bound with chaynes , and being thut vp in prifon they made him grinde, 22. And now his haires had begun to grow againe, 23. and the Princes of the Philifthiiims aflembled in one, that they might immolate magnifical hoftes to Dagon their God , and might teaft , faying: Our God hath deliuered our enemie Samfon into our hands. 24. Which } thing the people alfo {ceing , prayled their God, & {aid the fame things: Our God hath delivered our aducrfarie into our hands, who deftroyed our countrie , and killed veric manie, 25, And reioycing throughout their bankcts , whenthey had now taken their good cheere, they com- manded that Samfon fhould be called, and thould play betore them. Who being brought out ot prifon played before them , and they made him to fiand betwecn two piilers. 26. Who faid to the feruant that go- uerncd his {teps: Suffer me to touch the pillers , on which althe houfe ftayeth , and ler me leane vpon them, and reit a litle. 27. Andthe houfe Was tul of men and women , and there were al the Princes of the Phi- lifthiims , alfo trom the reete and higher part , about three thoufand of both fexe beholding Samfon playing. 28. But he inuocating our Lord, faid: Lord God remember ine , and reitore now to me myne old Tt {treneth SUSUR Oty poner --- PAGE 514 --- The third part. Of certaine ac- {eidents which F (c) He defired fo be reuéged, fot of rancour of mind but of zeale of iuftice: And fo al the ele and vlo- rified Saints idefire reucnge, § Feaaad 18. uv. 3 ope, 6.¥.19, Samfon exeu- fed in killin himfelfe with SamfS a Goure of Chri 5 516 IVDGES. ‘{trength my God, that ] may (c) reuenge me of myne enemies, and tor the loffe of two cies may recciue one reuenge. 29, And taking both the pillers , on- which the houfe refted , and holding the one in his right hand, and the other in his lett, 30. he faid ; ” Lec me die with the Phi- lifthums, And the pillers being ftrongly fhaken , the houfe fel vpon al the Princes , and the reft of che multitude that was there: and he kil- led manie moe dying, then before he had killed liuing. 31, And his bre- thren going downe and al his kindred , they tooke his bodie , and bu- ried it betwixt Saraa and Efthaol in the fepulchre of his father Manue. and he iudged Ifrael twentie ycares. Samfon. —— ANNOTATIONS.

Hie rome noteth a myfteric , and afpecial. point of Chriftian doctrine: It feemeth to me (faith he Epift. de 42. Mauf. manf, 33.) thatin Marie prophecie ts dead, in Moyfes and Aaron , ancnd is putto the law and priefthood of the Iewes. For fo much as they could neither paife into the land of promife , nor bring the belie- . ung people out of the wildernes of this world. And ( Manf- 34.) Aaron (fayth he) was mourned (and fo was Moyfcs) Iefus is not mourned; thar is yin the law was defcentinto hel (called tumows) in the Ghatpel is patiage to P aradife, i 483 ' 'Gods wil, ¢) To the more confufion of reafonable creatures wil- fully offéding, vnienfible things are made wirtnef= fes, becaufe they euer obey 4 whrch isthe . [ beft manner of hearing Theod 4.19. in lo/me. 4) If lofue wrir the reft of this booke,then Samuel added thefe laft ver- fes.H ff. Schel. Ce) Lofephs Maujolenm ( or famous fepul- chre ) remai- ned tn Sichent in S, Hieroms time as he wirt- neffleth, Tra tis, Hebva, inGem. prope finemeg Thare fome- time ferued. falfe Gods bur Abraha neuer, Before Chrift none entred into heauen. THE A rule for rea- fding hiftorical books, The Iudges of Ifrael fgures of Chrifts A- poltles, They were al finally holie nen, The Contents of this book, Dinided into three parts, — THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOK OF IVDGES. AINT Hierome giuing this general rule (Epift, ad Eufloch. virg.) that in readiag hiftorical books Sof holic Scripture, the hiftorie , as fundation SSF of veritic, isto beloued , but the {piricual vn- % derftanding rather to be folowed : agreaily (er thertoseacherh (Epift.ad Paulin.) thacinthis book of Iudges there be as manie figures , as Princes of the people, Neither dath be meane thar there were no more, but for example (ake affirmcth that thefe ludges , raifed vp after lofue , and fent of God to deliner rhe people fallen for theix finnes into afflitions , were types and figures of the Apojiles and Apo- folical men, fent by Chrift to propagate c defend Ins Church of che new Teftam ment. For albest diucrs of thefe Iudges were fometimes great offenders,yez they were reclaimed by Gods {pectal grace , and fo amending their ervours did great things co the fingular honcur oy God : and are renewmed amang the holie Pa triarchs-and Propbers, particularly pravfed in holie Sripture, (aying: And the ludges , euerie one by his name , whofe hart was not corrupt: Who were not auerted from our Lord, chat their memorieimay be blciled,& their bones {pring ouc from their place, & their name remaine for euer, the glorie of holie men remaining to their children. after lofue therfore , whe us feemeth guiued c ruled the people 32.yeares, this beck, written( as is mojl probable) by Samuel , shewing the famous Actes of thefe ludges of 1fracl,profe~ cuter) che hiftorie of the Church the fpace of 228. yeares more. And may be ds. uided into three parts, Firft,is defcrswed in general the flate of the people. fome- times wel and jincerely ferming God, other tinses falling to great finnes, in the two firft chapters. Secondly , thet offences , afflictions , repentance , and deiie uerie from thetr enemies are more particularly reported, five the third (bap. te the 17. Thirdly , ocher fpectal accidents , which happened within the fame , are recorded. in the la(t fine chapters. THE Eccl. 46, Na SS ( 4 THE BOOK GES INHEBREW SOPHETIM. OF V