Комментарии к Библии

And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

And the ark of the Lord was in the country. — Heb., In the field of the Philistines: whence some have thought, that being plagued for it while in their houses, they set it in the open fields, and were thereupon plagued with mice and moles, that turned up their fields and devoured their grain.

Seven months. — Not four months only, as Josephus, falsely. This was a long while for God’s people to be without that visible pawn of his presence and glory; so that they might seem to be as forlorn and forsaken of him. Such a misery may befall any people, to be bereft of God’s ordinances; or any soul, to be for a time without the sense of his gracious presence and light of his countenance. But God hath promised to his to be "a little sanctuary unto them," Ezekiel 11:16 and "not to leave them," or if he do so, yet "not to forsake them," Hebrews 13:5 provided that they look upon all other comforts as so many Ichabods, till he return unto them in mercy and lovingkindness.

return to '

And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.

And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners. — Who were so called from their divinations, that is, their superstitious searchings into things secret, and to foretell future events. Cicero saith they were called diviners, a divis, from the gods, that is, from the devils, with whom they dealt doubtless.

What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? — They say not, What shall we do with it? for they were most of them resolved to send it home; but What shall we do to it? how shall we send it as it should be sent? for they knew that it is the manner that maketh or marreth an action. Sure it is, that in divine matters men must look that not only the body of their service be found, but that the clothes be fit: that it may be καλον καλως .

return to '

And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

If ye send away the ark. — Which they were full loath to do, but that they could neither will nor choose, and therefore kept it seven months, in hope that in some time their plagues might assuage, and they might keep from the Israelites their enemies that wherein they reposed so much confidence, and whereby they took so much encouragement.

Send it not empty. — This nature itself taught them, that God loveth a full hand. No man might salute the kings of Parthia sine munere, without a present, saith Seneca. Epist. 17. See Exodus 23:15 .

But in any wise return him a trespass offering. — They say not chataah, a sin offering, but ashom , a trespass offering; as if their sin had been but small in meddling with the ark, whereas, indeed, it was very great.

Then ye shall be healed. — For he will be appeased. The kings of Israel were noted for [being] merciful; but God much more.

“ Litatur minimo thuris honore Deus. ”

return to '

Then said they, What [shall be] the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, [according to] the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague [was] on you all, and on your lords.

Five golden emerods, and five golden mice. — All these things were not only superstitious, but ridiculous: suggested, as some conceive, by Satan to the diviners, in contempt of God; but they were turned by an overruling providence to his great glory. He sent the Philistines mice and emerods of flesh and blood; they return him both these in gold: to imply, saith one, Dr Hall. both that these judgments came out from God, and that they did gladly give him the glory of that whereof he gave them pain and sorrow: and that they would willingly buy off their pain with the best of their substance.

return to '

Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods. — Similitudines anorum vestrorum, so the Vulgate rendereth it. And indeed they could not well make the images of their emerods, without making images of their secret parts, where they brake out; which could not but redound to their great shame and perpetual ignominy.

And images of your mice that mar the land. — Pliny Lib. viii. cap. 29. out of Varro telleth us of a town in Spain undermined and overturned by conies: of another in Thessaly, by moles: a third in France, by frogs: a fourth in Africa, by locusts: and a fifth in Guarus marred by mice. He writeth Lib. x. cap. 68. also, that the inhabitants of Troas were driven out of their town by mice. And no longer since than in the year of grace 1581, in the county of Essex, an army of mice so overran the marshes in Dengey-hundred, near unto Southminster, that they ate the grass to the very roots; and so tainted the same with their venomous teeth, that a great murrain fell upon the cattle which grazed thereon. Speed, in Essex.

return to '

Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?

Wherefore then do you harden your hearts? — This they seem to speak to the dissenting party that were against the sending back of the ark with the forementioned presents, as a thing dishonourable to their nation. The world is a pearl in the eyes of politicians: they are like children, always standing on their heads, and shaking their heels against heaven.

As the Egyptians and Pharaoh, … — This is the true use of history;

“ Discite iustitiam moniti, ” - Virg.

return to '

Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:

Now therefore make a new cart. — For reverence to the ark, which the Philistines might cart: but if David, who should have known better, do so, as 2 Samuel 6:3 , though it were a new cart, yet God made a breach upon him, because the ark was not carried as it ought, on the Levites’ shoulders.

On which there hath come no yoke. — Untamed and untrained, iuvencae petulcae, and therefore less likely to do that piece of service they were now to be put to. But God was the more seen in it, confuting his enemies by their own inventions.

And bring their calves home from them. — This made the miracle the greater, and the hand of God the more manifest, since they naturally longed after their calves, and would break through all, to come to them.

return to '

And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him [for] a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

And put the jewels of gold … in a coffer. — For reverence’ sake of the ark, which they durst not open.

return to '