ions of fools, the associates of wicked, worthless, idle men, they will certainly suffer by it; for they will become thorns in their eyes, wound them very sensibly and very deeply, and prove a dangerous snare to their souls. Enter not therefore into the path of the wicked; he that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

4. The pity and kindness of God in raising up judges for Israel, is very remarkable and affecting. He raised them up several judges, one after another, and did not suffer them to be quite overcome by their enemies. Those judges (though Israel grew weary of their government) were great blessings to their nation. Let us acknowledge God's goodness to us, a sinful people, in giving us wise and good princes and judges, to whom we owe it that our land is not overrun with idolatry and all manner of wickedness. Let us all show, by the sobriety, justice, and usefulness of our lives, that we fear God as well as honour the king; and that we are subject, not for wrath, or for fear of punishment, but for conscience sake.

CHAP. III.

In this chapter we have an account of the enemies which God left to prove Israel, and the mischief they occasioned; the deliverance of Israel from Chushanrishathaim by Othniel, the first judge; and from the Moabites by Ehud; and the success of Shamgar against the Philistines.

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TOW these [are] the nations which the LORD left to prove Israel by them, [even] as many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan; that were born since the wars, and had not seen God's wonderful works in the con2 quest of Canaan, Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; that they might not be sluggish and inactive, but keep up a martial spirit, to secure their con3 quests, and drive out the rest of the Canaanites; [Namely,] five lords of the Philistines; and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from 4 mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses; that their virtue might appear in not imitating that people.

Three of these lords had been conquered by Joshua, (Joshua xiii. 3.) but had recov. ered their country through the sloth of the Israelites.

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And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites; they became familiar with, and friendly to them: And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods; they formed alliances with them, contrary to the command of Moses, Exodus xxxiv. 16. Deut. vii. 5. and the consequence was, as Moses foretold, that they served their gods: And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves. They first forgot God, then left his worship, and, at length, served the gods of their neighbours in groves consecrated to them, which were a kind of family temples.

Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, a part of Syria which lay between the Tygris and Euphrates, and was Laban's country: and the children of Israel, served Chushanrishathaim eight years, and paid tribute to him. They then began to be weary of their yoke: And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, [even] Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, of whom we read in Joshua xv. 9, so that it could not be O long after Joshua's death before they corrupted themselves. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, an impulse from God, to take upon him the government of the people, and lead them to battle, with extraordinary courage to vindicate their liberty, and eloquence to persuade the people to return to God; and he judged Israel, and went out to war; and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotomia into his hand; and 11 his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. And the land had rest forty years, or, to the fortieth year; that is, forty years after the first rest obtained for them by Joshua, the greatest part of which time was peaceable. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

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And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, which was greatly aggravated by its being so soon repeated and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. He who stirred up judges, stirred up enemies, for the 13 hearts of all men are in his hand. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon, and Amalek, his neighbours; Amalek was Israel's old enemy, and they went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees, a rich, fruitful vale, where Jericho once stood: here they set a garrison to cut off the com munication between the Israelites and the two tribes and an half, to keep them in awe, and secure a retreat over the fords of Jor14 dan. So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab

eighteen years: Jabin oppressed them but eight years, v. 8. Eglon eighteen; as their sins increased, so did their punishment. 15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera a Benjamite, (that tribe being immediately oppressed, and Jericho lying in it,) a man left handed and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab ; perhapə the usual tribute, with some additional present, to conciliate his 16 favour, and gain admittance. But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, like a bayonet, of a cubit length, about half a yard, and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh, that he might not be suspected, and the more easily 17 draw it out. And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab and Eglon was a very fat man, and therefore less able 18 to resist, or to defend himself. And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present; he went part of the way with his company, who were 19 not informed of his design. But he himself turned again from the quarries, or graven images, that [were] by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand, something of consequence that I must deliver in private unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him; he would not suffer him to proceed till the servants were withdrawn. 20 And Ehud came unto him, and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone, a cool chamber, where he used to retire in the heat of the day for private business, or to sleep, as is usual in hot countries. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee; not from Jehovah, but God, which was a common name for the heathen deities, as some apprehend. And he arose out of [his] seat, to show his regard 21 to the message. And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took

the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:" 22 And the haft also went in after the blade, and the fat closed

upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of 23 his belly; and the dirt came out. Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them, he walked through the antichamber, where the guard used to stand, or the people to receive audience, 24 without any marks of fear, and they suspected nothing. When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour [were] locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber, he is lain down to sleep, at which time especially they covered their feet.

• It was surprising the guards should allow an enemy to be alone with the king; but supposing that he was unarmed and lame, they apprehended no danger.

† He died instantly, before he had time to cry out. Ehud might have an extraor dinary impulse upon his mind to do this, and might be assured it was lawful and the will of God, and would succeed; but there are no such impulses now, and it is folly and mad ness to pretend to them.

25 And they tarried till they were ashamed, could not tell what to say or think; fearing either to disturb him, or to be thought to neglect him; and they knocked, and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened [them] and, behold, their lord [was] fallen down dead on the 26 earth. And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath, a plain in 37 Ephraim, beyond the borders of Benjamin. And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them; he led Israel on to 28 the attack, while the Moabites were in confusion. And he said unto them, Follow after me for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, to prevent any escaping, and suffered not a man to pass over, 29 to bring or carry intelligence. And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man; all these were posted about JerSo 30 icho, and were the chief of his forces, lusty, valiant men. Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. the land had rest fourscore years, that is, to the end of the eightieth year after Othniel's death, as v. 11.

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And

And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.*

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REFLECTIONS.

E see in this chapter the benefit of afflictions, and the wisdom and goodness of God, in suffering enemies and evils to surround us, in order to promote and strengthen our virtue. God proved Israel by their enemies; he brought them to repentance by sufferings; and then delivered them. Thus God deals with us; he sends tribulations to awaken us, to prevent our growing secure and careless, (a temper destructive of every thing great and good,) and to excite our repentance and. 'earnest cries to the Lord. Let us improve our afflictions to this The Israelites' first purpose, else God will punish us worse.

slavery was eight years, and then eighteen. So God will deal with us. If lighter afflictions do not mend us, he will send heavier, yet all with a merciful design.

This might probably be in Ehud's time; the Philistines might make an excursion Into that part of the country where Shamgar lived; perhaps a spirit of courage and strength came upon him, as upon Othniel or Samson, and seizing his ox goad, which in those coun tries were near eight feet long, with a spike at one end to goad the ox, and a paddle or spade at the other to clear the plough; and, falling on them, he slew six hundred men; perhaps his servants assisted him; and others might join him, though this was the only instrument they had. Thus God can save by few as well as by many.

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2. Those whom God raises up for important service, he will qualify for and succeed in it. The Spirit came upon Othniel and Ehud, and gave them success, however unlikely the means were. At is the same to God to work by one instrument as another; thus, the weak things of God confound the mighty; and in all these instances he secures the praise to himself.

3. The reverence with which Eglon rose to receive a message from a god, shames the irreverence of many christians. Though he was a king, in private, and unwieldy; though he was a proud, tyrannical oppressor; yet he rose to receive a message from a God whom he knew not. It becomes us to receive messages from the true God, whom we profess to know and fear, with the greatest reverence of mind. The messages delivered to us from him are all kind and gracious, not intended to destroy, but to save us; and therefore carelessness and disregard are highly unbecoming and provoking to him.

4. God never wants instruments when he has work to do for his church and people. Shamgar was an honest farmer, at the plough, and had no thought of being employed to be the deliverer of Israel, till God called him; then, with his ox goad he slew six hundred Philistines. The servants of God have no reason to fear in the darkest scenes, and amidst the greatest distresses, for their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is his name: he will some way or other plead his own cause, and defeat and destroy all his enemies; happy, therefore, are the people whose God is the Lord.

CHAP. IV.

This chapter gives an account of the oppression of Israel by Jabin ; of their deliverance by Deborah and Barak; and the death of Sisera, general of the host.

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ND the children of Israel again did evil in the sight

sold them, delivered them for slaves, into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor, in the northern parts of Canaan, where the people gathered together and put themselves under his government: the city had been destroyed, (see Joshua xi. 10, 11.) but it was now rebuilt and fortified. Jabin was a common name for their king, the captain of whose host [was] Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles, a 3 place near to Hazor. And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, armed with scythes; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel, laying them under a large tribute to support his forces, VOL. II.

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