for our deliverance; and ye, that are travellers and traders abroad, join with me in this thanksgiving.

II. "They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, &c. towards the villages of Israel; then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates."]—And ye, the meanest of the people, even the drawers of water, in Israel, who, for the danger of the enemy, durst not stir forth of your doors, do you, being delivered from this fear, magnify the great works of God, who hath so freed all the villages of Israel, that now they may safely resort to their cities, whether for justice or traffick.

12. "Lead thy captivity captive."]-Bring forth thy captives in a triumphant manner.

14. "Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer."]-Most of the several, tribes did their parts in this conflict some came from Ephraim; others, from the borders of the Amalekites; and thou, Benjamin, who art but a small tribe, wert not behind the rest of Israel; some from Manasseh (of whom Machir descended) who were chief rulers among the people, came forth; and the scribes of the tribe of Zebulun were not wanting to this valiant service.

15. "And also Barak; he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart."] -Also Barak, with his tribe of Naphtali, came readily, and with all the speed that his feet could make, into the field. As for those tribes of Reuben and Gad, who were by the lot of their inheritance divided from the rest, there were great exceptions taken at their absence.

16. "Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart."]-O ye of the tribes beyond Jordan, how could any of you sit still quiet among your flocks and herds, when these great businesses were in hand? For the absence of Reuben, great exceptions were taken, and diverse censures passed.

17. "Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships," &c.]-Gilead came not forth, but abode still at home beyond Jordan; and those of Dan were attending their merchandise, &c.

19. "The kings came and fought."]-The neighbour kings came forth to aid Jabin.

Ibid. "They took no gain of money."]-They gained nothing by the war.

20. "They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera."]—The very clouds and winds fought for us against our enemies; and the stars of heaven, whose influence works upon these creatures, took part with us against Sisera.

21. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength."]-O my soul, thou hast triumphed over all the strength of thine enemies.

23. "Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye utterly the inhabitants of Meroz; because they came not to the help of the LORD," &c.]—The angel of God, whose prophetess I am, hath bidden me to call for your curses against Meroz, and the inhabitants thereof; who, dwelling near to the place where this battle was fought, and as it were within the noise of our trumpets, yet came not forth to our aid.

VI. 10. "Fear not the gods of the Amorites."]-Do not worship or serve the gods of the Amorites.

22. "For because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face."-For because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face, in that visible form which he assumed, I shall surely die.

26. "Upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place."]-In the top of this rock, whereon I gave order unto thee before to offer that thy sacrifice (which my fire consumed) in that place, which is already predisposed for this work, offer thy burnt sacrifice, &c.

34. "But the spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon."]-God raised up the heart of Gideon with courage to undertake this war, and with prudence to manage it.

VIII. 2. "What have I now done in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?"]—What need ye contend for this? That latter fact, that ye Ephraimites have done, in chasing and executing the Midianites, is much more than all that which we followers of Abiezer have done, in joining the battle and routing these enemies.

6. "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?"]-Canst thou be so foolish as to hope to subdue Zeba and Zalmunna, that we should cast away our victuals on thine army upon this vain pretence?

7. "I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness."] -I will beat your bodies with whips of thorns and briers unto death.

16. "And with them he taught the men of Succoth."]-With them he did, according as he had threatened, beat the elders of that city, for a warning unto the men of Succoth; who, by their example, were taught how dangerous it is to slight God's agents.

26. "A thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold."]-A thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, whereof every one weighed a hundred and sixty grains, which is two drams and sixteen grains.

27. "And put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it."]-He put it, as a monument of that great victory and deliverance in his city Ophrah: but the people afterwards made an ill use of it, turning it to the service of their idols, wherewith they were shamefully defiled.

IX. 13. "Which cheereth God and man."] Which is pleasing to God in the use of his sacrifices, and to men in their feasts.

20. "Let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem." &c.] Let there be deadly dissension between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and let the one of them be used as a means to plague and destroy the other: let Abimelech burn the Shechemites, and let them kill him.

23. "Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem."]-Then God, according to the imprecation of Jotham, did, in his just judgment, give way and power to Satan, to set discord between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. 28. " "Is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?"]-Is not he the base son of Jerubbaal? and is not this unworthy Zebul his officer? if ye must serve, rather submit yourselves to those that are the issue of the ancient lords of this city than to this upstart generation.

45. "And sowed it with salt."]-In sign of an utter solitude and vastation he sowed salt in the soil of the streets there; as those which he would have continue desert and forlorn.

X. 16. "And his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel."]And God had compassion on the miseries that Israel had brought upon themselves by their idolatry.

XI. 11. "And Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh."]—And Jephthah, calling all the congregation toge

ther to Mizpeh, did before them repeat the covenant that was between him and Israel, and called the Lord to witness of this their mutual agreement.

24. "Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess."]-Ye do vainly worship Chemosh your false god; and when you have obtained a victory or possession, ascribe it falsely to that your idol, and think that you both do and ought to hold it of him; and is it not reason. then that when the only and true God, whom we serve, gives us possession of the land of our enemies, we should enjoy it?

29. "The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah."]—God stirred up the courage of Jephthah, and put into him the spirit. of fortitude, &c.

31. "Whatsoever cometh forth of the doors, &c. shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering."]— Whatsoever cometh first out of my doors to meet me, &c. shall surely be consecrated to the Lord; and if it be aught that may be capable of being sacrificed, I will offer it up for a burnt sacrifice to God.

35. "Thou hast brought me very low, &c.: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back."]-Thou art now unwittingly a cause of much sorrow and affliction to me; for I have made a vow to God concerning whatsoever should first come forth to meet me, and I cannot reverse it.

37. "Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows."]-Since thou hast vowed to consecrate me to God, I do also willingly yield to make good thy vow; only let me have two months' respite to bewail that virginity of mine, which will follow upon this vow of thine, and shall occasion this discomfort unto thee.

40. "To lament (or speak with) the daughter of Jephthah.”]— And the daughters of Israel went yearly to condole with the daughter of Jephthah four days in a year.

XII. 4. "Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites."]-Ye Gileadites are no better than base fugitives, the scum of two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, a mongrel generation; compounded of both, and living upon both; so as ye have no reason to stand out in a contestation with the noble tribe of Ephraim.

6. "Say now Shibboleth."]-Give proof of thy tribe by thy speech. Thou wouldst pass over the ford of Jordan; pronounce that word which signifieth a ford; say, Shibboleth, &c.

XIII. 4. "Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing."]—The Nazariteship of thy son shall begin very early, even in the womb of thee his mother; thou shalt therefore neither eat nor drink that which is in the law forbidden to these votaries, lest the child should within thy womb be nourished with unlawful sustenance.

25. "And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan."]-And he began to have many instincts and strong motions from God at several times, whereby he found himself set apart and prepared for the great work of delivering his people.

XIV. 4. "But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines."] -His father and his mother knew not the Lord had purposely contrived it thus, that hereupon Samson might take an occasion to fall foul upon the Philistines, and might have the advantage of the quarrel.

6. "And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid.”]—And the Lord endued him suddenly with an extraordinary measure of strength, and he pulled the lion in pieces with as much ease as if it had been a young and tender kid.

18. "If ye had not plowed with my heifer."]-If ye had not used the means of my wife for the knowledge of this secret.

XV. 8." And he smote them hip and thigh."]-And he smote them both horse and foot; both those that used the thigh for seat, and those that used the hip for motion, &c.

14. "And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him.”]— And God put a miraculous measure of strength into him.

19. "But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, (or Lehi,) and there came out water."]-And God opened an hollowness that was in that place, which was called Lehi, or jaw-bone, and there came out water.

XVI. 16. "So that his soul was vexed unto death."]-So as her importunity was an extreme and intolerable vexation to him.

XVII. 5. "And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, &c. and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest."]-And Micah had a chapel in his house, which