A10933:1557
A commentary upon the whole book of Judges Preached first and delivered in sundry…A commentary vpon the vvhole booke of Iudges Preached first and deliuered in sundrie…
A commentary upon the whole book of Judges Preached first and delivered in sundry lectures; since collected, and diligently perused, and now published. For the benefit generally of all such as desire to grow in faith and repentance, and especially of them, who would more clearly understand and make use of the worthy examples of the saints, recorded in divine history. Penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Gods word at Wethersfield in Essex.A commentary vpon the vvhole booke of Iudges Preached first and deliuered in sundrie lectures; since collected, and diligently perused, and now published. For the benefit generally of all such as desire to grow in faith and repentance, and especially of them, who would more cleerely vnderstand and make vse of the worthie examples of the saints, recorded in diuine history. Penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Gods word at Wethersfield in Essex.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1615
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Sermon 67 › Chapter 11 › Part 3: The third part of the Chapter.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The vow, that I said before Jephthah made, is here showed what it was: 1namely, that he would in token of his thankful heart, offer and dedicate to the Lord that thing that should first come out of his house to meet him, if he returned with the victory. This vow, though he meant well, was ill made and in great ignorance, in that he did not make it more distinctly and advisedly. For what if a dog had first met him? which is a fanning creature, and had been like enough to have first come forth to meet him? he could not have offered it to the Lord, it being unclean, and so forbidden to be made a sacrifice. His words have this meaning when he saith (It shall be the Lords, and I will offer it for a burnt offering) that is, I will offer it in sacrifice, and it shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, for he meant simply, that he would offer the first thing that should meet him; if he had thought of his daughter, would he have made that vow? And will any say, that in so vowing, he meant, that if that which should first meet him, should not be fit for sacrifice, he would offer it to virginity, and yet perhaps it should not be fit for that neither? as if it had been a dog: and if he had meant to offer it to virginity, as some hold he did; did he not see that his daughter had been most like to have bin the party upon whom his vow should have bin performed? For who had bin liker to have first come forth to meet him then she? And would he (think we) have vowed that which might have turned to his own, and his daughters so great sorrow? Therefore I say, he meant no offering of that which should meet him, to perpetual virginity. Neither are those words of his to be taken disjunctively, as some think they may, thus: That which first cometh forth to meet me, shall be the Lords, or I will offer it. For though the Hebrew letter (•) be so taken sometime, yet very rarely: and so little reason is it, that it should be so taken here, being most commonly taken conjunctively, as they well know that have any understanding in the Hebrew tongue, yea and oft in some one chapter, as may ⟨p. 570⟩easily be showed. As for example in Genes. 32. 1. 2. 3. 4. four of five times it is so taken in 3. or 4. verses. So in Genes. 33. 1. 2