GENESIS XI. that is, (as T trgum Ierufalemy expoundeth it,) of one tongue, or language. The like is in verf.6.and 7. So lips are language', I Coe.' 4.2 I. one fpeech J or, the famewordt.This fpeeeh was Hebrew, (which after the confulion remained in Hebert family)as the names of men doe plainly confirme.So the le- ruf temp 7hagum here faith , tb y pkt, in the heir tongue , wherewith the worldwas created at the begin- ning. And this Hebrew tongue Adam and a!1 the Patriarchs fpake, and Mofes and the Prophets wrote the oracles of God in it:aud it was uted of all the world,the fpace of feventeen hundred,and fifty fovea yeeres, till Phalcg fonne of Heber was borne,and Babel towre in building ; which was an hundred yeeres after the ilood,Gen. ro.25.and x I .9.After thae,it was in ufe among the Hebrews, orlewes,(called therefore the Ierrer-language,Efa. 36.1i .) untill they were.carried captive into Ba- bylon : where the holy tongue ceafed front com- mon ufe among men, and mixedHebrew cane in place.So now of a long time, none in the world . fpeaketh naturally the language of Adam, and of the old world; but it is gotten with fludy and learning.This great labour bath God laid on the formes of men. 3 Verla. Shiner) or Senaar which was allo na- med Chaldea,and (as the Chaldeeparaphraft tran- ilateth it) Babylon; the landofNimrod : fee before, Gen. i o.10.Thargum Ierufalemy calleth it Pontes. 3 Verf.3.Goe too] or, Come on: Hebr .give : a word ofexhortation. So verf4, and 7. make] er, forme ar bricks. with a burning] or, to a burning: that is, thorowly, or as the Greeke faith,witb fire. Thus wahtingftones,they devifed matter to make their curfed building flime]a kind ofnatural' lime,thatwas found there in pits and rivers,which ferved for building,as well or better then artifici- alI morter.In Hebrew,the words differ but little, they hadchemer (naturall lime) for chimer (artificial! lime, or morter.) So Gen .'4.10 Compare here- with the heavenly xerufale'm,wi afewals are gar- nilhed with all precioue fione..Rev.21.19.I Pet.2.5. 4 Vert. the top] Hebr. the head, and here the word reach, or the like is to be underffood; for fo the Scripture oft fpeateth with brevity:as,the aril under curtain%, a Chron. 17.1. that is, remaining under curtains, 2 Sam.7. Lobe man of warre by night7 2.King.15.4.thatis,fiedbynight, er.52.7. and many the like. See.(,en.13.9. and 23.13.And by the lead reaching to beaten,, is meant a very high towre; as Deut.1.28.Mat.r 1.23.and Babylon af- terwards 'uCed like proud fpeeches, EC 4.13,i 4. a name] meaning agreat name, to bec renow- med and famous : as where one Prophet faith, I have made thee a name , 1 Chron.17.8. another ex- plaineth it,a great name, a Sam.7.9.See alfo 2 Sans. 8.13. This word name, is lometime put for God himfelfe,Lev.24.11.s6. whofe name isa firoeg to- wer, into which the righteous runneth, and is let aloft, Peor.18. to. and to walke. in hit name, is to eepe his faith and true religion, Mich.4.5.con- trary to which, force doe think this tower of Ba- bel was btrilded ; as R./1lenaehem on this place c i- teth Coale that Paid, Name here meaneth nothing 47 but Idolatry. And ThargumÏerufalemj expoündeth this htiilding,to be partly for religion,partly for . nu nition in time of war ; laying, Let us build us a City and Tower, ,dre. and let to make for ur within it, a bereft ofworfhip , (or Terisple.) left we, &e.] a feare anfing from theirowneguilty confeiences, as is often in the wicked, Iob 1 5.20,21. Lev. 6. 36.Prov.28. I . Verf. 5.come down] that is,fhewed by his works, that he Cooke knowledge of this evils to punifh it. This is fpokeri of God after the manner of men: fo Gen. 18.2 i.Pf. f 44.5 .See the notes on Gen.6.6 The Chaldee explaineth it thus ; And the Lordap- peared to tale vengeance upon the wai'kes of the Citie and Tower. VerC6. there will not be cut of from them] that is, they will not be reftra:ed: fo noting their wilfull perufling in the evils begun. Or yueition-wife thus, fhould they not be cut f? (or reflrained? ) mea- ning it was very meet they fhould. Verf.7.Leeusgoe dome] The holy Trinity here deteimineth, ( as when in Gen.I.26, he laid, Let to make man:)againft the former determination of vaine men, verf.4. So be diffipateth the counfll of the nations, Pfa1.3 3. t o. noiheare] that is,nat under - fl and: fo ill I Cer.14.2, he seaketh not unto mon, for no man heareth: that is , endevflandrth: and in Efay 3 6.1s. Speak!, Syriak, for we heave ; that is, under- flaitd it: f a hearing heart,for anunderfandrng, t King.3.9.Íofepb heard that is , underfiaad,Gar. 42.23.anditul rythelike. Albeit, God might at firfi :mite tlsenl all with deafueffe,that they could not at all heave; and then change their tongues. A like judgement David wifheth againft his ene- mies,Pfal 51.I o. Verf8. flattered] and fo diffolvedtheir -corn- munion, and brought on them the 'evil' which they fought to prevent, verC4. for, that which the trickedfeareth e'hall come upon hini,Prov:10.2 4,The Hebrew Doktors from hence doe conclude, The generation of thedivifran (of tongues) have no part in the world to come, (that is in the kingdome ofhea- ven) ae it it written: And the Lordfeattered them front thence, &c. The Lord flattered them in this world ; and front thence the Lord flattered them in the world to come. Thalmud Bab. inSan he dr.eh,ro. /eft ofit build] the contrary miracle God wrought by the gift of tongues,to build up Ierufalem,A&. 2.4.6.11. &c. .. Verf.g.Balel] or Babyhn,in the Greeke tranfla- ted Confufion : becaufc there the Lord (Bala l, that is,) Confeundedtheir language : And Babel is the fante that Babel, but for cafe of fpeech the first 1 is left out:and it accordeth with theChaldee or Bao byloniantongue,which foundeth the Hebrew Ba- lal, Balbel,as the Chaldee parapbraft here .hath it. lip of all the earth] that is,language ofall people on the earth: feeverfe r. And here tongues firflwere for afigne to unbeleevers, (as I Cor ' 4.2 2.) that by this judgment they might be converted unto the Lord ; though they made no loch ufe thereof, as neither did thole that mocked at the gift of tongues whereby the heavenly City.was builded, Akts 2. 4.-- 13 .Tile Hebrew Do&ors fay, that at this dif- perfion 7 8 9
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