Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/5_100_p.lzh/5_162.TXT

Text File | 1994-08-09 | 7KB | 130 lines

the Latins, and is sometimes called githe, as in the
Vulgate Latin version here. The Syriac and Arabic
versions render it anise, which is mentioned along
with curerain, as common with the Jews, and which,
in Christ's time, were tithed, Matt. xxiii. 23. and
both these in the text are by Kimchi said to be the
food of man: and cast in the principal wheat and the
appointed barley and the rye in their place ? each in
their proper place, or in soil suitable for them; some
!and being more suitable for the one than for the
other, which the husbandman understands: wheat is
the choicest and most excellent grain, and therefore
called principal; or else because it is first sown, or
sown in the best and principal ground: barley is said
to be appointed, or to be sowed in a place appointed
for it; or marked f, referring either to places marked
in the field, where it should be sown; which sense
the. Targum and the Jewish commentators fayour;
or to sacks of it marked, in which the best seed for
sowing was put: and the rye in its borders; appointed
for that. Jarchi thinks this refers to the different
places of so.wing; the wheat was sown in the middle
of the field; barley round about the mark or sign for
that purpose; and rye upon the borders. The Targum
is, "as wheat is sown in an uncultivated field, and
"barley by the signs, and rye by the borders ;" but
the whole is intended to express the wisdom of the
husbandman, in sowing different seeds, not in the
same field, which was forbidden by the law, Lev. xix.
19. but in ground suitable to each of them; and in
the mystical sense designs the execution of divine
judgments on men, in proportion to their sins, after
they have been admonished of them, and reproved for
them; and may be applied also to the sowing of the
seed of the word in the hearts of men, and illustrated
by the parable of the sower in Matt. xiii. 19--23.
Vet. 26. For his God cloth instruct him to discretion,
and doth teach him.] God gives the husbandman in-
struction and discretion how to sow his seed, at
what time, and in a proper place; for this refers to
what goes before; though some think a new act is
here intended, namely, threshing or beating out of
corn, rendering the words, and he (the husbandman)
beateth it out, according to the discretion, or judgment,
ltis God teaches him {h}; which is expressed in general
terms here, and is next particularly insisted on in the
.following verses.
Vet. 27- For the fitches are not threshed with a thresh-
ing-instrument, &c.] A wooden sledge, dray, or cart,
drawn on wheels; the bottom of which was stuck
 with iron teeth, and the top filled with stones, to
press it down with the weight thereof, and was drawn
by horses, or oxen, to and fro, over the sheaves of
corn, laid in proper order, whereby the grain was
separated from the husk: see the note on 1 Car. ix. 9.
but titches, the grain of them being more easily sepa-
rated, such an instrument was not used in threshing
them: neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the
cummin; the cart-wheel of the above instrument was
not turned upon the curerain, that being also .more
easily threshed, or beaten out, and there. fore another
method was used with these, as follows: but thefitche$
are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod:
in like manner as corn is with us threshed out with
a flail; so the Lord proportions the chastisement, and
corrections of his people to the grace and strength
that he gives them; he afflicts them either 'more
gently, or more severely, as they are able to bear it;
with some he uses his staff and rod, and with others
his threshingdnstrument and cart-wheel; some being
easier and. others harder to be wrought upon by the
afflictire dispensations of Providence; see 1 Car. x.
or this may point out the difference between the pu-
nishment of wicked men and the chastisement of
the saints.
Ver. 0-8. Bread-cor. n is bruised, &c.] The corn which
bread is made of is bruised and ground in a mill:
because, or therefore, he will not ever be threshing it;
for there is another way of bringing it to flour, that so
it may be made bread, namely, by grinding it in a
mill; and therefore the husbandman uses his discretion
in threshing it; he won't thresh it too much, nor too
long, no more than what is necessary to get out the
grain, but will take care that he does not bruise and
break it; as follows: nor break it with the wheel of his
cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen; though he makes
use of the above threshing-instrument, drawn upon
wheels by horses,-or oxen, for the threshing out of
wheat, barley, or rye, corn of which bread is made;
yet he takes care that it is not crushed and spoiled by
the wheels of the cart, or the feet of the horses, or
oxen, going too often over it; by all which may be
signified the tender regard of God in afflicting his own
people; he will not always be chiding, striving, and
contending with them, or be always angry, and ever
afflicting, and, when he does afflict, it is in a tender
and careful manner, Psal. ciii. 9, 13. and cxxv. 3.
Isa.-xxvii. 8, 9. and lvii. 16.
Vet. 29. This also cometh from the Lord of hosts,
&c.] All this wisdom the husbandman has, in ma-
nuring his ground, in sowing it with proper seed,
and in threshing it out in a manner suitable to it.
Agriculture or husbandry, even among the Heathens,
is always ascribed to. God, as an invention of his, and
it was the first work which God put man to, and
instructed him in, Gen. iii. 23. and iv. 2. and as this,
so all other arts, and sciences, and manafactures, come
from God, even all things in nature, providence,  and
grace, and the knowledge of them; wherefore he him-
self must be infinitely wise and knowing; see Psal.
xciv. 9, 10. and be as he is next described: which is
wonderful in counsel: in giving counsel to man, both
with respect to things temporal and spiritual; and
whose counsel is always wise and good, and for the
best; and, when taken, infallibly succeeds. See an
instance of his wonderful counsel, Rev. iii. 18. and
also he is wonderful in fonming wise plans and schemes
of operation; the wise plan of his works of creation
and providence was formed in his vast and infinite
mind from eternity; the wise scheme of our redemp-


{e} So Vatablus and Castalio.
{f} \^Nmon hrev\^ hordeum signatum, Vatablus, Pagninus, Montanus;
signato loco, Tigurine version.
{g} \^wtlbg tmok\^ speltam in termino ejus, vel suo, Pagninus, Mon-
tanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
{h} Excutit illud ad eam rationem, quam Deus, ipsius docet eum, Pis-
cator, Gataker; vel colligat, &c. Junius & Tremellius.