Cotton Mather - Biblia Americana

[47r] Canaan, after his 20 Years Service to Laban; which according to Dr. Usher was 33 Years before the Descent into Egypt. Now suppose Judah at 17 Years of Age, to have his First-born Er, at 18 Onan, at 19 Shelah. Then, when Judah was 32 Years of Age, Er and Onan successively take Tamar to Wife, & perish by the sudden Stroke of Heaven. When Judah, was 33, and Shelah at Years of Puberty, but not married unto Tamar, Judah stumbles into his Incest with her. The next Year, when he was 34, he ha's Twins by her, Pharez and Zarah; when he was 48, Pharez begets Hezron, and when he was 49, Hamul; who therefore are then reckoned among the rest of the Infants, who came out of Jacobs Loins, and descended with him into Egypt. Here is nothing, but what might have happened in our Age. As to Judah himself, his Inclinations appear, in that his Wife was no sooner Dead, but he must visit an Harlot. And for Er and Onan, the Words of Judah to Tamar seem to intimate, what they were: saies, he, Remain a Widow, till Shelah my Son be grown; for he said, lest peradventure he Dy also as his Brethren did. q.d. “My Sons Er and Onan, seem to have been the Occasion of their own Ruine, by some indecent Behaviour, upon their over-hasty Marriages, while they were so young. I'l therefore send Tamar, to her Fathers House, till my remaining Son Shelah, arrive at a riper Age before he marries her.” This appears to have been the Reason of Judahs Delaying the Marriage of Shelah, upon his First Arrival, at the Age of Puberty; which small Delay was yett born with such Impatience by Tamar, (who suspected perhaps, he was afraid of ever venturing his Son with her,) that she immediately procures herself to be with Child, by a wilful Incest with her Father-in-Law.⁴⁴

The Book of Judges ha's occasion'd wonderful Difficulties in this Period, which were inexplicable, till Sir John Marsham cleared them. He does it, by stating, which Numbers are Collateral, and which are Successive. And so he finds Room for Joshua's Government to continue 25 Years after the Death of Moses; and 34 Years more for the Idolatrous Generation, before Cushan, the King of Mesopotamia Tyrannized over them.⁴⁶

We read upon the Death of Eglon, [Judg. 3.30.] The Land had Rest 80 Years. By the Land, understand the Eastern Part of it, (which had newly been discoursed of, & which had now shaken off the Yoke of Moab:) and not the whole Land of Israel. For IN THE MEAN TIME, not only the Philistines, invaded the Western Parts, and had a Repulse by Shamgar, but also, [Judg. 4.1.] The Children of Israel again did Evil in the Sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead, and the Lord sold them into the Hand of Jabin King of Canaan, that Reigned in Hazor; [in the Tribe of Naphthali] for Twenty Years; tho' at the same Time there was Peace enjoy'd in the Eastern Regions. At Length, the Northern Israelites beat Sisera, and the Peace thereby becomes universal; until 40 Years afterward, the Midianites, and their Allies from the East, conquer all before them. How long Ehud lived, is no where said; and it is not probable, that he lived 80 Years after the Death of Eglon. All that we certainly know, is, that the Servitude to the Canaanites did not commence, till after his Death. We may suppose, that Jabin enslaved Israel, when Ehud was Dead, about 20 Years after the Victory over the Moabites; for the Tyranny of Jabin lasted 20 Years, and the Land had Rest 40 Years afterward. By this Computation, we gain 60 intire Years; whereof 25 must be allow'd unto Joshua, (according to Josephus,) and the remaining 35, to the Idolatrous Generation that succeeded; much such a Space of Time, as was allotted unto the Generation in the Wilderness. In this Part of the Period it was, that every one did what was Right in his own Eyes. And here we are to place the Histories of Micha, and the Danites, and of the War against Benjamin. There are therefore 185 Years, from the Exodus, till Jabins Invasion; and 300 Years from the Death of Moses, to the Incursion of the Ammonites.⁴⁷

Now, that there should be Different Judges in Different Parts of the Land, and War in one Part, while there was Peace in another, was not a thing Inconsistent with the Civil State of the Israelites at this Time.⁴⁸

The hasty Distribution of the Land by Lott, before it was throughly subdued, scattered the People and weakened the Government. After this Division, there was no General Assembly of the whole Body. The Aristocracy, which was the Security of the Nation was laid aside.⁴⁹ In Extraordinary Cases, there were Judges raised up. If Prophecy at any time were wanting, Anarchy succeeded. Scarce any of the Judges had Authority over the whole Body of the Nation; They