bring her forth] From the house she dwelled in to prison, that being first delivered of child she may be afterward burned. let her be burnt] We see that the Law was written in mans heart, which taught them that adultery should be punished with death, albeit no Law as yet was given: of those Laws which were written by Moses divers were in use, and practise before Moses time, as for Altar, Sacrifices, Oblations, Tithes, the distinction of cleane, and uncleane creatures, with others, and so adultery was punished with death; and it was taken for adultery if a betrothed Virgin plaid the harlot, for which both she and her carnall male were to be put to death, Deuteronomy 22:23-24. and the death was stoning, as in the place fore-cited, except in a Priests daughter, and she if she offended in that kind was to be burnt, Leviticus 21:9. In regard that Judah made offer of his third sonne Shelah for an husband to Thamar, vers. 11. and she accepted of it, she was in the case of a betrothed woman, and so her fault was reputed as adultery, at least by the discipline of Jacob, and his sonnes. Now because Judah calls for her out to be burnt, it is probable either that he tooke her as one of his family in relation to his sonne (though dwelling for the present in her fathers house) and that so he had authoritie to Judge her as he thought meet; or that there was some either Law, or practise among the Canaanites to punish adultery with death, and that might sometimes be with fire, for some Heathens have had that sinne in such detestation as to inflict that penaltie for that fault: See Jeremiah 29. vers. 22, 23. Or if there were no set Law, or Custome for such severitie against that sinne, it may be such as were of credit and accompt in the place, as Judah was, might propound, and perswade to such a punishment; howsoever Judah (in passion, and disdaine to have his family so disgraced, and with a desire to rid Thamar out of the way, because he was unwilling to match her with Shelah), might in his heat, and hate make such a motion upon the pregnant proofe of her conviction. But herein Judah is himselfe convicted of many faults; First, of his unjust dealing with Thamar, as the widow of his two dead sonnes. Secondly, his unchast medling with her in that habit of an harlot. Thirdly, his rash and cruell sentence against her before he had heard what she could say for her selfe, notwithstanding she was with child, which was in effect to slay the innocent with the wicked, for what fault could be laid to the charge of the child yet unborne that it should be burnt before it came to light? the light of nature hath taught men to abhorre such cruell executions, unjust as well as unmercifull; God resolves against it, Ezekiel 18. &Deuteronomy 24:16. And with all this severitie towards Thamar there is joyned much partialitie to himself, who if he had not been too indulgent to himself, would not have been so severely bent as to desire she might be burnt. See 2 Samuel 12:5. 7. and the Annot. before upon vers. 18.