O my soule come not] By this patheticall Apostrophe, or converting of his speech from Simeon, and Levi to his soule, he professeth his zealous detestation of their outragious act, lest when he was dead he might have been thought either a favourer of it, or not an enemy to it; and it is a point of pious prudence (especially in persons eminent for godlinesse) before their death to cleare themselves of such aspersions, or suspicions, as upon their silence might be imputed unto them, with prejudice to the religion they have professed; and for this reason, it is well done by many learned and godly Protestants, to make a confession of their faith at their death, that Papists may not be beleeved, when they rport their Apostasie from the true Church to the Popish, as they did of Calvin, Beza, and others. Mine honour, be not thou] By honour may be meant his soule, which is the honour and glory of a man; and by the word here used for honour, or (as some reade) glory, is sometimes understood the tongue, as Psalms 16:9. and Psalms 30:10. Acts 2:26. for that also is the glory of a man above the dumbe creatures, and by an eloquent use of it one man glorieth above another. The meaning may be, that he neither consented to them in word, or thought, and therefore he would not suffer in his honour and reputation for their sakes; and though some would glory in the contriving and successe of such a mischievous designe, he was so far from glorying in it, that he did detest and abhorre it. Slew a man] That is, Hamor the King, the Prince Shechem his son, and their subjects the citizens; for the singular number is put for the plurall, as the plurall number is also divers times put for the singular in the Hebrew tongue. Selfe-will] If in sodaine wrath the ill deed had been done, it had not been so bad, but there was time to consider of the project, and reasoning against it, and a wilfull resolution against that reason; and the more wilfull, especially upon deliberation, the more wicked. They digged downe a wall] The words (as some render them, for they are ambiguous) are, They houghed an oxe, or bull, so the Seventy, by the bull meaning him who like a bull rushed upon a rape, and who was as the bull of the herd, the chiefe of the city; but an oxe is put for oxen, the singular number for the plurall, and so the words are understood of the violent driving away of the spoile of the Shechemites cattell, Chap. 34. 28. and cutting them with their swords that would not drive sociably with the rest of the herd. But the best reading is, they digged downe a wall, and though it may be then the city was not walled, they made some violent breaches into the walls of particular houses, or chambers, and most likely where Hamor or Shechem were, because their chiefe quarrell was at them, for the abuse of their sister.