except Psal. XLIV ver 19. where it rendreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tannim by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tenyono which signifieth calamitous or dolorous as the learned Sionita there notes where either of those three forms of the first rank is found there it renders it constantly by that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yoruro which we said signifies that howling beast but where either of the latter there it useth another word viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tanino which signifieth a Dragon or Serpent like creature And that these words so like in the letters in the Hebrew may have these different significations may be farther made evident from the like use of the Arabick Tongue in which as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tennin signifies a Dragon or great Serpent so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tinan signifies a Wolf to which the beast we speak of is much like in kind shape and conditions The Arabick version likewise in several places renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benat wawi Iakales It may be observ'd that usually where the Syriack puts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yoruro there the Chaldee which is but a different dialect of the same Tongue puts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yaruda with the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. in the last place which the Translatours render Dragon but probably for no other reason then because they thought the Hebrew word which was rendred by it so to signify But it is not unlikely that it ought to be rendred as the Syriack is because in those places wherein the Hebrew word manifestly signifies a Dragon there he useth another word as the Syriack doth Probably therefore the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yaruda may in that dialect signify the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yoruro in the Syriack the one Dialect pronouncing that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. what the other doth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Or it is not impossible that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. crept into the place of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. by the mistake of such as transcrib'd it out of the first ancient copies reading and so writing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. it being well known how little difference there is between those two letters both in the Hebrew Alphabet in which letters the Chaldee is written and likewise in the Syriack so that it might be easy so to mistake if this may not seem too bold a conjecture And mourning as the Owles Or Ostriches for so the ancient Interpreters generally render it Some more modern render Owles which some learned Men prefer and defend Others again very learned are for retaining the old They bring probable arguments on both sides But it is but conjecture against conjecture there being no way of certainly knowing by other helps what the word did signifie among the Iews in ancient times when the Scriptures were written only it seems manifest c that it was a Bird keeping in desert places and making a doleful and mournful noise and such that some sorts of Owles make is well known But it is affirm'd also by Travellers of good credit that Ostriches make a fearfull skreeching lamentable noise so that it will be hard to determine Mr. Fuller who would have it rendred Owles and perhaps more particularly Skritchowles thinks that the word should be more properly written Stritche-owle so we find in the Doway English-Bible Striches in this place but perhaps the letter O is by the Printers fault left out and it should be Ostriches for they render out of the vulgar Latin 9 For her wound is incurable for it is come unto Iudah he is come unto the gate of my People even to Ierusalem For her wound is incurable or grievous or she is grievously Sick of her wounds The causes of this lamentation are in the former words expressed viz. 1. the desperatness and incurableness of the wounds of Samaria or the grivousness of what she suffered or should suffer by the Sword Famine Plague and Captivity every one of which was a sore evill with which she was grievously afflicted 2. The extent or far spreading of this wound or these evils They did not seize on Samaria or Israel alone and there stop but proceeded and went on as far as to reach Iudah also Some look on this as denoting that evill which was brought on the Cities of Iudah by Sennacherib who so far proceeded as to besiege Ierusalem it self some years after that Shalmaneser had taken Samaria and carried Israel captive 2 Kin. XVIII 9 10 11. and ver 13 17. and 2 Chron. XXXII 1 2 c. But others think this not enough for the meaning of the words because this wound was not inâ—urable to Ierusalem which God delivered from the hand of Sennacherib wonderfully destroying his Army by the hand of an Angel and bringing on him also destruction as appears 2 Kin. XIX 35 c. and 2 Chron. XXXII 21 22. and therefore will have here the final destruction of Ierusalem and the carrying the Iews into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to be pointed out and to signify that as now Samaria and Israel so afterwards Ierusalem and Iudah should be grievously afflicted and destroyed none being able to cure their wound to rescue them from destruction He is come unto the gate of my People that is the enemy though not expressed because the Verb is of the Masc gender whereas the preceeding Nouns and Verbs are of the Feminine Others it is come viz. the thing or evill condition the whole matter spoken of which may be in either gender uttered Of my People so Interpreters say the Prophet speaks because he was of the Tribe of Iudah 10 Declare ye it not at Gath weep ye not at all in the house of Aphrah roul thy self in the dust Declare ye it not in Gath. The like words are us'd 2 Sam. I. 20. in Davids lamentation over Saul and Ionathan whence Some look on it as an usual form in lamentations for some great national calamity intimating the greatness of it being such as their enemies would rejoice at and therefore wishing it might be concealed if possible from them counselling them not to make it known to them by any publick expression of sorrow as weeping c. Gath was a City of the Philistines Enemies to Israel and Iudah although then in possession of the Kings of Iudah and such as would rejoice to hear what evill had befallen them In the house of Aphrah roll thy self in dust Aphrah a place as some will not far from Ierusalem perhaps the same with Ophrah which is reckon'd among the Cities of the Tribe of Benjamin Iosh. XVIII 23. There farther of from the Philistines and that they may not take notice of it silently mourn or roll thy self in Dust or ashes for the word signifieth either Others for the house of and belonging to Aphrah
have set up an Enemy one person being put for another as sometimes elsewhere i. e. ye cause to have power over them and you set in wait for them such who shall evill intreat them and spoil them according to what is elsewhere â—aid chap. III. ver 3. Who eat the flesh of my People and flay their skin from them and Psal. XXII 18. they part my Garments among them Then he saith over against you i. e. wherever ye go whoever ye come towards or whomsoever ye meet with ye strip or spoil of his garment and robe so that of them that pass by securely there are those who are like Men returning from Warr viz. in as bad a condition by your ill dealing spoiled and robbed This exposition is given by that ancient Grammarian of great note among them upon particular examination of the words and it gives a good meaning viz. Against my People ye set an Enemy who ever ye meet with 〈◊〉 strip of his garment and covering so that of them who pass on securely there are those who are become as Men turning from Warr. Yet is he not that I find followed by others who generally take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ethmul for one word and to signify Yesterday or of late or before now and then in expounding the other words they differ among themselves One exposition given by some learned Iews runs thus But Yesterday or before now my People i. e. Israel behaving themselves as my People stood up against the Enemy were able to resist and prevail against him but now having forsaken God you are so far from this that at the sight of a garment at a distance taking it for the Enemies colours or ensign or for an Enemy coming to set on you you strip off your clothes and cast from you your garments that you may fly the lighter And if you espy and but passing securely and quietly on the way you presently flee for fear of them with all speed as Men that return flying from Warr or the Battel for fear of the Enemie pursuing them And so may it be compared with what is said Levit. XXVI 36. The sound of a shaking leaf shall chase them and they shall flee as fleeing from a sword and they shall fall where none pursueth or you taking them for such as return from War take fear and flee before them A learned Christian also embraceth this interpretation only that the latter words he expounds that those that pass on quietly in their way seem such as return from War i. e. You for fear casting away your garments the traveller that mindeth no such thing finding them in the way cometh home with them as if he returned loaden with spoils from the Warr. To this also may our translatours seem to point in their Marginal reading viz. over against a garment Another Exposition is this That God having before declared that his words do good that he promiseth and giveth good things to him that walketh uprightly sheweth now how incapable they are of hearing or receiving good from him by describing their waies contrary to his as if he should say But not to you whom yet he termeth my People who are become as enemies to me resisting or setting your selves against my Commandments both before and till now viz. in that you do wrong and violence for a robe or garment which injuriously ye take away from them that pass on in the waies thinking themselves secure as if they fled in the time of war and were gotten out of the reach of the Enemy or who are glad when they are escaped out of your hands alive after you have taken those goods they had as they use to do who are fled out of wars And this exposition is confirmed by what follows after in verse 9. The Women of my People ye cast out as if he said These injuries ye do abroad in the waies but within the Cities ye do them in another way destroying Houses through whoredom To the same scope tend generally the modern translations as taking the words for a description of the perverseness violence and rapine of that People though among themselves they somthing differ in expounding and applying them Some They that were Yesterday or heretofore my People now rise up in hostile manner against me ye take away the mantel from above their coat i. e. ye strip the poor both of their upper and under garment they that pass by peaceably are to you as those that return from War i. e. are taken in War and brought captives whom ye may use as you please Others Yesterday of late or before now my People is risen up as an Enemy against me say Some Others among themselves and against one another referring it to the quarrels of one of the two Kingdoms Iudah and Israel against the other and the injuries and violences done in each of them by the oppression and rapine of the rich and potent against the poor and weaker Others before now a good while since my people hath raised up or made me their God an Enemy unto them by those their doings the mention of which follows Ye pull of the robe with the garment Others differently distinguishing the words He that was before my People as if he were an Enemy riseth up against a garment ye pull of the robe from them that pass confidently or securely i. e. if ye see any in a garment that likes you ye rise up in an hostile manner to take it away Others when there is a robe ye pull of the Garment i. e. tho ye have a garment of your own not for need but through meer injuriousness you pull of the robe or clothes from them that pass by securely as Men averse from War not intending to enter into contention or meaning to wrong any Others not much differently being quiet from VVar thinking now all things quiet and safe Others whereas ye are removed from Wars Others returning from the battle or War having escaped thence and so now no farther fearing any Enemy Others as men returning i. e. you being as Souldiers returning from war bloudy and insolent A modern learned Divine thinks the words may thus be render'd But of late he i. e. God hath given up my People to the Enemy Together with the mantel take away the robe from those that pass on securely and return from war cast out the Women of my People c. as if they were Gods commission and command unto the enemy But this seems harsh Diodati renders thus Moreover heretofore my People lifted themselves up against the Enemy but now ye laying wait against or for garments spoil of their mantle passengers which were in security being in quiet from War To some of these forementioned I suppose will be reduceable what other modern translations any shall meet with Some more ancient as the Greek Syriack and printed Arabick are so wide from
and their substance unto the Lord of the whole Earth But they know not the thoughts of the Lord c. So they thought and so they wished as was aforesaid that Zion should by their hands be laid perpetually desolate but the Lord had other ends to chastise his People by them but then to return their malice on their own heads and to bring that final destruction which they intended to others on themselves Such difference betwixt Gods counsel and thoughts and the thoughts of the Enemies of his People which he makes use of sometimes for humbling and chastising his People see likewise described Isa. X. 5. and following verses He when he hath done his work by his Enemies shall again in mercy receive his People into favour and destroy those to whom for a time he gave power over them which destruction he expresseth by saying he will gather them as sheaves into his floor and bidding the Daughter of Zion in his might to arise and thresh them trample on and triumph over them for that he will enable her so to do for that end he will make her horn Iron and her hoofs Brass that she may beat in pieces many People that is he will give her irresistible strength and power so to do In these expressions the like to which are else where used is manifestly alluded to the custome in those Countries both of old and still to bring the corn after it is gathered in made up in sheaves into a floor in an open place and then laying the sheaves in order to lead about oxen over them drawing after them a pair of dented Iron wheels or as in some places planks stuck with sharp flints driven into them that so the Corn may be trodden or forced out by the hoofes of the Oxen and the straw by the wheels or flints broken in small parts like chaff and then the Corn purged from the straw is laid up for the use of Men and the straw for the ordinary food for their Cattel This custom is elsewhere alluded to in Scripture Deu. XXV 4. This being observed it easily will appear to be the meaning as was said that their Enemies should be gathered for destruction and they should have power given them to bring them under utterly subdue them Some learned Men because the expression is borrowed from the treading out of Corn which the Oxen do not by the use of their horns but their feet and hoofes think it more convenient here not to understand by horn the horns on the head although by these strength is else where rendred but the horny substance on the feet of the Cattel to wit their hoofes which by saying he will make Iron and Brass is meant as also if the word horn be properly understood that he will give them unwearied strength and irresistible power in subjecting and prevailing over their Enemies The Chaldee therefore without mentioning horn or hoofe renders I will make the People in thee strong as Iron and their remnant firm as Brass The subduing of their Enemies seems farther expressed by the following words also and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord c. Of consecrating or devoting spoils and goods taken from Enemies read in Numb XXXI 28. and ver 50. c. and Ios. VI. 17. and 19. and to omit the custome of other Nations in consecrating spoils taken from their Enemies to their Gods Nebuchadnezzar may seem to have consecrated the vessels taken out of the Lords house to his Idols for he carried of the vessels out of the House of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his Temple at Babylon 2 Chron. XXXVI 7. in the house of his Gods Ezra I. 7. That which we take notice of is that the consecrating and devoting the goods and spoils of the Enemies imports and is a signal and memorial of their defeat and destruction So that the words are a repetition or continuation of Gods promise of victory to his People over those many Nations which should be gathered against them and of his denuntiation of destruction to those Nations But then who are by those Nations meant and how or when this Prophecy was or was to be made good on them are the things to be inquired and they may be joined together First as for those Nations Some insisting on the particle now in what is said Now also many Nations are gathered against thee as if it denoted something nigher at hand then the Chaldeans coming against Ierusalem and to be done before that will have to be understood those that came up in the Army of Senacherib King of Assyria in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah whose gathering together and taunting insulting speeches and threats against Ierusalem are described in the X. and XXXVI and XXXVII Chapters of Isaiah as also 2 Kings XVIII 19. And that the prophecy of destruction to those Nations with its expressions was made good on them they prove from the History in the forecited places which saith that when they were gathered together to set upon Ierusalem the Angel of the Lord went forth slew in the night an Hundred fourscore and five Thousand in the Camp of the Assyrians and all the leaders and Captains so that Senacherib after all his proud brags and insultations returned home with shame unto his own land To what may be objected that here the Daughter of Zion is bid to arise and thresh c. and that she should beat in pieces many People but that she had no hand in this but all was done by the Angel of the Lord it may be answered that what was done by the Lord for her sake though by other instruments is not unfitly attributed to her and she is called to trample on and triumph over them whom in her behalf and for her sake he had brought under her feet it may be well said that the Lord had by his utter destraction of them devoted them and their gain and substance to himself So that we need not inquire after the truth of what Some affirme perhaps without any good grounds that Hezekiah consecrated to the Lord many spoils taken from those Assyrians though it may be taken notice of what is said 2 Chron. XXXII 23. that upon the victory many brought gifts unto the Lord to Ierusalem But Others think that there ought not that stresse here to be put on the Particle Now as to the designing of the time but that the import thereof here is for assurance that what is spoken shall as certainly come to pass in the time by God determined as if it were already done and therefore that to be said to be done now which was a good while after without fail to be done Some Others therefore understand by the many Nations such as were in the Army of the Chaldeans by whom Ierusalem was taken and destroyed and the Iews carried away to Babel But what victory had the Iews ever
Men because Adam the common name of Man is often taken for an ordinary Man in distinction from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ish a Man of greater quality and so did import that by God should the meanest of the People raise up many who should be so qualified and enabled as that they should be able to perform that which is here said they should maugre all the opposition of most potent Enemies however true it is in it self yet may perhaps to some not seem to be of that weight as that it may be much pressed or insisted on as a necessary meaning of the words undeniably concluded from them These who ever they be it is said shall be raised against him i. e. against the Enemy denoted by the name of Assur or the Assyrian Or saith a learned Iew it may be rendred with him that is with the Messiah before spoken of as to denote that they should by him be set on work and be employed under or with him in that work which he hath to do But this interpretation is neither by himself preferr'd nor by others followed however it would alter nothing in the scope and meaning of the words as neither will that much which is by Some said That by the naming this number Shepherds and Princes is signified that this promised Messiah should be a greater defence to them then the help and force of seven Shepherds or Princes which were Men could be so that it shall be abundantly sufficient that they have him to oppose against all Enemies and in confidence of that they are introduced as supposing themselves to have such forces These also who ever be understood by them it is said that they shall waste the Land of Assyria with the sword c. They shall waste In the Margin of our English Bibles is put Heb. Eat up The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Raau in the Hebrew is such as may indifferently be deduced either from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Raah to feed feed on or eat up or from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Raa to break and accordingly by some is taken in the one by some in the other of these notions Some therefore would have it rendred shall break i. e. destroy or rule over with Tyranny Others shall feed i. e. feed on or Eat up i. e. likewise destroy for that feeding which is for the good of the Cattel that feed is the destruction and consuming of that which they feed on or eat up So that the meaning here of the word as taken from either of those roots will be the same in effect still destruction and is well expressed by our Translatours by the word waste And the Land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof In the Margin our Translatours read or with their own naked Swords The word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Petacheah being from the same root with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Petechoth psal LV. 21. rendred drawn Swords and with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Petachim which signifies Doors Gates or Entrances makes Interpreters doubt which to take Our Translatours as loath to determine put one in the Text the other in the Margin If it be rendred Swords then to say with their own Swords will be as much as to say they shall turn their own Swords upon them or conquer them with their own weapons such as they find in their own Land for the word with that affixe which it hath put to it will literally sound with the Swords of it that is of their own Land and not with their Swords i. e. the Swords of the Conquetours or else as one notes in a little different signification of the word which he supposeth it to have with the edges of that Sword mentioned for so he thinks the word also to signifie the mouth or edges of the Sword So as that the meaning may be They shal deal with their land or with them according to their own dealings so make use of the Sword toward them as they have used it towards others If it be rendred entrances then will the meaning be that they shall conquer their Land and slay them in their own gates and entrances of their own Country Yet some of the Iews who are for a literal interpretation of the words and a fulfilling them accordingly will not have it so far literally understood as that they should by vertue of what is said destroy and cut them off with the Sword for saith one of them the Prophet here promiseth peace and not war and therefore the meaning only is that they shall openly and manifestly every where rule over them in their Land and Cities Another of them saith that by Swords here spoken of are to be understood those punishments that should come on them viz. the Assyrians from Heaven by vertue of the praiers of Israel according to what is said Isa. XXXI then shall the Assyrian fall with the Sword not of a mighty Man and the Sword not of a mean Man shall devour him c. viz. because he was destroyed by an Angel So that though hence may seem to be concluded that even after the coming of the Messiah there shall be Wars yet it is probable that these seven Shepherds and eight Princes of Men shall have no need of using the Sword against Assur so that they themselves here do not think that the literal signification of every word ought strictly to be insisted on But according to that figurative acception of the words imbraced by most Christians which we in the first place mentioned the meaning will be evident That by the might and power of Christ and such as shall be by him qualified and commissioned for the spreading and maintaing of his truth all that oppose it shall be brought under and made to yield as evidently as when an Enemy such as the Assyrian then was to Israel is by many commanders and their forces beaten in his own Country and with his own Weapons forced from him and turned back upon himself so that he shall not be able to create farther disturbances And he shall deliver i. e. the Messiah or ruler in Israel Christ by his own power the Ministry of those whom he shall qualify and imploy for maintaining his truth and his peace shall deliver us from the hands of such Enemies as shall assault us that we shall not have need to fear them They saith he that rendreth it recompence instead of peace as we have seen i. e. those denoted by the seven Shepherds and eight principal Men so taking the Verb here put in the singular number to stand for the plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hitsil for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hitsilu shall deliver us from the Assyrian that invadeth us and maketh incursions on us Or that he may no more come c. as some Thus may it seem convenient to take notice of the signification of some of the words
seems to keep as close to the letter as any and is confirm'd as to the first part of it by the Chaldee Paraphrase as to the latter by some of the learned Iews It may be brought nearer to the foregoing thus The Inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Beth-ezel he shall take his guess from you that is by you of Beth-ezel or Saphir learn what shall be his own condition In these expositions the names are taken as proper to places so called which seems the plainest way against which is denounced that the like evils shall overtake them The others look on them rather as Epithers or names put only in respect to the present occasion to denote Samaria or Ierusalem or Iudah or others A learned Iew of that opinion to this purpose that as for the Daughter of Iudah which would not stir abroad to condole with her neighbour but kept at home still and quiet the enemy should take from them the quiet and tranquillity of their Kingdom and remove them away into captivity so rendring that which our render standing by stability tranquilLity or quiet habitation To the same purpose some Christians also as Arias Montanus Iunius and Tremellius thus render The Inhabitant of the place abounding with flocks or cattle shall not go forth there shall be mourning in the places neer adjoining which receive from you their subsistence The Vulgar Latin thus she went not out that dwelleth in the going out the house adjoining shall receive lamentation of you which stood to her self In such variety of expositions and more may be found the reader may have liberty of choosing he will be hardly able to reconcile them 12 12 For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good but evill came down from the Lord unto the gate of Ierusalem For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully c. That is expected that good should come but it came not but on the contrary evill came c. The margin has was grieved the word signifying both to expect or wait for and to be grieved or be in pain or sorrow as a Women in travel They were seazed on with grief or sorrow because for so the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ci properly signifies evill came down c. Maroth therefore seems to be a City in the neighbourhood of Ierusalem or one that had dependance on it and so could not but be involved in calamity when that was distressed and so grieved for good that is for its want and being deprived of that good which it hoped for or once enjoy'd by the coming of evil down unto the gate of Ierusalem or as far as the chief City Ierusalem it self See ver 9. The name of Maroth Some will have here by transposition of letters put for Ramoth viz. the Cities singly called Ramah of which there were more in the lands of Iudah and Benjamin and so to comprehend them all put in the plural number and called Maroth bitter or bitternesses from the bitter calamities that should befal them Others translate the word Rough places Others Bitternesses Others think the whole Kingdom of Iudah by this name design'd in respect to the many evils in her and sorrows that were to come upon them But the taking it otherwise then for the proper name of a City doth as in the forenamed and following places but open a way to more uncertain conjectures and doubtful interpretations 13 O thou inhabitant of Lachish bind the chariot to the swift beast she is the beginning of the sin to the Daughter of Zion for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee O thou inhabitant of Lachish bind the chariot to the swift Beast c. Lachish is said to have been a City of Iudah nigh to the border of the ten Tribes and so reckoned up among the Cities belonging to Iudah Ios. XV. 39. against which Sennacherib King of Assyria laid seige 2 Kin. XVIII 13 14 and Isai. XXXVI 1 2. and said to have been one of the last defenced Cities that remained of the Cities of Iudah when Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came up with his Armies to fight against Ierusalem and against all the Cities of Iudah that were left Ier. XXXIV 7. Denouncing against this City the evills that were to come upon it he bids the inhabitants thereof to bind the chariot to the swift Beast as Horses Mules or the like or sadle the swift Beast that is say Some with good probability Prepare for speedy flight from the Enemy which shall come upon you or to go away out of your Country Others think that t is spoken to them by way of derision You that were wont so to do viz. to bind the chariot to the swift Beast as formerly abounding in such things and priding themselves therein do so now as much as to say that the case was now altered with them and they were not able to do as they were wont to do when they could at pleasure call for their Chariots and Horses Others take it as if they were bid to make ready Chariots at the command of the conquering Enemy to conveigh his messengers from Lachish to Ierusalem to demand the City to be rendred up to him as he did Is. XXXVI 2. The Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Retom rendred bind is no where else found in Scripture but as a learned Iew saith the sense requires that it be so taken The Latin Translation indeed renders the words otherwise viz. Tumult of the Chariot of astonishment to the inhabitants of Lachish But why the Author thereof should render this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Retom Tumult or the Greek a noise or the following word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Recesh astonishment no reason is given by those that follow that Translation As for the first word wherever besides in this place a Noun of the same root is found it signifies a planet whether Broom a pliable plant that is easily bound or as Others will Iuniper but never any thing like tumult or noise and so for the second it is not found but in the signification either of horses or such like swift beast or else of wealth and riches whether in Cattel or other goods But it may be observ'd as to the first that the same theam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ratam in the Arabick tongue which is of great affinity with the Hebrew signifies both to break or dash and beat in pieces from which the notion of tumult and noise or crashing is not much different and also to tye or bind on For the second word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Recesh whether he took it to be of nigh signification to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Regez not much different in found and signifying fear trembling and great commotion or what other reason he had to render it as he does is uncertain for the Greek takes it for horses or
their Enemies sometimes one Nation sometimes another having born rule there But take Zion as it is usual for the Church and in that God hath from the first beginning reigned and ever doth and for ever shall reign over his in Christ in it It is said of Christ Luc. I. 33. that he should reign over the house of Iacob his Church for ever and that of his Kingdom there shall be no end Wherefore Some not absurdly make these words an argument for proof of the Divinity of Christ because he is here call'd by Iehovah the proper Name of God It will be all one to say the Lord i. e. God the Father in Christ shall reign or Christ the Lord shall reign or reigneth over his in Sion he and his Father being one What hath been intimated in these words will farther be confirm'd in the next verse 8 ¶ And thou O tower of the flock the strong hold of the Daughter of Zion unto thee shall it come even the first dominion the Kingdom shall come to the Daughter of Ierusalem And thou O Tower of the Flock the strong hold of the Daughter of Zion c. O Tower of the Flock The word rendred Flock and so otherwise signifying being in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eder there is some difference between Expositours concerning the Interpretation of it Some looking on it as the proper name of a place A place so call'd is mentioned Gen. XXXV 21. beyond which it is said Israel i. e. Iacob spread his tent after he had journyed from Bethlehem about a miles distance from it where they conceive the Shepherds to have been abiding when the Angel brought to them the good tidings of Christs birth and so of that his Kingdom that first dominion here spoken of Others taking Bethleâ—em it self to be meant by it will have what is here prophecied to be the same that is repeated chapter V. verse 2. and there to be explained But others think it the Name of a Tower at the gate in the walls of Ierusalem call'd the Sheep gate Nehemiah III. 32. through which some conceive Christ to have rid into Ierusalem when he was received with Hosanna's But by others more probably is here thought to be designed the Tower of David or rather all Ierusalem it self which was as it were the Tower and fold of Gods Flock Israel because say Some of the Iews all Israel there convened or were gathered together three times in the year as a flock in their fold and the same to be likewise called in the words subjoined the strong hold of the Daughter of Sion The word rendred strong-hold is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ophel which beside this signification is also the proper name of a Place at Ierusalem or in the wall thereof as Nehem. III. 26. c. and 2 Chron. XXVII 3. and XXXIII 14. It hath also the signification of obscurity darkness attributed by Some to it as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aphal another word of like sound signifies and is accordingly here interpreted though to no perspicuous sense which we shall not here therefore insist on but take it as by Ours well rendred to denote whole Ierusalem though perhaps properly signifying a part thereof And that which then we are to take notice of is that as the name Ierusalem it self and Zion are taken in the Prophetical Scriptures not only precisely for those places properly so called but for the Church of Christ of which they were types and figures and which had its first visible rise and beginning in or from them and thence spread it self so that these and other like denominations and appellations given to them sometimes may and ought to be applied to that and understood of it and that the Prophecies seeming to be spoken to them do contain more then can be restrained or limited to them and necessarily are to be expounded of it and in such latitude must these appellations of Tower of the Flock and strong hold of the Daughter of Sion be here taken And indeed they more deservedly agree to that which is the fold of Christs Sheep and that mountain established in the top of the mountains and exalted above all hills ver 1. that Temple so firmly built on a Rock that nothing can shake it nor the gates of Hell prevail against it then they ever did to that Ierusalem of mens building though in its time the glory of the whole Earth and after by Man again destroyed This it will be necessary to do that we may see how the following promise hath been made good To this it evidently hath but not to that and to this therefore 't will appear more properly to belong then to that The promise made is Vnto thee shall it come c. Vnto thee shall it come even the first dominion of c. Some of the Iews by a nice observation of the accent in the word rendred shall it come so distinguish the words as if this word had reference to the remnant of halting Israel of her that was cast far off mentioned in the foregoing verse and so the words to found Vnto thee shall it that is that remnant that halted or of her that halted c. come and to thee shall come the first dominion which is the Kingdom of the Daughter of Ierusalem But Others of them will not have here any consideration to be had of that distinction but rather the two Verbs of the same signification to be referred to the same Subject to wit the first dominion only for confirmation sake and to sound Vnto thee shall arrive and come the first dominion c. i. e. Vnto thee shall certainly come the first Dominion which shall be the Kingdom to the Daughter of Ierusalem or such as was the Kingdom of the Daughter of Ierusalem And this Emphasis is well expressed in our Translation by some little transposition of the words and understanding the last as a repetition of the former that this Kingdom or Dominion should come to the Daughter of Ierusalem But this makes no great difference or difficulty It is to be enquired what is meant by the first Dominion how that came to Ierusalem or in whom what is promised was to be made good By the first Dominion may be understood such a Dominion and Kingdom as was at first to them under David and Solomon so the Iews mostly understand it or the chief Dominion or thirdly that the Dominion should in that first place come to the Daughter of Zion or Ierusalem Now how in any of these senses or all of them it came or it was to come to them and in whom it was seated or in whom it was to be or is made good to them is the main enquiry In Zorobabel first say some Iews and under the second Temple it was made good to them But sure Zorobabel never ruled in that greatness
also in another respect viz. that they shall end in joy Ioh. XVI 21. for there even in Babylon where she might fear utterly to perish and that her name and posterity should utterly be cut off doth the Lord promise to save her and redeem her out of the hand of her Enemies that had done such despite unto her So that here is joined to a certain denunciation of judgment a certain promise of deliverance again from it that they may not despair under what they shall suffer but with patience and comfort expect the joyful issue in Gods good time which is also the scope of the following words But before we proceed to them we may take notice of a different exposition of the ninth verse from what has been given which we then omitted that we might not interrupt the sense it is of Iewish Interpreters of good authority among them fastening another signification on the word rendred cry aloud to wit Why dost thou seek to make friends to thee viz. the Aegyptians and Assyrians that they may save thee from those evills which God for thy rebelling against him hath threatned to send on thee and why do's the approach of the Enemy affright thee Dost thou not consider that he is thy King and Counsellour and that in turning to him would be thy only safety But now forgetting him and seeking to others and finding them not able to save thee paâ—gs have taken hold of thee and thou art greatly distressed and thou hast great cause so to be Be in pain therefore and bow down thy self as fainting under sorrow for now according as he hath determined shalt thou go into captivity but he then that is thy King still when he hath so humbled thee will in the midst of judgment remember mercy and deliver thee c. This according to that rendring would be the nearest meaning but this Interpretation though antient is by few followed But following our Translation with which most others agree there may also be given another exposition somthing different from the former Now why dost thou cry out c. Is there not a King in thee Hast thou not counsellours and directours to save thee These she once asked Give me a King and Princes Hos. XIII 10. and she had them and in them trusted but now doubting that they are not able to save her and fearing the force of her Enemies she in anguish as a Woman in travail deservedly for for all that they can do to help her She shall be driven from her home and led away captive to Babylon Yet that she may not despair she is assured of help from the Lord who when she hath been made to know how vain all other helps are will shew his power in delivering her even then when there seemed no hope to be left to her and so will there be a plain connexion also between these and the following words But the first exposition may seem the plainest 11 ¶ Now also many Nations are gathered against thee that say Let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Zion Now also many Nations c. In these words and the following he gives a father representation to her of what evill shall befall her for a time and then an assurance that she shall in the end overcome all that afflict her and by the might of the Lord prevail over them and bring them under But though this be evidently the Scope of this and the following verses yet for making it plain are some difficulties to be cleared as first who those many Nations were that are spoken of secondly when they here spoken of had these promises of victory made good to them and before some forms of expression in the words are to be explained for the better understanding the ground of these queries and the solving of them Those many Nations that are gathered against Zion shall say Let her be defiled The word signifieth sometimes pollution or defilement by Sin so Ier. III. 1. Shall not the Land be greatly polluted and Numb XXXV 33. Ye shall not pollute the Land wherein ye are for blood it defileth the Land And this signification seem they to respect not only who render it as Ours or they more manifestly who render She shall Sin or be wicked and they again who render shall be condemned or be guilty or be obnoxious but they also who render Let her be stoned viz. as a defiled adulteress and perhaps the Greek also who looking not so much on the signification of the words as their meaning render it Let us insult although they change both number and gender For what will be the intent of all these but as much as to say Let her be looked on as defiled with Sins and made loathsome to her God and so being forsaken by him let her be dealt with as such despitefully used and destroyed that we may insult over her we cannot now doubt of being able so to use her But then defiled here will be referred not only to express her guilt but rather the miserable condition they hope to bring her to in polluting her with bloud and slaughter and contemptuously using her without respect to her former holiness and as much as in them lies abolishing all signs thereof In much like sense seems the word desiling though the word in the Hebrew be differing yet of like signification to be taken for contemptuous using or destroying as it is said Iosiah defiled the high places 2 Kin. XXIII 8. Ez. VII 24. God threatens that their holy places should be defiled by the heathen and Ps. LXXXIX 39. Thou hast profaned his Crown by casting it to the ground In much like sense may the word here be understood It has also another signification of doing hypocritically or being an hypocrite and Some here chuse to take that So the Tigurine version she was an hypocrite The intention must still be Let her have the condemnation or punishment of or be used as a profane hypocrite for the word is not of the Preter-tense but of the Future and is rather after this notion to sound She is or let her be then She was or hath bin In fine it is an expression of their desires that all manner of mischief and shame might befall her to her utter desolation like theirs Psal. CXXXVII 7 and their hopes to see it that they may rejoice at it and insult over her as is farther expressed by the next words and let our Eye look upon Zion let us see our desire upon her as the word is likewise used Psal. LIV. 7. 12 But they know not the thoughts of the Lord neither understand they his Counsel for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor 13 Arise and thresh O Daughter of Zion for I will make thine horn Iron and I will make thy hoofs brass and thou shalt beat in pieces many People and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord
over them the like objection to what was against the former opinion The answer must be God gave them into the hands of the Medes and Persians to be threshed and destroyed so that the Iews then in captivity under them might justly insult and triumph over them and what God did by others for their sakes be attributed to them And the consecrating their gain to the Lord Some think to be made good by Gods bringing it to pass that the vessels by them taken out of the house of the Lord were sent back again Others looking on this as no satisfactory completion of this prophesie alone think it ought to be extended to the times of the Maccabes that in their History may be found that whereby all that is here spoken may be well said to have been fulfilled But with none of these are the Iews satisfy'd and therefore look on this Prophesie as not yet fulfilled but to belong to the times of the restoring their captivity the bringing down all their Enemies and reestablishing their Kingdom under the Messiah whom they yet expect and by those many Nations understand Some of them which at that time shall come up with Gog and Magog being though they promise to themselves the destruction of Zion by God stirred up and gathered together that they may be themselves destroyed Others the Armies of the Romans by whom Ierusalem was sacked and the second Temple destroyed and also such Armies of the Christians and of Saracens also as afterwards invaded or shall hereafter at that time of restoring the captivity be gathered by God to that place and there be destroyed or as before the Armies of Gog and Magog and according to their several fancies expect the fulfilling of all these things here said whose dreams as Chrians do deservedly reject so in this do they at least divers of them join issue with them that what ever else may be said otherwise to have been done towards the fulfilling of the things here said as to the destruction of the Assyrians or the Chaldeans or those of diverse Nations in the time of the Maccabes yet the full completion of them to belong to the times of Messiah or Christ not yet to be expected as the Iews would have it but already come under whom they have been and are manifestly fulfilled But then things are Spiritually as before was observed not carnally to be understood the Daughter of Zion not to be the Earthly Ierusalem but the Church of Christ which indeed as was above said from Ierusalem took its first rise and thence spread it self over the face of the Earth and brought under many Nations and much People With what rage and malice both at the beginning and in succeeding times they gathered themselves against her is manifest yet were they by the power of Christ the sword of his Spirit and Scepter of his word and by those whom he imploy'd furnishing them with weapons not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds and to the casting down imaginations and every high thing that should exalt it self against the knowledge of God to the bringing into captivity every thought to tâ—e obedience of Christ gathered into his floor brought down and put under his feet willingly subjecting themselves in obedience to him and consecrating and dedicating themselves and their substance to his honour Did we look on things after the flesh or according to worldly concerns it might not be hard to shew that the Christians under Godly Emperours have had so great victories over the insulting Enemies of the Church as might according to the letter of this Prophecy be justlier said to have been a fulfilling thereof then any things by those of the Iewish Church but Christ having declared his Kingdom not to be of this World we are not so much to judge of his conquests by what hath been wrought by the Arm of flesh though by his power and in his Name as by those wrought by the Sword of the Spirit not against flesh and blood but against Principalities and Powers against the rulers of the darkness of this World against spiritual wickedness in high places Eph. 6. 12. against the rebellious minds of obstinate Men to the subjecting all to himself It is observed by some concerning this Prophesie that it is to be in fulfilling to the second coming of Christ for he must reign till he hath put all things under his feet 1 Cor. XV. 25. In that day certainly will it appear how the things here spoken as every other word of God have without the failing of one title been fully made good though perhaps till then Men will not well agree concerning the manner how or time when CHAP. V. VER 1. Now gather thy self in Troups O Daughter of Troups he hath laid siege against us they shall smite the Iudge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek NOw gather thy self in Troups O daughter of Troups c. It will not be easy in few words to give account of the different expositions of these words which are found in Interpreters or to pass judgment between them They differ in giving the signification of some of them then in applying them The grounds of which that we may see it is to be observed that the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gadad from whence is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tithgodedi rendred by Ours Gather thy self in Troups and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gedud rendred Troups hath two significations usually attributed to it one of gathering together in troups the other of Cutting and hence have Interpreters according to their different judgments taken occasion of different interpretations As for the first word Some taking it from the first of those significations render it Now shalt thou gather thy self together or Gather thy self together in Troups or Troup together Others Thou shalt be compassed and beset with Troups or invaded by Troups or Now shalt thou go forth in Troups or Thou shalt make an impression or give an onset and the like To this seems the Greek also to have respect rendring it Now shall be shut or blocked up the Daughter with a shutting or blocking up that is so shut or blocked up with Troups surrounding her that she shall not be able to go forth Although if we should take their meaning from the Arab printed version which mostly follows the Greek and here renders Now shall be hedged up the Daughter of Ephraim with an hedge one might think that by mistake of a letter they deriv'd it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gadar which signifies to hedge or wall about instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gadad to gather in Troups putting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which differ in the Hebrew very little Others preferring the latter signification render Some Thou shalt be destroyed or spoiled Others Thou
shalt be cut off Others Thou shalt be wounded The same word in the form here used is also elsewhere used for cutting ones self in token of sorrow or mourning Deut. XIV I. and may perhaps in that sense be here appliable Now cut thy self c. Accordingly do they differ in rendring the Noun Some rendring O Daughter of Troup or Troups or Thou that hast an Army or Armies Others Of the spoiler or robber Others Daughter of the cutter off More difference yet is there in the application of the words as to the person spoken to To Ierusalem say Some are they directed and all of them concern her so as to shew what shall befall her and the reason why to this sense O Ierusalem Daughter of the spoiler or robber which art full of spoilers and robbers or which hast great store of military Troups now shalt thou be spoiled thou which didst lay siege against or in hostile manner deal with us the Prophets and messengers of God and in which they shall smite the judge of Israel Christ himself with a rod on the cheek This sense is harsh in respect both to the construction and to the coherence For if there be any coherence between these and the following words as there manifestly is these things must be fulfilled before Christ was to be born in Bethleem and so he that was after to be born could not be he that is here said should be smitten which exception lies against all others who would have by this judge of Israel to be understood the Messiah or Christ however differently they expound the former words It is a clearer sense which is given by others who takeing Ierusalem for the person spoken to in the former part of the verse take their Enemies as spoken of in the latter part so making it a repetition or farther declaration of those evills above threatned to Ierusalem which she should certainly expect to undergo and telling by whom and in what manner or how far they should be inflicted on her and that whether the former words be interpreted in that signification already mention'd or in the others also above spoken of If in the same signification that those expositors already mentioned take them then thus Now ere long thou shalt be spoiled O Daughter of the spoiler or robber c. for he that is the Enemy hath laid siege i. e. shall certainly do it speaking of the thing as already done in token of the undoubted certainty of it in its time by God determined and shall so far prevail and bring them under as by way of contempt to smite the judge or judges taking here the singular in the sense of the plural i. e. the chief Men the Governnours and Rulers of the People of Israel with a rod upon the cheek as being in their power to abuse them and deal with them as they pleased Of the same concern as to the Iews do Others also make this passage who yet render the first words in the other of the two significations mentioned viz. of being gathered in troups whether thus Now thou shalt be invaded or compassed by hostile Troups O Ierusalem therefore deservedly called Daughter of Troups i.e. the assembly or rendezvous and meeting place of Troups that come against thee he the Enemy hath laid siege against us of Ierusalem i. e. shall certainly in that time determined besiege c. Or Now shalt thou be gathered in Troups or all thy troups be gathered and shut up together in thee not able to go forth O Daughter of Troups which hadst and wert wont to send forth many troups for he that is the Enemy hath laid siege c. Or Imperatively as the Future Indifferently may be rendred either as Future or Imperative Now things being thus ordered by God gather thy self in Troups thou Daughter of Troups that wert wont to have and send out many troups to spoil others now assemble thy troups and gather all thy forces together to resist the Enemy and save thy self if thou canst all shall be in vain for he the Enemy hath laid siege shall as certainly lay seige as if it were already done against us the Prophet speaking in the person of the People or making himself one of them and shall so far prevail as to smite even the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek i. e. most contumeliously use the chief among us abuse and viliâ—y them which is the import of that expression According to these expositions Ierusalem or the People of the Iews is here bid to expect those evils before intimated chap. V. 9 10 11. and told that they shall certainly and inevitably befal them before they shall enjoy those good things and obtain that redemption and victory promised there ver 10 12. God hath threatned the one in the first place and promised the other after to succeed and in making good both in their due time will he shew his veracity This verse concerns the evils that they shall suffer and then in the following is farther assurance given of their redemption and Redeemer or Saviour Against these latter interpretations there is no apparent objection from either the signification or construction or coherence of the words with either what preceeds or follows yet do Others prefer a different way of expounding them by understanding the person spoken to of the Enemy not of Ierusalem it self But great variety is there between them in assigning who is the Enemy then meant It will not be needful to insist on that exposition though of a very learned Man which would have these words directed against Gentilism or Heathenism in general all those false Religions which set themselves against Christ and Christianity and contumeliously used and derided them and persecuted them to tell them that though they abounded in Troups and number yet they should be brought to nought by the preaching of the Apostles and the prevailing power of the Gospel for this rather shews how the words may be applied then gives the prime litteral meaning of them which we seek for But who is then the Enemy spoken to and of Rome or the Romans say Some and their forces under Titus which sacked Ierusalem to this sense Now toeu shalt assemble thy Troups O Daughter of Troups Rome that hast so many Troups that thou mâ—yest lay siege against Ierusalem and thy Men shall smite c. Or as others Now shalt thou be spoiled or cut off or compassed with Troups O Ierusalem Daughter of Troups for thine Enemy viz. the Romans shall lay siege and prevail against thee or as a learned Iew Now cut and make bald thy self viz. in token of sorrow as Deut. XIV I. for the many evils that thou shalt suffer O Daughter of Troups thou which sentest so often many troups to distress Ierusalem and lay her wast viz. the Romans and other Nations with them for God at
purpose yet as to the derivation of the word seems far fetched Others by that which they should take hold of think meant their goods or part of them if they could but iâ— is manifest that what is spoken of must be persons from what follows that they shall be given up to the sword Others therefore understand it of their children Others rendring the word a little differently Thou shalt overtake the enemies which lead away thy sons and daughters into captivity but shalt not rescue them and if thou rescue any of them their end shall be to be destroyed by the sword Others yet understanding the things spoken of to be their wives and children and what is most precious to them yet interpret the verb in a far different sense viz. Thou shalt remove them out of the way and hide them to save them if thou canst but shalt not be able to save them from the enemies hand and what thou savest for a while I will at last deliver to the sword and it is manifest that the word is used in both these significations whether written with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Samech or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shin as we said C. II. v. 6. Others make the person spoken to the Land or City that shall endâ—avor to hold fast and keep safe her people but not be able to do it 15 Thou shalt sow but thou shalt not reap thou shalt tread the olives but thou shalt not anoint thee with oyle and sweet wine but shalt not drink wine Thou shalt sow but shalt not reap c. The like judgements are threatned Levit. XXVI 16. and Deut. XXVIII 30. and forward to vers 38 39 40 41 c. Amos V. 11. Hagg. I. 6. Sweet Wine i. e. grapes to make sweet wine for they are them that are troden ' not the wine it self Abarbinel goes particularly to adapt the judgements to their sins against what is required V. 8. but not so fully to the purpose 16 â— For the statutes of Omri are kept and all the works of the house of Ahab and ye walk in their counsels that I should make thee a desolation and the inhabitants thereof an â—issing therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people For the statutes of Omri are kept c. In the Margin our Translators put or He doth much keep the statutes c. The reason is because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yishtammer is such as may signify either passively it is kept or it shall be kept for it is the future tense but that is used to signify the present and sometime also the time past especially when it hath the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V before it which signifies and or else he doth warily keep or shall keep it And whereas the verb is of the singular number and the noun joyned with it according to the first rendring of the plural that is easily salved by an usual observation in such cases by understanding every one of the statutes which would be the singular and so it is by the Jewish Interpreters salved and so in the second rendring He doth much keep c. to make it agree with what preceds spoken to them in the second person and with what follows and ye walk in the plural number and second person may be supplied every one of you doth keep A learned Jew here observes that when a Nation or People is spoken to that sometimes they are spoken to or of in the masculin gender sometimes in the feminine sometimes in the singular number sometimes in the plural and we may add that it is likewise not unusual to change persons without interruption in the sentence so as that the same person may seem to be spoken of as absent and to as present in the same sentence and this being observed will keep the Reader from being troubled with such seeming difference where it occurs and therefore the vulgar Latin and Syriack though not observing the third person used in the Original but rendring in the second Thou hast kept may be thought to have given the meaning well enough What others give for the meaning literally rendring the word in the future The statutes of Omri c. will be kept as if it were by way of prediction and he should say that notwithstanding all that had been or should be said or done to them they would continue still in their perverseness and run on in their wicked Idolatrous courses seems not so proper to the place wherein they seem charged with sins that they were already guilty of rather then to tell them what God saw they they would do till they had pulled upon themselves utter destruction The sins that they are here accused of are the keeping the statutes of Omri and the works of the house of Ahab and walking in their counsels by which what is meant will easily be discerned by looking into the History of those two Kings of Israel as set down in the 16 th Chapter of the first Book of Kings where is shewed how both Omri and his son Ahab set up and established such waâ—es of Idolatry as Ieroboam had brought into Israel and did even worse things to the preveâ—ting and extirpating the true worship of God and from them did the Kings of Iudah learn to do the like and establish as by a law the like wicked waies and things as they did among the Jews also for so of Iehoram King of Judah it is said that he walked in the way of the Kings of Israel as did the house of Ahab II Kings VIII 18. and vers 27. of his son Ahâ—ziah that he aid evil in the sight of the Lord as did the house of Ahab as also II Chron. XXV 6. c. and XXVI 3. so of Ahaz II Kings XVI 3. so of Manassch King of Judah II Kings XXI 3. so that whereas there is difference betwixt Interpreters wheâ—her the things here spoken be meant of Samaria or Ierusalem or Israel or Iudah or both from the words themselves there is no certain direction for determining either on the one side or the other except there were some way to shew whether this particular part of the Prophecy were spoken before the taking of Samaria or after it as some think it was inasmuch as our Prophet prophesied in the daies of Iotham Ahaz and Hezekiah in the 6th year of whose Reign Samariah was taken II Kings XVIII 10. both concerning Samariah and Ierusalem and it is manifest that both Kingdoms were guilty of these sins of keeping the statutes of Omri and all the works of the house of Ahab and walking in their counsels as it is said of Ahaziah that he walked in the waies of the house of Ahab because his mother was his counseller to do wickedly and that he did evill in the sight of the Lord because they were his counsellers after the death of his father to his
them so that they shall say among the Heathen The Lord hath done great things for them Psal. CXXVI 2. yea that in some respects that which God would do in their bringing back from Babylon and their other dispersions and their wonderful restauration should be rather more marvellous then what he did in the daies of their coming out of Egypt appears by what is said Ierem. XVI 14 15. Behold the daies come saith the Lord that it shall no more be said The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt But the Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel from the Land of the North and from all the Lands whither he had driven them and I will bring them again into their Land that I gave unto their Fathers With much the like words Chap. XXIII vers 7 8. which seem to make as if in and for effecting the latter deliverance even greater marvels were wrought and greater power shewed then in the first For what reasons it may be so said will not be to our present purpose to enquire our present words representing them as alike marvellous and they were both manifestly types of that greater deliverance by Christ wrought and those more marvellous things by him done for the delivering of his People from the power of Hell and the Devil And so may we look on the words both here and in those places of Ieremy as directing us to that wonderful deliverance for a fuller and higher completion of these Prophesies then was either by the deliverance in bringing them out of the Egyptian bondage or Babylonish captivitâ— though more immediatly the words point at those and in this the expressions of the Jews themselves will concur viz. that the final completion of these Prophesies is to be by what should be done by Christ or the Messiah So Kimchi on Ieremy XVI 14 15. saith that what is there said shall be made good in the daies of the Messiah as likewise Abarbinel as being the opinion of their ancienter Doctors But mean while though thus far in words they agree with us yet in the application of them to the matter spoken of there is a vast and irreconcilable difference For we say that as for any temporal deliverance by these words foretold it was made good in a marvellous manner by bringing back the dispersed Jews from the Babylonish captivity But as for that more marvellous delivery by this typified and given them to look for under the Messiah it is wholely spiritual his Kingdom being not of this World and hath been accordingly fulfilled by rescuing his People and those as well Gentâ—les as Jews from a worse captivity under a more potent Enemy then either the Egyptian of old or Babylonian afterward even the Devil and the power of Hell But the Jews that they may look for by vertue of these Prophesies a temporal restitution from the captivity they are now under since their rejecting of Christ passing by that deliverance from the Babylonish captivity as a small thing though God set so signal a character on it apply the words to that which they yet expect without any grounds of a promise to be wrought for them by their Messiah's subduing all Nations to them especially the Christians whom they hope to see totally cut off as hath been above said and his making them Lords over them in this World We have already seen those marvellous things done and still doing which make us expect no other of a different kind which would indeed be less then what hath been already done Thy coming out of Egypt Thine O Prophet or People in thy Fathers I will shew unto him i. e. the People of Israel The change of persons spoken to in Scripture is frequent and doth not alter the meaning all is meant of the People 16 ¶ The Nations shall see and be confounded at all their might they shall lay their hand upon their mouth their ears shall be deaf The Nations shall see and be confounded at all their might c. These again seem to be the words of the Prophet describing the effects of those marvellous things that God would work so unlikely was it that the Jews being in that low and servile condition which they were brought to in the Babylonish captivity should be restored to be again a Kingdom and flourishing Nation that the Nations seeing what marvellous things God had shewed in restoring them could not but wonder and be confounded to see all their own might which they trusted in brought to nothing and those whom they so much despised to be advanced to that height and power that they are not able to hinder or hurt them some by their might understanding the might of the Enemies themselves others the might of the People that are saved And the manifests signs of their confusion and consternation should appear in that they should lay their hand upon their mouth be silent and mute as not knowing what to say nor daring to speak against God or his People nor able to contradict what they saw With this expression may be compared Chap. III. 3 7. and Exod. XI 7. Ios. X. 21. Iudg. XVIII 19. Iob V. 16. and XXI 5. and XL. 4. Psal. CVII 42. And that their ears should be deaf so ungrateful should be the things that they heard as that they should be astonished by hearing them and being not able to bear them even stop their ears against them as wishing themselves even rather deaf then to hear such marvellous things as God had done for those whom they hated This their confusion is also expressed in the next words 17 They shall lick the dust like a Serpent they shall move out of their holes like worms of the Earth they shall be afraid of the Lord our God and shall fear because of thee They shall lick the dust as a Serpent c. Those insolent Enemies who erst while so proudly insulted and triumphed over Gods People and magnified their own strength shall now be brought to the lowest and most abject condition as if they were worms and no men which is elegantly set forth by these expressions They shall lick the dust as a Serpent so cast down shall they be so humbled as not to be able to raise up themselves and so through fear behave themselves as if they were condemned to the same posture and food with that accursed creature The like expression have we Psal. LXXII 9. Isaiah XLIX 3. And they shall move out of their holes like worms or creeping things of the Earth The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yirgezu rendred move is such as is taken usually to signify a trembling motion or motion with perturbation whether spoken of a bodily moving from a place or of the mind being moved with some passion as of fear or anger or the like the effects of which are commonly seen in the trembling motion or gesture of the body