's God kindles fires in Nations and Kingdomes to consume Towns and Cities Men and their habitaons they are all his and he may do to them what he pleases having transgressed his lawes By fire and sword did the Lord plead with the Egyptians laying all wast and by so doing made himself known to be a powerful righteous and dreadfull God Observe Fourthly In the soarest judgements of God upon men usually some escape God threatned Egypt Chap. 29.8 that he would cut off man and beast and make it utterly wast from one end to another verse 10 yet here in the ninth verse he saith Messengers shall go forth some should escape to carry tydings of his severe judgements Observe Fifthly Those things which seem accidentall and casual unto us are ordered by the wise Counsel Power and Providence of God In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships When all Egypt was in a confusion some running one way and some another to secure themselves and some hastening unto ships to tell others what the Chaldeans had done in the midst of these hurries and disorders God saw acted sent out messengers they went not however the appearance was to men without Gods ordering hand themselves thought of no such thing nor those they went unto they dreamed not that they were sent forth of God that they came from him it was lookt upon as a meer contingencie but Gods hand was in it Things may be contingent to us they are not so to God Observe Sixthly Such is the efficacy of Gods judgements made known that they do afflict those are at a distance from them and fill the most secure with fears and pains The Ethiopians were absent from the judgements executed upon the Egyptians they were secure carelesse people but when the messengers told them their Cities were burnt their men slain their foundations and helpers destroyed they were afraid and great pains came upon them they were in travail for their Lives Liberties and Estates There is a mighty power in the judgements of God to terrify sinners even at a distance When Tyrus understood such was the efficacy of that judgement upon those afarre off that it s said all the Princes of the Sea clothed themselves with trembling Ezek. 27.35 so that we may say of Gods judgements as David Psal 10.11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger who knows what efficacy it 's of and how far it extends Observe Seventhly Former judgements are not to be forgotten As in the Day of Egypt God had visited Egypt many hundreds of years before and now he minds them of that visitation So Isa 9.4 God mentions the dayes of the Midianites minds them of the great destruction of the Midianites by Gideon Judg. 7 and 8 chap. God mindes the dayes of mens sinning Hos 9.9 they have deeply corrupted themselves as in the dayes of Gibeah and therefore he would visit their sins and when he hath visited for sins he would have us remember those visitations Jer. 7.12 Go to Shiloh and see what I did to it for the wickednesse of my people Israel As we should remember ancient and former mercies to strengthen out faith so ancient and former judgements to quicken our fears Vers 10 11 12. Thus saith the Lord God I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon He and his people with him the terrible of the nations shall be brought to destroy the land and they shall draw their swords against Egypt and fill the Land with the slain And I will make the rivers dry and sell the land into the hands of the wicked and I will make the land waste and all that is therein by the hand of strangers I the Lord have spoken it THese words hold out unto us the efficient and instrumentall causes of the forementioned judgments which are in part repeated The efficient cause is God himself ver 10 11. The instrumental are Nebuchadrezzar and his people ver 10 11. The judgements repeated are the destruction of Egypt and the Egyptians putting the land into the hands of others with an addition of drying up the rivers Vers 10. I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease The Hebrew word for multitude is hamon which signifies both multitude and noise for where there is a multitude there will be a noise Egypt was populous and God would diminish the people they should be slain and carried away captives so should both the multitude and noise cease Increase of people is a blessing the lessening of them a judgement By the hand of Nebuchadrezzar Hand here notes power as in 2 Chron. 2â— 10 and Job 1.12 all that he hath is in thy power the Hebrew is in thy hand Nebuchadrezzar by his mighty powerfull arm should come and lay all Egypt waste and make it like a wildernesse Armies are the hands of Princes by which they doe great and dreadfull things Vers 11 The terrible of the nations shall be brought to destroy the land The word for terrible is arizze from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 araz to deal violently to terrifie which Piscator renders crudelissiâ—â— the most cruell the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pestes the French les plus hideâ—â— the most hideous and Junius the most violent Vatablus cals them Tyranni Gentium the Tyrants of Nations those were most Tyrannical and terrible God brought and set on work to destroy the land The Chaldeans were a bitter nation terrible and dreadful Hab. 1.6 7. these words we had chap. 28.7 so terrible they were that they should fill the land with dead bodies When an Army of friends passe through a Countrey no hurt is done but when an army of Tyrants of strong and terrible enemies come to spoil what mischief will they not do Vers 12. And I will make the rivers dry Heb. drought Though the Chaldean Army was great yet not so great as to drink up all the waters of Nilus which is one of the chiefest rivers in the world Nilus had many rivulets cut out of it whereby the land was watered all those might they stop up with earth and other materials for their better passage and so the rivers were made dry Or by rivers we may understand that benefit came by them the Chaldeans should take away all the wealth of Egypt which came by the rivers and so the rivers were as dry things to the Egyptians So Maldonate and some others interpret the words but rather thus God would send great spoil and desolation into Egypt whereby the rivers might become uselesse unto them or should we take the words literally as some Expositors are of the minde viz. that for the great wickednesse of the Egyptians God dried up Nilus and punished them with sore famine as in the dayes of Joseph it was when there were seven years of famine This sense may be safe or we may take rivers for the people and their power And sell the land into the
hands of the wicked The Lord gives he doth not sell The word for selling is Macar which signifies to give to deliver as well as to sell and the Septuagint saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will give the land those who sell do deliver what they sell into the hands of others and this is attributed to God metaphorically for that he disposed of the land of Egypt to others that is the Chaldeans who are called wicked the Vulgar hath it in manus pessimorum into the hands of the worst I will make the land waste and all that is therein Egypt was a land abounding with men horse charets wealth Cities and all desirable things but God would make it desolate and all the fulnesse of it so the words are in Hebrew for all that is therein it had a fulnesse of all things and by the hand of the Chaldean it was emptied who in the next words are called strangers because they were such to the Egyptians I the Lord have spoken it These words are a ratification of what is threatned Ezekiel hath not spoken a vision of his own or from his own spirit but what is said is the word of the eternal God I the Lord have spoken it I have determined it shall be so and nothing shall lett it Observe First God hath wayes to empty lands of their mâ—â—titude and fullnesse Egypt had her multitude of men of beasts of Cities of riches she had her fulnesse of all things and God had an Army a multitude of Souldiers to plunder and spoil her to empty her of all her multitudes and fulnesses Jerusalem had its multitudes and fulness but Nubuchadnezzar emtyed her and made her like an empty vessel Jer 51.34 Babylon had her multitudes and fulness of Treasure Jer. 51.13 and God had Fanners to fan her ver 2. and empty her land those Fanners were the Medes and Persians who scattered the Babylonians and made a Prey of their Treasures Secondly observe When God will execute severe Judgments he makes use of suitable Instruments He intended utter destruction to Egypt and the terrible of the Nations were brought to destroy it Nebuchadnezzar had men out of many Nations and the terrible ones of those Nations by the secret hand of God were brought to lay Egypt waste They roared like Lyons Isa 5.29 They were cruel and without mercie Jer. 6.23 They hanged Princes by their hands Lament 5.12 And here they fil'd the Land with the slain Thirdly observe Gods designs shall go on whatever lies in the way to hinder He was resolved upon the destruction of Egypt the Rivers of it lay in the way so that an Army could not get over Nilus that great river if gotten over it could not march and do the work appointed for the multitude of little Rivers were in the land shall these hinder the designe of God No he will dry up the Rivers to make way unto his designs the Babylonians shall pass over and pierce through the whole land When the Israelites were at the Red Sea that lay as an impediment unto Gods design which was to carry them to Canaan but did it hinder the same No speak to the Children of Israel that they go forward what go forward and be drowned in the Sea No because they had not Faith to go upon the waters therefore he divides the waters and makes a dry path for them through the midst of the deeps Exod 14. There were Mountains in the way hindering the building of the Temple but one great mountain above all the rest Zech. 4.7 Who art thou O great mountain whether it were the Persian Monarchy or Satan and all the enemies of the Jewes God made it a plain before Zerubbabel and notwithstanding all enemies and opposition he carried on the work of God Things may be too hard for men impossible for them but nothing is too hard for or impossible to the Lord. He enabled Nebuchadnezzar to take Tyrus to destroy Egypt all the Rivers thereof shall not hinder it God will dry them up rather then his designe shall faile Psal 74.15 Thou dryest up mighty rivers God hath divided Seas plained Mountains and dryed up Rivers in our days to make way for his designs and in due time he will dry up the great River Euphrates to make way for the Kings of the East Rev. 16.12 Fourthly observe All Lands are the Lords and he may dispose of them to whom he will even to the wicked he sold he gave the land of Egypt into the hands of the Babylonians who were wicked yea the worst of men Ezek. 7.24 Kingdoms are not such excellent things as we imagine were they so they would not be given to Gods enemies That Kingdom is of great worth which God gives to his children Luke 12.32 Vers 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. Thus saith the Lord God I will also destroy the Idols and I will cause their Images to cease out of Noph and there shall be no more a Prince of the land of Egypt and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt And I will make Pathros desolate and will set fire in Zoan and will execute Judgments in No. And I will poure my fury upon Sin the strâ—â—gth of Egypt and I will cut off the multitude of No. And I will set fire in Egypt Sin shall have great pain and No shall be rent asunder and Noph shall have distresses daily The young men of Aven and of Phibeseth shall fall by the sword and these cities shall go into captivity At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened when I shall break there the yoaks of Egypt and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her as for her a cloud shall cover her and her daughters shall go into Captivity Thus will I execute Judgments in Egypt and they shall know that I am the Lord. HAving formerly threatned destruction to Egypt and her Cities in general the Prophet descends now to particulars in the 13 14 15 16 17 and 18 vers and then in the 19. verse shews what is the end of God in his exercising judgments viz. That they may know him to be the Lord. I will destroy the Idols Egypt was the most idolatrous Land of any and God would now destroy the Idols out of it The word for Idols is gillulim which Piscator renders stercora dung filth so the word signifies and their Idols were dunghil filthy Gods fitter to be trodden under foot by Man and Beast then to be worshipped I will cause their Images to cease Elilim Images from Elil nihilum for an Image or Idol is res nihili a thing of no account 1 Cor. 8.4 It cannot profit therefore Isai 2.20 They shall cast away their Idols as useless things and God would make them to cease Out of Noph This Noph was a great city in Egypt very populous and famous for the Pyramids and Monuments of Kings who leaving Thebes made that the Royal City Isai 19.13 The Princes of Noph thither many
Burdens Tributes and Taxes are laid upon people by oppressing Princes and Rulers when I shall break there the Yoaks of Egypt The Rulers of Egypt decreed unrighteous things opprest the men of Tehaphnehes suckt their blood by hard Rates and Taxes burdened them with difficult and dangerous Services and made them groan under their Yoaks as they did so do the Princes and Rulers of most Nations in the world but as they have their times to make and increase such yoaks upon the people so God hath his time to take them off Levit. 26.13 I have broken the bands of your yoak and made you to go upright The Jews were under the Egyptian Yoak a long time but at last he break the bands of the Yoak those Laws Decrees that kept them in Egypt held them to hard labor causing them to stoop and made them free so that they could go upright Bondage makes men to bow but Liberty to go upright Heavy burdens upon people make them sigh presse them down to the Earth and when they are eased they rejoyce and look up It s God breaks the Yoaks off whoever puts them on Isa 10.27 It shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulders and his Yoak from off thy neck and the Yoak shall be destroyed because of the anointing The King of Assyriâ—s Burdens and Yokes lay heavy and hard upon the Jewish State but for Hezekiahs sake or rather Christs who is called the anointing he would break the Yoaks and take off the Burdens Fifthly observe God makes some Nations exemplarie with his judgments Thus will I execute Judgments in Egypt thus as becomes me a provoked God thus as an Idolatrous profane guilty Nation deserves thus as themselves and all Nations round about shall know that I am the Lord they shall see that in my Judgements which shall convince them that no hand but mine could do such things take such Strong Holds ruine so many Cities and lay waste such a land as Egypt was Some Lands are Theaters of Gods severe Judgements we have been made Monuments of Gods choice Mercies wonderfull Deliverances Let us fear the Lord and his Goodness least he turn our Mercies into Judgments Vers 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. And it came to pass in the Eleventh year in the First Month in the Seventh day of the Month that the word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of man I have broken the Arm of Pharaoh King of Egypt and loe it shall not be bound up to be healed to put a Roler to binde it to make it strong to hold the Sword Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I am against Pharaoh King of Egypt and will break his Arms the strong and that which was broken and I will cause the Sword to fall out of his hand And I will scatter the Egyptians among the Nations and will disperse them through the Countrys And I will strengthen the Arms of the King of Babylon and put my Sword in his hand but I will break Pharaohs Arms and he shall groan before him with the groaning of a deadly wounded man But I will strengthen the Arms of the King of Babylon and the Arms of Pharaoh shall fall down and they shall know that I am the Lord when I shall put my sword into the hand of the King of Babylon and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt And I will scatter the Egyptians among the Nations and disperse them among the countries and they shall know that I am the Lord. THese seven Verses are the second general part of the Chapter and Treat of two great Kings Pharaoh King of Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon Concerning Pharaoh two things are threatned against him First Diminution of his power vers 21 22 24. Secondly Dispersion of his people vers 23.26 Concerning Nebuchadnezzar he is the instrument God will use and promiseth to strengthen in doing his work vers 24 25. and both these are illustrated from the Chronologie of this Prophesie Vers 20. In the Eleventh year in the First month the seventh day of the month That was in the Eleventh year of Jehoiakins Captivity the First month and the seventh day Ezekiel had this Prophesie given in it was three months and two days before the takeing of Jerusalem Jer. 52.5 6. for it was taken the Eleventh year the Fourth Month and the ninth day This Prophesie though it be set after that in chap. 29.17 yet was sixteen year before it The Penmen of the Scriptures do not exactly observe the order where every thing should come in among the Psalms you have the third Psalm which was made at that time when David fled from Absolom set before the 34 51 56 57 59 60. and others which were made before that as appears by their Titles Vers 21. I have broken the Arm of Pharaoh King of Egypt By Arme the forces and power Pharaoh had are intended Vatablus saith the Preter Tense is here put for the Future Tense I have broken that is I will break but Pharaoh had his arme broken before when the Babylonian forces beat him and his Army by the River Euphrates in Charchemish which was in the fourth year of Jehoiakim Jer 46.2 And at that time he took from him all that he had between Nilus and Euphrates 2 Kings 24.7 which was the breaking of his Arme and such a breaking as it could not be cured But notwithstanding this breaking Pharaoh got up forces again and when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem he came forth out of Egypt whereupon Nebuchadnezzar raised his Siege went to meet Pharaoh and caused him to retreat Jer. 37.5 7. as having a broken arm and not being able to encounter with him And loe it shall not be bound up to be healed c. That wound and loss which Pharaoh received by overthrow of his army he never could cure and recover neither his own people nor his Confederates could set him into his former condition he is here resembled to a broken Arme which cannot be bound up or if bound up not be healed so as to be usefull any more Pharaoh could never recover his strength and greatness again Vers 22. Behold I am against Pharaoh King of Egypt Here is the cause of Pharaohs breakings his not binding up and healing the Lord was against him not only the Babylonians and Cyreneans were his enemies but the Lord himself when he breaks in pieces who shall bind up when he wounds who shall heal when he is an Enemie who can stand before him The Loâ—d makes himself Author of all the Judgements fell upon Pharaoh And will break his Arms the strong and that which was broken Pharaohs Arms were Egypt and those Territories he had from Egypt to Euphrates His Arme was broken already by the Babylonians as you have it before One Arm yet remain'd and that is call'd a strong one viz. Egypt with all her strength This Arm God break by the
bounds were more inlarged then ever before which they clear from Isa 49.19 20. Zach 2.8 9. And therein God did better unto them then at the beginning Others refer this promise to Christs time wherein they had choicer mercies then ever viz The presence doctrine and miracles of Christ which made the glory of the latter Temple greater then the former according to what Haggai had said Chap. 2.9 But how if we could not assign a time of Gods doing better unto them then at the beginning that 's humane weakness God is faithful and what he saith he doth accomplish it was so Vers 12. And thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men He speaks of the Land of Canaan which the Jews should possesse inherit and not be deprived of that is not for a long time The words no more must not signifie for ever because the Jews were after a long time deprived of their Land by the Romans Vers 13. They say unto you Thou Land devourest up men and hast bereaved thy Nations This was a charge laid upon Canaan that she devoured men that she was destructive to her own children she was not so called because of her fruitfulnesse which caused men to surfeit and so dye but either in regard of the civill wars were amongst the Heathens when they possessed it which made the spies Numb 13.32 say It s a Land eateth up the inhabitants thereof or because that when the Jews possessed it the Nations round about hating them made incursions upon them often and so destroyed multitudes of the inhabitants and when they besieged any place of note as Samaria and Jerusalem the plague and famine consumed many The famine was so sore that women eat their own children 2 Kings 6.28 29. Lament 4.10 Fathers eat their sons and sons their fathers Ezek 5.10 And as it had vomited out the Heathens before Levit 18.25 28. so it served the ten Tribes and other two afterwards Versi 14. Therefore thou shalt devoure men no more neither bereave thy Nations any more Here God promiseth to take away that imputation and to put them into such a condition as that they should for a long season be free from sword famine plague and such straits as caused consumption of men The words bereave thy Nations any more are in Hebrew Nor cause thy Nations to fall any more they fell by severall judgements but now God being turned unto them would maintain them in peace honour and safety Vers 15. Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more They had oft times been reproached by the Heathen and born their shame vers 6. But now God in his wise providence would order things so that heathens should not revile them but speak honourably of them as Psal 126.2 The heathen said The Lord hath done great things for them Neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the heathen any more They reproached one another the people mocked at the Prophets 2 Chron 36.16 Jer 20.7 and children behaved themselves proudly and basely against the ancient and the honourable Isa 3.5 but God would take away this evill from them and cause them to speak well one of another Neither shalt thou cause the Nations to fall any more The Hebrew is Thy Nations Thou shalt not expose thy people to ruine and destruction by famine plague or warre The sense of the whole verse is That God would turn those evills and curses they endured formerly into blessings First Observe When God poures out contempt and shame upon the enemies of his people he will poure out blessings and mercies upon them The Heathens shall bear their shame but ye O Mountains of Israel shall shoot forth your branches and ye shall have the former and latter rains and bring forth in abundance Canaan was Gods Land and he had a special eye to that and would honour it when he stained the glory of other Nations Secondly Observe The fruitfullnesse of Mountains and Lands depends upon God he makes them so at his pleasure by his command and blessing O Mountains of Israel ye shall shoot forth your branches and yeild your fruit Mens wickednesse move God to make Lands barren and desolate Jer 12.4 but it s his good pleasure and free grace that moves him to make a Land fruitful Acts. 19.17 Rain and fruitful seasons are the gift of God Thirdly Observe God is provident for his people when he removes them from place to place he will not have them to come into empty places The Mountains must shoot forth their branches and the Land yeeld her fruit for the Jews were at hand to come When Jacob went down to Egypt with his family God provided the best of the Land for them Gen 47. When the Jews came first to Canaan it flowed with Milk and Honey it abounded with all good things needfull for them Fourthly Observe When God is reconciled to a people then he multiplyes blessings upon them then he makes their Land bring forth and themselves and their Cattel to increase I am for you and will turn unto you and ye shall be tilled and sown I will multiply upon you men and beasts and they shall increase and bring fruit Gods favour hath all blessings in the womb of it and upon what Land or people soever that falls it will make them fruitful when God is for a people then he comes unto them as the rain as the former and latter rain Hos 6.3 He hath various and seasonable blessings for them Zeph 3.20 At that time will I bring you again even in the time that I gather you for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth when I turn back your captivity before your eyes When God turned back their captivity he was for them and turned unto them they had his favour and then he would bestow such blessings upon them as would make them renowned among all people See Jerem 31.10 11 12 13 14. Fifthly Observe Gods dealings with his people are best at last they may have much kindnesse and mercy in the morning but they shall have more in the evening I will settle you after your old estates and will do better unto you then at your beginnings The Jews had the best wine at last they had Milk and Honey before but the feast of fat things full of marrow and of wines on the Lees well refined were at the latter end of their day given in they had Christ and the Gospel at last Abraham had much of the world at first and his Isaac afterward Job 42.12 God blessed the latter end of Job more then his beginning Simeon in his latter dayes saw Christ and had him in his arms Luke 2. Sixthly Observe Wicked men do turn the judgements of God upon his Land and People into a reproach unto them Because God for the sins of his people laid the Land waste and cut them off by sore judgements or removed them into
was said unto them Ye are not my people there it shall be said unto them Ye are the sons of the living God This is spoken of the Land of Canaan There he did disown them and there he would own them again Testimony to this truth gives Jeremy Chap. 50.4 5. In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and all the children of Judah together going and wâ—eping they shall go and seek the Lord their God They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant That in Isa 2.2 3. speaks to the same purpose and most clearly that Isa 11.11 And it shall come to passe in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assiria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Chush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the Ilands of the Sea And in the 12. And he shall set up an Ensign for the nations and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth Here is mention of a second gathering of them from Assyria which hath not yet been fulfilled but shall when the Lamb stand upon Mount Sion with his 144000 sealed out of all the Tribes Rev. 14.1 Chap. 7.4 Consider Isa 65.17 18 19 21 22. Thirdly Observe The Lord knows how to and can reconcile divided Nations I will make them one Nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel The Jews were divided into two Nations or Kingdoms There was the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah and they were at great enmity such enmity that they would have no commerce one with another Joh. 4.9 The ten Tribes went under the name of Samaritans the other were call'd Jews They were of divers Religions ver 22. They had their Calves at Dan and Bethel the true worship was at Jerusalem The enmity grew so great between them that they were at open Wars and sought the destruction of one another Those of Israel and Samaria slew in Judah 120000 valiant men in one day and carryed away captive of their brethren 200000 women sons and daughters and those they slew was in a rage reached up to heaven 2 Chron. 28.6 8 9. Now notwithstanding all the rage fury enmity bitterness was in them one against another God knows how to reconcile them and make them one Nation one People so that Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim Isa 11.13 but they shall agree and cordially love one another The Jews and Gentiles were at a greater distance than the Jews amongst themselves yet God knew how to reconcile them and did it Eph. 2.12 13 14 15 16. Vers 23. Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols nor with their detestable things nor with any of their transgressions but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned and will cleanse them so shall theybe my people and I will be their God IN this verse there lyeth before us 1. The renouncing of their Idolatrous wayes and other evils 2. Deliverance of them from the places they were captive in 3. Spiritual cleansing or Sanctification of them 4. Renewal of the Covenant between them and God Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their Idols The Jews were much addicted to Idolatry no sooner were they out of Egypt but they parted with their earings to make a Calf Exod. 32.34 When they were in the Wilderness they joyned themselves to Baal-Peor Numb 25.3 In time of the Judges when in the Land of Canaac they served other Gods Judg. 10.13 And after the rent of Jeroboam the ten Tribes did worship the Calves at Dan and Bethel 1 King 12.29 30. Judah also trod in the same steps committing Adultery with stones and with stocks Jer. 3.8 9. But when they should be united into one Nation and Kingdom again Israel should cease from her Calves and Judah from her Idols they should no more go a whoring after them whereby they defiled themselves and the Land Nor with their detestable things nor with any of their transgressions Sanctius thinks these three words Idols Detestable things Transgressions to signifie one and the same thing to set forth the sinfulness of Idols and false Religions they are detestable and cause the greatest Breaches between God and Men. The word for Transgression is Pesha which notes Apostacy Rebellion a proud and malicious violating of a Command We may by Transgressions here understand not only their Idolatries but their other capital and crying sins When God pleases to call and convert the Jews and from them into one Nation then they shall loath themselves and their former doings But I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned They were scattered up and down into divers Countries and into several parts in those Countries where they setled themselves and sâ—nn'd by conforming to the Heathen amongst whom they dwelt Ezek. 20.32 Jer. 44.8 But in what Countries soever they were the Lord would have an eye to them and deliver them And will cleanse them The word in Hebrew for cleansing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Taher which is contrary to Tamee signifying to defile pollute and because a thing defiled hath lost its beauty some make Taher to import Munditiem nitentem shining or beautiful cleansing for when the filth of things is taken away there is a splendor and beauty God saith here He will cleanse them that is from their Idolatry and other sins by the bloud of Christ and by his holy Spirit So shall they be my people and I will be their God Now they lie in a desolate condition and are looked at as cast off of God yea themselves conclude they are cut off from me ver 11. But when they are gathered out of the Countries where they are dispersed and cleansed from their iniquities then will I manifest to all the World That they are my people and that I am their God they themselves shall see and know it They shall acknowledge me to be their God and I will acknowledge them to be my people The Covenant between us shall be renewed and manifested First Observe from the two verses before this and the next That when God begins to shew mercy to his people afflicted He multiplies mercies upon them He would take them from among the Heathen bring them into their own Land make them one Nation set one King over them continue them in the same condition take their hearts off from Iâ—â—s cleanse them from their defilements take them into Covenant with himself give them David to be their King and keep them in doing of his will Here is a series of many and great mercies The like you had Chap. 36.24 25
l 27 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 64 l 6 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l 11 r. deprive p 6â— l 10 r. are p 71 l 23 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 72 l 3 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caas p 77 l 26 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 89 in marg r. Rab. Salom p 100 l 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 112 l 16 r lammaveth p 117 l 10 r in question l 12 d. in l 17 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 118 l 1 r. Chapherz p 130 marg r. consequitur p 134 l 18 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 149 marg r. Rivet p 161 l 24 r. Agaf l 29 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 176 l 7 r. Ils chanson l 9 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 167 l 18 r. sicut l 11 r. chalaf p 179 l 12 r. chelef l 15 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 180 l 16 r. avez l 18 r. neither p 181 l 21 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 182 l 24 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 185 l 7 r came p 225 l 18 r. tugida p ibid marg imbuerentur p 227 l 23 r. servum p 229 l 3◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 232 mâ—rg praedit p 235 l 17 r. series l. 10 11 r. â—e doth sometime signifie p 253 l 29 r. Oecolampadius p 263 marg superari p 218 l 22 r. Cannibals p 280 l 5 r differ as much from each other p 330 l 26 put comma after there p 336 l 13 r Adamantine p 340 l 18 r. sequax in marg for auts r. facile p 343 l 15 r. Polanus p 364 l 16 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 369 l 34 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 376 l 10 d. that l 11 d. and p 381 l 15 r ver 25. p 385 l 22 r. Christianity p 390 l 17 r. words p 427 r. of these and other things must be said Lord thou knowest p 431 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 438 l 6 Ezra p 439 l 4 r. said p 464 l 3 r stands p 465 l 24 r. Canaan p 478 l 17 r. Mat. 19.28 p 483 l 1 r. perhaps l 6 r. pintus p 491 l 21 r susâ— p 492 l 8 r. magen I ultâ—r Gomerites p 499 l 13 r. novissimo l 15 r. Mariana p 204 l 28 r. Manuaises p 210 l 27 r. Apharsâ—thchâ—tes p 215 l 27 r. look ar l 28 d. in lat â—b r some at Jer. 1.14 p 232 l 29 r. been p 234 l 20 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 237 l 8 r. senarium p 340 l 10 r. hecharutz Joel 3.19 l 18 r. seven p 250 l 27 r. Tzitun p 251 l 15 r. for by â— vâ—z p 258 l 3 r. for l 5 r. mounted p 264 l 10 r. baalvonam p 270 l 27 r. to be led p 279 l 18 r. Ezek 34 25 p 282 l 1 r. Haffen l 29 r. Jeholakâ—n p 283 l 2 r. so l 21 r. of the p 284 l 26 27 r. City p 295 l 26 r. expressionâ— p 307 l 21 r. in the p 308 l 6 r. Rev. 16. p 315 l 21 r. one p 316 l 8 r. probable p 318 l 21 r. resecta p 320 l 21 r. Shâ—ttim p 321 l 25 r. destroy Pag 326 l. 17 r. the outer p. 328 l. 19 r. infallible p. 325 l 1 r. bride p. 336 l. 27 r. bickneh hammiddah p. 345 l. 24 25 r. we cy p. 351 l. 14 r. lead p. 351 352 353 c. for carkeises r. carcases p. 353 l. 13 r. Ezek. 48. last p. 354 l. 8 dele or l. 9 r. Jehoiachin l. 16 r. pegarim p. 361 in marg exuendus l 4. Junius p. 363 l. 21 r. chok p. 364 l. 4 r. That p. 367 l 13 r. holy p. 370 l. 18 r. by it some l. 33 r. made p. 371 l. 31 r. this Altar p. 372 r. this Alt. l. 11 r. Harâ—â—l p. 375 l. 4 r. sâ—crifices l. 6 r. that validity p 385 l. 27 r. your p. 388 l. 31 r. the Lord p. 389 l. 26 r. lowest p 388. l 3. r. Lev 10.12 p 393 r one of the musts p 394 l 6 r. military p 396 l 23 r. their p 399 l 2 r. thine p 405 l 31 r. those p 418 l 1 r. 1 Joh. 2.1 p 419 l 12 r. corruption p 535 l 3 r in part p 536 l 12 r. there dele comma after worshipped p 540 l 20 21 r. to a bullock l 20 dâ—le and l 22 r. with the Lâ—mbs l 25 r. werâ— p 541 l 19 r. would p 546 l 4 d. â— l 5 r. Sanctâ—uâ— p 550 l 2 which suits with l 4 r. fruimur l 12 vehicalum p 552 l 5 r. quencheth l 26 dele Mâ—t. p 558 l 14 r. proceed p 559 l 16 r. on p 560 l 9 r. riches both p 564 l 33 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 567 l 22 r. Arias p 581 l 2 r. Hamath l 6 r. Hauran l 19 r Kadeth l 24 r. Sanctius p 582 l 16 r. came p 583 l 30 put comma after the fâ—rst in p 586 l 15 16. r. Ephraim l 23 r. distribution and so elsewheâ—e p 590 l 1 r. he shall p 596 l 27 r. but even p 600 l 10. r. Hafenrefferus l 22 r. greatest p 603 l. 12 r. only l 13 r bear p 607 l 31 r. he will There is likewise in Press the Second part of that practical peice of Divinity called The Christian mans Calling by Mr. George Swinnock containing Dealings with all men in all conditions whether inprosperite or adversity in all companies good or bad in solitariness on the Week day from morning to night in visiting the sick upon a dying-bed AN EXPOSITION Upon more Chapters of EZEKIEL CHAP. XXX 1. The word of the Lord came again unto me saying 2. Son of man prophesie and say Thus saith the Lord God Howl ye wo worth the day 3. For the day is near even the day of the Lord is near a cloudy day it shall be the time of the heathen 4. And the sword shall come upon Egypt and great pain shall be in Ethiopia when the slain shall fall in Egypt and they shall take away her multitude her foundations shall be broken down 5. Ethiopia Libya Lydia all the mingled people Chub and the men of the Land that is in league shall fall with them by the sword THIS Chapter is a continuance of the former prophesie and hath two generall parts in it The 1. is concerning the destruction of Egypt and those that were confederate with her to the 20. vers 2. Is concerning Pharoah King of Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon from the 20. vers to the end In these Verses we have 1. The Authority of the prophesie it 's divine from the Lord ver 1 2. 2. The thing imposed upon Egypt Howling vers 2. 3. The Reasons thereof vers 3 4 5. Vers 1. The Word of the Lord came again unto me This Preface is to
Heylin ubi ante because those Lydians were too farre off to be helpfull to the Egyptians he therefore makes it to be Lydda Acts 9.32 where Peter heal'd Aeneas This City was in the Tribe of Ephraim near unto Joppa It was therefore taken by Nebuchadnezzar before when he took Jerusalem and made the whole Land Tributary unto him The distance of Lydia was not such as to hinder the Egyptians from confederating with them they were on the one side of the Mediterranean Sea and the Lydians on the other And all the mingled people Montanus saith All the Vulgar The Hebrew is Col haeref which Junius Piscator and Others render tota miscellanea turba all the mixt Company that is those that came from other Parts to be milltes conducti to serve the Egyptians for pay When Wars are among Nations strangers will flock out of all Parts unto them to be their Auxilaries Some make them the Arabians Chub. This word is no where else in holy Writ Symmachus thought it to be Arabia but Interpreters by it understand the Cubaeans people in the inward Lybia near unto the River Nigris where Ptolomy in his Geography places the City Cuphe The Men of the Land that is in League The Hebrew is Filii terrae foederis the Sons of the Land of League Piscator translates the words thus Qui degunt in terra confederata those who live in a Land confederate that is these were confederate with the Egyptians Some put these words upon the Nations which had engaged themselves to help the Egyptians Others more probably put them upon Judaea which was the Land in League with God for God promised it to Abraham and his Posterity whereupon the Jewes were cal'd the Children of the Covenant Acts 2.25 And the Septuagint here have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sons of my Testament or Covenant The Jewes were in League with the Egyptians and after the destruction of Jerusalem Gedaliah being treacherously slain by Ishmael and others Johanan carryeth the Jewes the Sons of the Land in League into Egypt where they suffered by Nebuchadnezzar what the Egyptians did Jer. 43. and 44. Chapters Some fell by the sword some were carryed Captive First Observe After dayes of mirth come dayes of sorrow Egypt had seen many dayes of prosperity and rejoycing and now howle ye woe worth the day Her Summer was over and Winter coming upon her black cloudy stormy terrible days were at hand As there is a change in things so in times Eccles 3.4 There is a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance These succeed each other and neither keeps possession long mirth and jollity is thrust out of doors after a few dayes by its contrary Babylon had her dayes of delight she was given to pleasure Isa 47.8 but suddenly there was a change Jer. 51.8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed Howle for her Secondly Observe The approaching of those dayes wherein God will visit and punish sinners is just cause of mourning Howle for the day of the Lord is near a cloudy day The Judgments of God were at hand ready to take hold of the Egyptians therefore they had sufficient cause to howle Isa 13.6 Howl ye for the day of the Lord is at hand It shall come as a destruction from the Almighty It s spoken of the Babylonians who thought themselves safe strong having subdued most Nations but they must howl for that the day of the Lord drew near it should be a day for destruction and not an ordinary destruction but as a destruction from the Almighty it should be such a destruction as should proclaim to the world that the hand of God was eminently in it Joel 2.1 Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord comes for it is nigh at hand The time of Nebuchadnezzar's coming to execute the judgements of God upon Jerusalem and Judaea drew nigh and thereupon the Prophet calls upon all the inhabitants of the land to tremble to repent and mourn there is great and just cause so to do at such times because thereby judgements may be averted delayed mitigated or sanctified unto us Thirdly Observe God hath his times to visit heathens it shall be the time of the heathens If heathens do God any service he hath a time to reward them as he did Nebuchadnezzar by giving him the spoil of Egypt if heathens do provoke him by their pride idolatry profaneness oppression of his people or any other way he hath his time and day to punish them Jer. 46.8 9 10. Egypt riseth up like a flood and his waters are moved like the rivers and he saith I will go up and cover the earth I will destroy the City that was Carchemish by the river Euphrates and the inhabitants thereof Come up ye horses and rage ye chariots and let the mighty men come forth the Ethiopians and the Lybians that handle the shield and the Lydians that handle and bend the Bow For this is the day of the Lord God of Hosts a day of vengeance that he may avenge him of his adversaries The Egyptians Ethiopians Lybians and Lydians were all heathens and God had his day to visit them when they went to Euphrates to fight the Babylonians he made the Babylonish sword drunk with their blood Not long after God had a day for the Babylonians Jer. 50.27 Slay all her bullocks let them go down to the slaughter wâ— unto them for their day is come the time of their visitation The Princes Nobles great Ones who were the Bullocks of Babylon had their day of slaughter Fourthly Observe Where publike judgements come they are troublesome to neighbor Nations The sword shall come upon Egypt and great pain shall be in Ethiopia The evil of the sword was not confined within the Egyptian borders it reached to the Ethiopians and others they were filled with fear they were in pain as a woman in travail when evil borders upon us some evil or mischief is to be feared from thence Aliquid mali propter vicitâ—m malum if our neighbors house be on fire we may fear some sparks of that fire may fall on ours The wars of England have made the Nations about us to be in pain Fifthly Observe Wars lay all waste the sword makes no difference between things or persons The sword shall come upon Egypt and her foundations shall be broken down and the men of the land that is in league shall fall with them by the sword As the sword spared no City Towers Castles so no persons even those Jews that fled to Egypt for safety should not escape what Jews what mingled people it found in Egypt they all suffered alike the sword pittyed spared none Vers 6 7 8 9. Thus saith the Lord they also that uphold Egypt shall fall and the pride of her power shall come down from the Tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the
sword saith the Lord God And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted And they shall know that I am the Lord when I have set a fire in Egypt and when all her helpers shall be destroyed In that day shall messengers go forth from me in Ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid and great pain shall come upon them as in the day of Egypt for lo it cometh IN these words is further set forth the destruction of Egypt with those that were her strength and confederates as also the events following thereupon Vers 6. They also that uphold Egypt shall fall The Hebrew word is Somechee which Montanus renders fulcientes the Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fundamenta the foundation of Egypt These upholders or foundations were not the titular gods but the Princes Nobles Rulers and confederates who by their power pollicy persons and estates did assist the King of Egypt The pride of her power shall come down Egypt had strong Towns Castles men and presumed upon was proud of them but these should be destroyed and taken away so should her pride come down The Vulgar is destruetur superbia Imperii ejus the pride of her Empire shall be destroyed What ever Egypt confided or gloryed in that should be brought low Egypt was lifted up with her power and sate like one on the top of a Mountain and God by his judgements would bring her down From the Tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword Of the Tower of Syene or Sevene was spoken Chap. 29. 10. The meaning is that the sword should pass through all Egypt from one border to another Vers 7. And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate This verse is the same with the 12. verse of the 29. Chap. Egypt and her Cities should be like other Lands and Cities which were extreamly wasted Vers 8. When I have set a fire in Egypt When God brought the Caldean Army into Egypt there was a fire in it dreadful and consumptive The wars were terrible and devoured all things like fire and its probable many strong Cities and Holds were burnt with fire When all her helpers shall be destroyed Egypt being rich powerful and renowned had many confederates which here are called helpers The French is Tous teux qui luy donno yent aide are those that gave her aid they should all be vain helpers for they should not secure or save themselves Vers 9. In that day shall messengers go forth from me in Ships In that day when Egypt was conquered Messengers not Chaldeans but Egyptians or some that escaped the sword fled into Ethiopia to inform them what the Chaldeans had done and in what case they left Egypt They are said to go forth from God because they went by his counsell and providence or because they fled from his angry countenance which appeared in the destruction of Egypt for the original is from my face God sent them to carry tydings of his dreadful judgements to the Ethiopians They went in Ships Batzim in some vessels that were for speed the Septuag is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hastening To make the careless Ethiopians afraid Nebuchadnezzar passed through the oriental Ethiopia to come to Egypt and these Ethiopians seem to be the African Ethiopians and when Egypt was spoiled from one border to another even to Syene he was near it his passage lay fair open and easie into it and it s not said that Nebuchadnezzar should not go beyond Syene but that Egypt should be made desolate from the Tower of Syene to Cush that was the other Ethiopiae The messengers hasted to this Southern Ethiopia the inhabitants whereof were a secure careless people assured them the sword had devoured Egypt and was come to their gates this struck fear into them The Hebrew word to make afraid is Charad which notes externam commotionem ex metu mali outward trembling from fear of some suddain evil such tydings put all Ethiopia into trembling And great pain shall come upon them as in the day of Egypt When sad and grievous judgements are upon a place that is called the Day of that place as the day of Jerusalem Psal 137.7 In the day of Jerusalem the Edomites said rase it rase it even to the foundations thereof When Nebuchadnezzar besieged took spoyled and burnt Jerusalem that was the day of it so here in the day of Egypt that was when the plagues were upon it especially when their first born were slain then were they in great pain When the land was in travail and when they were all drowned in the red Sea then great pain was upon all the Nations round about so here Ethiopia should be in travail filled with feares and shaking fits as Egypt and the Nations then were Observe First When God will visit a Nation it 's not their great Ones in it or confederates with it which can secure it They that uphold Egypt shall fall the Princes Nobles Counsellors Associates and whosoever were in league with her should all feel the hand of God and be crushed with her when men do storm a City it 's not her Out-works her Walls her Gates her Towers that can preserve her and when God will destroy a Nation it 's not outward nor inward helps can uphold No pollicie no power no number can stand it out against God Observe Secondly States are not to confide in power but pride and confidence therein hastens their ruine Egypt had power was proud thereof and confided therein and the Lord said the pride of her power shall come down Is 16.6 We have heard of the pride of Moab he is very proud even of his haughtinesse and his pride but his lies shall not be so He thought himself strong secure but his pride confidence did deceive him For vers 7. Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab every one shall howl The Moabites amongst themselves should howl one for and with another for the foundations of Kir-hareseth shall ye mourn surely are they stricken Kir-hareseth was a chief City for strength in which they placed much confidence and to which they fled in their streights but her foundations were stricken and their hopes disappointed and the pride of their power brought down It s the pride of States and Princes which levels them with others Isa 10.12 I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high looks Senacherib prided himself in his great Army and presumed he should take Jerusalem and eat up all the prey thereof but his high looks were abased his confidences his ruine 2 Kings 19.35.36 37. Observe Thirdly God sends dreadful and consumptive judgements upon Nations and makes himself known thereby They shall know that I am the Lord when I have set fire in Egypt and when all her helpers are destroyed It
of the Jews fled Jeremie 44.1 It was seated on the west side of Nilus over against Cairo though it was once the Metropolis of Egypt now nothing remains but the meer ruines The vulgar renders it Memphis and so it was commonly call'd by Heathen Writers and Hos 9.6 Memphis shall bury them The Hebrew word for Memphis is Moph litterarum N. M. facili permutatione Jun. in Isai 19.13 by the chang-of N into M. saith Martinius and hence Memphis but Junius makes it so call'd from Moph a Mountain near unto it In this City was that Idol Apis in the form of an Ox worshipped like unto it was the Calf the Jews made when Moses was in the Mount and those Calves Jeroboam set up at Dan and Bethel And there shall be no more a Prince of the Land of Egypt God would so visit Egypt that he would either cut off all the Royal Blood not leaving any of the Egyptian race to reign or which is more consonant to truth he would keep Egypt a long time without any Prince He had threatned in the former Chapter ver 11 12. That Egypt should be desolate Forty eight years and that is the time here meant there shall be no more a Prince of the land of Egypt Lavater extends these words no more beyond the Forty years saying that for a long time they had no Kings for after that time the Macedonians Romans and Sarazens ruled over them And I will put a fear in the land of Egypt The Egyptians were like the Ethiopians a secure careless people they trusted in their Rivers their Cities their Horse their Foot their Confederates and wealth therefore God would awaken them and put a fear into all sorts they should fâ—ar the issue of things an enemy being at hand and ready to lay all waste Vers 14. And I will make Pathros desolate Of Pathros was spoken Chap. 29. 14. There it s joyned with the Land of Pathros there it s reckoned amongst Cities and Junius saith its likely to be that City which afterwrds men commonly called Herculis parvam urbem the little City of Hercules because it was strong and scituate in the Front of Egypt for defence of it When Nebuchadnezzar came into Egypt he made desolate both Pathros the Country and Pathros the City I will set fire in Zoan Zoan was a City in Egypt very antient built seven years after Hebron Num. 13.22 a Royal City where the Princes resided Isa 19.11 to it came Princes from Judaea for help Isa 30.4 The Septuagint calls it Tanis and because it was not far from Nilus one of the mouths of Nilus was called Ostium Tanicum or Taniticum Among Authors there is mention of Tanis in Goshen and Tanis on the other side Nilus where Memphis was and because the Jews dwelt in Goshen I conceive Tanis in Goshen is sometimes meant in Scripture and not always the other Tanis or Zoan as Psal 78.12 43. vers God did marvelous things and wonders in the â—ield of Zoan or Tanis that might be that where the Jews inhabited By Fire here may be understood fire materially which consum'd Zoan to ashes or fire Metaphorically Gods vengeance upon it by the Sword and will execute Judgments in No. No was another great City in Egypt of which the Prophet Nahum speaks thus Chap. 3. 8. Art thou better then populous No that was scituate among the Rivers that had the waters round about it whose Rampart was the Sea and her wall was from the Sea The word for populous is Amon which signifies nourishing No was mater nutrix totius Egypti the Mother and Nurse of all Egypt by reason of her great wealth and traffique scituate amongst the Rivers cut out of Nilus The Septuag terms it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Chaldee Paraphrast Rabbies and most Expositors make it to be the City which in after-times was call'd Alexandria Junius thinks it that City and Tract which Ptolomie calls Neuth This City God did punish for it was idolatrous Jerem. 46.25 Vers 15. I will pour my fury upon Sin the strength of Egypt Exod. 16.1 Mention is made of the wilderness of Sin which some Expositors affirm had its name from this City here call'd Sin which afterward obtained the name Pelusium and was by that mouth of Nilus termed ostium Pelusiorum over against Arabia Petraea and is now called Damiata Castaldo Zeiglero and Suidas names it Clavis Egypti the Key of Egypt and our Prophet robur Egypti the strength of Egypt it was of grand import to hinder the coming in or going out of ships So strong it was that God must pour his fury upon it else it would not be ruined And wlll cut off the multitude of No. This City No had great trading and Idol Gods in it both which drew Multitudes of people but the Lord would cut them off some by the Sword some by captivity and some by other Judgments Vers 16. I will set fire in Egypt In ver 14. he said I will set fire in Zoan and here in Egypt The Babylonians were Fire-brands whom God brought to consume all Egypt and her Glory Sin shall have great pain The Hebrew is dolendo dolebit she shall be in such paine as women in travail are God would pour his fury upon her and that would paine her to purpose No shall be rent asunder Garments we use to rend in pieces and weak materialls Cities are weak things when God comes to deal with them he can rend them asunder the strongest Walls Towers Houses he can in a moment pull in pieces as easily as the strongest man can paper or cloaths And Noph shall have distresses daily Noph shall hear of and meet with those things as should put her into continual streights provisions should faile her the spirit of her Soldiers and Inhabitants should faile her her hope of help from Confederates should faile her so daily she should have distress and especially when besieged by the Enemy Vers 17. The young men of Aven Aven the Septuagint have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heliopolis which is the City of the Sun and Isa 19.18 it s call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ir Cheres the City of the Sun so it s rendred in the Margent and it was so cal'd because it was simulachrum templum solis the Image and Temple of the Sun it was sometimes in Holy Writ call'd On Gen. 41.45 Pharoah gave Joseph to wife Asenath the Daughter of Potiphera Priest of On of Heliopolis saith the Septuag It was after by the Graecians call'd Thebe by the Arabians Bethsemes The men of this City were accounted the wisest of all the Egyptians neither their wisdom nor their strength could preserve them from falling by the sword And of Phibeseth shall fall by the Sword This City is affirm'd to be Bubastis or Bubastus a City in Egypt where Diana whom the Egyptians call'd Bubastis had a Temple and there was once a year great solemnitie had in honorem Dianae by
some its call'd pubastum These Cities shall go into Captivity The Inhabitants of them shall be taken and carried away by Nebuchadnezzar and his forces viz. The Citizens of Aven and Phibeseth Vers 18. At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened Some make this City to be the same with Zoan or Tanis In Jeremiah its call'd Tahpanhes Chap. 44. 1. in it dwelt many of the Fugitive Jews its thought to be so call'd from Tahpenes the Queen Wife of Pharaoh 1 Kin. 11.19 In Isa 30.4 It s nam'd Hanes on Chanes in Jerem. 43.7 Tahpanthes so it s in the Hebrew and it was a Royal City ver 9. Pharaohs house was there It s by some Expositors said to be Daphnae or Daphnis which was in ostio Nili Pelusiano of his Judgment was Junius in his notes on Jer. 30.4 but in this place he makes Tehaphnehes to be in the remotest part of Egypt Southward above Syene where Nilus makes an Island call'd Tacompso or Cacompso by Herodotus Now there should the day be darkned that is turned into night by reason of mourning and sadness all their mirth should be taken away Fears Sorrows Distresses should come as thick Clouds upon them and darken all When I shall break there the yoaks of Egypt The Egyptians held them there in great subjection rul'd over them Tyrannically they made them serve like Beasts with yokes on their necks and burdens on their backs God would set them at liberty and put yokes upon the Egyptians own necks Junius thinks there were some works or chains in those parts to keep out the Ethiopians from making incursions into Aegypt Lavater reads the words vectes Aegypti the Bars of Egypt The people thereupon were put to great Taxes and hard Services which were Yoaks Some read the Scepters of Egypt the word Mototh is rendred by some Scepters by others loca nigra vectes where there be Scepters Power there will be heavy and burthensome things such Lawes Decrees Orders Taxes Services imposed upon the people as that they may well be call'd Yoaks Bonds Barrs Le ts to their Liberty and Comfort these Yoaks would God break and remove from their necks and backs And the pomp of her strength shall cease in her The Hebrew is the pride of her strength Egypt had strong Cities strong Garrisons which made her proud confident The Septuag is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the injury or violence of her power and strength she abused her strength in oppressing others and God would put an end unto it he would destroy it and she should no more glorie in her strong Holds or in her Multitudes of men As for her a cloud shall cover her Here is a Nominative case absolute in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hi ipsa which is rendred as for her that is Tehaphnehes a cloud shall cover her Nebuchadnezzars Army which brought a cloud of fears a cloud of sorrows a cloud of perplexities a cloud of reproach Such a cloud was upon Worcester And her Daughters shall go into captivity By Daughters we may understand the women of Tehaphnehes who properly were the Daughters thereof or the little Towns thereabouts each were under the protection and power of Tehaphnehes and so were her Daughters metaphorically The Inhabitants of them should be carried away into Babylon Vers 19. Thus will I execute Judgments in Egypt Egypt was full of Sin and God fill'd it with his Judgments from one end to the other he said he would cut off man and beast break down her Foundations dry up the Rivers lay all waste fill the land with the slain send Multitudes into Captivity and thus will I execute Judgment in Egypt First observe Idols and Idolatrous worship are so far from benefiting a State as that they provoke God to ruine them and the State with them Egypt had many Idolls many Images in most Cities they were set up and worshipped this caused God to destroy them and Egypt with them I will destroy the Idols and will cause their Images to cease out of Noph and I will set fire in Egypt Idolatry is a Sin robs God of his Glory and so provokes him to fury to take vengeance on Idols and Idolatrous Kingdoms Jer. 46.25 I will punish the multitude of No and Pharaoh and Egypt with their Gods and their Kings The Kings set up their Idol Gods they commanded and countenanced the worshipping of them therefore they should be punished together Idolatry is very destructive it was the destruction of the ten Tribes 2 King 17.7 and you may see how Judah suffered for this Sin 2 Chron. 28.2 Ahaz made Moulâ—en Images for Baalim and burnt incense to Idols but what was the issue thereof ver 5. The King of Syria smote him and carried away a great multitude of them Captives Pekah also the Son of Remaliah slew in Judah 120000. in one day which were all valiant men because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers they fell to Idolatry ver 6. Besides the loss of those men 200000. women sons and daughters were carried away captive ver 8. O what spoil was Judah brought unto for its abominable Idolatry Secondly observe God may and can deprive Lands of their Princes at his pleasure There shall be no more a Prince of the Land of Egypt Pâ—inces have their Patents and Power from God Prov. 8.16 By me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the earth It s God sets them up and he may and doth pull them down as he sees cause he set up Saul and he rejected him 1 Sam. 15.23 he planted Zedekiah and pull'd him up Ezek. 17.8 9. He cuts off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 76.12 He cuts them off as suddenly as easily as the Vine-dresser doth branches off the Vine he is terrible unto them 2 Chron. 22.21 he sent an Angel and cut off all the mighty men of valour and the Leaders and Captains in the Camp of the King of Assyria The Angel made terrible work among them in one night God is King of Kings and in the day of his wrath he strikes through them and deprives their Land of them He can say to any Land as he did to Egypt there shall be no more a Prince there Thirdly Observe There is nothing can secure a wicked Prince and Nation from the judgements of God Egypt and her King had many Cities Strong Cities populous Cities wealthy Cities Men of wisdom and might in them yet these could not keep off the Sword and Fire I will make Pathros desolate I will set fire in Zoan I will execute judgments in No and poure my fury upon Sin Noph shall have distress the men of Aven and Phibeseth shall fall by the Sword and a Cloud shall cover Tehaphnehes Men might run from one City to another but Gods judgments would out-run them if they escaped one Judgment another would overtake them Fourthly observe God hath his times to take off the heavy
Cyreneans against whom Pharaoh led out an Army which they overthrew and the Civil Wars amongst them after that Victory they were so consum'd and weakened Chap. 29.4 vid. Juni that they had not hearts nor means to defend themselves against Nebuchadnezzar when he invaded them I will cause the Sword to fall out of his hand When an Arm is broken the hand is disabled from holding any thing so Pharaoh having his arms broken Syria and Egypt the Sword should fall out of his hand he should not be able any more to make war he should neither have forces in the one Kingdom or the other to do him service or thus if he did get up some forces and ingage with the Babylonians God would so order things that the Egyptians should be overcome throw down their Arms cry for quarter or fly for safety Vers 23. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the Nations The Hebrew word for to scatter is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puts which signifies confringi cum dispersione to be broken and dispersed he spake before of the breaking Pharaohs forces and now saith they should be scattered some running one way some another some carried into one part of Babylon some into another And disperse them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sarah which is the Hebrew word signifies to disperse by breaking in pieces and also by fanning The Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will fan them And so Lavater Piscator and the vulgar render the word God would fan them as chaffe out of the Land of Egypt and drive them from country to country as the wind drives chaffe from place to place Vers 24. And I will strengthen the Arms of the King of Babylon Chizzikti Montanus renders it comfortabo I will comfort Vatablus noborabo I will make strong Jun. and Pisca confirmabo I will confirm the French fortifiray I will fortifie The Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will harden The word Chazak saith Kirker signifies properly firmam apprehensionem such a taking hold of a man as thereby to confirm his Spirits and to strengthen him God would take hold of Nebuchadnezzar and his forces so as to add spirit courage and strength unto them he would be on their side and make them victorious He was against Pharaoh brake his Arms weakened him but he would be with Nebuchadnezzar uphold him and make his Arms strong And put my Sword in his hand I will furnish him with all military instruments and sufficiency of power to execute my judgments upon Egypt and upon Pharaoh King thereof God would make the Sword fall out of his hand but he would put one into Nebuchadnezzars hand But I will break Pharaohs Arms. Let them be strong and brawnie I will break them as wood bones earthen vessels are wont to be broken he is proud confident and thinks himself able to withstand the King of Babylon but by him will I break all his forces and so breake them that He shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man The Hebrew runs thus He shall cry with Cries being deadly wounded before him Piscator looking to the former words I will break Pharaohs Arms renders them thus that he may groan before him as a man groans being deadly wounded When a man is Chalal thrust through or deadly wounded he fetcheth deep sighs and groans and Pharaoh should be so afflicted with the King of Babylons prevailing against him that he should greatly mourn and groan Noak notes such crying sighing groaning as men make when they are wounded unto death Vers 25. But I will strengthen the Arms of the King of Babylon and the Arms of Pharaoh shall fall down c. In this verse and the last there is little but what was said before the Prophet repeats the same things that so he might awaken the Egyptians to consider what dreadful desolations were coming upon them and beat off the Jews from seeking help at their hands whose destruction was so certainly determined by the Lord. And he shall stretch it out upon the Land of Egypt This stretching out may either refer to the stroke as when men will strike strong and deadly stroaks they stretch out their arms that the stroke may be with more force upon the partie to be smitten or it may note the extent of the Sword it should be stretched out upon the whole Land of Egypt Wars should consume the whole Nation First observe Men in affliction strictly observe how the time passes away they mind the years months and days Ezekiel was a Captive in Babylon and he kept account of the time in the Eleventh year the first month and seventh day of it that was of their Captivity he slipt not a day but observed it and what fell out then the word of the Lord came unto him Afflictions make good Chronologers Secondly observe The Lord makes good his word he had said by the mouth of David Psal 37.17 The arms of the wicked shall be broken and here he saith I have broken the Arms of Pharaoh King of Egypt he was a wicked King and God broke his Arms. Kings who have great forces great wealth numerous Cities and strong Navies if they be wicked they and all they have are no more to God then one single man whose Arms God can easily break for he hath a mighty Arm Psal 89.13 And when he makes it bare then it breaks Kings and Kingdoms Arms and Armies in pieces it was his Arm that brake the Babylonian Persian Grecian and Roman Empires which were all wicked He break the Arm of Moab Jer. 48.25 He will break the Arm of Antichrist and of all the Princes of the Earth which help him Thirdly observe God sometimes so wounds Princes and States as that their wounds are incurable I have broken the Arm of Pharaoh and loe it shall not be bound up to be healed all the State-Chyrurgeons and Physitians could not set the bone again and heal the wound much art and industry was used many plaisters applyed but all to no purpose for God had said it shall not be healed Jer. 46.11 In vain shall they use many Medicines for they shall not be cured it s spoken of this Pharaoh and the wound he had received If God deny once to cure the wounds he makes those wounds prove deadly not all the Balm in Gilead will cure them not all the wisdom riches strength of Egypt could make Pharaoh whole again If the Lord himself do not binde up when he breaks heal where he wounds nothing but death and dissolution follows Fourthly observe It s a dreadful thing to have the Lord declare himself to be an enemie to a King to a State to any Behold I am against Pharaoh therefore what was broken could not be healed and what was whole should be broken he should be more and more disabled his Princes became fools his wise Councellors brutish a perverse and seducing Spirit was in the midst of them and
to bewaile the sins and ruines of Princes and their Kingdoms when God calls them thereunto Thirdly Observe The evill quallities and manners of men do make them like unto Beasts of the field and fish of the Sea Thou art like a young Lyon of the Nations Pharoah's roaring and ravening his terribleness and cruelty made him like a Lyon And thou art as a Whale in the Seas Pharoah's tumbling up and down disquieting the people and making a prey of them as fishes transformed him into a Whale or Sea-monster Subtle persons are tearmed Foxes Luke 13.32 Lascivious persons are like pampered Horses Jer 5.8 Oppressing Princes and Judges to Lyons and evening Wolves Zâ—ph 3.3 The wicked qualities of men do make them brutish Solomon tels you in favour of this truth That the wickednesse of those in the place of judgement made them beasts Eccl 3.16.18 Fourthly Observe God hath Prophets to tell the worst of Princes of their wickednesse Pharoah was a great King terrible as a Lyon dreadfull as a Whale yet God had an Ezekiel to send to him and to tell him of his Tyranny and cruelty Go say unto Pharoah thou art as a young Lyon of the Heathen and as a Whale in the Seas God sent him to deal sharply with him notwithstanding his greatness Prophets must not spare Princes when sent of God to reprove them Fifthly Observe Wicked Kings are great troublers of their own and others waters They trouble their own people their own Kingdoms and others also Thou camest forth with thy Rivers and troubledst the waters with thy feet and fowledst their rivers Pharoah was neither quiet in Egypt nor would let others be quiet he sent out his Embassadours to other Nations which were as his feet they troubled the waters the people in drawing them into League with Pharoah in causing them to raise forces to assist him and so fowled their Rivers unsetled their peace troubled their spirits and Countries Whales are not more troublesome to the Seas Crocodiles to the Rivers of Egypt Lyons and wild Beasts to the Land than Tyrants are to their own Kingdoms and those that are near unto them Ahab was a troubler of Israel 1 Kings 18.18 and of Judah also in that he drew Jehosaephat and his people to joyn with him 2 Chr. 1.8 to go up to Ramoth Gilead where it had like to have cost him his life Solomon tells us He that is cruel will trouble his own flesh Pro 11.17 Tyrants are cruel and they do trouble their own flesh their own Subjects and people yea and the Flesh of strangers they make their own Rivers and others to be muddy Vers 3. I will therefore spread out my net over thee These words you had Chap 17.20 and Chap. 12 13. A Net is to catch Birds or Fish Here God represents the person of a Fisher-man and would spread out his Net to take this Whale The word for Net is Resheth from Jarash to possesse retain because a Net keeps what it catcheth and retâ— some derive from retinendo from its holding and retaining This Net with which God would catch the Whale must be a great Net and so it was for it was the Chaldaean Army which was great strong and sufficient to spread over all the Rivers of Egypt With a company of many people When Lyons or Whales are to be taken multitudes of people get together and so here multitudes of Chaldaeans came to take this Lyon and Whale They shall bring thee up in my Net Thou lyest in thy Rivers and deep waters thinking thy self safe without the reach of any but my Net shall be so thrown as to incompasse and catch thee and these Chaldaans shall draw thee up out of thy Nilus yea out of thine Egypt Vers 4. Then will I leave thee upon the Land c. When this great Whale shall be drawn out of his waters and Country God will deal by him as Fisher-men do by the Whale drawn to the shoar they leave him upon the dry ground in open view exposed to the Fowls of Heaven and Beasts of the Earth they cut him in pieces whereof some are carried away others are thrown here and there so God dealt with Pharoah he brought him to open shame and ruine He made him and his wealth a prey to all sorts of people Like unto this verse is that you had Chap 29.5 Vers 5. I will lay thy flesh upon the Mountains Thou or thy Souldiers being overcome some of you will fly to the Mountains for releef but even there shall they be destitute of help they shall be slain on the Mountains And fill the Valleys with thy height I will make such a slaughter of thy men as that they shall fill up the Valleys the bodies shall lye so thick one upon another as to make a height Munster interprets it of the swelling of the bodies Dead bodies do swell much and increase height The Vulgar read the words thus Implebo colles tuos sanie tuo I will fill thy hills with the corruption flowes from the dead bodies Vers 6. I will also water with thy bloud the Land wherein thou swimmest When Nilus overflowed then Egypt was full of water so that this Whale might swim up and down in the same God would cause such a destruction to be among the Egyptians that there should be a River of bloud which should water the Land hereby is set out the great abundance of bloud that should be shed in Egypt the Land was made drunk with it Even to the Mountains and the Rivers shall be full of thee Not only the lower places should be sâ—ll'd with the bloud of the slain but it should reach to the Mountains and run into the Rivers Sanctius thinks this not to be verified in Egypt where were no Mountains but in some other place where the Egyptians were drawn out to fight First Observe That because Kings keep not within their bounds but are troublesome to their own people and others therefore the Lord destroyes them and their Kingdoms Thou camest forth with thy Rivers and troubledst the waters with thy feet and fowledst their Rivers I will therefore spread out my Net over thee The ruine of Princes and States are no casuall things they are effected by the Counsell Providence and Power of God punishing them most justly for their sins Secondly Observe God hath his Nets to catch Whales and great Fish in I will spread out my Net over thee It s not every Net will catch Whales and great Fish they will break ordinary Nets but God hath Nets to take them he wants not means to bring the mightiest unto punishment Pharoah was a Lyon a Dragon a Crocodile a Whale and God had a Net in the North the Babylonish Army which he sent for and caught this Egyptian Whale with God had a Net to catch chat old Whale and Sea-monster who devoured so many of the Israelites children he made a Net of the Waters and not only caught Pharoah but drowned that
Whale in the Red Sea Thirdly Observe God designes the place of Tyrants suffering and divides the spoyle of them to whom he pleases I will leave thee upon the Land I will cast thee forth upon the open field I will cause all the Fowls of the Heaven to remain upon thee and I will fill the Beasts of the whole earth with thee God drew this Whale out of his Waters unto the place where he and all the Fish adhered unto him were slain and made a spoil to all sorts of people Fourthly Observe When God is in a way of judgement with wicked Princes sometimes he shews exceeding great severity towards them and theirs I will lay thy flesh upon the Mountains and fill the valleys with thy height Thou and thine shall be slain in all places no safety in the Mountains or Vallyes I will also water with thy bloud the Land wherein thou swimmest their bloud should be so shed as to make the Land drunk with it in Vatablus it is inebriabo terram cruore sanguinis tui Vers 7. And when I shall put thee out I will cover the Heaven and make the stars thereof dark Here the Prophet comes to shew the events of this dreadfull and severe judgement of God When I shall put thee out because to shew in extinctione tua Cava or Caba notes such a putting out as is of fire or a Candle when God should extinguish Pharoahs life then should there be no quiet peace joy safety but altogether fighing weeping complaining howling and sad lamentations so great should be the grief and misery of the Egyptiaâ—s that all things should seem dark unto them In extream sorrows visus deficit and persons think the day to be night are destitute of counsel and know-not which way to turn them It s usual in Scripture to set out times of mourning and misery by such expressions as you have here and in the following verse as Joel 3.15 Isai 13.10 Mark 13.24 25. Luke 21.25 Amos 8.9 I will cover the Sun with a cloud and the Moon shall not give her light God hath the power over the Clouds and he can call them forth at his pleasure to do him what service he please he would keep the comfortable beams of the Sun and Moon from them they had darknesse on every side the very Heavens Sun Moon and Starres hid their faces from them Vers 8. All the bright lights of Heaven will I make dark over thee The Hebrew is all the lights of light they should have no benefit by these bright and shining lights of Heaven Mourners use to cover their heads and faces and so the lights of Heaven are as darknesse unto them or they shall seem affected with the sore judgements are upon thee The Vulgar is Omnia luminaria Coeli merere faciam super te I will make all the lights of Heaven to mourn over thee Septuagint All the bright lights of Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And set darknesse upon thy Land Darknesse is frequently in the word used for affliction and grief a sad condition and God would set Egypt yea settle it under darknesse it should be kept in a mourning and miserable condition Vers 9. I will also vex the hearts of many people The word for to vex is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caass which signifies not only to move to anger but also to grieve when people should hear how Pharoah a great King was conquered and his Kingdom laid utterly wast this would grieve vex them especially when they consider how great Nebuchadnezzar became hereby having all Egypt and the adjacent parts under him When I shall bring thy destruction among the Nations The word for thy destruction is Shibreca Contritionem tuam thy breaking for which the Septuagint hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy captivity The French Ta ruine Thy ruine The Nations thought Egypt impossible to be totally broken and ruined being fortifyed so with Cityes Rivers and the Sea The News of its destruction would vex them to the heart Vers 10. Yea I will make many people amazed at thee When Gods dealings with Pharoah his severe judgements upon him and his came abroad among the people they were amazed not knowing what to think speak or do When strange and dreadful things come suddenly to us they surprise our judgements and we are at a stand And their Kings shall be horribly afraid for thee The People should be amazed and the Kings afraid Chap. 30.4 The Sword shall come upon Egypt and great pâ—in shall be in Ethiopia so in Lybia Lydia and Chub they and their King should be horribly afraid The word to fear is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saor which notes great fear even such fear as is cum erectione pilorum as makes the hair to stand up and the Word is double here They shall fear with a fear be exceedingly afraid for Nebuchadnezzars prevailing over Pharoah When the great Whale is taken the lesser fishes have cause to fear When I shall brandish my Sword before them The Hebrew is Begnophphi Charbi When I shall cause my Sword to fly before them that is in military Language When I shall brandish my Sword before them When Nebuchadnezzar came with his forces to Egypt at the appointment of God and subdued it then he brandished his sword before them And they shall tremble at every moment These words we had in the Chap. 26.16 where they were opened they shall be in a continued fear trembling from day to day least Nebuchadnezzar should fall upon them and bring them to Pharoahs condition Every man for his own life in the day of thy fall When the Sword is abroad mens lives are at stake and when it hath shed so much bloud as to water a Land to fill up valleys and make it reach to mountains who would not fear least his life and bloud go next When a great King and Kingdome falls by the Sword its matter sufficient to make neighbouring Kings and Kingdomes to fear themselves First Observe Great Ones are lights in the world and God extinguisheth those lights at his pleasure When I shall put thee out Princes and great Ones are examples which most follow Beacons upon a Hill Suns in their Orbs which many admire and follow though they light them downward towards the pit of darknesse These be such great lights that men dare not snuff reprove them but God he extinguisheth them he lighted them up and he puts them out Secondly Observe When God puts out great lights breaks the Candlesticks they stood in that is destroyes great Kings and their Kingdoms then sad events do follow then the living and senselesse creatures are troubled Heaven and Earth affected those neer and those far off disquieted Dreadfull judgements have dismall consequents When God destroyed Pharoah and his Army laid waste Egypt then darknesse was upon the Heavens Sun Moon and Stars then darkness was upon the Land then the hearts of many were vexed then Kings were horribly
afraid and quaked every moment for fear of their Kingdoms and lives When Lyons and Whales are caught and kill'd it makes the other Beasts and Fish to fear When the high Cedars fall all the other Trees tremble Verses 11 12 13 14 15 16. For thus saith the Lord God The sword of the King of Babylon shall come upon thee By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall the terrible of the Nations all of them and they shall spoyl the pomp of Egypt and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from besides the great waters neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them Then will I make their waters deep and cause their Rivers to run like Oyl saith the Lord God When I shall make the Land of Egypt desolate and the Countrey shall be destitute of that whereof it was full when I shall smite all them that dwell therein then shall they know that I am the Lord. This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her the Daughters of the Nations shall lament her they shall lament for her even for Egypt and for all her multitude saith the Lord God THese verses belong to the first prophesie in this Chapter and they set out First The Instruments God used in executing the judgements threatned against Pharoah and the Egyptians vers 11 12. Secondly The Facts of these Instruments the King of Babylon and his Army ver 12 13. Thirdly The Events following ver 14 15. Fourthly The Conclusion of the Prophesie vers 16. Vers 11. The Sword of the King of Babylon shall come upon thee I will stir up and bring the King of Babylon with a great army who shall come furnished with all Military preparations against thee and cut thee off Vers 12. By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall The word for mighty is Gibborim Gibbor signifies properly miles robustus as fortis saith Drusius The Septuagint have it here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the sword of the Giants Egypt had multitudes but they should fall by the power of these mighty and Giant-like men The Terrible of the Nations all of them This expression The terrible of the Nations we had thrice before Chap 28.7 30.11 31 12. Those men were most barbarous and bloudy tyrannical and pestilent should be imployed in his work The Septuagint calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pestes such as were the plagues of the Countrey such as went up and down robbing stealing and murthering the Vulgar is inexpugnabiles And they shall spoyl the pomp of Egypt There is pomp in Titles pomp in Buildings pomp in feasting and furniture of houses pomp in apparrel pomp in funeralls pomp in worships pomp in multitudes of men Horses and Charets whatever the Egyptian pomp were it should be spoyled Vatablus interprets their pomp to be their dignity or beautifull things Munster makes it Magnificentiam their state and greatnesse Junius makes it the excellency of Egypt that is Kingly Majesty with all the glory and greatness attending the same Vers 13. I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from besides the great waters Egypt abounded with Cattel especially Horses which were serviceable for war and other uses those fed neer to the Rivers cut out of Nilus to water the Land what Beasts soever they were God by the Chaldaeans would destroy them and they should not be any longer nigh the many waters so is the Hebrew Neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them The destruction should be so great that man and beast should be cut off as was said Chap. 29.8 These oft troubled the waters with their feet and hoofs the one with digging the other by trampling in them Vers 14. Then will I make the waters deep and cause their Rivers to run like Oyl Man and Beast being taken away nothing shall trouble the waters but they shall be quiet cleer and smooth as Oyle The Hebrew word for to make deep is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shakah to drown'd to sink faciam ut profundum petunt I will cause their waters to go to the bottom which Piscator interprets of the mud wherewith they had been troubled that should sink and the waters became pure The Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will make quiet their waters When they are clean and quiet they run without noise then they are like Oyle The waters of Egypt and of other Nations whom the Egyptians troubled Vers 15. When I shall make the Land of Egypt clesolate and the Countreys destitute He shews when the waters shall be pure and quiet even when the Land is made desolate Hebrew is a desolation And all carryed away with which the Countries abounded Hebrew is shall be destitute of its fullness When I shall smite all them that dwell therein All were not smitten by the sword and destroyed but some were carryed away Captives and that was a smiting Vers 16. This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her This prophesie which I have delivered is the lamentation wherewith Egypt shall be lamented not only I Ezekiel must lament for her but all Nations shall do it The Daughters of the Nations shall lament her they shall lament for her The Cities and people of the Nations hearing of the dreadful judgements of God upon Egypt that that populous strong and flourishing Kingdome is brought to utter ruine and desolation they shall be affected therewith and lament her condition First Observe God makes use of the King and People of one Nation to execute his judgements upon the King and People of another Nation The sword of the King of Babylon shall come upon thee and by the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall Kings and their People are at the dispose of God to call out and imploy where and in what service he pleases he serves himself fulfills his wills and counsels by Kings and great Ones overthrowing one Kingdom by another laying all their pomp and glory in the dust Secondly Observe The sins of Kings and People cause God to execute his sore judgements not only upon themselves but also upon the bruit creatures and things inanimate God would not only destroy Pharoah and his multitude but the Beasts the Cityes and all the fullnesse of the Land in the destruction of these God punished the owners Thirdly Observe By the destruction of Tyrants and their Kingdomes God quiets Nations they by their Power Counsels or Agents trouble their own Kingdomes and others Then will I make their waters deep and cause their Rivers te run like Oyle when I shall make the Land of Egypt desolate When Pharoah and his were cut off they should trouble the waters no more at home nor abroad all should be quiet peaceable oleo tranquillius Fourthly Observe God in his wise providence
Sodom and Gomorrah were never built again but the Cityes of Edom were as appears by Mal 1.4 Jer 27.7 All Nations shall serve Nebuchadnezzar and his son and his sons son untill the very time of his Land come and then many Nations and great Kings shall serve themselves of him Edom was afterwards possessed again and the Edomites so strong and malicious that they besieged the Israelites 1 Maccabes 5.3 By perpetual therefore we must not understand Eternall that which had no end but that which was for a long time so the word Olam doth usually signifie and it s rendred by some seculum I will make thee desolationes seculi the desolations of an age thirty an hundred or a thousand years for a long season thou shalt be desolate without Cityes and inhabitants And thy Cityes shall not return Not till after a long time and then they shall not return unto that glory strength and greatness which formerly they were in After Cityes and Countreys are once wasted they attain not to their former condition oft in many Generations First Observe Bloudy men frequently have bloudy ends Idumea was cruel and bloudy against the Israelites there God prepared her for bloud and said Bloud shall pursue thee sith thou hast not hated bloud bloud calls for bloud The Babylonians were bloudy and cruell to the Jews and hear what the Lord saith Jer 51.36 I will plead thy cause and take vengeance for thee vers 40. I will bring them down like Lambs to the slaughter like Rams with He-goats God would deal with them as Butchers do with such creatures they take away their lives and shed their bloud Hosea 1.4 I will avenge the bloud of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu He caused the seventy sons of Ahab to be beheaded by the Rulers of Jezreel 2 Kings 10.1.7 and this bloud did God avenge upon his house 2 Sam 21. 1. Sauls house was bloudy he slew the Gibeonites and seven sons of his were put to death for it vers 6. 9. so God pursued bloud with bloud In like manner was Joab dealt withall he shed innocent bloud and his bloud was shed at the horns of the Altar 1 Kings 2.29.31 Secondly Observe When God doth visit wicked ones for shedding of bloud he doth it fully and throughly God would make Mount Seir without inhabitant those that went out and those that came in should be cut off Such a slaughter would he make amongst them as that the Mountains Hills Valleys and Rivers should be fill'd with the slain bodies Isaiah speaking of Gods visiting the Edomites Chap 34.6 7. saith The sword of the Lord is fill'd with bloud it is made fat with fatnesse and with the bloud of Lambs and Goats with the fat of the Kidneys of Rams for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the Land of Idumea And the Vnicorns shall come down with them and the Bullocks with the Bulls and their Land shall be soaked with bloud and their dust made fat with fatnesse Great and small rich and poor noble and ignoble should be cut off Thirdly Observe That according to the time of mens sinning God doth lengthen out his judgements Edom had perpetual hatred and God saith I will make thee perpetual desolations Edoms anger did tear perpetually Amos 1.11 and Gods judgements upon Edom had a perpetuity Obadiah 10. she was cut off for ever Those that continue long in a course of sinning God causes sometimes to lye long under severe judgements the Jews were seaventy years in captivity they had lived long in idolatry Vers 10. Because thou hast said These two Nations and these two Countreys shall be mine and we will possesse it whereas the Lord was there The Idumeans had a fruitful Land of their own that satisfied them not covetousnesse and desire of rule possessed them they thought and said the whole Land of Judaea should become theirs The Babylonians would root the Jews wholly out leave the Land and so it would fall to their lot and possession These two Nations and these two Countreys When God brought the Jews out of Egypt into Canaan they were one Nation and it one Land and so continued till the rent made by Jeroboam 1 Kings 12. Then ten Tribes falling off from Rehoboam constituted a new Kingdome and so the people and Land were divided into two Nations and two Countreys the one sort were called Ephraim the house of Israel Samaritans and their Countrey Samaria the other sort were called Jews the house of David and their Countrey Judaea Shall be mine and we will possesse it Judaea and Samaria saith Edom shall be mine and we Edomites will possesse it and make it one Land again as it was at first none have so much right to it as we who are from the same stock Isaac and from the elder brother Esau whereas they were from Jacob and seeing the Babylonians are come to cut them off we will joyn with them to secure our selves and recover our right When the Temple and City were destroyed the Jews carried into captivity and the Land made desolate the neighbouring Nations gaped for and got what they could of their Countrey Jer 49.1 Concerning the Ammonites thus saith the Lord Hath Israel no sons hath he no heir why then doth their King inherit Gad and his people dwell in his Cityes Ammonites Edomites and others said Come let us cut them off from being a Nation and let us take to our selves the houses of God in possession Psal 83.4 12. Whereas the Lord was there The words may be read thus Though the Lord be there and so they set out the arrogancy and blasphemy of the Edomites who said They would possesse the Land though the Lord was there he would not hinder them from coming in sitting down and continuing in it or the word there may relate to the Edomites the Lord was there amongst them when they said These two Nations and these two Countreys shall be mine and we will possesse it He heard these words and was displeased at them coming from pride and bitterness of spirit Or Thirdly the words may be taken as we read them and afford this sense The Edomites have presumed much promised great matters to themselves to have the whole Land of Canaan in possession whereas the Lord was there and had that Land under his patronage reserving it for Temple-worship again as it had had it formerly That Land was Domicilium Dei The Habitation of God who would not suffer the bloudy Edomites whatever thoughts they had or attempts they should make to inhabit that Land and defile his holy Mountain with their idolatrous sacrifices though he did greatly afflict the Land yet he did not wholly desert it First Observe Wicked men the enemies of Sion do think and design to raise themselves by the ruins and spoyls thereof Edom said These two Nations and these two Countryes shall be mine Whatever is left of the Jews I will have if there
verse Prophesies of Gogs invading the Mountains of Israel the destruction of Gog and the time of both After many dayes thou shalt be visited The Scripture speaks of a double Visitation 1. One in Mercy and Favour as Exod. 4.31 When Moses and Aaron were sent to deliver the Jews out of Egypt and when Sarah conceived and bare Isaac Genes 21.1 These were Gods merciful Visitations of them 2. One in Judgement as Numb 16.29 If these men viz. Corah Dathan and Abiram be visited after the Visitation of all men that is they shall not die a common death have a common judgement but some extraordinary punishment So Psal 89.32 I will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes I will punish them This is the sense here After many dayes thou shalt be visited that is punished The time when it should be is not punctually but indefinitely set down after many dayes If we take Antiochus to be Gog in the Type it was in the Macchabees dayes if we look at the Anritype the time is yet to come In the latter years thou shalt come into the land From the time of this Prophesie unto the death of Antiochus Epiphanes Chronologie tells us there were 420 or 430 years whe eupon Expositors do account the years that he came to Judea and took Jerusalem and defiled the Temple with Idols to be the latter years Junius saith Consequentibus annis In the following years Piscator hath it Posteriâ—ribus diebus In the after dayes or times Posterioribus annis In the after or latter years in the time of Christ saith Vatablus The Hebrew is Beacharith Hashshanim which Montanus and the Vulgar render in Novissima annorum In the last of years which according to John is after the 1000 years Rev. 20.6 7 8. And so Mariano he makes the Visitation of Gog to be In fine mundi post mille annos In the end of the World after the thousand years Then shall Gog come into the land compass the camp of the Saints about and the beloved City ver 9. That is brought back from the sword and is gathered out of many people The Jews were driven by the sword into Captivity by it scattered into many Provinces and held under slavery and so they are at this day but the time is coming that the two Houses as well as the two Tribes shall be brought back from the sword and gathered out of many people Land is put for The Inhabitants of the Land Against the mountains of Israel The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al signifies ad super contra to upon against Some therefore render these words to or upon the mountains of Israel and in that sense they refer to the Jews who were brought back and gathered out of all people to the Mountains of Israel that is the Land of Judaea We read them Against the mountains of Israel and so they refer to Gog who should come against Judaea Which have been alwayes waste The Hebrew word for alwayes is Tamid which signifies diu a long time and so the French Translation hath it Longuement desertes Deserted or wasted for a long time 70 years were they desolate all the time the Jews were in captivity and shortly after Christ his dayes were they left desolate and are so to this day Some make the mountains of Israel to signifie The Church the sword and wastings to be the Persecutions which it hath alwayes indured But it is brought forth out of the nations By it the Prophet means the Land and by Land the People who being 〈◊〉 into Egypt Babylon Persia and other places were to be brought forth to the Land of Israel The words import the thing done because of the certainty of it And they shall dwell safely all of them When the Jews returned out of Babylon repossessing their own Land they dwelt safely confidently without fear or disquietment therein for 430 years saith Sanctius after which time Antiochus did sorely vex them and interrupt their peace which they thought would be everlasting So did Demetrius Nicanor and others as in the Macchabees is evident The time remains for the compleat fulfilling of these words First Observe God bears sometimes with the worst of men a long time After many dayes God bears with Gog and Antichrist the grand enemies of his Church worser than whom cannot be found or expected His patience is large he is a God long-suffering He bare with Antiochus that vile person Dan. 11.21 many dayes Vessels of wrath are indured by Him with much long-suffering Rom. 9.22 Secondly Observe Though wicked men be spared long yet at last they shall suffer After many dayes thou shalt be visited God may stay a thousand yea 10000 dayes and then visit As there is a time for wicked men to fill up the measure of their iniquities so there is a time for God to fill up the Vials of his wrath and when they are once full then they shall be poured out God sometimes is long before he hears the Prayers of his but at length he remembers them Luk. 18.7 8. and sometimes he is long before he punisheth the wicked but at last he visits them he hath his time for it Jer. 49.8 Vers 9. Thou shalt ascend and come like a Storm thou shalt be like a Cloud to cover the Land thou and all thy Bands and many People with thee THe manner of Gogs proceeding is here set down and that 1. Under the similitude of a Storm 2. Under the similitude of a Cloud Thou shalt ascend and come like a Storm A Storm comes suddenly violently with noise and doth much hurt breaking and bearing down all before it such should the coming of Gog be Dan. 11.40 41. it 's said The King of the North shall come against the King of the South like a Whirlewinde he shall enter also into the glorious Land and many Countreys shall be overthrown This is spoken of Antiochus whom divers Expositors make to be Gog. The word Shoah for a Storm is from Shuah which signifies to make a noise to spoil and to amaze and so do Storms Thou shalt be like a Cloud to cover the Land thou and all c. Clouds are Vapours drawn up by the heat of the Sun into the middle Region of the Air where by the Cold they are condensated and so spreading make the Heavens black and intercept the Light Gog with his Forces should be as a Cloud spreading over the face of the Land interrupting the peace and comforts of the Godly and by his hostile acts cause fear sorrow and mourning By these two Metaphors are set out the tumult violence spoyl and multitude of Gogs Army or by the Storm their threats and cruelty and by the Cloud false Opinions flatteries and allurements which they should use to pervert the faith of the Saints First Observ The Church and people of God are subject to calamimities He shall come like a Storm Windes clouds storms do trouble and
Israel by Jordan from the border to the East Sea that is the Lake of Sodom or Dead Sea as some interpret it But Numb 34.11 it is extended to the Sea of Chinnereth Eastward which is the Sea of Tiberias or Lake of Genesaret John 6.1 Luke 5.1 The South border is set forth unto us in ver 19. and it is from Tamar which Maldonate makes Jericho Others a Town near the Dead Sea and from hence to Meribah or the waters of Strife in Kadeh in the Wilderness of Zin Numb 20.13 27.14 and so to the River which led to the great Sea that River is called Sihor Josh 13.3 Jer. 2.18 and the River of Egypt Numb 34.5 and diâ—tinguished the Tribes of Simeon and Judah from Egypt as Sinetius saith and ran into the Mediterranean Sea which is the great Sea so called in respect of the Sea of Galilee or Tiberias and of the Dead Sea which were little ones to that To this great Sea came the South border The West border is in ver 20. from the border of the great Sea that is from the place where the River of Egypt exonerates it self into the Mediterranean Sea which by Geographers is called Rhinocura and so to Hamah in the North-West towards Mount Hor. This tract by the Sea was the West border Numb 34.6 The Prophet being shewn the borders of the Land in the fore-going Verses is brought here to see the division of it in the three last Verses And the division was to be according to the Tribes ver 21. and this division was to be not ad placitum but per sortem the lot was to fall upon it ver 22. Ye shall divide it by lot the Hebrew is ye shall make it fall that is under lot They might not pick and chuse what part of the Land they had a minde unto but take their portion where the lot fell and here it is ordered that strangers and their children shall not be excluded from inheriting Not all strangers were to have this priviledge but those that should come and dwell amongst them and beget children It was not so in the division of the Land by Moses and Joshua strangers might not inherit amongst them which clearly intimates there was to be a change of the Mosaical state Strangers might come into any of the Tribes which Sanctius understands of Proselytes whose number was great as he saith And into what Tribe soever they come there they were to have inheritance so that now the difference between strangers and natives Jews and Gentiles was to cease and they both had the same priviledge Having given you the litteral sense of the words now let us see what may be the spiritual sense of them for in the letter they were not fulfilled after the return froâ— Babylon but mystically under the Gospel they were 1. Then here is held out unto us The great extent and largeness of the Church under Christ and the Gospel The Land mentioned signifies the Churches state and the bordering of it out North East South West the extent of it into all parts The Christian Church is larger then the Jewish that was shut up in one Nation now it reaches to all Nations Mat. 28.19 neither Asia Africa Europe nor America are excluded Mat. 24.14 Luke 20.47 Rev. 15.4 The Church under the Gospel is universal and invisible 2. Those that are Subjects or Members of this Church are not Hypocrites but Israelites Those that were not Israelites and true Israelites were not to be in this Church Hypocrites scandalous ignorant and unregenerate persons are often in if not the major part of particular visible Churches but of the universal Church of Christ they are not that consists of true Israelites such as Nathaniel was John 1.48 of Jews inwardly such as are circumcised in heart and spirit Rom. 2.29 of such as are enrolled in Heaven Heb. 12 23. of sealed ones Rev. 7. and these stood with the Lamb on Mount Sion Rev. 14.1 These made up the Church and body of Christ 3. The priviledges of this Church do equally belong to all the members of it ver 14. Ye shall inherit it one as well as another None hath preheminence above others in the things of Christ and God As the Jews could not say This Land is more mine then yours I have the priviledges you have not so a Saint a Christian a true member of the universal Church cannot say The Church or priviledges of it are more mine then others who are in the same for all are one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.28 and there is but one Body one Spirit one hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all Ephes 4.4 5 6. it is one and the same grace of God one and the same righteousness of Christ one and the same eternal life which they are interested in 4. The state of Christians in the Church and all the spiritual blessings they have therein are of free grace and meer mercy This land shall fall to you for inheritance verse 14. and ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance verse 22. It was freely given them and what good soever was there in all the milk and honey thereof In like manner the bringing of men into Sion to be members of Christs Body and all the spiritual milk and honey they enjoy in that state is of meer grace and good pleasure Saith Christ himself No man cometh unto me except the Father draw him John 6.45 God hath given unto Christ some men John 17.2 and those God hath given to Christ he brings them to Christ from whom they have milk wine and honey 5. The Church of God under the Gospel consisted of Gentiles as well as of Jews This appears from this That strangers might sojourn amongst them The Gentiles were strangers being neither of the seed of Abraham nor of the Commonwealth of Israel Ephes 2.12 but they were under Ch ist to be in Canaan that is in the Church John 10.16 Of these Christ spake when he said Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring that is into the fold It was prophesied in Isa 49.22 that the Gentiles should come in Thus saith the Lord God behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people and they shall bring thy sons in their arms and thy daughters shall he carried upon their shoulders c. The Gentiles and their children should believe and come into the Church of Christ And Isa 56.6 7. Also the sons of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the name of the Lord to be his servants c. eveâ— them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my house of Prayer Isa 65.1 Zach. 2.11 Many Nations shall be joyned unto the Lord in that day and shall be my people Tâ—ese Prophesies and many other to the same purpose are made good and