proportioned what they prophesied either for good or bad 6 Therefore night shall be unto you that ye shall not have a vision and it shall be dark unto you that ye shall not divine and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets and the day shall be dark over them 7 Then shall the seers be ashamed and the diviners confounded yea they shall cover their lips for there is no answer of God Therefore night shall be unto you c. Of the judgment in these words denounced against the false Prophets the plainest meaning seems this That such confusion shall sease upon them by reason of the great calamities that shall befal them expressed by terms of night and darkness and the going down of the Sun and the day being dark upon them it shall be with them as with Men in utter darkness who know not which way to turn themselves much less can pretend to direct others or show them which way to go and when things shall be so with them they shall be ashamed and confunded their impostures being made manifest to all and that what they pretended as messages from God promising peace being so far from being made good that the clean contrary is hapned were meer delusions of their own and being so now discovered they shall not dare to proceed in their former waies of false divinations nor pretend any revelation from God but cover their lips as Men put to silence not able to say any thing that shall be accepted or daring once to open their mouths For it cannot be interpreted as if God should now cease to put his words in their mouths or to send any message by them for they never were before employed by him but pretended falsly to have received from him what they spake which falshood of theirs being now by the contrary events discovered they shall be so confounded with shame as not to dare any more to open their mouth to the People So that those last words for there is no answer of God seem not so much a reason why they now should hold their peace viz. because God now refused to answer or speak by them for he had not at all done so as to declare that these things which now came to pass discovered that they never spake by the Spirit of God and this discovery brought necessarily silence with shame to them Covering the lip was a custom of Lepers Lev. XIII 45. confessing their uncleanness a sign of sorrow and shame a token of sorrow Ez. XXIV 17. 22. Here it seems to signifie the stopping of their mouths from speaking 8 But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of judgment and of might to declare unto Iacob his transgression and to Israel his sin But truly I am full of power c. He opposeth himself to those seducers his commission his faithfulness in executing of it and his behaviour to theirs They being not inspired by Gods Spirit nor having any message or answer from him but led by their own erroneous Spirit directed all that they spake to their own ends and advantage and flattered such as fed them and made much of them and promised good unto them with those that did not so dealing otherwise but he is truly inspired by God full of his Spirit and by vertue of that full of power freely and without fear or partiality without any self respects or byâ—ends to utter the message with which he is sent from God and of judgment by which to discern between right and wrong and what and when to speak and of might without fear of Men or their greatness to speak it even to declare unto Iacob his transgression and to Israel his Sin not respecting Persons or soothing any in their evil waies but boldly and freely reproving all of what condition so ever that so they may turn to God by repentance or else know what judgments they are to expect And so by the word full of Iudgment u some understand the judgments of the Lord to be denounced as if he were by the Spirit moved to denounce them though Others prefer the notion of ability in discerning between things and so rightly applying what he should speak and knowing how and when to do it 9 Hear this I pray you ye heads of the house of Iacob and Princes of the house of Israel that abhor judgment and pervert all equity Hear this â—e â—eads of the house of Iacob and Princes of the House of Israel The like compellation we had ver 1. That it may well agree to the whole twelve tribes is no doubt though after the division of them into two Kingdoms the name of Israel be often particularly given to the ten Tribes See Note on chap. 1. ver 5. Here in this chapter in both places these titles seem to many Interpreters to be attributed to the same viz. those that were in dignity and authority in both Kingdoms but a learned Iew considering that the judgments denounced in the former verses may well concern the Kingdom of Israel thinks by the Princes of the house of Israel in the first verse to be meant those of that Kingdom as distinct from Iudah and in those following this verse seeing Zion and Ierusalem are expresly named and the judgments particularly concern them by the heads of the house of Iacob and the Princes of the house of Israel to be meant particularly those of Iudah and them to be called by the same title with the others because they were like them in sins as Isa. I. 10. they are termed rulers of Sodom and the Iews the People of Gomorrah because their deeds were like to theirs The power of the Spirit of the Lord in him he sheweth by daring even to those of greatest authority to declare their transgressions without fear of their greatness and to reprove them for that whereas they ought to have known judgment as he speaketh ver 1. to have themselves walked in the waies thereof and caused others to observe them they did clean contrarily abhor it and perverted all equity all that was right even setting themselves to do what was contrary thereto as things hateful to them and scorning to be guided by the rules thereof which were contrary to their ends 10 They build up Zion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquity They build up Zion with blood So according to the sense it is rendred as being a farther description of the sins of those spoken to otherwise the word being in the singular numberâ— and sounding he buildeth up may be expounded Every one of them buildeth c. or as still speaking to them O thou which buildest c. or Every one of you which build up Ierusalem i. e. build therein houses and palaces with blood or that think it shall be built and inhabited when such things are done in it With blood that is therein shed saith the Chaldee i. e. with wealth gotten
by the murdering violently or unjustly putting to death the owners thereof which they did so frequently that blood touched blood Hos. IV. 2. or by money which they took of Murtherers to save them contrary to the law which required life for life blood for blood Others think that the word blood is not necessarily here to be properly taken but more largely as elsewhere for bloody hainous sins of several sorts and Others more particularly for violence fraud and oppression by which the goods which are taken from the poor owners that should thereby sustain the life of themselves and their families were as their blood and the taking them from them as shedding their blood Others refer the word build not to those unjust rulers spoken of but to God the builder of Zion and to be spoken by way of admiration or interrogation to this sense Shall God or shall I as in the person of God build up or establish Zion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquity that is when such sins are committed in it or Did he build Zion with blood or Ierusalem with iniquity And this sense would well agree with what preceeds and follows but the other meaning is more received 11 The heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us no evill can come upon us The heads thereof judge for reward c. He proceeds to declare the Sins of all sorts of those by whom the People ought to have bin governed and directed in the right way The Heads who were by the law forbidden to take any gift lest they should be perverted according to what is said Exodus XXIII 8. Thou shalt take no gift for the gift blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous and again to the very same purpose is repeated Deut. XVI 19. do judge for reward and accordingly for gain wrest judgment being guided in their sentence by the bribe they receive and not by the merits of the cause The Priests whose lips should keep knowledge and at whose mouths they should seek the Law as being the messengers of the Lord of Hosts and by him given for teachers and right interpreters of his Law Mal. II. 7. They teach for hire their mouths are opened only to those that will give to them and then will teach them not so much the truth as pleasing things such as they shall desire not what they ought to hear And whereas no Prophet should undertake that function but such as were sent by God and such should impartially deliver his message without respect of persons fear or flattery or any by-ends there were among them many that pretended to be Prophets who divined for money and that they might get thereby vented false visions and feigned messages from God who never sent them See Ezek. XIII 6. c. following the waies of Balaam who lov'd the waies of unrighteousness 2 Pet. II. 15. To any that would believe them and put into their mouths V. 5. and reward them for it they would undertake to foretel such things as should best like and please them and sooth them up in their waies to others the clean contrary in summ all these in that corrupt state so without regard to justice and truth made their gain not Gods glory their end and yet for all this would flatter themselves with vain hope of security and confidence in God and his presence among them He had own'd them for his People chosen Sion for his habitation promised to dwell in the Temple at Ierusalem they had there the Ark of his Covenant and the signs of his Majestatick presence so that they thought him even tied to a perpetual residence among them and so long as he was among them they thought themselves sure that no evil could come upon them he would not cast of his People nor let his City and his Temple be destroyed Such vain confidence in the Lord by them who forsook the Lord and his waies and yet hoped not to be forsaken by him see described likewise Ieremiah VII 4. and 8. c. where he sheweth on what terms only he would continue his presence with them and defend them which conditions seeing these here observe not how vain and groundless their confidence is the issue shall shew and that is in the next words declared 12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field and Ierusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forrest Therefore shall Zion for your sake c. They seem'd to think for Zions sake and Ierusalem's and the house of the Lords sake they should be secure however they behaved themselves but God declareth that on the contrary for their sakes and the evill of their doings whereby they had made those places which should have been kept holy to him a den of Robbers of Murderers Adulterers Idolaters and the like even those places themselves should be given up to utter ruine and destruction his anger toward the People should extend it self even to the place it self which was defiled by them it no longer retaining its holiness then they continued holy For your sake shall Zion be plowed as a field c. These words are cited Ier. XXVI 18. where it is shewed that they were spoken in the daies of King Hezekiah Plowed as a field the buildings thereof being all thrown down it shall be laid plain as a field which shall be plowed or which the Enemy shall plow up that he may leave no sign of a place ever inhabited or a sign that it should never more be inhabited And Ierusalem as an heap of stones the stately buildings thereof being demolished not one stone left in order on another but all thrown down Mat. XXIV 2. and laid in rude heaps And the mountain of the House The mount Moriah on which the glorious Temple stood As the high places of the forrest as hillocks on which trees and weeds should grow as in a wild place not regarded or inhabited by Men but only by wild beasts Hos. II. 12. All these are expressions of utter ruine and desolation The latter words rendred high places of the forrest or of a wood a learned Iew saith may be rendred as high places of the boar of the forrest in reference to what was done to that place by Adrian the Emperour who to make the place more odious to the Iews set up in several places of the City the Images of Hogges and other things detestable to them and he would have this Prophecy to respect what was by the Roman Emperours done when they destroyed Ierusalem when one under Titus who destroy'd it plowed up the ground where it stood in token that none might without the Emperours leave build any more any house there
their Enemies sometimes one Nation sometimes another having born rule there But take Zion as it is usual for the Church and in that God hath from the first beginning reigned and ever doth and for ever shall reign over his in Christ in it It is said of Christ Luc. I. 33. that he should reign over the house of Iacob his Church for ever and that of his Kingdom there shall be no end Wherefore Some not absurdly make these words an argument for proof of the Divinity of Christ because he is here call'd by Iehovah the proper Name of God It will be all one to say the Lord i. e. God the Father in Christ shall reign or Christ the Lord shall reign or reigneth over his in Sion he and his Father being one What hath been intimated in these words will farther be confirm'd in the next verse 8 ¶ And thou O tower of the flock the strong hold of the Daughter of Zion unto thee shall it come even the first dominion the Kingdom shall come to the Daughter of Ierusalem And thou O Tower of the Flock the strong hold of the Daughter of Zion c. O Tower of the Flock The word rendred Flock and so otherwise signifying being in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eder there is some difference between Expositours concerning the Interpretation of it Some looking on it as the proper name of a place A place so call'd is mentioned Gen. XXXV 21. beyond which it is said Israel i. e. Iacob spread his tent after he had journyed from Bethlehem about a miles distance from it where they conceive the Shepherds to have been abiding when the Angel brought to them the good tidings of Christs birth and so of that his Kingdom that first dominion here spoken of Others taking Bethleâ—em it self to be meant by it will have what is here prophecied to be the same that is repeated chapter V. verse 2. and there to be explained But others think it the Name of a Tower at the gate in the walls of Ierusalem call'd the Sheep gate Nehemiah III. 32. through which some conceive Christ to have rid into Ierusalem when he was received with Hosanna's But by others more probably is here thought to be designed the Tower of David or rather all Ierusalem it self which was as it were the Tower and fold of Gods Flock Israel because say Some of the Iews all Israel there convened or were gathered together three times in the year as a flock in their fold and the same to be likewise called in the words subjoined the strong hold of the Daughter of Sion The word rendred strong-hold is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ophel which beside this signification is also the proper name of a Place at Ierusalem or in the wall thereof as Nehem. III. 26. c. and 2 Chron. XXVII 3. and XXXIII 14. It hath also the signification of obscurity darkness attributed by Some to it as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aphal another word of like sound signifies and is accordingly here interpreted though to no perspicuous sense which we shall not here therefore insist on but take it as by Ours well rendred to denote whole Ierusalem though perhaps properly signifying a part thereof And that which then we are to take notice of is that as the name Ierusalem it self and Zion are taken in the Prophetical Scriptures not only precisely for those places properly so called but for the Church of Christ of which they were types and figures and which had its first visible rise and beginning in or from them and thence spread it self so that these and other like denominations and appellations given to them sometimes may and ought to be applied to that and understood of it and that the Prophecies seeming to be spoken to them do contain more then can be restrained or limited to them and necessarily are to be expounded of it and in such latitude must these appellations of Tower of the Flock and strong hold of the Daughter of Sion be here taken And indeed they more deservedly agree to that which is the fold of Christs Sheep and that mountain established in the top of the mountains and exalted above all hills ver 1. that Temple so firmly built on a Rock that nothing can shake it nor the gates of Hell prevail against it then they ever did to that Ierusalem of mens building though in its time the glory of the whole Earth and after by Man again destroyed This it will be necessary to do that we may see how the following promise hath been made good To this it evidently hath but not to that and to this therefore 't will appear more properly to belong then to that The promise made is Vnto thee shall it come c. Vnto thee shall it come even the first dominion of c. Some of the Iews by a nice observation of the accent in the word rendred shall it come so distinguish the words as if this word had reference to the remnant of halting Israel of her that was cast far off mentioned in the foregoing verse and so the words to found Vnto thee shall it that is that remnant that halted or of her that halted c. come and to thee shall come the first dominion which is the Kingdom of the Daughter of Ierusalem But Others of them will not have here any consideration to be had of that distinction but rather the two Verbs of the same signification to be referred to the same Subject to wit the first dominion only for confirmation sake and to sound Vnto thee shall arrive and come the first dominion c. i. e. Vnto thee shall certainly come the first Dominion which shall be the Kingdom to the Daughter of Ierusalem or such as was the Kingdom of the Daughter of Ierusalem And this Emphasis is well expressed in our Translation by some little transposition of the words and understanding the last as a repetition of the former that this Kingdom or Dominion should come to the Daughter of Ierusalem But this makes no great difference or difficulty It is to be enquired what is meant by the first Dominion how that came to Ierusalem or in whom what is promised was to be made good By the first Dominion may be understood such a Dominion and Kingdom as was at first to them under David and Solomon so the Iews mostly understand it or the chief Dominion or thirdly that the Dominion should in that first place come to the Daughter of Zion or Ierusalem Now how in any of these senses or all of them it came or it was to come to them and in whom it was seated or in whom it was to be or is made good to them is the main enquiry In Zorobabel first say some Iews and under the second Temple it was made good to them But sure Zorobabel never ruled in that greatness
and splendour as to be compared to David and Solomon or that his Dominion might be equalled to theirs over Israel And he that relates that opinion of theirs confesseth that in these prophecies are greater things as those in the first verse spoken then can be said in him to have been fulfilled or under the second Temple though this and some other passages he thinks to belong to those times but that the other are yet to be expected and saies withall that by Some all these Prophecies are looked on as belonging to the times of Messiah the speedy coming of whom he and they earnestly desire And that indeed seems the opinion of most of them viz. that these are things not yet fulfilled looking on them as carnal and temporal promises of an Earthly glorious reign of Messiah on Earth wherein he shall rule over all Israel all the twelve Tribes as David and Solomon did having his seat at Ierusalem which shall never more be destroyed which state of his power they look on as signified by the first Dominion And that this Prophecy was antiently looked on as respecting the Messiah is plainly declared by the Chaldee Paraphrast of great antiquity and authority among them who makes him by the Name it self of Tower of the Flock to be described thus rendring it And thou O the Messiah or Christ of Israel which art hidden because of the Sins of the congregation of Zion unto thee shall the kingdom come the first or antient Dominion shall be to the Kingdom of the Congregation of Ierusalem So that on all hands as well the most of the Iews as Christians will it be agreed that this Prophecy was to be fulfilled in the Messiah and respects his Kingdom and the times under him but with a vast difference between them the Iews looking on it as we said as a promise of an Earthly Kingdom in this World which is not yet come nor any Messiah in Earthly pompe and splendour to assert it yet revealed for their Sins as the Chaldee intimates retarded but that such a one shall come and make good what they expect agreeable to the litteral sense of the words according to their interpretation but Christians firmly believing the promised Christ to be allready come and to have made good all that by vertue of the Prophecies was to be expected in that way that they are to be understood to wit in a Spiritual way and of better things then the things of this World And to him do we say and to the Sion and Ierusalem here meant viz. the Church that the words may as they ought to be in their best and highest sense and full latitude be applied To him and in him to Ierusalem did the first Dominion i. e. that of David and Solomon come So the Angel of him that the Lord God should give unto him the Tâ—rone of his Father David and that he should reign over the house of Iacob for ever Luc. I. 32 33. over the whole house of Iacob all the twelve Tribes and not only over them but that his Kingdom he set by God on his holy Hill of Sion should take in the Heathen also for his Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his possession as David Prophesieth of him Psal. II. 7 8. So that under him is no difference between Iudah and Israel no nor between Iew and Gentile all believers in him being as one all the Israel of God Gal. I. 11. 28. Coll. III. 11. Ephes. II. 12 c. To him was given Dominion and Glory and a Kingdome that all People Nations and Languages should serve him and his Dominion be an everlasting Dominion Dan. VII 14. Vnto all whom the sound of his Kingdom went forth Rom. X. 18. And so in the second Notion the first that is the chief Dominion came to the Tower of the Flock to Ierusalem in and by him a Dominion and Kingdom greater and larger then that of David or Solomon or any other David in Spirit therefore called him his Lord Psal. CX 1. Mat. XXII 44. and of himself he witnesseth and his witness is true that he was greater then Solomon Mat. XII 42 and hath therefore deserved a Name given him King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. XVII 14. and XIX 16. Prince of the Kings of the Earth chap. I. 5. None of their dominions were ever like his for extent or duration Davids and Solomons were in all their greatness but Types of his their Kingdom being even quite overthrown and the Tabernacle of David which was faln down was in him raised up to a greater height and more excellent manner then ever it was in under the Iews Thirdly to the Tower of the Flock to Sion and Ierusalem to the Nation of the Iews in and by our Lord Christ came the first Dominion i. e. there it was first set up and divulged by the Preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Iews and lost Sheep of Israel there he himself proclaimed it and shewed his Disciples that repentance and remission of Sins should be Preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Ierusalem Luc. XXIV 47. and so S. Paul tells the Iews that it was necessary the Word of God should have been first spoken to them Act. XIII 46. And it may perhaps not be impertinent to observe that he was even at first acknowledged for the expected King at Ierusalem by much People when riding on an Asse into the City whether through that gate which was called the Sheep gate and properly denoted by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Migdal Eder the Tower of the Flock as Some think or not it will not concern nicely to enquire by which fact of his is said to be fulfilled what was spoken by the Prophet Tell ye the Daughter of Sion Behold thy King cometh to thee meek and sitting upon an Asse c. he was received by the acclamations of great multitudes saying Hosanna to the Son of David c. Mat. XXI 4 5. c. or as St. Iohn hath it Hosannah Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the Name of the Lord Ioh. XII 17. or as in St. Mark XI 10. Blessed be the Kingdom of our Father David that cometh in the Name of the Lord which cometh nearer to these words of the Prophet here and so Luk. XIX 38. So far were they convinced by the great Miracles that he shew'd such as were before never shewed and his power not only over Men as when he drave out of the Temple those that profaned it but over seas and winds and Devils themselves that they could acknowledge him no less and therefore had he not declined it would have by force made him a King in another manner then he would be so acknowledg'd viz. an Earthly King Ioh. VI. 15. And so far it appears this opinion of him prevailed among the People that it was put in as an accusation against him by those that would not
be continued with the word therefore going before ver 3. Others take it as a curse denounced against the whole family before mentioned ver 3. or the whole Kingdom of Israel that they should have no more any tribe return thither into that land which should by their Judges have it by lot and line divided to them as it was of old in the time of Ioshuah Some think this spoken of the Assyrians but that seems not to accord so well with the context The plainest way seems to look on it as spoken to the whole People denouncing to them the irrecoverable loss of their Country and that they should no more return to it to be therein the congregation of the Lord which should divide it among themselves A cord by lot or a line and lot or a line with a lot or for a lot whereby to measure out a lot the same word that signifies a cord is it-self used for a lot or portion 6 Prophesie ye not say they to them that Prophesie they shall not Prophesie to them that they shall not take shame Prophesie ye not say they to them that Prophesie c. There is in expounding this verse also great variety among Interpreters the ground of which will be seen by considering the order and import of the words in the Hebrew in that there is one word thrice repeated with little difference in the form as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al Tattiphu Yattiphun Lo Yattiphu the prime signification of which word according to its root is to drop or distil and flow and to carse to drop or flow and from fluid things translated to speech it signifies to instill words to speak to and particularly to Prophesie to as much as to say to drop words one after another to and in this sense 't is manifestly here as elsewhere oft used In the first place 't is put in the second person as a command given to some do not ye speak or Prophesie in the second place in the third person as spoken of what some did or would or should do and so in the last place also with a negative put before it as shewing what they did not or would not or should not do and signifie put together barely thus much do not or ye shall not speak or Prophesie they do will or shall say or Prophesie they shall not or do not speak or Prophecy without mentioning by whom these words are utter'd or to whom directed Concerning the signification therefore of the words there is not much dispute amongst Interpreters but in applying them to the persons by whom they should be utter'd and to whom directed and of whom spoken and for what reason is much difference and so the supplies which they add to make the sense clear according to their mind divers Some take them to be partly the words of the People partly the words of God or the Prophet from God but then differing in the parting them Ours as it appears by their adding say they to them that make the first words to be the words of the People loath to hear Gods judgments denounced against them for their sins and therefore forbidding them that Prophesied that is the Prophets of God to speak or Prophecy to them such things as they did and the next words they seem to take for Gods saying by way of concession to what they would have they shall not prophecy to them but then the latter words rendred that they shall not take shame are somwhat obscure Whether do they mean they shall not say to them as their false Prophets did that shame and confusion should not come upon them though they continued in their evil waies or that they may not take shame and so repent of their wicked course and prevent that confusion which shall fall upon them or that they themselves viz. the Prophets may not take shame i. e. be shamefully or contumeliously used for this sense some Interpreters give In the margin we have another reading prophesie not as they viz. the false Prophets prophesie and then the words will be to be looked on as Gods words and the following to be understood in the first sense with a change of the person as if God forbad his Prophets to sooth them up in their sins A much approv'd Latin translation takes them all as the words of the People and thus renders them Instill not say they i. e. the People to the true Prophets Let these viz. the false Prophets instil they do not instill or prophesie according to them i. e. as our Prophets the false Propets who say that shame shall not cleave to the people i. e. that they shall not be put to that shame which Gods Prophets threaten to them In which translation are many things supplied which make it somwhat harsh from which a late very learned Man so far differs as to take them all for the words of God or his Prophet and those directed either to the false Prophets to this sense prophesie not should they prophesie they shall not prophesie to these shame shall not depart from them i. e. they shall not Prophesie for shame is decreed to them which shall not depart or be remov'd from them or else to the true Prophets to this purpose prophesie not my prophets to this rebellious people should they prophesie to them They shall not prophesie to them least shame should be removed or depart from them which ought not to be removed He gives both these Expositions but prefers the former But it may be consider'd that as yet no mention hath been made of false Prophets This learned Man also differs from the former in that he takes the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yissag not to have the signification of apprehending taking hold on or overtaking but of departing from as Some others also do as particularly Drusius and an ancient Arabick translation out of Hebrew which hath prophesie not as they prophecy they shall not prophesie to these shame shall not depart from them and indeed it hath both those significations but the most both of Christians and Jews take it in the former so the ancient Latin Interpreter which to this sense renders the words according to the Doway English translation speak not speaking which is of doubtful sense whether they mean speaking i. e. saying speak not or speak not by or in speaking as Some and according to Others should rather be render'd speak not ye that speak i. e. ye Prophets it shall not drop upon these confusion shall not apprehend them It that is say Some the wrath by you denounced shall not fall on them as if spoken by some that did not believe the Prophets nor any such confusion Others your Prophesying shall not prevail on them shall not work any shame in them as if spoken by God or some man counselling the Prophets This variety there is in the translations which are in
the hands of Christians and much more yet for Some interpret the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laelleh which is render'd to them or these as not to belong to persons but to things Thus Prophecy not or if they prophecy let them not prophesie such things least they take shame Others Prophesie not ye prophets of the Lord they shall prophesie viz. Isaiah Osee Ioel Micah c. they shall not prophesie i. e. there shall come a time when the Prophets shall cease to Prophesie to you What other modern translations or expositions any shall meet with he may examine and judge by comparing with these mention'd and by what hath been said of the signification of the words The Iews also in their expositions differ among themselves One of them and he one of the ancientest thus gives his sense of these words he saith that they did take in ill part or detest the admonitions of the Prophets and bid them to desist from speaking to them and to leave of their admonitions by way of reproof from God of them for their rebellions as else where he saith Amos. V. 10. they hate him that rebuketh in the gate this is that which he saith of them prophesie ye not i. e. that they forbad the Prophets to admonish and instruct them which is like to what they with whom Isaiah had to do said to him Get you out of the way turn aside out of the path cause the holy one of Israel to cease from before us Is. XXX 11. But the Prophets did not hearken to them or leave to warn admonish and rebuke them that is it which he saith of them they do or will speak or prophesie i. e. they say to them prophesie or speak not but they do prophesie or speak then of what he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo Yattiphu Laelleh they do not prophesie to these the meaning is but it is all one as if they did not Prophesy to these not direct their admonitions to them for they do not incline their ear to them Then afterward he saith ver 11. If a man walking in the Spirit and falshood do ly saying I will prophesie to thee of wine c. he shall be the prophet of this people i. e. to him will they hearken and give ear to what he saith The last words shame shall not or doth not apprehend them according to him import that no reproofs of the Prophet work on them else for shame they would cease from their rebellions Others of them take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yattiphun in the second place in somthing a different sense viz. a more general for speaking or saying and then One taking what is spoken as the words of the poor oppressed gives this meaning Prophesie ye not say they i. e. those oppressed ones to the Prophets they shall or should not prophesie to these oppressors for they will not take shame not be mov'd to shame by any thing that the Prophets say to them This he prefers before that of Others who interpret them as if the wicked of the People should say to the Prophets Prophesie ye not Let them not Prophesie to these wicked People that they be not put to shame for their labour Another of them thus renders the words taking them as a farther description of those wicked ones of which t is said ver 2. they covet fields c. that they also did say this to the Prophets thus prophesie ye not say they they shall not or let them not prophesie with change of the person repeating again their prohibition of them as if they instantly and continually said it both to the Prophets and amongst themselves shall not shame overtake these i. e. will not they be ashamed of such doings or ought not shame to be brought on such as these This Interpretation keeps close to the words but distinguisheth them otherwise then Others do who think the accent requires that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laelleh rendred to these be joined to the foregoing words not to the following but he thinks that not necessary alwaies to be observed but if the accent be observed then he saith the meaning will be They that prophesie not to these shall not take shame that is shall be free from that shame and contumely which they would put on them In this multitude of opinions and judgments the Reader will see it necessary to use his own and that without danger of great error none of these expositions being contrary to the Analogy of Faith or found Doctrine It may seeing we are forced to be tedious be farther observed that some ancient Versions take the word which all these render speaking or prophesying in an other sense viz. to signifie weeping So the Greek Weep not with tears neither let him weep over these for he shall not put away shame And so the Syriack and Arabick as to that word And indeed weeping is not far from that notion of dropping or flowing which we said the root of the word hath But no Modern Interpreters think it meet to follow them in this place The Syriack joins the last words to the following verse Let that shame overtake you which is spoken or denounced to the house of Iacob 7 O thou that are named the house of Iacob Is the Spirit of the Lord straitned are these his doings do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly O thou that art named the house of Iacob c. The meaning of these words as consequent on the former will be in a brief Paraphrase thus O thou that art named the house of Iacob but dost not in thy doings make good that name Is the Spirit of the Lord straitned Is his mercy his will or power of promising by his Prophets good things and effecting them now restrained more then formerly when he did both that now thou receivest only threatning messages by his Prophets Are these his doings was he wont thus to deal or Are these punishments and judgments that he denounceth his constant workds or those that he delighteth to do Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Doth he not promise good things and give them to him that is upright and walketh in good waies Do ye not perceive by his different dealings in that he wrought wonderful things for you while you walked in obedience to him and now forsaketh you and giveth you up to evil now that ye forsake him and rebel against him that the cause of this change is from your selves and that he alwaies doth good but to them that strive to do good and walk in his right waies And even now if ye would by these menaces of the Prophets be wrought on to amend your waies for which they are intended would not these also be for good to you and a means of saving you from that destruction which you for that end are warned of by them The words so understood are plainly
inferr'd from the foregoing words as an answer to them who forbad the Prophets to speak to them such harsh things as they did as if either they deliver'd not to them rightly Gods message or had not receiv'd a full measure of his Spirit or that 't were in their power to speak otherwise then God bad them speak and so their folly is discover'd in that they laid it not to heart that the cause why such severe things were by Gods Prophets denounded to them contrary to such gracious promises which had been made formerly to the true house of Iacob was not from any ill mind in the Prophets nor any change in God who still continued to do good to them that continued to walk uprightly in his waies but from themselves who were so changed that they retain'd nothing of Iacob but the bare name and by their wickedness made themselves uncapable of receiving better messages or that God should deal better with them And this seems the plainest meaning of the words Others differently interpret them as Some who in rendring the words agree but then give the meaning thus Is the Spirit of the Lord straitned so as that you should silence his Prophets as if he were not able to direct them what to say or should not have liberty to cause them to prophecy and denounce what he pleaseth or should not have power by them to pronounce against you evill things and to bring them to pass Are these his works These things which you do such works as he requires from you or is pleased with or Are these such works as become the house of Iacob and do my words no good with him that walketh aright are they not pleasing to him promising to him good instructing and correcting him for his good That they are not such to you is through your own fault Others Is the Spirit of the Lord straitned that he cannot now send Prophets as well as formerly tho you enjoin silence to them Others differ in rendring the first words Some thus Is this said among you O house of Iacob Or as Some Is it thus said Ought it thus to be said or What is this that is said O house of Iacob or What is the saying of the house of Iacob then go on in the expounding the following words Is the Spirit of the Lord straitned as that if you silence these Prophets he cannot send others with as severe messages Are these evils denounced the works of God or are they not the effects of your Sins But a learned Iew will not have the words so read Interrogatively because then the following should be without an Interrogation as expressing what he wonders to hear them say viz. The Spirit of the Lord is shortned yet the Chaldee Paraphrast seems so to take it rendring Is it right which the house of Iacob say And the author of the Vulgar Latin seems to take it as founding as the Tugurine version hath it Is it not said by the house of Iacob Or without an Interrogation That which is said by the house of Iacob is c. While he renders the House of Iacob hath said and then the following words are looked on as the words of the house of Iacob and expounded to this sense Why do ye O Prophets threaten such hard things to us Is the Spirit of the Lord straitned his mercy restrained that he will not do good to us Are these his thoughts and works viz. to prosecute revenge so as to destroy us his People and forget to be good to us and then the next words as the words of God in answer to them That he is good and his promises good and he will do good but to those that are good not to such wicked ones as they are A later learned divine differeth from these foregoing in the rendring of the last words instead of Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly reading it Are not my words good viz. these words that I the Prophet speak that he walketh with the upright or Shall not my words please you they would please you if you were upright for he that is God walketh with the upright The cause of this difference he taketh from a Grammatical nicety because saith he if those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hayashar Holec were to be rendred him that walketh uprightly the Article or not of Emphasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ha should be joynd with the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holoc and that put before the other Noun thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haholec Yashar But the first exposition is not liable to this exception for in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yashar is not taken as a Noun but a Verb and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ha put before it signifieth which as manifestly elsewhere it is put with a Verb in that sens as Iosh. X. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hehalecu which went with him and 1 Chron. XXVI 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hahicdish rendred which Samuel the seer had dedicated and so Ezek. XXVI 17. And so the literal rendring will be he that is upright walking or going on in the wales of God the plain sence of which is him that walketh uprightly or if it be taken as a Noun it is salved by understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Derec way i. e. that walketh in the right way so Aben Ezra and R. David Kimchi The Ancient M. S. Arab version which we cited renders the whole thus It is said among the house of Iacob Is the power of the Lord shorned Were these his Properties Do not my words do good to him that is upright walking after obedience to God Abarbinel and Arias Montanus following him take them to be the words of God to the People who wondred that the Prophet should cease from reproving the oppressors The first exposition seemeth the plainest 8 Even of late my People is risen up as an Enemy ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as Men averse from warr Even of late Marg. Yesterday The ancient Latin translatour makes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veethmul the word so translated two words or one compounded of two and renders it And on the contrary Nor is he alone in this An ancient and learned Iew so also takes it to be tho they differ in their applying it to the following words the Latin rendring the whole verse thus according to the Doway English translation thereof And on the contrary my People is risen up as an adversary from above the Coat you have taken away the Cloke and them that passed simply you turned into Battel or Warr but that learned Iew to this sense And against my People he that is the potent oppressour before spoken of or every one of you hath set up an Enemy It is saith he in sense all on as if he had said ye
them that they will not easily be adjusted either with any of them or with the original Hebrew The Chaldes useth his liberty as a Paraphrast Among all none seems to give to the words their force better then that first of the Iewish Grammarian It will not be needful nicely to enquire into the difference between the two words one of which is rendred Robe the other Garment The first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salmah seems to denote a looser garment cast over the rest the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eder a closer more fitted to the Body If we compare these words with those of our Saviour Mat. V. 40. where is first named Coat the under and after Cloak the upper Garment and Luke VI. 29. where on the contrary first Cloak then Coat this will look much like a proverbial Speech and the nameing of them both whether one or the other first or last wil signify the greedy violence of the enemy stripping the poor Man not in part but of all that he hath A manuscript Arab Translation thus renders Yesterday my People resisted their Enemy but now over against a Garment or at sight of a garment ye pull of the Garment from perhaps he means their clothes because of or for fear of those that pass by securely being turned back from war Or otherwise perhaps his meaning may be Heretofore they made war with their Enemies but now at sight of a garment they fall to stripping those that pass by c. they from being valiant Souldiers in War are turned only Thieves and Robbers in time of peace 9 The VVomen of my People have ye cast out from their pleasant Houses from their Children have ye taken away my Glory for ever The Women of my People have ye cast out from their pleasant Houses c. The different Expositions given of these words are reduceable to these two First that they did by violence cast out the Wives or Widows of those poor Men whom they oppressed and spoiled of their possessions inheritance or had slain or driven away from their houses wherein they had lived with their Husbands and Children with comfort and content and likewise by the same means took away from their Children the glory of God for ever i. e. those rights and priviledges which God in his law had given them or that glorious inheritance which God had given them for a perpetual possession and brought them to so low and contemptible a condition that the honour of being Gods Children and People did no more appear in them Or as Others by depriving them of their substance and patrimony by enjoying of which they should have had occasion to give praise and glory to me perpetually you cause them being deprived thereof to curse you murmur against me Others by hindring them being robbed and spoiled from such honourable marriages whereby they might have left a posterity to my glory Others by seduceing them to Idolatry and causing them to follow it ye have caused my glory to cease among them for ever that glory which I should have had from them so that they think no more of worshipping me My glory saith one i. e. my Temple which by your sins ye have caused to be destroyed But what had those of the ten Tribes to do with the Temple The same hath another exposition ye have caused that no Children be left to praise me Or may it not be My glory from them the glory that I should receive from them or the glory that they should receive from me Some render the last words and that for ever i. e. this ye continually do A learned Iew interpreting the former part of the verse as we have said distinguisheth the words differently and otherwise reads the latter part thus The women of my People have ye cast out from their pleasant houses together with their Children that ye might take and posses their houses and their Inheritance shall ye take possess or retain my glory for ever i. e. with such your evil doings shall ye continue in my chosen land my glory the glory of all Lands No as ye have cast out others from their pleasant houses so will I cast you out from my land Arise ye and depart c. The second way which other expositors follow is by interpreting what is said the women of my People have ye cast out c. concerning divorce and parting betwixt Man and Wife which some expound of the causeless divorces by which those lawless Men spoken of did cast their own Wives out of their houses in which they had lived long with content and those Wives not strangers or captives but of their own kindred and Nation which God called his own People and so took from them his glory the glory of his Covenant between Man and Wife which redounded to the Children born in lawful wedlock and was taken away by the rescinding and breaking that Covenant or in that they lost those priviledges which from the good agreement of their Parents would have redounded to them Others of such divorces which they caused between other Men and their Wives by committing lewdness and Adultery with them or by giving their husbands occasion to suspect them while without their leave they violently went into the Houses of the poor who are called by God his People where their Wives were to rob and spoil them so that the Husbands there finding them suspected their Wives of lewdness with them so they caus'd them to divorce them and put them away out of their houses in which they took delight and so from their little Children whom by this means they deprived of his glory i. e. that grace and that sanctity which resided among them while they lived in obedience to God to which condition they should never again be restored by reason of that their separation and dispersion which these wicked Men were cause of Or by glory Some will have meant that conjunction between Man and Wife by God instituted for those ends which rightly observed are as all his works and ordinances his glory for which and by which Men praise him The Greek version of this verse and Printed Arabick are far different from all other and from the words in the Hebrew A manuscript Arabick translation I suppose Rab. Saadias the women of my People ye thrust out of the Houses of their delightfulness or wherein they shewed themselves delightful and pleasing to their husbands from their Children ye take my Glory for ever 10 Arise ye and depart for this is not your rest because it is polluted it shall destroy you even with a sore destruction Arise ye and depart c. According to this rendring the sense is plain Prepare you for departure and removal from this land for it may not be or is not convenient that it should be a resting place to you after such
doth indeed signifie would God as well as if But then what ground is there to add the negative I were not it would in this sense rather found would God I were a Man c. Again by what interpretation can this be made a wish befitting the Prophet He might perhaps wish that no such severe message had bin sent by him as of destruction to those his People out of his compassion to them but to wish that what by Gods command he spake were a lie would be an injury not to himself only but to the Spirit by which he spake the Spirit of truth with whom falshood is not to be mentioned much less either in word or wish attributed to him If he had only wished that himself by his suffering might have redeemed them it had been an act of charity but not to wish that God had sent a lie by him S. Paul saith he could wish himself even accursed from Christ for his Brethrens sake Rom. IX 3. i. e. suffer any evil to save them and win them to Christ but not that the Gospel or Doctrine that he taught them were a lie rather then that they might suffer for refusing it 12 I I will surely assemble O Iacob all of thee I will surely gather the remnant of Israel I will put them together as the Sheep of Bozrah as the flock in the midst of their fold they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of Men. 13 The breaker is come up before them they have broken up and have passed through the gate and are gone out by it and their King shall pass before them and the Lord on the head of them I will surely assemble O Iacob all of thee c. Very different opinions are there concerning the Scope and meaning of these two verses Some taking them as a denunciation of judgement and utter destruction to them as both before and after is threatned by the Prophet from the Lord Others as a promise of mercy and restauration after dispersion as 't is usual in the Prophets to mingle promises of mercy with threatnings of judgment Others thirdly make them the words of the false lying Prophets mentioned in the foregoing verse bidding them not believe the true Prophets threatning them with severe judgements but telling them that however they threatned the contrary it should be well with them The first of these waies is taken by divers learned Men both Iews and Christians and the words must then be expounded to this purpose That God threatens that he will gather together the whole posterity of Iacob and the remnant of Israel for many of them had already been destroyed or carried away captives i. e. all that remained both of the ten Tribes and also the two other of Iudah and Benjamin in great multitudes as flocks of Sheep in Bozrah a place noted for abundance of Sheep that as a flock are gathered into their fold and there shut up so they should be gathered into their Cities and Towns that they might be taken together and there by reason of the multitude of them that were shut up besieged and distressed together or by reason◠of the Enemies that in such great number surround them should make great noise and be much troubled as a great flock of Sheep shut up in a fold are disturbed when any comes in upon them viz. because the breaker i. e. the Souldiers of the Enemy who should break down their walls should come upon them and make free passage for themselves by breaking open their gates to pass in and out or for themselves to enter and to lead them out to captivity and their King viz. the Enemies King should pass before his Army to lead them on and not only so but the Lord himself in the head of them to give them victory over those whom he hath given up to be destroyed by them and so this Prophesie may be looked on as fulfilled in the taking of Samaria by the King of Assyria 2 Kings XVII 6. and of Ierusalem by Nebuchadnezzar 2 Kin. XXV 1. c. Others who yet look upon it as then fulfilled do differently expound the last verse to wit that by the breaker should be understood the Enemy but then that for fear of him they should make breaches themselves in their walls to get out at and pass out at the gates to escape if they could by flight their King himself leading them the way as of Zedekiah 't is said 2 Kings XXV 4. but being taken should be carried captive and they after him and all this because the Lord was in the head of them i. e. the enemies to execute the judgments that he had denounced against that People But this seems harsh to interpret them in before them first of the Israelites then in the same continued sentence on the head of them of the Enemies Others therefore expound it shall be on the head of them i. e. over them for evill and to execute his vengeance on them and to see that they shall not escape Others and the Lord shall in the head or beginning i.e. before forsake them and withdraw his presence by which he was◠wont to protect and defend them which a learned Iew notes to be a far fetch'd interpretation The second Exposition viz. that in these words is a gracious promise of restauration to Israel after their dispersion is preferred by many learned Men both Jews and Christians with this difference that the Iews the modern at least understand it as a temporal restoring of the Kingdom of Israel the Christians of a Spiritual deliverance by Christ and the calling them into his Kingdom and gathering them into his Church together with the called of the Gentiles as one flock into one fold under one Shepherd See Ioh. X. 16. The words being so taken we need not saith a learned Iew look after any connexion with the foregoing or following it being not unusual to have gracious promises so mingled with threatnings of judgments where seems no coherence betwixt them Or else the connexion may be made thus saith another God having before threatned severe things against the People both in this and the former chapter as that their inheritance should be laid wast and they cast out of it be destroyed and carried away captives least they should utterly despair of deliverance or Salvation intermingles this merciful promise of a gracious restauration that he will again after the dispersion with which he hath threatned them gather them together in as great multitudes as the sheep of Bozrah as flocks are gathered together into their fold so that there shall be a great noise by reason of their concourse as if their place were too strait and narrow for them Isa. XLIX 19 20. And then a flourishing or mighty growing King according to one sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porets or a breaking King shall break through all
length in his appointed time shall bring thee there to take vengeance of thee in the place where thou didst that mischief Which vengeance God will bring on them for two causes mentioned First because they laid siege against Ierusalem when they took it and destroyed the second Temple Secondly because they used contumeliously the chief of the Iews whom they carried captives as is shewed by the expression of smiting with a rod upon the cheek These though otherwise differing yet in this agreeing that they understand by the Enemy spoken of the Romans who took Ierusalem and destroyed the Temple are all liable to a common objection viz. that the things here spoken according to the series of the words were to be fulfilled before that ruler in Israel prophesied of in the words next following to wit the Messiah was to come forth out of Bethleem that is to be born there whereas the siege and destruction of Ierusalem and the Temple were after Christs time To the same exception lies open also the opinion of other Iews who by the Enemy here pointed out understand the numerous Armies of Gog and Magog which they will have to be yet to come against Ierusalem long since destroyed But if they say this objection toucheth them not because they hold the Messiah is not yet come we must answer that we are assured by the fulfilling as of all other Prophecies concerning him so of that immediatly following as in the consideration of it will appear that he is already come and that Iesus our Christ was he and therefore their obstinate denying of that truth doth not justify their errour or mistake in this interpretation which perhaps they therefore take up that they may seem to have some colour for that grand errour and their obstinacy in it by saying such things ought to be done before the coming of the Messiah which are not yet done and that therefore they cannot believe him to be yet come As for what Some answer here that the particle Now seems to import a time nearer to the Prophets uttering this Prophecy then the coming of the Roman Armies was it is perhaps not much to be insisted on because that may be interpreted of its due time or time determined for it by God to whom even what was farthest of was then as present But Others therefore more probably by the Enemies here meant understand the Assyriansâ— under Senacherib whom also they understand by those many Nations mentioned chapter IV. 11. and that these words are a threatning of cutting off or destruction to them What is else where threatned to them see Isaiah X. 12. c. and chap. XXXIII I. and what destruction befell them chap. XXXVII 36. c. as likewise 2 Kings XIX 35. c. Against this exposition appears nothing in the words or context which may be objected if Senacheribs sending a great Army to Ierusalem by Rabshakeh and Rabshakehs insolent carriage towards the King and his Messengers and reproachful language and Senacheribs own blasphemous letter to the same purpose may seem sufficient to make good what is said he hath laid siege against us they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek and then may the former words be expounded either Now in the mean while shalt thou gather together thy Troups O Assyria Daughter of Troups and bring the Army which shall lay siege c. or in the other signification Now shalt thou be cut off or destroyed O Daughter of Troups or the spoiler that usest to send out thy troups to spoil others Yet do others prefer to apply what is said to the Babylonians or Chaldeans who with numerous Armies did both besiege and take Ierusalem and despitefully used the King Zedekiah and slew his Sons and then put out his eyes and bound him with fetters of Brass and carried him to Babylon and slew also their Priests and Nobles 2 Kings XXV I. and that whether the former words be expounded according to the one of the forementioned significations or the other either to this sense Now gather thy self in Troups or prepare thy Army O Daughter of Troups which may lay siege against us and smite c. for so far shalt thou prevail but then those judgments denounced chapter IV. 12. shall befall thee and Israel shall have a redeemer as follows here in the next verse Or Now in the time appointed shalt thou be spoiled O Daughter of Troups or owner of that Army which laid or shall lay siege against us and which smâ—te or shall smite c. or Now shalt thou be cut off or spoiled O Babylon Daughter of the cutter off or spoiler viz. Nimrod the great spoiler who hast laid siege to us and smitten c or Now shalt thou cut and tear thy self for sorrow O Daughter c. But among all that go this way against which lies no apparent exception none more perspicuously makes out the sense together with the coherence and construction then a learned Iew thus Having described what should befal them that they should be led captive to Babylon and how the Chaldeans should prevail over them and then promised that in a short time they should be released he declares that it should be by cutting off the Empire of the Chaldeans as it came to pass and therefore as addressing his speech to them saith Thou shalt be wounded or Be thou also wounded or cut with the sword of the Enemy that is tast of that which thou hast made us tast O Daughter of Troups i. e. owner of that Army which hath laid i. e. shall surely lay for it was not yet done according to the usual language of the Prophets speaking of what shal certainly be as already done siege against us and which shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek meaning their contumelious usage of their King Zedekiah i. e. This shall befall thee because thou hast done these things in besieging us and despitefully using our Prince and King And then having intimated what contempt shall befal the house of David he subjoins according to Gods usual method a declaration of what dignity they shall again attain to in the time of their restauration saying But thou Bethleem c. So will the coherence of the words one with another be manifest and that there is in these words a Prophecy of the first i. e. the Babylonish captivity and the first restauration i. e that from that captivity and not meant as some other as we have seen would have it of the destruction of Ierusalem and second captivity as they call it by the Romans from which they are not restored And what he subjoins And thou Bethleem Ephratah c. will be a promise to the house of David of the return of the Kingdom to them to be expected in the time of the Messiah And so according to this way of exposition is a plain way made
Eternity which is so signal a description of the Divine generation before all time or that going forth from everlasting of Christ the Eternal Son of God God of the substance of the Father begotten before all worlds and afterwards in time according to what is said that he should come forth of Bethleem made Man of the substance of his Mother and born in the World as that it appears that this Prophecy belongs only to him and could never be verified of any other Yet the Iews who deny the Divinity of Christ endeavour to put us off from this proof of it or our so applying the words to him by another interpretation viz. that these words import no more then that his going forth viz. his extraction should be from David between whom and him here promised should be a long time a great number of years and ages and so according to them it should so only be rendred from of old from daies of age or antiquity i. e. a long time since and not from everlasting or before time and so others who are not Iews following their exposition think that the words may well enough be applied to Zorobabel who was of the posterity of David who was originally from Bethleem and so had anciently his extraction thence But this the Iews themselves do not say who as was before shewed do not apply them to him but to a Messiah whom they yet expect to come of the lineage of David Another Iew expounds them in somthing different words viz. the causes of whose production have been from of old and who hath been from long time soretold of and promised But the same answer will serve to all these that we may not let go the plain meaning of the words which our Translation gives us as an evident proof of Christs eternal generation and so of his Divinity seeing he that is Eternal must confessedly be God Our answer will best be framed by taking the words in order and first that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Motsaothaw rendred whose goings forth doth manifestly and properly so signifie it cannot be denied and that it necessarily implies in the Person of whom it is spoken an having been or gone forth actually when or before the Prophet spake these words In the former words where he speaks of his being born in after time which was to come to pass after the uttering this Prophecy he puts the Future tense shall come forth but here speaking of a going forth which was before that time from of old the preter tence must needs be understood and is well supplied in our Translation by have been the Verb substantive being according to the usual property of the Hebrew language not expressed but understood We say it is well supplied by the tense denoting the time past for the future can here have no place it will be no sense to say a thing shall be from of old that would be to confound past and to come in one This going forth having been from of old cannot be said to have been made good by the being of the person spoken of in his ancestors loins nor by the causes of his being having been of old That would note only that there was then a possibillity of his coming forth not be properly called an actual going forth as it is here called no more then 't would be proper to say that in Adam's time all Men had their goings forth or were then born in actual beings because they were all then in Adam's loins and there were then causes which should in after times produce them To say then that the person here spoken of had his goings forth because he was to come forth out of the family of David after this was spoken can be no proper exposition of this word because it denotes goings forth that had actually been not that were to come Neither if he had been actually born in Davids time or any of hisancestors before him although neither he nor any of his ancestors are here expressed could this make good what follows in the next words from of old from everlasting or from daies of Eternity But then the rendring of those words also must be vindicated from the glosses of the Iews who would have them to signify only from some long time ago some hundreds of years and not from Eternity or before time properly so called We say therefore that as the words here used to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kedem by our Translatours rendred of old and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Olam rendred Everlasting do sometimes signifie the first time long since and the latter long duration of time whether past or to come so they do also signify Eternity of daies and time that we may so in the language of Scriptures which speak to Men in their own way of speaking call that Eternal continuance which was before time or daies properly so called We need not seek far for proofs of this That in Proverbs VIIâ— 22 23. may suffice for a testimony of both where the Heavenly Wisdom saith God possessed me in the beginning of his way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kedem Miphalau Meaz before his works of old and I was set up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meolam from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was That both those words there signifie Eternity is manifest by the context this being said to be before the Earth was and it is manifestly to be expounded as one of their own there glosseth it before the Creation of the World or as another understands it of priority of Eternity by priority of necessary existence not of time properly so called because time was afterwards created To this may be added as for this use of the former word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kedem that in Psal. IV. 19. He that abideth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kedem of old i. e. from Eternity and for the second i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Olam what is said Psal. XC 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meolam ad Olam necessarily rendred from everlasting to everlasting to omit the many other places where it is necessary so be understood And as for that word too which is rendred from daies that also is used sometimes to signifie that Eternity in which was no distincton of daies or parts of time so Isa. Xâ—III 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Miâ—om ani hu word for word from the day I am he that is as the Iews themselves interpret and ours rightly render before the day was i. e. from Eternity And so God is called according to the usual exposition the ancient of daies Dan. VII 9. not that he is circumscirbed by daies of the greatest number or antiquity but Eternal Now if these words singly any of them may denote Eternity how much more being all put together in that order as here must they increase and heighten the signification and shew that of the person here
Christ came and since the Iews were not guilty of Idolatrous worships and Witchcrafts c. that they should be promised to have them cut off from them and that therefore the words cannot be looked on as a promise of good to them and therefore that the Horses and Cities and Witchcrafts and Idols are to be understood of such as were among other Nations who were to be converted to Christ and so be made the remnant and Israel of God i. e. that those things in which they did before trust and so hardly receive the Gospel he would now take away or at least make them no longer to be the cause of their resisting the Gospel but that all should yield and give place to it But though that which he saith be true as to the main viz. that Gods Israel comprehends as well the Gentiles that were to be called in to Christs Church as the Iews that there were among the Iews no Idols or Idol worship at Christs coming and that this promise was to be fulfilled as well to the believing Gentiles as Iews yet that there is need to interpret the words therefore as if by the things named were to be understood those among the Gentiles because at Christs coming no such were among the Iews or that the Chaldee Paraphrast meant them of those is neither evident or need to be insisted on or scrupled at because the Prophet seems to speak of things as they were in those times when he spake and to say that in future time when God would fulfill his word here spoken by the Prophet he would cause that it should be otherwise they whom he speaks of should not make use of or confide in such things as they now did That in the Prophets time such things were among the Iews and they peccant in forsaking God to rely on them appears by what is said in the Prophet Isaiah who was contemporary with Micah Isaiah II 6. c. Therefore thou hast forsaken thy People the house of Iacob because they be replenished from the East and are Soothsayers c. Their Land also is full of horses neither is there any end of their Chariots their Land also is full of Idols they worship the work of their own hands Where we see are reckoned up such things as are here mentioned and their Sin shewed to be their relying on and pleasing themselves in them to the neglect of God and his waies so that well may here be understood that he saith that for the future the time here pointed at he would cause that it should not be so with them and hence by the way may be taken another conjecture why the Chaldee Paraphrast should instead of thy Horses and Chariots c. put the Horses of strangers c. viz. because these things they had from other People So Some expound thy horses i. e. the help of Egypt which thou relyest on to furnish thee with Horses or learned the use of them from other People and used them as the did But we need not be much inquisitive after his meaning that being to be reduced to the Text and not the Text to that Mean while that these words are to be looked on as a promise for good to those whom they concern viz. a promise of peace and security in God alone and encouragement to rely on him alone without dependance on any humane helps or waies rather then a menace of evil to those spoken to we may well be inclined to think by the application of much the like words to the peaceable condition of the Kingdom of Christ Zechariah IX 10. I will cut off the Chariot from Ephraim and the Horse from Ierusalem and the battle bow shall be cut off and he shall speak peace unto the Heathen 14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee so will I destroy thy Cities So will I or and I will for so in the Hebrew destroy the Cities In the Margine is put or Enemies and so the Chaldee Paraphrast takes it The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Areca in the Hebrew signieth both these Cities and Enemies and so is that meaning to be given to it which the sense of the place requires or shows to be most convenient Here therefore according to their several judgments some take one and some the other It is not unfitly observed by a learned Iew that if here the words be taken as a menace or denouncing evill then it must necessarily to make congruous sense be rendred Cities but if it be taken as a prediction of good then it may be rendred either way To what may be said that it is not here to be taken for Cities though diverse Interpreters so take it because he had before said I will cut off the Cities of thy Land ver 11. some answer that there are meant Cities of defence here Cities of Idolatrous worship in which were their groves and Idols Temples 15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the Heathen such as they have not heard And I will execute vengeance upon the Heathen such as they have not heard of On that former exposition of most Christians which interpret the preceeding words from ver 10. as a promise of good unto the Church and Beleivers this will kindly follow as showing how much contrary it shall be with such as receive not his Doctrine and refuse to obey Having so disposed of things for the good and security of his Subjects on his Enemies he will execute vengeance But then most of them render the last words which have not heard or will not â—ear hearken to his word or Doctrine or because they would not hear the law saith the Chaldee the preaching of the Gospel say Christians and so refer the Relative which to the Heathen But the words are capable of that rendring which Ours give and is by Some others also approved by referring it to the vengeanâ—e spoken of viz. which or such as they have not heard of That Iew which as we saw takes the foregoing words as a threat â—gainst Israel or the Iews here doth not take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goim Nations or Peopâ—e for the Heathen but for the People of Israel or those Nations and People viz. Israel and Iudah that God would take vengeance on them for their refusing to hearken to him making it a continuation of the commination That other Iew which expounded Israels being as dew c. of their being kind and profitable to them that dealt kindly with them expounds this that God will severly punish those that would not hearken to them to pity and show kindness to them Such as make the Babâ—lonians or Câ—â—ldeans the persons spoken to and here threatned with deâ—â—ruction by those that will not hear understand such of those Nations under that Empire as should oppose Cyrus and refer to Isa. XLV 1. c. There is another Translation
contrary the one may seem to mans reason or the other to his interest not raising doubts or scruples against either and acquiescing in his revealed truths and will without searching after the hidden things of God or things too high for men to comprehend Others most of the Jews render the word according to a signification of it used in their Rabbins to walk in secret i. e. in sâ—ncerity and uprightly as heedfully in secret where no eye of man sees as in publick in the sight of all so making it their end to please God and approve themselves to him not to make a Pharisaïcal shew before men or gain applause from them Such behaviour as our Saviour commends in Alms Prayer Fasting and consequently all such acts of Piety as require not men but God which sees in secret to be witness to and judge of them Mat. VI. 1. c. This little differs from the former meaning they necessarily go together sinceriâ—y and humility and they cannot be one without the other both excluding all pride and ostentation and stubbornness and contradicting There are other Translations which render to walk sollicitous with God others to be ready or prepared to walk with God We need not go to prove that the word hath these significations as welâ— as the two former for as long as it signifies either of the former either of these will be included in the meaning and not ill express it for whosoever walketh humbly or sincerely with God will be very sollicitous in the performance of his duty that he avoid all things offensive to God contrary to his will or word and be very diligent also in serving him ready to assent to all that he shall say and to submit to all that he shall require his obedience in The words however taken manifestly as we said refer to the Commandments of the first Table comprehending as a learned Jew notes the acknowledging of one God and the loving him with all the heart and with all the soul and so plainly agrees with that sum of that Table given by our Saviour in the forecited Mar. XII 29 30. The Lord our God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength the performance of which together with the other summing up the second Table which there follows but is here put in the first place as they cannot be separated by any that will please God and walk uprightly with him the Scribe there saith agreeable to what is here intimated is more then all burnt offerings and sacrifices which were never required nor accepted but as subservient to these necessary duties at all times and at all places good and required whereas those were not in themselves absolutely good nor required nor accepted but with regard to time and place and other circumstances yea when not rightly offer'd abominated even such as were otherwise permitted by the Law how much more such which God commanded not neither came into his heart such as some in the foregoing verse mentioned Now the Jews or Israelâ—tes as appears by the following verses stood guilty of the neglect and breach of all these duties of doing justly v. 10. c. of loving mercy v. 12. of walking humbly sincerely or carefully with God v. 16. and so long as they continued so it waâ— in vaâ— for them to enquire with what Sacrifices they may come before the Lord or he may be pleased and appeased If they should offer all things most dear to them they shall not be able to appease him or turn away his wrath He continues to cry out against them for their sins and threaten them with his severe judgments as the following part of the Chapter declares 9 The Lords voice crieth unto the Ciâ—y and the man of Wisdom shall sâ—e thy name Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it The Lords voice crieth unto the City and the man of Wisdom shall see thy name Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it That there is difficulty in this verse appears by the different expositions that are given of it according to the several judgments of Interpreters The plainest amongst which seems that which is given by divers both Jews and Christians agreeable to what our Translators read in the Text which a learned Jew thus expounds By the City is meant either Samaria or Ierusalem and whereas in the Text is said only Wisdom there is to be supplied Man the man of Wisdom will see thy name i. e. will apprehend the greatness of thy power and learn it and that which he cries or proclaims is what is said Hear the rod i. e. take notice of the punishment and know who hath stirred it up and prepared or ordered it using the name of rod for punishment because punishment is inflicted by it or it is an instrument of punishing Another much to the same purpose The Lords voice that is the word of the Prophet prophesying in the name of the Lord cries to the City that is the People of the City viz. Ierusalem or Samaria calling on them to return by repentance but when I the Prophet saies he proclaim thy words in the midst of that City only he that is a man of Wisdom among them will see in the midst of his heart thy glorious name and that it is meet to bow before it when the Prophet mentions it and mentions his word but other men will not see and that man of Wisdom saith to them Hear the rod i. e. the rod of punishment saying hear how grievous this decree is and hear who hath appointed this decree to bring it for he that hath appointed it can bring it to pass as he hath appointed it because there is power in his hand These explications seem to give the meaning of the words in the plaineâ—t sense and most agreeable to the letter of the words of any yet will it be expedient for the judging of this to take notice of others given by Interpreters both ancient and of great authority The Chalde Paraphase thus expounds them Wâ—th their voice the Prophets of the Lord cry unto the City and the Teaclers fear the name of the Lord. Hear ô King and Rulers and the rest of the People of the Land A Jewish Rabbin notes that he interprets not according to the letter yet need we not therefore with some who approve the sense by him given conjecture that he read the words in the Hebrew text otherwise then they are now given he might take the liberty of a Paraphraser to give more at large not tying himself close up to the words that which he took to be the meaning Only we may observe that what those before rendred to see he will have to signify fear and so do others also as we shall see and what is by them
Hebrew word applyable and so is our English to such a one as hath regard both to his duty to God and expresses that in an holy and godly conversation and to his duty to man expressing that in acts of Câ—arity or mercy and doing good to others both these in observance of the Commandments concur to the making up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chasid a good man they will not where there is sincerity be separated and such the Prophet desires to find but can find none of them they are perished out of the Earth or Land for of that part of the Earth that Country where he lived of Iudah and Israel he speaks such have formerly been but now are dead and gone and 't is in vain to seek for them for there is none â—pright among men Among such as are now living in the Land i. e. sâ—arcely any to be found for that we may so understand it as to the greater part and not precisely that there was not any one single such man on the Earth we may observe what the Lord answered to Eliah complaining in like manner that he was left alone and there was none that feared God 1 Kings XIX 14 and 19. and Rom. XI 3 4. and so is this complaint like those which we have Ps. XII 1. and XIV 3. and Rom. III. 10 11 12. which at least import the great paucity and scarceness of good and upright men which are so few in respect of those which are otherwise that it may in respect of the generality be said there are none such they are lost among the multitude That he hath just reason to say so he farther makes evident by describing the contrary behavior of the generality viz. That they all lay wait for blood and hunt every man his brother with a net Lie in wait for blood i. e. to take away the lives of men or as some to spoile them of their substance and what they have which is to them as their blood and wherewith their life is sustained probably both are comprehended in the name bloods for it is the plural number and coveting of other mens goods and rapine often endeth in cruelty and murder That men greedy of gain may obtain their prey they will not spare to take away the life of the owners thereof Prov. I. 19. and by all crafty cunning and hidden means do they seek and take occasion to effect this They hunt every man his brother with a net As a Hunter Fowler or Fisher that spreads his net uses all arts to get his prey into it that he may catch it and destroy it so do these use all possible arts whereby they may insnare any by whose destruction they may gain ought to themselves This rendring is plain and proper and the meaning of it perspicuous yet do some and those of the ancientest Interpreters render otherwise viz. they hunt every man his brother to death or destruction so the Chalde Syriac and vulgar Latin The reason of this diversity is manifest to be from hence because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherem signifies a net and also destruction and it cannot be thought that they who rendred it according to one signification were not aware of the other because in other places they use it but took that which they thought here most agreeable to the sense and meaning of the place So they that here render it destruction or death Habbac I. 15. render it net Here they thought it seems that of destruction more agreeable to what goes before They lay in wait for blood and tending to the same sense They that render with a net understand the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that to destruction the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lecâ—erem The Greek rendring the words they afflict with affliction or straiten with straitning every one his neighbour seem rather to have given the meaning then to have attended to the literal signification of the words They that seek after various readings might perhaps say that here instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yatsudu they hurt they seem to have read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yatsuru they straiten or afflict and instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherem a net 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereb much or some other word but such conjectures are no safe or sure way of solving difficulties or reconciling differences The meaning will be otherwise well enough made up by saying that by straiten with straitning or afflict with affliction they would express what is by the Prophet in figurative terms expressed inasmuch as the Hunter's intention by laying his net is to bring those creatures which he would catch into a strait that so he may have them at his pleasure and use them how he will 3 ¶ That they may do evil with both hands earnestly the Prince asketh and the Iudg asketh for a reward and the great man uttereth his mischievous desire so they wrap it up That they may do evil with both hands earnestly the Prince asketh c. In these words wherein he farther taxeth the great corruption avarice and cruelty of such especially who were in authority and ought to have done justice and seen it done and those that were rich and potent there is some difficulty A learned man well versed in the language of the Scripture confesseth that this place did long and much perplex him that he could not satisfy himself in the interpretation of it and perhaps was not at last satisfied And such different expositions are brought of it that the Reader who takes notice of them will perhaps be put to use his best judgement and discretion to choose which he may prefer and satisfy himself with The former part of the verse in which is the cheif difficulty consists briefly of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al Haraa for evil or to do evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cappaim hands or both hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liheitib to do or make good or to do well From the understanding of these words and joining them in construction one with another and either taking them so as to make a distinct period of themselves or in conjunction with the following words the Prince asketh c. ariseth that diversity of interpretations the more ancient Translations thus rendring viz. the Greek for evil do they prepare or make ready their hands and so the Arabick following them the Vulgar Latin the evil of their hands they call good The Chalde Paraphrase they do evil with their hands and do not do good The Syriack accordingly their hands are prepared or ready to do evil and they do not do good Among more modern Interpreters there is yet more variety Of the Jews some thus expound the first words by themselves also For the evill or for a reward of the evill