Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD: Ver. 1. _Prophesy to the mountains of Israel._] Better things than thou didst to Mount Seir in the foregoing chapter. See Isaiah 3:10,11. _See Trapp on "_ Isa 3:10 _"_ _See Trap... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:_ Ver. 2. _Because the enemy hath said._] The Church fareth the better for her enemies petulancies and insolencies against her. _ Even the ancient high places._] Or, The ever... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made [you] desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and [are] an infamy of the people: Ver. 3. _Because they have._]... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that [are] roun... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all [their] heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey. Ver. 5. _Surely in t... [ Continue Reading ]
Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen: Ver. 6. _Say unto the mountains and to the... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that [are] about you, they shall bear their shame. Ver. 7. _I have lifted up mine hand._] Sworn solemnly. Men, when they swear, do so as taking God to witness. Three fingers they do often lift up, and hold down two, t... [ Continue Reading ]
But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. Ver. 8. _Ye shall shoot forth your branches._] Reflourish and fructify; the Christian churches (those spiritual mountains) shall especially. Rev 22:2 _ For... [ Continue Reading ]
For, behold, I [am] for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: Ver. 9. _For, behold, I am for you._] Or, I come to you, and I come with a cornucopia in mine hand.... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, [even] all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: Ver. 10. _All the house of Israel, even all of it._] The Israel of God in the kingdom of the Messiah, _totum totum, quantum quantum,_ not one of them shal... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better [unto you] than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD. Ver. 11. _And will do better unto you._] This must necessarily be underst... [ Continue Reading ]
Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, [even] my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them [of men]. Ver. 12. _Thou shalt be their inheritance._] Yea, a type and pledge of that heavenly inheritance. 1Pe 1:4 _Reve... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they say unto you, Thou [land] devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations; Ver. 13. _Thou land devourest up men,_] _a_ _scil., _ By pestilence, famine, sword, evil beasts: thou art an unlucky land, an unblest country, feral and fatal to thine inhabitants. Hesio... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord GOD._ Ver. 14. _Neither bereave thy nations any more._] Either by consuming them, or spuing them out. _as Leviticus 18:28_ _; Leviticus 20:22_ _; Leviticus 26:20_ _; _ Lev 26:22 See what is said of heaven... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither will I cause [men] to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD. Ver. 15. _Neither will I cause men to hear._] I will cut off all occasions, and remov... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Ver. 16. _Moreover the word._] See Eze 18:1... [ Continue Reading ]
Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Ver. 17. _When the house of Israel._] _Ubique Scriptura vindicat gloriam Dei, maxime autem hoc loco._ _a_ This place of... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols [wherewith] they had polluted it: Ver. 18. _For the blood which they had shed._] These two gross sins are instanced, viz., murder and idolatry, lest they should plead, as in Jeremiah 2:35, "I ha... [ Continue Reading ]
And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. Ver. 19. _And I scattered them among the heathen._] Whose idols they had worshipped, and whose manners they had imitated.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These [are] the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. Ver. 20. _These are the people of the Lord._] And these are the fruits of their religion. Are these the holy people?... [ Continue Reading ]
_But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went._ Ver. 21. _But I had pity for my holy name._] So he hath still, or else it would be wide enough with us. Some render it, I spared, or tendered, mine holy name; and, to free it from those... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not [this] for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. Ver. 22. _I do not this for your sakes._] To do good without respect of desert is royal, yea,... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. Ver. 23. _And I will sanctify my great name._] I will recov... [ Continue Reading ]
For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Ver. 24. _For I will take you, &c._] I will effectually call you out of darkness into my marvellous light, and cull you out from this wicked world. And this is the first thing tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. Ver. 25. _Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you._] He alludeth to the legal purifications, especially that made by the ashes of a red cow mixed with running w... [ Continue Reading ]
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ver. 26. _A new heart also will I give you._] For the old heart will never hold out the hardship of holiness; the old fabric must... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them]. Ver. 27. _And I will put my Spirit within you._] _Qui mulcendo et molliendo._ Who, by melting and mollifying your hard hearts, shall bring you to a better obedience. _ And caus... [ Continue Reading ]
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Ver. 28. _And ye shall dwell in the land,_] _i.e., _ In Judea, or rather in the Church, _a_ which began in Judea, saith the Jesuit well The Church of Rome, then, is not the mother Church;... [ Continue Reading ]
I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. Ver. 29. _I will also save you from all your uncleannesses._] This is often promised, because not easily believed. No article of our creed is so much opposed by Satan, a... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Ver. 30. _That ye shall receive no more reproach._] The heathen were often twitting God's people with their outward wants and crosses, as if caused by their... [ Continue Reading ]
Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that [were] not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Ver. 31. _Then shall ye remember._] The goodness of God shall lead you to repentance; so many mercies heaped upon so undeservi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Not for your sakes do I [this], saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel._ Ver. 32. _Not for your sakes._] See on Ezekiel 36:22 . _ Be ashamed._] Abashed and abased, as was Ezra, Ezr 9:6 Ephraim, Jer 31:19 the publican. Luk 18:13... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause [you] to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. Ver. 33. _I shall have cleansed you._] See on Ezekiel 36:29 . _ I will also cause you to dwell._] See Ezekiel 36:28 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. Ver. 34. _And the desolate land shall be tilled._] As now, blessed be God, it is in the Palatinate and other parts of Germany, though now is no small danger of a new war, _quod Dominus avertat._ becau... [ Continue Reading ]
And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities [are become] fenced, [and] are inhabited. Ver. 35. _This land._] Such a change can God soon make for worse or better. Fear him therefore; fear the Lord and his goodness. H... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined [places, and] plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken [it], and I will do [it]. Ver. 36. _Then the heathen._] _Haec iam ex parte fata sunt,_ saith Oecolampadius. This day is this scripture fulfil... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet [for] this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do [it] for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. Ver. 37. _I will yet for this be inquired of,_] _i.e., _ Though I have promised my people all these boons, yet I look they should put my promises in... [ Continue Reading ]
As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I [am] the LORD. Ver. 38. _As the holy flock._] The sheep that come up for sacrifice, at the passover especially; so will I multiply the sheep of Chris... [ Continue Reading ]