Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. Ver. 1. _Go, get thee a linen girdle._] Or, Belt, or swath. _ And put it not in water._] Or, Lye, to wash it or whiten it; but take it as it is first made, _Ut sorditiem magis contrahat... [ Continue Reading ]
So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put [it] on my loins. Ver. 2. _So I got a girdle._] God is to be obeyed readily, and without questioning.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, Ver. 3. _And the word of the Lord came to me._] Heb., Was to me. "At sundry times," _a_ or piecemeal, God spake to his servants the prophets. Heb 1:1 _ a_ πολυμερως _per gradus et momenta, non simul et semel._... [ Continue Reading ]
Take the girdle that thou hast got, which [is] upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. Ver. 4. _Arise, go to Euphrates._] A river which ran by Babylon, six hundred and fourscore miles from Jerusalem. The prophet's journey therefore thither seemeth to hav... [ Continue Reading ]
So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. Ver. 5. _So I went and hid it by Euphrates._] In the cliff of a rock, where it might lie dry, never once asking the reason. This was simple and acceptable obedience, far beyond that of the Popish novices, who yet if their padres or super... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. Ver. 6. _And it came to pass after many days._] See on Jeremiah 13:3 .... [ Continue Reading ]
Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. Ver. 7. _Then I went to Euphrates._] See on Jeremiah 13:4. Those that are for an actual journey allege that Jeremiah might do this without... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Ver. 8. _Then the word, &c._] _Adaptat simile._ fit simile, See Jeremiah 13:3 .... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. Ver. 9. _After this manner will I mar the pride._] Their pomp and power, wherein they pride themselves.... [ Continue Reading ]
This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. Ver. 10. _This evil people._] _Populus ille pessimus; _ these Poneropolitans, who ar... [ Continue Reading ]
For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear. Ver. 11. _So have I cause... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? Ver. 12. _Therefore._] Or, Moreover. _ Thou shalt speak unto them this word... [ Continue Reading ]
Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. Ver. 13. _Behold, I will fill._] Heb., Lo, I am filling;... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them. Ver. 14. _And I will dash them one against another._] As so many earthen bottles, brittle and soon broken. _Si collidimur frangimur,_ If sm... [ Continue Reading ]
Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. Ver. 15. _Hear, and give ear._] Or, Hear and hearken, be not naughty. Here the prophet calleth upon them again to repent, and to that end to listen diligently, and to lay aside the highness of their hearts and the stoutness of their sto... [ Continue Reading ]
Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, [and] make [it] gross darkness. Ver. 16. _Give glory to the Lord your God._] Confess your sins; Jos 7:19 one part of re... [ Continue Reading ]
But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for [your] pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive. Ver. 17. _My soul shall weep in secret places._] Good men are apt to weep, _Et faciles motus mens generosa capit... [ Continue Reading ]
Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, [even] the crown of your glory. Ver. 18. _Say to the king and to the queen._] Or Madam, the lady or mistress; that is, to the queen regent, even to Necustah, the mother of Jeconiah, say the Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
_The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open [them]: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive._ Ver. 19. _The cities of the south shall be shut up,_] _i.e., _ The cities of Egypt, whither ye think to flee, shall be shut up against you,... [ Continue Reading ]
Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where [is] the flock [that] was given thee, thy beautiful flock? Ver. 20. _Lift up your eyes, &c._] Still he bespeaketh the king and the queen. _ Where is the flock that was given thee?_] Thee, O queen regent (for the pronoun is feminine... [ Continue Reading ]
What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them [to be] captains, [and] as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail? Ver. 21. _For thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee,_] _scil., _ By thy crouching unto them, and craving the... [ Continue Reading ]
And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, [and] thy heels made bare. Ver. 22. _Are thy skirts discovered._] Thou art brought to most miserable shame and servitude, having scarce a rag to thy back, or a shoe fo... [ Continue Reading ]
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. Ver. 23. _Can the Ethiopian change his skin?_] Proverbial speeches arguing a very great difficulty, if not an utter impossibility, _Aethiopem abluo ut candidum reddam,_ said Diog... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness. Ver. 24. _Therefore I will scatter them._] This was no small aggravation of their misery, that they should be thus severed one from another. So the persecutors of the primitive times relegated and confined... [ Continue Reading ]
_This [is] thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood._ Ver. 25. _This is thy lot._] Look for no better, since thou, by going after lying vanities, forsakest thine own mercies, being miserable by thine own election. _ Beca... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear. Ver. 26. _Therefore I will discover thy skirts._] Since thou hast discovered and prostituted thyseff to other lovers, I will shame thee before all men.... [ Continue Reading ]
I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, [and] thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when [shall it] once [be]? Ver. 27. _Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean?_] He closeth wit... [ Continue Reading ]