The rebellious — The Jews. Take counsel — That consult together. Cover — That seek protection. But not — Not such as by my spirit, speaking in my word, I have required them to do. That they may add — That unto all their sins, they may add distrust of my power and mercy, and put confidence in an arm... [ Continue Reading ]
Asked — Either by the priests or prophets.... [ Continue Reading ]
His princes — The princes of Judah. Hanes — An eminent city of Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
They — Both the messengers, and they who sent them.... [ Continue Reading ]
The burden — The treasures, which were carried upon asses or camels, into Egypt, which lay southward from Judea. The land of trouble — Egypt, so called prophetically. From whence — This may be understood properly, but withal, seems to design the craft and cruelty of that people. They — The Jews. The... [ Continue Reading ]
To her — To Jerusalem or Judah. Sit still — It is safer and better for them to sit quietly at home, seeking to me for help.... [ Continue Reading ]
Write — This warning. Before — In their presence. Note it — So this was to be written twice over, once in a table, to be hanged up in some public place, that all present might read it; and again, in a book, that it might be kept for the use of posterity. The time to come — As a witness for me and ag... [ Continue Reading ]
Cause, &c. — Do not trouble us with harsh messages from God.... [ Continue Reading ]
And trust — In the wealth which you have gotten by oppression, and in your perverse course of sending to Egypt for help.... [ Continue Reading ]
This iniquity — Of trusting to Egypt, shall be like a wall which is high, but swelling forth in some parts, which, upon the least accident, falls down suddenly.... [ Continue Reading ]
He — God... [ Continue Reading ]
In returning — To God. Quietness — In sitting still, and quieting your minds. Confidence — Placed upon me, and my promises.... [ Continue Reading ]
'Till — 'Till you be destroyed, and but a few of you left.... [ Continue Reading ]
Wait — Patiently expect your repentance. Exalted — He will work gloriously. Judgment — Or mercy. That wait — In his way, with faith and patience.... [ Continue Reading ]
Shall dwell — After a set time, they shall return to Jerusalem, and have a fixed abode. This was in part accomplished upon their return from Babylon; but more fully in the times of the gospel, when many of them were, and the whole body of them shall be brought into Christ's church.... [ Continue Reading ]
Shall hear — Thou shalt hear the voice of God's word and spirit. Behind thee — A metaphor borrowed from shepherds, who use to follow their sheep, and recall them when they go out of the way.... [ Continue Reading ]
Defile — To shew your contempt of it. Covering — The leaves or plates wherewith their images were frequently covered. Ornament — It was a costly and glorious robe.... [ Continue Reading ]
Bread — Which shall be the fruit of thy own land and labour: and excellent for quality, which is called, fat, Deuteronomy 32:14, and abundant for quantity.... [ Continue Reading ]
Clean provender — There should be such plenty of corn, that the very beasts, instead of straw, should eat corn; and that not in the ear, or with the straw, but the pure grain.... [ Continue Reading ]
Hill — Which is commonly dry and barren. In the day — When God shall destroy the enemies of his people. The towers — The mighty potentates, who fought against God's people.... [ Continue Reading ]
Sevenfold — As if the light of seven days were combined together in one. Healeth — When God shall effectually cure the wounds of his people, making Israel and Judah to be one, and making Jew and Gentile to be one fold under one shepherd.... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold — Here he gives them an earnest of those greater mercies in times to come, by assuring them of the approaching destruction of the Assyrian forces. The name — The Lord himself. From far — From a remote place: even from heaven. Heavy — He will inflict heavy judgments upon them. Indignation — He... [ Continue Reading ]
His breath — God's anger. A stream — Coming from him as vehemently, as a mighty torrent of waters. To sift — To shake and scatter, as it were with a sieve. The nations — The Assyrian army, which was made up of several nations. With — Not with an ordinary sieve, which casteth away the chaff only, but... [ Continue Reading ]
A song — You shall have songs of praise. The night — He seems to have a particular respect to the solemnity of the passover, in which they spent some considerable part of the night in rejoicing, and singing psalms before the Lord. As when — Like the joy of one that is going up to the solemn feasts w... [ Continue Reading ]
His voice — His thunder, metaphorically taken for some terrible judgment. The lightning — Upon the Assyrian. With — With great wrath; which is signified by heaping so many words of the same signification together.... [ Continue Reading ]
The rod — Heb. the founded rod, the judgment of God, called a founded rod, because it was firmly established, by God's immutable purpose. Him — Upon the Assyrian. With harps — Their destruction shall be celebrated by God's people, with joy and musick, and songs of praise. Of shaking — Or, shaking of... [ Continue Reading ]
Tophet — This was a place near Jerusalem, in which the idolatrous Israelites used to offer up their children to Moloch. It may be put, for any place of torment; and particularly it is put for hell. For the king — For the king of Assyria. Fire — He alludes to the ancient custom, of burning sacrifices... [ Continue Reading ]