_Rejoice not, O Israel_ It should seem that this prophecy was
delivered at a time when the situation of public affairs was
promising; perhaps after some signal success, which had given occasion
to public rejoicings. _As other people_ Hebrew, כעמים, _as_, or
_like, the nations_, that is, the heathen... [ Continue Reading ]
_They shall not dwell in the Lord's land, but Ephraim shall return
into Egypt_ God will turn them out of that inheritance he gave to
their fathers, and they shall be carried into captivity or become
exiles a second time in Egypt. When Shalmaneser made the ten tribes
captive, such as were able to esc... [ Continue Reading ]
_They shall not offer wine-offerings to the Lord_ They have omitted to
make wine-offerings to the Lord when they had it in their power, and
when it was their duty to do it; and in the time of their captivity
they will be willing to do it, but shall not have it in their power.
Wine- offerings were ap... [ Continue Reading ]
_What will ye do in the solemn day_ What will you do in your
captivity, when any of your solemn or festival days come? When you
shall find yourselves far from your own country, without temple,
without prophets, without priests, without sacrifices, without solemn
assemblies; what will be your sentime... [ Continue Reading ]
_The days of visitation are come_ The days of punishment, or
retribution, are at hand. This resembles the well-known line of
Virgil:
_VENIT SUMMA DIES ET INELUCTABILE TEMPUS DARDANIÆ. ÆN. LIB. 2.
50:324._
The fatal day, th' appointed hour is come, The time of Troy's
irrevocable doom.
Israel shall... [ Continue Reading ]
_The watchman of Ephraim was with my God_ Or, as some read. it, on the
authority of divers MSS., אלהיו, _his God_, or, as the LXX. read
it, _with God._ “The watchman is here evidently a title by which
some faithful prophet is distinguished from the temporizers and
seducers. But who in particular is... [ Continue Reading ]
_I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness_ The sense is, as the
traveller, passing through the deserts of Arabia, is greatly delighted
if he happen to find in his way vines bearing grapes, so was Israel
anciently delighted in by God. This relates particularly to their
first entering into covenan... [ Continue Reading ]
_As for Ephraim_, or, _Ephraim! their glory shall fly away like a
bird_ What they make their boast of so much shall depart from them.
The fruitfulness of their women seems to be the thing here spoken of.
_From the birth_ Their children shall die soon after they are born;
_from the womb_ They shall b... [ Continue Reading ]
_Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give?_ The prophet here speaks as
one greatly agitated, and at a loss what to say upon what he had just
heard; but at last concludes with beseeching God rather to let the
women be barren, or miscarry; or, if they brought forth children, have
no milk in their breast... [ Continue Reading ]
_All their wickedness is in Gilgal_ Gilgal is notorious, and has been
so of old, for the wickedness of its inhabitants. _There I hated them
There_ of old (or _therefore_) they were an abomination to me. “The
first great offence of the Israelites, after their entrance into the
Holy Land, was committe... [ Continue Reading ]