_Wo is me_, &c. Judea, or rather the prophet himself, is here
introduced as complaining, that though good men once abounded in the
land, there were now few or none to be found. _I am as when they have
gathered the summer fruits_, &c. I am like one who gathers up the ears
of corn after the harvest, o... [ Continue Reading ]
_That they may do evil with both hands_, &c. With all diligence;
_earnestly_ Hebrew, להישׂיב, _to good it;_ that is, to do it
thoroughly and effectually. “Their hands are bent on iniquity, to
execute it fully.” So Dr. Wheeler. _The prince asketh_ Namely, a
gift; to do any one a favour, or good. _And... [ Continue Reading ]
_Trust ye not in a friend_ This and the next verse are descriptive of
a general corruption of manners; so that all ties and duties of
consanguinity were trampled upon, or paid no regard to. The friend
proved treacherous to his friend, the wife to her husband: children
set at naught their parents, an... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy_ Here begins a new subject; the
Jewish nation in general being here introduced speaking in their
captivity, and addressing themselves to the Chaldeans. _When I fall I
shall rise_ Or, _because I am fallen;_ for I shall rise. _When I sit
in darkness, the Lord shal... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then she that is mine enemy_ Namely, the Chaldean nation. _Which said
unto me_, (namely, when she held me captive,) _Where is the Lord thy
God?_ Where is now Jehovah, whom thou worshippest, and sayest is the
only God? Why does he not now deliver thee? Why does he not free thee
from my hands, who am... [ Continue Reading ]
_Feed thy people with thy rod_, &c. This seems to be a prayer which
the prophet broke out into on this occasion, beseeching God to take
his people again under his peculiar protection and care; which is the
meaning of _feeding them with his rod_, or pastoral crook: _the flock
of thy heritage, which d... [ Continue Reading ]
_According to the days of thy coming_ These words are an answer to the
prophet's prayer in the foregoing verse; wherein God tells him that
the wonders he will perform in bringing back his people into their own
country shall be as conspicuous as those which he showed in their
deliverance out of Egypt... [ Continue Reading ]
_They shall lick the dust like a serpent_ They shall fall to the earth
through fear, and carry themselves very humbly and submissively toward
God's people. _They shall move out of their holes like worms_ They
shall be afraid to stir out of their lurking-holes; and if they creep
out like worms, they... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who is a God like unto thee_ That is, there is no God like unto thee;
_that passeth by the transgression of the remnant_, &c. That pardons
the offences of the remainder of his people, namely, of those that
shall survive the various punishments and destructions brought upon
their forefathers for the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob_ Thou wilt perform to his
posterity what thou didst promise to Jacob. _And the mercy to Abraham
_ As the promises given to Abraham were made to him and to his seed
after him, so the Scriptures speak of the blessings bestowed upon his
children, as if they were ac... [ Continue Reading ]