22 By Þ thy meſſengers © thou haſt reproached the LORD, and haſtſaid, Withthe multirudeot thy chari- ots lam come up to the heighth of the mcuntains d, to the fides of Lebanon e, and will cut down Þ the tall ce- dars thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof f: and I . will enter into the lodgings of his borders g, and into the || fore{t of his Carmel h.
c So thou haſt advance ti:y. very Servants above me. #& I have thought inacceſſable by my Army. e An high Hill, tamous for Cedars and Fir-trees, here following. f This may be underſtood, either, r. Myſtically, FT will deſtroy the Princes, and Nobles of Judah, ( whichare ſometimes compared to cedars, &c. )) Or, their ſtrongeſt Cities. Or rather, 2. Literally, I will cut down the Trees that hinder my March, and plain and prepare the way tor all my numerous Army and Chariots And by this one Initance,he intimates, that nothing ſhould ſtand in his way ; no not the hzghelt and frongeſt Places: g 1. e. Thoſe Towns and Cities ( which he calls Lodgiugs in
is to be gathered our of che Context ; of which I have rmerly given inſtances) long ago, and form:d it of ancient times? 7. e. Didſt thou not hear what I did tor this People many Ages lince,that I carried them out of Egypt in ſpight of P-aroh and all his Holt ; and through the Red-Sea, where I overthrew the Egyp:ians ; and through the vaſt howling Wild:rn:/s; and thea brought them into this Land, by a ſtrong hand, by which I deſtroyed all their Enemies, and planted them in their {tzad ? By which thou mayeſt underſtand how dear this People ate to me, and how eaiily I co11d deſtroy thee before them, if I ſaw it {it; and thar the Places which thou haſt taken, and the Conqueſts which thou haſt made here, are not to be imputed to thy Valour, or Numbers, but uato my Providence, who for wiſe and juſt Reafons, have given them up into thy hands, as it here follows. "this may ſeem to be the trueſt ſenſe, becauſe that barbarous Prince and People were much more likely to hear the tidings of what G:4 id for the J/raclires in Ezypt, and at the Red-ſea and in Canaan ; the fame of which was ſpread in all thoſe parts x than to hear of, or be initracted in the Dotrine of Gods particular Providence in the Government of ſeveral Nations, and all their Counſels, and attions of Srate, and War. For, though tbe A4ſrian was indeed the Ro.4 in Gods Hand, &c. T3. ro. 5. yet L didnot 1o underſtand it, nor was God in all his thoughts, but he minded only the enlargement of his own Empire, by the Deſtru&ion of other Kingdoms, as it there follows, v.7, 13, 14, 15. m This Tranſlation ſeems better to agree both with rhe foregoing Branch of this Vecſe, and with rhe following Verſe, than the other Intzrrocative Tranſ- lation in the Margent ; and the plain ſenſe ſeems to be this, Great ThingsI havedone for this People, which thou canſt not be j gnorant of ; but now I have changed my courſe towards them, reſolved to Puniſh them ſeverely for _ Sins ; and therefore, now 1have broug't zt #0 paſs, 7.e, T have ſo diſpoſed of things by my Providence, that thou ſhouldeſt be a Great and Vittorious Prince, and that thou ſhouldeſt imploy thy Forces againſt them, to do my werk upon them, zhat thou ſholdeſ? be ( to wit, a perton raiſed up, and fitted, and ſtrengthned for this very purpoſe ) ro lay waſte fenced cities ( and to turn them ) znzo 7uinozs heaps; 7, e, That thou ſhouldeſt be ſo ſucceſsful as thou haſt hitherto been, firſt againſt the Kingdom of Irael, and now againſt Judah.
power, they were diſmayed and confounded, they were as the graſs of the field p, and «s the green herb, a; * che
way of Contempt }) which are in his urmoſt Borders, and moſt |
orals
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heaps 3
1 Heb.
26 Therefore » their inhabitants o were + of ſmall mfg
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IT
graſs on the houſe tops, and as corn blaſted before it be rown up 4. | |
2 Becauſe I had armed thee with my Commiſſionand ſtrength, and taken away their Spirit and Coyrage, and withdrew my help from them, to give it ro thee. o The people of Iſrael, and Judah, and other Places which thou haſt Conquered. p Which is weak and quickly fading, and unable to reſiſt any Hand or Inſtrument which offers Violence toit. 4 te. Alltheir Deſigns and. Hopes were dif- appointed, before they could come to any Perfe&ion or Succeſs.
27 But I know thy || abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in 7, and thy rage againſt me 5.
+ Though thou doſt not know me, yet I throughly know thee,and all thy Deſigns and AQtions, all thy ſecret and fubtil Contcivances in the place of thy abode, in thy own Kingdom and Court ; and the Exccution of thy. Deſigns, abroad, what thou intendeſt in thy going ou:, and with whar ſucceſſes or further rhoughts thou comeſt in, or returneſt to thy own Land. For the Phraſe, Compare Det: 31: 2; Pla!; 139: 2, 3« 51. e. Againſt my ſervant Hezck/ah, and my people, againſt whom he was engaged, becauſe they would nor deliver up Jeruſalem to him, which he demanded, Things are frequently ſaid to be done againſt God, which are only done againſt his People. becauſe of that near Union and Relation which 1s betweenythem. See Zech: 2; 8; Affs 9: 4, 5- But the Words may well be ropdpel, and thy rage is with m2, or before me, as the Syriack hath it ; or, WW=ni- felt ro me ; as the Chaldee rendersit. And ſo this Branch of the Verſe anſwers to the former ; 1 know, &c, and it 1s before me.
28 Becauſe thy rage againſt me, and thy tumult # 1s come up into mine ears, therefore * I will pur my hook in thy noſe, and my bridle in thy lips ; and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camelt :.
t i, e. Thy tumultuous Noiſe, thy Clamours, and Blaſphemies which Rabſbakeh in thy name belched forth againſt me, with @ loud woice, Chap: 18. 28. « A Metaphor from wild and furious Beaſts, that muſt be thus managed. x I will cauſe thee to return to thy Home with ſhame and lots.
29 And this ſball be a ſign unto thee y, Ye ſhall eat this year ſuch things as grow of themſelves, and in the ſ:cond year, that which ſpringeth of che ſame, and in the third year z ſow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards,
and eat the fruits thereof 2.