q Whercin ſome Males proſtiruted their Bodies to the Luſts of others . which abominable praftice was both a priniſhment of Ido- latry, R.1:23,24427:and apart of Ido-worſkip, this being done to the honour of ſome of their Idols, and by the appointment and in- ſtigation of rhoſe impure and diabolical Spirits, which were worſhip- ped in their Idols. Sce 1 King:14:247and 15:12:and 22:46. r Or,curtains, either to draw before the Idol or Idols which were worſhipped in the Grove, to preſerve them from defilement, or to gain more re- verence for them ; or which were ſet up in the Grove, that the abominable filthineſs laſt mentioned, might be commitred within them. Or, garments for the ſervice of the Grove,for the Idols or the Pricſts belonging to them Heb. houſes, i.e. either lirtle Chappels made of woven work,like thoſe which were made of Silver, Att:19: 24. within which there were ſome repreſentations of their Grove- Idols: or rather, Tents made of thoſe Curtains for the uſe above men- tioned. /. Or, for Aſherah, an Idol fo called, as was notcd before.
8 And he brought all the prieſts : our of the cities of
Judah, and defiled the high places # where the prieſts | had burnt incenſe, from Geba x to Beerſheba y, and brake down the high places of the gates z that ere in tho entring in of the gate of Joſhua the governour of the city a, which were on a mans left hand at the gate of the citv.,
: To wit, belonging to the high-places here following, whether . ſuch-as worthipped ldois ; or rather,ſuch as worſhipped God in thoſe
forbidden places, Deut-12.11. as may be gathered from the following Verſe- « By burning dead mens Bones upon them, as ver.14,16, 20. or by putting them to ſome other unclean or filthy uſe. x The Northern border of the Kingdom of Judah: Of which ſee Jof. 18. 24: 1King.15.22- y Which was the Southern border. See Gen. 21. 31. Judg. 20. 1. 7,9. frome one end to the other. z Which were ereQed by the Gates of the City. hexze mentioned,unto the honour of their Tutelary Gods, which after the manner of the Heathen, they owned for the Prote&ors of their Ciry and Habitations. @ This circumſtance is noted to ſhew 7oſiahs great zeal and impar- tiality, in rooting out all monuments of Idolatry, withour any .reſpet unto thoſe great perſons who were concerned in them, or affected to them. : ;
9 Nevertheleſs,the Pricſts of the high places 5 came Not up to the altar of the LORD in Jeruſalem c, but they did cat of the unleavened Bread 4, among their
brethren.
b Which Worſhipped the True God there. © 7. e. Were not ſufferea ro come thither ro the Exerciſe of their Prieftly funE&tion; as a juſt puniſhment for the corruption of Gods Worſhip, and the tranſgreſhon of ſo plain and poſitive a Law of God,Deut.12.11.which was much worſe in then who had more knowledge to diſcernGods mind therein, and more obligations ro obſerve it,and to ingage 0- thers to the obſervations of it. Compare Ezek.44.10 4 i.e. Ofthe Meat-offerings; allotted to the Prieſts, wherein there was to be no Leaven, Lev. 2.4,5,1-,11. and conſequent!y of other Proviſions be- longing to the Prieſts, which by a Synecdoche are contained under this one kind. Thus their Spiritual blemiſh puts them into the very ſame ſtate which corporal blemifhes brought them, Lev. 21-17, &c. And thus he mitigates their punithment : he ſhuts them out fromSpiritualServices,butallows them natural&neceſſaryProviſtons
10 And he defiled Topheth,which zs in the valley 0
the children of Hizzom e.that no man might *make his
.&
"er, 18,
+ Deur: '%. e Of which ſee 7of. 15. 8. Neem, 11. 30« Jer-7. 31: and 19. 6, 1:
f See on Lev. 58. 21. Deut. 18. 10. ; 11 And he took away the horſes g that the Kings of Judah had given to the ſun h, at the entring in of the ' houſe of the LORD ;,by che chamber of Nathanmelech the || chamberlain &, which was in * the ſuburbs /, and
burnt the chariots of the ſun »- with fire.
Z Either,1. The Carved or Graven Horſes,to which were adjoyned a Graven Chariot, in which there might be a pi&ure of the Sun, which the Heathens uſed to repreſent in this manner. Or rather, 5. Living Horſes:For, 1-Such the Eaſtern Nations uſed to Conſecrate to the Sun, to ſignify the ſwiftacſs of his morion. 2- Theſe Horſes are mentioned a part from the Chariots,and are faid to be giver v0 the Sun,which is not ſaid of the Chariots : and to be taken away, when the chariots were burnt, &Cc. and a ccrtain place is here allorted ro the Horſes,not to the Chariots. þ Either, ro be Sacriticed to the Sun, or,to draw thoſe Chariots in which che Kings,or ſome other in theur
b, 4
ſon,or his daughter to paſs through the fire to Molech f. -
N G. 8. Chap.
their ſread,and by their appointment, went forth every Morning to worſhip the rifing Sun : for both ticſe were the Cuſtoms of the Armenians and Perſians,as Xenophon teſtifies. ! i, e. By the Gate of the outward Court of the Temple : for the Courts are oft contained under the name of the Houſe or Temple, k Or, officer, to whom the care of theſe Horſes was committed. ! Either, 1. Of the City of David : or rather, of the Temple : in certain outward Buildings belonging to the Temple,and the uſes thereof. See Ezek.45-2. Heb. in Parvarim ; a place near the Temple, called alſo Prbar, Chr. 26. 18. though it be not now known either where it was,or why it was ſo called. mw Which were made for the honour and worſhip of the Sun,as was before expreſſed. _
12 And the Altars that were on the top. of the upper chamber of Ahaz w,which the Kings of Judah had made, and the Altars which.* Manaſſch had made » in the
ewo courts p of the houſe of the LORD, did the King
caſt the duſt of them into the brook Kidron 9,
upon their Idols,that they were not content with all their publick high places and Altars,but made others upon their Houſe-tops, for the worſhip of the Heavenly Bodies. See Jer-19.13. Zephar.5. o Queſt. How could this be, when Manaſſ:h had taken them away before, 2 Chr.33-15 ? Aſw. Either, theſe altars were not ſo fully deſtroy'd as they ſhould have been, the foundations of them being lefc through the negle& of the Officers appointed ro do that work,upon which