0 The People ofthe Jews, who are brought to extreme pover- * ty by the Cruelty, and the Malice of oth:r Enemies. The Firſt- born were the,chief of all the Children. Hence. the Title of firſt= born 1s given to Perſons or Things which are moſt eminent in their kinds, asto the People of Iſrael, Exod; 4: 22: to David, Plal:89:27, to a grievous Death, Job 18.13. and hereto perfons eminently poer. ?Shal have plenty of Proviſions, in ſpight of all thine Attempts 5» gainfſt them. - 4 I will utterly deftioy thee both Root and Branch, ſo that there ſhal notbe a Remnant of thy People reſerved, as it
follows.. It is a Metaphor from a Tree, which for want of Nou- riſhment is dried up by the Roots. -
31 How], O gate r, cry, Ocity 5s, thou whole Par leſtina ar: diflolved *for there ſhal come from the north Or. he
# a ſmoke x, and {none 5þ9/ be alone in his | appointed £7 ” 1 alone. UMECS Yo
. . Or, aſſets r The gate is put either, 1. Metaphorically, for the Peo ple pal- plies. ſing through the Gates, or for the Magiſtrates and others who uſed to meet in the Gare for Judgment, or upon other Occaſions, or, 2. Synecdochically, for the City, as gates are commoniy pur, as Jer: 22. 19. and as it is explained in the next Words. 5 City is here pat collectively for their Cities,of which ſee 1 Sam, 6.19.t Lieb. melted, Which may be underſtood cither, 1. of the fainting of their Spirits and Courage, as Exod, 15. 15. Joſh. 2. 9, 24, &c. cr, 2. of ths Diſſolution of their State. «Either, 1. frem Judea ; which lay Northward from ſome pair of the Philifines Land. Burt in truth Jades lay more Eaft th:n North from Paleſtine,and therefore the Phji= liftines are ſaid to be on #he weFf, 1/a: 11: 14. and never, fo farasl remember, on the North : Or, 2. from Chaldea, as may be gas
\ deſigns that Countrey, as Jer. 1. 14, i5- and 6. 1, 22, Oc. 2. from 4 Fer, 47. where Deſtruftion is threatned to the Phils#jnes form the
thered, 1, from the Scripture uſe of this Phraſe, which general'y
North, wv; 2« which all underſtand of the Chaldeans under Nebuchads nezzar. And whereas it is ſp:ciouſfly objeQed, That this ſuirs not wirh the next Verſe,which ſpeaks of Zions ſafety at the time of this Deſtruf&ion of the 2hilitines, whereas Ziow and the Land and Pece ple of Judah were deſtroyed together with the Philiſtines by Nebue chadnezzar; 1 humbly conceive it may be anſwered, That that Verſe is added to expreſs the far differing Condition of Govs People, and of the Philiftines 1n the Events of that Babylonian War; and that whereas thePhil;Fines ſhould be irrecoverably and eternally deſtroy ed thereby, and no remnant of them ſhould be left, as was ſaid w. 30. Gods Pcople, though they ſhould be ſorely ſcourged, and care ried into Captivity, yer they ſhould be ſtrangely preſerved, and after ſome years delivered, and reſtored to their own Laid & Tem-
ple ; whereby it would appear, that Zion ſtood upon a ſure Founs
dation, and, albeit it was grievouſly ſhaken, yer it could nor bg
utterly and finally overthrown. x A grievous Judgment & Cala-
mity, which is off fignificed by /moak, as Ger: 15. 17. Deu, 29. 20.
Feel. 2. 39. either becauſe ſmoke is generally accompanied with
Fire, oc becauſe it cauſeth a great Darkneſs in the Air; for AMi-
Qions are frequently deſcribed under the namesof fire and darkueſ7
y When Gods appointed time ſhall come for the execution of this/ Judgment, nor on? perſon of all chat numerous Army, whichis
ſignified by the ſmoke laſt mentioned, ſhal retire and detert his Co-
lJours, or lag behind the reſt; But they ſhall march with greaz
unznimity 2nd alacrity, and none of them fhal withdraw his
hand till the Work be finiſhed, till the Philifines be utterly des
ſtroyed» |
32 What ſhall oze then anſwer the meſſengers «pg.g, of the nation Z ? That * the LORD hath founded y, 5. and Zion, and* the poor of his people ſhall || eruſt in Lara ; it 4- eph:32 z What ſhal 2 Jew ſay to the people of other Nations, who SD ſhal either be ſent or come to enquire concerning the State of - Zin in that diy, when not on'y the Ph:fines, but even the Jews themſelves, ſhallfall by the hands of one and rhe ſame Enemy ? Nation is put colle&ively for Nations, as gate and city for garerand 5R 636343
11.
|] Or, be- take theme ſelves unt) it,
25:8,
5. & 48. 37,38.
y Chap. XV. | : citiecin the foregoing Verſe; « They ſhal give them this anſwer, ſent be in a very diſtreſſed and deplorable vet ſhe ſtandsup-
firm Foundation, and God who firſt founded her, will again reſtore an be. deſpiſed People ſhal reſort to
* Ezek:
Amos2:r.d; becauſe in the nightKir e of Moab is laid waſte, LOr,cut of: and brought to ſilence:
*Jer:47: and over Medeba 3,
Ezek: 7:18.
H b: _ = their ſtreets », every one ſhal howl F weeping abun-
zo weeping dantly.
- aA I This was another praftice of Mourners!; wm Which were made
weeping flat, Deur: 22: 8. to which Men uſed to go up, either to walk, or
* tocty to Godin Heaven or to Men for Help. » Publickly,withour ſhame ; whereas in ordinary Sorrows men are wont to ſeek ſecret Places for their Mourning.
4 And Heſhbon (bal cry, and Elealeh » : their voice ſhal be heard ever unto Jahaz p : therefore the ar- med ſouldiers q of Moab (hal cry out, his life ſhal be grievous unto himr.
o Two other MoabitiſhCities ; of which ſee Numb: 21; 25, 26, and 32. 3, 37- Þ Another Ciry in the utmoſt borders of Moat Numb: 21: 23. Called alſo Jahazah, Jof: 21. 36. q Who ſhould be and uſe to be the moſt couragious. r The Moabites ſhal generally long for death, to fre? themſelves from thoſe dreadful Calamities
' which hey perceive unayoidably coming upon them.
[[Or,to the : Fe
| dordars 5 My heart ſhal cry out for Moab s, || his fugitives thereof, al flee unto Zoar «, an v heifer of three years old « : even!'? Fr by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping ſha] £ear,as an . p ” 4h F H . heifer, they go 1tup 7 for inthe way of Horonaim, they {hal + Jer:48. raiſe up a cry y of # deſtruction 2. FA s Their Deftru&ion approaching is ſo dreadful, that although "R wo * they are 2moſt vile Nation, and by their implacable Enmity a» _—_— gainſt God and his People do abundantly deſerve it, yer the reſpe&
fv
wy
That although Z:0n at pre condition, and ſeems to be forſaken by her God,
reſtore and eſtabliſh her, and his poor her, asto a ſtrong and ſure Refuge.
CHAP. XV. The Deſtrufion of Moab, 1——9. * 54 He burden of Moab 4: Becauſe in the night 5 Ar c of Moab is laid waſte, and || brought to ſilence