2 Before they receive rhe end of their hopes, and finiſh the Work which they have deſigned and begun. » When the Bud or Flower 1s turned into a perfect but unripe Grape, which gives hopes of ' a good Vintage The Body of this Pcople are compared to a ; Vine-rre2, b The Lord, who is eaſily underſtood from the fore. , Boing Verſe, and who is here repreſentcd nnder the Noticn of an ' Husband-man or Vine-dreſſer. c In ſtead of the gathering of the | Grapes, he ſhall cur down the Body and Branch:s of the Tree, and and throw it into the Fire,
|
6 They 7 ſhall be left together unto the {owls of the mountains, and to the beaſts of the earth : and the fowls ſhall ſummer upon them, and all the beaſts of the earth ſhall winter upon them e.
a The Sprigs and Branches being cut down and thrown upon the Ground, with the unripe Grapes upen them. e They ſh: lie upon the Earth neglected by Men, as being unripe, and unfit for their uſe, ſo that eicher Birds or Beaſts may ſhelter themſelves with them, orfeed on th:zm, both Summer and Winter. You are not to underſtand that the Summer is appropriated to the Fowls, and the Winter to the Beaſts; bur this is only an Elegan- Cy of the Hebrew 'Language, to uſe ſuch Diſtributions, of which we have many Inſtances in Prophetical Writings.
7 In that day f * ſhall there a preſent be brought /Zep:3i
unto the LORD of hoſts, of a people g || ſcattered Now _- and peeled, and from a people terrible from their be- zuitu, ©
ginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden uns der foot, whoſe land the rivers have ſpoiled, to the place of the Name of the LORD of boits, the mount Zion.
f Which is to be taken largely and indefinitely, as it is frequent. ly mn the Prophets, as we have already ſeen, and ſhall more fully ſee hercafter. - Ar or after that time, when the Judgment threat= ned in the foregoing verſes ſhall be fully and com pleatly executed, whereby that People will be awakened to Repentance. g The People of whom I am ſpeaking ſhall preſent and offer themſelves, and their Sacrifices, unto the True God. He ſpeaks of their Con« verſion ro God and Chriſt, by the Preaching of the Goſpel ; the ctr ms of which Promiſe is recorded in the Hiſtories of the Church.
CHAP, XIX.
The confuſion of Egypt * their Inteftine Diſſention : their Idols deceive them: : Cruel Lora's ove* them : Waters fail them : their tread dead : their Prine cer and Counſellours made fooliſh: their terrour before the Lord, x, 17. the calling of Egypt to the Church, 18 ———— 22, the Covenant of E« £)pt, Aſſris and Iſrael, 23 ——z;,
* TT burden of Fgypts: Behold the LORD
rideth b upon a ſwift cloud c, and ſhall come * Jer: 46 into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt ſhall be moved dat 73: Ezek his preſence, and the heart of Egypt ſhall melt in the *®E midiſt of it e.
a Some Learned men conceive, that what was ſaid more gene= rally and darkly in the foregoing Chapter, is here more particulars ly and clearly explained to be meant of &gpt 3 it being uſual for the Prophets to mix obſcure and plain Patſages together, and to clear the one by the other. Others underſtand that Chapter of Ethiopia, and this of Egypt. But this Controverſie muſt be decided by an exact conſideration of all the Paſſages of the former Chapters b As a General in the Head of his Army ; or, as a Judge riding the Circvit to execute Judgment. c Which Phraſe ſheweth, that the Judgment ſhall come ſpeedily, unexpectedly, and unavoid- ably. And clouds being very unuſual in Kzypr, the Appearance of 2 Cloud was a kind of Prodigy, and a Prognoſtick of ſome grievous Calamity. 4 From their Seats, and from their former Reputation. Or, ſhall ſhake or tremble. So far ſhall they be from helping the E-« g1ptians, as they expect, that they ſhall tremble for themſelves , which divers of the Egyptian Gods, being living Creatures, might . properly do. e They ſhall loſe all their ancient Strength and Cous rage, for which they had been famous formerly.
t
2 And I will # ſet the Egyptians againſt the Egypti- ,,. , —- | 2th hits +Hebyiw
ans f; and they ſhall fight every one againſt his bro- 7.
ther,and every one againſt his neighbour ; city againſt* *
city, and kingdom againft kingdom g,
fI will raiſe Civil Wars among them. gs For although all
Egypt was now one kingdom, and under one King, yet rot many
years afcer this time it was divided into twelve ſeveral Kingdoms,
berween whom there were many and crue] Wars, as is related by
the Hiſtorians of thoſe Times, and particularly by Herodotus and
Dioaorus.
3 And the ſpirit 5 of Egypt + ſhall fail in the midſt thereof: and I will + deſtroy the counſel thereof: and #' congoiah they thall ſeek to the Idols ;, and to the charmers, + 1g; and to them that have familiar ſpirits, and to the wi- ſwalus zards. up!
{Lleb:ſbol
Verſe, which continueth the Metaphor ofan Harveſt, and mani- _ not of refreſhing, bur of the deſtruction of the Fruits Tacreor,
b Either, 1. their Courage : But of that he ſpate ver: 1» Or, 2, their widericanding, as it is explained in the next Clauſe ; => ; 'B
Chap. XIX, |.
Pr, wh; Wks, (Heb-fou
Gtions. IHeds Wing taings.
lOr, 2.
foe of Web,corm,
_] Chal. %
| Or, ſhut of
WT)
eb:ſboll mptith, 1sb; WM
X1X, #4
the Word ſp rit is oft put for the Reaſonable Soul, as Eccleſ: 3: 21» & 12:7. and forthe Thoughts of che Mind, as Proverbs 29: 11: Ezet: 13: 3: # As not knowing what todo without the help ofan high- Er power, :
4 And the Egyptians will T|| give over into the hand a cruel lord, and a fierce king & ſhal rule overthem, faith the LORD, the LORD of hoſts.
k Either, 4. of the King of Afhris or Chaldea ; twelve petty Kings the Singular Number being pur for the Plural ; | or, .3« of P(ammetichus,who being at firſt one of thoſe twelve Kings, | waged War with the reſt, and ſubdued them, and conqueredall the Land of Ezypr, and ruled it with rigour. |
5 And the waters ſhall fail fromthe ſea /, and the |
river 2 (ſhall be waſted and dried up s.
1 Which may be underſtood either, r, Metaphorically, of the ta- kingaway of their Dominion or Commerce, &c. or rather, 2. Pro- perly, as may be gathered from the following Words and Verſes. For as the River Nilus, when it had a full Stream, and free Courſe, did pour forth a vaſt quaintity of Wates by its ſeven famous Mouths
oP. or, 2. of thoſe \
| errour oc deluſion; a Niſpoſition of mind very apt to miſtake. and to
E.+ Chap. XI
Li | ;