though a!l the Nations of the World contrive and cenſpire againſt f Heb. him, and againſt this Work of his, as indeed they will do, yet his weightds own Counicl thal confound all their devices, and carry on his Work Prov. 16. 14 in ſpight of chem. + Heb. mu 14 With whom took he counſel, and who + inſtruq- of bis cu
ed him, and taught him in the path of judgement k,#" b.madi and taught him knowledge, and ihewed ro him the way nn of } underftanding ? Sand | k How to walk and manage all his Affairs with good Judgement + Heb. and Diſcretion. wnderfi
15 Bchold, the nations 1, are as a drop of a Bucket "5"
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! All the Nations of the World; » Compared with all the Wa«
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* XL. | 18 A
they went from 7uca by Sea,which are commonly called 77ergas hath been of: oblerve:. i6 And I cbanon 5s not ſufficient to burn, nor the beaits thereof tutfcienrt for a burnr offering 4. | q And aithong! he is pleaſed ro accepr of poor and ſmall Sacrt- fices from his People, yer if men were to offcr a Sacrifice agreeable ro his inflaite excclleacy, rhe whole Foreſt of Lebanon could nor af- f rd cither a ſufficient number of Beaſts to be ſacrificed : Or, a ſut- ficiear quantity of Wood to conſume the Sacrifice. 17 All nations before him r _ * nothing,and they
$7=435 are counted to him « lefs than nFfhing r, anc vanity.
r Either in his eyes;Orc,being fer againſt himgas this Hebrew word properly and moſt uſua'ly tignifies. 5 Either in his Judgement : | Or, in compariſon of him. t Leſs rhan a rhing of noughr, or of ao ac* count or worth : Or, as others render it, For nothing.
138 To whom then will ye * liken God « ? or what
& This is a proper inference from the foregoing diſcourſe of God's immenſe and intinite greatneſs ; from whence he rakerh occaſion ro ſhew both che folly of thoſe that make mean and viſible repreſenta- tions of God, as not the Gentiles only but even ſome of the Jews did; 2n:| rhe utter inability of Men or Idols to give any oppoſition to God in the doing of theſe grear Works. And this diſcourſe of rhe madneſs of IJolaters proſecuted both here, and in the following Chapter, was detigned by God, as a neceſfary antidote whereby the Fer s might be preſerved from the contagion of Idolatry, to which God ſaw they now had ſtrong inclinations, and would have many and great temprations when they were in Captivity.
19 The. workman melteth a graven image x, and * the goldſmith ſpreadeth it over with gold y, and caſteth ſilver Chains &.
x He melteth ſome baſe Metal into a mould, which giveth it the form of an Image, which afterwards is graven or carved to make it more exact and amiable. Thus the Image owetrh all irs excellency to the Earth for the matrer of ir, and ro the art of man for the form or faſhion of ir. y Beaten our into Leaves or Plares. z Either for Ocnainents : Or, rather for uſe, to faſten ir toa Wall cr Pillar, leſt it ſhould fall down, and be broken in pieces, Which is ſpoken in way of ſcorn and deriſion of ſuch ridiculous deities as needed ſuch ſupports.
20 He thet Þ 3s ſo impoveriſhed that he hath no ob-.
lation a, chooſeth a tree that will not rot ; he ſzeketh unto him a cunning workman b to prepare a graven image that * ſhall noc be moved c.
a That he can hardly procure Money ſufficient to buy the mean= eſt ſacrifice for his god. b He is ſo mad vpon his Idols, that he will one way or other find money to procure the choiceſt materials, and the help of the beſt Artiſt ro make his Idol. c Which afcer all this ccſt and arty cannot ſtir one ſtep out of irs place to give you a- ny help. ;
21 Have ye not known «? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning e? have you not underſtood from the foundation of the earth ?
d To wir, God to be the only true God, the Maker and Gover- nour of the Wor!d, and all its Inhabitants: how can you be igno- rant of ſo evident a truth ? He addreſleth his ſpeech to the Idola» trous Gentiles, e To wir, of the World, as the next Clauſe explains it: Were not theſe infinite perfeQtionsof God manifeſtly diſcovered to all Mankind by the Creation of the World.
22 || I « he that fitteth f upon the circle of the earth z, and the inhabitants thereof are as graſhoppers þ, that * ſtretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and ſpreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in 5.
f As a Judge or Governour upon his Throne: g Ory above the Circle, &c- far above this round Earth, even in the higheſt Hea- vens; from whence he locketh down upon the Earth,where men ap- pear to him like Graſhoppers. He alludes ro one that looks down upon the Earth below him from ſome high place. As here we have the Circle of the Earth, ſo elſewhere we read of the Circle of Heaven, Job 22.14- and of the Circle of the Decp,or Sea, Prov.8.27. becauſe the torm of che Heaven, and Earth and Sea. is circular and round, as is Evideat both from Senſe, and from the Principles of Philoſophy. ' þ Small and contemprible in his ſight. Compare Numb. 13. 33. # For the benefir of the Earth and of Mankiad, . that all parts might partake of its comfortable influences. See on Job 9. 8. Pſal. 104. 2.
23 That bringeth the * princes to nothing &, he
"12.2T1+ maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. £107. 40 þ That can at his pleaſure deſtroy all the great Potentates of the
World.
24 Yea, they I ſhal not be planted, yea, they ſhall 'If:nds he here means, as he doch Chap. 40. 15. and elſewhere,
not be ſown m»,, yea, their ſtock ſhal not take root in the earth; and he ſhal alſo blow upon them », and they (ball wither, and the whirlwind thall take them a- way as ſtubble;