13 The Carpenter » fſtretcheth out his rule: hemark- eth it with a line 0: he ficteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with a compaſs, and maketh it after the figure ofa man,according to the beauty of a man p;that it may remaing in the houſe 7. | . # He here ſpeaks ; Either 1. of the ſame Image. which is ſup- poſed to be made of Wood, and then covered with ſome Mctal:Or, 2. of another iort 'of Images made of Wood, as the former might be made of Iron, It is not material which way you underſtand ir. o-He meaſureth and marketh that portion of Wood by. his Rule and Line, of which the Idol is to be made. þ In the ſame comely Shape and Proportions which are in aLiving Man,whom he, Ceſigns to re- preſent as exaQtly as is poſſible. q Or ft or dwell, Which implies, Either 1. that it cannot ſtir out of its place : Or, 2. that when the Image 1s made, it is ſet up and fixed in its appointed place. r Ei- ther in the Temple appointed for it: Or in the dwellingHouſe of him that made it; that he and his Family might more frequently give Worſhip to it, and might receive Prote&ion from it, as Idolaters vainly imagined. ; |
14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cy- preſs and che oak s, which he || ſtrengthneth for himſelf among the trees of the forreſt : : he planteth an aſb,and the rain doth nouriſh #t» | ;
s Which affoord the beſt and moſt durable Timber. : The Senſe of the Words thus rendred is, Thar he planteth,and with care and - d:ligence improveth thoſe Tre's, among and above all the Trees of the Forreit, that he or his Poſterity may thence have Materials for their Images, and thole things v hich belong to them. And this Senle ſeems to be favoured by the following Clauſe, wherein it is ſaid, He planteth an Aj for this very reaſon: Or the Senſe may be this, Which he ſuffers to grow to greater ſtrength and largeneſs, than othe: Trees ot the Forreſt, that they may be better and fitter for his uſe. Heb. And he ſtrengthueth himſelf, &c. And he uſeth all his ſtrength among the Trees of the Forreſt, .in p'anting ſuch as are
[|Or,zaketh
courage,
115. VADUty, b, and their F delectable things c ſhall-not profit, z and they-are their own witneſſes d, * they ſee not, nor * know e3 that they may be aſhamed f. "SHeteby diſcover themſelves to be vain, empty, or fooliſh Men. Or thus. They that make graven images,all of them make ( which Word . may fitly be repeated our ofthe foregoing Claufe, as is very uſual in Loorpwure ) # wanity or 4 thing of noughr. Which Tranſlation ſeems better to agree, 1. With the following Clauſe, which is added to explainthis, in which,not the Idol-makers, but the Idols themſelves, are {aid to be vain or unprofitable. 2. With the uſe of the Hebrew Word in Scripures, which is never applied to Perſons, but con- ftanrly to'Things,and ſomerimes to Idols, as 1 Sam. 12. 21. c Their Idols, -1n the ſight and worſhip of which, they t-ke ſo much Plea- ſure. d They that make them, are Witneſſes againſt themſelves, and againſt their els, becauſe they very well know, Thar they are not God's, but the work of their own Hands, in v hich there is no- thing but mean matter and Man's Art, e Or, that they ( to wit, their 7dols ) do not ſee nor know, have neither Senſe nor Underſtanding. f Therefore they have juſt Cauſe to be aſhamed of their Folly and _ Stupidiry, in worſhipping ſuch ſenſeleſs Things.
10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven i- Jab. 2.18 Mage that is * profitable for nothing g ?.
Hands have formed ; or melt a Graven Image the former Clauſe, 70 be his God ) whichis profitable for nothing He ſpeaks of melting a graven image, becauſe the Image was firit molten and caſt in a Mould, and then poliſhed and graven with a Tool], as was obſerved before Oo ; meſt a god, or melteſt a graven image to worſhip it, which is pro- frrable for nothing ? Come hither and Jer me reaſon the Caſe with thee. Which he doth in the following Verſes:So this Verſe is a kind of Summons to /dolaters, to come and plead their own Cauſe. Pſ97.7. 11 Behold, all his fellows þ (ball be * albamed: and -ha-1.29: the work-men, they are of men z. let them all be garhe- 7 42 17: red together, let them ſtand up ; yer they (hall fear, and FT 45.16. + 3 4 they ſhall be aſhamed together &.
þ Either - 1. the Workmen, as itfollows, who in this Work are Companions or Partners with him, by whoſe coſt and command the Work is done. Or 2. thoſe who any way afliſt and enccurage him in this Work, and joyn with him in worſhipping the Image which he maketh. # They are of Mankind, and therefore cannot poſſibly make a god. Or, They are of che meaneſt ſors of Men ; for ſo the
Hebrew Word Adam, ſometimes ſignifies. k Though all combine rogether, and ſtand up with all their might to maintain the Cauſe of their falſe gods, they ſhall be filled with Fear and Confulion, when God ſhall plead bis Cauſe againſt them.
12 * The ſmith || with the tongs both worketh in the . ey coals, and faſhioneth it with hammers ], and worketh Or, with it with the ſtrength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and ware. his ſtrength faileth; he drinketh no water,and is faint 7. { Firſt he makes the Metal ſoft and pliable, by putting it among
| burning Coals, and then he taketh it our, and beateth ir into whar form he pleaieth. Ir muſt be here noted, That ſome of theſe Ima- es were made of Braſs and Iron, as others were of Gold and Silver, po 5. 4. ® This is mentioned ; Either 1. asan Argument of the vanity of 1dols, which cannot relieve their poor Workmen, when they are ready to faint away through Hunger, and Thirſt, and Wearineſs. Or. 2. as an evidence of great Zealand induſtry in car- rying on this Work ; ſo that they forget or negle& to eat and drink when their neceflities require it. This I prefer, x. Becauſe jt
"Chap 40.
I &
£ What Man in his Wits can eſteem Thar a = er” bs gs own underitand out of
Or thus, Who art thou, O Man, that for-:
proper for this end ; in walking hither and thither to ſurvey which
15 the beſt of them; in hewing them down, and in other things re-