ſ Heb. Man, i. e. to each Man ; I ſpeak to every individual 13: 7» 22. among you, Ezek. 20. 7,8. # The Lord having ſpoke what he had to fay at preſent to Jſ-ael, turns now his Speech from 1/-a2l to Tun dah,and ſo continues it ; which confifts of teveral Subjets, and frſr begins with Repentance. u z. e, Prepare your Hearts by making them ſoft, tender, and pliable fir to imbrace my Word : : az. taphoy taken from Plow-men,that do either prepare the ground thar hart; Jain ſome time waite and untilled, by tearing up the Surfice of the Earth, making it mellow, and ſoft, to receive the Seed - ( for the Hebrew word Nr icems to be of larger Extent than bare Prepa- ration : God uſcth the fame word when he ſpeaks to the ſame Pur. poſe to 1ſrael, Hof. 10: 13. and fo it is ulcd Prov: 13: 23.) or it may relate ro both, that every thing that may be injurious to the Seed may be ſrubbed up. Or rather, from tuch as plow the ground x Rid your Hearts and Hands of what may hinder you of embracing
Weeds, that will not ſuffer my Countels to take, or my graces to
thrive with youz ſuch as uſe to over-run the fluggards Fic1d Spams
24+ 39, 31. Here the Lord begins to call upon them to Repent y *
The Phraſe ſeems to intimate,thar the Jews had been wont to mix 4 the Truths of God among their own inveations, as Seed among Thorns, and ſo corrupred it : as alfo, that they retained many
ſecret and hidden Sins, like Hypocrites, which he exhorts them to eradicate.
4 * Circumciſe y your ſelves to the LORD <, and * Dear.
take away the fore-skins of your heart « ; ye men of 39: 6. Judah,and Inhabitants of Jeruſalem : leſt my fury come torth like fre, and burn that none can quench 3: 6, becauſe of the evil of your doings.
3 Put away your natural Corruptions ; which was ſignified by the Sacrament of Circumciſion, Cel: 2: 1. See 1 Pet. 3. 21. the ſame thing with the other, bur expreſſed in other Words. z Or to me viz, fo as I will approve. a Let it be inward, not outward. viz. in the Fleſh only, ( in which you ſo much glory in the ſight of Men ) bur take away that Brawnineſs and Obitinacy that ( hav= ing to do with God, who hath reſpe&t unto the heart ) is upon your hearts, De«t: 10. 16. Ezek, 44:9. Act. 7: 51. Rem.2, 29, b Not | only fierce and conſuming, like Fire, Deuz. 4: 24. but unquenchable ; eſpecially when it gets among your Thorns, Yer. 3. which are | very apt to kindle, 7/a. 10: 17. leſt you proceed ſo far in your Oblrinacy, that I will not be appeaicd, Chap. 21: 12. Amos 5: 6.
OSA Yr Roe ele Y .
their be:ng nothing that ſtirs up God to Anger but Sin, as in the next clauſe, which 1s an Explication of thoſe Metaphors of Thorns and Foresking.,
5 Declare ye in Judah, and publiſh in Jeruſalem, |
gather together e, and fay, * aſſemble your ſelves, and *Chay, | let us go into the defenced cities f. 8: 14. | | © The Lord being now about to bring Enemies upon them, he | beſpeaks them in martial Language, by ſtirring them to a ſpeedy Proviſion, and warning of them of the nature ot their approaching Judgment ; not Famine or Plague within them, bur a forei gn Ene« my from without, Chap. 6. 1. wiz. the coming of Nsbuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans, d That your voice may be heard afar off, that all may hear- e Either to unite your forces, or to take counſet what to do, that you may be in ſafety : the ſame thing with Aſ« Jemble your ſelves ; implying, that the Calamity was general. f To ſecure from theſe Invaſions, that are coming upon us.
6 Set vp the ſtandard g toward Zion ||, retire h, ſtay || Or, _ not ; for * I will bring evil from the north ;,and a great {rw
7 deſtruction. Chap: F. g 4. e. Either for them to reſort t6,as is uſual in War, and it is dos IE
therefore ſaid to be towards Zion or Jeruſalem, as being a Signal to + Heb ſhew them whether they ſhould repair : ſee chap. 50: 5. Jeruſalem [ coll being their principal Place of Strength, and Zi the ſtrongeſt part ; of it, 2 Sam: 5: 6, 7. | þ Or ſtrengthen, fortific or !'rengthen your ſelves for the Fighr. Or rather;make haſte away as Men uſe to do in a great Fright, viz, for your Security ; ſuch a uſe there is of the Word, 1/s. 10: 31. and chap, 6:1, which ſence is confirmed by the next Words Stay nor, or as ſome, Stay no? your ſclvcr in $in, where you promiſe your ſclves Security. # z- e. I am abour to bring a great Deſtruftion upon you from Chaliea, Chap: 1:13,14, 15. ſome take this and the former Verſe to be ſpoken Ironically.
7 * The lion is come up from his thicket &, and the *Dan:7:4 deſtroyer of the gentiles /is on his way »2, he is gone forth from his place * to make thy land deſolate » ; and
thy cities ſhall be laid waſt, without an inhabitant 0. '$X e. Ne
Pd
* Chap:
2, IS.
and fay, Blow ye the trumpet c in the land : cry d, |
i ———_—
SED
[Or, / ky wir than th tHeb
Jua'zme
-buchadnezzar called here a Lion from his fierceneſs, and ſtrength, Prov. 30. 30. A Metaphor ; eſpecially in this expedition, ( ſee 1/a. 5. 27, 28, 29. ) ſhall come up from Babylon where his chief ſeat is, Dan, 4. 30. as Lions are principally among rhe thickets of the Foreſt, in Coverts; this place being ſo remore, and hid from them that they leaſt expected trouble to ariſe from thence. ! Ano= ther deſcription of the ſame perſon, of whoſe deſtroying Armies the Nations have had woful experience,1ſa. 14: 16, 17. cailed the ham. mer of the whole Earth, chap, 50:23. 9. d. and how thall you think
t@
4 A
Chap. IV-*
ET Le a rt eraiatng = - wo ——_—
7 EK
io eſcape him? m1.e. As It is expreſſed in the next clauſe, he is cone torth from his place,he 1s already upon his march. 7! 1. Co With a 1-{oJution ſo to do. 0 i.e. A's places uninhabited, ſoon lie waſt,and are overgrown with grafs,as the notion of the word ſeems to i1mporr.
8 For this gird you with ſackcloth p, lament and
bow! q: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not tur-
ned back from us r.
> The uſual habit of mourners, eſpecially in thoſe days, 1/aiah 22. 12. Chap. 6..26. it is a calling upon them to repent. 9 Probably theſe expreſſions do import the ſeveral ways that Men have to ler forth their bitter complaints and ſorrows of the mind, both by the geſtures of the body, Chap. 2. 37. Luke 18.13. and expreſſions of the tongue, Pſalm 32. 3. 1a. 59+ 11. r Neither will it, until it have accompliſhed its ends. Chap. 39. 24.
9 And it ſhall come to pals at that day faith the LORD, that the heart of the King ſhall periſh /, and the heart of the princes ; and the prieſts ſhall be aſto-