' and great deſtruction. CE 1 i ER ; 8 He means, either the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem, becauſe part of it ; ſtood in the lot. of Benjamin, Joſh. 18, 28. or elſe; he means all Judah, | becauſe, when the Ten Tribes fell off, . the. Tribe of Benjamin adne=- ' red to Judah, and was incorporated into them ; If it be. asked why . , the Propher rather ſpeaks here to Benjamnm than to Judah, the ; reaſon probably may be, becauſe he being of Anathoth was of that | Tribe, and therefore mentions them as his. own.. Countrey-men. ; b Spoken, eather ironically that they ſhould ſet themſelves in. Array, and make head againſt rhe Enemy, that is now at hand ; or rather, that they ſhould flee away together ar once, make haſte... our of Feruſalem in Troops, as the next expreflions intimare, not counſelling them what they thould do, w:z. for ſuccour, . Chap'. 4. 5, 6. but rather telling them whar they muſt expeR, v:z. robe forged to flee out of it, if rhey may eſcape. c 4. 4. Gather your ſelves together by the ſound of the Trumpet ac Tekos, poſſibly alluding ro the Name, which ſignifies Trumperrng ; or rather, it being one of thoſe fenced Cities 12 Miles trom Feruſalem, that Rehoboam buiir, and made exceeding itrong _ and with bis warlige Proviſions, I 2 ©;ror
hap. VI.
2 Chron, tr. 6,7, 12, ant bcing built upon th: advantage ofa Hill |
«oe
wards North of Fudea in the way that the Bvylontans were tO _— xS nn faraiſh your ſelves out of that Armory, and fee if you can make head againſt them. An Trory 3 a place noted in Scriprure, where dwelt that Tekozriſh Woman, that interceded with Dav'd for Alalom by the ſubornation of Joab, 2 Sam. 14. 2. and alſo for the Herdſmen, of whom Amos was, Amos 1.1. and (it 1s probable ) a place where in time of danger they were wont, by the ſound of the Trumpet, to ſummon the People rogether. d The word uſed is of very Jarge extent ; Maſe: is uſed for any thing that 1s lifted up, neither is there any more in the Text. The LXX alſo render it only a ſign, and the ſign of fire poſſibly is mentioned, rather than any other, by a M:towomy of the Subjef, becauſe, partly in time of danger of Invaſion, it is the moſt uſua], and commodious ſign, being ſeen in regard of its lifring or raiſing up ofir ſelfar once afar off. g. d firea Beacon, and a ſign, whereby the Benjamitesthemſelves once found they were ſurprized, Juag. 20. 38,40. 2. It is a ſign ſooneſt given of any, 3+ Pofſiblys as being a more prayer ſign, than any other would be tothe Vine-dreſſers, that they ſhould ſecure themſelves in ſome ſafe place, which ſeems to be pointed at by the next word Beth-haccerem. It ſignifies the Houſe of the Vineyard, probably ſome high Tower built among the Vineyards for the eeper, or Keepers of them to watch them, that no damage came to them, this ſeeming to be uſual, 7. 5.2. Or, it may be the Name of a Town, ſucha one, as ſome report tolie between feraſalemand Tekoa, the ſame mentioned, Neb 3-14. though that ſeems to be adjoyning to Jeruſalem ; whichſoever it be, it 15 probable, it relates to ſome place noted for Vineyards, which were wont to be planted upon Hills, and lying in the way that the Chaldeens were to come, and by theſe two we are to underſtand all other places that lie in that Coaſt. e That they may know whence their Miſery will come, he doth as it were point ar out with the finger : See Chaps 1. t4:
and 4. 6. Rag | bave likened the dzughter of Zion,to a|| comely
and delicate f woman. | f This Snpplemenr is nor in the Text, they that approve it render
the Epithere comely variouſly, for one dwelling at home as the Hebrew Navs doth alſo fignifie, Hab. 2. 5- and ſo the word aelicate ſerves to explain it, as ſhewing the reaſon of her tarrying at home, not as a good Houſwife,diſcreetly guiding and governing her affairs at home, asſhe is d:ſcribed, Prov. 31. 16, &c. and 7. 2. 5. butthrough her delicacy expoſing her ſelf to all wantonneſs, and voluptuouſneſs, tarrying at home to-give entertainment to her Paramours, or ſhe through her ſtare and pride, is ſo delicateand nice that ſhe willner ſet her foot out of door, Deut: 28. 56. poſſibly occaſioned by the great Wealth and Riches that God had blefſed Jeruſalem with - this may alſo point at Jedahs effeminacy that will be ſo diſpirited as not to have courage to oppoſe the adverſary, but eaſily taken in her Dwelling and Habitation- Others, as a beautiful Shepherdeſs ; ſome there are,that rather chuſe to ſupply the defe& by the word Land or Paſture, as being that, which is greatly deſirable by Shepherds, as if ſh2 were ſome comely Shepherdeis ſolacing her ſelf in her delightful Paſtures - See Ezek.34.14. andſoit may not be without ſome alluſion othe next Verſe, where her Enemies are called by the Names of * Lepherds, as being enticed by the pleaſantnelſs of her Land.
The ſhepherds with their g flocks ſhall come unto
her ; they ſhall picch heir tents againſt her round about ©. : they thall feed every one in his þ place.
g The Prophet here proceeds in his wp and poſſtbly the rather, becauſe he chuſerh co ſpezk inthe ſtile of his own education, which may alſo give ſome countenance to theSupplement ofPaſture, or Land in the former Verſe inſtead of Woman, the meaning is, the Chaldean Princes, with their Armies, as fo many Flocks, ſhall come into this pleaſant Land : See C#ap. 12. 10. in which expreſſion there is ſomething of aScoff, as Chop. 4. 16,17. .. They ſhall fo place their warlike Tents, as to fcrm a Siege to begirt her round. Chap 1. 15. Ezck. 4.2. h Heb. hand, i.e. near hand, or beſide, or near ong another ; thus 2 Chron. 21.16. and Job. 1. 14. thus hand is taken for place, 3. e. each one in his quarter or ſtation, not a Man, but ſhall do his part, and ſhall be Skilful, and powerful to deſtroy wherever he comes ; It intimares alſo thar every thing ſhall be ſo much ac the Enemies own diſpoſal, that they ſhall be able to chuſe their own quarters, they ſhall place their Army in Wings and Troops, and Regiments, as they 1ce good, to their beſt advantage, to be helpful one unto another; as jb-pheras are wont to do their blocks; or, they ſhall fight inſeveral Parties, and each deſtroy his part afligned him through the whole Countrey, and they ſhall joyn as it were in one body againſt Jeruſalem. ;
4 Prepare ye i war againſt her; ariſe,and let us go up atk noon. Wo unto us, for the / day goeth away, for the ſhadows of the evening are m2 ſtretched our.