i The Prophet now paſſerh From his Meraphor to tell them plainly what he means by the Shepherds, viz. Warricurs ; ſome make theie the words of the Chaldeans making preparation for their Invaſion,and it may be by ſome oftheir accuſtomed Rites, that they uſed before War; but they ſeem more probably ro be the Words of God invit- ing them, and calling them unto this Work, therefore in the Heb. it 15 ſan7ifie Waragainſt her, Chap. 22+ 7. he ſpeaks unto ſuch, as he had ſanCtified, or ſer apart for this work, his ſan#ifiedones, 1/a, 13:3, & This ſhews how ready they will be to obzy Gods Call ; the like we read, £2 21. 5. and therefore they are ſaid to go or march up at nn, notonly to note their daringn*fs, as needing no ſtratagems, or ſtrength, or needing to ſtay for help, bur rather to ſhew their forwardnefs ro March on without ſtop or ſtay, they would not burn day light, bur be ſpeedy intheir work, andrthey would take the firſt opportunity, whether Morning or Noon, Day or Night, as the next
erſe The next Words ſeem to ſtrengthen this ſenſe ; Wo unto us, the | day goeth away, &c. q. 4. We delay, and tarry too long, andthe day ſpends apace, we loſe time, lerus make haſte about our work, exprefling their Greedineſs after their Prey, as Soldiers uſe to do : or this 1 uato us may be ſome Form of Imprecarion, either againſt God or Mev, which kind of Speeches areulual with Soldiers when they are chaſed, and going upon ſome ſudden Onſer or Exploit ; though not afew make it the Com plaint ofthe Prophetin the Name of the People, foreſecing howtheir Night of Affliction haitned on, their joyful Days being as it Were gone, Amy 8, 9, 10, But the
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former ſeemsb:ſt ro agree with the Scope. m They were ſo eagerly ſet upoa it, that they watched the very lengrthning of the Shadow, which ſhews the Approach of the Evening, Bjal. 1cg. 23. Se Hab. 1.8.
5 Ariſe, and let us go by » night, and let usdeſtroy
her o palaces.
n Or, this Night, They were ſetuponit, they would loſe neither Day nor Night ; which ſhews that they were extraordinarly ſtirred up by God in this Expedition. o This was the Bait or Motive that they propounded to themſelves ; wiz. to have the Spoil of all the ſtately Palaces, and rich Houſes of the Nobles, and great ones.
6 For thus hath the LORD of hoſts ſaid p, Hew ye
This 3s the City to be / viſited ; ſhe is wholly r opprefiion
in the midft of her.
Þ Yiz. To the Chaldeans : Here God declares whence they have their Commiſſion, q. 4. they come not up on their own heads, ſee Chap. 5. 14, 15. God would have the Jews to know, that they have notio much todo with the Chaldeans as with him ; thar they are his Rod to ſcourge them for their Sins, Chap. 1, 15, 16. See 2 Kings 18. 25, And thus God is ſaid to hiſs for ſuch whom he will em« ploy in ſuch Work, ſa. 5. 26. and 7: 18. And he tiles himſelf the Lord of Hofts, to ſhew that it is in vain to conterd in Battel with them, whom he ſends forth, and will be, as it were, the Captain of their Hoſts. 4q Heb. 4 Tree colleQtively taken, q, d, cur them down all, as one Tree, not ſparing their very Fruit-Trees, which indeed were to be ſpared in ſuch a caſe, Dent: 20.19. Either ſuch as lie in the way of your March, or all round about Feruſalem ; or, ſnch as you may haveneed of there or elſewhere for your Uſe,cither to raiſe -up Works againſt the ſtrong places, Deut. 50. 20. or to make other Inſtruments of War. r Throw up one continued Trench, as a Mount round about it : ſee on 1/a. 37. 33. Heb. Pour out the Engine, of that ſee 2 Sam. 20, 15. { God is ſaid ro viſit ſometimes in Mercy, Gen. 50. 14 Zeph. 2.7. and ſometimes in Judgment, as here and Chap. 5.9. ind 23. 2. They are ripe forit, Ezek. 7. 10, rr, 12.ſec 1 Theſ. 2. 16.and it is decreed againit them, and ready to come upon them, Chap. 23. 12. Hof. g. 7. All Artzmprs have failed, and now there is no remedy» # In the Abfra# ſhe doth nothing but oppreſs : there are found in her all kinds of Oppreflion and Injuſtice ; 2 Synecdoche for all other Cruelties, 2 Kings 24. 3, 4. Exek. 7. 23. even in that City, which was once full of Julgment, and Righteouſneſs lodged init, a. r. 21. ſwallowed up with Opprefſion.
7 As a fountain cafteth out her waters, fo ſhe caſteth her ; before me continually zs grief and y wounds.
in the former: a Metaphor, to expreſs how natural all manner of Wickedneſs is to her, tow full ſhe is of it, and how unceſlant in it, noting her Impudence, a Fountain being not able to retain its Water : and the Expreſſion of Cafting it out, ſeems to imply her Violence in her Fithineſs, as it is ſaid of the Sea, that it caſteth out Mire and Dirt, 1ſa. 57. 20. and favoured by the next Clauſe. x 9. & \ This is all ſhe buſieth her ſelfabour, chap: 20. 8. Tris the general Complaint of her Inhabitants. y Yiz., That the Poor ſuſtain : where= ever I go orlook, I can hear and fee nothing but the ſad Complaints and Grievances of the Poor, lamenting over Oppreflion and Cruelties that are uſcd againſt them, 77. 69.26. this being ſo expreſly againſt Gods Command, Exod. 22. 22, 23, 24, &Cc. 1/a, 3. rg, 15. Jam. 5. 4, for this refers rather to their Sin, than to their Sufferings from the Enemy, as ſome would carry it.
8 Be thou & inſtructed, O Jeruſalem, leſt my ſoul
notbh inhabited.
z Heb. Corre#ed, q. d. By the CorreQion thou haſt felt, and what is threatned, be periwaded to Repenrance before it be too late Prov. 29. 15+ God doth here in the midff of Judgment remember Mercy, as it were ſuddenly purting a ſtop to his fury, ſeeking, if by any means it may yet be prevented by their Repentance, 9.4. I would yet willingly ſpare them, if it might be, a Heb. be disjointed, a moſt emphatica] Meraphor whereby God would expreſs how great Grief it is to him to withdraw himſelf from them, could it poſlibly be avoided ; (his great AffeQtion to them being here expreſſed by Soul which is the Seat of it, Pſal. 42. 1, 2+ ) even like the ſeparating one Limb from another : hereby is intimated the near Communion that GOD hath with the Faithtul, and how ready ke is to return, if they will rerurn. + Leſt he make them nor a People.
9 CU Thus faith the LORD of hoſts, They ſhall throughly c glean the remnant of Ifracl as a vine : turn d back thine hand as a grape-gatherer into the e