i It was an uſual Token of Sorrow among the Jews to cut offthe hair, Job I. 20. 1/a. 15. 2. Mic: I 16, But here he ſpeaketh either, 1.. to Feremiah ; for O Jeruſalem is not in the Texr: or, to the In- habitants of Jeruſalem; and fo ſpeaks to them, as a Woman, whoſe Hair is for an Ornament, 1 Cor. 11. 15. Therefore rhis muſt needs ſignifie an higher degree of Sorrow. Cutting the Hair amorg the Ancients did ſignifie, 1. Mourning. 2. Bondage. For the cutting of the Hair in Servants was a Token of Subje&ion:ſo that this {peaks Feruſalems moyrnful Condition in her Captivity. & Ir is not to be reſerved, as ſometimes Men and Women both do for ſome uſe, but ©o be caſt away, and as a thing good for nought. And thus itmay agree with the Churches Lamentation, Lam. 5. 16. for it is not here exhorted to, as 2 Token of Repentance, but as atlirearing of Judg- ments. | See chap. 3. 3 Lift up thy Voice on high in Lamenta'i- on, when thou haſt thine Eye or Thoughts upon the high places where thou wenteſt a Woring from me, for which thou now goeſt into Captivity. » Or of his over-running Anger, as ſome render it, z.e, with whom he is extremely vexed, this preſent Generation, that by their Provocations bave brought themſelves under his Wrath, wer. 18. 20. a Generation defin'd to the wrath of God, called elſewhere the people of hrs Curſe, Iſs 34+ 5- and ſuch as the Apoſtle calls Yeſels of Wrath, Rom. 9. 22. ſo far as it concerrs the Phcaſe.
30 For the children of » Judah have done evilin my o ſight, ſaith the LORD ; * they have ſet cheir abomi- nation in the p houſe which is called by name, to pol- lute it. ;
2 Either Judahs Poſterity, Joſh. 14.6. or Judaks Inhabitants, which are often called their Children ; fo chap- 2. 16. 0 i. e, Though th-y will not ſee it, yet I ſee it, and they ſhall know, thar it is in my ſight, 7. e. that it diſpleaſerh me. p Here he inftanceth in cne Species of their Abominations for all rhe reſt, whereby it appears they were grown to a great height of Impiety : It was not <n. ugh to have their Idols and Superftitions abroad in the Hills and Groves, nor in private in their own H- uſes, 1/2. 57.6, 7, 8. chap. 19. 13. bur they muſt bring them into Gods Houſe, as Manaſſeh dio, 2 Kings 21. 4+ God hav-ng bur one Houſe 1n the World, as it were, to confront him, 2 Chron. 36. 14. chap. 32. 34 Ezek. 43. 8.
31 And they have built the * high places of q To- phet, which 3s in the valley of the fon of r Hinnom, to burn their ſons and their daughters in the / fire ; which I commanded 7therws not, neither came ic | into my t heart.
q See on Iſa+ 30. 33+ It comes from Tiph that ſignifies a drum, becauſe they did beat Drums ro hinder the Noifc of their Childrens Screeches, when they burnt thera in Sacrifice vpon the Altars, ca]- led here high places, to Moloch, which is alſo called Melchom. r Tophet was ſituate 1n a pleaſant Valley near Jeruſalem a place in the poſ- ſeſſion of the Children of one Hinnom, Joſh. 15. 8, watered by the Ri- verof Sos. ſ This moſt inhumane Prattice of Burning their Chil- dren, even their own Bowe!s, to Molsch, nor thir Sons only, but their D:.ughters, who were moſt tender ; they did expreſly againſt the Command and Caucion of God : See on Devr. 18. 10, having learned it of the LHeatinen, Deur. T2. 30, 3'3 the Devil commanding them ſo to dg by his Oracles: They took Pattern from the Sama-
*EREMEAS
— ——
Ay. Bt
— Chap. VIlli
ritans, where thoſe of every Nation make gods of their own, 2 King. 1
t7. 29, 30, 31. © Which was always ſo far from my approving
that I never Jet it come into my Thought or Debate, whether I
ſhould or not: Or, which I abhorred from my Heart: he ſpeaks
herein afrer the manner of Men, See chap. 3. 16 and 32. 35. * Chap.
32 Therefore behold, the days * come, ſaith the 16. 6.
LORD, that ic ſhall « no more. be called Tophet, nor
the valley of the ſon of Hinnom, but the valley of
ſlaughter: for they ſhall bury in Tophet till there be
x No place, | |
u They were called ſo after this, and are known by thoſe Names to this day; but the meaning is, they ſhall acquire a Name from another Occaſion, that ſhall ſuit them as well, Yiz. For the great Slaughter that ſhall be made there, or rather thereabours, in and about Jeruſalem, and therefore called the Yalley of Slaughter, from the effe& of Slaughter ; as Judas's Field was called Akeldama, 4s 1. 19. being a place for burying of the Slain, as the next Werds ſhew. x Either there ſhall be 1o great a Slaughter made upon that Spot by che Chatdeans, that they ſhall bury as many. as the Place will con- tain, and the reft of the Carcaſes they ſhall throw on heaps, to rot above-ground ; for to lie upburied, is frequently uſed. as a Curſe on fuchy the Burying of the Dead being accounted as a thing Sacred, and a ſignificant Smbol of the Reſurre#ion : Or, thoſe that are ſlain in and about Jeruſalem, at the Siege and Taking of it; ſhall be car- ri2d thither ro be buried, either becauſe there ſhall be no Burry- ing-places left about Jeruſalem. or that Valley ſhall be filled, till there be no Place for more; that thereby it may be ſopollured, that no Thonghts cf Ho'ineſs may rer ain in it: for a Dead Carcaſe un- der the Law was ur ciezn ; and that which before was a Valley of Pleaſure and grear Delight, and they had dedicated to God, ſhall now be a Yalley of Slaughter. = nts |
33 And the * carcaſes of this people (ball be meat * Plal
for the fowls of the y heaven, and for the beaſts of the T,,z. I
earth: and none ſhall fray chem z away. 9- and. 16,
1 |
3 The Birds and Beafts of Prey ſhall feed on them, being expoſed 4+ and 344 | |
to open View for want of Interrment, chap. 19. 7. z ( A piece 20. of Humanity thar even Narure it ſelf teacheth) Either by reaſon
of the Enemies Preſcnce, for fear of whom they curſt not, or ra- ther, becauſe there w1!] be none lefr to do it : And this is reckoned among the Curſes, Deut. 28. 26.
24 @ Then will I cauſe to * ceaſe from the cities of | _ " Judah, and from the ſtreers of Jeruſalem, the voice of Chap, 16 mirth, and the voice of gladnels, the voice of the bride- 9. and 33 groom, and the voice of the bride : for the land ſhall be b deſolate. Ezek.