m Either an univerſal backſliding- Or, rather obſtinately re- ſolved to hold on, though they ſec they are out of the way ; not out of levity or inconſiderareneſs, the Heb. word fſiznifies ſtrengrh, the ſame uſed, Pſal. r3. 8. andrranflated for ever, implying a ſtrong Nif, ſtout Refuſal. See 1a. 57. 17+ Chap. 5+ 3. 7 Either their In- juſtice and Cozenages in circumventing one a:.other, which was fo frequent among, them, chap: 9. 4, 5, 6. Mic. 7. 3, 4. Or their Hypo- crifie whereby they thought to deceive God, bur they did ince:d deceive themſelves ; the great impediment of their Rep-nrance, 1a. 44. 20. or rather their ſticking cloſe totheir falſe Prophets who dd deceive them, thence incouraging themſelves in their wickedneſs, and pleaſing themſelves, that their Miſeries ſhould not come upun them. See on 1s. 30: 10. chap. 5. 31. and 14+ 13, 14+
6 I hearkened and o heard, but they ſpake not p a- right, no man repented him of tis wickedneſs, fay- ing, What have q I done ? Every one turned to his r
courſe, as the horſe ruſheth into the barrel.
0 i e That Imight hear, the words rather of God than of the Pro- phet, which the continuance of the Speech ſeems to ſhew in the nexr Verſe, in the cloſe whereof it is plain that God ſpeaks, ex- preſſi:g himſelf after the marner of Mer, whoare wonttoliſtendi- ligenr'y after the things they are very deſirous of. See 1 King. 20, 32. Mal 3.16. þ Or not ſo asthe LXX, and the word is thus uſed, Exod. 10..11. Pſal. r. 4+ not ſoas I would have had them, fo far from Repentance, that I do not perceive a word from them rend- ing that way. 9q 1 ſe no tendency ro Repentance, I fee none of them ſo much as calling themſelves to an account, not recoiling upon themſelves, where Repentance uſually begins, 2 Chren. 6. 37, as Men uſe upon an inconfiderate a& to {mite upon their Breaſt, er Thigh, and ſay what have I done, as 2 Sam. chap. 3+ verſe 24. r To their accuſtomed way, committing all wickedneſs without re- traint. See on Iſa. 59. 7. the fury and unbridledneſs of their Luſts, being ſpurred on by their Wills, . is deſcribed 1p the next expreſſion, ſhewing how like a headſtrong Horſe, he runs away with hisRider, or compared to the delight, that an Horſe ſeems to take in ruvning
7-6 *G E _— XX x : Chap. Vil. * Chap.
8 How doye fay, We are y wiſe, and the law of the - LORD is With us? Lo, certainly a || in vain made || Or, the == he zt, the. pen of the ſcribes is b in vain. __
of the
» 9.4. Theſe things conſidered where is your wiſdom ? When ©:
you ſee the very Fowls of the Airare not ſo ſtupid, as you are; he annie tad {peaks either to Princes and Prieſts, or to the whole Body ofthe peo- — ple. z This may be underſtood either more general of all, or may for falſbood have a more ſpecial Eye to the Prieſts, with whom it was intruſted,
Dem. 33. 10. Mal 2+ 75+ They were wont to boaſt muck of the Law
as well as of the Temple, chap. 18. 18. Roy. 2. 17, 23. a 9. 4. For
any uſe they made of it, they had as good have been without it,
God needed not tohave given them a Law, Hoſ. 8. 12. b Neither
need ir ever have been copyed out divulged, and conveighed down F Heb. e 'orhem by the Scribe, Deur. 17. 18. or the prevarications, and col- fulneſs luſions theſe Lawyers uſed in the falſe interpretations of the Law, thereof.
wherein they ſided with the falſe Prophets, ſhould be in vain. A 9 was a Teacher, one well verſed in the Scripture, or eſteem- ed ſo.
9 * || The wiſe men are aſhamed, they are diſmayed * Chop: and c taken ; lo, they have reje&ed the word of the 4g "LOR
LORD ; and wha: | wiſdom # in d them ? they been
c They truſted to their refuges of lyes, but when God ſhal) bring aſhamed the judgment: threarned the wiſeſt amor g rbem wil) finds that they &Cc. ſhall be c:nfounded among themſelves, not knowning what to do + Heb. the for al! thei- Wiidom, bur thall be taken with rhe reſt. chap. 4. 9. by wiſdom of Wiſemn, he 1w-Ceans the Scrives in the former Verſe. The tame ſaid what thins, of Babylon, Iſa. 47.10, d Or what is wiſaem to them? How can they , ſay rhey a1- wiſe, when they have no fear of God, which is the be. ginning of wi)auom, Prov. I. 7. whenthey have no reſpe& atallrothe Word of Gd, as to any holy praftice which is the fountain of all wiſaom, Deut. q. 6- Pſal. 19. 7. 2 Tims 3. 15.
10 Therefore * will I give their wives unto others, ,,, _ andtheir fields to them that ſhall e inherit zhem: for every » wo one from the leaſt even ynto the greateſt is given to Ames * f covetoulneis, from the prophet even untothe prieſt, 5: «1: TE every one dealeth g falſly. Zephe * Pſaſs
e A paraphraſiical deſcription of the Miſeries of War ; God doth 2". $8.4, 5 here ipfinuzte that their miſery ſhall notbe for a ſhort time, but ſo Ha. 56, long, as thet ſtrangers, viz. The Chaldecans ſhall enjcy their Land ry by inheritance, ſo far ſhould they be from poſſeſſing their Land for ever. f So greedy after their own private gain, that they tock no care of equity, or juſtice, in which word 1s compriſed all their fraudulent D-alings one among another. g Of this and the two next Vertcs, ſee on chap. 6. 13, 14, 15.
11 Forthey have * healed the hurt of the daughter of my people ſlightly, faying, Peace, peace, when there : wa & NG PECAace, | Tm
i2 Were they * aſhamed when they had committed , T Heb, abomination ? nay, they were not atall aſhamed, nei- , <P mY cher could they bluſh, therefore (ball they fall among 63 In chem that fall; in the time of their viſitation they ſhall j be TE _ che LORD, |
12 © ||I wil ſurely 4 conſume them, faith t LORD 2: There ſhall be no grapes * on the vine, nor "on
[] Or, x
lin RA i rhyme
on the * fig ;tree, and the leaf ſhall fade, and zhe 1hixgs NT
that I have given them ſhall & paſs away from them. ſame. | THeb. h Or in gathering I will conſume them; q d. T will ſo gather them * Ifa. 5: 1, | eauſe of
together into ther !everal (.;tics to be beſieged, that it ſhall be no &c- = the coun.
hard matter to d-ſtroy them, veoſ 16. viz. The Body of the peo- * Matth. | Frey of
ple, not every oe, for there was a remnant, that did eſcape, 21: 19: them thy
# Theſe Fruits, Grapes, and Figs, it is probabie, were of Ros 2p" Luke 13: « > waa
1 of.
account and uſe a:nong them, 1ſa. 36. «6. and fo may be &C> other things, erther for —_— delight, which Cod +” corn - —_— will deprive them of by reaſen of the Siege, which a Famine ſhall ſucceed, chap. 5- 17. Joel. 1, 7. Hab. 3.175. See the like Zeph. x. 2