3. Or poſſibly, it may be ſpoken by way of /milituae,- q. d. they ſhall
be weſted, as when there 15 no Grapes on the Vine, &c. The "Land
ſhall be Jcfr as bare, as when by Tempeſts or other violence, there
1s neither Leaf nor Fruit left upon the Tee, Pſal. 78. 47- k If
this refer to the further puniſhment, as ſome, then itis as much as | ;
[
!
to ſay, what they have already received from me avd laid vu
ſhall alſo be deprived of, Hoſ. 2. 8, 9. or though I have a wy them, yct they ſhall not enjoy it, it ſhall be raken away by their Enemies; if ir relate to the reaſon of the puniſhment, as others \
violently, and headſtrongly into the Battel, as it is deſcrib«d, Job then the Copulative is put for the Cauſal, q. d. becauſe the things that b
39. 21, &« And this word ruſhing, ſignifying properly an inunda- I gave them, wiz.. My Laws, paſs away, 7. e. they have tranſoreſ- tionof waters, helps ro ſhew their uncontroulJableneſs in another ſed, 1/a. 24. 4, 5- either ſenſe lies fair, F —_—— F
Metaphor : See this verified of them, chap. 2+ 23, 24+ It is ſaid every one by an hyperbole, as Pſal. 14. 3- and frequently elſcwhere.
7 Yea, the ſtork in the r heaven knoweth her ap- pinted / times ; and the turtle, and the crane, and the ſwallow obſerve the time of their : coming ; but * my people know « not the x judgment of the LORD. r i.e. In the Air, which is often called Heaven, where the Birds fly, Pſal. 8. 8. compare chap 7. 33, who poſſib'y obſerve the fir time by the temperature of the Air. ſz. e. Obſerverth the ſeveral Seaſons of her going and coming by ſome natural inſtin&, and this is ſaid of the Srork ; what kind of Fowl is here meant is diſpurable: See Engliſh Annot. and Lat. Symp. t The ſame thing diverſified in theſe ſevera] Fowls, that know a'ſo their Seaſons. » This notes the great ſtupidity of his people, ſeeming nor to have as much ſenſe in them, as the Birds in the Air, not knowing their Summer of proſ- perity, to made a good uſe of Gods Favour, nor the Winter of Adver- fie, either to prevent or remove that Wrath of God that bangs 0- ver their heads, ſs. 5. 12. Luke 19. 42, 44- they know not their time for Repentance, and making their peace with God, compared alſo, on the ſame account, to the Beaſts of the Field, 1/2. r. 3. and thus.Chriſt vupbraides the Phariſees, Matth. 16. 2, 3. x Either Gods Vengeance in general, or particularly hovering over Jeruſal-w and Fudes, or rather the manner of Gods Diſpenſations with them. $o the word is uſed, 1 Sam. 2. 13+ and 8, I1,
14 Why do we ſit] ſtill ? * Aſſemble your ſelves. _ __ and let us enter into the defenced m cities, and let ug C44- i be » filent there; tor the LORD our God hath put us to ofilence, and givenus * water of p || gall to drink, be- * 64,9) cauſe we have ſinned againſt the LORD. 23 oF
1 The people at length ſeem to bethink themſelves, and thus to || Or noiſes; beſpeak each other. »: In the ſcattered Villages, there is noſafety _ for ns, Jet us retire into places of greater ſecuriry, Matth. 24 I6, 17, 18. poſſibly they thought they might be ſecured there, as they had been before in the time of Sennacheribe n Keep cloſe within our walls, ſay ordo nothing to provoke the Enemy, but fit down, and bewail the deſparateneſs of our condition, Lam. 3. 28, 29, or trem- blingly expe the ifſue of this ſad War, for there is no poſſibility of making head againſt ſuch an Enemy, that bears down. all before them. o They now begin to perceive, that the Hand of God is in all this, and that therefore they have not a word to ſay, as if they were wronged, God hath put them toſhame ; much leſs courage, to ! oppole the Babylonians, their heart fails them, they are as Men in a great terrour and conſternation, God hath put us to filence,let us be ſilent.
p Or poiſon probably the name of ſome poiſoncus Herb, with the juice or infuſion whereof they were wont to kill perſons, as Hemlock, Niche ſhade, &c. See Hoſ. 10, 4+ It notes thoſe bitter deſtruQive Judgments that God was bringing upon them, chap. $9: i5: which did tpring from
that
" Chap. VII.
© — 2-24 and
that bitter root of their ſinning 2gainſt him, es in the next words. i5 We * looked for peace, but no good came, and for a time of health, and behold, 9q troublz.
q Viz, Upon the perſwaſion of our Prophets, we expetted that theſe Troubles would never come, but all would be well, but we find our ſelves meerly deluded by them, we looked {o long, tilleven our eyes failed us, but we ſee no remedy for us, Lam. 4. 17+ Metaphor: Miſeries are often in Scripture compared to Diſeaſes and Deliverances to Healing, Deut. 32+ 39. P/al. 103% 3- chap. 33. 6+
16 The r ſnorting of his horſes was heard from / Dan: the whole land trembled at the ſound of the neighing of his # ſtrong ones : for they are come and f Heb. the have devoured the land and Þ all that is « in it ; the
pou x City, and thoſe that dwell therein.
4 7 The fury of the Chaldeans March is deſcribed by the Mmorting of their Horſes, which is anoiſe they make through their Noſtrils, when they are chaſed, and fretted; 5 i e. Even to Jeruſalem, 9 d, the dreadtulneſs of the noiſe ſhall be heard from far, or rather, tho Feruſalem ſeem to be ſecure, yet the furtheſt Coaſts of rhe Land are in great conſternation, viz the utmoſt boundary of Canaan North» ward, through which the Chaldean Army was to march, See chap. 4- 15. Or it is ſaid to be heard, eitherthe noiſe it ſelf, or the fame of it, chap. 6. 24. t His choice Horſes or Cavelry, or his ſtout and ſturdy ones, as the word ſignifies, and expreſfled by their brisk fro- lickſomneſs and courage in the word neighing properly applied to Horſes, underſtanding here the chief of them, and the word for Frong ones is applyed to any thing, thatexcels, as to Man, Job 34. 20. to Angels, Pſal. 78. 25. Angels food, or the bread of the mighty. And for Horſes as here, and Judge 5. 22+ chap. 47. 3» # Heb. the fulneſs of it, the Trees, and Fruits, and wealth of the Land, they are entred upon their ſpoil, and will leave nothing in the Land, chap. 4+ 20+ Ir is ſpoken in a Prophetical ſtile, who uſe to expereſs the certainty of what ſhall be, as if it a&ually were already. » viz. Jeruſalem, or rather the Cities with all their inhabitants, as well as the Country, the Singular Number being put for the Plural, as Js. 27. 10.
| 17 For behold, I will ſend ſerpents, cockatrices, a-
*Plaſls mong you, which will not be y * charmed, and they
$8. 4, 5* ſhall z bite you, faith the LORD.