2 As by the calling for their Artificial Mourners, he did inti- mare the greatneſs of the Miſery that was coming upon them, that with all their Art they could not ſufficiently bewail it; ſo here, by making haſte, he intimates the near Approach of it, that it was even at thedoors. q Pitch upon ſome form of Mourning that may be ſuitable to our Condition. » This and rhe former are each of them an Hypcrbolical Expreſſion, and yet are too little to bewa1l the greatneſs of the Judgment, which ſuits with the Prophers La- mentation, Ver. 1. The Prophet would herein intimate, that they that were ſo ſtupid as to hear the prophets denouncing their Judgments withdry eyes, tho he wiſhed them to have been Foun- 7ains of tears, ſhall now ſuddenly feel, that they ſhall have cauſe enough to ſend for all the Helps, not only real but artifital, to ſtir up their Mournings. : .
19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of t Zion, How are we # ſpoiled ? We are greatly x confounded, becauſe we have forſaken the land, becauſe our dwel-
lings have caſt #s out.
# i. e. Jeruſalem, ſpoken in the preſent Tenſe, after the Prophe- tical Stile, being a frequent way of the Prophets expreſling the cer- tainty of a thing» « How great isour Miſery ? or how-come we to be in ſuch adeſolat Condition ? poſſibly Expreſſions of the Arti- fial Mourners or rather their real Senſe of it, now 1t is all too late. x Whether this be the complaint of the Country people forced to fly from their Habitation to Jeruſalem for ſhelter, or of Jeruſalem it ſelf, rhat could expeCt no leſs, it filled them with great Conſterna- tion, that thzy who thought their Honſes ſhould have conrinued for ever, bec:uſe of Gods promiſe, Pſal.' 132. 10, ©'c. muſt now forſ»k- them, Lev. 18. 25. Either their perſons carried our into Captivity, or have them utterly d-molithea by the Enemy.
20 } Yet hear the word of the» LORD, O ye a wo- men, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her b neighbour lamentarion.
7 Or therefore, i. e. 2 Do not think I ſpeak words out of my own Mind or Fancy, but what Iſpeakis from the Lord. &@ Eitherthoſe bired Women mentioned before, or rather the Women of the Land, for God would have it not a mercenary, but a real Mourning ; and he mencionech Women, 1. To upbraid the Men with their Stu=-
idity; 2+ As being more apt to grieve, thereby to expreſs the Reaineſs that he would have the Land to be in for Mourning; 3- B-cauſe of the decay and want there would be of Men, as 1s ex- preſſed :n the nexr Verſe, by reaſon partly of the Slaughter, and partly of the Captivity ; therefore here is mention of Women with reference to Children in the next verſe, after whom their Bowels would yearn, and Daughters, either che Schollars of the mourning Womens, or rather, with ceference to Tung-men, unro whom rhey .mighr be given in Marriage; 4. Becauſe the Female Sex is leatt able to help rhemſc]ves in a common Calamity ; or 5. Becauſe they would be leaſt ſolicitous, but would indulge their Delic -cies, Pride, Sloch, and Wantonneſs, 1ſa. 32. 9, 11. +6 Heb. 4 woman her Friend, nameiy, that the Grief mighr ſpread the farther, and become deep» er; for AffeQtions and paſſions, of what kind ſoever, are augmen- red by Company : it notes how large and vaiverial the Mourning ſhould be, Amos 5. 16.
21 For death is come up c into our windows, an#is entred into our palaces, to cut off che children from
without 4, and the young-men from the ſtreets
c The Unavoidableneſs of the Ruine is expreſſed wetaphrrically, Ezek. 21. 14+ chap, 6. 5. moſt likely alluding to rhe v:oJent and us)» verial ſtorming of a City, chap. 5. 10. wherein there 1s no reſpeCt had to Sex, Youth, or Age. Several other Alluſions. See Engliſh Annit, The Chaldeans are here underſtood by death, as bringin
:ath where-ever they come ; ; ; ” within or ni the Eneny ſha'l cur «ff ail, not only thoſe at home, bur even thoſe rþ«7 are converſirg Or playing in the Strezrs, which moſt commonly Young-mer and Chilaren are, chap, G. II.
22 a Speak, ths faith tke LORD ; even the 6 car- caſes of men ſhzil fall as dung upon the open c held, and 25 the handfu! after re 4 harveſt-man, and none ſhall
; e them,
on -_ they ſh-1d think theſe Things would never be, ceaſenor to rell them £--72 Me, that they {hall certainly come ro paſs, wiz, what was {gi *<fore, and what is ſaid now in this verſe ( theie words ſpeak ehy« Jaith the Lord, being beſt read in aParun:h«fis ) b Heb, A Carc,? Of a Man, noring here and there a ſcattered ca:cale, c Ag Jezp tl was, 2 King. 9. 37. expoſed to all Conrempr, ſtrewed up and J-wn on the Superficies of the Exrth. Heb- Face of che Field, and be off- :ſive by their ſtench ro all that paſs by, chap. 44- 12. d Eirngey Jaid in heaps by death, as the Harveſt-man doth his Cocks of Hay, or Sheaves of Corn, or rather, they ſhall be no more regarde( tran a few ſcattered Ears that drop our of the Reapers hand, which e- ther !ye on the ground and are eaten by Birds, or rrod te dirt by B-afts: thus God would pour Contempt upon rhem, which muſt needs be grievous to ſo proud a People as the Jews were. e None ſhall have ſo much reſpe& ro them, or compaſſion of them, as tg afford Burial, chap 8. 2.
22 T Thus ſaith the LORD ; let not the wiſe ar glory in his wiſdom, neither ler the mighty man gloiy in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his f riches.
f The fews did glory in th- Counſel of their Wiſe-men, the ſtrength of the Souldiers, and the Wealth of their Cities; but here God
5 _—_ . rommey of che EM. d No rafie, nm for the heathen are / diſmayed ar them,
M 1 4 H. Chap. 3c.
s 4 L6- "RES;
takes tham off from their vain Confidences, that neither their Coun« q Jels and Policy, Ecil. y. 11. nor their Forces and arms, Pſal. 43. 16, v7. Ih nor their wealth, or Riches, Prev. 11, 4. Exek. 7.19. ſhould be able | to deliver them frem being either deſtroyed, or carried Captive by the Chaleans, In theſe, or ſome of theſe, Men are apt to pur their confidences, and negle& God their enly Succour in diſtreſs ; and therefore he puts them upon that in the next verſe. | [1
24 But * let him that glorieth glory in this, that he * ; Cor. 4
underſtandeth and g knowerh me, that Tam the LORD 1 31. | which exerciſe loving kindneſs, judgmert and righte- 2 Cor» ouſneſs in the þ earth : for in theſe rhings I 3 delight, © '7- ſaith the LORD.