f Fechoniah's Mother was Nehuſhtarn, the Daughter of Elathan of Hieruſalem, 2 Kings 24. 8. Verle 12. the fulfilling of the Pro-
Heb. in= habirreſs.
1 3 . 4
4
R [7 : :
M 1 4 HQ. Chap. XXII ſal! rule and ſave them, 1,-——8. Hezainſt falſe Prophets, g<=32. 4 WER and mockers of the truth, 37, 40»
'\ \\ T O be unto the paſtors that deſtroy and ſcat- ter the ſheep of my paſture, ſaith the LORD #.
a There is the like Wo againſt the Paſtors denounced, Ezek, 34- 2. Interpreters judge, that by the Pa#ors, are to be underftood rhe Civil Magiſtrates, for verſe 9, He denounceth the Judgments of God 2gainſt ct:eir Eccleſiaſtical Officers: The Civil Magiſtrates ar this time in 7udah were great Tyrants; and whereas God had commit- ted his People ( whom he calls the Sheep of his Paſture ) to th:m in truſt, rhat they ſhould prote& and govern them, and that they might live under them gedly and peaccable Lives, in all Proſperi- ty, that they had ated quite contrary to their Truſt, and worried the People like Wolves, inſtead of feeding them like Shepherds. God rook notice of their Oppreſſions, and by the Propher denoun+ ceth this Wee againſt them, to verifie that of Solomon, Eccliſ. 5, 8.
2 Therefore thus faich the LORD God of Iſrael againſt the paſtors that feed my people b,Ye have ſcat- tered my- flock, and driven them away, and have not viſited them c ; Behold, I will viſit upon you the evil of your doings, faith the LORD 47.
b God calleth them his People, his Flock, the Sheep of his PaRure, with reſpe& to the ancient Covenant which God had made wirh their Fathers, Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob. They are ſaid to have fed this People, becauſe it was their Duty, and the Buſineſs of theis Otfice, 1o to have done, though they had failed in it. c And bad done the quite contrary, ſcatrering them by their As of Violence and Oppreſſon, and driving them from their places to ſeek ſome more ſafe and quiet places of abode ; or by their prodigious Wicked- neis, having been the cauſe of their being carried into Captivity, not viſiting them, that is, taking any due care of their ' Good and Welfire, ſeing what they wanted, and ſupplyed rhein, as good Rulers ought ro have done. 4 For which Negle&, God threatneth to v1'it. upon them the Evil of their Doings. The Hebrew Werd ſig- n:fieth to viſit with a Viſitation of Care and Love, and alſo with 2 rg of Juſtice avd Severity, and is often ſo uſed in Holy
rit.
3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them e, and will o_ny them again to their foids f, and they ſhall be fruicful, and increaſe g.
e God puts adifference betwixt thoſe that were miſled by the examples of others, and the Rulers whe ſer them ſuch an ill exam- plez he threatned Jehoiakim and Jehojakin or Jeconish, that they ſhould return no more, but for the people, he here premiſcth them' a re- turn, at leaſt a remnant of them, when he ſhould have puniſhed the
ti bi
441 '
* Chap, ||| lo. "1 i
N19 7 SIO RITY.
ifs $
phecy is recorded; and it is ſaid, that Jehoiachim rhe King of Judah | went ont to the King of Babylon, he and his Mother, and his Servants, &c. : ſo Yerſe 15. together with eight thouſand Pritoners of the meaner |
ſort, beſides Princes and Nobles. + Heb. |
On TEES” CUERINIONNES i EE TA
| ' 275 But to the land whereunto they F deſire to pat *hcir ecurn, thither they ſhall not returng.. Cs g That is, they ſhall never come again ro Feru/alem. though they
be fon of it as their Native Country, and may premiſe then; ſerves ;
ſuch Favour from the King of Babylon, yer there ſhall no ſuch thing
be their portion. ; | : 28 Is this man Coniah a deſpiſed broken ido! h? 3s
he a veſſel wherein is no pleaſure i? wherefore are they
| ſhall feed them 54, and they ſhall fear no more, nor be ;. «5.
Goats as he ſpeak-th, Zech, 16. 3- f By their Folds, he meaneth Jeru« ſalem, and other Ciries the Towns of Jud#h which they had former= ly inhabited. g Where they ſhould once more be inproſperiry. He ſpeaks here concerning the recurn of this people our of the Captivis ty of Babylon, tho there be ſome that think this Texr i: primarily ta be underitood, of the gatherivg together in one, the p-ople of God ſcate tered abroad, in and by Chriſt according to the Prophecy of Caias phas, John 11. 52. Ss
4 And I will ſet up * ſhepherds over
them which cyap, |||
diſmaid 5,
LORD &. | h Some think this Prophecy was fulfilled in Nehemiah and Zore-
z<k. 34 {it
I, XC. i!
neither ſhall they. be lacking faith the E 1
caſt out, he and his ſeed & ? and are calt into a land
which they know not ? | h The Prophet either ſpeaketh this in the perſch of Ged, or of
|
babel, who were pious and goed Governours, and conſulced in their Government the good of the people committed to their truſt, Neb, 2.10 2rd s5- 14, Others rather underſtand it of Chriſtian Princes
the People, who are here brought in, affirming thar chi: Pr.nce who was the Idol of the People, was now through the juſt Ju! ge ment of God become like a broken Ido]- i Or lik» a Veale! which Men care not for, being eicher 1o crack*d, or fo tain'ed, chat they can make n» uſe of it, and admiriug ar this Cataſtr: phe, and en- quiring the Ciuſe why it ſo came to paſs. k He, and his ſred, It is {aid Yer. 30. that no Man of his S-ed ſhould pioip-r titting upon the Throne of David. and ruling any more in Judah 3 nor is there any mention made of any of his Children, where his carrying into Cap» tivity is recorded, 2 Kings 24. 12. which mak by his Seed here is meant the Poſterity of his Grane father Jofah; but others think. that he had Children, either *efor: he went into Cap= tivity, or born while he was in Babylon : And Marth. x. 12, itis ſaid, that after they were brought to Babyl-n, Jechoniuh begat Selath-el. 29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the
LORD 7. | |
I By Earth he either means the Ind of Juah, to which he calls thrice, to ſignifie the Deafneſs of this People and unw-Ilingneſs to hear, and believe what God ſpake by him , or elſe he calls co the whole Earth, as he calls H:aven ind Earth to witneſs, Deuteromomy 30, 19. and 32. r. Iſaiah 1. 2. and 34s (. Fer- 6. 19. :
30 Thus ſaith the LORD, Write ye this man child- leſs m, a man 7bat ſhall not proſper in his days : for no man of his ſeed ſhall proſper, fitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.