3 At the noiſe of the ſtamping of the hoofs of his ſtrong horſes, at the ruſbing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers ſhall not look back
to their children for feebleſneſs of hands e.
e This is all but the deſcription of the march of an Army, ſo terrible as ſhould make Parents forget their natural affe&ion, and flee away to ſave themſelves, looking upon themſelves as loſt, and unable to proteC& their Children.
4 Becauſe of the day that cometh ts ſpoil all the Philiſtines f, and to cut off from Tyrus and Z:idon e- very helper that remaineth g: For the LORD will
ſpoil the Philiitines, the remnant of + the country of Caphtor ||.
f The day which God hath ſet, and appointed for the Ruine of the Phil:ſftines, g Tyre and Sidon were neighbouring to the Phili- fines, as appears from Gen. 10. 14, 15. Joel 3, 4+ and ſo were of- ten called to their help. God threatneth both to deſtroy them, and alſo thoſe that helped them. |; It appeareth from Gen. 10. 14. that the Philiſtines and Caphtozims were rejated, for their firſt Pro- genitors Philiftm and Caphtorim, were both the Sons of Mizraim the Son of Ham one of the Sons of Noah. Ir appears from Dent, 2. 23. that they expelled the Avites, and dwelt in Hazerim to Az- zah, whether their Country be what was afterwards called Cappa- docia or Damigata is not much material for us to know, they were a
r_—_— confederate with the Philsſtines, whom God here threatneth | to
eſtroy with them.
* Baldneſs is come upon Gaza, * Askelon is cut
off with the remnant of their valley g: how long wilt thou * cut thy ſelf þ?
g Both Gaza and Akelon were two principal Cities belonging to the Phil:ſtines taken by Judah,Judges 1. 18. we read of them, 1 Sar; 6..i7. both Amos, Zephaniah, and Zechariah, propheſied their ruine, Amos 1. 8. Zephaniah 2. 4,9. Zechariah 9. 5. as well as this Prophet, by the Remnan: of the Valley, moit underſtand thoſe who lived in the Vallies near about Askelon. kh Concerning the Jaſt Clauſe in this Verſe there is ſome difference, whether the words ſhould be joy- ned with the next Verſe,and read, How long wilt thou cut thy ſelf,O thou Sworg of the Lord, or as they ly in our Bibles, and then the ſenſe is, Why will you in ſo deſperate a caſe afflict your ſelves, when all your mourning will do y:u no good.
6 O thou ſword of the LORD, how long will :t be ere thou be quiet, Þ put up thy feif into thy ſcabbard, reſt, and be ſtill z.
; Some make the words of this ſixth Verſe to be the words of the Philiſtines in their mourning and cutting themſelves, crying to God to ſtop the Sword drawn againſt them, and to return jt again into its Scabbard: Others make them the words of the Prophet; lamenting the havock which he by the eye ofthe Prophecy ſaw was like to be made amongſt the Philiſtines by the Chaldeans, (for good Men are affz&ed with the Miſeries even of the worſt of Men )
7 F How canit be quiet, ſeing the LORD hath given ita Charge againſt Aſbkelon, and againſt the ſea-
ſhore ? there hath he appointed it &;
k The latter Verſe muſt be expounded according to the former; *
for if the words of the former Verſe be underſtood as tie words of the Philifines, thoſe of this Verſe mult be underſtood as the words of the-Prophet, puting them out of hopes of the Swords ſtopping, becauſe what it did was by Commillion from God, which it muit execute. If the words of the former Verſe be to be underſtood as
the Prophet's words, the words of this Verſe are cither the Pro-
phet's words correfting himſelf, and concluding that this Sword could not be quiet, becauſe it was edged by God himſelf, who had given it his Commiſſion, which it muſt execute : Or the words of God, letting the Prophet know that he had given this Sword its Commiſſion, and therefore it could not ſtop till Akelor and the People onthe Sea-ſhore were deſtroyed by it. CH A P. XLVIIL | The Jugdement of Moab, 1———6. Fer their Pride, 7 10. For their ' ſecurity and humane Confidence, 1 1——— 2x. Eſpecially for their con- tempt of God, and inſolence cowards his People, 26 —— 46. Their Reſtauration, 47. | yr Paper having Chapter 46. denounced God's Judgement again Egypr, and again the Philifines, Ch. 47. in this Chapter he cometh to do the like againſt the Moabites, Moab the Father of theſe Moabites was the Son ot Lot, Gen 9. 37. The Moabites Coune try lay in the way the 1/rael:tes went to Canaan, Num. 21. 11, 13.ncar the Country of the Ammonitcs, Balak was King of it when the 7- raelites paſſed by it, who ſent for the Sorcerer Balaam to curſe them, Numb, 22. 4. who Chap. 24. 5, &c. bleſſed them. They ſeduced the Iſraelites te Adultery and Mdulatry, Chap. 25+ I,
M 1 A HM. Chap. XLY 1 Againſt * Moab, thus ſaith the LORD of hoſts, *x,, .| the God of Iſrael Wo unto Nebo a, for it is ſpoiled : 127 þ Kiriathaim is confounded, and taken, {| Miſgab is con- chap. founded and diſmayed. 27. & if .® Moab was a large Country and had may Cities; we ſhall have 3* Ez divers of them named in this Chapter ; the firſt that we read of Ne. 25: 9: bo in Holy Write is, Numb. 32. 3, 38. Reuben built both that and x3: m5 Ih riarhaim as may be read; there, Verſes 38, 39. It was alſo the | 0: "i Name of a Mountain, Deut 34. 1. It ſhould ieem tht in_Jerem;- high plalhy ah « time, the M:abites had got both the poſſeſſion of Nebe, and Ki- Þ riathaim and Miſgah, of wh:ch we read no more in Scripture. Ir 'F ſeems to be a City built upon ſome Hill or High place. The Pro- : pher threatnerh ruine to all theſe three Cities. j 2 There ſhall be no more praiſe of Moab: Tn Heſhbon Ml they have deviſed evil againſt it b6: Come, and let. us Or, 6 cut it off from being a Nation c: Alſo thon || ſha't 2995 |
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be cur down, O Madmien, - the ſword ſhall + purſue {$957 Þ thee 4. # purſue 5Heb.z|f