* thein, as before ver/? 5+ Flave Tbzen like the Wilderncts of Arabia,
# Idol : a Metonymy of the Matter ; becauſe Idols are made of uled, Gen. 4. 18- This nores the fottith Stupidity of this People,
the Honour of God unto them, 1/2. 44. 17. They that niake them are like unto them, as ſenſeleſs as they, P/al. 115+ 8. t They turn their Faces wholly towards their Idols. It notes rhe opennets of their Apoſtacy, chap. 7. 24. #t The uſual Language of God's
\
MI 4 H. C hap. Vl,
hemia;; gives, Neh.g. 15. to23. And you have the Story of ir, Pſal. 8. m Divers Interpreters derive this Word from a difie- rent Rcot, and :ccordingly render the Senſe varioutly. Some + trom a Reor that ſignities to Jace or fall, as a Land where Frums | Cl tall off before it be ripe, bringing nothing to Perfect;on : And $- lo Tremelius and Tunins trantlate it, Jja. 28. 1, 4. 4.4. fave you found me to fail your ExpeQations in any thing that I have pro- miſled you? Fyyb. 21. 45. and 23. 14. Others derive it from 2 Word that ſignifies Late ; as a Land that brings forth its Fruit late in the Year ; which either ripeneth not, or ripeneth un- kindly, 9. 4. Have you found me backward in any thing to do you good ? Have I not fed you to the full > Others from dark- neſs, properly thick Darkneis, Exod. xo. 22. Jodl 2. 2. And it is the more ligniticant, becauſe Jah, the Name of God is addcd to It, 4. d. the darkneſs of God, as a /teep of God, for a deep /ieep, 1 Sam. 26. 12+ flame of God for a vehmentfiame, Cant. 8. 6. as if it were 2a Land unhabitable, becauſe of the rota} want of Light, q 4d. Have I been a God of no uſe or comfort to them, that they thus leave me ? Have they had nothing from me bur Miſery and Affliction ? as this Notion of darkneſ5 may import, Iſa. 8. 22. Lam. 3. 2.
Children in Diftrets, P/a!. 3. 7. and often elſewhere. When they
they found the vanity of their Idols, and their own Folly in rely-
ing on them that cannot help, or ſave, and rejetting me, ver. 31. | then they will come to me, Jrdg. 10. 10. Hoſ. 5. 15. The fame}
thing with finding her in her Month, ver. 24. herein abuſing | God's Gentlenefs, making him their Neceflity, not their Choice.
28 But where are thy Gods. that thou haſt made thee 2 let them ariſe y, if chey * can ſave thee 1n the time of thy + trouble : for according to the number of thy citics z are thy gods, O Judah.
:: Thy Idols, viz. Gods of thy own making ? what do they do for thee * Iſa. 31. 3. » Either by way of Challenge, let them produce their Idols now, to help them if they can, whom they call rheir Fathers and their Makers. Or by way of Scoff, as E!:- jzhto Baa!'s Prieſts : See Jug. 10. 14. Beſides, in this Word ariſe there is an Infinuation of their Lifeletnels and Deadneſs, 1/a:46. 7. chap.10.'5.And further, here may be a ſecret Reply couched in 3t.q.4. in your Trouble you will ſay to me, ariſe, ſave us: now ſay ſo to them, and ſee, if they can ariſe and fave you. 2x, 9. &. Thou haſt them near ro thee, and enough of them, imitating the Heathens, who had, according to Yarro, above 30000 Dei- ies. No marvel if I, who am but one, be {lighred, when in every City there 1s at leaſt one, 2 Kings 17. 29, 30, 31. and in Jeruſalem one in every Street, chap. 11, 13. Ir's a hard Cafe if none, or all theſe thy tutelzr Gods, cannot help thee. See Deur. 32- 37, 38,39. Make tryal if any, or all of them together can help thee.
29 Wherefore will ye plead with me ? ye all a have tranſgreſſed againſt me 6, faith the LORD.
2, 7. c. Some of all forts : There is not any one ſort of you in- nocent. 6, g.d. You are all at my Mercy, why will you contend? all this that I charge you with 1s clear and evident, and all makes againſt you, ver 22, 34. Wherefore do you expoſtuJate, and put me to my Proofs * This they were good at, chap. 16. 10. There 1s nothing that you can juſtly reply, verſe 19+
20 In vain have * ſmitten your children c; they re-
c Eirher your Poſtenity, that you breed up like your {elves ; or rather, your Inhabirants in every City ; they being frequently called the Children of ſuch a City, or ſuch a Place, Children of Serr, 2 Chron. 25. 14. Children of the Province, Ezra 2.1. and Children of thy People, Lev. 19+18, and abundance more the like : and thus it is comprehentive both of Parents and Children. 4, 7. e. 'The fruit of Correction, viz, Inſtruction. The fame Word is rendred correazon, Prove 23,13. Which ſignifies znſtruFion, Prov. 5. 12.and in other places, and ſo to betaken here. Ir notes their refraCtori- neſs ; that tho” they were corrected, yer they would nor be in- firucted : tho' God did ſmite them, yet the Rod prevailed as lit- tle with them, as the Word. e Either the Sword rhar I have ſent to deſtroy you, hath deſtroyed your file Prophets together with
Hence the L XX. exprels it by a Land bringing forth Thorns. Or |this Exprefſion a Land of darkneſs may Le pur by appolition to the former. 5, 7. e. in their Heatt., o Words of Pride and boaſting - God had endeavoured ro make them ſentible, that all their Happineſs they owed to him, and now you caſt me oit; or
rather, we are well enough eſtabliſhed in our Goverment
by Foreign Aids, and Compatts with the Egyprians and 4:';- reans, &C. and have Rulers of our own ; we have no ſuch great need of thee ; hence rhe LXX. render it in the Pave Voice, we will not be ruPd, which agrees with the next Words of che vere, Deut. 32.15, 16, Something of this appeared in Uzziah, 2 Chro;.. 26, 15, 16. and H:zckiah, 2 Chron. 32. 25. neither was David wholly clear, Pſal. 3c. 6.
32 Can a maid forget her crnaments p, « a bride
her attire 9 ? yet my people have forgotten me r days without number /.