+15'5* for z lyes: but they are not valiant forthe 7 truth upon the earth : for they proceed from evil toc evil, and they know not me, faith the LORD.
x Heb. Tread, becauſe Bows are uſually kneeled or trod upon when they are bent, Chap. 50. 14+ and 51. 3. 'y Their Tongue: are herecomparedtoa Bow, and Lyes to Arrows, becaule as Bow ſhoots out Arrows, fo doth the Tongue Words, P/l. 64. 3. 2 i. e. All reproachful, falſe and noxtous Words, to the damage of one another : And ſo bending may be preparing, framing, anc contriving, that miſchief which they purpoſe to vent with their Tongues, Pal. 52. 2, 3 4. and 64. 3. as Bending is preparing tie Bow to do Execution with the Arrow. 4 Equity, Fu!'iire, They are as eager in the ways of Falfhood as Men engaged in War, but ſhew no Valour in maintaining the Truth. b z. e. No Truth inthe Earth in them, as we ule to exprels our leives; or rather more genuinely, in the Land wherein they live,they have no Cou- rage in what is good c Either 19 kind, or in degree: They go or
from bad to worſe, 2 Tim. 3. 13. which ſpeaks little hopes ct
their Repentance. The ground of all which is ſaid here to be, their zor knowing of God, as in the next Clauſe, Fudg. 2. 19, 11. 1 Sam. 2.12. The heart cannot work (trongly after God, where there be but mean apprehenſtons of him.
* Chap. 4 * Take ye heed every one of his || 4 neighhour, 12.6, and truſt ye not in any brother : for every hrother Mic. 7.5, will utterly ce ſupplant, andevery neighbour will walk | or with f ſlanders. |
Friend d Better rendred, Friend or Companion, as 2 Sem. 16. 17. and in
the next Verſe, ſhewing the general Corruption will be fo malig- nant, that one Erjend will betray another ; no Faith in Friends. e Wholly givento it. Heb. Supplanting will fuptlant, or treading down, treadeth down ; trampling them under their Feet, noting their Oppreſſion, which they exerciſe all manner of ways, as in the next Verſe, both by Frand and Force. Like the Interpretation that Eſau puts upon Jacob, Gen. 27. 36 Not only ſuch as are near in Habitation, pretending Neighbourhood and Friendſhip, but near in Relation, even a Brother will circumyent, no reſþe&t to Blood, arguing them to be monſtrous 1n Nature, putting off Humanity. The Word is here 1n Alluſfion ro Faceb, who had his Name from Supplanting ; a Metaphor taken from the Sole of the Foot, Gen. 25. 26. f Carrying Tales and Reports up and down, whether erue or falſe, to the diſturbance of the peace ot Neigh- bourhood, Chap.6.28. and againſt the Law of God, Lev. 19.16.
5 And they will g || deceive every one his neigh- bour, and will not ſpeak the truth: they have þ taught their rongues to ſpeak Ilyes, ard ; weary them-
ſelves to commit iniquity.
g Heb. mock or derie; they are Scofters. h They have ſo fra med their Tongues to it by Cuſtom, and conſtant Ule, that Lying is become ſo familiar to them, that they cannot leave jt. The ſame Word is applied to the wild Afs, ufed or taught ro the Wilder- neſs, Chap. 2. 24- and 13.23. i They uſe a great deal of Induſtry, Diligence and Contrivance in it, P/al. 7. 14. Iſa. 5. 18. They ſpare for no Labour, and feel no Wearineſs in it, whereby they are become expert.
6 Thine habitation zs in the midft of & deceit :
through deceit they retuſe to / know me, faith the LORD.
k This God ſpeaks to the Prophet, either to inform him, that there is no hope of this Peoples Reformation, Chap. 8. 5. therefore he expreſleth a deceicful people by the Abſtra&t, Deceit, i.e. no-
thing among them, but Deceit one to another, and Hypocrifieto- |
wards me, as Pſal. 109. 2. and Vanity for vain Men, Fob 35, T3. or to caution and advite him,how to behave himſelf among luch a people, that he be very wary, that he be not enſnared by them, Chap. 12. 6+ | Either hoping to ſhift well enough by the ſeveral] means they think to uſe, Chap. 8. 5. They are careleſs of turning to me; or, by hearkening to their falſe Prophets, who have all along deceived them, they obſtinately reje&t my Ways and Coun- fels, Pſal. 36. r, 2, 3,4. and $2. F.
7 Therefore thus faith the LORD of hoſts ; Be- hold, I will melt them, and »: try them : for how ſhall
I 2 do for the daughter of my people ?
m The fame Metaphor uſed Chap. 6. 29. Try them by melting them, Z. e. Either I will try what leffer Aflitions will do be- fore I do utterly deſtroy them ; or rather, I will bring Judgmear
' upon them, the Fire and Fury of the Chaldean War, thar fha!l clear away their Droſs from among them, and purge away thofe Decitsin which they truit, that the Remaa3t may be purined. Dn. 11 35. as when the Droſs is ſeparated from Metals, the reſt remains pure. See on Tjz. 1. 25. 7 4. d» There is 00 Re-
_ L have tried all other tneans, and they have been incfte- ol,
an height of Impiety, that I can do no leſs, though they are my People, Hof. 6. 4. Or, God doth expoſtulate with them, How can you expect that [ ſhould treat you otherwiſe, chat have to pro- voked me, and whoſe Impieties have redounded fo much to my
Diſhonoar 2
8 Ther tongue zs 44 an 0 arrow ſhot out; it ſyeak- eth p* deceit: oze {peaketh * peaceably to his netgh- * pal. 2 bour with his mouth, but Þ+ in q heart he layerh || 2- and his walt. 020.3,
0 Before, Verſe 3. it was compared to a Bow, 4. 2. ready pre- * P1826, pared, and furniſhed with Materials contriving therr Wickedneſs, 3: Pſul. 11.2, and hereto an Arrow ſhot out, actually executing T Heb. what they have deſigned. Some tranſlate ir, a murthering Arrow. the mudjs 57
I
þ Never fpeaking what they mean, that thereby they may the ea. P1/t, fter deceive the Credulous. A double Tongue, ipeaking fair wen > they mean todeſtroy, Pſal. 55.21. asthe next Word; explain it 47 **”* , Intending to do the greateſt Miſchief when they tpeat taireit, 4 Heb. In midjt of him, i. e. in his very Inwards, with his who!e Heart he contrives miſchief.
9 .*. Shall I not viſit them for theſe :h/-9;, ſaith the LORD ; fhall not my foul be avenged on ſuch 4 na- 19: as this ?
.*. See Chap. 5 + 9, 29.
Io For the mountains will I take up a weepinz,and 7 wailing, and * for the || habitations / of the wilder- I neſs a lamentation, becauſe they are {| burat up, io #22 ©-: that none can paſs e through them, neither can m7 Ho! 4. 3. hear the voice of the z cattel ; | both the fowls of che || Or, p4- heavens, and the beaſts are fled, they are gone. ſtares.
ry The Prophet raving Yer. 1. taken up a Lamencation for the |! Or, _