4 The toneue of the ſucking child cleaveth to the be: roof of his mouth for thirſt: the young children ack #4 bread, and no man breaketh it unto tkem h. 4
h Asthe fatr.els of the Mothers Mj)Jk rakes it inſtead of Bread and Fleſh to the ſucking Ch:1d, io the moiſture of jt wakes it to be as Drink to allay its keat, the Chijdten wanting this mciſture their Mouths were hot and dry. It was a time of Famine, the little Children underſtanding not the cale of the City, were im- portunate for ſomething to cat, but none had evough for himſelf, much Jeſs tor others. See Chap. 2.12, 13.
5 They that did feed delicately are deſolate in the
ſtreets : they that were brought up in ſcarlet, embrace [
the dunghills z. 6 z This Judgment reached not only to the common People, bnt FED
to Perſons of the higheſt Rank and Order, whoſe miſery was now bg
lo much the greater, becauſe ſo contrary to their former ſplendid ta:eand way of living. They were wont to fare deliciouſly now 7-2; Rue they wanted bread to eat, and were deſolate in the Streets. They Thy gh
mies ; therefore probably fignifies, ſuch perplexity, and breakings of mind as commonly attend a ſtate of great affliction.
66 Perſecute them and deſtroy them in anger from
* Pal. 8.3.under * the Heavens of the LORD g.
g Bring them to a remporal r:i11e and deſtruction. How far ſuch Petitions are lawful we have berore ſhewed, 1n our Notes on Pſal. 69. 22,23.24, &c. and 109. 6,7, 8, 9, 10, &c. Fer. 11. 20. & 15.15. See alſo Chap. r. 22. It is hard tointerpret ail paſſages of this nature which we meet with as Prophecies, though ſome of them are ſo, and others may be both Prophecies and Prayers.
CHAP. IV.
Zion bewaileth her Miſery : Confeſſeth her Sins, 1, —— 6. Mz- ſeries of the Chief ones : Women who killed and dreſſe1 their own Children, 7, — 12. The Sin of the falſe Prophets and Prieſts : Their vain hopes, 13, —— 19. Tyeir King taken Pri- foner, 20. Edom 7s threained: And Zion comforted, 21,
m— =
1 Þ TOW isthe gold become dim ! how is the moſt fine gold changed a ! the ſtones of the ſan-
GHuary arc poured our, ia the top of every ſtreet 6.
a Though tome take Gold here metaphorically as ſignifying the mo precious things, yet the molt and beſt Interpreters take it in its native ſen!e, for the Gold which adorned the Temple, either in its cieling or in its veſſels. The houſe of the Lord being burnt by Nebuzaradan, Jer. 52. 13. the Gold in and about the T2mple mu ſt needs be diſcoloured. How! is here a note of ada iration. Þ That is, are tumbled down and ſcattered in the head of every Street about the City.
2 The pfecious ſons of Zion c, comparable to fine gold, how are they eſteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter 4.
© Either the Nobles and Great Men, or the Prieſts, or the good Men amongſt the Jews 4,that tor their intrinſick worth,and value may be compared to Gold, are lookt upon no better than earthen Veſſels, che workmanſhip of an ordinary Potter, God carrying Feremiah down tothe Potters houſe, Fer. 18. 2. and 19. 1. had raught them that they were no more in his hand ; he now proveth it by his Providence, they were indeed made fo, and as miferably and irzeparably broken in pieces.
|; Or, Se4- 3 Eventhe || ſea monſters draw out the breaſt,they Calves. S . . give ſuck to their young ones : the daughter of my people :5 become cruel f, like the oftriches in the wil- dernels g.
» The learned Author of our Engliſh Anontatiors, well obſery- |
eth that whatever Creature is here intended by the word Tranſla- ted Sca-monſters, yet our Tranſlation 1s not proper, the Text ſpeaking of Creatures of God's making, Monſters, properly ſigni- fying ſuch as have ſomething beyond their natural bulk and pro- portion, What Creatures are ſignified by the Hebrew term, whe- ther Sea-Calves, or Dragons, or Serpents, or Whales, 1s very hard to ſay, the Hebrew word ſignifying ſome Creatures, occurring fo rarely as it is not eaſfie to determine the Species, from the word uſed to expreſs it. He certainly ſpeaks of ſome brute Beaſts, and thoſe that are moſt ſavage, he faith there are none ſuch but by a natural inſtin& feed and nouriſh their young ones. / But the Fewiſh Women were become cruel to their Children, either forced to appear ſo, having through the Famine no Milk to give them, nor any thing to relieve them? or were indeed fo, killing them to make food for themſelves, as Chap. 2.20. g Like Oftriches that lay their Eggs, and leave them in the Sand, and are hardved ag inf heir young wnes, ( as Fob 39. 14, 15, 16.) Some think a kind of
were wont to eat upon Scarlet Carpets, or to lodge upon Scarlet BY. Beds and Couches, now they ſearcht for their Meat upon, or were " glad to ]Jye.vupon Durghills. | :
6 For the || purziſhment of the iniquity of the daugh- || Or, #*. RE ter of my people, is greater than the puniſhment of For i the ſin of S:2dom, thar was * overthrown as in a mo- 5 ment, and no hands ſtayed on her &. Ib
k The word Tranſlated Puniſhmert, ſignifies alſo Iniquity ( as 7 1 was ſaid in the Notes on Chap. 3. Ver. 39.) The fins of the Fews are q E - compared to the fins of Sodom, Iſa. 3- 9. Exek. 16. 46, 48, 49. E474 Or, ; Hence tneir Rulers are called Rulers of Sodom, Tſa. 1. 10. either LE TI their ſins were ſpecifically the ſame ( as they were ) as to many P 11 n fins, Exek. 16. 49. or they were of an equal magnitude, and pro- EIB rouc; vocative Nature. The Prophet here complains, That they were BE: 2 puniſhed like Sodom, Amos 4. 11. yea, ard their puniſhment was = Oo
greater, becauſe more lingring, and gravval, whereas Sodom was
overthrown in a moment, and that by nohumane kands that abode
upon her, cauſing her a continued torment, as there did upon the "2
Fews. David aid, It is better to fall into the immediate hand Wo”
of God, than into the hands of Men. (7,5 7 Her Nazarites / were purer than ſnow, they
were whiter than milk, they 'were more ruddy in To