Chap. IV. of Heaven and Farth, and in this Stite the Lord ſpealcs above eighty times in this Prophecy. #2 'Tis his Duty and Safety, and 1 propoſe it to his Conſideration, Jet him think what he hath to do herein. 7 T1s at his own peril, thou haſt warned him, and now trouble not thy ſelt, neither be grieved much at it. They, a rebellious Houſe, a& like themſelves in finning, and thou haſt aCted like thy felt a faithful Ad- moniſher; I will a& like my ſelf in puniſhing and giving them up in- r> the hands of cruel ravenous and devouring Enemies, who ſhall de- {froy them.
C H AJP. IV.
J.
Gor commmnacth the Propoet 70 pourrray the ſiege of Teruſalem upon a files
Tan-3. and, by the Prophets [ying 07 his right ana left feds, ſhewetr the
*:7e of his {orbearance with it; 4 n= &, By the proviſion of the ſiege, is ſhawn the greatneſs of the jamming; 9 = nn I7.
1 Hou alſo ſon of man, take thee a 7 tile, and m lay ic before thee, and » pourtray upon 1t the city,
even Jerufalem. | Hitherto the Preface containing the Call and Commiſſion of the Pro- phzr, now he begins; this is the firſt Prophecy, and'ris againſt Fernſas /c:::, 1Or Brick, or any ſquare Tabl?t on which he might engrave or carve. m As Carvers uſe to do, as Engravers and Painters do. . Draw a Map of Feruſ2/cnz, delineate or deſcribe the City Teruſalem
whence they were come, who now are in Babylon, and probably repen- |,
ted thar they had left 7uc2a and Jeruſalem, and murmured againſt them that adviſcd to ir. But Iet them know by this Sign, that Jeruſalcm ſhould ſuffer much more than ever they ſuffered, that thoſe who re- mained there linning againſt God, ſhould bear a long Siege, a very grievous Famine, and cruel Slaughters.
2 And lay + ſiege againſt it, and o build a fore a- eain{t ir, and calt a p mount againſt it: fer the 9 camp aiſo againſt it, and ſet [| battering 7 rams againſt it round
| Or.c7f. about.
FORTS, + Draw the ſigure of a Siege about the City. o Raiſe a Tower and Bu.-warks which may annoy: the Befieged, and defend the Beliegers; tom which may be thot cither Darts againſt Men, or mighty Stones a- vauſt the Walls and Towers of the Ciry. p Which made large, high, and ſtrong,and near as they can,might thence by helpof Galleries get over the Wa!ls andenter the Ciry. 4 Lay out the Ground alſo for the Army »f the Chaldean: to pitch their Tentsin, and toform their Camp. » The Chaidee Paraphraſt underſtands the Caprains and chief Leaders an:ong the Souldiers; bur *tis better anderſtood of thoſe Engines wherewith Beſicgers bid batter the Walls and Towers of a. beſieged Ciry; an Engine of great uſe in days of old among all warhke Na- tions, invented ſay fume in the Siege of Try.
2 Moreover, take thou unto thee an s [| iron 7 pan, and | Or,z fa: fer it for a wall « of iron betweeen thee and the city, and 77277, 02 ſer x thy face againſt it, andit ſhall be beſieged, and y thou Dt ſhalt lay ſiege againſt it: this ſoz# be a & ſign to the houle
of Iracl.
s To ſignify the Hardneſs and Obſtinacy of the Beliegers. r Pro. bably a Fy ing-pan, on the plain part of which the Tile bearing the Pourtrait of Jer»ſal:m lying, the Iron Edges or Brims compatled it tound about, as a Line drawn round a beſieged City, out of which the Diftreſled could not fly, into which no Relief could be brought. It plainly noted the Cruelty of the Chaldeans, and future Tortures of the Jews, who were like to be fried or boiled in this Iron Pan, as Fer. 29. 22. and 2 Mac. 7.5. wu That it may reſemble a Wall of Iron ; for as impregnable asſuch a Wall, ſhould the Courage, Refolu- tion and Patience of the Chaldcans be in attacking it. « Fix thy diſ- pleaſed Countenance againſt it, in token of my Diſpleaſure. » If the Prophet do repreſent him that ſent him, then it ſpeaks God's appear- ing againſt theſe wicked ones. z All theſe things are Signs and Em- blems uſual with all, moſt uſual with this Prophet ; who in this Hie- roglyphick foreſhews the State of thoſe that lived at Jerr/alem.
4 a Lie thou alſo upon thy 6 left ſide, and c lay the ini- guity of the houſe of 4 Iſrael upon. it: according to the e
number of the days that thou ſhalt lie upon it, thou ſhalt F ay
bear their iniquity.
a A Poſture which was to ſigmify the ſettled Reſolution of the Be- ſiegers, who. had taken up their abode till the Siege were finiſh'd in taking Jcruſalem. b To note out the leſs worthy part, the ten Tribes, or Samaria, which was from Jeruſalem toward the left-hand, and was head of the ten Tribes. c Take upon thee in the repreſentation thereof both Guilt and Puniſhment; bear both, not to expiate, but ro exemplify what they ſhould ſuffer. 4 Diſtinguiſht from 5r7ah, 'ris the Ten Tribes. e By that Proportion of time, thou ſhalt know and intimate to them how long I have born patiently with their Sins, and how long they ſhall bear their own Puniſhment. f Signifying that as the Prophet in the Sign, fo God in very deed had patiently born with them.
5 For I have g laid upon thee the years of their ini- quity, according to the number of the days, 5 three hun- dred and ninety days: fo ſhalt thou bear * the iniquity of
*Num.14. the houſe of Iſrael.
34: This Verſe explains the former. g I have pointed out the number of years wherein Apoſtate 1/-ae! ſinned againſt me; and Idid bear with them according to the number of Days, wherein thou muſtlie on thy left-ſide. See wv. 4. there is ſome difference, though of no great Moment, in fixing the Periods of begining and ending theſe Prophe- tick Nays; Theſe Years ſome begin them at Solo-70n's falling to Idola- try, in the 27h Year of his Reign, and ended them in the fifth of Ze- | #:kiaj;'s Capriviry. Others begin at the fourth Year of Rebohoam, and end them in the 21/2 Year of the Captivity. Others begin them inthe firſt of Rchoboam and Feroboam, when the Kingdom was divided, and then they muſt end about the 17:5 Year of the Captivity. The r{t Supputation to me is much the likelieſt, and agrees, neareſt with the Year wherein this Prophet begins his Prophecy. Ir is not alroge- ther unlikely, thatthe Prophet may intimate, though abſcurely, rhe
|
EZEKIEL. Continuance of the Siepe of Jeruſalem, wich the Culncans began on Fl the 13:h Day of the 10:+þ Month of the 974 Year of Zedekiah, ang #
|thy right-ſide, and bear the Iniquity of the Houſe of F444: and that i
Chap, li