o See wer. 2. let h. p Not as a Nurſe, (the word is of other im- port) but advanced, promoted, or cauſed him to take the Throne af. ter the Slaughter of Jofah. q This was Jehoahaz the ſecond Son of Feſiah, of whom *'ts ſaid, 2 Kings 23. 3o. and 2 Chron. 36. 1. the Peo- ple made him King; for God hath not made him ſo by Primogeni- ture, and Right of Succeſſion, r They lookt upon him as a warlike Prince, fitter for ſuſtaining the Troubles of thoſe martial Times, than his eldeſt Brother, and therefore ſtrain a Point of Law and Right. 5 Soon ſhewed his fierce, haughty, cruel, and bloody Diſpoſition, as appears 2 Kings 23. 30, 31, 32. tho he continued but three Months, and ſome odd Days, wherein to play his Pranks. # Had Tutors, and Councellors that ſhew'd him the Method, and he an apt Scholar in an evil, School, learnt apace. « To ſeize firſt, and then to tear the Prey, by Frauds and Violence to hunt, take, and devour that he took, as Lions uſe. » Eat up, as the word notes, livedupon. y Man, Adam the weaker ſort ; or it may be in thoſe divided times 44am may im- ply ſuch as were cruſht, becauſe- they were not of the tyrannizing Faction; at that time Pharaoh had ſome that inclined to him, and perhaps theſe were uſed hardly by Jehoahaz.
: Hieroglyphict;, ject to Babylon, Called Princes,
EZERTITE L..
late , and the fulnef thereof by the noſe of his ing. |
revolt which are mentioned, 2 K:ngs 24. I, 2.
7 he was taken in their pit. bye” 7 Which were Feudatory to Nebu:hadnczzar,and were bound to afliſt : has
G roar-
I choiachivr, tm On viewz2ot only heard-of ther, butſetting upo'
them - violently, and taking them, he came to know their Palaces, which are here called, what he made them, deſolare; ſo the word
Iſaiah 13. 22. n Or it may be rendred Widows, and then'ewill refer to ſuch whoſe Husbands this Lion devoured, and thereby occaſioned their petitioning to him ; and thus he knew them, whom he had made deſolate; but the former beſt ſures what follows. « Pilling, polling. and by ExaCtions driving the Inhabicanrs out by his Cruelty and Ty- ranny. p The -whole Land, or the Country fped as ill as the Ciries;
and fo 'twas empried of Men, Riches and Strength. q By the perpe-
tual violent Threats of this cruel King, which are called his roaring ; and fo Prov. 19. 12. which terrified his Neighbours in the three Years
8 Then * the » nations fer 5 againſt him on 7 er from the « provinces, and *
him in his Wars. s By Orderof the King of Babylon, gathered roge- ther to hunt this Lion, to make War onthis revolting King. #Sur- rounded him thar he might not eſcape. 4 Which belonged to the Bx- byloniſh Kingdom, and were governed by Prelidents, or perry Kings, Vatlals to Nebuchadmczzar. x Soon got him -into their Toils, as Hunrſmen get a Lion, or other wild Beaſt into their Net. »y See Ver. 4: let. 8.
9 And z c brought him to the 4 king of Babylon ; they brought hira into e holds, that his f voice ſhould no more be heard on the g mountains of Iſrael.
z The Armies of the ſeveral Nations, or the chief Commanders of thoſe Armies. &# In Grates, or great Cage, as wild Beaſtsare convey- ed. 6 'Tis reported. they put an Iron Collar about his Neck; and faſt. ned en lon Chain to it. c He was carried that long Journey in Chains. enough to change his roaring Lion-like into the Roaringsof a deſpe- rate miſerable Captive. 4 Where-ever he was (for ſome diſpute is wherher now in Babylon, or elſewhere with ſome of his Armies). How ever, 'tis this unhappy King was carried to Ncbuchadnezzar, or died on the way perhaps, by Command of Nebuchadnezzar fo uſed, that hard Uſage killed him, and then they caſt him outunburied, as Fer. 22. 18, 19. forerold. e Kept him ſafe that he ſhould not eſcape, or brought him to Babylon, which, tho one City, yet ſo large;and had ſo greatand many Forts about it, that it ſeemed to be made up of many ſtrong Holds. f That he might never more cither afright, or kill, or devour any of his People and Subjetts in the Land of 1/-ael. g In a comely Obſervance of the Parable, the Kingdom isthe Mountains, when the King is the Lion that rangeth and roareth on them. T'womore Li- ons of the ſame temper, and alike miſerable in their end I doubr not are included in this Emblem ; and by theſe the Jews might know what would become of Jeconiah, called alſo Jehojachin, and of Zeackiah, who was called Mattaniah |
10 © þ Thy # mother « like a & vine in /thy || blood; planted by the » waters ; ſhe was # fruitful and full o of branches by reaſon of many waters.
The 10th Verſe begins the ſecond part of the Chapter. h O thon Prince of Iſrael. iSee wer. 2. k Frequently {o compared, P/zl. 80.8,
4 The & nations alſo heard of him, he was taken in
their 2 pit, and they brought him with 5 chains unto the land of Egypt.
x The Egyptians heard and Conſidered what he did ; they had Intel- ligence of Jchoahaz's Rigours againſt them, and all that abetted their
Intereſt ; this made them (as Neighbours do when a Lion is reported ro waſte their Flocks) gather together againſt him. @ Or, in their Ner, as Hunters in thoſe Parts dig Pits, and ſpread Nets; into which
they drive the hunted Lion, or Bear. So here, or elſe thus : This Lion was taken at Jaſt tho he did ſome Miſchief firſt to the Egyptians,
ſo the word may bear. & The Story of it you have 2 Kings 23. 33.
theic barbarous Conquerors uſed himas Men uſe a Lion, put and keep Egypt, where he died, Jer. 22
him in Chains, carried him Captive into Io, 11, 12. with's Kings 23. 34.
5 Now c when ſhe ſaw that ſhe had waited, and her hope was loſt, then 4 ſhe took another of her whelps, and
made him a e young lion,
c Upon the ill Succeſs of Jehoahaz, Jeruſatem, and the Jews in the Land, fell from ther Hopes, under great Diſappointments ; for Fehoa- haz is taken, depoſed, carried Captive by the Egyprians, inſtead of ſhaking off the Egyptian Yoke. &d Yet 'tis ſaid, 2 Chron. 36. 4. and 2 Kings 23. 34: that theKing of Zzypr made the next King, both true ; the Jews with Pharaoh's liking, or Pharaoh with the Jews Conſent,
eKing, and
auvance him, whether 'twere Jehoiachim, or Jehoiachin, infuſed the Lion-like Maxims for his Rules,
6 And f he went g up and down among the 5 lions, he became a young 4 lien, and learned to catch theprey,
and devoured &k men.