gs. 7 mark out, or deſcribe on Tile or Tablet, as chap. . 4. 1. two Roads, and ſet 1t before rhy Country-men in Ba6ylos, and ler them know that the Arms and Svord of Nebuchaduezzar are deſigned for Exp'oits, where thoſe Ways Jead them : thus Typically Ezekiel forerels the Invaſion the King of Babz/on would make. + The Ways, tho two in the courſe, they lead as Streams that divide and multiply ; yer ; muſt rake their Riſe from one and the ſame Land, that is Baby- lon; there the Prophet muſt begin to mark out that Way, which 15.t0 be drawn out till it divide into two. &k& Pitch on ſome convenient place, where thou mayeſt place Nebuchadn:zzar's Army, he and his Council of War conſulting where this one Way divides into rwo, which 'was on the Edge of the Deſert of Arabia, as N-buchadnezzar purſued his March from Babylon. Either where the Way begins at Babylon; Or rather at the Head where each diſtin& Way runs out, roward either Rabbath of the Ammonites, or Jeruſalem ; for there Ne- buchadnezzar will caſt Lots.
29 Appoint a way, that the ſword may: come to Rabbath »» of the Ammonites, » and to Judah, o in Jeru- ſalem p thedefenced 9,
» This Royal City of the Ammonites, it ſeems, the King of Babylom
KizH
more eaſily be broken, and beat down, þ In 2 Siege of forte length, Mounts muſt be raiſed to vffend the belieged by ſhooting from the Tops of them into the City, and to defend the B:liegers, and the Toll and Danger hereof ſeem; here to be caſt on both Overſeers, and Labourers too by Lot. # Wooden Towers. Now all theſe Works being thus by Lot diſpoſed, the wary Tyrant prevents the Murturs of his Commanders and Soldiers, and inſinuares a Courage into them by the Pretences of aſſured Succeſs, and his 1dols approving them, .
23 And ir ſhall be unto them & as a falſe divination in their ſight, || to them that have ſworn 1 oaths : but 7 hey Or, for will call to remembrance » the iniquity, o that they the oaths. ? may be taken. i. _ EE #14de unto
& The Jews, who ſhall either not believe that Nebuchadnezzar dig thews. ſo conſult, or elſe that 'tis a vain, falſe and lying Divination which will delude him that believes ir, but never hure them who deride it I Zedekiah his Princes, and Nobles who ſwore Allegiance to the King of Babylon firſt, and afterwards conſpired with Egypt, and by new and ;Contrar Ives, provok'd as wellasdiſkonoured 'G buchadnezzar to revenge their Perfidiouſneſs, ions of the Prophet ; g 0 4. 2 Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Will ; art it alſo to his . Council, as the ground great Wickedneſs of their \Perjury and Rebellion. Þ Both Zmdekiah, and the Jews with him,
; may be ſubdued, taken Caprives, and the Kingdom overthrown, the City burnt, ard they ſent into Babylon,
24 Therefore thus faith the Lord GOD, Becaiiſe ye have 9 made your iniquity to be remembreg » in that your tranſgreſlions r are diſcovered, s ſo that in all your doings * your ſins do appear; becauſe, u 7 ſay that ye are come to remembrance, ye ſhall be taken with
the hand x. Mb ſaw fill their
[]
wicked Perjuries, eferring to Nebn«
had a Quarrel with, as: well as with Jeruſalem, and he was reſolved when he came out of Babylo, to ſet upon one of them There were two or three Cities of this Namie Rabba, or Rabbath, one in rhe Tribe of Fudah, ofie in Iſachar, one in Moab, but this in the Text is di- ſtinguiſhed by Rabbathof the Ammonites. n They were the Children of Lor's Daughter by inceſtuous Mixture. 0 7. e. The ſews, the Land for the People of the Land. þp Particularly againlt Fern/alem,
to whoſe Memos«
gainſt the King of with promiſed Obedience, : Publick manage of
add Sin to Sin, and
q Whoſe Fortifications do now as little diſcourage as they ſhall e're long hinder Nebuchadnezzar from taking the Ciry and deſtroying ir.
21 For the king of Babylon r ſtood at the + parting Of the way, 5 at the head of the two ways, to uſe : divi- nation : he made his || arrows « bright, he conſulted x with
7 images, he looked y in the liver,
i r The Prophet, by reaſon of the Certainty of t thing, ſpeaketh of what ſhall be as if *twerte already ; he ſtood, 7.e. he will make a Hale, pitch his Camp, and conſult. s On the Borders of 4r3b;a the De. fert, to which one Road brings Travellers from Babylon, but hence. forward it divides and becomes two, one leading to Feruſalem, the other to Rabbath, t To conſult with his Gods, and to caſt Lots; and here the Prophet foretels what Divination he uſeth. « This, the firſt kind of Divination he uſed by Arrows (42:425]d2) either writing on them the Names of the Cities and Countries, then putting them into a Quiver, and there mixing them, and thence drawing them out, and concluding according as the Names were which were on the Ar. rows ; or perhaps by ſhooting the Arrows and judging by the flight; or caſting them up 1n the Air, and divinirg by their Fall, as Beggars are ſaid to go as their Staff falls. So then if Jeruſalem were on the firſt Arrow drawn out of the Quiver, or if the Arrows beſt flew, or moſt tell that way toward Jeruſalcm, Nebuchaan:zzar Will take that way. x The next way of divining was by asking Counſel ot his Idol, or Image, which being made artificially by the Skull of their jugling Prieſts and Conjurere, with little help they could give Anſwers, and the Image ſpake aloud what the Sorcerer ſpake more ſoftly, ſomewhat like the artificial whiſpering Places which convey the Voice from un-
that without bl ſumm'd in the
g them. «© The whole x As Birds, or Beaſts taken ey Cannot get away, are
and be carried into Babylon. 25 Y And thou y profane z wicked prince @ of If-. end, | | ” Zedekiah, z Tainted with ſecret, deep irreligious O iniong whence hz deſpiſed God, arid his Oath, and profaned the "aw of God. a So much was his _— Dignity leflened, that indeeg he was rather a Prince ſubje&, and ependent, than a King. 5 Day of Sor. rows and Sufferings, and Puniſhment is at hand. £ The Irreligion which is ſpread by thee among thy Courtiers ſhallceaſe to fpread ic ſelf, becauſe of thy low Eſtate. Or, when Iniquity ſhall bring the fatal Ruine of King and Kingdom, and both ſhall bs deſtroyed, and
wich the Overthrow of your State the Opportunities and Means of ſinning ſhall end too.
26 Thus faith the Lord GOD, Remove the diadern 4; and take off the crown e : this ſhall not be alt &im g that is low h, and abaſe d Either God ſpeaks ro the Prop Nebuchadnezzar to do the thin Tireof the Head e Which was a R
e thing in doub] ingdom and Cro