ro Thus faith the Lord GOD, Behold, I am againſt q the ſhepherdsr, and I will require 5 my flock at their hand, and cauſe them to ceaſe * from feeding the flock, neither ſhall the ſhepherds feed themſelves « any more; for I will deliver x my flock from their » mouth, thac
they may not be bear & for them. | 9 They have provok'd me to Diſpleaſure to be their Enemie, and will appear, and act ſo; they are Enemics to my Sheep, yer pretend- ed to be Shepherds, I will be an open Enemy to them. To Zedeti av, his Princes, the Prieſts and Prophers, all rhe ruling part in Zero -z/c12, s I will require, both by Account firſt, and next by ſevere punithing, as Zedekiah his Children, &c. found. # Turn them our of my Ser- vice; that honourable Employment ; ſo was the King and Princes ot Judah turned out of all by the King of Babylon, by whom God made good this his Word. « Their Profit ceaſed with the cealing of their : Authority, and they could no more milk, fleece or flay tlie Flock, when 'twas taken out of their Hand. x They ſhould have delivered them out of the Hands of Violence, fince they did nor, I will deliver, fave and reſcue this Flock which is mine. y Thisſpeaks that thele Shepherds. had been Lions, or Bears, or Wolves, rhore than Shep- herds, and therefore out of their Mourhs, not Hands, God will celt- yer. & So the Flock ſhall no more be devoured by them.
11 © For thus faith the Lord GOD, Behold, I, ever I 2 will both ſearch b my ſheep, and feek c them our.
a The Conſtruction is emphatical in the Heb. and well expreſs'4 here, 1 the Owner, the Lover, the Maker, the great Shepherd, ever I, who committed themi to your Care, never ſubmitred rhem to your Rapine and Cruelry, who am as angry with you for devouring them as I am zealous for their Welfare, 6 Will demand them of you, I know
I” « With your Hand, Countenance and Counle]; ſo theſe Meza- 0!, II |
how many I delivered to your keeping,and I expe$} An Acc. ant of fo [Aa] marry
Chap. XXXIV.
many again,
ver 5.let 5. and wer. 6. let. bh. under your Hand many at
— my Hand nor one fſhal] be loſt. ; _
| Heb.e:- 12 + As a ſhepherd feeketh out his flock in the day cording tothat he is among the ſheep that are ſcattered 4; fo will rbcſecki?g-] feck out my ſheep, and will &eliver ether out of all
dark g day. |
a fe doth gently gather them together, counteth chem, them to the Fold, views what they have ſuifered, whether lame 0 torn, and binds up and healeth ; if any are wanting, findeth them, and dees bring them back; ſo will I, faith the Lord : the Shepherd find the Wolfor Lion among tae either kill or drive him away, ſo will God;
e They are wronged in all Places whero they were ſcattered,the _ in which they are, and ſhould not be, are part of that Danger I _ free them from. f When the Storm firſt began to ariſe from abroa or at home here in Perſecutions, there in warlike Preparations. g That the Land was invaded rill the Deſolation of Jer#ſalem, the times of male-Adminiſtration of their own Governours, and violent Irruption : of their Enemies. |
* Chip. 13 And *I will bring 5them out from the people, and
28.25- oather ithem from the countries, and will bring &them to their own land, and feed mthem upon the mountains 7 of Ifrael by the rivers, and in ali the inhabited p places
of the country. :
h When Cjrus's Proclamation came forth that the Jew: might re- turn, *this Prophecy was [irerally fulfilled, God did incline the Minds of the Jews to retire from the People amidſt whom they had dwelr ſe- venty Years, vid. Ezra 1. 5,6. and 7.13. # Aſſemble them together, ſo they didin a Place appointed without the Country where they were, (as appears, Ezra 8. 15.) intheir aſſembling at 4ava or Diava, near where ic falls into Euphrates in the Country Adiab:ne, which was from the more inward Receſles ofthe Babylonian Kingdom, onwards of their
Journey to Jeruſalem. k Lead, condutt, and asa Shepherd go before them, till I have put them into. Poſleſſion againof their own Land. | Canaan, their own by Grant from the Crown of Heaven, antiently polletied by their Fathers, and out of which Violence caſt them. » God will provide, maintain and nouriſh them. # Places proper for Sheep, where now they ſhall once more be kept. o Water-brooks, as P/al. 42. 1. which run down from the Spring-heads inthe Sides and Tops ot the Mountains with ſome Impetuouſneſs and Noife, or if oreater Rivers, they are thoſe that run by the Foot of the Mountains, on which theſe Sheep ſhall feed, p This may explain the former, on tuch Hills by Rivers che returned Captives would firſt ſertle their Habi- tations, and here theſe Sheep would beſafeſt ; thus literaly : ſpiritually it referrs to the gathering the Ele& by the Goſpel out of the World, ©. 14 I will teed qthem in a good 7 paſture, and upon the high mountains of Iſrael ſhall their fold « be : there : they {hall lie in a good fold, and i» a fat paſture ſhall they feed
upon the mountains of lrael. ;
g See ver. 13. let, m. r Infat, ſweet, plentiful Paſtures. 5 Toreſt in there for Safety, they ſhall ſertle their Habitations upon their Re- eurn 3 or there my Flock, my People, my Church, ſhall dwell and reſt, where Idolaters once had their High Places, thus fpiritually. s This and what follows is a Confirmation of what before was pro- miled, and *tis aflured to them by the Lord, who himſelf will ſee all this be done.
15 I will feed my flock, and I will cauſe them to lie
down, faith the Lord GOD. ; ; * Mc.4. 16 * ] will ſzek that which was loſt s, and bring again 6. that which was driven away, and will bind x up that wich vas broken, and will ſtrengthen y :9at woich was fick: but T will deſtroy z the fat and the {trongs, I will teed c them
with judgment. : ;