/ 1n the former Verſe, the Prophet foretels the loſt Labour of ſuch Pains and Seed as Ephraim beftowed : Now he addeth ſomewhat more dreadful, the Harveſt is Ruin and Deftruction to the Seeds Man, he is i wallowed up, and this is the Effed of the Whirlwind, ver. 7, ordin2- rily Whirlwinds ſcatter the F:uit, but here's one ſwallows up both Labour and Lahourer. # Very ſoon and irreparably, as a Man that 5s ſwallowed alive by a mighty overgrown Shark. u E're long, vithin three or four Years at moſt, as I noted on chap. 7. verſe 11. let, 0. x Carried out of their own Country by Shilmanzſer, and diſperſed at the Pleaſure of the Conqueror into Chalah, Habor, tc. ) As worthleſs, and uſeleſs, caft out of Door, or if of any uſe, yet in baſeſt and moſt contemptible ; ſo ſhall theſe Captives be among the Nations whom they muſt ſerve ; or Iſrael impoveriſh'd by chargeable 9, is now look'd upon with contempt by ' them all, and calt of. - | 9 For z they are gone up a to Aſſyria b, a wild aſsc
'alone by himſelf 4 : Ephraim * hath hired le- vers e,
? The Prophet gives now an Account why J/7ae] was ſo impo- reriſh'd, and why they ſhould be ſo ſeverely puniſh*d , why fo puniſhid of God, and why ſo lighted by Man. 4 Either gone, !, e, have ſent Embaſſadors with rich Preſents to purcha'(e aſſiſtance from Ajyria, or gone with their Tribute to procure the continnance ot the Afyrian Confederacy and Aids. This confidence and truſt in Ajyria was. accompanied with a caſting off their dependance on, and ſubjeftion to God ; this their Sin was very great, and their Puniſh- ment ſhall as their Sin be very great. Others refer this going up un-
to their going into Captivity into Aſhria, and it ſurely may bea.
PrediQtion of what ſhall be (if it be not a Narrative of what is) Cone, b It was at that time a mighty Nation, whole Kings were very great, and yet more proud than great, as appears in Sexacheril's deportment towards God and Man : This Kingdom had now grown ot through Pul, Tiglath Pileſ.r, Shalmaneſer and S:#2chertb's Reigns, was a Terror to Enemies, and the vain confidence of this foelith and finfy] People, for which they are particularly threatned, and ſe- verely puniſhed, c This is differently applied by Int=rpreters, ſome refer it to the King of Aſſria, who is fierce, ſwift and haughty, as the wild Afs, and all for himſelf, thus the French interpret it; So it ſutes well, rae] thou wilt be diſappointed in thy expettation from Aſhur a wild Aſs, who ſeeks himſelf only. Others do refer wild Aſs to 1/- 74], who wild, untamed, and buraing in Luſt, ( as is reported of the wild Aſs) rangeth far and wide for Lovers, ſeeks every where tor Aids and Succours. 4 Solitary , or in a Wilderneſs, where
'E*M
1 5 fore, &e. op Bring Jſfral together by a locrt and unfailins T
will, faith God, affemb'e ani herd them rog4ncr, ia
it, tis King of Aſſyria, the great King who boalted of his Princes.
altars o, ſhall be unto him ro {in p. I This refers to what follows.
the lame Idol. They had many high Places and Altars in alt of them.
fices to be offered on them to Idols.
{dols, and to attend their Altars and Sacrifices, or elſe by a juit and dreadful Judgment from God delivering them over to their wilful Blindneſs, and idalatrous Hears : fince they would never be reclaim'd nor taken off from ſinful multiplying Altars, let them follow their own Hearts and (et up what they will, much like that Rev. 22. rr. Or elite thus, Alcars ſhall be the occaſion of his greater Guilt and Puriſh- ment, his A/tars, 7.e, his Idolatrous Worſhip ſhall be that Sin that rains him,
law, but they / were counted as a ſtrange thing tr. write ? bnt moſt read as wez*in the perfect or jaſt Tenſe : 1 have
given to them as well as to the two Tribes. 7 For their lnportance, weighty ; for their Excellency, precious z and for multitude of Pre- cepts, Counſels and Direttions, ſufficient ; my Law had all this in it
theſe things I have written. # Jſrael looks on them a3 nothing to them. they are a diſtin& Kingdom, and have a diſtin Eſtabliſhment ; their
dom of our Governours other Laws eſtabliſh'd for our Worſhip ; let Fudah keep to theirs, we will keep to our Laws. After 200 Years :!e- ſuetude, would it not be madnels to introduce Fulab's Laws, and in-
Law, as if they were nothing concern'd in them ; 2nd thus all their
Sins at laſt become incurable Diſeaſes, which nothing but utter de- {tration of the Sinners can put an end unto.
now will he remember their iniquity, and viſit their {ins :
| Nations to ſecure them againft thr Gu 1nd fis Ti taments, the re-
vr Train. they mY be taken and deftroy'd together. Others lay, God will gather the Nations together againft Jj74e!. þ For a while be'ore their final Cap- tivity, they ſhall complain and be grieved. 7 1he Tribure laid on them, þ by the King and Princes, 7. e. of 1/72el ; but berter as we read
11 Becauſe / Ephraim hath made many alturs m to inn,
m Nultiplied cither to many Idols, every one having his Altar, or multipi ed Altars in ſevera! aces £2 n Both as ating againft the Law of God which require: but on- Altar, and alſo thele Altars were to lin, in that they were for Sacri- Theſe Perſons did not inten them for Sin, but their good Intention did nor, could not chan»e the thing, 'twas Sin however they intended. 0 Either thote he &- rected, or thoſe they ſhall find in Afjria when they come Captivez thither. p Either becauſe forced in Captivity ro worthip Ajſy7i 1:
[2- | have written q to him the great things r of my
q Some read it in the Future, and by way of Queſtion, Sha?! /
written, by Moſes firſt, by other Prophets afterwards, the Law was
for their condu&-in all Righteouſneſs towards God and Man. { All
Laws are now become unpracticable to us, and we have by the Wiſ-
novate all in J/rael ? thus they contemned the excellent things of Gud's
1 3 || They facrifice « fleſh for rhe ſacrifices of mine of || Or, 7: terings, and cat #t ; but the LORD accepteth them not x -*;* /47
Mee) of
* they ſhall return to Egypt z.
and in Oppoſition,read them, and perhaps connected with the former when ſo taken.
. £ Z u Or. as for Sacrifices my Gifts ; ſo ſome ablogghe words Abfvlute, Fa;
mine offoy. , 57 CO 7 F } » they,
they afe plainer and cloſer * Chap.g, 1 have written to them, 4 & 15, -,