doing of all ; beſides all former Violences of Barſhi, Zimri, Omri an! Febu, who took the Kingdom out of the hands of their Matters T boſe of Shatum, Menabem, Pehab and # ſp2z, atted in the Times .4- mos pountell at, p Multitudes of oppreſſed Ones in thoſe Times, when the Uſurpers took it to he their Intereft to cruſh all they teared or !ut- petted. q Samaria the chief City of the Kindom, and in other Cities ; yea, rather through the whole Kingdom of Samzriz.
10 For they know not 7 to do right s, ſaith the
their Palaces y.
7 Who oppreſs others, do it as unlearned Lawyers and Judges do ; they are ſhamefully ignorant of the Law of God. s What js equal between Man and Man they will not confider, nor do they care whe- ther it be done or not. # As Men lay up Wealth in their Treaſures, they fill their Houſes. u Perverting Judgment, firſt condemning the Innocent, next ſeizing all as forfeited by Law ; ſo they did no doubt in thoſe Times of Rebellion and Uſurpations; Sequeſtrations and De- cimations, &c. were then too, x The true Name of all their Pro- ceedings, however palliated, » This intimates to us that the greateſt among them were chief Attors herein, vid. Zeph. 1. 9g. but as they ſtored up Violence, they alſo treaſured up Miſery and Deſolation too, as the Heb, elegantiy imports. | |
IT Theretore z thus ſaith the Lord GOD, An adver- ary a there ſhall be even round about the Land b ; and he ſhall bring down thy ſtrength from thee c, and thy Pala- ces ſhall be ſpoiled 4.
2 Becauſe of all the Violence and Rapine, with other crying Sins multiplied againſt God in the midſt of them. a The Afhrian with u- nited Forces, 6 on all ſides ſhall beſet thee, the whole Land ſhall be but as one befieged City, out of which none, or ſo few as next to
none, ſhall eſcape. c Lay low all thy Fortreſſes, break all thy Power, kill thy valiant Men, deftroy thy Armies, and by force take thy ſtrong Holds.. 4 Where thou laidſt up thy Spoils gotten by Violence and Oppreſfſion ; there thy Enemy ſhall find them, and take them away as lawtul Plunder ; and when thy Riches are carried out, they ſhall burn che Palaces themſelves tao.
an ear þ, ſo ſball the Children of Iſrael i be taken out that
th2 beds
maſcvs 92in a Couch n. we
In brief, this Verſe foretels how few, and with what Difficulty they :
ſhall eſcape, who are not ſwallowed up of the approaching Judgments, and 1t is elegantly expreſſed in the following Similitude. e As the Shepherd doth hardly reſcue a ſmall part of a Sheep or Lamb, when the Lion hath feized and torn it. f 'The fierceſt, ftrongeſt, and hold- eſt Creature ; not a Bear or Woolf. g Which are Parts the ravening Lion leſs regardeth, and laft eateth. 6b Leſs conſiderable than the Legs. 7 Some of the Children of J/74e), or ſome of the Ten Tribes ; but the poorer, meaner, and more worthleſs of them, & ſhall eſcape when Samaria is taken. 7 Lying in ſome dark Corner, and ona piece of a Bed, as the Poor do in moſt places. m The chiefeſt City of Syriz taken by Tiglath Pileſer, much about the time when he wafted 1ſrae! in aid of Abaz againſt Refin and Pekah, » Some few of the Poorer among thera alſo ſhall eſcape, pitied by the Enemy when he findeth them weakly and fick upon their Couch, |
13 Hear yeo, and teſtify p in the houſe of Jacob q, faith the Lord GOD y, the God of hoſts s,
o Prophets. p Publickly declare, and witneſs, make what Proof you can of this thing q To the Ten Tribes as firſt, and moſt nearly con- cerned herein z and to the Two Tribes alſo, who as guilty of many and great Sins, ſo are in danger of many and great Judgments, and theſe haftning on them. 7 Aſſure them the Meſſage comes from the Lord God. s Who is Lord of all, and hath all Power in his hand : when he commands, all the Hoſts of Creatures attend to execute his Commands ; ſo that what he threatneth, he will ſurely execute.
Beth-el y, and the horns of the Altar x ſhall be cut off a, for.
and fall to the ground b.
t In the appointed Time, and within compaſs of a little time too z God will in his ſet Time make quick work with them. « The many and great Tranſgreſſions of the Ten Tribes z theſe God will, as he hath foretold by his Prophets, ſeverely puniſh ; and in particular, their Idolatry x ere&ed unto the Calves, and on which they offered Sacri- fices to thoſe Idols by Fereboam's Appointment at firſt, and by the continued Commands of their Idolatrous Governors : It is poſſible there might be Altars to other Idols too; ſee 2. Chron. 34. 4. and Zc/. $. 11. and 10. 1. which ſee. y Antiently called Zaz, but after Fac on his comfortable Viſion did change its Name into Bethel, *twas in the Tribe of Benjamin, and one of the two Places Feroboam firſt ſet up his Idolatry in. 4 Whether more ſacred Part in their Account, 1 know notz but who fled to the Altar, and laid hold on the Horns of it, found them a Sanftuary, 1 Kings 2. 28. but theſe now ſhould not be Safety to themſelves. 4 The Altars ſhall be pulled down, 5Be caft out as common, and trodden under foot with Contempt.
riſh g, and the great houſes h ſhall have an end 7, faith the oo 36.
LORD k. '
c By the Greatneſs of the Deſolation it ſhall appear that God did ſmite though by the Aſſyrian or perhaps it may refer to the Earth- quake foretold two Years betere it came, chap. 1. ver. 1. let.'m. +4 Which probably was in the chief City, where the rich and great Men retired in the Winter tirwe as more for their Delight than the Country horrid and cold, and ftrip'd of its Glory. e The Houles of Pleature, where theNobles and rich Men of J/74e/ ſpent the Summer-time. f Not built with, but beautified-with Ivory, or the Elephant's Tooth ; called here andelſewhere by way of Eminency the Tooth. g By the Violence
22. 39.
ar ol or ns like Mad-men, bent on ruining one another to the un-
M m . of
Chap. II1
LORD ; who ſtore # up violence 4 and || robbery x in j|Oc,ſp677:
12 Thus faith the LORD, As the ſhepherd -| taketh + Heb. out of the mouth e of the Lion F two leps g, or a piece of /ivereth,
dwell in Samaria k, in the corner of a bed 1, and || in Da- || Or, or
14 That in the day #' that I ſhall || viſit the tranſgreſ- [| o;,9un. ſions of Iſrael upon him #, I will alſo viſit the Altars x of {þ 1-483
15- And I will ſmite c the * wintex-houſe d with the * Judg, 3. Summer-houſe e, and * the houſes of [vory # ſhall pe- 20.
* i Kings
P = + CS Wo om _ - = EN enoue Herr ener oo erred = ts
Chap. IV. A M