10 They a hath him that rebuketh b in the gate c, and they abhor him that ſpeaketh uprightly 4.
2 Either this is the Prophet's Complaint of chem without farther expeRing their compliance with his Advice, or he foretels what they will do, Judges and People. b They both hate them that rebuke, Judges hate the Yrophets, who-rebuke corrupt Judges, and the Peo- ple hate impartial Judges, if any ſuch be among them, « Where Judges fate, and where the Prophets did many times deliver their Metiage. 4 They cannot brook any one that deals plainly and honeſtly with them, whether Judge, Prophet or private Perſon. |
- 11 Foraſmuch therefore as your treading e 5 upon the ISN poor f. and ye take from him g burdens of wheat hb; * ye £2 © have built houſes 7 of hewn ſtone k, bur ye ſhall not dwell
+ Heb, in them! ; ye have planted + pleaſant vineyards mn, but
vine-yards ye ſhall not drink wine of them n. of d:fire, expreſt here by treading. 1c was very heavy on the Poor, an Effect of Eraud, and executed with tyrannical Inſolence, as the Word and its Faraphrale imports. f Who have not Power to withſtand your Violence, nor Money to buy your Friendship. g Receive when offe- red,and ye force them to offer, you extort from the Poor. þ Great Quantities of bet Whear, on which the Pocr <huuld live, either ma- king Bread of it to feed th-n{clves,or elſe making Moncy of it to ierve other Occations. It is nor ſ1id what Burden,but probably as much as the poor Man was able to carry. # Perhaps theſecorrupt Judges had builc for their Children; ſo one greedy and ravenous Judge might build as many Houtes as he had Sons, or theſe Judges being many had built many Houſes. & Intimating the Greatneſs, Beauty and Strength of them ; and they flatter themſclves,that they and their Poſterity shall long dwell at eaſe, and multiply in theſe goodly Houſes, 1 You by op- preſſion build, but God will by his juſt Hand, and by the Afyrians Vio- lence, turn you out of thoſe Houſes, and make you Captivesin a Land where your Enemies pleaſe to carry you z you $hall find that Deut. 28. 30. fulfilled on you. m Moſt detirable for ſituation, for fruitfulnels, tor ſweetneſs and goodneſs of the Grape, every way delighttul, 7 Ei- ther they shall not bear, or the Enemy $hall devour, or you $hall be carried away into Captivity. The Threat Deut. 28. 3g. Shall be
EXEcuted, 12 Foro Ip know q your manifold tranſgreſſions r, and
your mighty s fins - they 2fflict # the jult «, they take a {| Or,zan- || bribe x, and they turn aſide the poor in the gate y from <a their right 2.
0 Wonder not at th- threatned Severity, as if *twere too rigo- rous ; it is but proportioned to your Sins, p The Lord whom you provcke, who hare threatned you. q Clearly, fully, and in all the CircumB&ances of them, what moves you to do ſo, what Pretences #f Law you make, all your Evalions are vain and focligh, r The increa- ted Number of your <ins, and the greatnels of them too, as the Word importeth. s Which mightily wrong and break the poor and necdy. r Befiege, or with hoſtile Minds watch againft, and gladly take any occaſion to wrong and grieve the juſt, # Not abſ0Jutely and finlefly juſt, but ſuch as are comparartively juſt, or thoſe whoſe Cauſe is juſt, or thoſe that live with regard to all the Commands of God, and follow Righteouſnels; It was the mighty Sin of the corrupt Rulers in Samaria and Jſrae! at that day, that they were Enemies to all Righteouſneſs, x In Civil Caules Brides carried it, vil. chap.2, ver.6. let. p, 9, 7, 5. 7. here Bribes ſet Criminal: irce, a Raniom, (as the W ord #ebr.) buys off the Puni-hment appointed by the Law againſt Murde- rers, Adulterers, ©; y The Poor, who appear ia their Courts for Juſtice, they turn them away, or delay to hear, or hear and judge un- juſtly, and ſo ſend them away wrong'd and crying. x Theſe Words fully expreſs the Prophet's meaning, and are therefore well ſupplied in our Verſion.
13 Therefore 4 the * prudent b ſhall keep ſilence c in
that time, for it 75 an evil time d. |
# Becauſe that Men are ſo univerſally impatient of hearing Re- proof, and yet their Sins ſo much abound, and fo much deſerve Re- proof ; ſince they will ſooner turn againſt the Speaker,than turn from the Sin ſpoken againſt. - 6 The wiſe Men, Prophets ſay ſome, but I rather think other private Men are here meant , whole private Capacity ailoweth them to keep filence, when others mult ſpeak. c Be forced to it (ſay ſome) they $hall be filenced; this true, but rather here is a voluntary, choſen Silence toward vile Corrupters of
Law and Juſtice, who will nothing mend though reproved, or a |
Silence before God, owning his Juſtice in. punishing ſuch Sinners, 4 Both for the ſinfalneſs of it, which progoketh God to Wrath, and tor the Sorrows, Troubles, Wars and Captivity of this People by the Hjſyrians.
14 Seek good e and nt evil f, that ye may liveg: and ſo the LORD the God of hoſts ſhall be with you , as ye
have ſpoken z.
e Turn to the Law of God, ſtudy it that ye may do the good it requireth, in Works of Piety, Juſtice and Charity, f You have devi- ſed Evil, and done it in Works of Impiety, Injaſtice and Cruelty. Or this may be the ſame with ver. 4,5, 6. Wlch lee, g Vid. ver. 4. Iet- q. 6 The Eternal Glorious God, who is Lord of all, and can help you, having all the Hoſts of Heaven and Earth ar his diſpoſal; he will be with you to bleſs and lave you yet, notwithitanding all your for-
2c Sins, # You have boaltcd his being with you, you think he 1s
e Their Oppreſſon was more than ordinarily proud and tyrannous, -
|
! !
|
Cha 2 will inet "7
15 * Hate k the evil 1, and love the good M, ar! e-xy.
| ſtabiiſh judgment in the gate" : it * may be thar the Lorg & g-"
GOD of hoſts will be gracious 0 unto the remnant Þ of *ti;
Joſeph q.