6 Shall not 9 all theſe b take up a parable c againſt him d, and a taunting e-proverb againſt him, and fay, {{ Or, Hehe. || Wo f ro him: that increaferh g that which 1s nor b his: how "long i 2 and to hiny that ladeth & himſelf with thick clay /. hs © 425-577 BY jw a The PrediQtion is moulded thus ina Queſtion to give it Emphaſis, and make it. more affetive. b Who have been oppreft, contume- liouſly uſed, and perfidiouſly deceived; .ail rhe People. who have fear'd the Power and Policy of Babylon. c Turn him and his State into a By-word and Scorn.. d The King of Babylon,a while ſince the Terror, now the Scorn of Nations. e Short, but ſmarc woundmg Scoffs; and whereas Men uſually &ewail and condole the Miſhaps of great, brave, and juſt Kings or Kingdoms, all People ſhall exulr and triumph in the Miſeries of this oppreflive, luxurious and baſe Ring- dom. f Either *tis a Threat of like Vengeance on all ſuch. Tranſ- greſſors, or it may be a publiſhing the Miteries come upon Babylon. 2 By Rapine, Frauds and injurious Dealings multipherh his Trea- ſures, as the King of Babylon did. h Twas not his, though he had it ; 'twas not his Right, though 'twas in his Poſſeſſion. Or elſe thus, one Miſery of the Babylonians ſhall 'be, they increaſe Wealth, but not for themſelyes, but for the AMedes and Perſians.'' This ſeems to be the Sigh of the Opprefſed, who/ think it long ere the Oppreſ- ſor fall. k& Wo to him that is a burden to others, white he burdens himſelf with amaſſed Treaſures gather'd by Extortion and grievous unjuſt Taxes. . / Gold and Silver, :ſo called to lower the Ovyeryalue of them, and perhaps to mind the Tyrant of a Clay bed.
7 Shall they not »» riſe up 7 ſuddenly othat ſhall bite p thee, and awake 9 that ſhall vex7 thee, and thou ſhalt be for booties s unto them 7 ?. -
m This Queſtion doth more fully aſcertain the thing. = Either grow up, or elſe as Men who reſolve to do athing throughly get upon their Feet and ſtand to it. The Medes and Perſrans weregrowing to Power, and would ere long riſe up to ruine Babylon. ''o- Andſurprize it in ſecurity; ſo they were down ere they did perceive themſelyes falling, and ſuch ſudden Ruin is moſt dreadful. p Devour and eat thee up. 9 Thou,O Belſhatzar (and Batylon with thee) wilt in drunken ſlum- bers ( unable to reſiſt ) tall isto the Hands of the awakned Medes and Perſians. r As thou haſt been, O Babylon / Vexation to others by thy proud and inſolent Behaviour, by Scoffs and Cruelties ; ſo others ſha!] now be a vexation unto thee. s Not only your Lands, Houſes aud Goods, but your Perſons, and thoſe of your Relations, ſhall be Booties taken, and ſold for Slaves to the Profit of & Medes and Perſtans. |
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$ * Becauſe z thou haſt ſpoiled x many yy nati-
* ia. 33. Io ons, all y the remnant of the people ſhall ſpoil thee z -
* Ver. 17. * becauſe of mens Þ blood v, and for the violence b
T Heb. of the land c, of the city 4, and all that dwell e
HABAKKU K
Chap. 11
which he would enrich, and greaten by raifing it on the ruines of opprefled Innocents. þ A proverbial Speech in alluſon to Birds of Prey which build their Neſts in the greateſt heights, 0badiah 4. Greatneſs and an advanced Eſtate gotten by Rapine and Prey, may ſeem, but never can be a lecurity to any Monarch. / Higher than God, ad Juſtice ſet him. m Kepr ſecure, and out of danger from all below him. n Heb. from the Palm of the Hand of Evil ; thar | no Evil may faſten on; though it may attempr againſt them. | |
Chat
10 Thou o haſt conſulted ſhame p to thy houſe 4 by cutting 7 off many people, and haſt ſinned 5 againſt j ] thy ſoul z.
0 Nebuchadnezzar Ring of Babylon, p Haſt miſtaken thy meaſures,
= herein...
u The Prophet proceeds to give account of the Reaſons on which the Divine Nemeſis moves in this Afffair, and theſe may convince and confirmus in it. x Slain their People, ſack'd their Cities, robb'd their Treaſuries, led captive the SubjeRs,and depoſed Kings,and done this to many Nations whoſe Cry 1s come up to Heaven. yy Fer. 25. 98 and 27. 3. recounts ſame fix or ſeven Nations. Ir 1s like all the Na- tions that lay round about this Kingdom were ſpoil'd by it. y Now ſha!t thou be paid in thine own Coin. The Remnant of the Nations unſpoiled by thee,ſhall combine againſt thee, and execute the Lord's juſt Sentence, and ſpoil the Spoiler. x O Babylon.. a Either ſhed by private Murders which cried to Heaven for Vengeance, or ſhed by il Application of the Sword of Juſtice, or continual needleſs Wars upon her Neighbours. b Injuſtice and Oppreſfſions. c Of the whole Land of Chaldea, if you underſtand it aivcly; or elſe, if paſſively taken, 'tis the Violence done by Babylon to the Land of Judea, eſpe- cially. & Either , Babylon which oppreſt Jeruſalem, or Feruſalem oppreſt by Babylon, e This alſo as underſtcod attively or paſſive- ly 15 applicable co either Babylon's or Feruſalem's Citizens and Inha-
ltants. {oe 4 | *Ter.22.13 9 Wo f'to him g that * coveteth an evil cove- [| Or, that tyuſnels Þ to hits houſe z, that he:may fer his neft 4 on ea1meth an high /, that he may be delivercd m2 from the power of 9 ©, = | |
» patm 4 ; f , | of the hand. f Itis a general and comprehenſive Threat azainft all Tyrants and Oppreffors. g Every one that is puilty of the fin.. þ Or driveth a trade 0: Oppreiſion, to: gain by what means ſoever, right or wrong, This is evil of 5:1, azd will end 1n.cyil of Trouble. 7 His Family