are irri.cd Arheits, or that in Matters of Religion have taken up not wat 1s purcſt and trucſt, but what is neareſt and molt in faſhion,
7 Slugziſhiy neglctted to examine pretended Religions, according to
the Law, which they mizhtand ought to have done, and who have
embraced a taile Religion initead of the true. m Thouph che Pro- phets have preacit d 8zatnit this Apoftacy, and called the Prieſts and Pcop!e to forlike the Idol:,and enquire after God, yet they would not enquire, thcf{c alto are here doomed to deſtruRtion.
7 * Hold thy peace 7 at the preſence of the Lord
Zeci.2.13. GOD 0: for the day of the LORD p zs at hand: * for
1 1234 6. the LORD h 4 ©. euells 7. EZC 3017. ©"
T Heb. ſlin- : qo eifg, or Is &g4in it Goa, his Worſhip and his Government, that thinkeſt of ; him Cu 1:0 tetrir than of Baal or Malcharn, ceaſe all thy Quarrels
þrepaied.
n Then that murmureſt in diſcontent, or diſputeſt out of froward-
and -Diiputcs, fiand in awe. o Who is Almighty, Omniſcieat, who! flatter themſclyes into Thovghts,
ERPHANIAH
2th prepared a facrince 9, he hath Þ+ bid his
ruleth and will averge. þ A day of Vengeance from the Loxq. q The wicked among the 7ews, whom we will ſacrifice by the Chat. deans Sword. 7 Summoned in Beaits of the Field, and Fowls of the Air to eat the Fleſh, and drink the Blood of flain Jews, whom the Bibzl:nians flew. |
5 And it ſhall come to pals s in the day of the LORD's
ſacrifice 7, thar I « will F puniſh the * princes x, aud + pe, the kings children y, and all /uch az are clothed with wii "— with y
ſtrange 2 apparel.
s It ſhall moſt certainly be fulfilled, what I threaten I will moft ſurely execute. # Ot ſlaughter to be made by the Babylontans, called here a Day of Sacrifice, that we might ſee clearly the juſt and exem- plary proceedings of God; theſe People finned in ſacrificing to ſtrange Gods, and God will puniſh them, making them a ſtrange $4. crifice to his Anger, » The puniſhment ſhall appear to be from my hard, as he threateus often by Ezekrel. x Nobles about the Court, the great Ones who dreamt of ſhitting better than others, but tell with the firſt, 2 Kings 2. 19, 20, 21» y Sons and Grand-chiidren too of good Foſtah ; Fehoahax died a Captive in Egype, 2 Kings 23.32. Fehoiabtm died on the way, or in Babylon, buried with the Burial of an Aſs, Fer. 22. 18, Fecomah carried to Babylon ſped ſomewhar, yet but little better 3 there he died a Captive : As for Zedebtah and his Children, theſe were ſlain before his Face, then his Eyes put out, and he led into miſerable Captivity. x Some ſay the ttrange Appa- rel of idolatrous Frieſts; others ſay, and more likely, the Garb of Foreigners, imirated by the wanton Fews.
9 In the ſame day «2 alſo will I punifh all thoſe char leap on the threſhold Þ, which fill their maſters c houſes with violence d and deceit e.
a Not to be taken for a ſingle Day, but more largely for that time wherein God would yifit and punith. 6 Infolently and with Rage break open the Doors of ſuch whoſe Goods they ſeize, upon pre- tence of Forfeitures or Fines, a Sin that Exekzel- both taxed and threatned, chap. 8. 17. and 12. 19. and 45. 9. ©c Either the op- preſſing Kings, whoſe Officers theſe ere; or publick Officers and Judges, whoſe Servants thus did (to enrich their Maſters ) ſpoil the Pocr aid the Oppreſſed. d Goods taken away by force, and kept as much againſt Right, as at firſt taken away without Right. e By falſe Accufations, and by ſuborned Eyidence tor proof, and by Pcrjaries.
10 And it ſhall come to pals in that day f, ſaith the LORD g, zhat there ſhall be the noiſe þ of a cry from :he fiſh-gate 7, and an howling #& trom the ſecond /, and 4 great craſhing m from rhe hills 7.
f See ver, g.let.a. g To afſure us of the certainty of the thing, h The Voice H%. or a Cry; 2. e. a very great Outcry and Lamen- tation, i} Whirh vas on the Weſt-fide of Jeruſalem, through which Gate they !r0:._ht in Fiſh from 7oppa, and other Sea-Towns on the 'Veſt-Sea, ©: great Sea, now the Mediterranean; at which Gate the Bailyloniar are faid firſt fo enter into the City when they took it; thus it vw {be 4 Prediction at what Gate the Enemy ſhould enter. b The great, horrid, and confus'd Lamentations of deſperate and undone Mu'ti:udcs crying out, and birterly bemoanirng themſelves, I Gate, which was in the ſecond Wall of Feruſalem, which on that fide was fortified with three Walls, or ſecond Part of the City, or the middle City, for 'rwas divided into three parts. Others read Second as a proper Mamc, ard make it the School, College or Uni- verſity, and ſo render the howitng of the Univertity, 7. e. of Stu- dents either ſlaushter'd, or captivated by Chaldrans, m Breaking 1n pieces, or the-Naiſe of what is broken 1nto ſhivers; poſſtoly the Noiſe of Doors, Windows, Cloſets, and Cheſts broken up, cr burn- ing. 1 In the Houſes of Nobles, likned here to Hills, or more lite- rally in Gazeb and Goath, on which the flying Jews purſued by the Chaldees, loft what they carried with thern, and their Life too; fo all places were ſu!l cf miſerable Slaughter and Out-cries,
11 Howl o ye inhabitants of Makteſh p, for all the merchant people 9 are cut down ; all they that bear lilver 7 are s Cut ott.
o Cry aloud and bitterly. p Some read it appellatively : The Mor- tar in which of old, before the Corn-Mill was known and uſed, they did pound and beat their Corn forBread : They alſo pounded Spices.
Others ſay *tis the lower Town or Valley of Cedron in Feruſalem, 4 deep Valley that ſurrounded the Mountain of the Temple, which fan-
| fied like a deep Mortar, they gave the Name Makteſh to it. g Who
were wont either to lodge in this place when they came to Trade, or if Jewiſh Merchants dwelt there, which was much to the Advan- tage of the place; bur now by the Invaſion of che Land, and by the *iege, all Trade is cut off, a:d many Merchants either flain, or made Slaves. #7 That brought jt with them to pay for what they- bought up, and fo enrich'd rhe Inhabitants of this Mahteſh; all that traded and payed ready Money, are cut off, as Jer q, Others ſay the Mo- ney-changers or Bankers are here meaut by them that bear Silver, Perſons that fur:iih'd all ſorts of People with Silver for Goods laid to pledge, or baitered. s 7.e. Shall be as ſurely as if 'twere airea* dy done. ;
12 And it ſhall come to paſs at that time 7, 7% 1 will ſearch z Jeruſalem. with candles x, and punifh the