Exposition of Ezekiel 14-19, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 16 · Verses 4-5
VER. 4, 5.
4. And as for thy Nativitie in the day thou waſt borne, thy Navel was not cut, neither waſt thou waſhed in water to ſupple thee, thou waſt not ſalted at all, nor ſwadled at all.
5. None eye pittyed thee, to doe any of theſe things unto thee, to have compaſſion upon thee, but thou waſt caſt out in the open Feild, to the loathing of thy perſon in the day that thou waſt borne.
THis Chapter is a continued Allegorie, ſetting forth the ſtate of the Jewiſh Church, under the conſideration of a woman in her birth, education, marriage, adulterie, rep…die and reintertainement.
Something in the laſt exerciſe was ſaid touching the Nativitie of the Jewes, that they were of the Amorites, and Hittites.
Now to goe on,
In the day thou waſt borne,
When to begin the birth of the Iſraelitiſh Nation is inquirable, our Prophet ſpeakes of it in the perſon of a woman, and ſaith, in the day thou waſt borne.
Some make her birth-day to be, the calling of Abraham out of Chaldaea, and entring into Covenant with him, to bleſſe him, to be a God to him and his ſeed.
The infancie and youth of this woman or Jewiſh eſtate, was from the time of Jacobs going into Aegypt, till they were led out by Moſes; her growne eſtate the time of the Judges and Kings; and her old age from the time of the Babiloniſh captivitie to Chriſt.
Others make the birth-day of this Nation, to be their going out of Aegypt, when they were freed from their rigorous bondage there: but to this opinion I cannot caſt in my approbation, becauſe twas the time of this womans youth, not her birth, and ſo the Scripture ſets it out, Jer. 2.2. I remember the kindneſſe of thy youth, the love of thine eſpouſals, when thou wenteſt after me in the Wilderneſſe, and Hoſea 2.15. The dayes of her youth, and of her comming up out of the Land of Aegyt, are the ſame; and preſently after, God eſpouſed this people unto himſelfe.
Some take this birth-day, to be the time of Jacobs going into Aegypt with 70. ſoules, but this is forced, and ſuits not with what followes in the 5. verſ. where it is ſaid, None eye pittyed thee, but thou waſt caſt out &c. Jacob and his, were received honourably by Pharaoh and the Aegyptians, and greatly regarded for Joſephs ſake.
Pradus makes the birth-day to be the time after Joſephs death, when another King roſe up which knew not Joſeph, but oppreſſed the Jewes, from which time it is ſaid, Exod. 1.7. The Children of Iſrael were fruitfull, and increaſed abundantly, and multiplyed, and waxed exceeding mighty, and the Land was filled with them: but to me their birth-daay muſt needs bee long before, take it litterally or ſpiritually: a people muſt be borne, have their being, before they can increaſe, and multiply, and they were the Loads people before this day. This birth day I know not how we can begin it at any other time, than when the Lord cal'd Abraham, Gen. 12.1, 2. The Lord ſaid unto him, get thee out of thy Countrie, and from thy kindred, & from thy Fathers houſe, unto a Land that I wil ſhew thee, & I wil make of thee a great Nation, and I will bleſſe thee, and make thy name great, and afterward he told him his Seed ſhould be as the Stars of Heaven, Gen. 15.5. As the duſt upon the earth, Chap. 13.16. And as the ſand upon the Sea-ſhoare, Chap. 22.17. Hence is it that Abrahom is cal'd their Father, Joſh. 24.3. I tooke their Father Abraham, from that other ſide of the flood. We may include all the time, from Gods calling Abraham, to their going out of Aegypt, to be their birth time.
Thy Navel was not cut,
Hebrew is, foreign from foreign with a double reſh, which Aben Eſra ſaith is ſo cald a firmitate, for foreign is firmum, & the Navel is that gives ſtrength to the child, from foreign principale, becauſe its the principall thing, whereby the Child is ſupported in the Wombe, the Septu: miſtaking ר for ר read it foreign for foreign and render the words thus, non alligaverunt mamillas tuas: French, Con nombril ne fut point coupé, and ſo wee read it.
The Navell is that unites or tyes the Child unto the wombe of the Mother, in which there is a Veine cald Vena Ʋmbilicalis, and 2. Arteries: Some ſay that by the Navel, life, ſpirit and nouriſhment, is let into the Child.the Navel veine conveyes nouriſhment unto the Child, not to the ſtomack, but to the liver, from whence it is diſperſed, through the body of the Embryo, the Arteries carry vitall ſpirits unto it.
As a Tree by the rootes is faſtened to the earth, and by the fibrae the little ſtrings upon them drawes nouriſhment and ſpirits from the earth: ſo is it with a Child in the womb, the Navel faſtens it to the Mother, and by the Veine and Arteries in the Navell, it fetches in nouriſhment and ſpirits.
Some have thought Infants in the womb to be nouriſhed by the mouth, becauſe when newly born, they take the breaſt with their mouthes, but the poſture of the Infant in the womb confutes that conceit, for it lyes double with the Thumbes upon the eyes, the face upon the knees, and the Legs turned up backwards, and how can it receive nouriſhment at the mouth in this poſture?
Others have thought it to be nouriſhed from that liquid humour it lyes in, the whole body taking in what is nutritive, as a ſponge in the water, but that is excrementitious and its not like that God would make that the nouriſhment of an Infant in the wombe, which nature abhors being out of the Wombe
No, its the Navell which is the mouth of the Infant, while it is in that priſon, and it lives upon the blood and ſpirits of the Mother,Plutarch likens the Navell to the roape and Anchor which ſtayes the Infant in that Harbour of the Mothers wombe and when it is cut, the infant goes from Harbour to the Sea and ſtormes of the world. but when it is borne and dſimpriſon'd, the Midwife or ſome skilfull perſon cuts the Navell, for if that ſhould not be, it would be dangerous, if not deadly both to the mother and the Infant. When it is cut there muſt be great care uſed that it be ſo tyed up, that neither the aire get in, nor blood or ſpirits flow out, either of which may hazard the life of it.
For the meaning of the words,
1. It may be this, looke as a Child by the Navell drawes life, Spirits, and nouriſhment from the Mother, ſo did the Iſraelitiſh eſtate draw from the Nations, that were her Parents, Amorites, Hittites Chaldeans, Aegyptians, the life, ſpirit, and nouriſhment of ſeverall impieties. Rachel had her Fathers Idols, and in Aegypt they learned the manners, faſhions, and worſhip of the Aegyptians, they were not ſeperate from Idols, but drew thence the grounds of their Idolatrie.
2. It points out the miſerable condition of this people at firſt.
A Child whoſe Navell is not cut muſt needs periſh, be a dead Child, ſo here thy Navell was not cut, thou waſt in a loſt and deſperate condition, Abraham was an Idolater when the Lord tooke him, Pſal. 106.7. Our Fathers underſtood not thy wonders in Aegypt: they were an ignorant, perverſe, ſuperſtitious people.
Neither waſt thou waſhed in water to ſupple thee.
When an Infant is borne,
Firſt, the Navel is cut,The Aegytian American women waſh their Children in cold water as ſoone as they are borne to make them ſtrong. and then they uſe to waſh it with warme water.
1. To cleanſe it from that filth adheres to the bodie of it, from the place it lay in, or the skin it was wrapt in. Jerome ſaith, the bodies of Infants are polluted with blood, and therefore are waſh'd as ſoone as they are borne; but thoſe are experienced about the birth of Infants, ſay otherwiſe: yet ſomewhat there is which cals for waſhing, and therefore R. Manahen renders the words here, non es lota ad munditiem.
2. For ſafetie, the vulgar reads it, non es lota in ſalutem, deriving the word foreign from foreign to ſave, for if it ſhould not be waſhed, the filth which adheres to it, may cauſe not only unſavourineſſe, but ſicklineſſe.
3. For fightlineſſe, and ſo they fetch the word foreign from foreign aſpicere, and read the words thus, thou waſt not waſhed, ad aſpectum, to be looked upon, to be imbraced and delighted in; when its once waſhed, then the Midwife, Mother, Nurſe, all preſent, take more delight in the Child.
We have it to ſupple thee, foreign ad lenimen, Oecel: Caſt. ine que aquae lotione ſota ſis.ut lenificareris, that thou ſhouldeſt be lenified, the joynts and parts may have ſome ſtifneſſe in them, the Infant lying double or treble in the wombe; or in the birth, ſomething may be wrentched, turned aſide; its uſuall therefore to mixe butter, or oyle with the water they waſh them in, that ſo their limbs may be tractable; but ſurely the fleſh of Infants, their bodies and bones are very tender things, and doe rather ſtand in need of conſolidating then of ſuppling. I conceive therefore, it were better tranſlated,Some adviſe to waſh tham in wine rather than water, as being more ſtrengthning Thou waſt not waſhed in water to my ſight, or when I looked upon thee: thou hadſt thoſe pollutions, corruptions adhering to thee, which made thee unlovely, unſightly, Acts 9.37. They waſhed the body of Dorcas, and laid it in an upper Chamber. It was their uſe to waſh at deaths and births.
Thou waſt not ſalted at all.
Hebrew, et ſaliendo non ſalita fuiſſes, in ſalting thou waſt not ſalted, Septu: foreign, Neither waſt thou ſalted with ſalt.
It ſeemes in antient dayes, it was the cuſtome after waſhing, to ſalt their Infants, or to mingle ſalt with the water, in which they waſh'd them, we read nothing of this practiſe, but only in this place: Pradus cites Jerome, ſaying the bodies of the Infants were ſalted by the Midwives, ut ſolidiora fiant, & reſtringantur: Gallen ſpeakes of it lib. 10. de ſanitate tuenda, Chap. 7. ſpeaking of foreign, one new born, ſaith, it muſt be, foreign, it muſt be ſalted with a convenient proportion of ſalt round about, that ſo the skin of the inward parts may be more condenſate and conſolidate. Avicen ſaith, that ſpeedily the bodies of Infants ſhould be waſh'd in water, wherein ſalt hath been melted, that the skin and Navel may grow hard, only they doe it muſt be carefull that the mouth and noſtrils be not touched therewith.
This ſalting with ſalt was thought uſefull,
1. To keep the Navel being cut, from putrifying, and to ſpeed the healing thereof.
2. To drie up the humours with which the tender bodies doe abound.
3. To cleanſe away any roughneſſe, or filth, adhering more cloſly to the bodie. And
4. To thicken the tender skin, and confirme the inward parts of the bodie.
It was not in vaine therefore, that Anſelm: Boetius a Phiſitian did ſay, ſal eſt quaſi naturae balſamum: this cuſtome is not amongſt us,Cornel: a lapid. but whither it may not be uſeful to ſome Infants I leave to conſideration.
That which the Prophet hereby leads us unto, is, that this People had no heavenly wiſdome, no feare of God, no true grace, no ſalt to cure their wounds, to keepe them from putrifying, but abounded in noyſome humours, were altogether weake and feeble.
Nor ſwadled at all.
Hebrew is, foreign faſciando non fuiſti faſciata, in ſwadling thou waſt not ſwadled, Sept: foreign non implicata eras faſciis, French in enueloppee de Drapeaux, Children are ſwadled to ſtrengthen their bodies and to keepe their limbs ſtreight, Luk. 2.7. Chriſt was wrapped in ſwadling clothes; and its given as a reaſon why the bodies of Barbarians were ſtreighter then the bodies of the Romans, becauſe they kept their Children ſwadled two or three yeares.
Hereby is ſet out how deſtitute of all helpe this people were.
Verſ. 5. None eye pittyed thee, to doe any of theſe things unto thee.
Here the contemptible condition of this metaphoricall Infant is ſet out in three things.
1. That none eye pittyed, or had compaſſion on her to do ought for her, its ſomething, in miſerie to be pittyed, but to have none to pitty, all to be incompaſſionate, is ſad.
2. That ſhe was caſt out, not into ſome by or ſecret place, but into the open Feild.
3. Her perſon was loathed.
None eye pittyed the.
Hebrew is, foreign non pepercit ſuper te oculus, eye hath not ſpared upon thee, the eye of man hath not looked after thee; Vatablus, non eſt miſertus tui oculus, Eye hath not had pitty on thee, no humane eye, and the word foreign ſignifies to pitty as well as to ſpare, and this muſt be the ſenſe, as theſe following words doe ſhew.
To doe any of theſe things unto thee.
What things?
To cut her Navell, to waſh her, to ſalt her, or ſwaddle her; theſe ſeem'd no great things, of ſmall moment; yet there was none found to doe any of theſe: if ſome one had cut her Navel, another waſhed her, a third ſalted her, &c. it had been ſome comfort; but ſhee was ſo vile, ſordid, contemptible, that none eye minded her, were mov'd to doe ought for thee, or ſhew her the leaſt compaſſion, or kindneſſe.
The words for pitty and compaſſion were opend 5. Chap. 11. Verſe.
But thou waſt caſt into the open feild
It was a cuſtome among the Heathens, if they were poore, and could not bring up their Children; or if the Children were deformed,Aelia: de var: hiſt. lib. 11. to carry them forth and lay them in the Feilds, if they did not otherwiſe make them away, and theſe Children were cald, liberi expoſititii. This was ſo common a practiſe, that the Thebans made a ſevere Law againſt it, that whoever expoſed their Infants in the Woods or Feilds, ſhould ſuffer for it. Its reported of the Japonians, that thoſe of them, who are not able to maintaine thier Children, do uſually make them away, eſpecially if they be Females, looking upon them as burdenſome, and leſſe uſefull. There is proviſion in ſome Countries to prevent the untimely death of Children, misbegotten and expos'd, they are look'd after, and taken into Houſes appointed for their preſervation;Clem: Roma. lib. 9. recog. The Jewes were free from this ſinne above all others, for its ſaid of them, nunquam apud Judaeos infans natus exponitur; yet the Jewiſh State was as an Infant caſt out.
Now you know when a little Infant, is caſt out into the woods, or fields, it muſt needs periſh, either by hunger, injury of weather, fowles of Heaven, beaſts of the Feild, or ſome Vermine, if it be not taken up.
Moſes was caſt out, and had periſhed in the Arke among flaggs, if he had not been taken up.
Some divine this to bee meant of the caſting out of the Hebrew Children to their deſtruction; others put it upon the time of their making Brick and Clay in the Feilds.
In the open Feild.
Hebrew is, In the faces of the Field, the Hebrew call the out-ſide or ſuperficies of things, their faces, as the face of the deepe, face of the waters, Gen. 1.2. ſo here, the face of the Feild, and here rendred open.
To the loathing of thy perſon.
Hebrew is, foreign in abjectione animae tuae, the word foreign ſignifies amoliri cum faſtidio, abhominari,: Some of the Rabbies interpret Goal deimmunditie quae adhaeret faetui; or that wherein the Infant lyes, and ſo imports the filthie and loathſome condition, this Iſraelitiſh Infant laye in, that there was no regard had of he… life or perſon.
The Task-Maſters oppreſſed the Jewes, their Children were caſt into the Rivers, Pharaoh and others plotted their ruine, and there was none to pitty, to help: but they were as a Child caſt out, to the loathing of their Perſons.
Obſer. The miſerable eſtate of man by nature both of Jew and Gentile; for what is ſaid here of the Iſraelites, is true of al mankind, and is here implyed; for if the Jew had no priviledge, what muſt the Gentile have? mans condition by nature is very deplorable.
I ſhall give you it out, as it lyes couch'd in this ſimilitude of an Infant new borne.
1. Man naturally is not cut off from the old ſtock (as the Infants Navell was not cut) but drawes life, ſpirits, nutriment from it; every mans Father naturally is an Amorite and his Mother an Hittite, and looke what waye they walkt in, the ſame doth the Child: Adam was of the earth, earthy, and ſavoured of the earth: ſo doe all his Children. Thou haſt a Navell about thee, carnall deſire, which ſucks nutriment from the wombe, and paps of the creature, their Navels are faſten'd to the earth, which is their mother, thence they ſuck their nutriment.
Hence the Chuch Pſal. 45.10. is bid forget her own people and her Fathers Houſe.
2. Naturally, man is filthy, void of all beauty, and comlineſſe, Thou waſt not waſhed with water, waſhing ſuppoſes defilement, Pſal. 51.5. I was ſhapen in iniquity, and in ſinne did my Mother conceive me, warm me. John 3. That which is borne of the fleſh, is fleſh, Pſal. 14.3. They are altogether become filthy: there is ſome naturall defilement adheres to a Child newly borne, but there is much ſpirituall defilement.
3. He is ſtiffe in wickedneſſe, he hath nothing to ſupple him, Pſal. 78.8. A ſtubborne and rebellious generation.
4. Man corrupts in his natural condition more and more, he abounds in ill humours, his thoughts are evill only and continually, his affections are inordinate, Col. 3.5. wicked men grow worſe and worſe, 2. Tim. 3.13. they putrifie in that eſtate: Thou w…ſt not ſalted at all; Its ſalt that preſerves from putrefaction: now man by nature having no ſalt, muſt needs grow more and more unſavourie, naturally men are not ſalted with the fire of the ſpirit, or any ſparke of that fire, with any grace, with any divine Truth.
5. Man is naked in his naturall eſtate, Thou waſt not ſwadled; an Infant not ſwaled, lyes naked, ſprawling, and is a miſerable object; man ſince the fall is naked, without God, & is not aſham'd of his condition Jer, 3.3. Thou hadſt a Whores fore-head, thou refuſedſt to be aſhamed. He is not cloth'd with Humilitie, hath not put the Armour of God the Roabe of righteouſneſſe, but is impotent, weak, and cannot help himſelfe: a Child new borne, how feeble is it? it cannot thinke of ought for its owne good, it cannot ſpeake a word for it ſelfe: it cannot goe or doe any thing may advantage it: ſuch is man in his naturall condition, 2. Cor. 3.5. We are not ſufficient of our ſelves to thinke any thing (that is good) as of our ſelves, Matth. 12.34. How can you being evill ſpeake good things?
Nor can he doe good, Rom. 3.12. There is none doth good, no not one, Matth. 7.16. Grapes doe not grow upon Thornes, nor figgs upon Thiſtles: he is fleſh, in the fleſh, cannot pleaſe God, Rom. 8.8. here is his miſerie, he that was made at the firſt to ſerve God and pleaſe him, cannot now ſerve or pleaſe him at all; he is ſo impotent, that he is not able to receive good, when it is preſented unto him, 1. Cor. 2.14. The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; no, he is ſo far from entertaining of them, that he refuſes them, Luke 14.16. When the great ſupper was made, many invited, and all things ready, what did they? they all made excues, and refus'd to come, Verſ. 18.19.20.
An Infant kicks ſprawles and oppoſes its owne good: ſo doth man naturally, Rom. 1.30. They hate of God. John 15.24. They hated Chriſt and his Father, Act. 7.15. They doe alwayes reſiſt the holy Spirit.
6. Man in his naturall Eſtate is in a helpleſſe condition, there is none can doe him good, None eye pittyed thee, to doe any of theſe things unto thee, to have compaſſion upon thee; none had any bowels to pitty, or power to do for this Child; and who pitties, or hath power to doe for men in their naturall eſtates? all men are in the ſame condition, they cannot help themſelves; other creatures are enemies to man ſince his fall; Angels have not power to cut the Navell of a naturall man, to waſh him, ſalt him, ſwaddle him; did either Prieſt or Levite pittie or helpe the man that went from Jeruſalem to Jericho, when he fell amongſt Theeves, and was left halfe dead? who pittyed Abraham when he was in Ʋr of Chaldea?
7. Man in his naturall eſtate is caſt out, infans expoſitus, Thou waſt caſt out in the open Feild; Adam and all in him were caſt out of Paradiſe, a type of Heaven, into the open Feild of the world; ſo that he hath no habitation, but is a Vagabond upon the face of the earth, an excommunicate perſon, Moſes could ſay, Pſal. 90.1. Lord thou haſt been our dwelling place in all generations.
8. He lyes ſenceleſſe in that condition, and periſhes in it: the Infant caſt out is not ſenſible of that eſtate, lyes obvious to a thouſand dangers, and periſhes, if not taken up.
9. Man in his naturall eſtate, is loathſome, this Infant was caſt out to the loathing of her perſon, when men ſaw her, they were ſo farr from pittying her, they loath'd her, as a little Child in its dung: and a man in his naturalls is ſo ful of ſin, that he is abhominable, his righteouſnes is as a menſtruous cloath, Iſai. 64.6. his prayers, ſacrifice, are abhomination, and what then is himſelf?
Laſtly, this was in the day of birth, no ſooner borne but miſerable, extreame miſerable, either ſtill-borne, or devoted to death immediatly. Its reported of the Indians and Brochmanes, that after birth, about two moneths, ſome are appointed to view their Children, and if they be not likely to prove ſound, ſtrong, uſefull to the State, they make them away: ſo that theſe Children were of all unhappie, becauſe they were borne, not to live, but to be murthered, according to that in Hoſea 9.13. Ephraim brought forth Children to the murtherer. And it was once an Order amongſt the Romans, to put Children, ſuppoſed to become a burden rather to the common wealth, than advantage, to death, the ſame day and houre they were borne; a great miſerie. Jeruſalem in the day of her birth was caſt out, expoſed to all miſerie.