Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Ver. 1. SEnd ye the Lamb] For prevention of thoſe Lions, Chap. 15.9. ſubmit to Hezekiah your right Liege-Lord:2 Sam. 8.2. with 2 King. 3.4. a Lamb, i.e. your appointed number of tribute-Lambs, in token of homage: But eſpecially make your peace with God the Ruler of the whole World, 1 Chron. 29.12. by paying him homage and fealty; that there may be a lengthening of your tranquillity.
Strabo lib. 16.From Selo in the wilderneſs] otherwiſe called Petra (becauſe beſet with rocks) whence the countrey it ſtood in was called Arabia Petraea. Some make it the head-City of Moab, others of Edom; a place it ſeemeth it was full of cattle, and by King Amaziah who took it, called Jok…eel, 2 King. 14.7.
Alioqui fiet. Jun.Ver. 2. For it ſhall be that as a wandring bird, &c.] Or, Otherwiſe it ſhall be that as, &c. i. e. except ye do as I have adviſed you, ver. 1. a double miſchief ſhall befal you: 1 diſſipation, as a wandring bird, &c. 2 deportation, at the foords of Arnon, where ye ſhall be carried captive.
As a wandring bird] See Prov. 27.8. with the Note.
Ver. 3. Take counſel, execute judgment] Or, make a decree, or deal equally and uprightly: ſhew the like kindneſs to Abrahams poſterity as he once did to your proginitour Lot whom he reſcued; or as Lot did to the Angels whom, as ſtrangers, he entertained; fac, inquam, quod ſuggero, dum ſubdo.
Make thy ſhadow as the night in the midſt of noonday] i. e. Shelter and ſhade my perſecuted people, eſte illis ſecurum perfugium, & jucundum refrigerium, protect them, refreſh them, do all k…nd offices for them, which your fathers did not, but the contrary, Deut. 23.3, 4.
Ver. 4. Let mine out-caſts] who are dear to me, Jer. 30.17. though I may ſeem to have caſt off the care of them. Out eaſts they may be: but not caſtawayes. See chap. 52.5, 6. perſecuted, but not forſaken, 2 Cor. 4.9. Bowels of mercy muſt be put on toward godly Exiles eſpecially, who are Dei foreign, and ſhould therefore be dear to us.
For the extortioner is at an end] Heb. Emunctor, the Milker, or Squeezer, or W…inger out, Prov. 30.33. ſo the Aſſyrian Tyrant is called: as alſo Vaſtator & Proculcator, the ſpoiler or plunderer, and Conculcator, the Oppreſſour or Treader down, is conſumed out of the Land: and it ſhall not be long ere I fetch home my baniſhed: be content therefore to harbour them awhile: herein thou ſhalt do thy ſelf no diſſervice at all.
Ver. 5. For in mercy (or piety) ſhall the throne be eſtabliſhed] Hezekiah's throne ſhall, (but eſpecially Chriſts) from whom ye may once have occaſion to borrow that mercy which now you are called upon to lend to thoſe outcaſts of Iſrael.
And he ſhall ſet upon it] i. e. He ſhall make it his buſineſs to relieve and right his people.
And ſeeking judgment] Making inquiſition after wrongs of ſuch as dare not complain. The Grand Signior, they ſay, ſhew himſelf on purpoſe weekly abroad, for the receiving the poors petitions, and puniſhing the Grandees of his Court by whom they are oppreſſed: whence alſo he ſtileth himſelf Awlem Penawh, i. e. the worlds Refuge.
And haſtening juſtice] Diſpatching and diſpeeding cauſes.
Ver. 6. We have heard of the pride of Moab] His harſh and haughty carriage toward Gods poor people, though he were adviſed the contrary, ver. 1.3, 4. Good counſel is but caſt away upon a proud perſon. Now, the Moabites were as much noted then for their pride as now the Spaniards are. And their pride appeared by their braggs and threats. But
His lyes ſhall not be ſo] Or, his indignation is more then his ſtrength, as Hierom rendreth it. His boaſtings and bluſters ſhall come to nothing: his pride ſhall be his bane and break-neck.
Ver. 7. Therefore ſhall Moab houle for Moab] One Moabite to another, or each within himſelf, ut ſolent deſperantes.
For the foundations of Kirhareſheth] Which ſhall be utterly raſed and haraſed. Kirhareſeth is interpreted the city of brick walls (as was Babylon) or rather the city of the Sun (as Bethſhemeſh and Heliopolis) becauſe there the Sun was in a ſpecial manner worſhipped.
Shall ye mourn] Or roar, or mutter, or muſe.
Ver. 8. For the fields of Heſhbon langu…ſh] as being decayed and deſtroyed: hence ſo great mourning in Moab. Their father and founder was begotten in wine: and themſelves were likely great wine-bibbers. Hiſtorians ſay that ſome of their Cities were built by Ba…chus. Fitly therefore are theſe drunken Moabites bereft of their vines: as thoſe gluttonous Sodomites were of their victuals, Gen. 14.11. The Drunkards motto is Take away my liquour, and take away my life.
The Lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants therereof] The great Turk cauſeth all the vines to be cut down wherever he cometh, as hearing out of the Alchoran, that in every grape there dwelleth a devil.
Ver. 9. Therefore I will bewail with the weeping] Defleo fletum (Paronomaſia) that is, the miſery of Jazer. Or, I will with weeping bewail Jazer, and the vine of Sibmah.
For the ſhouting for thy ſummer-fruits] i.e. Thy joy and jollity over thy ſummer-fruits, and over thine harveſt, expreſſed by ſongs and ſhouts, do now fail and ceaſe.
Ver. 10. And gladneſs is taken away] Laetitia, i. e. quicquid laetificum erat, all matter of mirth is removed. Heb. gathered up, or gathered in; as your harveſt alſo is to your hand by the enemy.
Ver. 11. Wherefore my bowels ſhall ſound like an harp for Moab] The elect of God holy and beloved, have bowels of mercy, Ego ex intimi… viſceribu… meis conturba…m. Jun.tenderneſs and kindneſs toward their very enemies alſo, Coloſ. 3.12. whom they do oft pitty more, then they pitty themſelves, as Habakkuk did the Chaldeans calamity, Chap. 3.16. and as Daniel did Nebuchadnezzars downfal, Dan. 4.19. Sicut cithara plectro tacta dat ſonitum in funere funereum; As they have mournful muſick at funerals, Jer. 9.17, 20. Mat. 9 23. or as the ſtrings of a Shaulm ſound heavily, ſo do my heart-ſtrings, for miſerable Moab. In an harp, if one ſtring be touched, all the reſt ſound: ſo it ſhould be with us, in regard of fellow-feeling: We ſhould feel others hard cords thorough our ſoft beds.
Ver. 12. That Moah is weary on the high place] tired out in his ſuperſtitious ſervices, by all which he is not a button the better: but a great deal the worſe.
But he ſhall not prevail] This is every wicked mans caſe and curſe: for we know that God heareth not ſinners. Joh. 9 31. He will never accept of a good motion from a bad mouth, Iſa. 1. The very heathen could ſay foreign.
Ver. 13. This is the word that the Lord hath spoken] And is therefore ſure and certain: for the word of the Lord cannot be broken, Joh. 10.35.
Since that time] i. e. Since Balaam hired by Balac (ſay the Hebrews) curſed not the Iſraelites as he would have done, but the Moabites, as he was made to do. Ex tunc.
Ver. 14. Within three years] In which time the ſins of the Moabites ſhall be full, and themſelves ripe and ready for vengeance. Three years hence therefore, ſc. in the fourth year of King Hezekiah: for then came up Salm inezer againſt Samaria, and tis probable, that in his march thither he invaded and ſubdued theſe Moabites, that he might leave all ſafe behind him. An hundred years after which, or more, Nebuchadnezzar utterly ruined them, according to Jer. 48.
As the years of an hireling] i. e. praeciſè, nec citius nec tardius, three years preciſely. This time Moab had to make his peace in: but he minded nothing leſs, and therefore deſervedly periſhed. So, alas, ſhall all ſuch infallibly as repent not within their three years ſpace, which perhaps may not be three moneths, or three dayes, ſaith Oecolampadius, I may add, three minutes: and yet ex hoc momento pendet aeternitas, upon this ſhort inch of time dependeth eternity. Up therefore and be doing: Stat ſua cuique dies, &c.