Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Ver. 1. GOe down to the houſe of the King of Judah] To the Palace royal of Jehojakim ſon of Joſiah, who reigned after that his brother Jehoabaz was carried captive to Egypt, 2 King. 23.34.
Ver. 2. Thou and thy ſervants] Thine attendants and Officers: who, too oft, are evil inſtruments. This made the Primitive Chriſtians pray for the Emperour, that God would ſend him Senatum fidelem, faithful Counſellours.
Tertul. Apol.Ver. 3. Execute ye judgement and righteouſneſſe] Make good Laws, and ſee that they be well executed. This, the Prophet preſſeth quaſi ad faſtidium, ever and anon over and over, as the likelieſt means to prevent future judgements: ſo Phineas found it. See chap. 21.12.
Ver. 4. For if ye do this thing indeed] Heb. if doing you do this word, i. e. If ſeriouſly and ſedulouſly ye do it.
Then ſhall there enter in—Kings ſitting] See chap. 17.25.
Ver. 5. That this houſe ſhall become a deſolation] This ſtately edifice, the place of thy royal reſiance. Note here the Prophets boldneſſe: and learn, That truth muſt be ſpoken, however it be taken.
Ver. 6. For thus ſaith the Lord concerning the Kings houſe] i. e. Concerning the whole Kingdom of Judah, ſaith Junius.
Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon] i. e. High and happy, as theſe fruitful mountains, famous for ſpicery and other things deſirable, Gen. 37.25.
Yet ſurely I will make thee a wilderneſſe] Like as I have made them when the ten Tribes were carried away captive.
Ver. 7. And I will prepare deſtroyers] Heb. ſanctify them, that is, ſend them on mine errand, and ſet them forward. Gods holy hand is in all ſuch deſolations.
Every one with his weapons] Or, tooles rather, to fell with.
And they ſhall cut down] — Sonat icta ſocuribus ilex.
Ver. 8. And many Nations ſhall paſſe, &c.] By a Proſepopaeja of paſſengers admiring the utter ruine of ſo famous a City, the Prophet ſetteth forth the cauſe of their deſolation.
Ver. 9. Becauſe they have forſaken the Covenant, Magdeburg.&c.] In promptu cauſa eſt. Hainous ſinnes bring hideous plagues. Ingentia beneficia, flagitia, ſupplicia.
Ver. 10. Weep not for the dead, neither bemoan him] Lament no more for good Joſiah, lately ſlain in war, and yet dead in peace: Ne fletote, neque condoletote: there is no ſuch cauſe, every thing counted; neither ſhall ye have leiſure ſo to do, becauſe of later miſeries befalling you thick and threefold. Weep ye rather for his ſon Challum carried captive into Egypt: and there miſerably handled, without hope of return.
Ver. 11. Which reigned inſtead of Joſiah his father] But was too haſty, ſtepping into the Throne before his elder brother Jehojachim: and therefore ſoon after dethroned, carried down to Egypt, and as ſome ſay, there put to death. See 2 Kings 23.33. 2 Chron. 36.2. with the Notes.
Ver. 12. But he ſhall dye in the place] See on ver. 11.
Ver. 13. Woe unto him that buildeth his houſe by unrighteouſneſſe] This was Jehojakim, cujus injuſta & inſana aedificia hic accuſantur: who would needs be building, but whether by right or by wrong-dealing, regarded not. This was to incur that curſe, Iſa. 5.8. Habak. 2.9, 12. See the Notes there. Such injurious and therefore accurſed builders were the Pyramid-makers in Egypt, Tarquinius Priſcus, Suetom. Niceph.Caligula, Nero, Phocas, who is ſaid to have heard this voice from heaven, Though thou ſhouldeſt erect thine edifice as high as heaven, (Aedificans auro, ſedeſque in ſidera mittens)
Yet ſin that lyeth at the foundation, will ſoon overturn all. Bernard inveigeth againſt ſome in his time, who did with great care and coſt erigere muros, negligere meres, build high manours, but not amend their manners, which ſhould have been their chief care.
That uſeth his neighbours ſervice] His neighbour he was, though his vaſſal and poor labourer.
And giveth him not for his work] This is a crying ſin, Deut. 24.14, 15. Jam. 5.4. See the Note there.
Ver. 14. I will build me a wide houſe] Heb. a houſe of meaſures, or dimenſions, ſuch as is the Turkes Seraglio (two or three mile in compaſſe) or rather ſuch as is Weſtminſter-hall, built by W…ll…am Rufus, who found much fault with it, for being too little, ſaying it was fitter for a chamber then for a hall for a King of England: Daniels Hiſt.and taking a plot for one more ſpacious to be added unto it, he came to an untimely end; Sarcophago contentus, ſhut up in a little grave, which yet was more honour then this ambitious Prince attained to: for he was caſt out and buried with the burial of an Aſſe, as it followeth, ver. 19.
And large chambers] Hed. widened or winded: through-aired.Caenacula perflabilia. Thus (with thoſe Megarenſians ſpoken of by Plato) he built as if his life had been riveted upon Eternity.
And cutteth him out windows] Some render it (and the Original will bear it) that teareth my windows, ſc. to enlarge and beautify therewith his new building:Et lacerat ſibi ſeneſtras meas. Trem. he took in (belike) a piece of Gods Houſe. This was ſuch a piece of Sacriledge as the very Heathens abhorred. A certain King of Sicily, to enlarge his Palace, pulled down an old Temple: but the Emperour Marcus Antonius calleth it a beaſtly and leud action, not to be ſpoken of without ſhame; proteſting that is was a matter of wonder and ſcandal, not only to him but to the whole City and Senate of Rome: and therefore he blamed the King exceedingly for it. Our William the Conquerour is much cried out upon for throwing down thirty ſix Mother-Churches in Hampſhire, for the making of his New-forreſt, to hunt in.Camd. Brit.
Ver. 15. Shalt thou reign becauſe thou cloſeſt thy ſelf in Cedar?] Haſt thou no better mediums to eſtabliſh thy throne? no better defence againſt a potent enemy that comes to dethrone thee, then a ceiling of Cedar? What if thy Cedar putrify not? can it ſecure thee that thou periſh not? Ah never think it.
Did not thy father eate and drink] Live chearfully and comfortably, enjoying peace and proſperity, through his righteouſneſſe, and piety?
And then it was well with him] Heb. then was good to him; though he did not flaunt it out in ſumptuous buildings. But you have great thoughts, and will not take it as your father did.
Ver. 16. He judged the cauſe of the poor and needy] And ſo took a right courſe, a thriving way, Prov. 29.4.
Was not this to know me? ſaith the Lord] i. e. To ſhew that he knew me ſoundly and ſavingly: whileſt he exerciſed his general calling in his particular, and obſerved the firſt Table of the Decalogue in the ſecond?
Ver. 17. But thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetouſneſſe] That's all thou mindeſt and lookeſt after, oculis atque animo intentus ad rem. Hearts they have (ſaith Peter of ſuch) exerciſed with covetous practices: curſed children, 2 Pet. 2.14. William Rufus is in ſtory noted for ſuch another.
Ver. 18. They ſhall not lament for him] By his exactions he had ſo far loſt his peoples affections, that none were found either of his Allyes or others that bewailed his death: but Jehor…m-like as he had lived undeſired, ſo he dyed unlamented: Edwin-like,Daniel. Hiſt. Turk. Hiſt. as he lived wickedly, ſo he dyed wiſhedly. Mahomet-like, he lived feared of all men, and dyed bewailed of none. See the contrary promiſed to his brother Zedekiah, for his curteſie to Jeremy, chap. 34.5.
Ver. 19. He ſhall be buried with the burial of an aſſe] His corps ſhall be caſt out, like carryon into ſome by-corner. A juſt hand of God upon this wicked one, that he who had made ſo many to weep, ſhould have none to weep over him: he who had ſuch a ſtately houſe in Jeruſalem, ſhould not have a grave to houſe his carcaſſe in: ſed inſepulta ſepultura elatus, Philippic. 1.as Tully phraſeth it; but without the ordinary honour of burial, ſhould be caſt out or thrown into a ditch or a dunghil to be devoured by the beaſts of the earth, and fouls of heaven. Our Richard the ſecond, for his exactions to maintain a great Court and Favourites, loſt his Kingdome, was ſtarved to death at Pomfret-Caſtle, and ſcarce afforded common burial. King Stephen was enterred in Feverſham-Monaſtery: but ſince, his body, for the gain of the lead wherein it was coffined, was caſt into the River. Let great ones ſo live, as that they meet not in the end with the death of a dog, the burial of an aſſe, and the Epitaph of an Ox; ſuch as Ariſtotle calleth that of Sardanapalus, foreign, &c. Or that of Pope Alexander the ſixth and his Lucrece, Hoſpes abi: jacet hic & ſcelus & vitium.
Ver. 20. Go up to Lebanon and cry] Johoiakim hath had his doom and his deſtiny read him:Sub icit fata triſtiſſima Jechonia followeth now Jehoiakims part, and what, for his obſtinacy, he ſhall truſt to. The Prophet beginneth this part of his diſcourſe with a ſarcaſmae, or ſcoffe at their carnal ſecurity and creature confidence: Get up, ſaith he, into thoſe high mountaines here mentioned, Lebanon, Baſhan, Abarim, that look all toward Egypt: and ſee if thence by crying and calling for help, thou mayſt be ſaved from the Chaldees, who are coming upon thee: but all ſhall be to ſmall purpoſe.
But thy lovers are all deſtroyed] The Egyptians, to whom thou beareſt a blind affection, contrary to Gods Covenant.
Ver. 21. I spake unto thee in thy prosperity] Heb. in thy proſperities, or tranquillities. Proſperity rendreth men refractory. Demetrius called a peaceable and proſperous life a dead ſea; becauſe, being not toſſed with any conſiderable troubles, it ſlayeth the ſimple, as Solomon hath it, Prov. 1.32. Men are uſually beſt when worſt, and worſt when beſt: like the ſnake, which when frozen, lyeth quiet and ſtill; but waxing warm, ſtirreth and ſtingeth. The parable of the ſun and the wind is known. Anglica gens eſt optimae fleus & peſſima ridens. Some of thoſe who in Queen Maries dayes, kept their garments cloſe about them, wore them afterwards more looſly. It is as hard to bear proſperity, as to drink much wine and not be giddy. It is, at leaſt, as ſtrong waters to a weak ſtomack; which however they do not intoxicate, yet they weaken the brain: plus deceptionis ſemper habet quam delectationis; able it is to entice, and ready to kill the intangled; In reſt we contract ruſt: neither are mens eares opened to hear inſtruction but by correction, Job 33.16. God holdeth us to hard meat, that he may be true to our ſouls, Pſal. 119.75.
This hath been thy manner from thy youth] Jeſhurun waxed fat and kicked, is an old complaint, Deut. 32.15. To have been an old ſinner, habituated and hardened in iniquity, is no ſmall aggravation of it, Ezek. 20 13. But the houſe of Iſrael rebelled againſt me in the wilderneſſe, &c. there they murmured againſt God and Moſes ten times: forty years was he there grieved with that perverſe generation. They began as ſoon as ever they were moulded into a ſtate; like as Eſau began to perſecute Jacob in the very womb, that no time might be loſt.
Ver. 22. The wind ſhall eat all thy Paſtors] i. e. Vento vanitatis ut chamaleontes aere paſcuntur.The vain hope that thy Governours have in forreign helps, ſhall deceive them; for God will make the ſtrongeſt ſinew in the arm of fleſh to crack and break.
Surely then ſhalt thou be aſhamed] When thou ſhalt ſee thy ſelf ſo ſhamefully diſappointed of humane helps, which were never true to thoſe that truſted them.
Ver. 23. O inhabitant of Lebanon] Heb. O inhahitreſſe, that is, O Jeruſalem, who haſt peirked thy ſelf aloft, and prideſt thy ſelf in thy ſtrength and ſtatelineſs.
How gratious ſhalt thou be?] i. e. How ridiculous, when thy lofty and ſtately roomes wherein thou art rooſted, ſhall be to thee but as groaning rooms to women in travel?
Ver. 24. At I live, ſaith the Lord] An oath which none may lawfully take but God himſelf, who is Life it ſelf. It is therefore ſinful for any one to ſay, A… I live, ſuch a thing is ſo, or ſo. That it is Gods oath, ſee Num. 14.21. with Pſal. 95. ult.
Though Coniah] So Jechoniah (or Jehoiakin) by an Aphereſis is called in ſcorn and contempt. Prepared he was of the Lord (as his name ſignifieth) for miſery; and yet he was now but eighten years old, 2 King. 24.8. Youth excuſeth not thoſe that are wicked. This young King was ſcarce warm in his throne, when carryed captive to Babylon.
Were the ſignet on my right hand] Which is very carefully kept and carryed about: See Cant. 8.6. Hag. 2.23. where good Zorobabel, the nephew of this Jechoniah, is called Gods ſignet.
Yet would I pluck thee thence] This Nazianzen fitly applyeth to Preachers: ſuch as prove vile and vitious.
Ver. 25. And I will give thee into the hand] No ſooner was he pluckt off Gods hand, but he fell into his enemies hands. So Sauls doleful complaint was, God hath forſaken me, and the Philistines are upon me, 1 Sam. 28.15.
Ver. 26. And I will caſt thee out] Heb. I will hurle thee out. To be held captive by Idolaters in a ſtrange country, is no ſmall miſery. Poor Zegedine found it ſo among the Turkes.
Ver. 27. But to the land that they deſire to return] Heb. which they lift up their ſoul to, quam avent totaque anima expetunt, & ad quam ſumme anhelant: they ſhall dye in baniſhment. So they that are once ſhut out of heaven, muſt for ever abide in hell (would they never ſo fain get out) with dragons and devils.
Ver. 28. Is this Coniah a deſpiſed broken Idol?] Is he not?Interrogatio pathetica. who would ever have thought to have ſeen a King of Judah ſo little ſet by, like ſome old picture or inglorious trunk?
A veſſel in which is no pleaſure] that is (by a modeſt Periphraſis) a cloſe-ſtool, or piſpot, ſo Hoſ. 8.8.
He and his ſeed] If any he had, or ſhall have in his captivity.
Ver. 29. O earth, earth, earth, hear the Word of the Lord] Hear this irrevocable decree of mine, and this enſuing dreadful denunciation, which I cannot get this ſtupid and incredulous people to beleeve. His trebbling of the word is as Ezek. 21. 27. for more aſſurance. Some ſenſe it thus, O Coniah, thou who art earth by creation, earth by generation, and earth by reſolution, hear and give ear, be not proud; for the Lord hath ſpoken it, as chap. 13.15.
Ver. 30. Write ye this man childleſſe] As to ſucceſſion in the royal dignity, as well as to ſucceſſe in his raign. The Septuagint render it, a man abdic…ted or preſcribed. This God would have to be written: that is to be put upon publick record, for the uſe of Poſterity.Ariri i. e. orbus vol ſolus, ſicut in deſerto myrica. Fuller. Our Chronicles tell us of John Dudley that great Duke of Northumberland, in King Edward the ſixths dayes, (who endeavoured by all means to engrand his poſterity, reaching at the Crown alſo, which coſt him his head) that though he had ſix ſons, all men, all married, yet none of them left any iſſue behind them. Be wiſe now therefore O ye Kings, &c. Serve the Lord with fear, &c.