Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
Ver. 1. IN the fourth year of Jehoiakim] See on chap. 1.2. Above twenty years had Jeremy ſpent his worthy paines upon them: illi vero ne teruntio quidem meliores facti ſunt, but they were nothing the better: here therefore is their doom moſt deſervedly denounced.
That was the firſt year] This firſt year of Nebuchadnezzar, raigning alone after his fathers death, fell out part of Jehoiakims third and part of the fourth, Dan. 1.1.
Ver. 2. Ʋnto all the people of Judah] The circumſtances both of time when, and of perſons to whom, is thus ſet down, for the reaſon given on ver. 1.
Ver. 3. Riſing early and speaking] A diluculo indeſinenter: as good husbands uſe to do, taking the beſt times.
Ver. 4. But ye have not hearkened] See chap. 7.24, 26.
Ver. 5. They ſaid Turn ye again] This was the ſum of all the Prophets Sermons: as of the Apoſtles, Repent and beleeve the Gospel, Mark. 1.
Ver. 6. And I will do you no hurt] Heb. I will not do evil to you: as elſe I muſt. The Romans honoured their Vejoves, that they might not hurt them.
Ver. 7. That ye might provoke me] See chap 7.17, 18.
Ver. 8. Becauſe ye have not heard] i. e. Not heeded them, as chap. 7 19.
Ver. 9. Behold I will ſend and take] By a ſecret inſtinct, as chap. 1.15.
And Nebuchadnezzar my ſervant] i. e. Mine executioner, the rod of my wrath, Iſa. 10. and the ſcourge of the world, as Attil…s ſtiled himſelf.
And againſt all theſe Nations round about] Who were ſo infatuated, that they did not combine againſt Nebuchadnezzar, whom the Septuagint called a dove, ver. 38. of this chapter, but he was a vulture rather, and theſe Nations were as ſo many ſilly doves which ſave themſelves by flight, not fight; and ſitting in their dovecotes, ſee their neſts deſtroyed, and their young ones killed before their eyes, never offering to reſcue or revenge, as other ſouls do. So dealt the old Britons when invaded by the Romans: they joyned not their forces againſt the common enemy, ſed dum ſinguli pugnabant, Tacitus.univerſi vincebantur.
Ver. 10 Moreover I will take from them] See chap. 7.34. and Rev. 18.22.
Ver. 11. And this land ſhall be a deſolation—ſeventy yeares] Which commenced at the deportation of Jeconiah, 2 King. 24.8. See Jer. 29.1, 2, 3. with Ezek. 4.1. and 33.21. Avignon in France was the reſidence of the Pope for ſeventy years:Heyl Coſm. fol. 188. which time the Romans yet remember till this day by the name of the Babylonian captivity. Luther, when he firſt began to ſtir againſt the Pope, wrote a book bearing title De captivitate Babylonica: which when Bugenhagius a Pomeranian Divine firſt read, he pronounced it to be the moſt heretical piece that ever was written;Scult. Annal. but afterwards having better conſidered the contents of it, he retracted his former cenſure; he told his colleagues that all the world beſides was in deep darkneſs, and that Luther alone was in the light and in the right, and him he would follow. So he did, and drew many more with h…m.
Ver. 12. I will puniſh the King of Babylon] As had been forethreatned, Iſa. 13, & 14, & 21, & 47. and was accompliſhed, Dan. 5.
Ver. 13. And I will bring upon that L…nd] ſc. By Cyrus and his Succeſſours: who out of the ruines of Babylon built two Cities, C…eſiphon and Seleucia.
Ver. 14. For many Nations] The Medes and Perſians: together with the reſt that ſerved under them.
And great Kings] Cyrus and Darius eſpecially.
Ʋtitur demonſtratione ſeu oſtent… divino.Ver. 15. Take the wine cup of this fury] Or take this ſmoaking wine-cup. A cup is oft put for affliction: and wine for extream confuſion and wrath. Poiſon in wine works more furiouſly then in water. See on Pſal. 75.8.
And cauſe all the Nations] According to that power which I have put into thine hands, chap. 1.10. Vengeance is ſtill in readineſs for the diſobedient, 2 Cor. 10.6. as ready every whit in Gods hand, as in the Miniſters mouth, who threatneth it.
Ver. 16. And be moved and be mad] As men that are overcome by ſome hot and heady liquour, are mad-drunk.
Becauſe of the ſword that I ſhall ſend] For it is God who puts the ſword in commiſſion, Jer. 47.6, 7. and there it many times rideth circuit, as a Judge in Scarlet. There are certain ſeaſons, wherein, as the Angel troubled the poole, ſo doth God the Nations: and commonly when he doth it to one, he doth it to more, as here; and 2 Chron. 15.5, 6. and as at this day in Europe.
Ver. 17. And made all drink] viz. In viſion, and by denunciation.
Ver. 18. To wit in Jeruſalem] Judgement beginneth at Gods houſe, 1 Pet. 4.17. See the Note there, and on Mat. 25.41. Sed ſi in Hieroſolymis maneat ſcrutinium, quid fiet in Babylone? ſaith an Ancient.
Ver. 19. Pharaoh King of Egypt] Pharaoh Hophra, chap. 44.30. of whom Herodotus writeth that he perſwaded himſelf and boaſted, that his Kingdom was ſo ſtrong that no god or man could take it from him.Lib. 2. He was afterwards hanged by his own ſubjects.
The mixed people] That lay ſcattered in the deſerts, and had no certain abode: Scenitae and Hamaxobii.
And all the Kings of the land of Ʋz] Jobs country, called by the Greeks Auſitis.
Ver. 21. Edom and Moab, &c.] By the deſtruction of all theſe Nations we may make a conjecture at the deſtruction of all the wicked, when Chriſt ſhall come to judgement. All that befalleth them in this world, is but as drops of wrath foreruning the great ſtorm: or as a crack foretokening the fall of the whole houſe. Here the leaves only fall upon them as it were, but then the body of the tree in its full weight to cruſh them for ever.
Ver. 22. And all the Kings of the Iſles] As Cyprus, Rhodes, and the Cyclades, ſubdued alſo by the Babylonian, ſaith Hierom, Rabanus and Vatablus.
Ver: 23. Dedan and Temae and Buz] The Hagarens or Saracens, chap. 49.
And all that are in the utmoſt corners] Qui attonſi ſunt in comam, Roundheads. See chap. 9.26.
Ver. 24. And all the Kings of Arabia] Petraea.
That dwell in the deſert] In Arabia deſerta.
Ver. 25. And all the Kings of Zimri] i. e. Of Arabia falix. Lib. 6. cap. 28.Zamarens Pliny calleth them.
Ver. 26. And all the Kingdomes] See on ver. 16.
And the King of Sheſhac] i. e. Baltaſar, that bezelling kink of Babylon, whileſt he is quaffing in the veſſels of Gods houſe, to the honour of Shac the Babylonian goddeſs: whence thoſe feaſt dayes were called, foreign:Sheſac, id eſt poculum laetitiae aut vanitat…, vel ſericum tuum. being like the Roman Saturnalia Antichriſt alſo, who hath troubled all the Kingdomes of the earth, ſhall himſelf periſh together with his Babylon the great, which hath made the Nations drunk with the wine of her fornications.
Ver. 27. Drink ye and be drunk and ſpew, and fall] Eckius or Eccius (otherwiſe by ſome called Jeccius from his caſting or ſpewing) being nonplus't by Melancthon, Manlii loc. com. 89.and well nigh madded, fell to drinking (for his own ſolace) and drunk himſelf to death: ſo ſhould theſe do of the cup of Gods wrath, not only till they were mad-drunk, as ver. 16. dut dead drunk.
Ver. 28. Ye ſhall certainly drink] See on ver. 15.
Ver. 29. The City that is called by my Name] Periphraſis Hieroſolymae argumentoſa.
And ſhould ye be utterly unpuniſhed?] See on ver. 18.
Ye ſhall not be unpuniſhed] But ſuffer as ſurely and as ſorely.
Ver. 30. The Lord ſhall roar from on high] As a luſty Lyon having diſcovered his prey runneth upon it, roaring ſo horribly that he aſtoniſheth the creatures and ſets them at a ſtand.
He will mightily roar upon his habitation] Pliny reporteth of the Lioneſs, that ſhe bringeth forth her whelps dead, and ſo they remain for the ſpace of three dayes, until the Lyon coming near to the den where they lye, lifteth up his voyce and roareth ſo fiercely, that preſently they revive and riſe. The Lyon of the Tribe of Judah will roar to like purpoſe, at the laſt day: and doth afore, when he pleaſeth, roar terribly upon his enemies, to their utter amazement, Joel 3.16. Am. 1.2. and 3.8.
He ſhall give a ſhout as thoſe that tread the grapes] When they have their feet in the winepreſs, and the new liquour in their heads, as one phraſeth it.
Ver. 31. For the Lord hath a controverſie with the Nations] A diſceptation, Diſceptatio catholica.which ſheweth that his revenge to be taken upon them ſhall be juſt and lawful. It ſhall well appear to be ſo, at that day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God, Rom. 2.5.
Ver. 32. Behold evil ſhall go forth from Nation to Nation] See on ver. 16.
Ver. 33. And the ſlain of the Lord ſhall be, &c.] Such an utter deſtruction of the wicked is expected by the Jews at the coming of their Meſſiah: as of all people under heaven they are the moſt apt to work themſelves into the fooles Paradiſe of a ſublime dotage, being light, aereal, fanatical.
Ver. 34. Howl ye Shepherds] Ʋlulate, volutate: This is ſpoken to the Governours and Grandees: for in publike calamities ſuch uſually ſuffer more then meaner men: the corks ſwim ſaith one, when the plummets ſink. If a tree have thick and large boughs, it lyeth more open to lopping.
And ye ſhall fall like a pleaſant veſſel] i. e. Irremediably: like as a Chryſtal glaſs or China diſh once broken, cannot be pieced again.
Ver. 35. And the ſhepherds ſhall have no way to flee] Who had formerly divers ſtrongholds. See Am. 2.14.
Ver. 36. For the Lord hath spoiled their paſtures] i. e. Their Kingdomes and States; or their Flocks.
Ver. 37. And the peaceable habitations] Heb. The habitations or folds of peace. The fierce anger of the Lord hath unrooſted them: their dwellings are demoliſhed.
Ver. 38. He hath forſaken his covert as a Lyon] God hath, or as ſome will,Ʋt in praedam involet. Nebuchadnezzar hath: he is come out of Babylon his den, to range about for prey.
Becauſe of the fierceneſſe of the oppreſſour] Of, the Dove, ſay ſome, who alſo tell us that the Chaldees had in their ſtandard this picture of a Dove. But of that there is no ſuch certainty.