Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Ver. 1. ANd the Word of the Lord came] In the foregoing chapter, God had threatened the inhabitants of Jeruſalem for violating their covenant with him; and here he threateneth them no leſſe for breach of Covenant with men. In caſe of diſobedience to himſelf, he ſheweth much patience many times: but in caſe of diſloyalty to a lawful Soveraign, againſt oath eſpecially, he is quick and ſevere in his executions.
Ver. 2. Son of man, put forth a riddle] Acue acumen, ſharpen a ſharpening, or whet a whetting. The Prophet might have expreſſed Gods mind in fewer words; but then it would not have taken ſo deep an impreſſion. Parents muſt whet Gods Word upon their children, Deut. 6.7. Miniſters upon their people, and Chriſtians upon one another for the increaſe of love and good works, Heb. 10.24. Riddles exerciſe the wit, and parables help the memory, and excite both attention and affection.
Ver. 3. A great Eagle with great wings] An Eagle (that King of birds) is a fit emblem of an Emperour: as here it is of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, ver. 12. See Jer. 48.40. & 49.22. Monarches,Vide Pier. in Hieroglyph. as Eagles, have quick eyes, long talons, fly high pitches, aime at great matters, ſtrive to get above all others, chuſe themſelves high and firm ſeats, &c. See Job 39.30, 31, 32, 33. with the Notes. Ajax is called foreign an Eagle in Pindarus: ſo is King Pyrrhus in Plutarch; and took delight in that title. The Spaniard was well laught at by Captaine Drake and his forces, when they took Sancto Domingo, 1585. and found in the Town-hall the King of Spaines armes, and under them a Globe of the world, out of which iſſued (not a well plumed Eagle, but) a flying horſe with this inſcription, Non ſufficit Orbis. We could not ſo well bridle his Pegaſus at Sancto Domingo (yet we put a ſtop to him at Jamaica) but we have lately pulled his plumes in Flanders to ſome purpoſe, by gaining from him Dunkirk (now held by the Engliſh) and likewiſe Berghen another place of great ſtrength now held by the French: This was written, Jun. 28. 1658.the good news whereof came to us yeſterday, being June 27. 1658. praiſed be the holy Name of God for ever.
Came unto Lebanon] i. e. Unto Judaea, which lyeth near the forreſt of Lebanon; which forreſt alſo lyeth in the way from Babylon to Judaea.
And took the higheſt branch of the Cedar] Taleam, the top-branch. This was Jechoniah, 2 King. 24.12.
Ver. 4. He cropt off the top of his young twigs] i. e. The Nobles carried into captivity, with their King,Nul…a eſt objectio in lege quae non habet ſolutionem in latere. Omnia Romae vaenalia. as is to be ſeen ver. 12. So true is that ſaying of the Rabbines, that there is no riddle in the law that hath not a ſolution by the ſides of it. And ſo little cauſe had that Jeſuite Barradius to borrow an argument from this text to prove the Scriptures to be a riddle, and obſcure.
And carried it into a land of traffique] Babylonia was ſo; See Rev. 18.11. Rome is ſo, where all things are ſaleable and ſoluble; as was long ſince complained.
He ſet it in a City of Merchants] Some City, of Babylon, ſaith Diodat, aſſigned to the Jews; which was commodious for traffique, to keep them from all thoughts of war, and State policy.
Ver. 5. He took alſo of the ſeed of the land] No forrainer, but one of their own country, and of the blood-royal too, viz. Zedekiah. This was a great mercy: as that moſt ſpitefully done of Attiius King of Suecia, to make a dog King of the Danes: as did likewiſe Gunno King of the Danes make a dog King of Norway: appointing Counſellours to do all things under his title and name.
And planted it in a fruitful field] i. e. In Judea that good land (as Rabſhakeh alſo yeeldeth it to have been, whatever Strabo ſaith to the contrary) where Zedekiah might have lived bravely and reigned proſperouſly, could he but have been content with his condition:
— At Paris ut vivat regnetque beatus,Horat. Epiſt. 2.
Cogi poſſe negat. —
He placed it by great waters, and ſet it as a willow-tree] A well-contented perſon grows up proſperouſly, as the willows by the water-courſes.
Ver. 6. And it grew] And yet it had a great fall; viz. from a tall cedar to a low vine. Zedekiah, though he had ſtill the title of a King, and was not left without wealth and dignity, yet it was far inferiour to that of his Predeceſſours.
Magna repentè raunt, ſumma cadunt ſubito.
Whoſe branches turned toward him] i. e. Toward Nebuchadnezzar now the chief Lord of the land. To him looked and leaned the Lords of the land, and ſo long they did well: for they and the whole Kingdom thrived.
Ver. 7. There was alſo another great Eagle] ſc. Pharaoh, another potent Monarch; why called an Eagle, ſee on ver. 3.
And behold this vine did bend her roots toward him] Which was the worſt chare for her ſelf that ever ſhe did. The Devil of Diſcontent put her upon this unhappy project: whereby, inſtead of mending her ſelf, ſhe ſoon marr'd all. So true is that of Solomon, Wiſdom is better then weapons of war: but one ſinner deſtroyeth much good, Eccleſ. 9.18. Zedekiah little thought once ever to have been a King. Nebuchadnezzar made him ſo, when as he might as well have refuſed him, for the rebellions of his two Predeceſſours. He had alſo dealt nobly with him, though his vaſſal, and would have defended him againſt any adverſe power, &c. ſo that he had no reaſon at all to rebel, but that he was infatuated and beſotted by Ambition and Avarice, which Plutarch finely and fitly calleth foreign, diſeaſes natural to Potentates.
Ver. 8. It was planted in a good ſoil] He was well enough, if he could have kept him ſo.
O fortunatos homines bona ſi ſua norint.
But diſcontent enjoyeth nothing: Zedekiah liketh not to be a vine, he muſt be a Cedar: Aut Caeſar aut nullus.
Ver. 9. Shall it prosper?] How ſhould it? ſay: Hath ever any waxed fierce againſt God (or his ſubſtitute) and proſpered? Job 9.4. Is perfidy and perjury the right way to proſperity? I trow not.
Shall he not pull up] He that is the great Eagle, ver. 3. who would be upon them before they were aware.
Without great power or many people] i. e. For any great need there ſhall be of them, ſith the work ſhall be done with little adoe. If the Chaldaeans were but a few, and they all wounded men, they ſhould yet riſe up and burn this City, ſaith Jeremy. See 2 Chron. 24.23, 24. Its no hard matter we know, to pluck up a vine, root and branch. God telleth us in the next verſe that he can do it with a wind, with a wet finger, as we ſay.
Ver. 10. Shall it not utterly wither?] As Jonah's gourd did, when ſmitten with a worm: as Phocas his wall came down with a witneſſe, becauſe built upon mines of gunpowder (ſin lay at the bottom as One told him) which being once fired, would blow up all.
When the Eaſt-wind toucheth it] Which is very hurtful to Vines, ſaith Columella. As all creatures, ſo the winds are Gods Agents: as to purge the air (Rupertus calleth them the beeſoms of the air) and to refreſh mens ſpirits, ſo to execute many of Gods Judgements upon his rebels, as here. Aliorum perditio noſtra ſit cautio: Let other mens deſtruction be our inſtruction.
It ſhall wither in the furrows where it grew] i. e. In Egypt, where it rained not, but was all watered by furrows drawn from Nilus, to run into all their fields. Here this vine ſhould thrive, one would think, if anywhere; viz. in moiſt and fat furrows: but it could not, becauſe blaſted by Gods curſe.
Ver. 11. Moreover the Word of the Lord came unto me ſaying] God had one ſaying more to this rebellious houſe by way of Explication here, and another of Application for Comfort and Encouragement to the better ſort among them, ver. 22, 23, 24.
Ver. 12. Know ye not what theſe things mean?] q. d. Tis much you ſhould not: there is no ſuch great difficulty in the parable, but that ye are ſelf-blinded and will not ſee far of: either your wits ſerve you not in the things of God, or if they do, you will make believe otherwiſe. Are ye not therefore rightly called a rebellious houſe?
Tell them] For their learnings, and that they may be left without excuſe. See on ver. 4.
Ver. 13. And hath taken an oath of him] An oath of allegiance. Heb. hath brought him into an execration, or an oath with curſing, that he ſhall be true and loyal to him, and hold his Kingdom of him as his Leigh-Lord, and pay him tribute. This though we find not in the books of Kings, yet from what we here find, we are ſure it was ſo.
Ver. 14. That the Kingdom might be baſe] The mighty of the land being taken away, as ver. 13. and the ſpirits of the reſt imbaſed by burdens and oppreſſions in their eſtates and liberties.
But that by keeping of his Covenant] The breach whereof was the break-neck of the State: as it hath been of many others, and will be ſhortly of the Turks, (who hold that there is no faith to be kept with dogs, that is, with Chriſtians) and of the Popes, who hold that there is no faith to be kept with keretikes, that is, with Proteſtants. And for all others, it is written by an Italian (no ſtranger to the Court of Rome) that their proverb is, Mercatorum eſt, non regum, ſtare juramentis, that it is for Merchants and not for Monarches to ſtand to their oathes. Shall ſuch ſtand? ſhall they thus eſcape by iniquity?
Ver. 15. But he rebelled againſt him] As Ottocarus King of Bohemia did againſt Rodolphus the firſt Emperour of Germany, by the inſtigation of his Queen: and as Ladiſlaus King of Hungary did againſt Amurath the Turkes Emperour, by the encouragement of Capiſtranus the Popes Agent, to the very great reproach of the Chriſtian Religion.
Ver. 16. As I live] So ſurely will I puniſh perjury, a…d treachery. Hiſtories are full of examples in this kind:Mr. Greenhil. and I have elſewhere recited ſome of them. That of Henry the third of France, related by a Reverend man, deſerves to be memorized: After great differences between Him, the Cardinal, and Duke of Guiſe, he was reconciled unto them, confirmed the reconciliation with many oathes, took the Sacrament upon it, and gave himſelf to the devil body and ſoul in caſe he meant or ſhould attempt any thing againſt them. Yet, ſaith the ſtory, he cauſed the Duke to be killed in his own preſence, and the Cardinal his brother the next day after. Here was breach of Covenant: but did he proſper, eſcape, do ſuch things, and have deliverance? No: within eight moneths after, he was ſlain by a Friar in the midſt of his Army.
Ver. 17. Neither ſhall Pharaoh] God will cauſe the ſtrongeſt ſinew in the arm of fleſh to crack. See Pſal 33.10, 11.
Ver. 18. Seeing he deſpiſed the oath] Deſpiſed it ex faſtu quodam, out of pride and diſdain, as the word ſignifieth, as Paſcenius the Papiſt jeareth at King James for inventing the oath of allegiance. There is in our Chronicles a memorable ſtory of one Sr. Ralph Percy ſlain upon Hegely-moor in Northumberland, Speed.by the Lord Mountacute General for Edward the fourth. He would no wayes depart the field though defeated; but in dying ſaid, I have ſaved the bird in my breaſt, meaning his oath to King Henry the ſixth. Had falſe Zedekiah done ſo, he had (for this once at leaſt) eſcaped. But Ambition (whoſe Motto is ſaid to be Sic mea fata ſequor) was his ruine.
Ver. 19. Surely mine oath] Becauſe taken by my name, ſo that I am deeply engaged, highly concernd it it.
Ver. 20. And I will ſpread my net upon him] See on chap. 12.13. The hiſtory telleth us, that when Zedekiah with his Nobles were gotten into the plains of Jericho, and thought themſelves out of danger, thoſe great hunters the Babylonians caught him, and carried him to their King.
Ver. 21. And all his fugitives] See on chap. 14.13, 14.
They ſhall know] Serò ſapient: Vexatio tandem dabit intellectum: All too l…te they ſhall knowledge it.
Ver. 22. I will alſo take of the higheſt branch of the high Cedar] Underſtand this great and precious Promiſe of Zerubbabel and his ſucceſſours,Inſignis eſt ha… prophetia. Lavat. but eſpecially of Chriſt and his Kingdom. How oft in the Prophets is he ſtiled the Branch? Iſa. 11.1. And how ordinary is it with God, after dreadful threats againſt the wicked, to come in with his Attamen for the comfort of his Elect, who in their deepeſt diſtreſſe have cauſe enough to encourage themſelves in the Lord Chriſt their God, as did David at the ſack of Ziglag? 1 Sam. 30.6. Here they are excited in the loſſe of all elſe, to fetch comfort from Chriſts deſcent from David, his Exaltation to the kingdom of the Church Univerſal, his bounty and benefits, his bringing in the fulneſſe of the Gentiles, and his ſetting forth of his Fathers glory.
A tender one] Chriſt, of weak and low beginning.Tenellum. Pſal. 2.6.
And will plant it] Upon Zion (ſpiritual eſpecially) upon Calvary, ſaith Theodoret, expounding the Septuagint, who render the text thus, I will hang it upon the high mountain of Iſrael.
Ver. 23. In the mountain] In the Church, that higheſt top.
And it ſhall bring forth boughes, &c.] Chriſt ſhall yield food and defence to all his.
All foul of every wing] i. e. The juſt, ſaith the Chaldee, who mind heavenly things, and mount upward.
Ver. 24. And all the trees of the field] i. e. All men, high and low.
Have brought down] This God loves to do, as Heathens could ſay.
Have exalted the low] Lavater thinks our Saviour alluded to this text, in that parable, Matth. 13. of the grain of muſtard-ſeed.