Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI.
Ver. 1. IN the third monethmonth] Two moneths after the former Prophecy; and a monethmonth before the City was taken.
Ver. 2. Speak unto Pharaoh] Unto Pharaoh-Hophra, chap. 29.2. Say unto him (though it will be to ſmall purpoſe) Hear and give ear, Jer. 13.15.be not proud, for the Lord hath ſpoken it.
Whom art thou like in thy greatneſſe?] q. d. Thou thinkeſt thy ſelf the only one, and that there is none ſuch; but what ſayeſt thou to the Aſſyrian, whom yet the Babylonian hath now laid low enough?
Ver. 3. Behold the Aſſyrian was a Cedar] See chap. 17.3, 22, 23. Dan 4.10, 11. with the Notes. The cedar is a very tall, fair, ſhady, leavy and lively tree: Such was Eſar-haddon King of Aſſyria: once a moſt potent Monarch: now, not the maſter of a mole-hill. Now therefore (by an argument from the greater to the leſſe) if he ſo fell through his pride; ſhalt not thou much more?
Ver. 4. The waters made him great] He had a confluence of all proſperities. Watered he was, non aquis ſed abyſſis; eſt autem abyſſus, inexhauſta felicitas & rerum affluentia. He over abounded with all outward happineſſe: in wealth, victories, and triumphs, he gave place to no man.
Oecol.Ver. 5. And his bought were multiplied] Ampliſſima ludit copia verborum.
Ver. 6. All the foules] See Dan. 4.12.
Ver. 7. Thus was be fair in his greatneſſe] Once again he ſetteth forth with how great power and glory God had adorned this firſt Monarchy.
Ver. 8. The Cedars in the garden of God] No Kingdom in the world was comparable to the Aſſyrian, for thirteen hundred years together.
Ver. 9. So that all the trees of Eden — envyed him] Summa petit livor. The talleſt trees are weakeſt in the tops: and envy alwayes aimeth at the higheſt.
Ver. 10. Becauſe thou haſt lifted up thy ſelfe] Here he comes to deſcribe caſum & cladem, the downfal and deſtruction of this flouriſhing Empire: beginning with a ſhort Apoſtrophe to Pharaoh. Be not high-minded but fear. Believe not him who ſaid Decent ſecundas fortunas ſuperbiae, pride well becometh proſperity:Plaut. but rather beleeve what another ſaith, and experience confirmeth, Sequitur ſuperbos ultor à tergo Deus, God puniſheth the proud, ſurely and ſeverely.Seneca. A better authour then either of them telleth us, that Pride goeth before deſtruction: and an haughty ſpirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, then to divide the spoil with the proud, Prov. 16.18, 19.
Ver. 11. I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one] Of Merodach Baladan, who of Governour, had made himſelf King of Babylon; Metaſhenes, Joſephus, lib. 1. c. 2.and in the twelfth year of his raign, having overcome Eſarhaddon ſon to Sennacherib and laſt Monarch of Aſſyria, he adjoyned that whole Empire to the Babylonians; and reigned after that forty years.
He ſhall ſurely deal with him] Heb. In doing he ſhall do unto him, Pro ſibitu tractabo. Piſcat.i. e. he ſhall do what his liſt with him: as Tamerlan ſince did with Bajazet: whom he carried about in an iron cage, uſing him on feſtival dayes for a footſtool; and feeding him like a dog with crumbes fallen from his table. All which Tamerlan did,Turk Hiſt. 220. not ſo much for hatred to the man (ſaith the Hiſtoriographer) as to manifeſt the juſt judgement of God againſt the arrogant folly of the proud.
Ver. 12. And ſtrangers have cut him off] The greatet wealth, the greater ſpoil awaiteth a man: as each one deſireth to lop the tree that hath thick and large boughs and branches.
And his boughs are broken] i. e. His Vaſals, homagers, and auxiliaries.
And all the people of the earth] Who once ſheltered under his ſhadow. But the rule is, Arbor honoretur cujus nos umbra tuetur.
And have left him] And joyned themſelves to the Babylonian.
Sic cum fortuna ſtatque caditque fides.Ovid.
Ver. 13. Ʋpon his ruine ſhall all the foules] His dead body ſhall want decent burial, as afterward did great Alexanders, great Pompeyes, our William the Conquerours, Richard the thirds, &c.
Ver. 14. To the end tha… none of all the trees] This is the uſe men ſhould make of Gods heavy judgements upon others. This mans father Sennacherib had a ſtatue ſet up in Egypt, ſaith Herodotus, with this inſcription:Lib. 2. Let him that looketh upon my miſery learn to be modeſt and to fear God.
Neither their trees ſtand up in their height] Neque ſtent in ſeipſis, neither ſtand in themſelves, becauſe of their height. Magna repente ruunt. In te stas & non ſtas, ſaid the Oracle to Auſtin: thou ſtandeſt on thine own bottom; thou wilt ſurely down.
For they are all delivered unto death] Without difference, pell-mell, lords and loſels together, as the Poet alſo ſingeth;
Sub tua purpurei veniunt veſtigia reges,
Depoſito luxu, turba cum paupere mixti;Claudian.
Omnia mors aequat.—
Ver. 15. I restrained the floods thereof] I made them keep home, as mourners uſe to do.
And I cauſed Lebanon to mourn for him] Heb. To be black, i. e. in mourning-habit. Athenienſes non niſi atrati ſapiunt, ſaid one.
Ver. 16. I made the Nations ſhake at the ſound of his fall] As the earth ſeems to ſhake at the fall of ſome mighty Cedar.
Sic ſubito caſu, quae valuere, ruunt.
Shall be comforted] In ſo noble a companion and partaker of their miſery. Confer Eſa. 14.
Ver. 17. They alſo went down into hell with him] It was wont to be ſaid, that hell was paved with Kings creſts and ſhavellings bald-pates: Henry the eight was told on his death-bed, that he was now going to the place of Kings. See Eſa. 30.33. what a coile kept this Eſar-haddon in his time,Oecolamp. as being ſuperſtitibus terror, praemortuis laetitia, complicibus exitium, ſui ipſius ruina?
Ver. 18. To whom art thou like] He fitly returneth to Pharaoh, applying all this diſcourſe to him.
In the midſt of the uncircumciſed] Chap. 28.10.
This is Pharaoh] This is like that of the Poet,
Hic finis Priami fatorum: hic exitus illum
Virg. Aeneid. lib. 2.Sorte tulit.—