Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 35
CHAP. XXXV.
Ver. 1. MOreover the Word of the Lord] Chap. 18.1.
Ver. 2. Set thy face] Chap. 6.2.
Againſt mount Seir] Inhabited by the Edomites.
And prophecy againſt it] This had been done before, chap. 25.12. but not enough. God hath a further ſaying to them, and that for the comfort of his poor people who might thus object: Peace and ſecurity from danger is promiſed us in the foregoeing Chapter; but we have ſtill many deadly enemies, and none worſe then our near allies and next neighbours the Edomites. Here therefore they are heavily threatened with utter deſolation for their malignity againſt Iſrael, and their blaſphemy againſt God.
Ver. 3. Behold O mount Seir, I am againſt thee] Ecce ego ad te, have at thee.
And I will ſtretch out my hand againſt thee] I will have my full blow at thee.
I will make thee moſt deſolate] Heb. deſolation and deſolation: I will make an utter end: deſolation ſhall not riſe up the ſecond time, Nahum. 1.9. I will make ſhort work, Rom. 9.28.
4. I will lay thy Cities waſte] Even Theman, Dedan, Bozra mentioned in Scripture: beſides many others mentioned by Geographers, Mareſa, Rhinocorura, Raphia, Gaza, Anthedon, &c.
And thou ſhall know] To thy ſmall comfort.
That I am the Lord] A Lord of Lords, a God of Gods, a great God, a mighty and a terrible, which regardeth not perſons, nor taketh reward, Deut. 10.17.
Ver. 5. Becauſe thou haſt had a perpetual hatred] An hereditary deadly feud againſt Iſrael; Heb. an enemy of ages, yea of many ages continuance; ſuch as is (as we uſe to ſay of Runnet) the older the ſtronger.
And haſt ſhed the blood of the children of Iſrael] Ʋt diffluant, haſt let out their life-blood: all malice is bloody.
In time of their calamity] Watching the worſt time, to do them the moſt miſchief.
In the time that their iniquity had an end] When I had in a manner done with them, yet thou hadſt not done with them: but didſt ſtir up Nebuzaradan to burn the City and Temple with fire. This was to help forward the affliction, Zach. 1.15. See the Note there.
Ver. 6. I will prepare thee unto blood] Thou ſhalt have blood thy bellyful, which thou haſt ſo greedily ſought and ſucked. Satiabis te ſanguine quem ſitiiſti, cujuſque inſatiabilis ſemper fuiſti, as the Scythian Queen ſaid to Cyrus's head.
Even blood ſhall purſue thee] As a bloodhound: It ſhall, it ſhall, believe me, it ſhall.
Ver. 7. Moſt deſolate] See ver. 3. Iterum repetit, ne excidiſſe videatur. I am in good earneſt.
Ver. 8. And I will fill his mountains] Oh the woe of war! foreign. Bellum à belluis.the Greek word for it ſignifies much blood.
Ver. 9. I will make thee perpetual deſolations] For thy perpetual hatred, ver. 5.
And thy Cities] See ver. 4.
Ver. 10. Becauſe thou hast ſaid] Ungodly men muſt anſwer for their ungodly ſpeeches alſo, Jude 15.
Theſe two Nations] Iſrael, and Judah.
Shall be mine] Such was their avarice and ambition that they made account all was their own: they had in their hopes devoured theſe two Countries, which God had reſerved for a better purpoſe. He kept the room empty till the rerurn of the natives; and the land kept her Sabbaths, reſting from tillage, &c. And yet theſe miſcreants added
Whereas the Lords was there] Or, be it that the Lord is there, Though it be a Jehovah ſhammah, as chap. 48.3….ſc. to keep poſſeſſion againſt us, we will out him, and have it, in deſpite of him. O tongues worthy to be puld out, cut in gobbets, and driven down their throats, that did thus blaſpheme.
Ver. 11. I Will do even according to thine anger] Let the Romiſh Edomites expect the like puniſhment: their malice and miſchief will come home to them.
And according to thine envy] That quick ſighted and ſharp-fanged malignity, which none can ſtand before, Prov. 27.4.
Ver. 12. And that I have heard all thy blaſphemies] Of both ſorts: thoſe in the firſt table againſt my ſelf, and thoſe in the ſecond table, againſt my people.
They are ſaid deſolate] And we have helpt after.
They are given us to conſume] Heb. to devour; Nay, but ſtay till they be: and then know, that ye may devour that on earth, that ye ſhall diſgeſt in hell.
Ver. 13. Thus with your mouth ye have boaſted] Heb. magnified, ſetting your mouths againſt heaven, your tongues alſo have walked thorough the earth, Pſal. 73.9. See the Notes there.
And have multiplied your words againſt me] When it would have better become you to have multiplied your words before me in prayer and praiſes,foreign as the Hebrew word here uſed (moſtly) ſignifieth.
Ver. 14. When the whole earth rejoyceth] ſc. For my peoples deliverances. Or, when the whole land, ſc. of Iſrael rejoyceth: as it is ſometimes hail and well with the Church, when the wicked are in the ſuds. Judea was the world of the world, as Athens was the Epitome of Greece, the Greece of Greece.
Ver. 15. As thou didſt rejoyce] As thou waſt ſick of the devils diſeaſe, rejoiceing at other mens harms: ſo, by a ſtrange turn of things, others ſhall rejoyce at thy juſt deſtruction, and revel in thy ruines: and at the laſt day eſpcially, when thou ſhalt be awarded thy portion with the devil and his angels, 2. Theſ. 1.6, 7, 8.
Thou ſhalt be deſolate, O mount Seir] This was accordingly effected ſhortly after by Nebuchadnezzar and his Chaldees, Lib. 12. cap. 11.as Joſephus teſtifieth: and is daily executed on the Churches enemies, who ſhall all be ere long in the place that is fitteſt for them, ſc. under Chriſts feet.
And all Idumea, even all of it] The Edomites that thought of ſeizing on others lands, loſt their own. They who covet all, do oft loſe all: yea even the pleaſure of that they poſſeſſe; as a greedy dog ſwalloweth the whole meat that is caſt him, without any pleaſure, as gaping ſtill for the next morſel.