Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Ver. 1. ANd thou, ſon of man] See on chap. 2.1.
Take thee a ſharp knife] This was the King of Babylon, as Iſa. 7.20. The Turk is at this day ſuch another. Mahomet the firſt was, in his time, the death of 800000 men. Selymus the ſecond, in revenge of the loſſe received at Lepanto, Turk. Hiſt. 885.would have put to death all the Chriſtians in his dominions.
Take the a barbers razor] Not a deceitful razor, as Pſal. 52.2. but one that will do the deed; ſharp and ſure. Pliny telleth us out of Varro, Lib. 7. cap. 59.that the Romans had no barbers, till 454 years after the City was built: antè intenſi fuere.
And cauſe it to paſſe upon thy head and upon thy beard] As hairs are an ornament to the head and beard, ſo are people to a City. But, as when they begin to be a burthen or trouble to either, they are cut off and caſt away: ſo are people by Gods Judgements, when by their ſins they are offenſive to him; dealing as Dionyſius did by his god Aeſculapius, from whom he preſumed to pull his golden beard. David felt himſelf ſhaved in his Embaſſadours: ſo doth God in his ſervants (whoſe very hairs are numbred, Matth. 10.30.) in his Miniſters eſpecially (who, by a ſpecialty, are called Gods men, 1 Tim. 6.11. & 2 Tim. 3.17.) with whom to meddle is more dangerous then to take a Lion by the beard, or a bear by the hair.
Then take the ballances to weigh] This ſheweth that Gods Judgements are juſt, to a hairs weight: And capillus nous ſuam habet umbram, ſaith Mimus.
And divide the hair] Dii nos quaſi pilas habent, ſaith Plautus: imo quaſi pilos, ſaith Another.
Ver. 2. Thou ſhalt burn with fire a third part] i. e. with famine, peſtilence, and other miſchiefs, during the ſiege of Jeruſalem. Pythagoras gave this precept among others, Ʋnguium, criniumque praeſegmina ne contemnito. But God findeth ſo little worth in wicked people, that he regardeth them not, but caſteth them, as excrements, to the dunghil, yea to hell, Pſal. 9.17.
And ſmite about it with a knife] They ſhall be ſlain with that ſharp knife or ſword, ver. 1. after that the City is taken.
Thou ſhalt ſcatter in the wind] Sundry of them ſhall fly for their lives: but in running from death they ſhall but run to it, Amos 9.1, 2, 3, 4. & 2.13, 14, 15, 16.
Ver. 3. Thou ſhalt alſo take thereof a few in number] A remnant is ſtill reſerved, that the Lord God may dwell among men, Pſal, 68.18. See Jer. 44.28. 2 King. 25.12. Iſa 1.9. & 6.10.
Ver. 4. Then take of them again and caſt them into the midſt of the fire] Thus evil ſhall hunt a wicked man to overthrow him, Pſal. 140.11. (See the Note there) he ſhall not eſcape, though he hath eſcaped: his preſervation is but a reſervation to further miſchief, except he repent.
And burn them in the fire] Such he meaneth as were combuſtible matter: for there were a ſort of precious ones amongſt them, who being brought by God through the fire, were thereby refined as ſilver is refined, and tryed as gold is tryed, &c. Zach. 13.9. See the Notes there.
Ver. 5. This is Jeruſalem] i. e. This head and beard ſo to be ſhaved, ver. 1. by the hair of the head ſome think the wiſe men of that City are figured out, and by the hair of the beard are the ſtrong men: the razor of Gods ſeverity maketh clean work, leaveth no ſtub or ſtump behind it.
I have ſet it in the midſt of the nations] As the head, heart, and center of the earth: See Pſal. 74.10. Ezek. 38.12. and God had peculiar ends it it, that the Law might go forth out of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jeruſalem, and that all Nations might flow unto it. Iſa. 2.2, 3. Talis eſt Roma Chriſtianis, Such now is Rome to Chriſtians, ſaith à Lapide; bur lay a ſtraw there, ſay we; or as the Gloſſe ſaith upon ſome decrees of Popes, Haec non credo, I believe it not. See Rev. 17.5.
Ver. 6. And ſhe hath changed my judgements into wickedneſſe] This was a foul change: this was to do evil as ſhe could, Jer. 3.5. this was ingratitude of the worſt ſort; ſuch as Socrates called foreign manifeſt in …uſtice. Such a wretched change is complained of Jer. 2.11. & Rom. 1.23, 25. Jude 4. but nowhere in ſo high an expeſſion as this, as One obſerveth.
More then the Nations] Becauſe the Jews had better Laws, but worſe diſpoſitions then they.
Ver. 7. Becauſe ye multiplyed] ſc. Your tranſgreſſions and ſuperſtitions, or becauſe ye have abounded with bleſſings, and made me ſo ill a requital. Some render it Quia tumultuaſtis ves plus quam vicinae gentes: and indeed there were many murthers committed amongſt them, and many revolts from forrain Princes, whom they had ſworn to ſerve.
Neither have done according to the judgement of the nations] But have out-ſinned them qui deos ſuos quamvis viles & multos non mutant, who change not their gods (as you have done Me, Jer. 2.10.11.) but follow the natural light of reaſon (ſome of them at leaſt do ſo) Rom. 2.14. which you have debauched. See 1 Cor. 5.1. Ezech. 16.46, 47, 48.
Ver. 8. Behold I even I am againſt thee] Whether thou wilt believe it, or not. Thou holdeſt it unlikely, but ſhalt find it true, and that I am very ſerious, not ſaying theſe things in terrorem only. Ecce me adverſum te venientem, ſo ſome render it; Behold I am upon my march againſt thee, and will puniſh thee ſurely, ſeverely, ſuddenly.
And will execute Judgements] For the non-execution of my Judgements in the former ſenſe taken, as ver. 7.
In the ſight of the nations] In whoſe ſight thou haſt ſo ſinned, and who will rejoyce at thy ſufferings.
Ver. 9. And I will do in thee that which I have not done] None ſhall ſuffer ſo much here, or ſink ſo deep in hell, as a profane Jew, a carnal Goſpeller: who is therefore worſe then others, becauſe he ought to be better. Oh the height and weight of thoſe Judgements that ſhall be heaped upon ſuch. See Lam. 4.6.
And whereunto I will not do any more the like] For where ever read we that the fathers did eat their ſons in an open viſible way? and the ſons, the fathers?
Ver. 10. Therefore the fathers ſhall eat the ſons] See this fulfilled in the pittiful mothers, Lam. 4.10. and may it be thought ſaith one, that their hungry husbands ſhared not with them in thoſe viands? Oh the ſeverity of God. Cavebis, ſi pavebis.
And the whole remnant of thee will I ſcatter] A miſerably disjected people the Jews are to this day; baniſhed out of the world as it were, by a common conſent of Nations.
Ver. 11. Wherefore as I live ſaith the Lord] This is Gods uſual oath (in this Prophet eſpecially) and therefore ſhould not be uſed as an oath or aſſeveration by any other; ſith He only liveth (to ſpeak properly.)
Therefore will I alſo diminiſh thee] Or, I will break thee down, or I will ſhave thee, as ver. 1. Jer. 48.37.
Ver. 12. A third part of thee, &c.] See ver. 2.
Ver. 13. Then ſhall mine anger be accompliſhed] God is then ſaid to be angry, when he doth what men do when angry, viz. 1. Chide. 2. Smite.
And I will be comforted] This alſo is ſpoken after the manner of men, who are much comforted when they can be avenged: Their ſong is, Oh how ſweet is revenge! Virgil.— animumque explêſſe juvabit. The ſame word in Hebrew that ſignifieth vengeance, ſignifieth comfort alſo: for God, wll be comforted in the execution of his wrath. But what a venomous and vile thing is ſin, that cauſeth the moſt merciful God to take comfort in the deſtruction of his creature?
And they ſhall know that I the Lord have ſpoken it in my zeale] That is, ſeriouſly threatened by my Prophets, whom they have vilipended, and derided, but ſhall now feel the weight of their words.
When I have accompliſhed my fury in them] This he doth not uſually all at once, but by degrees: he ſuffereth not his whole wrath to ariſe till there be no remedy, as 2 Chron. 36.16.
Ver. 14. Moreover I will make thee waſte] In ariditatem, a dry and barren wilderneſſe; whoſe fruitfulneſſe and pleſantneſſe is ſo much celebrated, not only by divine but profane Authors alſo. See Pſal. 107.34. with the Notes.
In the ſight of all] See on ver. 8.
Ver. 15. So it ſhall be a reproach and taunt] See this fulfilled, Lam. 2.15.16.
An inſtruction] They ſhall enjoy thy folly, grow wiſe by thy harms.Vulg. Exemplum. I will make thee an example to the Heathen.
An aſtoniſhment] A terrour, ſome render it.
Ver. 16. When I ſhall ſend upon you tho evil arrows of famine] Not to warn you (as Jonathans arrows did David) but to wound you to the heart, and to lay you heaps upon heaps, Deut. 32.23, 24.
And break your ſtaff of bread] See chap. 4.16. penuria fiet pecuniae, ſaith Oecolampadius here; you ſhall want mony to buy you bread.
Ver. 17. Evil beaſts, and they ſhall bereave thee] Rob thee of thy children, deſtroy thy cattle, make thee few in number, and thy high-way deſolate, as was long before threatened, Levit. 26.22. See 2 Kings 17.25.
I the Lord have ſpoken it] I Jehovah, who will give being to my menaces as well as to my promiſes.