Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Lamentations – Ezekiel
THE Lamentations of Jeremiah.
THese Lamentations are thought by some to have been Hieron.made at the untimely death of Iosiah: but for this I see no reason, although his death may be thought to be pointed at, Chap. 4. 20. The breath of our Nostrils, the anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits. Speaking of the Egyptians, that were his death, but now in vain expected to come and help Judah against Nebuchadnezzar, when Jerusalem was besieged. They were then made after the destruction of Jerusalem, and the Temple, and all the magnificent buildings; wherein he bewaileth not onelyonly their present condition, but that also wherein they were in the time of the sieges, as the Contents do manifest; the fall of that good King Josiah long before not being forgotten. For the order whereby he proceedeth, it is generally by complaining of miseries, confessing sins, and prayers. More particularly Chap. 1. he lamenteth the case of Jerusalem, being now utterly ruined, in respect of the grievousness of the spectacle, being formerly so glorious, Chap. 2. the ruine of the house of God and Religion there, which were so precious above all worldly things, Chap. 3. the ignominy, contempt and derision wherein the people of God were, by reason of this amongst the Heathen, Chap. 4. the miseries suffered by famine in the time of the siege, Chap. 5. He prayeth most earnestly, and to move the Lord the more, briefly sums up their sufferings again, craving a conversion.
Rupertus distinguisheth the four former Chapters thus. First, Jeremiah lamenteth Rupert. l. 2. de Trin.the miseries of men in generall. Secondly, the miseries of the Jewes in particular at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Thirdly, his own miseries and troubles. Fourthly, the miseries of the Jewes by the second destruction of their City by the Romans, which he also by the Spirit foresaw.
Euseb. Caesar. will have the first Chapter to be a Lamentation for Jehojakim Euseb. Caesar.carried away, when Judah was first made Tributary; the second for the destruction of Jerusalem by the Caldees, &c. But the most certain is the destribution by me before made. For the manner of writing, it is Poeticall, for the four former Chapters, as the Hebrewes Poesie was, by proceeding according to the two and twenty Letters of the Hebrew Alphabet, Chapt. 1, 2. and 4. and Chap. 3. every Letter being doubled, as foreign, verse 1, 2. foreign, verse 3, 4, &c.
For the manner of proceeding, Chap. 1. He Lamenteth the misery of Jerusalem, Vers. 1.comparing the misery to which she was now brought with her pristin felicity, verse 1, 2, &c, to verse 8. Secondly, he confesseth her sins, the cause hereof, verse 8, 9. Thirdly, he falleth again to Lamenting, verse 10, 11, 12, 13. Fourthly, he confesseth again; adding to his Confession a Relation of that which she suffered by her enemies, verse 14, 15. Fiftly, he more Emphatically Lamenteth it by shedding tears, verse 16, 17. Sixtly, he confesseth again to God, and complains to man, and prayeth, verse 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Touching the first, he saith, in speaking of the City Jerusalem, that she had been Princesse of the Nations, which was when Edom, Ammon, Moab, and Palestine were subdued by David, and so continued a long time. Verse 2. He complaineth, that her lovers Vers. 2.had forsaken her, and were turned enemies; That is, the Egyptians and Assyrians who had been friends, when the King of Babylon came to fight against Jerusalem coming forth to raise the siege, as the Egyptians had done in Zedekiah his time, and the Assyrians coming to help Ahaz, although to his hindrance rather, as the sacred History sheweth.
They took her in her straights. That is, being brought first to great misery by Vers. 3.famine.
In the day of her affliction she remembred all her pleasant things. That is, although Vers. 7.in time of prosperity she esteemed not so of the good things that she enjoyed, a Magnificent Temple, sumptuous Palaces, abundance of wealth and dominion over other Countreys about; yet in adversity all these things came into her minde, to the increase of her sorrow. And this is common, whilst Note. we enjoy benefits, we esteem not of them as we ought, to be thankfull; but being deprived of them, we recount them to our greater vexation, and aggravation of our misery; and then we think, if we did now enjoy the like blessings, we would so prize them, and be thankfull for them, that we would never provoke God to take them away. The saying is true. Magis carendo quam fruendo beneficia aestimamus.
For the 2. verse 8. The sins of Jerusalem were the cause of all this, they made Vers. 8.her naked for all to behold it; and he said, That she sighed, and turned backward. That is, turned her face back, as being ashamed to be seen in this contemptible and derided condition; as a woman that hath played the Harlot, and being brought forth to do Pennance therefore, being ashamed to look upon her spectators, turns her head another way. Calvin saith, without all hope of restitution, Calvin. Tho. Aquinas. Lyra.she declineth and looketh backward. Thomas Aquinas and Lyra, She goeth from Liberty into Captivity. Some, going into Captivity, she lookt back towards Jerusalem, to take her leave to her greater grief of her beloved City, and the Contents thereof. Let the Reader follow any of these; but that of Origen and Olympiodorus, that she turned from an evill to a good life, is most improbable.Origen. Olymp. Vers. 12.
Is it nothing to you, all yee that passe by? &c. This is added as an aggravation of the Jewes grief, that none pitied them, although their miseries were incomparable.
He hath sent a fire from above into my bones, and spread a net for my feet. This Vers. 13.is spoken in way of acknowledgement, that all Jerusalems sufferings came from the Lord, and were most grievous, and unavoidable; grievous as a fire sent from God, which burneth more ardently than any ordinary fire kindled by man, because it pierceth to the very bones within; and unavoidable, because as a net laid by him that hath such skill to set it, that none for whom it is set can escape it, or being intangled, get out again, till that he delivers them. He hath turned me back. That is, being in a prosperous estate before, now by his judgements I am gone backward into extream adversity. All the day long: That is, for a long time day after day.
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand. That is▪ the heavy yoke of punishment by bondage to enemies, which is the just reward of sin. For sin is an Vers. 14.heavy yoke, and importable, especially for the bondage into which sinners are Note. brought hereby, both temporall often times, and spirituall alwayes, from which they can never get free, till that by repentance they come out of the snare of the 2 Tim. 2. 26.Devill, being otherwise in continuall danger of being bound hand and foot, and cast into utter darknesse.
Ierusalem is as a menstruous woman amongst them. That is, as filthiness which Vers. 17.is cast out, and had in abomination by all men.
Thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me, Hebrew, Thou hast made the day thou calledst for: and so Calvin renders it. Vulg. Vers. 21.Thou hast brought the day of Consolation. It is an acknowledgement, that this time of suffering so grievously was long agoe threatned, but they would never believe it to amend their lives; but now to their smart it was come, and it was the enemies delight; but he saith, They shall be like unto me. That is, after seventy years their turn shall come to be destroyed as I am at this day.
CHAP. II.
HOw hath the Lord covered the Daughter of Zion with a Cloud? What is Vers. 1.meant by covering her with a Cloud, is easie to understand, viz. to make her obscure and base that was the most noble of other Cities; and to the same effect is it said further; And cast down her beauty to the ground: and then he cals her beauty, his foot stool, which was the Temple, Psal. 5. 132. 7.
He hath polluted the Kingdom, and the Princes thereof. That is, by making them to be of no more estem than filthy and vile things, which are despised by all Vers. 2.men as naught worth.
The Lord hath violently taken away his Tabernacle, as a garden. That is, the Temple built so strongly and gloriously as a Cottage in a Garden, which is little Vers. 6.and sleighty for a short time onelyonly let up for him that tendeth a Garden or Vineyard to goe into and rest himself, and thence to see it, that neither beasts nor theeves come to annoy it, till the time of the fruit-gathering be past; See Isa. 1. 9. He hath destroyed his places of the Assembly, he hath caused the solemn Feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten. In the Hebrew the same word foreign Mogned is used for Assemblie and Feasts, and it signifieth both, and a set time Calvin.also. Calvin renders it in the first place Testimony; he hath destroyed his Testimony. That is, the signe of it, the Ark, but because the Tabernacle, wherein the Ark was also contained, was spoken of before; the Assemblies made before it at Festivall times must needs be meant. And so it is best read, He hath destroyed the Assembling of his people to his worship and service, that there can be no more meeting now about this in Zion. And for want of such Assemblings continued, he hath made the Feast and Sabbaths to be forgotten, they being not now kept, as times forgotten ever to have been ordained.
Her Law is no more, her Prophets finde no vision any more. This of allother Vers. 9.things made their misery most extream, it being meant that in their sufferings they had no Prophets to teach and comfort them from God, as they had in former times, for the Law is often put for the Word and wholsome Doctrine taught Psal. 74. 9.out of it, and Prophets and Priests were the teachers thereof, which now failed; Priests, as was touched before, verse 6. and Prophets here.
Thy Prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee. Here again he returns to the cause of their misery, the false Prophets that rose up amongst them, and Vers. 14.promised them that which the Lord never spake, whereby they were incouraged in their sins, as Hananiah, Jeremiah 28. and others. For this, although they were for a time pleased with it, was to their destruction, a warning to all men, to take heed, that they be not carryed away by such; and who be such we may gather Note. by the contrary, verse 9. where true Prophets are set forth, as standing and failing with the Law, or Word of God, implying, that they are such as teach nothing but the very Word of God; so that they which teach otherwise, Prophesie vain and foolish things, the very bane of true piety; and overthrow of that people that giveth heed unto them. And therefore such as in these miserable times teach divers things, for Government, Doctrine, publick Worship, or neglect the supreme Ordinance of men in any case, are such kind of Prophets, and to be taken heed of.
He hath fulfilled his Word that he commanded in the dayes of old. That is, to be Vers. 17.published even in Moses his time in respect of the particulars before going, as Deut. 28.
Their heart cryed to the Lord. This expression is made to shew, that their miseries Vers. 18.went to their very hearts to make them to sigh and groan, which is the crying of the heart. This is sometime a prevalent crying indeed, when as Moses or Hannah we cry to the Lord; but no such crying in faith and out of sorrow for sin is here meant; but the crying of the heart for anguish, and that to the Lord; as nature puts on every one in such cases to doe; although the wicked Job 21. 14. at other times they say, What profit shall we have if we call upon him? Wherefore he turns to the Walls of Jerusalem which were broken down, bidding them to weep and cry also without ceasing; hereby intimating both the sad condition of the City, and that the hardest hearts, though like a stone Wall, could not but weep now abundantly for it; for the very walls themselves mourned in their kinde, representing continually to all beholders a most sad spectacle, as he that hath his cheeks all beslubbered with tears.
Shall women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? Here the Prophet layeth open the miseries of Jerusalem to the Lord; as he that would move one to pity Vers. 20.makes the most lamentable complaint that he can, and sheweth all things that be of force to move in this kinde. And in saying thus, he sheweth an extremity of famine, whereby they suffered; as in the next words, their sufferings by the sword.
CHAP. III.
I Am the man that have seen affliction. In this Chapter Jeremiah changeth the Vers. 1.person hitherto set forth lamenting, viz. Of the City Jerusalem, Zion and Israel, and speaks in his own person, as bearing a great part in the sufferings of his brethren the Jewes, because he lived at the time of Jerusalems destruction, and both before and after suffered much; what he suffered before hath been already shewed in the Book of his Prophesie, and likewise after by being carried into Egypt, and contemned by the proud men that ruled over them that remained in the land, after the captivity of the rest. But although he speaks in his own person, he did not herein respect himself onelyonly, but every one of the Jews, seeking to draw each of them in like manner to humble himself before the Lord, and confess their sins, and to pray, and so to be confident of grace and favour again to be restored in Gods due time.
The parts of this Chapter are four; First, a complaint of the greatnesse of his sufferings in common together with Jerusalem, verse 1, 2, &c. to verse 22. Secondly, a consolation in respect of Gods great mercy; so that although he judgeth them grievously, yet he will not suffer them utterly to perish, verse 22, 23, &c. to verse 37. Thirdly, an Instruction, shewing that the enemy could not have done thus to them without the Lord; and therefore he exhorteth them to seek to him by humbling their souls in Confession, teaching them what to say, verse 37, 38. &c. to verse 55. Fourthly, a Prayer, wherein he seeketh to stir up the Lord against the enemy from this, that their hatred and cruelty against his people was not unknown to him, verse 55, 56, &c. to the end of the Chapter.
For the first, he doth by many Allegories aggravate his own and the misery of Gods people.
1. By a Rod, wherewith he was beaten; for as Ashur, Isaiah 10. 5. so Babylon was the Rod of his wrath.
2. By darknesse, whereby miserie is commonly set forth.
3. By the breaking of his bones; that is, his strength, and the withering of his skin and flesh, as by a sharp and tedious sickness, which makes one to look old before that he hath lived many years.
4. By building Fortifications against him, as an enemie, and those bitter and Vers. 5.grievous, straightning him so, that he could not come forth for necessaries, but was inforced to labour extreamly through want; amplifying the second and fourth further, verse 6, 7. and the fourth again verse 9. by the strongest fencing of him in with hewen stones; to which he addeth another Allagorie of making his Vers. 6. 7. Vers. 9.wayes crooked; For this increaseth greatly a mans labour, when he travelleth, it being easie to goe in a straight way without windings and turnings: And being in this case, whereby one is made to cry out to God for help when he doth so, and yet is not heard, his misery is yet far more aggravated. And this is threatned Vers. 8.to such as will not hear God when he calleth to them, that they shall crie, Note. but not be heard, Prov. 1. 24. 28.
5. By the similitude of a Bear and Lion, which are most terrible to men in Vers. 10.their travell.
6. Of a Mark, at which men shoot their piercing Arrows; to which effect Vers. 12, 13.Iob speaking of his sufferings, saith, He was as a But.
7. Of one derided, and upon whom disgracing Songs are sung from day Vers. 14.to day.
8. Of abundance of bitter Wormwood, which he was made to drink to Vers. 15.drunkenness.
9. Of Gravell, which he was made to eate to the breaking of his teeth; and Vers. 16.of Ashes, wherewith he was covered after the manner of mourners.
Lastly, because of all these grievous sufferings, he saith, That he had hope; Vers. 21.that is, in respect of Gods mercies, which will not suffer him to punish his people in this world without end; but when he hath by his judgements humbled them, his mercy will again move him to shew them some favour, Wherefore verse 22. he comforteth himself and others by his mercies and compassions; which is the second part wherein the merciemercy of God is extolled.
1. In respect of preservation from utter destruction by sin deserved. Part 2
2. In respect of the renewing of them from morning to morning, there being Vers. 22. Vers. 23.no day which doth not produce a new merciemercy, because he is provoked every day, and yet preserves our lives.
3. In respect of his promise made to them that hope in him; in keeping which, he will be most faithfull, so that beleevers may look upon him for their portion, Vers. 24.yet waiting for his favour through hope and patience.
4. In respect of the good coming through his mercy by sufferings, which are but his yoke for the taming of youth, that is otherwise wilde and unruly, to his Vers. 27.own everlasting ruine. For before affliction he runneth with the wicked, as Psalme 50. to Theft and Adultery; but now he sitteth alone, being full of sorrow, Vers. 28. Vers. 29. Vers. 30.his very face being bowed down to the dust of the earth; and he being made patient under all his sufferings in whatsoever kind.
5. In respect of his putting an end to our sufferings.
6. In respect of his unwillingnesse to punish, through the pity that he beareth Vers. 31, 32. Vers. 33, 34. 35. 36.to his people; so that they may be sure that he will doe them no wrong; but as a favourable Judge deal with them as their cause doth necessarily require, that it may be better for them in the end, and others being terrified from sin by their sufferings,
For the third Part, the Instruction: That the enemy could doe nothing without God. This he doth first assert by an Interrogation: Who is it that saith, and Part 3 it comes to pass when the Lord hath not commanded it? out of his mouth cometh not Vers. 37.good and evill? For it is to be read as an Interrogation, and not as the New Tran. an affirmative; he promiseth good after affliction, and he threatneth judgements before, and bringeth them; so Isaiah 45. 7. Amos 3. 6. Thus no man can deny, but that from him cometh both good and evill; the evill of punishment, and the good of blessing and shewing favour again. 2. Sheweth, what made the enemy so potent over them, their sins. 3. What course was to be taken in Vers. 39. Vers. 40. Vers. 41.this case to be delivered, viz. to search and try our ways, and to turn, and pray, hearts and hands being lifted up unto God, and confession made, as verse 42, 43, 44, &c. 4. To move others the more, he sheweth his great grief for them, Mine eyes run down with rivers of water, &c. 5. Further to express the straights of the Jewes he saith in their person, That the Hunters hunted him as a Bird, Vers. 48, 49, 50. Vers. 52, 53.and that he was cast into a Dungeon, or Pit, and a stone put upon it, little differing from a dead man: by which similitudes, saith Calvin, he meaneth not that that his putting in the Dungeon before spoken of in his Prophecie, but that the whole Nation of the Jewes, in whose person he speaks, was now in a like condition, that is, most miserable and lamentable, as near the state of the dead as might be, and in mans reason never likely to recover again.
For the fourth, viz. his prayer, he prosecutes the Allegory before begun, Part 4 vers. 55. I called upon the Lord out of the low dungeon. And in this his prayer, Vers. 55. V. 56, 57, 58. Origen. Rupert. Hugo. Lyra. Vatabl. Cald. R. Solom. Tho. Aquinas.1. He propounds motives from the Lords hearing of him, and drawing near and pleading his cause. All which are by some applied to Jeremiah in particular, whom God heard when he was put into the dungeon, and drew near, when by his providence Ebedmelech came to pull him out, and pleaded his cause against Hananiah that had so boldly affronted him, and was therefore judged to death the same year. Some others understand it as spoken in the person of the people, whom he meaneth, the Lord heard, pleaded their cause and drew near, when he delivered them out of Egypt, and afterwards from other enemies in time of Judges. I mislike neither: for they disagree not to him that speaks all the way throughout this Chapter so in his own person, that withall he represents the person of Israel. And the like is to be held touching that which he said before of his being put into a dungeon. And hereby we learn to Note. ground our confidence in God in time of misery upon former experiments of deliverance. 2. He moves the Lord from the wrongs done him by his enemies Vers. 5, 9, 60, 61, 62, 63.both in deed, their vengeance, in thought, their imaginations, and in word, their reproach and derision, which is to be understood of the Heathen Caldees against Jerusalem when they destroyed her and exercised all cruelty against her. 3. He prayeth for revenge to be taken upon them, and the pursuing of them therewith till they be destroyed from under heaven.V. 64, 65, 66.
CHAP. IV.
IN this Chapter the grievous change that was in Jerusalem is first complained of from vers. 1. to vers. 13. 2. The cause, the sins of the Priests and Prophets vers. 13. and of the people, 14, 15, 16. 3. He complaineth of their vain-confidence to have help in these their sins, and contrariwise of the readiness of their enemies to pursue them with violence, vers. 17, 18, 19. 4. Of their old grievous losse when Josiah was slain vers. 20. 5. He threatens Edom, the most malicious of the Jews enemie with the cup of drunkenness, v. 21.
For the first, How is the gold become dim! Whereby he meaneth the people Vers. 1.of God, being before precious as gold, when they lived under his blessing, as is plain from vers. 2. And how were they thus changed from shining gold? In that they were cruel even to their own children, as the very Sea-monsters were Vers. 3, 4, 10.not, although they were through the necessity of famine inforced hereunto. 2. They that were most richly cloathed lay upon the dunghill, being made base Vers. 5. Vers. 6. Vers. 7.and vile. For which continued judgement he aggravateth their misery by that of Sodom. 3. The Nazarites were changed from white to black, of their order see Numb. 6. They were a kinde of men that voluntarily devoted themselves to God in a singular way of abstinence beyond all other men, yet because the Lord, would not have any sort of men live under a pretext of piety without rules of his own setting down, he prescribed unto them how they should in this singular way order themselves that they might be singularly accepted of before God. And living so they are here said for their excellency to be whiter then snow, or milk, and more ruddy then saphyrs, by this whiteness shining being set forth, and by the red, preciousness, because the saphyr was a precious stone of great value. And to shew how Nazarites were prized, the Lord saith by Amos 2. 11. that he raised them up Prophets and Nazarites. But now they were black, and the skin withered through famine, this holy kinde of men not being spared from this common calamity, to shew the universality of the judgement. Calvin conceives Calvin.that their whiteness was by abstinence from wine, because such look pale, but wine-drinkers red: but I marvel that he considered not, they are said to be red as well as white, and therefore the colour of their faces could not be meant, but their excellency as hath been said, yet they were not now priviledged beyond others, but were rather in this time of judgement in a worse case in Note. respect of the outward man then others: Yea as is added vers. 9. in worse then Vers. 9.they that were slain by the sword, for they being once stricken were soon dead, but long and tedious is the pain of those that die by famine: Of blacknesse through famine, see Chap. 5. 10. Wherefore let no man make this his mark at which he aimeth in being extraordinarily devoted to piety, to be exempt from sufferings, when sufferings be universal, but frame himself patiently to bear them, as coming from God their loving father, that will turn all things to good to them. Hitherto the third. 4. The judgements of God were so great that Vers. 11, 12.they exceeded all credit amongst neighbour nations.
For the second, By the sins of the Prophets and Priests that spake peace unto Part 2 them, and reproved them not sharply for their sins, as they should have done, Vers. 13, 14.they were polluted with bloud, that is, with foul sins, as Isa. 1. 14. and wandered in darkness. But how is it that they are said to have slain the just? Jerom saith, Hieron.By drawing them into errour, which is to the destruction of the soul. But, as Calvin well noteth, this cannot stand, because just men are not so destroyed, Calvin.but the wicked only that take heed to their false teaching. Therefore the true Prophets of God are meant by the just, for whom they had prisons, dungeons and stocks to put them into, as hath been before noted, and sometimes stoning or otherwise tumults which they stirred up amongst the people, whereby their bloud was shed. But what is meant by this, They cried unto them, Depart, depart, Vers. 15.it is unclean, &c? Hereby their uncleanness by sin touched upon vers. 14. is further set forth. For it was ordained Levit. 13. that the unclean by the Leprosie should go about, crying, I am unclean, unclean, whereupon it is most probable, that when any going out met with a leprous person, they cried thus. Wherefore to shew how full of unclean persons Jerusalem was, so that a man could not go out of doors but he should meet many such, they are brought in here so soon as they were gone out, crying, Depart, unclean, unclean, touch not. And because unclean persons must be put out of the City, it is added, They fled away, and the Heathen amongst whom they went, said, They shall sojourn no more there] so that their going into Captivity, and tarrying long there, was but a just punishment for them, who by reason of their uncleanness were fit no longer to dwell in Jerusalem.
He will no more regard them. This is still the speech of the Heathen, who Vers. 16.thought that the Jews should never be brought back again. For the next words, They respected not the Priests nor Elders. Some think them to be spoken of the Theod. Vatabl. Raban. Lyra.Jews by the same Heathen, or by Jeremiah; as if it had been said, They are now requited with the like to that which they have done, their old men and Priests, and all of them are so used, as they have done amongst themselves: Some, of the Caldees, by whom the judgement of the Jews was the more aggravated Origen. T. Aquinas. Calvin. Cal. Paraphrast.by this, that they basely used even their most honourable men. But the first is to be preferred, because the Priests and Elders that were good, were not regarded, but had their bloud cruelly shed, as was said before vers. 13. under the word just. They were so madly set upon sin, that whosoever crossed them herein, Priest or Elder, he was not regarded, but vily intreated.
For the third part, the Nation which they looked for to help them, was Egypt, but their eyes failed in looking before they came, and on the contrary side Part 3 their enemies were as swift as Eagles to make a prey of them.V. 17, 18, 19.
For the fourth it was Josiah in the midst of his age slain by Pharaoh Necho, Part 4 and so their very breath, as it were taken away, they being thenceforth no Vers. 20.better then as a dead body, forsomuch as all the Kings after him were most wicked.
For the fift part, Edom, as hath been often already noted, bare greatest envy Part 5 against Israel, and therefore most rejoyced in his adversity, and therefore it was Vers. 21, 22.necessary to threaten him oftenest.
CHAP. V.
HEre the Prophet in the name of the people, and to teach them how to plead with the Lord for mercy, further laieth open their miseries in many things like unto a Lazar full of sores and sickness to passengers upon the way, or at the rich mans gate, praying the Lord to remember them, and to take pity upon them. 2. He sheweth how they were all affected with extream grief, therefore praying for conversion and sanation, v. 17, 18. &c.
For the first in laying open their miseries, he beginneth with that of strangers, Vers. 1.having their fruitful Land in possession, they being turned out.
2. He sheweth that their men were slain and consumed, whereby children Vers. 3.became fatherless and wives widows.
3. They had not the things of this life, which heaven and earth yield without Vers. 4.labour, free and without price, but were constrained to give money for them, yea even for water and wood, touching the former of which it is commonly said, that none is so poor but he may have water, if he liveth in a countrey habitable, and not in a dry desert: touching wood, the like is to be held, if he liveth in a place where there be commons, from which it is free for every one to cut down and fetch what wood he pleaseth, the tree it self being preserved to grow again. But otherwise not, unless growing upon the ground, wherein he hath a propriety, and that was the case of the Jews before that they were dispossessed, each one had house and ground of his own, and if by poverty he were inforced to sell, it returned to him again in the year of Jubilee. To Levit. 25.take wood out of another mans propriety is theft, as well as to take corn or Note. fruit, and therefore the custom of such poor people as do so, is wicked and sinful, and (as any other theft) will prove a far greater losse, even of the Kingdom 1 Cor. 5. 11.of heaven. And therefore in this want, as in want of other necessaries, such as are not able to buy must beg and not steal it, or take only that which they have commonly leave to do, which the owner leaveth.
4. They were persecuted without ceasing.Vers. 5. Vers. 6. Calvin.
5. They gave the hand to the Egyptians and Assyrians for bread] That is, saith Calvin, were brought to such penury that they begged it in Egypt and Assyria, where they were scattered, and were in want of all things. But because the giving of the hand doth not so aptly set forth begging, but covenanting, and it is not probable that their enemies would give unto them begging, but rather make them work for it or starve; I rather conceive that it is thus said, further to explain what was said before vers. 4. of buying in case of wanting money so to do, they gave their hand to pay them for bread, which they needed for their sustenance with their labour, the Cald. they gave the hand in token of Cald.yielding to be their servants for necessaries. But Vatablus, Rabanus, Th. Aquinas, Lyra are for the first with Calvin.
6. They bare the iniquities of their fathers, now that they were dead and Vers. 7.gone, who had sinned and provoked God to send this great judgement. But how could the Prophet say thus without blaspheming, as the wicked do Ezek. 18? Sol. He doth not mean that they only sinned and their children were innocent, for he often confesseth the contrary Chap. 3. 39, &c. but in saying thus, he aggravateth their sins, as Isaiah doth Chap. 1. 5. Ahseed of evil doers] As if he had said, Thou wert long ago provoked thus to judge us, even in the time of our fathers that went on in a course of sinning generation after generation, and they were punished accordingly by death and destruction, and now we not taking warning by their sufferings to amend our sinfull lives, bear the punishment of their sins also, being by this circumstance made greater, and therefore we are most worthy thus to suffer, neither is any more done to us then thou hast threatned in the second Commandment, To visit the sins of the fathers upon the children, &c. And Jer. 32. 18. and of confessing fathers sins, as Note. the cause of confusion, see Jer. 3. and Dan. 9. for the fuller our confession of sins is, the more acceptable are we to God, as the Prodigal, and he is the more Note. moved to forgive us, 1 Joh. 1. 8.
7. Servants have ruled over us] This was the greatest debasement that could Vers. 8.be, not only to be subject to the Caldees that were men of quality, but even to their servants, under whom they made the Jews to serve, being thus become servants of servants, which was the curse of Canaan, Gen. 9.
8. They gat their bread with the peril of their lives, because of the sword of the wildernesse, Hebr. Our bread was brought in in our soul, in the drought of the wildernesse, Vers. 9.for the word foreign signifieth both drought and sword, but why it should be here rendred Sword, Calvin wondereth, and indeed it is better to render it Drought, which is an inseparable accident of the wilderness; and the meaning is, that they gat bread to sustain them most hardly, being necessitated to travel so far for it, as men in a barren wilderness, that they even fainced in going about to seek it, their very lives being thus indangered by travelling in hunger and thirst long to get a little food. And by those that did so most probably were meant such of the Jews, as fleeing from the enemy, wandred about in the deserts of Arabia, and of other Countreys.
For the ninth, Blackness by famine, see before Chap. 4. 8.Vers. 10. Vers. 11. Vers. 12.
10. Their virgins were ravished, and their Princes and Elders, that is, Magistrates dishonoured and vily used; and of Princes he saith, That they were hanged by their hand, for so it is Heb. which is mentioned further to express their misery; very Princes, that formerly passed sentence of death against others, being now hanged like dogs and cursed caitiffs upon trees every where. Calvin contends that they were hanged by their own hands, seeing their case to be so desperate; but because the words better bear the other sense, and we read not of any that hanged themselves in those straights; and this was the only case of Ahithophel of old; I rather go with the common stream of Interpreters, the Caldees hanged such of them as they thought good, putting no difference betwixt Princes and base felons, and haply suffering them to hang for more indignity for a spectacle to all men.
11. Their young men were made to grinde, and children to carry wood in Vers. 13.great burthens, that is, to do base and laborious works even past their power.
12. Their Crown was gone, that is, the people of the Jews ceasing to be a Vers. 16.Kingdom, and being made tributary, as vers. 1.
Touching the second part: For this our heart is faint and our eyes dim. Misery Vers. 17.is as a sickness wasting the spirits, and dimming the sight; and amongst all their miseries he sheweth, that this wrought most upon them, that the mountain of Zion where the Temple stood was desolate, and Foxes walked upon it; and this ought indeed to affect us most with grief, when Religion and Vers. 18.Piety is put down and made to cease, as touching the publick exercise thereof, for this is a famine of souls, and more dangerous then that of bread and water. And he addeth, The Foxes walked upon it, further to expresse this desolation, because they live as other wild beasts in desolate places remote from the frequency of men.
Having spoken of the Temples destruction, and Zion by this means lying waste, Vers. 19.now he pleadeth with the Lord from the consideration of his eternity, and the everlasting continuance of his Throne, which words seem to be borrowed from Ps. 102. that he would not suffer this his footstool long to lie desolate, but provide for the re-edifying of it again.
Why wilt thou for ever forget us, Wilt thou leave us for a long time? O turn us Vers. 20.unto thee, and so we shall be turned? That is, turn our hearts to thee against whom we have grievously sinned, and so brought all this misery upon our selves, that we may penitently confesse our sins, and by thy chastisements be purged Cal. Paraphrast. Lyra. Raban. Olymp. Hugo. Calvin.herefrom, and consequently the punishment laid upon us therefore be taken of, we being restored to a comfortable condition, as in the dayes of David and other godly Kings. Thus most Expositors: But Hugo Cardin. and Calvin are only for a turning in outward respects. But why that of an inward should be excluded, I see no reason, although to understand it of this without the other doth not so well agree. Nay, exclude this Exposition of inward turning, and take away a most pregnant proof in all the Old Testament of our inability to turn of our selves, which is needfull to be held, because of many other places whereby there may seem to be power of turning in man. For although man must cooperate with the grace of God in the act of his conversion, yet it is to be understood that grace first begins it, and then the will of man being wone, subsequent grace confirms it more and more. And in many places where a promise of external favour is made, this is mentioned as the ground thereof, I will put my law into their inward parts, &c. as Jer. 31. 33, 34. And it is more proper to understand these words [Turn us unto thee] of turning by repentance, because if turning them from misery had been meant, he would rather have said [Turn thou to us.] And being understood of turning by repentance, it is an instruction Note. to us to go to God, if we desire to have this blessed work wrought in us, whereunto we are unable of our selves. Being taken of turning by an happy change of our condition; the next words [We shall be turned] are as if he had said, We shall be delivered out of all these miseries, and this thou art able to do instantly, and needest not to take for it so long a time, because the Lord had set seventy years. Renew our dayes as of old, or as they were anciently, making them prosperous, and by a mighty hand bringing us out of the power of our enemies, as once out of Egypt. But because turning goeth before this, that must be first in our votes to God, and then this shall follow in Gods good time, till which we must wait.
But thou hast utterly rejected us, and art very wroth with us. The Septuagint, Vers. 22.Because thou hast; as if he had said, Renew our dayes as of old, for thou hast already proceeded as far against us in wrath, as thou hast threatned to transgressors, by casting us out of thine inheritance, and laying all sorts of judgements upon us. And the Hebrew will bear this, it being foreign properly rendred, for it, according to which if we go, here must be an Aposiopesis, some part of that which he had to say, being suspended, as thus, If thou utterly reject us, &c. and not turn us, what shall become of the solemn Covenant, whereby thou hast ingaged thy self to Abraham and his seed, and thy promise of turning this our Captivity at the end of seventy years? But because I know and believe that thou wilt be true of thy promise, I have been bold thus to plead with thee.