Commentary on the Holy Bible

He bringeth forth fruit] Or, he laid up fruit for himself. He abused thd blessings of God to the pur- ^ses of idolatry. He was prosperous; but his prosperity corrupted his heart.

According to the multitude of his fruit] He became idolatrous in [jtoportion to his prosperity; and in proportion to their wealth was the costliness of their images, and the expensiveness of their idol worship. True is the homely saying of old Quarles: —

" So God's best gifts, usurp'd by wicked ones. To poison turn, by their con-ta-gi-ons."

" For the love of money is the root of all these evils.'

1 Tim. vi. 10. Pity that this beautiful metal, on

3 'For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the Lord; what then should a king do to us?

4 They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up ^ as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

5 The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of ' the calves of ™ Beth-aven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and " the

which God has bestowed such a large portion of mineral perfection, and then hid in the earth, should, on its being digged up by man, become the incentive to so many vices, and draw away his heart from the Creator of all things, and the fountain of ineffable perfection and goodness.

Verse 2. Their heart is divided] They wish to serve God and Mammon, Jehovah and Baal: but this is impossible. Now God will do in judgment what thei/ should have done in contrition, " break down their altars, and spoil their images."

Verse 3. Wc have no king] We have rejected the King of kings; and had we any king, he would be of no service to us in this state, as he would be a captive like ourselves; nor could we have the approbation of God, as we now justly lie under his displeasure.

Swearing falsely] This refers to the alliances made with strange powers, to whom they promised fidelity without intending to be faithful; and from whom they promised themselves protection and support, notwithstanding God was against them, and they knew it. All their words were vain, and in the end as hitter as gall.

Judgment springeth up as hemloci] As our land lies without cultivation, so that we have nothing but noxious weeds instead of crops; so we have no administration of justice. What is done in this way is a perversion of law, and is as hurtful to society as hemlock would be to animal life. All this may refer tc the anarchy that was in the kingdom of Israel before Hoshea's reign, and which lasted, according to Archbishop Usher, nine years. They then, literally, '' had no king."

Averse 5. The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear] According to Calmct, shall worship the calves of Bethaven; those set up by Jeroboam, at Beth-el. Fear is often taken for religious reverence.

Assjrria for a present to p King Jareb • Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed 1 of his own counsel.

7 ^ As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon ^ the water.

8 ' The high places also of Aven, ^ the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: " the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; ■" and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us.

And the priests thereof] □'I'DD iemarim. The priests of Samaria, says Calmet, are here called iemarim, that is, black coats, or shoulen', because they made loud cries in their sacrifices. Instead of ITj' yagilu, " they shall rejoice;" learned men propose 1 W yalilu, " shall howl," which is likely to be the true reading: but it is not supported by any of the MSS. yet discovered. But the exigentia loci, the necessity of the place, requires some such word.

Verse 6. A present to King Jareb] See on chap. v. 13. If this be a proper name, the person intended is not known in history: but it is most likely that Pid, king of Assyria, is intended, to whom Menahem, king of Israel, appears to have given one of the golden calves, to insure his assistance.

Verse 7. Her king is cut off as the foam] As lightly as a putr of wind blows off the foam that is formed below by a fall of water, so shall the kings of Israel be cut off. We have already seen that not less than four of them died by assassination in a very short time. See on chap. vii. 7.

The thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars] Owing to the uncultivated and unfrequented stale of the land, and of their places of idol worship, the people being all carried away into captivity.

" And they shall say to the mountains, Cover us. And to the hills, Fall on us."

" This sublime description of fear and distress our Lord had in view, Luke xxiii. 30, which may be a reference, and not a quotation. However, the Septuagint, in the Codex Alexandrinus, has the same order of words as occurs in the evangelist. The parallelism makes the passages more beautiful than Rev. vi. 16; and Isa. ii. 19 wants the animated dramatic form That there is a reference to the caverns that abounded

R. Roman., they stooJ: ''the battle in Gibeah dr^^imumu^ against tlie children of iniquity did not overtake them.

\0 '^ It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and * the people shall be gathered against them, '' when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.

1 1 And Ephraim is as " a, heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon '' her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plough, and Jacob shall break his clods.

12° Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; '^ break up your fallow ground: for

shall bind them for their two transgressions, or in their two habitations. '^ Jer. 1. 11; Mic. iv. 13.

in the mountainous countries of Palestine, see the note on Isa. ii. 19." — Newcome.

Verse 9. Thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah'] This is another reference to the horrible rape and murder of the Levite's wife, Judg. xix. 13, 14.

There Iheij stood}^ Only one tribe was nearly destroyed, viz., that of Benjamin. They were the criminals, the children of iniquity; the others were faultess, and stood only for the rights of justice and mercy.

Verse 10. When they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.] " When they are chastised for their two iniquities," i. e., the calves in Dan and Beth-el. — Newcome. But this double iniquity may refer to what Jeremiah says, chap. xi. 13: "My people have committed two evils." — 1. They have forsaken me. 2. They have jomed themselves to idols.

Verse 11. Ephraim is as a heifer that is taught] One thoroughly broken in to the yoke.

And loveth to tread out] Goes peaceably in the yoke; and is pleased because, not being muzzled, she eats of the corn.

> / passed over upon her fair neck] I brought the yoke upon it, that she should not tread out the corn merely, but draw the plough and drag the harrow. These operations of husbandry are all referred to here, with some others. Ephraim shall tread out the corn, that there may be seed for the fields.

Jacob shall break his clods.] Harrow — that the seed may be covered with the mould.

Israel very frequently made great depredations on Judah; and as this heifer loved to tread out the corn, and not plough, it is therefore added that he should be mide to plough, be put under the yoke, namely, that of the Assyrians. What is added, " Judah and Jacob shall pbugh for themselves," means, that Judah should not now plough for Israel, but for himself; as Israel Bhall no more make depredations upon him. — Dodd.

ness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy niighly

14 ''Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled ' Belh-arbel in the day of battle: "^ the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

15 So shall Beth-el do unto you because of ' your great wickedness: in a morning "" shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.

Reap in mercy] By the blessing of God on this ploughing, sowing, and harrowing, you may expect a good crop in harvest.

Break up your fallow ground] Do not be satisfied with a slight furrow; let the land that was fallowed (slightly ploughed) be broken up again with a deep furrow.

For it is time to seek the Lord] This should be immediately done: the season is passing; and if you do not get the seed in the ground, the early rain will be past, and your fields will be unfruitful.

Rain righteousness upon you.] God will give you the early rain in due time, and in proper measure. Here are the metaphors, and the application cannot be difficult. Here are ploughing, fallou'ing, solving, harrowing, watering, reaping, threshing, and feeding on the produce of well-directed labour. All may be applied to the human heart, and the work of God upon it. Correction, contrition, conversion, receiving the grace of Christ, bringing forth fruit, &c.

Ye have eaten the fruit of lic.<!] Youi false worship and your false gods have brought you into captivity and misery.

Becau.ie thou didst trust in thy way] Didst confide in thy own counsels, and in thy mighty men, and not in the God who made you.

Verse 11. Shall a tumult arise] The enemy shall soon fall upon thy people, and take all thy fortified places.

stniction of Arbcla, a city of Armenia, by Shalmaneser, here called Shalman; and this while he was only general of the Assyrian forces, and not yet king. I think the history to which this refers is unknown. It seems that it was distinguished by some remarkable ferocities. The mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.] But lohen, where, hoic, and by lohom, still remain unknown. Conjecture in such a case must be useless.

Verse 15. Sn shall Beth-el do unto you] Tliis shall be the consequence of your idolatry.

In a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.] Suddenly, unexpectedly. Hoshea, the king of Israel, shall be cut off by the Assyrians. There are some allusions to facts in this chapter, which cannot be easily verified, as we have not sufficient acquaintance with the history of those times.

This chapter gives a very pathetic representation of God's tender and affectionate regard for Israel, by metaphors chiefly borrowed from the conduct of mothers toward their tender offspring. From this, occasion is taken to reflect on their ungrateful return to the Divine goodness, and to denounce against them the judg ments of the Almighty, 1-7. But suddenly and unexpectedly the prospect changes. Beams of mercy break from the clouds just now fraught with vengeance. God, to speak in the language of men, feels the relentings of a tender parent; his bowels yearn; his mercy triumphs; his rebellious child shall yet be pardoned. As the lion of the tribe of Judah, he will employ his power to save his people, he mil call his children from the land of their captivity; and, as doves, they ivill fly to htm, a faithful and a holy people, 8—12,

R. Roman.. Called my '■ son out oi Egypt. ""•■ """""* '•*■ 2 As they called them, so they went from them: ^ they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

3 ' I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that f I healed them.

4 I drew them with cords of a man, with

I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.] Where he was greatly oppressed; and in this I gave the proof of my love. I preserved my people in their affliction there, and brought them safely out of it.

Verse 3. I taught Ephraim also to go] An allusion to a mother oi tiurse teaching a child to zvalk, directing it how to lift and lay its feet, and supporting it in the meantime by the arms, that it may use its feet with the greater ease. This is a passage truly pathetic.

Verse 4. I drew them with cords of a man] This is a reference to leading strings, one end of which is held by the child, the other by the nurse, by which the little one, feeling some support, and gaining confidence, endeavours to walk. God, their heavenly Father, made use of every means and method to teach them to walk in the right and only safe path; for, as the Targum says, " As beloved children are drawn, I drew them by the strength of love."

That take off the yoke on their jaws] I did every thing that mercy could suggest, and justice permit, to make their duty their delight and profit. There appears to be here an allusion to the moving and pulling 'orward the collar or yoke of beasts which have been

5 '' He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, ^ because they refused to return.

6 And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them ™ because of their own counsels.

hard at work, to let in the cool air between it and their neck, so as to refresh them, and prevent that heat, which with the sweat would scald their necks, and take off not only the hair, but the skin. I have often done this at the land ends, in ploughing, when at the turnings the cattle were permitted a few moments to draw their breath after the hard pull that terminated the furrow at either end of the field: —

And I laid meat unto them] Giving them at the same time a bite of grass or hay, to encourage them to go on afresh. The metaphor is strong and e.\pressive; and he who ever had or saw the management of cattle in the plough ot cart must admire it. Thus God acted with the people on whose necks was the yoke of his law. How many privileges, advantages, and comforts did he mingle with his precepts, to make them at once a righteous and happy people!

Verse 5. He shall not return into — Egypt] I have brought them thence already, with the design that the nation should never return thither again; but as they have sinned, and forfeited my favour and protection, they shall go to Assyria; and this because they refused to return to me. This view of the verse removes every difficulty.

Verse 6. The sword shall abide on his cities] Israel was agitated with external and intestine wajs fi'<aa

7 And my people are bent to " backsliding from me: ° though they called them to the Most High, p none at all would exalt

8 '' How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as ' Admah? hoio shall I set thee as Zeboim? ' mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.

9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: * for I am God, and not man; the Holy One

10 They shall walk after the Lord: " he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble " from the west.

1 1 Tiiey shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, "■" and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: '' and I will place them in their bouses,

12 5' Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful ^ with the saints.

the time of Jeroboam the Second Although Zechariah his son reigned twelve years, yet it was in continual troubles; and he was at last slain by the rebel Shallum, who, having reigned one month, was slain l)y Menahem. Pekahiah succeeded his father Menahem, and reigned two years, and was killed by Pekah, son of Remaliah. He joined Rezin, king of Syria, and made an irruption into the land of Judah; but Ahaz having obtained succour from Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, Pekah was defeated, and the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, were carried away captives by the Assyrian king; and in a short time after, Hosea, son of Elah, slew Pekah, and usurped the kingdom, which he could not possess without the assistance of Shalmaneser, who for his services imposed a tribute on the Israelitish king. Wishing to I rid himself of this yoke, he applied to the king of ' Egypt; but this being known to Shalmaneser, he came [ against Samaria, and after a three years' siege took and destroyed it. Thus the sword rested on their cities; it continued in the land till all was ruined. See Calmet.

Verse 7. Though they called them to the Most High] Neiocome is better: "And though they call on him together because of the yoke, he will not raise it. He shall receive no refreshment.^^ See the metaphor,

Verse 8. How shall I give thee up] See the notes on chap. vi. 4, where we have similar words from similar feeling.

Mine heart is turned within me] Justice demands thy punishment; Mercy pleads for thy life. As thou changest, Justice resolves to destroy, or Mercy to save. My heart is oppressed, and 1 am weary with repenting — with so frequently changing my purpose. AH this, though spoken after the manner of men, shows how merciful, compassionate, and loath to punish, the God of heaven is. What sinner or saint upon earth has not been a subject of these gracious operations?

Verse 9. / will not execute] Here is the issue of this conflict in the Divine mind. Mercy triumphs over Judgment; Ephraim shall be spared. He is God, and not man. He cannot be affected by human caprices. They are now penitent, and implore mercy; he will not, as jnan would do, punish them for former offences, when they have fallen into his hand. The holy place is in.- Ephraim, and God is in this holy place; and he will not go into the cities, 3.she did into Sodom and Gom(>rrah, to destroy them. Judgment is his strange work. How exceedingly affecting are these two verses!

Verse 10. They shall walk after the Lord] They shall discern the operations of his providence, when.

He shall roar like a lion] When he shall utter his majestic voice, Cyrus shall make his decree. The people shall tremble — be in a state of commotion; every one hurrying to avail himself of the opportunity to return to his own land.

Verse 1 1. They shall tremble as a bird] Those of them that are in Egypt shall also be called thence, and shall speed hither as a bird. Those in Assyria shall also be called to return, and they shall flee as doves to their windows. All shall, in the fulness of time, return to their own land. And,

/ ivill place them in their houses, saith the Lord.] They shall have their temple once more, and all their holy ordinances.

Verse 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lies] I think this verse does not well unite with the above; it belongs to another subject, and should begin the following chapter, as in the Hebrew.

Judah yet ruleth ivith God] There is an allusion here to Gen. xxxii. 24, where Jacob, having "wrestled with the Angel," had his name changed to Israel, one that rules with God. That glor\' the Israelites had lost by their idolatry; but Judah still retained the true worship, and alone deserved the name of Israel.

Bp. Ncwcome translates this clause thus: — " But hereafter they shall come down a people of God, Even a faithful people of saints."

Even allowing this to be the most correct view of the original, I do not see what we gain by this change.

The prophet, in very pointed terms, describes the unprofitableness and destruction attending vicious courses; particnlarly such as Ephraim pursued, who forsook God, and courted the alliance of idolatrous princes, 1. Judah is also reproved, 2. He is reminded of the extraordinary favour of God to his father Jacob, in giving him the birthright; and exhorted, after his example, to wrestle tvtth God (the Angel of the covenant, the same unchangeable Jehovah) for a blessing; and to love mercy and execute justice, 3-6. Ephraim is accused of pursuing practices that are deceitful, although pretending to integrity, 7, 8. God then threatens to deprive this people of their possessions, 9, as they had rejected every means of reformation, 1 0, and given themselves up to gross impieties, 11. And, as an aggravation of their guilt, they are reminded from what humble beginnings they had been raised, 12, 13. The Divine judgments aliout to fall upon Israel are declared to be the result of great provocation, 14.

R. Roman., wind: he daily increaseth lies and cir. annum 29. (jggQiation; '' and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and " oil is carried into Egypt.

2 "■ The Lord hath also a controversy with Judah, and will " punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.

3 He took his brother ^ by the heel in the womb, and by his.■strength he ^ had ^ power with God:

Followeth after the east unnd] They are not only empty, but dangerous and destructive. The east wind was, and still is, in all countries, a parching, wasting, injurious wind.

He daily increaseth lies] He promises himself safety from foreign alliances. He " made a covenant with the Assyrians," and sent a subsidy of " oil to Egypt." The latter abandoned him; the former oppressed him.

Verse 2. The Lord hath also a controversy with Judah] The rest of the prophecy belongs both to Judah and Israel. He reproaches both with their ingratitude, and threatens them with God's anger. In order to make their infidelity the more hateful, and their malice the more sensible, he opposes to them the righteousness, obedience, and piety of their father Jacob. He recalls to their minds the benefits they had received since they returned from Egypt. He speaks afterwards of their kings; and how, in their ingratitude, they refused to have him for their monarch. Having mentioned this fact, he subjoins reflections, e.xhortations, invectives, and threatenings; and continues this subject in this and the two following chapters. — Calniet.

Verse 3. He took his brother by the heel] See on Gen. xsv. 26, and xxxii. 24, &c.

4 Yea, he had power over the Angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in ' Beth-cl, and "'^' """"'" '■^"- there he spake with us;

5 Even the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is his "^ memorial.

6 ' Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and "" wait on thy God continually.

7 He is " a merchant, ° the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to p oppress.

8 And Ephraim said, °- Yet I am become

He wept, and made supplication] He entreated with tears that God would bless him; and he prevailed. The circumstance of his weeping is not mentioned in Genesis.

He found him in Beth-el] It was there that God made those glorious promises to Jacob relative to his posterity. See Gen. xxviii. 13-15.

Verse 5. The Lord is his memorial.] He is the same God as when Jacob so successfully wrestled with

A''erse 6. Therefore turn thou to thy God] Because he is the same, and cannot change. Seek him as faithfully and as fervently as Jacob did, and you will find him the same merciful and compassionate Being.

Verse 7. He is a merchant] Or a Canaanite; referring to the Phcenicians, fainous for their traffic. Ephraim is as corrupt as those heathenish traffickers were. He kept, as many in all ages have done, a iceight and a loeight; a heavy one to buy with, and a light one to sell by.

Verse 8. I am become rich] They boasted in their riches, notwithstanding the unjust manner in which they were acquired.

in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me] This is frequently the language of merchants, tradesmen, &c. None are so full of professions of equity and justice, while all the time they are endeavouring

9 And ' I that am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt " will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feasts.

10"! have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, '" by the ministry of the prophets.

11 "is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they arc vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in ^ Gilgal;

to overrench, both in buying and selling. " Sir, I cannot afford it at that price." " It is not mine for that money." " I assure you that it cost me more than you offer." " I am sorry I cannot take your money; but if I did, I should lose by the article," &c., &c., &c. I have heard such language over and over, when I knew every word was false. Truth is a sacred thing in the sight of God; but who regards it as he sliould 1 There are, however, many noble exceptions among merchants and tradesmen. Bp. Ncivco?ne gives another turn to the subject, by translating: — " All his labours shall not be found profitable unto him, For the iniquity wherewith he hath sinned."

Verse 9. And I — the Lord thy God] I who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, will again make thee to dwell in tabernacles. This appears to be a threatening. I will reduce you to as miserable a state in the land of your captivity, as you often were through your transgressions in the wilderness. This was the opinion of some of the ancients on this verse; and the context requires it to be understood in this way. I do not think that the feast of tabernacles is referred to.

Verse 10. / have also spoken] I have used every means, and employed every method, to instruct and save you. 1 have sent prophets, who spake plainly, exhorting, warning, and beseeching you to return to me. They have had Divine visions, which they have declared and interpreted. They have used similitudes, symbols, metaphors, allegories, &c., in order to fix your attention, and bring you back to your duty and interest. And, alas! all is in vain; you have not profiled by my condescension. This text St. Paul seems to have had full in view, when he wrote, Heb. i. 1: " God who, at sundrv times and in divers MANNERS, spake in time past <into the fathers by the PROPHETS." See the note on the above.

Dr. Dodd supposes that there are three distinct kinds of prophecy mentioned here: 1. Immediate inspiration, when God declares the very words. 2. Vision; a representation of external objects to the

12 And Jacob ^ tied into the r. Roman., country of SjTia, and Israel "'' """'"" - '' served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

IS " And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Eg}-pt, and by a prophet was he preserved.

14 "^ Ephraim provoked him to anger " most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his ^ blood upon him, s and his '^ reproach shall his Lord return unto him.

mind, in as lively a manner as if they were conveyed by the senses. 3. Parables and apt resemblances.

Verse 11. Iniquity in Gilead] Gilgal and Gilead are equally iniquitous, and equally idolatrous. Gilead, which was beyond Jordan, had already been brought under subjection by Tiglalh-Pileser. Gilgal, which was on this/side Jordan, shall share the same fate; because it is now as idolatrous as the other.

Their altars are as heaps] They occur everywhere. The whole land is given to idolatry.

For a wife he kept sheep.] Seven years for Leah; having been cheated by Laban, who gave him first Leah, instead of Rachel; and afterwards made him serve seven years more before he would confirm his first engagement. Critics complain of want of connection here. Why is this isolated fact predicted? Thus, in a detached sentence, the prophet speaks of the low estate of their ancestors, and how amply the providence of God had preserved and provided for them. This is all the connection the place requires.

Verse 13. By a prophet (Moses) the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet (Joshua) xcas he preserved.] Joshua succeeded Moses, and brought the Israelites into the promised land; and when they passed the Jordan at Gilgal, he received the covenant of circumcision; and yet this same place was now made by them the seat of idolatry! How blind and how ungrateful!

Verse 14. Therefore shall he leave his blood upon him] He will not remove his guilt. These are similar to our Lord's words, John iii. 36, ix. 41: "He that bclieveth not on the.Son of God, shall not see life, for the wrath of God abideth on him" — shall not be removed by any remission, as he rejects the only way in which he can be saved. Because ye say. We see; therefore, vouR siN remaineth, i. e., it still stands charged against you. Your miseries and destruction are of your own procuring; your perdition is of yourselves. God is as merciful as he is just.

This chapter begins with observing that the fear of God leads to prosperity, but sin to ruin; a truth most visibly exemplified in the sin and punishment of Ephraim, 1-3. As an aggravation of their guilt, God reminds them of his former favours, 4, 5; tehich they had shamefully abused, 6; and lohich now expose them to dreadful punishments, 7, 8. He, hoivever, tempers these awful threatenings ivith gracious promises; and, on their repentance, engages to save them, when no other could protect them, 9—11. But, alas! instead of repenting, Ephraim is filling up the measure of his iniquity, 12, 13. Notivithstanding this, God promises to put forth his almighty povier in behalf of his people, and, as it loere, raise them from the dead, 14; although, in the meantime, they must be visited with great national calamities, compared first to the noxious and parching east icind, 15, and described immediately after in the plainest terms, 16.

2 And now ^ they sin more and more, and "^ have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them. Let '' the men that sacrifice ^ kiss the calves.

3 Therefore they shall be ^ as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, s as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind

Verse 1. When Ephraim spake trembling] When he was meek and humble, of a broken heart and contrite spirit.

He exalted himself in Israel] He became great in God's sight; he rose in the Divine esteem in proportion as he sank in his own. But this did not continue.

This has been difTerently understood: " As soon as Ephraim spake (To your tents, O Israel!) there was a trembling or commotion; then the kingdom was exalted in Israel." Thus taken, it refers to the division of the ten tribes from Rehoboam, son of Solomon, 1 Kings xii. 16, &c., and the establishment of the kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam in opposition to that of Judah; which breach was never healed.

Verse 2. And now they sin more and more] They increase in every kind of vice, having abandoned the great Inspirer of virtue.

Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.] This was the test. If there be a Jew that pretends to sacrifice, and whose conversion is dubious, let hira come openly and kins the calves. This will show what he is; no real Jew will do this. If he he an idolater, he will not scruple. This was the ancient method of adoration. 1. They kissed the idol. 2. When the statue was too high or too far off, they presented the hand, in token of alliance. 3. They brought that hand respectfully to their mouths, and kissed it. This was

4 Yet '^ I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shall know no god but me: for saviour beside me.

5 "^ I did know thee in the wilderness, ' in the land of ™ great drought.

6 ° According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore ° have they forgotten me

7 Therefore p I will be unto them as a lion " as 1 a leopard by the way will I observe the7}i:

And Apuleius, Asin., lib. iv.: Admoventes oribus suis dexteram, ut ipsam prorsus deam religiosis adorationibus venerabantur. See Calmet, and see the note on Job.xxxi. 17.

Verse 3. Therefore they shall be as the morning CLOUD — as the early dew — as the chaff — as the smoke] Four things, most easy to be driven about and dissipated, are employed here to show how they should be scattered among the nations, and dissipated by captivity.

Verse 4. / am the Lord thy God] This was the first discovery I made of myself to you, and the first commandment I gave; and I showed you that besides me there was no Saviour. There is a remarkable addition in the.Septuagint here: " But I am Jehovah thy God, who stretched out the heavens and created the earth. And I showed them not to thee, that thoa shouldst walk after them. And I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt," &c. This might have been once in the Hebrew text.

Verse 5. I did know thee] I approved of thee; I loved thee; and by miraculously providing for thee in that land of drought, I demonstrated my love.

Verse 6. According to their pasture] They had a rich pasture, and were amply supplied with every good. They became exalted in their heart, forgat their God, and became a prey to their enemies. " He that exalteth himself shall be abased."

A. U. c. cir. 29. that IS bcreavcd of her luhelps, R. Roman., and will rciid the caul of their c.r. annum 29. j^^^^.j^ ^^^ there will I devourtliem like a lion: ' the wild beast shall tear them.

9 0 Israel, ' thou hast destroyed thyself; " but in me ^ is thine help.

1 0 " I will be thy king: '^ where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom ^ thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?

As a lenpard] "i"D3 namar, so termed from its spotted sliin, for to be spotted is the signification of the root.

Will I absence them] The leopard, tiger, and panther ■will hide themselves in thick bush-wood, near where they expect any prey to pass; and as soon as it comes near, spring suddenly upon it. To this is the allusion in the te.xt: " By the way will I observe them;" watch for them as the leopard does. They shall be greatly harassed even on their way to Assyria, when going into captivity.

Verse 8. Asa hem — hereavcd'\ This is a figure to denote excessive ferocity. See the note on 2 Sam. xvii. 8, where a remarkable instance is given.

And will rend the caul of their heart] Every savage beast goes first to the seat of the blood when it has seized its prey; as in this fluid they delight more than in the most delicate parts of the flesh.

There will I devour tliem like a lion] X'37 labi, the old strong lion; drinking the blood, tearing the flesh, and breaking the bones to extract the marrow.

The wild beast shall tear them] Probably this refers to the chahal or jackal, who frequently hunts down the prey, which the lion takes the liberty to devour, while the jackal stands by, and afterwards picks the bones. Hence he has been called the lion's provider, and the lions waiting-man.

Verse 9. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself] These evils come not by my immediate infliction; they are the consequences of thy oivn crimes. In the above terrifying figures of the ferocious beasts, the prophet only shows what they would meet with from the hand of the Assyrians in the war, the famine, and the captivity; God being represented as doing what he only permits to be done.

But in me is thine help.] " Though thou hast deotroyed thyself, yet in me alone can thy help be found." — Newcomc. And others read, And who will help thee.' reading 'D mi, who, for '3 bi, in me. Though this is countenanced by the Syriac, yet there is no evidence of it in any of the MSS. yet collated, nor do I think it to be the true reading.

13 ''The sorrows of a travailing womai: shall come upon him: he is "= an unwise son; for he should not '' stay " long in the place of the breaking forth of children.

14 'I will ransom them from s the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death;

to the time in which they cast off the Divine theocracy and chose Saul in the place of Jehovah.

Verse II. I gave thee a king in mine anger] Such was Saul; for they highly oflended God when they clamoured to have a king like the heathen nations that were around them.

Took him away in my tvrath.] Permitted him and the Israelites to fall before the Philistines. Others think that Shalmaneser was the king thus given, and Hoshea the king thus taken aivay.

Verse 12. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up] It is registered in my court of justice; the death warrant is in store, and will be produced in due time. Though there be not at present the judgment inflicted which such glaring transgressions demand, yet it will surely come. Such crimes cannot go unpunished.

Verse 13. The sorrows of a travailing looman] These judgments shall come suddenly and unavoidably.

The place of the breaking forth of children.] As there is a critical time in parturition in which the mother in hard labour may by skilful assistants be eased of her burden, which, if neglected, may endanger the life both of parent and child; so there was a time in which Ephraim might have returned to God, but they would not; therefore they are now in danger of being finally destroyed. And, speaking after the manner of men, he must be deemed an unwise son, who, if he had power and consideration, would prolong his stay in the porch of life, where he must necessarily be suffocated; so is Ephraim, who, though warned of his danger, having yet power to escape, continued in his sin, and is now come to destruction. I could illustrate the allusion in the text farther, and show the accurate propriety of the original; but the subject forbids it.

Verse 14. I will ransom them from the power of the grave] In their captivity they are represented as dead and buried, which is a similar view to that taken of the Jews in the Babylonish captivity by Ezekiel in his vision of the valley of dry bones. They are now lost as to the purpose for which they were made, for which God had wrought so many miracles for them and for their ancestors; but the gracious purpose of God shall not be utterly defeated. He will bring them out of that grave, and ransom them from that death; for

15 Though •'he' be fruitful among his brethren, ' an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his

as they have deserved that death and disgraceful burial, they must be redeemed and ransomed from it, or still lie under it. And who can do this but God himself! And he will do it. In the prospect of this the prophet e.xclaims, in the person of the universal Redeemer, " O death, 1 will be thy plagues;" I will bring into thy reign the principle of its destruction. The Prince of life shall lie for a time under thy power, that he may destroy that power.

O grave, I will be thy destruction] I will put an end to thy dreary domination by rising from the dead, and bringing life and immortality to life by my Gospel, and by finally raising from death the whole human race in the day of the general resurrection.

hni'tJ sheol, which we translate grave, is the state of the dead. niO maveth, which we translate death, is the principle of corruption that renders the body unfit to be longer the tenement of the soul, and finally decomposes it. Sheol shall be destroyed, for it must deliver up all its dead. Maveth shall be annihilated, for the body shall be raised incorruptible. See the use which the apostle makes of this passage, 1 Cor. XV. 54, 55; but he does not quote from the Hebrew, nor from any of the ancient versions. He had to apply the subject anew; and the Spirit, which had originally

16" Samaria shall become desolate; " for she hath rebelled against her God: P they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

given the words, chose to adapt them to the subject then in hand, which was the resurrection of the dead in the last day. Instead of y\l-\ debareycha, thy plagues, one of my oldest MSS., ninety-si^: of Kennicott^s, and thirty-two of De RossVs, have "ji:]! debarcha, thy plague, that which shall carry thee off, as the plague does them who are affected by it. To carry off, carry away, is one of the regular meanings of the verb ^2^ dabar.

Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.] On these points I will not change my purpose; this is the signification of repentance when attributed to

Verse 15. Though he be fruitful] N"13" yaphri; a paronomasia on the word D""13S ephrayim, which comes from the same root ms parah, to be fruitful, to sprout, to bud.

An east wind shall come] As the east wind parches and blasts all vegetation, so shall Shalmaneser blast and destroy the Israelitish state.

Verse 16. Samaria shall become desolate] This was the capital of the Israelitish kingdom. What follows is a simple prophetic declaration of the cruelties which should be e,x;ercised upon this hapless people by the Assyrians in the sackage of the city.

By the terrible denunciation of vengeance which concludes the preceding chapter, the prophet is led to exhort Israel to repentance, famishing them with a beautiful form of prayer, very suitable to the occasion, 1-3. Upon ivhich God, ever ready to pardon the penitent, is introduced making large promises of blessings, in allusion to those copious dews ivhich refresh the green herbs, and ivhich frequently denote, not only temporal salvation, but also the rich and refreshing comforts of the Gospel, 4-7. Their reformation from idolatry is foretold, and their consequent prosperity, under the emblem of a green flourishing fir tree, 8; but these promises are confined to those who may bring forth the fruits of righteousness, and the wicked are declared to have no share in them, 9.

r\ ISRAEL, ^return unto the Lord thy God; •> for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 2 Take with you words, and

turn to the Lord: say unto him. Take away all iniquity, and " receive us graciously: so will we render ^ the calves of our lips.

more to suffer if they did not repent. But it seems all these evils might yet be prevented, though so positively predicted, if the people would repent and return; and the very exhortation to this repentance

are our gods: '' for in thee the fatherless findetii mercy. 4 I will heal ' their backsliding, I will love

shows that they still had power to repent, and that God was ready to save them and avert all these evils. All this is easily accounted for on the doctrine of the co7ilingency of events, i. e., the poising a multitude of events on the possibility of being and not being, and leaving the will of man to turn the scale; and that God will not foreknow a thing as absolutely certain, which his will has determined to make contingent. A doctrine against which some solemn men have blasphemed, and philosophic infidels declaimed; but without which fate and dire necessity must be the universal governors, prayer be a useless meddling, and Providence nothing but the ineluctable adamantine chain of unchangeable events; all virtue is vice, and vice virtue; or there is no distinction between them, each being eternally determined and unalterably fi.xed by a sovereign and uncontrollable will and unvarying necessity, from the operation of which no soul of man can escape, and no occurrence in the universe be otherwise than it is. From such blasphemy, and from llie monthly publications which avouch it, good Lord, deliver us!

Verse 2. Take with you words} And you may be assured that you pray aright, when)'ou use the words which God himself has put in your mouths. On this very ground there is a potency in the Lord's Prayer, when offered up believingly, beyond what can be found in any human composition. And it may be presumed that it was this consideration that induced our reformers to introduce it so frequently in the public liturgy.

5. Take with you the words by which you have been encouraged, and plead them before God.

4. Remember your iniquity, deeply deplore it, and beg of God to take it all away.

5. Let faith be in exercise to receive what God waits to impart. " Receive us graciously;" y\0 npl vekach loh, receive, or let us receive good; when thou hast emptied us of evil, fill us with goodness.

6. Be then determined, through grace, to live to his glory, " so shall we render thee the calves" (D'li! parim, for which the versions in general read '13 peri, fruits, omitting tlie D mem) " of our lips;" the sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving, gratitude, and the hearty obedience which our lips have often promised.

5 I will be as ' the dew r. Roman.,

them '' freely: for mine anger is turned away from him

unto Israel: he shall " grow as the lily, and " cast forth his roots as Lebanon. 6 His branches ° shall spread, and ^ his

to depend on God alone for all that can make you wise, useful, holy, and happy. The resolutions are, —

1. Asshur shall not save »;t — We will neither trust in, nor fear, this rich and powerful king. We will not look either to riches or power for true rest and peace of mind.

2. We ivill not ride upon horses — ^We shall no more fi.x our hopes on the proud Egyptian cavalry, to deliver us out of the hands of enemies to whom thy Divine justice has delivered us. We will expect no rest nor happiness in the elegances of life, and gratification of our senses.

3. Neither will ive say any inore to the loork of out hands, Ye are our gods — We will not trust in any thing ivithout us; nor even in any good thing we are able to do through thy grace; knowing we have nothing but what we have received. We will trust in thy infinite mercy for our final salvation.

4. And' we will do all this from the conviction, that in thee the fatherless findeth mercy; for we are all alike helpless, desolate, perishing orphans, till translated into thy family.

Verse i. I will heal their backsliding] Here is the answer of God to these prayers and resolutions. See its parts: —

1. Ye have backslidden and fallen, and are grievously and mortally wounded by that fall; but I, who am the Author of life, and who' redeem from death, will heal all these wounds and spiritual diseases.

2. / will love them freely — T\2'\} nedabah, after a liberal, princely manner. I will love them so as to do them incessant good. It shall not be a love of affection merely, but shall be a beneficial love. A love that not only feels delight in itself, but fills them with delight who are its objects, by making them unutterably and supremely happy.

3. For mine anger is turned away from him — Because he has turned back to me. Thus God and man become friends.

Verse 5. / ivill be as the dew unto Israel] On these metaphors I gladly avail myself of the elegant and just observations of Bp. Lowth. " These verses (5, 6, 7) contain gracious promises of God's favour and blessings upon Israel's conversion. In the fifth verse, it is described by that refreshment which copious dews give to the grass in summer. If we consider the nature of the clunate, and the necessity of dews in so hot a country, not only to refresh, but likewise to preserve life; if we consider also the beauty of the oriental Ulies, the fragrance of the cedars wOiich grow upon Lebanon, the beauteous appearance which the

R. Roman, 7 ' They that dwell under his cir. annum 29. gj^adow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and ' grow as the vine: the ' scent thereof shall he as the wine of Lebanon.

8 Ephraim shall say, " What have I to do any more with idols? ' I have heard hi7n, and

spreading olive trees afforded, the exhilarating coolness caused by the shade of such trees, and the aromatic smell exhaled by the cedars; we shall then partly understand the force of the metaphors here employed by the prophet; but their full energy no one can conceive, till he feels both the want, and enjoys the advantage, of the particulars referred to in that climate where the prophet wrote." — Lowth's twelfth and nineteenth prelection; and Dodd on the place.

What a glorious prophecy! What a wonderful prophet! How sublime, how energetic, how just! The great master prophet, Isaiah, alone could have done this better. And these promises are not for Israel merely after the flesh; they are for all the people of God. We have a lot and portion in the matter; God also places his love upon us. Here the reader must feel some such sentiment as the shepherd in Virgil, when enraptured with the elegy which his associate had composed on their departed friend. The phraseology and metaphors are strikingly similar; and therefore I shall produce it.

Talc luum carmen nobis, divine poeta, Quale ^vpor fessis in gramine, quale per (Estum Dulcis aqua saliente sitim restinguere rivo. Nee calamis solum asquiparas, sed voce magistrum. Fortunate puer! tu nunc eris alter ab illo. Nos tamen hose quocunque modo tibi nostra vicissim Dicemus, Daphninque tuum tollemus ad astra: Daphnin ad astra feremus: amavit nos quoque Daphnis. Virgil, JScL v., ver. 45. " 0 heavenly poet, such thy verse appears, So sweet, so charming to my ravish'd ears. As to the weary swain with cares oppress'd, Beneath the sylvan shade, refreshing rest; As to the feverish traveller, when first He finds a crystal stream to quench his thirst. In singing, as in piping, you excel; And scarce your master could perform so well. O fortunate young man! at least your lays Are next to his, and claim the second praise. Such as they are, my rural songs I join To raise your Daphnis to the powers divine; For Daphnis was my friend, as well as thine.''''

Verse 7. They that dwell under his shadow shall return^ The Targum is curious: "They shall be gathered together from the midst of their captivity; they shall dwell under the shadow of his Christ, and the dead shall revive."

9 " Who is wise, and he shall ^

understand these things 1 prudent, and he shall know them? for ^ the vi^ays of the Lord are riglit, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

They shall revive as the corn\ The justness and beaut}- of this metaphor is not generally perceived. After the corn has been a short time above the earth, in a single spike, the blades begin to separate, and the stalk to spring out of the centre. The side leaves turn back to make way for the protruding stalk; and fall bending down to the earth, assuming a withered appearance, though still attached to the plant. To look at the corn in this state, no one, unacquainted with the circumstance, could entertain any sanguine hope of a copious harvest. In a short time other leaves spring out; the former freshen, and begin to stand erect; and the whole seems to revive from » vegetative death. This is the circumstance to which the prophet refers; " they shall revive as the corn.' Of this a prudent and profitable use may be made.

1. When a soul is first "drawn by the cords of love," chap. xi. 4, every thing seems to it promising, comfortable, and delightful, like the corn in its first state.

2. But when the Spirit of judgment brings to the light of conscience the hidden things of iniquity, and repentance is deepened into contritio?i, the broken and the contrite heart groans, and thinks that all is lost deep distress takes place, and discouragement succeeds discouragement. This answers to the corn ii\ its second state.

3. By and by the pardon comes, and God's love is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost; every hope is revived and realized, the full corn in the ear becomes manifest; and this answers to the corn in its third state. " They shall revive as the corn." Glorybe to God for his unspeakable gift I

Verse 8. What have I to do any more with idols?] The conversion of Ephraira is now as complete as ii was sincere. God hears and observes this.

/ am like a green fir tree.] Perhaps these words should be joined to the preceding, as Newcome has done, and be a part of God's speech to Ephraim. " I have heard him; and I have seen him as a flourishing fir tree." He is become strong and vigorous; and from his present appearance of healthiness, his future increase and prosperity may be safely anticipated.

From me is thy fruit found.] All thy goodness springs from the principle of grace which I have planted in thy soul; for as the earth cannot bring forth fruit without the blessing of God, sending the dews and rains, with the genial rays of the sun; so neither can the soul of man, even of the most pious bear fruit, without a continual influence from the Most High. Without the former, neither grass could grow for cattle, nor corn for the service of 7nan; without the latter, no seeds of righteousness could take root, no stalk of promise could grow, no fruit of grace could be produced. And the unclean spirit, which was cast out, would soon return; and, finding his former house empty, swept, and garnished, would re-enter with seven demons of greater power and worse influence; and the latter end of that man would be worse than the first. Reader, ever consider that all thy good must be derived from God; and all that good must be preserved in thee by his continued influence of light, love, and power upon thy soul.

Verse 9. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things I] What things? Those which relate to the backslidings, iniquity, and punishment of Israel; and to the mercy and kindness of God in their promised restoration. The things which belong to the work of sin in the heart; the things which belong to the work of grace in the soul; and particularly the things mentioned in this wonderful chapter.

Prudent, and he shall knoio them.'] He who endeavours to understand them, who lays his heart to them, such a person shall understand them.

For the ways of the Lord are right] This is the conclusion which the prophet makes from the whole. All God's conduct, both in the dispensation of justice and mercy, is right: all as it should be, all as it must be; because he is too wise to err, too good to be unkind.

The just shall walk in them] This is a truth which he will always acknowledge; and illustrate it by a righteous and godly life.

But the transgressors shall fall therein.] Howsoever good they might have been before, if they do not consider the necessity of depending upon God; of receiving all their light, life, power, and love from him; ever evidencing that faith which worketh by love; maintaining an obedient conduct, and having respect to all God's precepts; they shall fall, even in the " way of righteousness." When still using the Divine ordinances, and associating with God's people, they shall perish from the way; and be like Ephraim, who once " spoke trembling," and " was e.xalted in Israel," wlio was " God's beloved son," and " called out of Egypt;" yet, by " offending in Baal," giving way to " the idols of his heart," fell from God, fell into the hands of his enemies, and became a wretched thrall in a heathen land.

" Whoso is wise, let him understand these things! Whoso is prudent, let him know them!"

He who is well instructed will make a proper application of what he has here read; will tremble at the threatenings, and embrace the promises, of his God.

" The ways of the Lord are right, and the just who walk in them shall live for ever; but the ungodly, because they have not walked in them, shall be de livered into hell."

How instructive, how convincing, how awakening, and yet l)ow consolatory, are the words of this prophecy! Reader, lay them to heart. A godly mind cannot consider them in vain; such shall know them, and know that the ways of the Lord are right.

TOEL, the son of Pethuel, the second of the twelve mhior prophets, was, as is said, of the tribe of Reuben, and city of Beihoran; or rather Betlutran, for Bethoran was on this side Jordan, in the tribe of Ephraim, and Betliaran was on the other side of the river, in the tribe of Reuben. Joel prophesied in the kingdom of Judah; and it is the opinion of some critics that he did not appear there till after the removal of the ten tribes and the destruction of the kingdom of Israel. VVe do not know distinctly the year wherein he began to prophesy, nor that in which he died. He speaks of a great famine, and an inundation of locusts, which ravaged Judea; but as these are evils not uncommon in that country, and all sorts of events have not been registered in history, we can infer nothing from thence towards fixing the particular period of JoeTs prophecy.

St. Jerome, followed by many others, both ancients and moderns, believed Joel to have been contemporary with Hosea, according to this rule laid down by him, that when there is no certain proof of the time wherein any prophet lived, we are to be directed in our conjectures by the time of the preceding prophet, whose epoch is better known. But this rule is not always certain, and should not hinder us from following another system, if we have good reason for doing so. The Hebrews maintain that Joel prophesied under Manasseh; and as collateral circumstances seem to preponderate in favour of this hypothesis, it has been accordingly followed in the margin. Under the idea of an enemy's army, the prophet represents a cloud of locusts, which in his time fell upon Judea, and caused great desolation. This, together with the caterpillars, and the drought, brought a terrible famine upon the land. God, being moved with the calamities and prayers of his people, scattered the locusts, and the wind blew them into the sea. These misfortunes were succeededby plenty and fertility. After this, the prophet foretold the day of the Lord, and the vengeance he was to exercise in the valley of Jezreel. He speaks of the teacher of righteousness, whom God was to send; and of the Holy Spirit, which was to descend upon all flesh. He says that Jei-usalem will be inhabited for ever; that salvation will come out from thence; and that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. All this relates to the new covenant, and the time of the Messiah. See Calmet.

Bishop Lowth observes that "the style of Joel difiers much from that of Hosea; but, though of a different kind, is equally poetical. It is elegant, perspicuous, clear, diffusive, and flowing; and, at the same time, very sublime, nervous, and animated. He displays the whole power of poetic description in the first and second chapters; and, at the same time, his fondness for metaphors, comparisons, and allegories; nor is the connection of his subjects less remarkable than the graces of his diction. It is not to be denied that in some places he is very obscure; which every attentive reader will perceive, especially in the end c*' this prophecy." Prsl. xxi.; and see Dodd. The two first chapters are inimitably beautiful; and the language, in force, and often in sound, well adaoted to the subject. See the note on ver. 1.

Chronological Notes relative to the commencement ofJoeTs prophesying, upon the supposition that this event took place about six hundred and ninety years before the commencement of the Christian era.

Year from the Creation, according to Archbisop Usher, 3314. — Year of the Jnlian Period, 4024. — Year since the Flood, 1658. — Year from the foundation of Solomon's temple, 322. — Year since the division of Solomon's monarchy into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, 285. — Year since the extinction of the kingdom of Israel by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, 31. — Third year of the twenty-second Olympiad. — Year from the buDding of Rome, according to the Yarronian computation, 64. — Year before the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 690. — Cycle of the Sun, 20. — Cycle of the Moon, 15. — Third year of Eryxias, the last decennial archon of the Athenians. — First year of Anaxidamus, king of Lacedsemon, of the family of the Proclidae. — Thirty-fifth year of Eurycrates I., king of Lacedaemon, of the family of the Eurysthenida;. — Eleventh year of Deioces, the first king of the Medes. — Fortieth year of Perdiccas I., king of Macedon. — Twenty-ninth year of Gyges, king of Lydia. — Ninth year of Manasseh, king of Judab

This and the beginning of the next chapter contain a double prophecy, applicable in its primary sense to a plague of locusts ivhich loas to devour the land, and to be accompanied with a severe drought and famine; and in its secondary sense it denotes the Chaldean invasion. Both senses must be admitted: for some of the expressions tinll apply only to the dearth hy insects; others to the desolation by war. The contexture of both is beautiful and %vell conducted. In this chapter the distress of every order of people is strongly painted; and not only does the face of nature languish tvhen the God of nature is displeased, 1-19; but the very beasts of the field, by a bold figure, are represented as supplicating God in their distress, and reproaching the stupidity of man, 20.

'PHE word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. 2 Hear this, ye old men, and

Verse 1. The word of the Lord that came to Joel] See the introduction for some account of this prophet, whose history is very obscure. Bishop Newcome thinks that he prophesied while the kingdom of Judah subsisted, and refers to chap. ii. 1,15, (see also chap. i. 14, and the note there,) but not long before its subversion; as his words, chap. iii. 1, seem to imply that its captivity was approaching. See 2 Kings xxi. 10-15. He therefore favours the conjecture oi Drusius, that this prophet lived under Manasseh, and before

give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. " Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?

Hath this been in your days'] He begins very abruptly; and before he proposes his subject, excites attention and alarm by intimating that he is about to announce disastrous events, such as the oldest man among them has never seen, nor any of them learn from the histories of ancient times.

4 ■= That '' which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten: and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.

5 Awake, ye drunkard.s, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; ^ for it is cut off from your mouth.

6 For ^ a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, ^ whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheekteeth of a great lion.

7 He hath *> laid my vine waste, and ' bark-

Verse 3. Tetl ye your children of it] To heighten the effect, he still conceals the subject, and informs them that it is such as should be handed down from father to son through all generations.

Verse 4. That which the palmerworm hath left] Here he begins to open his message, and the words he chooses show that he is going to announce a devastation of the land by locusts, and a famine consequent on their depredations. What the different insects may be which he specifies is not easy to determine. I shall give the words of the original, with theiietymology.

The palmerworm, UU gazam, from the same root, to cut short; probably the caterpillar, or some snch blight, from its cutting the leaves of the trees into pieces for its nourishment.

The locust, n31N arbeh, from n31 rabah, to multiply, from the immense increase and multitude of this insect.

Can/ierirorm, pT yelek, from p7 lah, to lick or lap with the tongue; the reference is uncertain.

Caterpillar, 7'Dn chasil, from Son chasal, to consume, to eat up; the consumer. Bishop Newcome translates the Jirst, grasshopper; the second, locust; the third, devouring locust; and the fourth, consuming locust. After all that has been said by interpreters concerning these four animals, I am fully of opinion that the arbeh, or locust himself, is the gazam. the yelek, and the chasil; and that these different names are used here by the prophet to point out the locust in its different states, or progress from embryo to full grotuth. See the note on chap. ii. 2.

Verse 5. Awake, ye drunkards] The general destruction of vegetation by these devouring creatures has totally prevented both harvest and vintage; so that there shall not be wine even for necessary uses, much less for the purposes of debauchery. It is well known that the ruin among the vines by locusts pre- •vents the vintage for several years after.

ed my fig tree: he hath made \ ^ f^- ^]*- it clean bare, and cast it away; 01. cir. xxil. 3.

8 '' Lament like a virgin girded with sack cloth for ' the husband of her youth.

9 " The meat-offering and the drinkoffering is cut off from the house of the Lord; the priests, the Lord's ministers, mourn.

10 The field is wasted, " the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: ° the new wine is P dried up, the oil languisheth.

11 1 Be ye ashamed, 0 ye husbandmen; howl, 0 ye vine-dressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.