Exposition of the Whole Bible

and partly by Chrift, are difpleafing to the Lord, and mifs of the thing, ftumbling at the ftumblingftone, and fo fall and perith. ‘ y. 6. And them that are turned back from the Lord, &c.] Who once were worfhippers of him, but now become apoftates, and had turned their — backs on him, and his worfhip. Some think this — defcribes thofe who renewed their covenant with — God in Fofiah’s time, and after that revolted from him, who muft be very abominable to him; and therefore he threatens to ftretch out his hand, and pour out his wrath upon them: and thofe that bave not fought the Lord, nor inquired for him, profane, — abandoned finners, that lived without God in the world, and as if there was no God; never concerned themfelves about the worfhip of him, hav— ing no faith in him, love to him, or fear and reverence of him; fo far were they from feeki him in the firft place diligently, zealoufly, and with their whole heart, that they never fought him at all; nor took any pains to get any knowledge of him, or of his mind and will, and manner of worfhip;. but were altogether carelefs about thefe things, and unconcerned for them. ¥. 7. Hold thy peace at the prefence of the Lord God, &c.] When he comes forth, and appears in the way of his judgments, don’t difpute the point with him, or pretend to offer reafons againft _ his proceedings, or in order to difprove the juftice ° of them; ftand in awe and reverence of him, who is the Lord God omnifcient and omnipotent, holy, juit and true; humble yourfelves under his mighty hand; be ftill, and know that he is God; and lec not one murmuring and repining word come out of your mouth. ‘The Zargum is,~‘* let all the ‘¢ wicked of the earth perifh from before the Lord “© God:” for the day of the Lord is at hand; the — time. of his vengeance on the Few nation for their fins, which he had fixed in his mind, and had given notice of by his: prophets this began to take place at ofiah’s« death, after which the Fews enjoyed little peace and profperity; and his fucceffor reigned but three months, was depofed by the king of Egypt, and carried thither captive, and there died; and Yehciakim that fucceeded him, in the fourth year of his reign was carried captive into Babylon, or died by the way thither; fo that - this day might well be faid to be at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a facrifice; his people the Fews, who were to fall a victim to his vengeance, and a facrifice to his juftice, to atone in iome meafure for the injury done to it by-their fins; thus they that had offered facrifice to idols, and negleéted the facrifices of the Lord, and efpecially the great facrifice of Chrift typified by them, the only proper atoning one, fhould themfelves become a facrifice ~ to the juft refentment of. God; this he had prepared in his mind, determined fhould be done, and would bring about in his providence; fee J/; xxxiv. 6: he hath bid his guefts, or called omes®s the Chaldeans, whom he invited and called to this facrifice and feaft: or whom he prepared, or fanfified? he prepared them in his purpofe and providence; he fet them apart for this fervice, and called them to it; to be the facrificers of this people, and to feaft upon them, to fpoil them of their fication and falvation, partly by their own works, tefts —

| goods and riches, and enjoy them. Thefe may alfo defign, as Kimchi obferves, the fowls of, which agrees with what follows: which jill their the: heaven, and the beafts of the field, invited to feaft upon the flain; tee Ezek. xxxix. 17. Rev. xiX. 17.

¥. 8. And it fhall come to pafs in the day of the Lord’s facvifice, &c.] When the above facrifice prepared fhall be offered, and the flaughter of his people made, when his wrath fhall be poured out upon them, within the time of its beginning and ending: that I will punifh the princes, and the king’s children; either the children of ¥ofah, who, tho’ a good prince, his children did evil in the fight of the Lord, and were punifhed by him: Fehoabaz after a three months reign was carried down to Egypt, and died there; Feboiakim his elder brother, that fucceeded him, rebelling againft the king of Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign, fell into his hands, and died,:and was buried with the burial of an afs; and Feconiab his fon was carried captive into Badylon, and there remained to the day of his death; and with him were carried the whole royal family, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, 2 Kings xxiii. 14. or elfe the children of Zedekiah, another fon of Jofab, and the laft of the kings of Fudab, who was carried captived by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who before his eyes flew his fons, and all the princes of Fudabh, and then put out his eyes, and bound him in chains, Jer. lii. 10, 11. and thus this prophecy had its accomplifhment: ad ail fuch as are clothed with flrange apparel, either which they put on in honour of the idols they worfhipped, as Farchi; fo the heathens wore one fort of garments for one idol, and another fort for another; or thefe were men of a pharifaical caft, who wore garments different from others, that they might be thought to be very holy and religious, which fenfe is mentioned by Kimchi; or they were fuch, which he alfo obferves, who, feecing fome to have plenty of good cloaths, ftole them from them, and put them on; or fuch who arrayed themfelves in garments that did not belong to their fex, men put on womens garments, and women clothed themfelves with mens, and ‘both ftrange apparel; or rather this points at fuch perfons, who, in their apparel, imitated the fafhions and cuftoms of foreign nations; which probably began with the king’s children and courtiers, and were followed by others. The Targum is, ‘* and upon all thofe “¢ that make a noife at the worfhip of idols.”

y¥. 9. In the fame day alfo will I punifh all thofe that leap on the threfbold, &c.| Not in a ludicrous way, who, by dancing and leaping, made fport for perfons, and brought their mafters much gain, as the damfel poffeffed with a fpirit of divination did, 44s xvi. 16. rather, that entered rafhly and irreverently into the houfe of God; or elfe in an idolatrous way, who, when they went into an idols-temple, did not tread upon the threfhold, but leaped over it, as the priefts of Dagon, after the fall of that idol on the threfhold, 1 Sam. v. 4, 5. So the Targum, ‘¢ and I will vifit all thofe ‘© that walk in the laws (or according to the cu- “© ftoms) of the Philiftines;” whofe idol Dagon was: but it feems better to interpret it of fuch,.

who, feeing houfes full of good things, in a rude, bold, infolent manner thruft themfelves, or jumped into them, and took away what they pleafed; or when they returned to their mafters houfes with their fpoil, who fet them on, and encouraged them in thefe practices, leaped over the threfhold for joy of what they had got, as den Ezra oblerves;

mafters boufes with violence and deceit; that is, with goods got by rapine and force, and by fraudulent ways and methods: this is to be underftood of the fervants of great men, who, to feed the ambition and avarice of their mafters, ufed very oppreffive methods with inferior perfons, to get their fub- {tance from them, and gratify their mafters. Cocceius interprets thefe ¢hree verfes of the day of Chrift’s coming in the flefh being at hand, when the true facrifice fhould be offered up, and God would call his people to feed by faith upon it; when all civil power and authority in the Sanhedrim, and family of David fhould be removed from the ews; and all friendfhip with the nations of the world, fignified by likenefs of garments; and the prieftly dignity, the priefts, according to him, being thofe that leaped over the threfhold; that is, of the houfe of the Lord, the temple, and filled it with the fpoil of widows houfes, unfup- portable precepts, and falfe do¢trines. ¥. 10. And it fall come to pafs in that day, faith the Lord, &c.] In the day of the Lord’s facrifice, when he fhall punith the inhabitants of Zudab and Ferufalem by the Chaldeans; which, as well as what follows, fhall furely come to pafs, becaufe the Lord has faid it; for not one word of his fhall pa{s away, but all be fulfilled: that there fhall be the noife of a cry from the fifb-gate, a gate of the city of Ferufalem fo called, which fuffered as the reft in the deftruction of the city by the Badylonians, and after the captivity was rebuilt by the fons of Haffenaah, Neb. iii. 3. according to Ferom, it was on the weft-fide of the city, and led to Diofpolis and Foppa; and was the neareft road to the Mediterranean-fea of any of the roads to Ferufalem, from whence fith were brought, and brought in by this gate; and very probably the fith-market was near it, from whence it had its name; tho’ Cocceius places it in the north-corner of the eattfide of the city, and fo was nearer Fordan, the fea of Tiberias, and the city of Zyre, from whence fifth might be brought hither, and fold, Ned. xiii. 16. however, be it where it will, the enemy it feems would attack it, and enter in by it; upon which a hideous cry would be made, either by the affailants, the Chaldeans, at their attack upon it, and entrance thro’ it; or by the inhabitants of it, or that were neareft to it upon their approach, or both: and an howling from the fecond; either from the fecond gate; and if the fifh-gate is the fame with the firft gate, Zech. xiv. 10. then this. may be pertinently called the fecond. archi calls it the bird-gate, which was the fecond to the fifhgate. So the Yargum, “ from the bird, or the '*¢ bird-gate;” tho’ fome copies of it read, from the tower or high fortrefs: or elfe this defigns the fecond wall, and the gate in that which an{wered to the fifh-gate; for ‘Yerufalem was encompafied with three wails; the fifh-gate was in the outermoft, and this was in the fecond, to which the Chaldeans came next, and occafioned a dreadful howling and lamentation in the people that dwelt near it. Kimcbi interprets it, of the {chool or univerfity that was in Yerufalem; the fame word is rendered the cottage in which Hu/dab the prophetefs lived, 2 Kings xxii. 14. and there, by the Targum, ‘* the houfe of doétrine or inftruction,”’ fo then the fenfe is, a grievous outcry would be heard from the univerfity or fchool of the prophets; the enemy having entered it, and were flaying the ftudents, or feizing them in order to elt them

BZ E PV them captive: anda great crafhing from the bills; either that were in eraisle, as mount Zioz and Moriah, on which the temple ftood; or thofe that were round about it, as Garéh, and Goeath, and others; tho’ fome interpret this of the houfes of nobles that ftood in the higher parts of the city, where there would be a fhivering, a breaking to pieces, as the word fignifies, of doors and windows without, and of furniture within.

y. 11. Howl ye inbabitants of Maktefh, &c.] The name of a ftreet in Ferufalem,'as Aben Ezra; perhaps it lay low in the hollow of the ‘city, and in the form of a mortar, from whence it might have its name, as the word * fignifies; which is ufed both for a hollow place, and for a mortar, FJudg..xv. 19. Prov. xxvii. 22. unlefs it might be fo called from fuch perfors dwelling in it, that ufed mortars for fpice, and other things. The Targum is, ‘* howl all ye that dwell in the valley “* of Kedron;” and ‘Ferom thinks the valley of Siloah is intended, which is the fame;_ which dri- chomius* fays, was broad, deep and dark, and furrounded the temple in manner of a fofs, or ditch; and was difpofed in the form of a mortar, called in Hebrew, machtes; in Latin, pila;—in which merchants and ‘tradefmen of all kinds dwelt. It is thought by others to be the fame which Fofephus * ealls the valley of the cheefemongers, which lay between the two hills Zion and Acra. The reafon of their howling is, for all the merchant people are eut down; either cut to pieces by the fword of the enemy, and become filent, as the word ‘ fometimes fignifies, and the Vulgate Latin verfion here renders it; become fo by,death, and laid in the filent grave, and no more concerned in merchandife; or elfe ftripped of all their wealth and goods ‘by the enemy, and fo cut down, broke,. and be- «ome bankrupts, and could trade no'more. The word for merchant fignifies a Canaanite; and the Targum paraphrafes it thus, ‘* for all the people ** are broken, whofe works are like the works of ** the people of the land of Canaan:? all they that bear filver ave cut off; that have large quantities of it, and carry it to market to buy goods with it as merchants; thefe fhall be cut off, and fo a great -lofs to trade, and a caufe of howling and lamentation; or fuch that wear it in their garments, embroidered with it; or rather in their purfes, who are loaded with this thick clay, abound with ict. The Targum is, ** all that are rich in fubftance “ fhall be deftroyed.”

¥. 12. And it fhall come to pafs at that time, that J «will fearch Ferufalem with candles, &c.] To find out the fins of the inhabitants of it, and the authors of them, and punifh them for them,.however hid and concealed from the eyes of others,: or thought to be: this muft be underftood ‘confiftent with the omnifcience of God, who knows all perfons and things; nothing is hid from him; ‘men may fanfy their fins are hid, being privately and fecretly committed; but all will be manifeft, fooner or later; if not now,’ yet at the day of judgment and fometimes they are made manifeft by God in this life, as here; for what the Lord here fays he would do, he did it by inftruments, by the Chaldeans, whom he fent to Ferufalem; and to whom the gates of the city, the doors of Houfes, and the 1 WMD mortarii, Vatablus, Tigurine verfion; when they built them: and they cavi, Junius & Tremellius, Pifeator: loci concavi, Caly a "a. NIA HH. Chitev 11—1g9. innermoft receffes of them were opened, and plun- — dered by them; and all for the fins of -ople, which were hereby expofed.. So the Targum, Sand. “¢ it fhall be at that time that I will appoint-fearch- “ers, and\ they fhall fearch Yerufalem, as they “ that fearch with candles;” and no*doubt~ this was literally true of the Chaldeans, who candles might fearch vaults and cellars, and du like dark places, where: they fuppofed goods a riches, were concealed. ‘The allufien may be to fearching with lamps for leaven on the fourteenth of Nifan; when the paflover began, in every cor net of a houfe, and when they found it, bur it “; or.in general to fearching for any thing whic lies concealed in dark places, where the light of the fun comes not, and can only be'difeovered by the light of candles;.and denotes that nothing, fhould efcape the fight and knowledge of God, by whom a full difcovery would be, made of their perfons and fins, and cognizance ‘taken: of them in a vindictive way, as follows: and punifh the men that are fettled on their lees, like wine on the lees, quiet and undifturbed; in a good outward eftate and condition, abounding in wealth and riches, and trufting therein; and which, as the Targunz paraphrafes it; they enjoy in great tranquillity,

-Moab-like, having never been emptied from vefiel to vefiel, Fer. xlviiz. 11. and fo concluded th fhould ever remain in. the fame. ftate, and became hardened in’fin, or curded, and thickened;: as the word ” fignifies; and were unconcerned about the

{tate of religion, or the ftate of their own fouls;

and. fearlefs and thoughtlefs of the judgments of

God; but fhould now be vifited, ditturbed in their tranquil ftate, and be troubled and punithed:

that fay in their heart; not daring to exprefs with their lips, the following atheifmeand blafphemy; but God, who fearched and tried their hearts; knew it: the. Lord will not do good, neither will be do evil, which is a flat denial of his providence; faying that he takes no notice of what is done by men on earth, whether»good or bad; and neither rewards the one, nor punifhes the other: So the Targum, as Kimchi quotes it, ‘* it is not the good ‘* pleafure of God to do good to the righteous, ** or to do evil to the wicked;” tham which nothing is more falfe! the Lord does. good to all in a providential way, and to many in a way of fpecial grace; and rewards with a reward of grace all good men, both here and hereafter; and tho” he does not do any moral evil, yet he\executes the evil of punifhment in this world, and in that to come,.on evil doers. Sie y¥. 13. Therefore their gods foall become a booty, - &c.] To the enemy; the riches they trufted in, - and thought themfelves fo fecure of; and therefore denied divine providence, which ought to be depended upon amidft the greateft ence; OF otherwife the Lord has various ways by ' can foon ftrip men of all their enjoyme difpofe of them to others: and their hou, lation; be pulled down by the enemy inhabited, they being killed or car even their whole families: they fball al but not inhabit them; not long, at ways, as they expected, and pron

Assi ~ ra onticuit, V.L. © CRO coner yards, and not drink the wine thereof s but before the vines planted by them bring forth grapes, and thefe are prefled, and wine made of them, they fhould fall into the hands of the enemy, who would drink it, and not they;; and all this agreeable to what was threatened them in the law of, Mofes, which they ought | to have regarded, ‘Deut. XXviil. 30-8

Y: ta. Tbe" great doy ‘of thé Lord: is year, “4 is near, and bafteth greatly, &&.Y° Not the day of judgment, but the day of God’s vengeance upon the ews, which yet bore fome refemblance to that day of ‘the Lord, and it may be°theréfore fo called; as the ‘deftrudtion of Ferufalem by the Romans had ‘Tome -likenefs ‘to~.it, and therefore ‘the figns of. the one and of, the’ other are given together by our Lord ‘in at “xxv, and” this w Was a and -carelefs About it, and who: put, away this evil day far from. them; yea it is faid, to make great hafte,. and to fly away fwiftly, evan fatter “than time ufually does; tho’ in common it~has wings aferibed unto it: even the ‘weite” of the day, of Be Lord; in which the Lerd’s’ voice will be heard; not his voice of grace and mercy, as in the day of falvation; but, of wrath’ and vengeance, which will be terrible;; hénce it follows: ‘the mighty men foalt cry there bitterly, not the voice’ of the mighty” ‘men befieging the city, making’ a hideous noife to animate the foldiers in making the affault, as fome; but the mighty men within ‘the city of Fer ufelem befieged,, who, when they fee the city broken “up, would be in the utmott terror, and cry’ bitterly, like women and children, being quite difmayed and. difpirited; even the -men of war upon the walls, and in the garrifons,~ with’ their officers and generals; and if this would be the cafe with ge how mutt it be thought to be With others, the w veal and timorous?

¥. 15. That day is a day of wrath, &c.]° Both of the wrath of God againit his people for their | fins; thefe judgments being the effects of his wrath, provoked by their iniquities; and of the wrath and cruelty of the Chaldeans, exercifed in‘a ‘furious manner: habitants of Feru/alem, they being taken and led | captive, their houfes plundered and demolithed, and the whole city and’ temple Jaid in ruins: a dey of waftenfs and déefolation; of the whole’country of Fudea, and the metropolis of it; of their houfes, fields and vineyards: a day of darkne/s and gloomine of clouds and thick darkne/s, as it might,be in'a natural fenfe; the difpleafure of God being fhewn in the very heavens, by the darknefs and gloominefs of them, and the thick clouds with which they were Covered; and made‘ftill more dark and gloomy by the burn. ing of the city, and the fmoke of it; and in fuch circumftances, -¢ eloominef$ and melancholy muft fir upon the minds of mea: and thick clouds and darknefs portend greater troubles and calamities coming on; and the whole ‘is expreffive of great! adverfity 5 for as light frequently defigns profperity, fo darknefs adverfity.

y. 16. A day of the: trumpet, and alarm again the fenced cities, &c.] The trumpet of the enemy, founding the alarmy of war againft the fenced cities of Fudea, which were taken before Ferufalem;

@ day of trouble and diftrefs; tothe in- | calling and gathering the foldiers together, and animating them to the afiault of them; and blowing them, i in a way of triumph, and as expreffive éf victory; having got pofiefijon of them: and againft the high towers; or cormers*, towers being ufually. built corner- wife, and full of corners, and on the ‘coriiers of walls’ 6f cities; 3 ‘fometimes thefe fignify ria magiftrates,. and great, zo) Lech. X. 4, ry, Pan And I will Dring di sites: upon mien, &c. ] Not upon men in general, ‘but. particularly on the men of Fudea, and inhabitants of Jerufalem’s;_and efpecially thofe that were in the fenced cities and high towers; and who might think themflves fafe and fecure; but being befiesed, fhould (be diftreffed with famine and peftilence, td with the enemy; and more -efpecially when {tormed, anda’ breach made, and the enemy juft.entring: that 'tbey Jhal] walk like blind men not knowing which -way. to go, where to turn themfelves, what methods to take, or courte to fleer, no more than” a_ blind man, ‘The phrafe is expreffive of their being at their wits ends, void of all thought and confultation: becaufe they have finned agam if the Lord; and therefore he gives them up, not only into the hand of the enemy, but unto an infatuation of fpitit, and a judicial blindnefs of mind: and their. blood, fhall be poured out as-dyf; in great quantities, like that, without any regard to it, without. fhewing any mercy, and as if it. was of-no more value than the duft of the earth. The Yargum is, ‘their ‘€ blood fhall be poured out into thé duft;” or on it, and be-drunk’ up by it: and their flefh as the ene 5 or their carcafes, as the fame paraphrafe; that is, their dead bodies fhall lie unburied, and rot, and putrify, and fhall be caft upon fields ‘like dung, to fatten them.” The word for. fle, in the SPR) language, fignifies bread or food; becaufe dead bodies* are food for worms; but in the Arabic language, as Aben' Ezra and Yarchi ua it tignifies jich.

y. 18. Neither their filver nor their gold fall be able to deliver them*in the day of the Lord’s wrath, &c.] Which theyhave’ gotten in ‘an unjuft way, and have,jhoarded up, and j put their confidence in; thefe were the lees on which they were fettled; but now, as they would be difregarded by the Lord, as infuffieient to atone for their fins, and appeafe his wrath, and procure his favour; fee 7ob xxxvi. 18, 19. Prov. xi. 4. fo they would be of no avail to them, to deliver from their enemies, who would not be bribed therewith to fave their lives; the ‘fame is faid of the Medes at the taking of Babylon, J. xiii. 17: but the whole land fhall be devoured by ‘the fire of his jealoufy; his zeal againft fin, and for his own glory, fhall burn like fire; which

‘fhall confume the whole Jand,. and all the inhabitants of it, and was not to be ftopped by any thing that could be done by them; fo furious and raging foal make even a [peedy “riddante of all them that dwell in the land; burn up at once all the briers and thorns, even all that offend,

‘and do iniquity, and {pare neither root nor branch;

‘or, as when a field is cleared of the ftubble on it, ‘after the wheat is gathered in; or a corn-floor of ‘its chaff, after the Wheat is feparated from it; with the befom of deftruction would the Lord fweep | away the finful inhabitants of “Judea; and clear it of them, as he did by the fword, by famine, by peitilence, and by captivity.

N this chapter the prophet exhorts the ews to repentance; and foretels the deftruction of feveral neighbouring nations. The body of the people of the ews in general are firft called upon to gather together and humble themfelves, who were a people neither defirable, nor deferving of the favours of God, nor defirous of them, y. 1. and to this they are preffed, from the confideration of God’s. decree of vengeance being ready to bring forth, and break forth upon them, ¥. 2. and then the few godly among them are exhorted to feek the Lord, and what is agreeable to him; fince there was at leaft a probability of their being protected by him in a time of general calamity, ¥. 3. and that the deftruction of this people might appear the more certain, and that they might have no dependence on their neighbours, the prophet proceeds to predict the ruin of feveral of them, particularly the Philftines, feveral places belonging to them are by name mentioned, and the whole Jand threatened with defolation; the maritime part of it to be only inhabited by fhepherds and their flocks; and afterwards the coaft poffeffed by the Jews, on their return from their captivity, ¥. 4, 5, 6,7. Next the Moadites and Ammonites are prophefied of; whofe deftruction fhould come upon them for their pride, and for their contempt and reviling of the people of God; and which fhould be like that of Sodom and Gomorrah; and would iffue in the abolition of idolatry, and the fetting up of the worfhip of God in their country, and elfewhere, ¥. 8, 9, 10, 11. As for the Ethiopians, they fhould be flain with the fword, y¥. 12. and the whole monarchy of Afyria, with Nineveh the is approved by Guffetius*: or, fearch yourfelves ® 5 as fome render the word; and that very diligently, as ftubble is fearched into, or any thing fearched for in it; let the body of the people enquire among themfelves, what fhould be the caufe of thele things; what public fins prevailed among them, for which they were threatened with an utter deftruction; and let every one fearch into his own heart and ways, and confider how much he has contributed to the bringing, down fuch fad calamities upon the nation: thus it became them to fearch and enquire into their ftate and circum- {tances of affairs, in a way of felf-examination; or otherwife the Lord would fearch them in a way of judgment, as threatened ch, i. 12. or /hake out s, or fan yourfelves, as others; remove your chaff by repentance and reformation, that you be not blown away like chaff in the day of God’s wrath, as afterwards fuggefted: yea, gather together, or earch, or fhake out, or fan, as before: this is repeated to fhew the neceffity and importance of it, and the vehemency of the prophet in urging it: O nation not defired; by other nations, but hated by them, as Abarbinel obferves; not defirable to God or. good men; not amiable or lovely for any excel-. lencies and goodnefs in them, but the reverfe; being a difobedient and rebellious people; a feed of evil doers, laden with iniquity, who, from the crown of the head,. to the fole of the feet, were full of wounds, bruifes, and putrifying fores; or of diforders and irregularities, fins and tranfgreffions, comparable to them; and therefore initead of being defirable, were loathfome and abominable: or, as fome render the word, O nation void of de- metropolis of it, fhould be utterly laid wafte, and /re“; or not affected with it; who had no defire

¥. 1. Gather yourfelves together, &c.} This is faid to the people of the Fews in general; that whereas the judgments of God were coming upon them, as predicted in the preceding chapter, it was high time for them to get together, and confider what was to be done at fuch a juncture; it was right to call a folemn aflembly, to gather the people, priefts, and elders together, to fome one place, as Yoel directs, ch. i. 14. and ii. 15, 16. the inhabitants of Feru/alem to the temple, and the people of the land to their refpective fynagogues, and there humble themfelves before the Lord; confefs their fins, and declare their repentance for them; and pray that God would fhew favour to them, and avert his wrath and judgments from them: or, gather the firaw’; from yourfelves, and then gather it from others, as follows: or, fir adorn yourselves, and then others, as inthe Talmud *; and the fenfe is the fame with the words of Chrift, firft caft out the beam out of thine own eye, &c. Matt. vn. 3, 4, 5. and the meaning of both is, firft correct and amend yourfelves, and then reprove others: this fenfe is given by the ¥ewi/h commentators, and after God, and the knowledge of his will; after his word and worfhip; after a return unto him, and reconciliation with him; after his favour, grace and mercy; not defirous of good things, nor of doing any. So the Targum, ‘* gather together, ‘© and come, and draw near, this people who de- ‘¢ fire not to return to the law.” Fofeph Kimchi, from the ufe of the word in the Mi/nic language, renders it, O zation not a/bamed, of their evil works, ~ being bold and impudent; and yet fuch was the goodnefs and grace of God to them, that he calls them to repentance, and gives them warning before he ftrikes the blow.

¥. 2. Before the decree bring forth, before the day pafs as the chaff, &c.| Which was like a woman big. with child, ready to be delivered. The decree of God concerning the people of the ews was pregnant with wrath and ruin for their fins, and juft ripe for execution; and therefore before it was ace tually executed, they are exhorted as above; not that the decree of God which was gone forth could — be fruftrated and made void by any thing done by them; only that when it was put into execution, fuch as repented of their fins might be faved from the general calamity; which they are called upon to do before the day come appointed by the Lord — for the execution of this decree, which lingered not, and was not delayed, but flided on as fwiftly as chaff tection and fafety in a day of common danger s before the driving wind, There is fome difficulty in the rendring and fenfe of thefe words; fome thus, before the day, which paffes as chaff, brings forth the decree*; that is, before the time which moves fwiftly, brings on the execution of the decree, or of the thing decreed in it, it is big with: others, before the decree brings forth the day that paffeth as chaff‘; or in which the chaff fhall be feparated from the wheat, pafs away, be difperfed here and there; that is, before they were fcattered about by it as chaff: and to this fenfe the Septuagint and Arabic verfions, before ye are as a flower; or asthe Syriac, as chaff that paffeth away; and fo the Targum more fully, << be- <* fore the decree of the houfe of judgment come out ‘© upon you, and ye be like chaff which the wind “* blows away, and like a fhadow which pafies «¢ from before the day.” See Pf. i. 5. Before the Jierce anger of the Lord come upon you; before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you; thefe phrafes explain the former, and fhew what the decree was big with, and ready to bring forth, even the judgments of God, in wrath and fierce anger; and what the day is, faid to pafs as the chaff; the day of God’s vengeance fixed by him, which fhould come upon them, and fcatter them like chaff among the nations of the world: or rather the words may be rendered thus, as by Guffetius® 5 whilf as yet the decree hath not brought forth, the day paffeth away like chaff’; being neglected and fpent in an ufelefs and unprofitable manner; for which they are reproved; and therefore are exhorted to be wifer for the future, and redeem precious time; and before the Lord’s anger comes upon them, do what is before exhorted to, and particularly what follows:

¥. 3. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, &c.] Or of the land, of the land of Fudea. In this time of great apoftacy, there was a remnant according to the election of grace, whom the Lord referved for himfelf, and beftowed his grace upon; and it is for the fake of thefe, that the general exhortations to repentance and reformation are given out, to whom alone they were to be ufeful, that they might be protected and preferved from the general ruin; for fuch as are here defcribed, are perfons the Lord takes great notice of; he gives them more grace; he lifts them up when bowed down; he beautifies them with falvation; he feeds them to full fatiffaétion; he teaches them his ways, his mind and will; he dwells with them here; and will caufe them to inherit the new heaven, and new earth hereafter: they are fuch, who have a true fenfe of fin, and the exceeding finfulnefs of it, which humbles them; and confcious of the imperfection of their own righteoufnefs, fubmit to the righteoufnefs of Chrift, acknowledge they are faved alone by the grace of God; and that all they have and expect to enjoy is owing to that; they are humble under the mighty hand of God, in every afflictive providence; patiently take all wrongs, abufes and injuries done them by men; are not envious at the fuperior gifts, grace and ufefulnefs of others, but rejoice therein; have mean fentiments of themfelves, and very high ones of others that excel in grace and holinefs; thefe are truly gracious perfons; and are like unto, and are followers of, the meek and lowly Jefus: and are here exhorted ¢o feek the Lord; that is, by prayer and fupplication, to know more of his mind and will, and efpecially their duty in their prefent circumftances; implore his grace and mercy, pro- e nw TSWA antequam dies, qua tranfit ut palea, pariat decretum, Drufius; fo Ben Melech.

decretum Dei pariat diem veluti glume tranfeuntis, Grotius.

and attend the public ordinances of his houfe, in order to enjoy his prefence and communion with him: for to feek the Lord, is to feek his face and favour, to have the light of his countenance, and the difcoveries of his love; and to feck his honour and glory in all things: particularly the Lord Chrift may be meant, who was to come in the flefh, and good men fought for before he came, and now he is come; and to him fhould men feek for righteoufnefs and life; for peace and pardon; for grace, and all fupplies of it; and for everlafting falvation; and all this before, as well as fince his coming: and fuch feek him aright, who feek him early, in the firft place, and above all things; who feek him with their whole hearts, fincerely, diligently and conftantly; and where. he is to be found, in the miniftry of his word and ordinances: which have wrought his judgment; the judgment of the Lord; acted according to his mind and will, revealed in his word, which is the rule of judgment, both as to faith and practice; obferved his laws and ftatutes; kept his ordinances, as they were delivered; and did works of righteoufneis from right principles, and with right views, as fruits of faith, and as meet for repentance: /eek righteoufnefs; not their own, and juitification by that; for this would be doing what the carnal Fews did, and in vain, and is inconfiftent with feeking the Lord, as before; but the righteoufnefs of God, the kingdom of God and his righteoufnefs, even the righteoufnefs of Chrift, who is God, and which only gives a right unto the kingdom of God or heaven: feeking this fuppofes a want of righteoufnefs, which is in every man; a fenfe of that want, which only fome have; a view of a righteoufnefs without a man, in another, even in Chrift; and of the glory, fulnefs and excellency of his righteoufnefs, which make it defireable, and worth feeking for; tho’ this exhortation may alfo include in it a living to him, foberly and righteoufly, as a fruit of divine grace, and to the glory of God, and according to his will, without trufting in it, and depending upon it, for life and falvation: feek meekne/s; even tho’ they were meek ones already, yet it became them to feek after more of this grace of meeknefs, that they might increafe therein, and abound in the exercife of it, and be careful that they failed not in it; fince the enemy of fouls often attacks the faints in that in which they moft excel, and fucceeds: fo Mojfes the meekeft man on earth, being off of his guard, and provoked, fpoke unadvifedly with his lips; and it went ill with him on that account, Numd. xii. 3. Pf. cvi. 32, 33. befides, this exhortation, as well as the preceding, may have a refpect to their concern with others; that they fhould ftud as much as in them lay, not only to do righteoli nefs, and exercife meeknefs.themfelves, but to cultivate thefe among others; with which agrees Kimchi’s note, ** feek righteoufnefs and meeknefs with ‘¢ others; as if it was faid, ftudy with all your ‘¢ might and main to return them to the right “* way:” it may be, ye foall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger; in the time of the deftruction of Ferufalem by the Chaldeans, when fome were put to the fword, and others carried captive: now there was a poffibility, yea a probability that fuch perfons before defcribed would be faved at this time from the general calamity; be hid, ae fince they would-be deftroyed, to whom Geza, and| the other cities after-mentioned, belonged; fo Ade} Ezra connects the words, fuggefting that it would! be in vain to flee. thither for, fhelter, or feck for refuge there; tho’ others think that thisjand what follows is fubjoined,, either to aflure the ews of) their certain ruin, fince this would, be the cafe of the nations about them; or to alleviate their cala-) mity, feeing their ‘enemies would have no occafion to.infult.them, and triumph over them, they being, or quickly would be, in the like circumftances.| Gaza was one -of ‘the five lordfhips of the Phik- _ftines; a ftrong and fortified plage, ‘as. its name fignifies; but fhould-be demolithed, {tripped of its fortifications, and forfaken by-its inhabitants. it was {mitten by Pharach-king of Egypt; and was laid waite by Nebuchadnezzar, Fer. xvii. 15.4, 5: and. afterwards taken by Mexander the Great; and having. gone thro’ various changes, was in the ‘times of the apoftles called Gaza the defert, Ais viii. 26. ‘There is a beautiful paronomefia in the words, not to be exprefled in an Engij/d tranflation *, According to Strabve’s account’, the ancient city was feven furlongs from the haven, for which (he fays) it was formerly very illuftrious; but was demolifhed by Mexander, and remained, a ‘defert. And fo Ferom * fays, in his-time, the place where the ancient city ftood fcarce. afforded any traces of the foundations of it; for that whic now is feen (adds he) was built in another -place, inftead of that which was deftroyed; and which -he obferves accounts for the fulfilment.of this prophecy; and fo Monfieur Thevenst ‘fays, the. city. of Gaza is about two miles from thesfea; and ‘was anciently very illuftrious, as may.-be feen by its ruins; and yet, even this muftibe underftood of age, obferves this diftinétion; and {peaks of this, and the following places exaétly in the -order *in which they are here, ‘¢.after Rhinocorura lies new ~** Gaza, which is the-city itfelf; then Gaza the

** defert (the place here prophefied ‘of).; then the folation; this was another ‘lotdfhips the Pbiliftines, that fufiered av the trate tire Gaza did by Nebuchaduezzary: Feri xiv. $59. This oplace,was tenumiles from Gaza,«as Mire Sant dys." fays, and who adds, and now ‘ofno pote and Strabo ° {peaksof it in his time,»assa dim: city; indeed new Akelon is faid by. Benjamin of — Tudela? tobe a very Jarge and beautiful: citys but then he diftinguifhes: itxfrom’ old A/hralony hit prophefied of; and which. (he fays}cdis dour par e, or fixteen smiles ‘from othe; former and “now lies wafte and defolate they hall driwe: ontiAfbdod vat the noon-day; that is, the Chaldeans fhallidrime out the inhabitants of Afbdol, anothériof the principa*

| lities of the Philifines » the fame with wazotus, AAs | Vill. 40, at ndon-day, openly and: publickly, and with great eafe, they fhall have ‘no.eccafion to,ule any fecret ftratacems, ‘or to.makesnight-work of it; and which would be very incommodious and diftreffing to the inhabitants, tovbe turned: outiar mnoon-day, and “be sobliged to travelin the heat of the fun, which im: thofe: eaftern:countriesiat. noon> day: beats very: ftrong,. This; place’ was sdiftant fromrold Afckelon'foursparfe, or twenty-four mile as Benjamin Tudelerjiss affirms 3 andr withowhich agrees Diodorus Siculus +; who faysy that tromiGaza to Azetus are. 270-‘turlongs, which gmake thitty~ four miles, ten trom:Gaza 10 Wfakelon; and twenty four fiom thence'to Azvtus or Afhded. Thais. plave, according to the above ‘fewsowaveller*; 4s new * called: Palmis, which«he fays is the; “jbiled thax belonged to the Philiftines, now cwalte and “defolate; by which this prophecy is:tulfilled, dt was once\a very large and famous city, dtrong and well fortified; and held outa fiege of twenty-nine ‘yeaiis againit Plamittichus king: of Egypt, as Herodotus: relates, but now deftroyed; dee J xx. 11: wad Ekron faall be rooted*up 5 as a tree sis toated up, and «withers away, and:perifhes, 1and sthere “is no ‘mare ‘hope-of it: thisidenotes the utter deftruétion of ‘this place. There is here alfo-an elegant allu- -fion:to.the name of the place *,) not to be imitated ina verfion of it: this was anothersof: the lordfhips of the Philifines, famous for the idol Beel- -zebub, the god of this place. « ‘ferom™ obferves, ‘that fome think: that Accaron (or Lkron) is the fame with Strato’s tower, afterwards icalled Cz/area; and fo the Talmudifis fay*, Ekron is Cefarea; which is mot atvall probable:he further obferves, that there

-isva large village of the ews, which'im his days owas; called Accaron, and lay ‘between’ Azotus and h | Fainnia to the eats ibut Breidenbachius ¥ relates, thatiin his time, fcecaron was ionly a {mall cottage

-is; the other “of the \five \principalities, becaufe iit wwas now, as Kimchi'fays, in the shands»of the’ kings

¥e5. Wo unto the inhabitants (of ‘tbe fe vas A ahe| mation of.the Cherethites, “écc.] Which ae sname of the Phikfines in -general, ‘as\Kimebi and Ben Melech; or -thefe were a particular ‘tribe »be-

Taye weer ton Js socio: bee irae

-on the fea-coaft, the coaft of the Mediterranean fea, and fo lay between that and Judea: out of this nation, in the times of David and Solomon, were fome choice foldiers feleéted, cailed: the Cherethites and Peélethites, who were their bedy-guards, as ‘Fofepbus * calls them; a royal band, which never departed from the king’s perfon; fee 2 Sem. xv, 18. and xx. 7,23. The Septuagint verfion calls them, Strangers. of the Cretians; and are thought, by. fome to be a colony of the Cretiaus; a people that came originally from the ifland of Crete, and fettled here; but, on the contrary, rather Crete was a colony of the Philifiines, and had its name from them; for by the Arabians’, the country of Palefine, or the Pbiliftines, is called Keritha;; and by the Syrians Creth; and. by the Hebrews, the inhabitants thereof, are called Cheretbites, as here, and in. £zek. xxv. 16. and fo the fouth of the Cheretbites, in 1 Sam. XXX. 14. is in y¥. 16. called the Jand,of the Piliftines. In all the above places, where they are fpoken of as the attendants of Solomex-and David, they are in the Zargum called archers; and it is a clear cafe, the Philiftines were famous for archery, whereby they had fometimes the advantage of their enemies; fee 1 Sam. xxxi. 3. and bows and arrows were the arms the Cretians made ufe of, and were famous for, as Bochart * from various writers has fhewn; the ufe of which they learned very probably from. the PAilifines, from whom they fprung; tho’ Solimus * fays, they were the firft that ufed arrows; and according to Diodorus Siculus, Saturn introduced the art of ufing bows and arrows into the ifland of Crete; tho’ others afcribe it to Apollo *; and it is faid, that Hercules learnt this art from Rhadamanthus of Crete; which laft inftance feems to favour the notion of thofe, that thefe Cheretbites were Cretians, or prung from them; to which the Septuagint verfion inclines; and Calmet ‘is of opinion, that Capbtor from whence the Philiftines are faid to come, Amos ix. 7. and who are called the remnant of the country of Capbior, Fer. xlvii. 4. is the ifland of Creée and that the PAi/ifines came from thence into Palefine; and that the Cherethites are the ancient Cretians; the language, manners, arms, religion, and gods of the Cretians and Philiftines being much the fame; tho’ fo they might be, as being a colony of the Philiftines; fee the note..on Amos ix. 7. Another learned man * thinks they are the Midianites, the fame with the Cretians that Luke joins with the Arabians, Ads ii. 11. as the Midianites are with the Arabians and Amalekites by Fofepbus *, however, a wo is denounced againft them, and they are threatened with defolation. The Vulgate Latin verfion is, a nation of deftroyed ones; and the Targum, ‘* a people who have finned, that they «« might be deftroyed:” the word of the Lord is againft you; inhabitants of the fea-coaft, the Cherethites; the word of the Lord conceived in_ his own mind, his purpofe to deftroy them, which cannot be fruftrated. So the Zargum, ‘* the decree «* of the word of the Lord is againft you;” and the word pronounced by his lips, the word of