Exposition of the Whole Bible

this he did of his own fovereign-good will and pleafure, and not for any worth or merit in them, any goodnefs or righteoufnefs of theirs 5 for this he did when they were in their blood, pollution and guilt; and which, that it might be obferved, is repeated. The word for d/ood, which is thrice mentioned, is in the plural number, d/oeds, and denotes not the blood of circumcifion, and the blood of the paffover; for, or- by which, the Lord had mercy upon them, and redeemed them, as the Targum and Farchi interpret it; but the abundance of it, as upon a new-born infant; and the great pollution and diftrefs in which the J/- raelites were, thro’ the many murders committed on them by their enemies. “The whole is an emblem of the ftate and condition the eleét of God are in, when they are quickened by hint; who are by their firft birth unclean; under the pollution, power, and euilt of fin; wallowing and weltering in it; deferving of the wrath of God, and liable to punifhment for it; trodden under foot, quite neglected and defpifed in all appearance; and are both hopelefs and helplefs: when the Lord pajes by them, not by chance, but on purpofe, knowing where they are; and this he often does by the miniftry of the word, under which they are providentially caft,; and where he /ces them, and looks upon them, not merely with his eye of omnifcience, Ke lefs with an eye of fcorn, contempt and ab- orrence; but with an eye of pity and compaffion, and even of complacency and delight in their perfons, tho’ not in their fins: and when he fpeaks life into them, a principle of fpiritual life; or quickens them by his word, fo that they live a life of faith and holinefs, which iffues in everlafting life: this flows from divine love, and isthe effect of divine power; it is of pure rich grace, and not of man’s merit; as his cafe, being in his blood, and dead in fins, fhew; fee Eph. ii. 4, 5.

¥. 7. I have caufed thee to multiply as the bud of the field, 8c.] Or, made thee millions ™; like the fpires of grafs in the field. This refers to the multiplication of the children of J/rae! in Egypt, efpecially after the death of ‘Fo/eph, and even whilft they were forely afflicted, and likewife in aftertimes. ‘/acob went down to Egypt with feventyfive perfons only, but when his pofterity returned from thence, they were above fix hundred thoufand that were able to go forth to war, Gea. xlvi. 27. Numb. i. 46. fee Exod.i. 7,12: and thou haft increafed and waxed great, and became large families, kindreds and tribes, as the Targum interprets it; as a child grows up, and becomes adult: and thou art come to excellent ornaments; or, ornament of ornaments", as a young women, when fhe is grown up, comes to wear better and finer cloaths than in infancy; perhaps there is an allufion to the jewels the J/raelites brought out of Egypt with them: this may be applied to the laws, ftatutes and ordinances given them, which were an ornament of grace unto them, Prov. i. 9: thy breafts are fafbioned; {welled and ftood out; were come to a proper bignefs and fhape,; as in perfons grown and marriageable; fee Cant. viii. 10: and thine hair is grown, an euphemifm, expreflive of puberty, which in females was at twelve years of age: ~ wobereas thou walt naked and bare; in a {tate of infancy. ‘archi and Kimchi interpret this of the J/- ratlites being without the commandments. The whole of what is here faid may be applied to — quickened and converted perfons; who grow ih grace, and increafe in fpiritual knowledye; and are adorned with the ornaments of grace and good works; and attend to the word and ordinances,

| which are the churches breafts; who, whilft in their nature-ftate, were naked and deftituteof righteoulnefs and grace. ust y¥. 8. Now when I paffed by thee, and leoked upon thee, &c.] ‘Which the Targum refers to the Lord’s appearance to AZofes in the bufh; fee the note on ¥. 6: thy time was the time of love; which the Targum explains of the time of redemption of the _ people of J/rael out of Egypt, which was van’ in- {tance of the great love of God unto that people, and which time was fixed by him, and when it was comé, at the exact and precife time, the. redemption was wrought; fee Gen. xv. 13, 14. Exod. Xii. 40, 41. and fo there is a fet time:tor the calling and-converfion of God’s elect, who are therefore faid to be called according té purpofe; and when that time comes, all means are made to,concur to bring it about: and this is a time of love; for tho’ the love of God to his people is before all time, yet it is manifefted in time; and -there are particular times in which it is exprefied unto them, and the time of converfion is one of them; and indeed it is the firft time that there is a mani~ feftation and application of the love of Gad made to the fouls of his people: and this is a time of loves °, as it is in the original text; denoting the large abundance of it, which is now hewn forth; and the various acts of it.now done; as bringing of them out of a mott miferable condition, out or an horrible pit; plucking them as brands out of the burning; quickening them when dead in fin; {peaking comfortaby to them, and applying pardoning grace and mercy to their fouls: and it may include both the love of God to his people, and their love to him; for now is the love of their efpoufals, and the kindnefs of their youth, Yer. ii. 2. the grace of love is now implanted, to God and Chrift, to his people, word, worfhip and ordinances, which before had no place in them: avd I fpread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedne/s; the Lord efpoufed the people of J/rael to himfelf in the wildernefs, after he had brought them out of Egypt, and took them under the wings of his protection; both which this phrafe may be exprefiive of; fee Ruth iit. g. Some underitand this of his giving them the fpoils of the Egypptians, and alfo the law: it may very well be applied to the righteoufnefs of Chrift, which is often compared to a garment, for which the fkirt, a part, is put; and this is put on as a garment, and an{wers all the purpofes of one; and particularly covers the nakednefs of men, which their own righteoufnefs will not do; this the Lord fpreads over his people, and covers them with; and bein clothed with this, they fhall not be found naked: yea, I fware unto thee, to his love exprefied to his people, and to his covenant he entered into with them, neither of which fhall ever be removed 5 and this makes to their abundant comfort; fee P/- Ixxxix. 3, 35. If liv. 9, 10. Hed. vi. 13—18: and entered into covenant with thee, faith the Lord God; as he did with the people of J/rael at Horeb, and which was a fort of a marriagé-contract with thei; fee Dent. xxix. 1. Fer. xxxi. 32. thé covenant of grace was made from everlafting with Chiift, aid the elect in him; but is made manifeft at converfion; when the Lord makes himfelf known unto them as their covenant-God; leads then to Chrift the mediator of it; fends his Spirit down ihto their hearts, to make them partakets of thé grace of it; and fhews them their intereft in the bleffings and promifés of it; all which may be meant by the phrafe here ufed: and thou becameft miile, as dfrael did at the time beforé-mentioned, became the Lord’s peculiar people, and were avouched as fuch by him, Evxod. xix. 5. fo'in converfidh, thofe who before were fecretly thé Lord’s by electing and redeeming grace, become openly his by calling and fanéctitying grace. eet

¥.9. Then wa/bed I thee with water, &c.] Brought the Jraelites out of the mean, abject, fervile and fordid ftate in which they were, whe among thé morter, bricks and pots, into a ftate of liberty; fo the Targum, “ and I redeemed you froin the ** fervitude of the Egyptians; and I removed the ** ftrength of dominion from you, and brought *¢ you into liberty 3” perhaps fome reference may be had to the ceremonial ablutions enjoined them, they were wafhed béfore the covenant was made with them at mount Sinai, juft referred to; their priefts, facrifices, vefféls, and all uncléan ‘perions, were to be wafhed, and purifications were prefcribed ‘them: yea, I thoroughly wafbéd away thy blood from thee; as with an inundation overflowing; fo the word ” fignifies; very fitly is this mentioned, fince in ¥. 6. they are faid to be polluted in their dlocd, and. now wafhed from it: all men are defiled with fin, originally, naturally, internally and univerfally; nor can they cleanfe thémielves by any thing they can do, God only can; and this he promifes to do; and this hé does, not with water-baptifm, which doés not take away fin, original or actual, nor with the wafhing of regeneration, or by regenerating grace; tho’ that is fometimes compared to water; which, among other things, i8 of a cleanfing naturé; and of which men are born again, and by it fanctified; and which is done by the Spirit, who is a fpirit of judgrhent and burning, by whom the filth of the daughter of Zion is wafhed away; and becaufe this is doné by the word and ofdinancés as means, hence thefe are called water's; feé Ezek. xxxvi. 25. Jf, xliv. 3. and iv. 4. andly. 1. yet hereby men are not thoroughly wafhed; tho’ a clean heart is created in them, a new man is formed in righteoufnefs and true holinefs; yet the filthinefs of the old man remains, which.appéars in thoughts, words and actions; but thé thorough wafhing is by the blood of Chrift, that is thé fountain opened for fin and uncleannefs; with this mén are wafhed by Chrift from their fins; this has a purgative and cléanfing nature; and it clean{es from all fin, and juftifies from évery one; fo that heréby a man thoroughly wafhed is clear of all fin, none to be found or feen in him; he is without fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; and has folid peace in his foul; his heart being fprinkled with this blood from an evil con- {eietice, and being purged, has no more confcience

‘A OF fins fo that this is exprétive Of thé filKeR of juttifying ahd pardohing grace: whd I anointed thee with dil, alluding té the anointihg-oil, with which the ptiefts, tabernacle and treflels were abdinted; ot to the land of Canaan, a ldnd of Oil-dlivé, into which the D/raelites were brotight; of to the cuftoni of Wafhing and anoihting, womeh before midiriage fee Ruth ili: 3. Eth. ii. 10. atid to the ule of oil in baths, which was frequent: this tay {piritudlly defign the gtacé of thé Spitit, which, like the out on Aaron's head, is exceeding precious, as are faiths hope and love; atid like the pve oil for the candleftick, productive of purity of héait, lip and life; of a delightful fmell, as aré thé churches dintments, fhe has ftom Chrift, Cant. i. 3. dnd iv. 10. and very cheating and tfeffefhing, ahd therefore called oil of gladnefS, Pf xlv. 7. I Ixi. 3. abd ornamental aid beautifying, as all grace is; and oil will hot mix with another liquor, as gtace will not with fin and corruption, and is of ah abiding mature: now it is God that anoints with this; this oil cotties from the God of all grace; is. from Chrift the holy one, and out of his fulnefs; from him the head it défcends to all his members, and is applied by the blefied Spirit; fee 2 Cor. i. 21. ¥.10. [clothed thee alfo with broidered werk, &c.] Or, with needle work 1, with garments of divers colours, like Fo/eph’s coat; pérhaps it may refer to the rich raiment borrowed of the E¢yptians, when they came out from thence. So the Targum, ** and I clothed you with various gar- ‘* ments, the defitable things of your enemies;’ and which, with their other cloaths, waxed not old all the while they were in the wilderneis; feé Exod. xii. 35. Deut. viii. 4. this may be expreffive, either of the various graces Of the Spirit of God, with which the faints are clothed and adorned; and when exercijed by them, are faid to be put on as a garment, Col. iii. 12. or rather of the righteoufnefs of Chrift, called raiment of needle work, Pf. xiv. 14: and fhod thee with badger’s kin; the fame the covering of the tabernacle was made of, Exod, xxvi. 13. and tho’ the word here ufed may hot defign the creature we fo call, yet may intend one whofe {kin was fit for fhoe-leather, and was very beautiful, and perhaps durable; reference may be had to the fhoes of the J/rae/ites in the wildernefs, which waxed not old, Deut. xxix. 5. Some think only the, hyacinth or purple colour is here meant; and fo the Septuaginé verfion renders the word; agreeable to which, Bochart * gives this verfion of the words, J jhod thee with the purple; that is, with fhoes of a purple colour; and it is very probable, that of this colour were the fhoes wore by the féwi/ women of the firft rank; fince, as the fame writer has not only fhewn from Procopius, that great perfonages in other nations ufed to wear fuch, as. the Peshian and Roman emperors; who, in their own countries only, might wear them;

‘but this was the cuftom of neighbouring provinces, particularly the Zyrian women, as Virgil * plainly fuggefts, Byneus' is cf opinion, that they were of a red or fearlet colour; and that the words fhould be rendered, 7 jhod thee with fcarlet, that is, with fcarlet-coloured fhoes; which he obferves have been ih great efteem and ufe among per{ons al a 757 FOUN ut inundans eluerem fanguinem tuum, Junius & Tremellius, Polanus; inundavi fanguines tuos, Montanus,

* Virginibus Tyriis mos eft geftare pharetram,

Purpureoque alte furas vineire cothurno,

of figure and quality; and be they of what colour 4ands, which the Targum alfo explains of the law, they will, they were, no doubt, made of fkins of value, fine, foft, and pliable; as the Targum paraphrafes it, “* I put precious fhoes (or {hoes of ‘¢ value) upon your feet;” and therefore can’t be well thought to be made of badgers fkins, of which it was never known that fhoes were made; with thofe indeed quivers and fhields have been covered, and of thofe the harnefs of horfes, and collars of dogs have been made; but not mens fhoes, and much lefs the fhoes of delicate women. ‘This may denote the agreeable walk of the faints, having their feet fhod with the preparation of the gofpel of peace; or a converfation agreeable to the gofpel of Chrift; which is very beautiful, and in which they are enabled to continue by the power and grace of God; fee Luke xv. 22. Eph. vi. 15. Cant. vii. 1: and I girded thee about with fine linen, as the high-prieft was with the linen girdle of the Ephod, Exod. xxviii. 8. So the Targum, * and “© J feparated from you the priefts, that they might <* minifter before me with linen mitres, and the ** high-prieft in garments of divers colours;” all the faints are made priefts to God, and are girt about with the girdle of love, which conftrains them to fear and ferve the Lord with all readinefs and chearfulnefs; and with the girdle of truth, which they caufe to cleave and keep clofe unto them; fee Eph. vi. 14. Luke xii. 35: and I covered. thee with filk. The Targum interprets this of the clothing of the high-prieft; but, if refpect is had to that, filk cannot be intended; for, as the Fews themfelves fay *, the priefts were not clothed for fervice in the houfe of the fanctuary, but with wool and linen; and indeed, tho’ the ‘Fewi/b commentators in general, as Farchi, Aben Ezra, and Kimchi, and others *, as well our verfion, take the word here ufed to fignify filk; yet, as Braunius * obferves, it does not appear that this was known among the Fews in the times of Ezekiel, nor even before the times of Chrift; ner was it known among the Romaus before the times of Augujtus. The word feems to be derived from an Arabic word ¥, which fignifies to colour or paint clothes; and may be rendered, painted or coloured cloth, or garments; and fo the Zargum renders it, dyed or coloured garments; and fo 4quila tranflates it, by «90x, a flowered garment, either painted or wrought with flowers; and fo Yerom, and the Vulgate Latin, by polymitum, a garment of divers colours; and may fignify, as before, the rich apparel of the ews, and the plenty of good things enjoyed by them; fee Luke xvi. 19. and, in a myftical fenfe, the beautiful clothing of the church, with the robe of Chrift’s righteoufnefs, and the graces of the Spirit.

y. 11. And I decked thee alfo with ornaments, &c.] The Targum interprets this, of the ornament of the words of the law; fee Prov. i. 8, 9. but may be as well underftood of good works done in obedience to them, from a right principle, and to right ends; which adorn proteffors of religion, their profeffion, and the doétrines of Chrift, which they profefs, x Tim. ii. 9, 10. Tit. ii. 10. or rather the graces of the Spirit, which are all of them very ornamental to the faints, as faith, hope, love, humility, &c. and are in the fight of God of great » price, 1 Pet. iil. 3,4: and I put bracelets upon thine written on two tables of {tone, and given by the hands of Mofes; the words of which, as Farchi. fays, were put one. againit another, five againit five: hands being the inftruments of action, may denote good works, which the Lord enables his people to. perform;.and which appear beautiful, as hands with bracelets on them, when they. {pring from love, are done in faith, and with a view to the glory of God: and a chain on thy neck; this the Zargum underftands of fanctification, paraphrafing it, ‘* and with the holinefs of my great name ‘* I fanctified you;” and may be applied. to the graces of the Spirit, which are as 2 chain, whofe links are infeparably joined together; for where one grace is, there are all, the reft,. faith, hope, charity, €c. fee Cant.i. 10. and iv. g.: or elfe to the bleflings of grace, which alfo are linked together, and can’t be parted; where the.one is, the other are likewife, Eph, i, 3. Rom. vill. 30, 32. and both graces and bleffings make the faint very beautiful. aaah as ¥.12. And I put a jewel on thy forebead, &c.] The fame with the nofe-jewel, which was hung upon the forehead, and reached down to the nofe.

and mouth; and however difagreeable it may feem

‘to us, was reckoned very ornamental in the eaftern countries, J/. ili. 21. Gen. xxiv. 22, 47. and where now, as in Perfia, as well as in all the Levant, the women put rings thro’ their nofes, which they pierce with needles, as Monfieur Thevenot * relates; fo Dr. Shaw * fays, that nofe-jewels are ufed ftill by the Levant Arabs. ‘The Targum applies it to the ark, thus, ‘* and I put the ark of my co- ** venant among you;” but may be better applied to a public profeffion of religion, which every good man ought to make, and take up from principles of grace received: this is bearing the name of Chrift, and the name of his Father in their foreheads; which is very ornamental to the believer, and well pleafing to Chrift, Rom. x. 9, 10. Rev. xiv. 1. Matt. x. 32: and car-rings in thine ears. The Targum is, ** and the clouds of my glory “* overfhadowed you;” but it may be better interpreted of the fpiritual ears God gives his people in converfion; by which they hear his word, fo as to underftand it; hear the voice of Chrift, fo as to diftinguifh it from the voice of a itranger; and hear his gofpel, fo as to believe and receive it, approve of it, and love it, and act in conformity

Targum paraphrafes it, thus, ‘ and an angel fent ‘« trom before me, led at the head of you;” referring to Exed. xxiii. 20. with which archi compares Mic. ii. 13. but may be better illuftrated by the beautiful crown of twelve ftars, the doétrine of the twelve apoftles of Chrift, faid to be upon the head of the church; and is upon the head of every believer that holds the myftery of the faith in a pure confcience; that holds faft the faithful word, and will not let it go, that fo no man may take away his crown, Rev, xii. 1. and iii. 11. ¥.13. Thus waft thou decked with gold and filver, &c.] The Largum interprets it, of the tabernacle adorned with gold and filver, and linen curtains, of various dyes and colours; but it refers to the to it: and a beautiful crown upon thine bead. The

raiment was of fine linen, and filk, and broidered work; fee the note on y. ro. with this compare Rev. xix. 8: thou didft eat fine flour, and honey, and el; which did not a little contribute to her beauty and comelinefs; fee Dan. i. 15. this the Targum explains of the manna with which the Lord fed the Iraesites in the wildernefs, and was good, like fine flour, and honey, and oil; and-had, as Farchi fays, the tafte of them all: but may be better applied to’ fpiritual provifions believers are fed with; to the pofpel, and the doétrines of it, which are as nourifhing and ftrengthening as bread of fine flour; as fweet as honey to the tafte; and which make fat and plump, and caufe the face to fhine as oil: and thou waft exceeding beautiful, and thou didft profper into a kingdom, the Targum is, ‘** and ye be- *< came rich, and were greatly ftrengthened, and «¢ profpered; and ruled over all kingdoms;”" and had its accomplifhment, as- Kimchi obferves, when the time of the kingdom of the houfe of David €ame: and is true of all believers, who are a kinedom of priefts, a royal priefthood, kings and priefts unto God; have a kingdom of grace now, which can never be moved, and lies in righteoufnefs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft; and are heirs of a kingdom of glory hereafter. ¥. 14. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty, &c.] Which confifted of the above things: with this compare Deut. vi. 4. Pf. xiviii. 2.. Lam. ii. 15. the church’s beauty lies in the righteoufnefs of Chrift imputed to her; in the holinefs of Chrift reckoned unto her; in the blood of Chrift being upon her, by which fhe is wafhed and cleanfed, juftified and pardoned; and in the graces of the Spirit of Chrift implanted in her; and in the falvation of Chrift fhe is interefted in; and’in the prefence of Chrift, which is the beauty of the Lord upon her; and in being in ofpel-order, and having gofpel-ordinances, fee of. xlv. 11, 13. and 149. 4. and xc. 17. Cant. vi. 4, 10: for it was perfect? thro’ my comelinefs, which L had put upon thee, faith the Lord'God; all the outward happinefs and profperity of the J/raelites in the days of David and Solomon, or at other times, was not, as Kimchi obferves, of themfelves, but ‘of the Lord: and fo the comelinefs of the faints and people of God is not of themfelves; they are by nature black and deformed; they are defiled with original and actual fin; they are as an unclean thing; they are corrupt, abominable, and loathfome; and as they have not their comelinefs by nature, fo not by art; as it is not native to them, it is not acquired by them; they don’t obtain it by their humiliation, repentance, and fervices; thefe can’t remove their natural blackneis and uncomelinefs, or wafh away their fins, and render them beautiful in the fight of God, Yer. xiii, 23. and ii. 22. Fob ix. 30, 31. but they have their comelinefs from another, from Chrift, who is altogether lovely; and from his righteoufnefs, which js put on them; and fo they are in him, and thro’ that, perfectly comely, a perfection of beauty, all fair, and without fpot, even the faireft:in the whole creation, complete in Chrift, and perfect in. him, Pflo2. Cant. i. 5, 8. and iv. 7. fo 4 —¥. 15. But thou didft truft in thine own beauty,

&c.] As the Fews did in external gifts beftowed rers. The Zargum is, thou baft made for thy/elf upon them; in their outward profperity and gran* deur; in their riches, wealth, and wifdom; and’ in the extent of their dominions, as in the days of David and Solomon; and in fuch things men are apt to put their truft and confidence, and to be elated with, and grow proud and haughty, as a woman becaufe of her beauty: fo fome profeflors of religion, truft in a form and profeilion of it; in fpeculative knowledge, and in outward duties and fervices; being unconcerned for inward purity and holinefs; and not trufting in the righteouinefs of Chrift, the real beauty of faints: and playedft the harlot becaufe of thy renown; or names which the Yews got among the nations round about them, for their wifdom, riches, and power, which was a fnare unto them, as a woman’s beauty is to her; and they were admired and courted, and complimented by their neighbours, and fo drawn into idolatrous practices, as women into fornication and adultery by the admirers of them: idolatry, which is here meant, is frequently fignified by playing the harlot, or by fornication and adultery: or, thou playedft the harlot in thy name°s alluding to the cuftom of harlots, notorious, infamous ones, who ufed to fet their names over their apartments, to direct men unto them; and fo: it may denote, how famous and notorious the ews were for their idolatries, and how impudent in them. archi interprets this of the calf of the wildernefs, and other idolatries, which the tribe of Dan committed there; but it rather refpects the idolatries committed from the times of Se/omon to the captivity, which were many and often repeated; and tho’ fometimes a ftop was put to them by pious princes, yet broke out again: fo trufting in a man’s own righteoufnefs, or in any outward thing, is idolatry; and alfo falfe worfhip, and fuperi{titious obfervances: aud pouredft out thy fornication on every one that paffed by; which exprefies the multitude of their idolatries, the meafure of them, which ran over; the fondnefs they had for every idol of their neighbours, like a common ftrumpet, that profti tutes herfelf to every one, not only to the men of her own place and city, but to all ftrangers and travellers; fo the Yes, not content with the idols. they had, embraced all that offered, or their neighbours could furnifh them with: Aés it was; or, to him it was; her defire, her luft, -her fornication every one'that paffed by that would, might enjoy her;. fo: the Hews were ready to fall in with every idol, and every idolatrous practice. The Targum renders this claufe, ‘* and. it is not right for thee “*to do fo;”) to commit and multiply idolatry.

¥. 16. And of thy garments thou didft take, &c.) Which were made.of fine linen, filk, and broidered work; which God had given them, and they were richly clad with: aud deckedf thy high places with divers colours; that is, with garments of divers colours; either they erected tents on their high places made with thefe;»or they covered their altars with them, which were on their high places for the ornament of them, as harlots deck: their beds to allure their lovers; fee Prov. vii. 16, 17. or, thou haft made for thyfelf high places fpotted*, fo the ing to garments fpotted with the flefh by adulte- et fecifli tibi excelfa maculofa, Montanus; excelfa confperfa maculis, Calvin.; latis maculis interftincta, Junius & T remellius, bigh places covered with idols; and fo the Septuagint verfion renders it, idols fewed together. in the Tz/mudic language +, has the fignification of fewing. Thefe idols were decked as children’s babies are; and fo the Syriac verfion, thou heft made for thyfelf babies; images like babies, richly dreft with their garments above defcribed, fuch as the papifts now have. And playedft the harlot thereon, committed idolatry on the high places: or, with them‘; that is, with the images and idols decked with their garments, which were fet on thofe high places: the like things fhall not come, neither foall it be fo; the like idolatries fhall not be committed any more; and after the Badyloni/h captivity, worfhipping of idols was not prattifed by the Jews; nor is it to this day: or, fuch things have not come yet, and there fall wot be the like ®; the fenfe is, there never were fuch idolatries committed by this people before; and there never fhall be, or will be, the like afterwards. Kimcbi’s note is, ‘* the *< high places fhall not come as thefe; as if it was * faid thefe fhall not be in futuriry; and there ** fhall not be a man or a people that fhall make “* like thefe for multitude;” fo Bea Melech; and sn2 bigh places, does agree with MINI come. The Targum joins this with the preceding claufe, ‘* cenfe before them; the oil which the Lord gave ‘The word, them for food, the land of Canaan being a land of oil-olive; or which was to light the lamps in the temple with; or was ufzd in facrifice to the Lord; particularly in the meat-offerings; and the incenfe, which was offered unto him on the altar of incenfe; thefe were fet upon the altars of idols, and before them, the male-images before-mentioned 3 fee Ho/. ii. 8.

y. 19. My meat alfo which I gave thee, &c.] Or my dread’; a general name for all eatables. The Targum renders it, ‘* my good things.” The Fews apply it to the manna, which, they fay, defcended the fame day the molten calf was made, and they fet it before it. és his interpretation Farchi and Kimchi make mention of; it includes what follows: jine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith J fed thee; for the land of Canaan was a land of wheat, of which fine flour was made; and of olives, from whence was the beft oil; and a land flowing with milk and honey; and which was given by the Lord, and fo he might be-faid to teed them with them: and inftead. of glorifying him, and being thankful for them, and ufing them in the manner they ought, they /etat before theme and for a fweet favour; that is, they made a meat-

** played the barlot with them, as is not right and ant «hi

v.17. Thou haft alfo taken thy fair jewels of my gold, and of my filver, which I had given thee, &c.

Or, thy glorious velfels of gold and filver™; meaning either the vefltls of gold and filver in the temple, as Ferom thinks, which they converted to idolatrous ufes; or rather their own houfhold-vefiels of gold and filver, which God had given them, as the bounties of his providence, and he had ftill a right unto, and which they made ufe of to the difhonour of his name; which argued great. ingratitude in them: and madeft to thyfelf images of men, images in the fhape of men; fome were in the fhape of women, others in the fhape of men;, here only male-images are mentioned, becaufe the idolatrous Fews are reprefented by an adulterous woman committing adultery with men; and thefe were made by themfelves, of their jewels of gold and filver; or of their golden and filver vefiels, which they had to eat and drink out of; thefe they melted down, and made idols of them in the form of men, juft as the molten calf was made of the ear-rings of the women, Exod. xxxii. 3, 4. to which fome refer this paflage: and as it was a piece of egregious folly in themfelves to part with their jewels and plate for fuch purpofes, and -of great ingratitude to God their benefactor, fo of the groffeft ftupidity and ignorance to worfhip images fo made; which was equally as ftupid, or more fo, than if a woman fhould embrace the image ef a man, inftead of a man himfelf, as it follows: and didft commit whoredom with them; the images; that is, idolatry, which is fpiritual adultery.

¥. 18. And tookeft thy broidered garments, and covercaft them, &c.] The images of men, the idols they worfhipped; fee Fer. x. 4. fo the papifts at. this day cover their idols, the images of the virgin Mary, and other faints, with rich apparel, to draw the attention, admiration, and reverence of the people to them: and thou haft fet mine oil, and mine init before their idols; to gain their favour and good-will; to appeafe them, and render them propitious; fuppofing it would be acceptable unto them, all thefe things were ufed in meat-offerings and facrifices unto the Lord, excepting honey,-and that was forbid; but was in ufe among the Gentiles, fee Lev. ii. 1,.11: and thus ## was, faith the | Lord God; all this idolatry, ingratitude, and folly, have been committed; ’tis moft notorious, there’s no denying it; I, who am the Lord God omnifcient, affirm it. ‘The Zargum puts it by way of queftion, and even of aftonifhment and admiration, ‘* are not all thefe things done, faith the ** Lord God |”; y. 20. Moreover, thou haft taken thy fons and thy daughters, &c.| ‘Their own flefh and bloods which were more than to take their cloaths and cover their idols with them, and their food, and fet it before them; to part with them was much,. but to part with thefe, and that in fich a fhocki manner as after-mentioned, was fo irrational an unnatural, as well as impious and wicked, as’ is net to be paralleled; and what increafed their wickednefs was, that thefe were not only their own, but the Lord’s: «wom then haft born unto me; for tho’ they were born of them, they were born unto ithe Lord, the creator of them, the Father of their fpirits, and God of their lives, and who had the fole right to. difpofe of them; nor was it in the power of their parents to take away their life at pleafure, for the Lord only has the fovereign power of life and death: and thee hajt thou facrificed unto them; the male-images before-mentioned; one of figned: to be devoured; in the arms of that images or to be confumed by fire, in which they were burnt, when facrificed unto it. The Yargum is,

| doms a fmall matter? which was fo dreadfully heinous and inhuman; yet by fome reckoned a finall matter; this was not the leaft of their idolatries, * T. Bab. Gittin, folv 45. 2. Mifn. Celim, c 27.,§. 6.: f omy iifque, Ar. Interpr. =) ue oe pry md) MND ND non eventure funt rales /cortationes, nec erit gui fe feortetur, Pifcator. oa offering of their fine flour, oil, and honey, and fet:

which was Melech, who is here particularly de+

“¢ for oblation and worfhip.” Is this of thy whore-.