Exposition of the Whole Bible

HE fubje&t-matter of this chapter is a lamentation for the princes and people of the ews, on account of what had already befallen them, and what was, yet to come,-¥.1. The mother of the princes is compared to a lionefs, and they to lions; who, one after another, were taken and carried captive, ¥.2—g. again, their mother i8 compared to a vine, and they to branches and rods for {cepters, deftroyed by an eaft-wind, and confumed by fire, ¥. 10—14.

y¥. 1. Moreover, take thou up a lamentation, &c.] Thefe words are directed to the prophet Ezekiel, to compofe a doleful ditty, a mournful fong, fuch as was ufed at funerals; and by it reprefent the lamentable ftate of the nation of the Yews and

_ their governors, in order to affect them with it, with what was paft, and prefent, and yet to come: for the princes of Ifrael, or, concerning them*, the princes meant.are Fehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Feconiah and Zedekiah, who were kings, tho’ called princes,. ' thefe words being fynonymous; or if fo called by their manners, and became of the fame temper way of diminution, the reafon might be, becaufe they were tributary, either to the king of Egypt, or king of Babylon.

¥. 2. And fay, what is thy mother? &c.) That is, fay fo to the then reigning prince, Zedekiah, what is thy mother like? ro what is fhe to be compared? by whom is meant, not the royal family of David only, or. Ferufalem the metropolis of the nation, but the whole body of the people; and fo the Targum interprets it, of the congregation of J/rael. The aniwer to the queftion is, 4 lionefs, fhe is like to one, not for her ftrength and glory, but for her cruelty and rapine; tor her want of humanity, mercy and juftice: /be lay down among lions that is, kings, as the Targus interprets it; heathen princes, the kings of the nations about them, as of Egypt and Babylon, Fer. 1.17. fo called for their defpotic and arbitrary power, tyranny and cruelty: now this lionefs, the people of the ‘ews, lay down among them, joined with them in leagues and marriages, and learned

PUD WAVY convertimini & facite converti, Pagninus, Montanus, fub. proximos, fo fome in Calvin; quifque fuum

* Seow ney ON de principibus go and difpofition: fhe nourifbeth ber whelps among young lions, princes, as the Targum explains it 5 either the princes of ‘udah, who were become like young lions, fierce and cruel; or the princes of other nations, among whom the children of the royal family were brought up; or however, they were trained up in the principles of fuch, even of arbitrary and defpotic power, and were taught to opprefs their fubjects, and not execute juftice and mercy among them.

y¥. 3.. And fhe brought up one of ber swhelps, &c.] Or fons, as the Targum: or, made him to afcend', as the word fignifies; to mount the throne; this was Feboabaz, whom the people of the land took and anointed him, and made him king in the ftead of Fofiab his father, 2 Kings xxii. 30: it became a young lion; that is, a king, as the fame Targum explains it, and a tyrannical and arbitrary one: and it learned to catch the prey; being inftructed by evil counfellors, he joon learned to opprefs his fubjects, to get their fubftance from them, and do many evil things, as he is faid to do, 2 Kings XXili 32: it devoured men, oy aman, Adam, the people of Srael fo called, Ezek. xxxiv. 31. as the yews frequently obferve; it eat up and deftroyed | their liberties, privileges, and property. ¥. 4. The nations alfo beard of him, &c.| The neighbouring nations, particularly the Egypézans; the tame of his behaviour reached them; they were informed how he ufed his own fubjeéts, and what defigns he had formed, and what preparations he was making again{ft his neighbours; wherefore they thought it proper to oppofe his meafures in time, and to hinder him from proceeding and putting his projects into execution, by coming out again{t him, and fighting with him, as they did: be was taken in their pit; alluding to the manner ef hunting and taking lions, and fuch like beafts of prey; which was done by digging pits, and covering the mouths of them with ftraw, as Farchi obferves, into which in their flight they fell unawares: fo Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt came out againtt Fehoahax, and took him, and put him in bonds at Rid/ah in the land of Hamath, that he might reign no more in Ferufalem, after he had been on the throne but three months, 2 Kings xxiii. 31, 33: and they brought him with chains into the land of Egypt; or, with books”; in his nofe, as in If. xxxvii. 29. ot with a bridle, as the Septuagint; or with barnacles, as the Syriac verfion, in his jaws; the Targum renders it in chains, as we do: it is certain that Yeboabaz was put in bonds or fetters, and carried into Egypt, where he died, 2 Kings XXU1. eo 24. ¥. 5. Now when fhe faw, &c.] That is, his mother, as the Syriac verfion expreffes it; not his natural mother; as the mother of Si/era looked out and waited for him; but the congregation of J/- rael, as ‘farchi interprets it, the body of the Fewi h people: shat fhe had waited, for the return of Fehoabaz out of Egypt; which was expected for fome time: or, that fhe was become fick; or weak“, and feeble, and brought to a low eftate by his captivity, and by the tax the king of Zgypt put upon her: and her hope was lof; of his return to her -any more, and {fo of being eafed of the tribute im-

pofed, and of being reftored by him to liberty and glory; for the Lord had declared, that he fhould return no more to his native country, but « in the place where he was carried captive, Yer. xxii. 10, 31, 12: then foe took another of her whelps; or fons, as the Targum: and made bim a young lon; a king, as the fame Targum paraphrafes it; that is, feboiakim, the brother of Feboahaz, who before was called Eiakim, but his name was changed by Pharaoh Necho; and tho’ he is faid to make him king, yet it was by the confent of the people of the Fews. siaiie vie y. 6. And he went up and down among the lions, &c.] The kings, as the Targum, kings of neighbouring nations, as Pharaoh king of Egypt, and Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and fométimes he was fubjeé&t to the one, and fometimes to the other: and his going up and down among them, may denote his continuance as a king; for whereas his brother reigned but three months, he reigned eleven years: he became a young lion; an oppreffive prince, a cruel and tyrannical kine: and learned to catch the prey, and. devoured men; he was notorious for his acts of injuftice and arbitrary power; for the detaining the wages of workmen, and for his oppreffion, violence and rapine, and fhedding of innocent blood, Fer. xxii. 13, 17.

y¥. 7. And be knew, their defolate palaces, 8¢c.] He took notice of the palaces or feats of the richeft men of the nation, and pillaged them of their -treafure and wealth, and fo they became defolate: it may be rendered, be kuew their widows *; or, bis cwn widews; whom he made fo; he flew the men to get their fubftanee into his hands, and then defiled their widows: and he laid wafte their cities; by putting the inhabitants to death; or obliging them to leave them, and retire elfewhere, not being able to pa the taxes he impofed upon them, partly to fupport his own grandeur and luxury, and partly to pay the tribute to the king of Egypt: and the land was defolate, and the fulnefs thereof, by the noife*of his roaring; by his menaces and threatnings, ediéts and exactions, he fo terrified the inhabitants of the land, that though it was full of men and riches, it became in a great meafure deftitute of both; the people left their houfes, both in city and country, and fled elfewhere with the remainder of their fubftance, that had not fallen into his hands: his menacing demands being fignified by roaring, agrees with his character as a lion, to which compared, Prov. xix. 12. | y¥. 8. Then the nations fet againft kim, 8c.) Or, gave ogainft him’, that is, their voice, as Kimebi; they called to one another, to gather together againft him; they gave their counfel againft himi; they joined together, agreed, and combined again!

him, and difpofed their armies, and fet them in - farray again{t him: on every fide from the provinces; _

Nebuchadnezzar and his auxiliaries, which confifted of the people of the provinces all around,’ who were brought together, and placed round about Ferufalem, at the fiege of it; particularly the of the Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites, 2 Kings xxiv. 1, 2: and fpread their net over him, which may be expreffive both of the policy, ¢ and fecret contrivances and defigns of ‘ehoiakim’s enemies; and of their external force, and hoftile power, againft him: he was taken in their pits which they dug for him, or by the means which they contrived for his ruin, and which they put in execution and effected: the metaphor of a lion is carried on, and the manner of taking one is al- Inded to, which is commonly in pits, as Pliny * fays; and the 4rabs now dig a pit, where lions are obferved to enter, and covering it over flightly with reeds, or fmall branches of trees, they frequently decoy and catch them +.

¥. 9. And they put him in ward in chains, &c.] Or, in an inclofure, or, in a collar with hooks”, put a collar of iron, as is faid, about his neck, which had hooks in it, and to thofe hooks chains were put, in which he was led a prifoner; and it is certain that he was bound in fetters, in order to be carried to Badylon, tho’ it is thought he never reached thither, but died by the way, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 6: and brought him to the king of Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar, who came up againtt him with his army of many nations, he having rebelled againft him; and being taken by his foldiers, was brought to him in chains, wherever he was, whether without the gates of Feru/alem, or at any other place; for it is not certain where he was: however, ‘hey brought him into holes; places of confinement, one after another, in his way to Babylon; where, it feems, before he came thither he died, and was caft out on a dunghil, and had no burial, as Feremiah foretold, ch. xxii. 18, 19: that bis voice fhauld no more be heard in the mountains of J/rael, in the kingdom of Jrael, to the terror of its inhabitants, threatening them with death, if they did not anfwer his exorbitant demands; nor was it ever heard any more: the allufion ftill is to a lion traverfing the mountains, and roaring after its prey, to the terror of other creatures.

x. 10. Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, &c.] Another fimile is here made ufe of, relating to the fame perfons; the fame that were compared to a lionefs, are here compared to a vine, as the people of the Fews frequently are, P/- Ixxx. 8. Jv. 1. and xxvii. 3. Jer. it. 21. Ezek. xv. 2. and xvii. 6. the fame perfon is here addreffed, the then reigning prince Zedekiah,. whofe mother, the Fewi/b people, from whence he fprung, had been in times paft, and ftill was, like a vine; and efpecially with refpect to his blood, the royal family from whom he defcended: the. allufion is to the ufe of blood Jaid to the roots of vines, by which they became more fruitful. It may-have regard, as Calvin thinks, to the original of the Hewz/b nation, who when in their blood, or as foon as they were born; that is, as foon as they became a nation, were at firft like a flourifhing vine. Some render the words, ia thy likene/s,; fo Farchi, Kimchi, and Ben

Melech; to which the Targum agrees, ‘* the con- *< sregation of J/rae/, when it did according to the _ & Jaw, was like to a vine, &c:” planted by the waters; for in thofe hot countries vires required water, and throve the better for being near unto - them, or for being in watry places; this may denote the many privileges, bleffings, laws, and ordinances, which were for the advantage of the Fewi/h people, both in their civil and ecclefiafti- ontanus; in clauftro in hamis, Starckius; in cavea hamis, Cocceius, cal ftate:. he was fruitfil and full of branches, by reafon of many waters, grew populous, rich, and wealthy.

¥. 11. And fhe had rods for ibe fiepters of them that bear rule, &c.] That is, many {prung from her, and rofe up in that nation, who were fit to hold fcepters, to be kings, rulers, and governors, and were fuch: So the Targum, “ and there were “in her {trong rulers, kings that were mighty to ** fubdue kingdoms;”. fuch as David, Solomon, and others after them: or this may refer to the times of Fofiah, and at his death, who left behind him feveral fons; who became kings, befides éther princes of the blood; as his brother Mattaniab, who alfo was king: and fome even carry this to Zedekiah himfelf, who had many. children, who feemed to be ftrong rods, fit for fcepters, or cepter-bearers 3 that is; to be kings. The allufion feems to be to the feepters of the ancients, which were no other than walking-fticks, cut off of the {tems or branches of trees, and decorated with gold, or ftudded with golden nails. Thus Achilles is introduced by Homer‘, as {wearing by a {cepter; which being cut off of a trunk of a tree left on the mountains, and {tripped of its bark and leaves, thould never more produce leaves and branches,’ or fprout again: and fuch an one, he obferves, the Grecian judges, wv warsns Qocezcr, carry in their hands. Sometimes they were made of the oleafter *, or wild olive, the fame as a fhepherd’s ftaff; for what fhepherds were to their flocks, that were kings to men. dud ber fiature was exalted among the thick branches; as the body and trunk of a tree rifes up higher than the branches, which are thickeft about the middle.of it, and fo more eminent and confpicuous; thus it was with the nation of the Hews, and the royal family in it, that appeared more glorious and excellent among the nobles and princes of it; or as the Targum exprefles it, ‘* it was lifted up in its ftrength above “¢ its own kingdom;” or rather the fenfe is, that in the days of David and Solomon, and fome others, it greatly exceeded all the kingdoms of the nations round about it: wad fhe appeared in ber height with the multitude of her branches, was feen and taken notice of for the multitude of her people, and the grandeur of her itate.

¥. 12. But fhe was plucked up in fury, &c.} This vine being turned into a degenerate plant of a ftrange vine; or the people of the Fews becoming wicked, difobedient to God, and diftegarding his laws and ordinances, the wrath of God came upon them, and Jet in the Africans among them, who carried off ten tribes at once; and the tribes of Fudab and Benjamin not taking warning hereby, but continuing and increafing in finful courfes, great part of them were carried captive into Babylon, with their king Feceniah, who fucceeded Febciakim

| before-mentioned; when the kingdom feemed to be utterly ruined and deftroyed, and is what is here referred to: fhe was caf? down to the ground, a phrafe expreffive of the entire overthrow of the nation; for a vine, tho’ plucked up, yet if immediately planted again, might grow; but being plucked up, and left on the ground, and there lie, there is no hope of it; fo that this denotes the defperate cafe of this people at this-.time, being in captivity. So the Targum paraphrafes both peal a4 an

QO2 “< and it was rooted up with ftrength out of the «© Jand of the houfe of the Shekinah, and tranflated «¢ into another land.”. nd the eaft wind dried up her fruit; Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and the Chaldean army, compared to an eaft wind, becaufe hurtful and pernicious, as that is to trees and fruit, and becaufe Babylon lay north-eaft of Fudea, the people of the land are meant by the fruit of the vine, with their wealth and riches, which were feized upon and wafted, or carried into Babylon. So the Targum, ‘* and a king ftrong as « the eaft wind flew her people.” Her firong rods were broken and withered; or, firong rod; the fingular for the plural; which may defign king econiah particularly, who with his mother, wives, princes, and officers, and the mighty of the land, even all the mighty men of valour, with the crafti- it, after this great deftruétion, when it looked like a vine plucked up, and thrown down, and left on the ground, dried up with the eaft wind, and burnt with fire; and thus it fared with the remnant in a little time after, as the next words fhow. 4 y. 14. And fire is gone out of a rod of ber branches, &c.] By ber branches are meant, the reft of the Jews left in the land; and by the red of them, king Zedekiab now on the throne, when this prophecy was given out; the jre faid to go out of him, fignifies his rebellion againft the king of Babylon, his breaking covenant and oath with him, which greatly provoked the Lord, and» brought down the fire of his wrath upon him, 2 Kyngs xxiv. 0: which hath devoured ber fruit; deftroyed the yea, the city and temple of Yeru/alem, with the men and fmiths, were taken and carried captive, palaces and houfes therein, were burnt with mate-

2 Kings xxiv. 14, 15, 16. the wrath of God, which is often compared to fire, the fame with fury in the beginning of the verie; which fhows that it was for fin, which had provoked the Lord to wrath and anger, that all this ruin came upon the Yewi/h nation. The Zargum is, ** her {trong governors removed, and were ‘* carried captive; and the people which are ftrong, “* as fire confumed them,”

¥. 13. And now fhe is planted in the wildernefs, &c.] In the land of Babylon, which tho’ a very fruitful country, yet becaufe of the hardfhips and miferies which the Yews were expofed unto in it, was a wildernefs to them: i a dry and thirfty ground; which is a periphrafis or defcription of a wildernefs, P/. xiii. 1. and defigns the fame place as before; where the ‘ews were deprived of their liberties, and had not the opportunities of divine worfhip, the word and ordinances; and were deftitute of the comforts both of civil and religious life, Unlefs this is to be underftood of the land of Fudea, which by the devaftation made in it by the king of Babylon, and the multitudes that were carried captive by him out of it, it became like a defert, a dry and thirftyland,; and fo the vine planted in it, fignifies the remainder of the people left in

The fire confumed them;| rial fire; their king was taken, and his eyes put out; his fons were flain, and all the prinees of Fudah: fo that foe bath no firong rod to be-a feepter to rule; none to be king, or fucceed in the kingdom; and there never was a king after of the family of David, or of the tribe of Fudah, till Sbilob the Mefliah came; tho’ there were princes and governors, yet no {cepter-bearer, no King. The Targum of the whole is, ‘* and there came people ‘“* who were ftrong as fire, and becaufe of the fins “< of her pride, flew her people; and there were ‘* not in her ftrong rulers, kings that are mighty ** to fubdue kingdoms.” This is @ lamentation, and foall be for a lamentation, that is, this prophecy, as the Targum, is a lamentation, or matter of lamentation; what of it had been already fulfilled, occafioned lamentation; and when the reft fhould be fulfilled, it would be the caufe-of more. Lamentable was the cafe of the ‘ews already, but it would be ftill more fo, when all that was foretold of them fhould be accomplifhed. It denotes the continuance of the fad eftate of that people; and perhaps may refer to their prefent condition, which will continue till they are turned to the

HE, prophecy in this chapter is occafioned by fome of the elders of J/rae/, coming to enquire of the Lord; when the prophet is bid to tell them, that he would not be enquired of by them. The reafon of which were their abominations he is ordered to make known unto them, y. I, 2, 3, 4. and then proceeds the narration of them; firft of what their fathers committed in Egypt, of God’s goodnefs to them, and their ingratitude; how that tho’ he promifed and fwore that he would bring them from thence, when he charged them to abftain from the idolatry of that people where they were, neverthelefs they did not, for which he threatened them with his wrath to confume them; yet fuch was his goodnefs as to {pare them, and bring them out of that land, y. 5, 6, 7, 8,9. being brought out of Egypt into the wildernels, the Lord gave them ftatutes and ordinances to obferve, particularly fabbaths, as a fign between him and them, but thefe they defpifed and broke; wherefore the Lord threatened to confume them in the wildernefs, and not bring them into the land-of Canaan; yet fuch was his kindnefs and mercy to them, that he did not make an utter end of them in the wildernefs, ¥. 10, 11, 12, 135: 14, 15, 16, 17. and whereas he exhorted their pofterity not to imitate their parents, but to walk in his ftatutes and judgments, and obferve his fabbaths, yet they would not; which drew out his refentment againft them, and he threatened to featter them among the heathens; but for his namefake, that that might not be polluted among the heathen, he fpared them, and did. not cut. them off, only gave them up to do things very pernicious to them, ¥. 18, 19, 20,21, 225 23, 24, 25, 26. and even when they were brought into the land of Canaan, they were guilty of blafphem againft God, and of idolatry on every high hilh they faw, ¥. 27, 28, 29. but whereas it might be objected, what is all this to the prefent generation? it is obferved, that they imitated their fathers, and were guilty of the fame idolatries, and therefore the Lord would: not be enquired of b them, ¥. 30, 31. and threatens to rule them with fury, and plead with them, as he had pleaded with __ neverthelefs, he fuggefts; that there would be a remnant among them, when he fhould have purged the rebels and tranfgreffors from them, that he would deal gracioufly with in a covenant-way; who fhould ferve him in his holy mountain, where he would require and accept their facrifices, in whom he would be fanctified; and who fhould know him, and loath themfelves, when made fenfible of the diftinguifhing favours beftowed upon them, ¥. 37; 385 39, 40, 41; 42, 43, 44. and the chapter is clofed with a prophecy dropped againft Ferufalem, denouncing utter deftruction on it, y.

Wy. 1. And it came to pafs in the feventh yéar; &c.] Of Zedekiah’s reign; and of the captivity of Feconiah; from whence the dates of Ezekiel’s vifions and prophecies are taken, ch. i. 2. and Viii. ¥, two years, one month, and five days, after Ezekiel began to prophefy, and eleven months and five days after the preceding prophecy: in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month; the month 4d, which anfwers to our Fuly and Auguft; on this day afterwards Ferufalem was twice deftroyed; firft by the Chaldeans, and then by the Romans: that certain of the elder§ of Ifrael came to enquire of the Lord; by the prophet; thefe were either fome of the elders that were carried captive, who came:to enquire how long they fhould continue in this ftate, or what methods they fhould ufe to free themfelves from it; or what they fhould do whilft they were in it; whether it would be advifeable that they fhould conform to the cuftoms of the heathens among whom they were; or what would be the cafe of thofe that were left in Zudea: or elfe thefe were fent by Zedekiah to pay the king of Babylon his tax, or to negotiate fome affair with him relating to the captives; and who took this opportunity of confulting the Lord by the prophet, what methods fhould be taken to throw off the yoke, and to know what was the mind of God in it; but thefe things are uncertain, as are alfo the perfons the enquirers; though the ews fay © they were Ananias, Azarias, and M:fael; which is ‘not probable, fince they were good men, whereas thefe feem to be hypocritical perfons: and fat before me; with great ferioufnefs and devotion feemingly, waiting for an anfwer.

yv. 2. Then came the word of the Lord unto me, &c.] While the elders were fitting before him, by an impulfe upon his mind, dictating things unto him: /aying, as follows:

¥. 3. Son of man, {peak unto the elders of Ifrael, and fay unto them, &c.] Give them this for an anfwer from me: thus faith the Lord God, are ye come to enquire of me? no; not ferioufly, heartily, and in good earneft, determining to abide by the advice and-counfel that might be given; or how can you have the face to enquire of me, when guilty of fuch abominations? as J live, faith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you; knowing their wickednefs and hypocrify, which were deteftable to him, and therefore would not hear what they had to fay, nor give them any anfwer, or direét them what they fhould do. Sad is the cafe of perfons, when the Lord will not be enquired of by them! it is plain he has no favours to beftow upon them; for when he has, he’ll put them upon enquiring of him for them, to do them unto them, ch. xxxvi. 37. this was the cafe of Saul,

* Seder Olam Rabba-apud Abarbinel in loc,

| whom God; wheh he enquired of him, would not, anfwer in any of his ufual ways, 1 Sam. XXVIW 655 Ab ire " 1.o egeenile _ ¥. 4. Wilt thou judge them; fon of man 2. 8&c.} Excufe them; patronize them, defend their caufe, arid plead for them? furely thou wilt not; or rather, wilt thou not reptove and.correét them, judge and condemn them; for their fins and wickednefs? this thou oughteft to do: wilt thou judge them 2 this is repeated, to fhow the vehemency of the {peaker; and the duty of the prophet: caufe them to know the abominations of their fathers, the. fins they committed, which were abominable in themfelves, and rendered them abominable unto God; and what came upon them for them; by which they would be led to fee the abominable evils, which they alfo had been guilty of, in which they had imitated their fathers; and what they had reafon to expect in confequence,of them,

¥. 5: And fay unto them thus faith the Lord God, &c.] Here begins the account of their fathers; of God’s unmerited goodnefs to them, and of their fins and tranfgreffions againft him, and how it fared with them: in the day when I chofe Irael to be his peculiar people, above all people on the face of the eatth; when he declared his choice of them; and made it appear that he had chofen them, and diftinguifhed them, by fpecial bleffings and favours beftowed on them: and lifted up mine hand to the feed of the houfe of Facob;-the pofterity of Facob or Lrael, to whom the Lord fwore, that he would do fuch and fuch things for them; of which the lifting up the hand was a teken; it is a gefture ufed in fwearing, Dan: xii. 7, and fo the Targum, ‘¢ and I fwore unto them by my word:” and made myfelf known unto them in the land of Egypt; by his name Jehovah; by the prophets he fent unto them, Mofes, Aaron, and Miraim; and by the miracles he wrought among them: when I lifted up mine hand unto them, faying, 1 am the Lord your Ged s making promife of it, declaring it unto them, confirming it with an oath; fee Hed, vi. 17; 18.

¥. 6. In the day that I lifted up miy hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt, &c. }

Not only promifed and fwore to it, but exerted his power in the miracles he wrought, by bringing plagues upon the Egyptians, to oblige them to let them go forth from thence: iuto a land that I had efpied for them; which he had in his eye, and in his heart for them; which he had in his mind provided for them, and was determined in his purpofes to bring them tos and which he, as it were, looked out for them, and fingled out as the beft and moft fuitable for them: flowing with milk and honey; a phrafe often ufed, to exprefs the fruitfulnefs of the land of Canaan, and the great plenty of provifions in it: which is the glory of all lands;

that is, either which fertility, fignified by milk and honey, is the glory of all lands, or makes all countries defirable, where they are found; or elfe, which land of Canaan being fo fruitful, is more glorious or defirable than any other country; it greatly furpaffing all others in its fituation, foil, and climate. The Zargum is, ‘* which is the praife of all pro- “* vinces;” that is, was praifed and commended by the inhabitants of all other provinces, for the plenty in it; which muft needs be very great, to fupport fo large a number of inhabitants in it, and yet its compafs but {mall.

mifed and fwore to do fuch great and good things for them; which muft lay them under an obligation tO ¥e@ard what he fhould command them: promifes and bleffings of goodnefs are great incéntives to ‘duty, and lay under great obligation to it: aft ye away every nan the abominations of bis eyes which fhould be fo, meaning idols; bat which his éyés Were takén with, and were lifted wp unto, as his gods; tho’ they ought to have been rejeéted with the utmoft abhorrence, as abominable: and defile not yourfelves with the idols of Egypt; their duigbil-gods, as the word ‘ fignifies; which to worfhip, as it was an abomination to God, was. defiling to themfelvés; yet thefe they were fond of, and prone to worfhip thems their ‘eyes and their hearts weré after them and they needed fuch cautiofis and inftruétions as thefe, backed with the following ftrong reafon againft fuch idolatry: Jam the Lord your God; their creator and benefactor, their covenant-God; the only Lord God, and whom only they ought to ferve and worfhip; to whom they were under ten thoufand obligations; and who was infinitely above all the idols of Egypt.

¥. 8. But they rebelled againft me, &c.] All fin is rebellion againft God, an att of hoftility, efpecially idolatry; it is refufing homage, and cafting off allegiance tohim:: aud weuld not bearken unto me; to his word by his prophets; ‘fo the Turgum, “they © rebelled againit my word, and would hot receive * my prophets:” they did not every man caft away the abothinations of bis eyes, neither did they forfake the idols of the Gentiles; whence it appears, that there ‘were fore amore them that did give in to the idolatry of the gyptians; and could not be prevailed upon to ‘relinquifh it, notwithftanding the favours fhowh them, and ‘the promifes made unto them. The Fewifh writers, Farchi and Kimchi, fay, that there were many of thefe wicked men amohg'the J/raelités, when Mofes was fent to them; and that they died ‘in ‘the time” of the three days darknefs, fo that the #gyptians did not fee their fall, and rejoice at it. Then I faid, I will pour out my fury upon théms he threatened them by his prophets, that he would bring down deferved wrath upon them, like a mighty fhower of rain: to accomplifh mine anger againft them; to bring it wpon them to the utmoft, and ‘confume them ‘with it: in the midft of the land of Egypt, and fo not bring them forth from thence, as le had promifed; but cut them off in it, fortheir fins and rebellions.

¥. 9. But I wrought for my name’s fake, &c.| In a way of grace and mercy; did well by them, did what he promifed to do; not for any merits of theirs, but for his own honour, and the glory of his name: that it fhould not be polluted before the beathen, among whom they were; be fpoken evil of, which is a pelluting it; faying, either that he was not true to his word, in not doing what he promifed; or-elfe, that it was not in his power to perform; either of which would refle&t difhonour on his name, and fo defile it: in whofe fight I made anyfelf known unto them, by the wonders he wrought; and who by one means or another, became acquainted with the promifes of God to J/rael, that he would bring them out of Egypt, and fettle them in the land of Cavzaan: wherefore for the honour of his name he exerted his power, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt; as he did, as fol-