Exposition of the Whole Bible

N this chapter the prophet foretels the. judg- y. 1. The word of the Lord came unto me, &c.] After he had done prophefying to the Jews, he is bid to prophefy againft the Geniz/les, the nations that lay neareft the Fews: faying, as follows, i y¥. 2. Son of man, fet thy face againft the Ammones placable enemies of the Yews; who hated their religion, and envied their wealth and happinefs;. againit thefe the prophet is bid to /et his face; to look that way where they lived, and to put on a frowning countenance, and a menacing aifpect:

| firengthen thy face, as the Septuagint and Aradic verfions render it; look boldly at them: and prophefy againft them; deliver out the following prophecy concerning them.

¥. 3. And fay unto the Ammonites, &c.] Either to their embaffadors at Babylon, or merchants there;

| or by letters to them, the prophet being in Chaldea, at a diftance from them: Aear the word of the Lord

&c.] Who were of the pofterity of Lot, im-. Ged; not Chemo/h their idol, nor their lying oracles, but the word of the true and living God; which is always always accomiplifhed, and is néver fruftrated: thas faith the Lord God, becaufe thou faidft, Aba, againft my fantiuary, when it was profaned, that is, exprefied joy, as the Targum paraphrafes it, at the deftruétion of the temple, when it was burnt by Nebuchadnezzar, it was foreknown by the Lord that they would do fo, and are here threatened before-hand; for as yet the temple was not deftroyed a proof this of God’s prefcience of future contingencies: and againft the land of I/rael, when tt was defolate; the country of the ten tribes, which had been defolate from the fixth of Hezekich, when the people of it were carried captive by Salmanefer king of Afyria; this alfo was matter of joy to the mmonites: and againft the houfe of Fudak, when they went into captivity; the two tribes of Fadah and beya min, who were carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar, part of which had already been carried captive under Feconiah, and the reft would be, and were, under Zedekiah, which completed the deftruction of Jjrael and Judah, and gave the utmoft pleafure to their enemies the Ammonites; who were fo impious, as to rejoice at the deftruction of their temple, the place of their religious worfhip, which they abhorred; and fo inhuman, as to exprefs the delight and fatisfa€tion they had, in the ruin of their fellow-creatures and neighbours, and who were originally related to them; this brutifh and) barbarous behaviour of theirs is refented by the,

y. 4. Bebold, therefore, I will deliver thee to the men of the eaft for a poffeffion, &c.| The Chaldeans

and Syrians, which were on the eaft fide, as Farchi; or the Medes and Perfians, as Kimchi, which | lay more eaftward; or it may be the Arabians, | who are commionly called the men of the eaft;

who were a part of Nebuchadnezxzar’s army, and whom he might reward with this country, when taken by him; for this prophecy, according to Fofephus*, was fulfilled five years after the deftruction of Ferufalem: and they fhall fet their palaces in thee, and make -their dwellings in thee, or, their camps and their tents*; and fo the Syriac verfion, renders it, their armies and their tents; who fhould fubdue them, and take poffeffion of their cities and fields, and enjoy what they found there: they ball)

eat thy fruit, and drink thy milk, the fruit of their land, their vineyards and fields, and the milk of their focks and herds, which was commonly drank’

in thofe countries; thefe are put for the whole of their fubftance. “eat the good of thy land, and fpoil thy fub- ‘* ftance.”

¥.5. And I will make Rabbath a ftable for camels, &c.] Creatures much ufed by the eaftern nations, efpecially the Arabians, who pitching their tents about. Rabbath, the royal city, the metropolis of the children of Ammon, would convert the houfes, and even palaces in it, into ftables for their camels. This city, in Ferom’s time, as he fays, was called Philadelphia, from Ptolemy Philadelphus, who rebuilt it. And the Ammonites a couching place for flocks; that is; the land of the Ammonites fhould be made a place for flocks of fheep to lie down in, which the 4rabians would bring and feed upon it: and ye fhall know that I am the Lord; omnifcient, and fees and obferves all your infults upon direptionem, Pagninus, Cocceius; in pradam,’ Junius & Tremellius, Pifcator. Both come to much on

So the Targum, ‘* they fhall’

in cibum, Montanus, Guoffetius. This is the Cetib or textual writing; but the Keri or marginal reading is, the children of J/rael-and Fudah; and omnipotent, able to perform all that is threatened; and im-: + mutable, bringing about all that is here ptophefied of.

¥. 6. For thus faith the Lord God, &c.) Their fin and punifhment are further enlarged upon: decaufe thou heft clapped thine hands, and ftamped with thy jeet; geftures expreffive of joy and gladnefs, J, lv. 12. Lam. ii. 15. Fer. xiviti. 27. the Ammonites clapped their hands together, and leaped and fkipped for joy, when they heard of the calamities of the Fews; who yet had more reafon to be jorrowful, fince they might expeét their turn would be next; for the king of Badby/on had a defign againft them, at the fame time he came againft Jerusalem, and was in doubt for a while which he fhould attack firft; fee ch. xxi. 20: and rejoiced in heart with all thy defpite againft the land of Ifrael; they had a fecret joy in their heart, which they exprefied by geftures, in the moft fpiteful and fcornful manner they were capable of; whith fhowed the wretched malignity of their difpofitions againft the children of Yrae?; they hated them with a perfect hatred.

¥. 7. Bebold, therefore, I will firetch out mine hand upon thee, &c.}] In jutt retaliation for clapping their hands againft his people; and which hand of the Lord they would find to be a heavy one, and which they would not be able either to refift or bear. The Yargum is, ‘* 1 will lift up the ‘* ftroke of my power upon thee:” and will deliver thee for a fpoil to the heathen’, to the Chaldeans firft, and then to the Arabians, to be fpdiled and plundered by them of their wealth and fabftance:: fome render it, for meat * unto thems; to be devoured and confumed by them: end I will cut thee off from the people, and I «will caufe thee'to perifo out of the countries; fo as to be no more a people and a country; ‘or be reckoned among the people and countries; or have any alliance with them, or help from them: D’wiall deftroy thee, anid thou foalt know, that Iam the Lord’; who has-faid and'done all this; fee'the note on y.5. * y. 8. Thus faith the Lord God, ‘8cc.| By his férvant the prophet, to whom ‘the word:of the Lord came; as concerning the Ammonites, fo likewife concerning the Moabites, as follows: decaufe that Moab and Seir do fay that is, the Moabites, and the Edomites, which latter are meant by Ser, ithat being the feat of ‘thems thefe lived near ‘one’ another, and bore a like enmity to the J/raelites and Jews, and had the fame fentiments: concerning them, and faid the fame things of them: only Moab is mentioned in the Septuagint and Arabic verfions: the Moabites are firft prophefied of, and then the Edomites, who both joined in faying, dehold, the boufe of fudab is like unto all theheathen; it fares no better with them, than with the -reft of the nations, who'don’t profefs and ferve the fame God they do; ‘they are fallen into ‘the chands of the king of Babylon, as well as others; ‘dnd ‘have no'more fecurity againft him, nor protection from him, than other people; they pretend to ferve and worfhip the oneonly living and ‘true God, ‘and to be his covenant-people, and to be favovred-with — privileges ‘above all other inations; ‘and yet “are brought into the fame miferable ‘circummftances, ea ( ae Ben Melech obferves, for food was of the fpoil; and one word anfwers to another by Athbath, which is o Sane m of placing _ at ee oe the alphabet; fee the note on Jer. xxv. 26, and left in them, as others are; where is the God they boaft of? and their fuperior excellence to the reft of the world? thus blafphemoufly, as well as wickedly, did they infult them, which was pro- ‘voking to the Lord. The Yargum renders it interrogatively, ‘* in what do the houfe of Fudab ** differ from all people?” and fo the Septuagint, ** behold, are not the houfe of J/rael and Fudab ** in like manner as all nations?” ¥erom, on the place, relates a fable of the Fews, that when the city and temple were opened, the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites, went into the temple, and faw the cherubim over the mercy-feat, and faid, as all nations worfhip images, fo ‘udeb hath the idols of their religion. ‘farchi makes mention of fuch a Midrafh, but with fome difference.

¥. 9. Therefore bebold, I will open the fide of Moab from the cities, &c.] Or, the fooulder of Moab‘; that part of their country where their greateft ftrength lay. So the Zargum renders it, ** the ftrength of Moab;” where their principal cities were, their frontier towns, and fortified places, as appears by what follows: from bis cities which are on bis-frontiers; or, from his Ars", from his cities which are at bis end; at the extreme part of the land, upon the borders of his countries; the two cities of Ar and Aroer, Numb. xxi. 28.- Deut. ii. 36: the glory of the country; as the above cities were, and what follow: Beth-jefbimoth, this was formerly in the tribe of Reuben, now in the poifeffion of the Moadites, and one of their principal

Beth-Baal-meon, and which was alfo of the tribe of time it was a large village in Moab, about nine miles from He/hbon: fome think by Méeon is meant Menes, or Ofiris the god of the Egyptians, and fo this might be a temple of his; or at leaft he might and Kirjathaim; or the double city, built alfo by in the hands of the Moabdites, ten miles from Me- thro’ thefe cities, the Lord threatens to open a

‘way for their enemies to enter in and deftroy them,

¥. 10. Unto the men of the eaft, with the Ammonites, and I will give them in poffefion, &c. Or, againjt the Ammonites, as the Targum, that is, way fhould be made for the fame people of the eaft, the

Chaldeans or Arabians, that came againft the An- monites and deftroyed them, to enter into the land of Moab and poffefs it, as they had done the land of Ammon: that the Ammonites may not be remem-' bred among the nations; the name of that people, | which is entirely loft; and Moad likewife, which underwent the fame fate. ¥. 11. J will execute judgments upon Moab, &c.]

For tho’ the Chaldeans and Arabians were the in-)

ftruments of their ruin, their deftruction was of the ‘Lord; it was his hand that-was upon them, and his vengeance that was executed on them, for their hard fayings againft his people; for tho’ he had fpoke againft them in his providence, and chaftized them for their fins, yet he will not fuffer others to fpeak againft them: and they jhall know that I am ‘the Lord; that takes part with Fudab, and will ‘avenge himfelf of all their enemies.

ing Seir or the Edomites, the prophecy concernin the Moabites being finifhed: becaufe that Edom bath dealt againft the houfe of Fudab by taking vengeance; or, revenging a revenge“; the Edomites bore an old grudge againft the Yews, not only becaufe their tather Facob had got the birth-right and bleffing from their father E/aw, but becaufe they were made tributaries to them in David's time, and afterwards feverely chaftized by Amaziah; thefe things the laid up in their minds, and vowed revenge whenever they had an opportunity; and now one offered at the deftruction of eru/alem, which they took: and hath greatly offended, and revenged bim-

Self upon them; not only by rejoicing at the deftruction of the Fews, but by encouraging the Babylonians in it 5 affifting them therein, joining with them in plundering the city, and in cutting off thofe with the fword who endeavoured to make their efcape; fee P/. cxxxvii. 7. Obad. ¥. 12, 13,

¥. 13. Therefore thus faith the Lord God, 8&c.] Becaufe of fuch bafe and barbarous ufage, from a people that were originally brethren: J will alfo

feretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off

man and beaft from it, by the army of Nebuchadnezzar, by the {word of the Chaldeans, and by famine and peftilence, and fuch like fore judgments; in which the hand of God is manifeftly feen: and I will make it defolate from Teman; a very principal city of Edom, fo called from Zeman, the fon of Eliphax, the fon of jaw, Gen. xxxvi. 15. it lay in the fouth of the land of Jdumea; the Targum renders it; ** from the fouth.:”, and they of Dedan fhall fall by the fword, of the Babylonians 5 this was another city of Edom, it lay in the north of that country; fo that hereby is fignified, that. deftruction fhould go through ‘it from the fouthern to the

| northern parts of it. have a temple in it, from whence it had its name: |

¥. 14. And Iwill lay my vengeance upon Edom,

| dy the baud of my people djrael, &c.] This was fulthe Reubenites, Numb. xxxii. 37. Fob. xiii. 19. now filled an the times of the Maccabees, when Fu:

| das Maccabeus overthrew. and conguered them, deba,; on this fide of the country of Moab, and

1 Maccab. v. 3. and when Ayrcanus took their -cities, and fubdued them, and they became ews, as Fofephus * relates; tho’ Kimchi chinks this refers jto future time, and is yet to be accomplithed;

and it is, by the ancient Fews ¥, underftood of the times of the Meffiah): fome.chufe: to underttand the phrafe, dy the band of my people Srael, the fame hand by which judgment was infli@ed upon Tfrael; fuggefting, that by the fame hand vengeance would be inflicted onthe Edomites, namely, by the Babylonians: and they fhall do in Edom \according to mine auger, and according to my fury; that.is, fhall execute all the anger and fury, or.all that punifhment in anger,and fury, which the Lord in righteous yudgment.has appointed them to, and has determined fhall.be performed upon them, by the children of J/rae/,.or.the Babylonians, as his inftruments: and they fhall know my vengeance, faith the Lord God, the meaning is, they hall feel ir, and. be fenfible of it, and know that,it comes from the Lord. himfelf; full of refentment againft them, and. highly difpleafed at their behaviour towards his people J/rael.

y..15. Thus faith the Lord ‘God, &c.] Once more, and concerning-another enemy of the people of J/rael, and-who had, been of old an implacable one: decaufe the Philiftines have, dealt by revenge for what they fuffered in the times of Sau/, when Goliah was flain by David, and their army was difcomfited; and for the overthrow of. them by David, when he came to the throne; and for his burning their images, and fubduing them, 1 Sam. XVii. 51, 52.2 Sam. V. 20, 21, 25. and vill. 1. this revenge they took in the time of baz, 2 Chron. xxviii. 18. and very probably alfo fhewed their fpite at the time of Yerufalem’s deftruction: and have taken vengeance with a defpiteful heart, to deftroy it for the old hatred, which they bore to the people of J/rael, from their firft fettlement in Canaan; from the times of the Yudges, particularly Sampfon; and from the times of Sau/ and David: it was an old grudge they bore, they had fpite and malice in their hearts, and wanted an opportunity to vent it; having determined to take vengeance when they could, and utterly deftroy them from being a people; very likely, through defpite, they aflifted the Chaldean army: or, this they did with a perpetual hatred*, they did every thing they could in a fpiteful and malicious way, to perpetuate the hatred between them and J/rael.

Becaufe of fuch wretched malice, and defpiteful will cut off the Cherethim; one of the tribes of the Philiftines, a principal part of their country, which lay to the fouth, 1 Sam. xxx. 14. fee Zeph. ii. 5. there is a beautiful paronomafia* in the words: and deftroy the remnant of the fea coaft; as that of Ajbdod, Caphtor, and Afbkelon, formerly fpoiled by other perfons; what they left, fhould now be utterly deftroyed; fee Jf, xx. 1. Fer. xxv. 20, and xlvil. 45.

¥. 17. And I will execute great vengeance upon them, with furious rebukes, &c.| By way of retaliation for their vengeance and fury, wrath and.

malice, againft his people; fuggefting, that the judgments inflicted on them, for quantity and quality, fhould be very great: avd they fhall know that I am the Lord, when I fhall lay my vengeance upon them; they fhall fee the hand of God in it, acknowledge his juftice, and confefs that their gods were idols, and that the God of //rae/ is the only true God. "

HIS chapter contains a prophecy of the de- ‘* is broken down that afforded merchandife to ftruction of Tyre. The time of the prophecy, y. 1. the caufe of the deftruction of it, rejoicing at the ruin of Ferufalem, ¥. 2. the inftruments of it, many nations, particularly the king of Babylon, y. 3—7. the manner in which it fhall be done, y¥. 8—14. the lamentation of other ifles, and the princes of them, on account of it, ¥. 15 —18. the utter deftruction of it, fo as never to be found any more, ¥. 19—21.

¥. 1. And it came to pafs in the eleventh year, &c.] Of Feboiachin’s captivity, and Zedekiah’s reign, the fame year that Feru/alem was taken: in the firft day of the month; but what month is not mentioned; fome have thought the firft month, and fo it was the firft day of the year; others the fourth, the fame in which the city of Yerufalem was taken; but more probably the fifth, the firft of which was twenty days after the taking it; in which time the news ef it might be brought to Tyre, at which fhe rejoiced; and for which her deftruction is threatened, and here prophefied of: that the word of the Lord came unto me, faying; as follows,

¥. 2. Son of man, becaufe that Tyrus hath faid againft Ferufalem, Aba, &c.] As rejoicing at her deftruction, and infulting over her in it; which was barbarous and inhuman, and refented by the Lord: fhe is broken, that was the gates of the people; thro’ whofe gates the people went in and out in great numbers; a city to which there-was great refort, not only for religion, from all parts at their folemn feafts, but for merchandife from feveral parts of the world; and was now full of people before its deftruction, the inhabitants of Fudea having fled thither for fafety, upon the invafion made by the king of Babylon; but now the city was broken up, as it is faid it was, by the Chaldean army, Fer. lii. 7. its gates and walls were broken down, and Jay in a ruinous condition. The Zargum is, ‘* fhe

‘* all people.” She is turned unto me; either the inhabitants of Yeru/alem, which efcaped and fled to Zyre for refuge; or the fpoil taken out of it, which was carried there to be fold; and even the captives themfelves to be fold for flaves, which was one part of the merchandife of Tyre; fee ch. xxvil. 13. or the bufinefs, trade, and merchandife carried on in eru/alem, were brought to Zyre upon its deftruction; fo archi and Kimchi. The Yargum is, ** fhe is turned to come unto me;” which favours the firft fenfe; all may be intended. J Jeall be replenifhed, now fhe is laid wafte, or, I fhall be filled»; with inhabitants, riches, and wealth, with merchants and merchandife, Ferufalem her rival being deftroyed; this was what gave her joy; and is-a common thing for perfons to rejoice at the fall or death of thofe of the fame trade with them; hoping for an increafe of theirs by means of it, which yet is finful. '

Who knew the thoughts of the inhabitants of Tyre, and what joy poffeffed their hearts, and which their lips exprefled; and who informs the prophet of it, tho’ at a great diflance, and declares his refentment at it: Sebold, I am againft thee, O Tyrus;

and nothing can be more dreadful and formidable 2 than to have God againft a nation, city, or a particular perfon: Tyre was a type of antichrift, © will exprefs a like joy at the death of the witneffés; thinking that the merchandife of Rome will — be increafed greatly, and there will be nothing tc ‘it:

for their number, noife, and fury, are epee

“¢ waves;” the ten kings fhall hate the whore, and deftroy her, even thofe very people the reigns over, compared to many waters, Rev. xvii. 15, 16. ¥.4. And they fhall defircy the walls of Tyrus, &c.] Undermining them, or breaking them down with their battering-rams: and break down ber towers; with axes, ¥.g. built upon the walls; erected for the defence of the city, and for watchmen to ftand in, to look out from them for the enemy, and obferve his motions, as well as for foldiers to fight from: aud I will fcrape her duft from ber, and make ber like the top of a rock; a bare, fmooth rock, which has not any furface of earth upon it, So the Targum, * I will give her ** for the fmoothnefs of an open rock.” Tyre was built upon a rock; and whereas the inhabitants had brought earth thither, and laid it upon it, in order to make gardens and, orchards, and plant flowers and trees; this fhould be all removed, and it fhould become a bare rock, as it was at firft. It denotes the utter deftruction of it. It has its name from a word which fignifies a rock; fee the note on J/, xxiii. 1. ¥. 5. It fhall be a place for the {preading of nets in the midft of the fea, &c.] Where only fifhermen would be feen wafhing their nets, and then {preading them upor this rock, where Zyre_ ftood, to dry them; and this has been confirmed by travellers, who have feen fifhermen. fpreading and drying their nets, and having, no other habitations on it, but the hutts of thefe men. Hwetius ° relates, that he. remembered one Hadrian Parvilla vius a Fefuit, a candid and learned man, particularly in the 4radic language, who lived ten years in Syria; and to have heard him fay, that when he faw the ruins of Tyre, its rocks to the fea; and feattered ftones on the fhore; and made clean fmooth by the fun, waves and wind, and only ufed for drying fifhermens nets, it brought to his mind this paflage of the prophet; ast did to Mr. Maundrel* when on the fpot, a few years ago; who fays, ‘‘ you fee nothing here but a mere Badel of “ broken walls, pillars, vaults, cc. there being ** not fo much as one entire houfe left; its prefent *¢ inhabitants are only afew poor wretches, har- “© bouring themfelves in the\vaults, and fubfifting *¢ chiefly upon fifhing; who-feem to be preferved ** in this place by divine \providence, as a vifible ‘* argument how God has, fulfilled his word con- “ cerning Tyre, viz. thet it foould be as'the top of © grock,” &c. fo Dr. Shaw * fays, this:port, {mall as it is at prefent, is choaked up to that degree with fand and rubbifh, that the boats of thefe poor fithermen; who now and then vifit this) once re- _ nowned emporium, and dry their nets uponits: rocks end ruins, can with great difficulty only ‘be ‘ad- Wh mitted: for Ihave fpoken its-faith the Lord God's and therefore it fhould certainly come to: pafs,/as iS iw and it foal! become a fpoil to, the nations, the army of many nations, that befieged it for thirteen years under Nebuchadnezzar. ys. x. 6. And her daughters,which are im the field, all be flain. by the fword, &c:) Thatis, the in+ habitants of the'cities, towns and villages, on the fhore near it, and which were fubject to it; as fuch cities are frequently in feripture: called) the daughters, of the place to which they belong: or their daughters literally, that fhould get out of the city, and endeavour to make their efcape; yet fhould fall into the enemies hands, who would not fparé them 6n account of their fex or age. The Yargum favours the former fenfe; as moft of the Fewi/h writers do, which is, “* afd the inha- *¢ bitants of the villages which are in the field, ** fhall be killed by the fword:” and they foall know that I am the Lord the true God, and not Hercules or Apollo, or any other idols they worfhipped; when they fhall {ee all thefe things exadtly accomplifhed, now prophefied’ of; which none but the omnifcient God could foretell.

¥. 7. For thus faith the Lord God, &¢e.] “What follows; and declares by name the perfon that fhould be the inftrument of this ruin, and the manner in which it fhould be brought about: I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; a prince whofe name was terrible, having conquered many nations: the Lord is faid to bring him againft Tyre, becaufe he inclined his heart to fteer his courfe this way; encouraged him to this work; led and protected his army; and, at laft, gave him fuccefs:: it held: out thirteen years again{ft him, and then was taken, The fiege began, according to Mr. Whifton ', A.M. 3650, and of the Julien period 4128, and before Chrift 586; and was taken A. M. 3663, and of the Yulan period 4141, and before Chrift 573; according to bifhop Ufber *, it began A. M. 3419, and of the Fulian period 4129, and before Chriit 485; and was taken A.M. 3432, and of the Yulian period 4142, and before Chrift 572. The Phenician hiftorians make men tion of the fiege of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar, and Berofus {peaks of his fubduing ‘the whole country of Phenicia, in which Tyre was; with whom agree Philojfiratus and Megafthenes *: a king of kings from the north; who had many kings tributaries to him; the metropolis of whofe kingdom lay’ fomewhat, tho’ not fully north, to Lyre: with horfes, and with chariots, and with horfemen, and companies, and: much people; with'a‘very numerous army, confitting of a large cavalry; horfes being’ very numerous in the countries’ fubject to him; and which he mounted his men on, both'for their more eafy travelling, and for’ their better fighting, and for the terror of their enemies.

¥. 8. He foall flay with the fword thy daughters in the field, &c.| The firft thing he would do, would be to deftroy the cities, towns and villages on the continent,’ near to Fyre, and dependent on it, as in ¥. 6, and fo the Targum is here, as there: and be hall make a fort againft thee, and caft a mount againft thee’, a fort built of wood, ‘and amount made of earth, from which ftones might be caft out of their enginés, and arrows fhot from their bows into the city, to the damaging of the houfes, and‘the hurt of the inhabitants: and lift up the buckler againft thee; or shield, that is, as the Targum paraphrafesit, ** fet againft thee fuch “< who are armed with’ fhields;” to repel the ‘arrows fhot out from the city, and fo defeat the defign of them. hs

¥. 91 And. he fall’ fet engines of war againft thy ftand of crofs-bows, out of which {tones or arrows were caft; but rather, according to Kimchi and archi, they were warlike machines, invented to throw Jarge ftones againft the walls. of a place, to beat them down. Some think they were the fame with the battering-rams, ufed in fieges for the demolifhing of walls; which was a late invention of thofe times, Ezeksel being the firft writer, it is faid, that makes mention of them: and with bis axes he fhall break down thy towers; the word here ufed fignifies any thing made of iron, as fwords, fpears, hammers and axes; the latter being more proper to demolifh towers, is here pitched on by our tranflators. The Zargum renders it, with ftones of iron; that is, with iron-balls caft out of their engines.

¥.10. By reafon of the abundance of bis bhorfes, their duft fhall cover thee, &c.| The duft raifed by the feet of the horfes fo numerous, fhould rife in fuch quantities, and to fuch an height, as to be like a cloud, which fhould cover the city; an hyperbolical way of fpeaking, as Kimchi obferves; as is alfo the following claufe: thy walls hall fhake at the noife of the horfemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots; at the fhouts of the horfemen upon every attack, and the rattling of the chariot-wheels running to.and fro, in carrying on their defigns: when he fball enter into thy gates; that is, then particularly, fhall fuch a fhout be made by the horfemen, and fuch rattling of the chariots, as will even make the walls of the city to fhake; an excefs of expreflion, fignifying the prodigious noife made at their entrance into it: a5 men enter into a city wherein is made a breach; or, according to the entrance of a city broken up’; when its walls are broken down, anda gap is made; at which men} rufh in, in great numbers, and with great force}

¥. 11. With the hoofs of bis horfes fhall he tread down all thy fireets, &c.] Such a number of horfes running to and fro in the ftreets, and pranfing upon the pavements, fhall break them up, and deftroy them, fo that they fhall be mere mire and dirt: be jhall flay thy people by the Jword; fach as would not lay down their arms and fubmit; or their principal ones, who encouraged the inhabitants to hold out the fiege to fuch a length of time as they did; which might provoke Nebuchadnezzar to ufe them with more feverity: and thy ftrong garrifons fall go down to the ground; where their foldiers were placed for defence; their citadel and other towers: or, the ftatues of thy firength *, their ftrong ftatues made of marble, &c. erected as trophies of victories obtained by them; or to the honour of fome worthy magiftrates, and principal citizens; or of their confederates and allies; or rather of their deities, fuch as Hercules and Apollo, their tutelar gods; which, tho’ chained as they were, that they might not depart, fhall now fall to the ground, unable to protect themfelves, or their votaries: all that is here faid concerning the deftruction of Zyre by Nebuchadnezzar, feems to be underftood of old Tyre, which was upon the continent; for this account agrees not with the ifle.

v.12. And they fhall make a fpoil of thy riches, &c.] The Chaldean army, when they entered the city, and got poffeffion of it, would plunder it, and divide the riches of it among them: and make a@ prey of thy merchandife; of the merchants goods, Jaid up in their warehoufes for fale, which was greatly hindered by this long fiege; compare with this Rev. xviii. 11, 125 and they foall break dows thy walls; the walls of their houfes; mention being ~ made before of breaking down the walls of the city, towers and garrifons: and de/troy thy pleafant houfes; or, houfes of thy defire'; the moft defire= able ones in the city; the houfes of their princes and chief magiftrates; their fummer-houfes; or which were moft delightfully fituated towards the fea, to have the profpect and advantage of that ¥ and they fall lay thy ftones, and thy timber, and thy duft in the midft of the water, of the fea, near unto or about it; into which they caft the rubbifh of the demolifhed houfes, ftones, timber and duft, and fo left it bare and naked: or rather this was fulfilled, when Alexander with the ruines of old Tyre, its ftones, timber and rubbifh, and trees from Lebanon, made a caufeway from the continent to the ifland; and by that means took it, after feven months toil and labour, of this fort ™.

¥.13. And I will caufe the noife of thy fongs to ceafe, &c.] As this city abounded with riches, fo with carnal mirth and pleafure; it was a joyous city, If. xxiii. 7. the inhabitants lived merrily and jovially; were much given to mufic, which was very diverting and amufing to foreigners that traded with them; but now it would be all over with them; there would be no more fongs, nor any to fing them: and the found of thy harps foall be no more beard; neither vocal nor inftrumental mufic; and this will be one day the cafe of Rome, of which Tyre was a.type, Rev. xviii. 22.

¥.14- And I will make thee like the top of @ rock, &c.] Smooth and bare; fee the note on

¥.4: and thou foalt be a place to {pread nets upon;

fee the note on. ¥. 5: thou fhalt be built no more; this muft be underftood with fome reftriction and limitation; as that it fhould not be built any more in the fame ftately manner; or be raifed to royak dignity, and be governed in the grand manner it had been; or be built upon the fame fpot; or after its laft deftruction, to which the prophecy may have refpeét; it being ufual in feripture for prophecies to regard what is more remote, as well as more near; for upon the deftruction of it by Nebuchadnezzar, it was to be reftored after feventy years, according to J/aiah’s prophecy, ch. xxiii. 15,17. and many years after this, new Tyre was befieged, taken and deftroyed by Alexander; and after this, it was rebuilt; we read of it in the New Teftament; fee the note on 44s xxi. 3. and in Ferom’s time it was a moft noble and beautiful city, as he on this paffage obferves; indeed, as Kimchi fays, who lived near a thoufand years after Ferom, the city then built in his time called Tyre, was built upon the continent near the fea-fhore; whereas Tyre deftroyed by Alexander, was built in the midft of the fea, and was as the top of arock. It has fince been deftroyed by Saladine, in the year 291 5 and now quite uninhabited, unlefs by fifhermen, who wafh, dry and mend their nets here: for I the Lord have fpoken it, faith the Lord God, and. therefore it fhall be accomplifhed, as it has been; no word of his returning void, and becoming of no effect. The Targum is, ** becaufe I the Lord have ‘* decreed by my word, faith the Lord God;” it is a determination and refolution of his, and none can difanul it. dbendana thinks, that hitherto the prophecy is concerning the firft deftruction of Fyre by iuntur k TTY MNIAYD ftatue fortitudinis.

by Nebuchadnezzar, and what follows is concerning the deftruction of it by Alexander.

¥.15. Thus faith the Lord God to Tyrus, &c.] By his prophet, who very probably delivered this prophecy to the embaffadors of Tyre at Babylon 5 or to fome of their merchants that traded there; or fent it in a letter to them: fhall not the ifles fhake at the found of thy fall; when they hear the noife of Tyre being taken, it will make them tremble, as fearing their turn will be next; that if a city fo well fortified by nature and art; fo well fupplied with men and money; that had held out the fiege fo long, fhould at laft furrender; what fhould they, the neighbouring ifles do, if attacked, who were fo inferior to it; and befides, they might have much of their goods in it, in which they traded with the inhabitants of it, trufting to its great ftrength, and which would now give them a fenfible concern. The Targum renders it, the fuburbs; and another ‘Yewi/h » writer, the villages; thofe that were near to Tyre: when the wounded cry, when the laughter is made in the midft of thee? upon the enemy’s entrance, putting to the fword all they meet with; when thofe that are wounded fhall cry, either to have their lives fpared, or thro’ the pain and diftreis occafioned by their wounds.

y¥. 16. Then all the princes of the fea foall come down from their thrones, &c.] The kings of the iflands of the fea, fhall lay afide their regalia, all their royal grandeur, and the enfigns of it; leave their thrones of ftate, and fit in an humble pofture: and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments, their royal robes and raiment of needle-work curioufly embroidered, and richly wrought, fuch as princes wear; fo did the king of Niniveh in token of humiliation, Yon. iii. 6. The Septuagint and Arabic verfions underftand the firft claufe, of their taking their mitres or diadems from their heads: they fhall clothe themfelves with trembling, they fhall tremble from head to foot in every joint, as if they were covered with it, as with a garment; or being clothed with fackcloth, as mourners ufed to be, fhall fhake and tremble, being ufed to other and better clothing: ¢ey shall fit upon the ground, as Fob did, and his friends, with duft and afhes on their heads, as perfons in diftrefs were wont to do, Fob ii. 8,13: and fall tremble at every moment, continually, every hour, minute and moment of the day: or, at the breaches °, fo Farchi; that is, thofe made upon Tyre; fearing left the fame fhould be made upon them; fo the Targum, becaufe of their breaches, or at the ruin and deftruction, they fear will be their cafe alfo: and be aftonifhed at thee; that a city fo wealthy and mighty, fhould be brought fo low; fee Rev. xviii.

y.17. And they foall take up a lamentation for thee, and fay unto thee, &c.| The following mournful fong: bow art thou deftroyed, that was inhabited of fea-faring men! or, of the feas! by men who ufed the feas, and traded by fea to different parts of the world; and was frequented by perfons that came by fea thither, by the great ocean, by the Red-fea, the Mediterranean-fea, and others; or which was furrounded by the fea. So the Targum, “¢ that dwelleft in the midft of the fea:” she renowned city, which waft ftrong in the feas fortified by the fea, and againft it; {trong in fhipping and naval ftores; fo as to be formidable to others, and miftrefs of the fea. The Targum is, “* which dwell

*¢ in the ftrength of the fea;”. and had the ftrength and riches of it brought unto it; and fo was famous all the world over for its commerce, wealth and power; but now ruined and undone: fhe and her inhabitants, which caufe their terror to be on all that haunt it! the fea; on all that ufed the feas; or on all the inhabitants of the iflands of the fea; who all ftood in fear of Tyre and her inhabitants, ae were obliged to ftrike their fails to their

¥. 18. Now fhall the ifles tremble in the day of thy fall, &c.] The ifles near unto it, the ifles of the Mediterranean-fea; the inkiabitants of them, the merchants who from thence traded with Zyre, the fea-faring men of thofe places; partly on account of loffes fuftained hereby, and partly thro’ fear of the fame calamities coming upon themfelves; fee Rev. xviii. 11, 15, 17: yea, the ifles that are in the fea fhall be troubled at thy departures as at the cry of the wounded, and the number of the flain; fo on account of thofe that fhould be carried away captive by the Babylonians; as well as at the departure of thofe that fhould be obliged to fly to other colonies, J/. xxiii. 6. fo that upon one account or another, it fhall be entirely ftript of its inhabitants.

¥.19. For thus faith the Lord God, &c.] Both to the terror of Zyre, and for the comfort of his people: when I fhall maké thee a defolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; whofe trade is ruined, whofe inhabitants are deftroyed, and whofe walls are broken down, and become a mere wafte and defert; where no perfon or, any thing of value are to be feen: when I fhall bring up the deep upon thee, and the great waters fhall cover thee; the waters of the fea fhall ruth in and overflow the city, the walls of it being broken down; juft as the old world and the cities of it were overflowed with the deluge, to which the allufion may be; whether this was literally accomplifhed on Tyre, is not certain; perhaps it is to be taken in a figurative fenfe, and to be underftood of the large army of the Chaldeans that fhould come up againft it, and over-power it. So the Zargum, ‘* when I fhall ‘* bring up againft them an army of people, who ‘* are many as the waters of the deep, and many “¢ people fhall cover thee;” fee Rev. xvii. 15, 16.

¥.20. When I fhall bring thee down, with them that defcend into the pit, &c.] The grave, and make thee like to them: with the people of old time; either the people of the old world, or however who have been dead long ago: and fhall fet thee in the low parts of the earth; where the dead are laid: in places defolate of old, long ago unfrequented by men; as fuch places be, as are for the burial of the dead: with them thet go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; all the inhabitants being free among the dead; a heap of words made ufe of to exprefs the fame thing, for the confirmation of it; namely, that the condition of Tyre fhould be like that of dead men, who have been of old dead, and are remembered no more. ‘Farcht interprets the pit, of hell; as if this refpected their everlafting perdition, as well as temporal ruin; it may be applied to the beaft which goeth into perdition, Rev. xvii. 8: and I fhall fet glory in the land of the living; in the land of J/rael, fo the Targum; and it is interpreted by the Yewi/h expofitors and others, the fame way; and which may be called the land of the living, becaufe the living God was worfhipped in it; living men in a fpiritual fenfe dwelt there, who offered up living facrifices unto God, and who had the promife and pledge of eternal life; and which was the glory of all word is ufed as here, ch. xx. 6. which had its ac- felf, being brought into a moft terrible and di- complifhment in fome refpects at the Fews return ftreffed condition: and thou thalt be wo more; im from Babylon; but as Tyre here is a type of anti- the fame place and fituation, in the fame happy chrift, it may be obferved, that at the time of his ftate and condition: sho’ thou be fought for, yee fall and deftruétion, God will put a glory upon his

Joalt thou never be found again, faith the Lord God;

church and people, upon which there fhall be a this is true of the antitype, Badylon, or antichrift, defence; fee 7. iv. 5. and Ix. 1. This is. interpreted by the Talmudifts »,.of the refurreétion of

T HIS chapter contains a lamentation on Tyre; fetting forth her former grandeur, riches and commerce; her ruin and deftruction; and the concern of others on that account. The prophet is bid to take up his lamentation concerning it, ¥. 1, 2. obferving her fituation and magnificence, of which fhe boafted, y. 3, 4. defcribing the excellency of her fhipping and naval ftores, ¥. 5, 6, 7. declaring who were her mariners, pilots and caulkers, ¥. 8, 9. her military men, ¥. 10, 11. her feveral merchants, and the things they traded in with her in her fairs and markets, ¥. 12—25. then tollows an account of her deftruction, y¥. 26, 27. the lamentation of pilots and mariners. becaufe of it, ¥.28—32. and of the kings and inhabitants of the ifles, and merchants of the people, ¥. 33 —36,

¥. 1. The word of the Lord came again unto me, &c.] Upon the fame fubject, the deftruction of Tyre: faying, as follows: ¥. 2. Now thou fon of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus.| Compofe an elegy, and fing it; make a mournful noife, and deliver out a funeral, ditty; fuch as the Prefice, or mourriful women made at funerals, in which they faid all they could in praife of the dead, and made very doleful lamentations for them: this the prophet was. to do in a prophetic manner, for the confirmation of what was prophefied of by him; and it may teach us, that even wicked men are to be pitied, when in diftrefs and calamity. ¥. 3. And fay unto Tyrus, O. thou that art fituate at the entry of the fea, &c.] Of the, Mediterrancan-fea; at the eaitern part.of it, not above half a mile, from the continent; and fo fit fora fea-port and a harbour for fhipping; fo. myftical Tyre fits on many waters, Rev. xvil. 2: which art a) merchant of the people for many ifles; the inhabitants of many ifles brought the produce of them to, hers who took them off their hands, or fold, them, for. them to others; thefe came from feveral quarters to trade with her in her markets;, and who. fup- “plied other ifles and countries.with all forts of commodities, for which they eitherzzeforted to her, or fhe fent by fhips unto them; fo Rome is reprefented as the feat of merchandife, Rev. xviii..7, 11, 12,13: thus faith the Lord God, O Tyrus, thou hoft faid; in thine heart, in the pride of it,,.and. with thy. mouth, praifing and commending thytelf;

which is not right: J am of perfec beauty; built.

on a good foundation, a rock; furrounded with ‘walls and towers; the ftreets arranged in. ordery..and filled with goodly houfes; having a good harbour for fhipping, and being a mart for all manner of merchandife. ‘Ferufalem being deftroyed, Tyre affumes her charaéter, P/. xlviii. 2. and 1. 2. Lam. ii. 15.

¥. 4. Thy borders are in the midft of the feas, &c.] Fixed by the Lord himfelf, and which, could never be removed. Zyre ftood about four furlongs from the continent, furrounded with the waters of the fea, till it was made a peninfula by Alewander: thy builders have perfetied thy beauty. The Sidonians were the firft builders of the: city, as Fuftin * {ays; who began and carried on the. building of it to the utmoft of their knowledge and fkill; and which was afterwards. perfected by other builders, who made it the moft beautiful city in all thofe parts; unlefs this is to be under- {tood. of her fhip-builders, who brought the art of building fhips in her to fuch a perfection, as: made her famous throughout the world; fince they: are immediately {poken of without any other antecedent.

¥. 5. They have made all thy fhip-boards of firtrees of Senir,,&c.} The fame with Sion and Her- ‘mon, which the Sidonians called Sirion, and the Amorites, Shenir, Deut. iii. 9. and iv. 48. here it feems grew the beft of fir-trees, of which the Tyrians ‘made boards and planks for fhipping; of theie the two fides of the fhip, as the word * here: ufed) in: the dual number is thought to fignify, or the fore and hind decks were made. The Targum is, ** with “* fir-trees of Senir they built for thee all thy ‘“‘ bridges;” the planks from which they went» from one fhip to another; but thefe are of tom fmall. confequence to be mentioned; rather the main of the fhip is intended, which was built: of fir planks; but our oaken ones are much. preferable: they bave taken cedars from Lebanon, to make mafis for thee, large poles'for the yards and: fails to be faftened to, for receiving the wind ne ceflary in navigation; called the main-maft, the fore-maft, the mizen-maft, and the bolt-fprit; alb thefe are only in large veflels; whethertheTyrians. had all.of thefe, is not certain; fome they had, and which were made of the cedars: of -Lebanony which being large tall trees,» were fit for this pur= for this:pur-— pofe. The Zyrians * are faid to be the firft invent= wits bes. eet aid o), aetodh layvan the dead, when they that die in the lind of Drael fhall live. ly ek

¥. 21, I will make thee a.terror, &c.] To all the ifles round about, who fhall fhake and tremblé lands, as it is fometimes called, where the fame at the ruin of Tyre, as before obferved; or to her=

¥. 6. Of the oaks of Bafban bave they made thine oars, &c.] To row the fhips with; for their fhips probably were no other than gallies, which were rowed with oars, as were the fhips of firft invention, Bahan was a country in Fudea where oaks grew; fee Jf ii. 13. The country of Fudea in general was famous for oaks; it abounded with them in the times of Homer ‘, who fpeaks of Ziypho being buried in a country abounding with oaks, among the rich or fat people of Fudea; and he feems to defign Ba/ban particularly, of which Og was king, whom he calls Zypho, and of whofe bed he makes mention in the fame place; hence feveral places in Fudea had their names from the oaks which grew there, as Elon-moreh, Allon-bachuth, Elon-meonenim, Elon-tabor, and Elon-beth-hanan, Gen. xii. 6. and xxxv. 8. Fudg. ix. 37. 1 Sam. x..3. 1 Kings iv. 9. and which one would have thought were fitter to make their fhips of; but of thefe only their oars were made: the company of the Afhurites have made thy benches of ivory, brought out of the ifles of Chittim; the benches for the rowers to fit on, or for others in the cabbin and decks; but that thefe fhould be wholly of ivory, is not very probable; nor was ivory brought from the ifles of Chittim, but 4rom other parts; nor is it eafy to fay who the company of the A/burites were; fome fay the Afprians, but why they fhould be fo called is not plain. archi makes DW ND to be but one word, which fignifies box-trees, as it is ufed in J/ xli. 19. and he fuppofes that theie benches, or be they what they will, were made of box-trees covered or inlaid with ivory. So the Targum, ‘* the lintels of thy gates (the hatches) “« were planks of box-tree inlaid with ivory;” which box, and not the ivory, was brought from the ifles of Chittim; either from Cyprus, where was a place called Citium, or from Macedonia, from whence box was fetched; or from the province of Apulia, as the Targum, where there might be plenty of it, as in Corfica, and other places, where particularly the beft box grows, as Pliny * fays. Ferom interprets Cittim of Italy; and Ben Gorion fays *, that Cittim are the Romans.

y¥. 7. Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt, &c.] From whence came the fineft and whiteft linen; and which they embroidered with needlework, which looked very beautiful. Pliny * fays, there were four forts of linen in Egypt, called Janitic, Pelufiac, Butic, and Tentyritic, from the names and provinces where they were produced; of the fecond fort, the garments of the high-prieft among the Fews were made; for they fay ’, on the day of atonement he was in the morning clothed with Pelufiac garments; that is, with garments made of linen, which came from Pelufium, a well known city in Egypt; and which Farchi * fays, was the beft, and in the greateft efteem; and one of the Mi/nic commentators fays *, that the linen from Pelufium is fine and beautiful, and comes from the land of Raamfes; and obferves, that in the Ferufalem Targum, Raamfes is faid to be Pelufium;, but tho’ they are not one and the fame place, yet they are both in the fame country Egypt, and

He Beat Bee Dh 133 néar one another; and with this fort of linen thé priefts of Hercules were clothed, according to Si= hus *; and fo the wy» She/h or linen, of which the garments of the Yewi/h priefts in common were made, was linen from Zgyp/; and which their Rabbins * fay, is the beft, and is only found there. The Pbhenicians, of which Tyre was a principal city, took linen of Egypt, and traded with other nations with it, as well as made ufe of it for themfelves; particularly with the Ethiopians, the inhabitants of the ifle-of Gernes, now called the Ca: naries, who took of them Egyptian goods, as linen, ec. in lieu of which they had of them elephants teeth, the fkins of lions, leopards, deer, and other creatures “: now fuch fine linen as this was that which thou {preadeft forth to be thy fail; not content with canyafs or coarfe linen, which would have done. as well, they muft have the fineft Egyptian linen, and this very curioufly embroidered, to make their fails of, they fpread upon their matts, to receive the wind; at leaft this they fpread for a flag *, {tandard or enfign, as the word may be rendered; when they hoiited up their colours on any occafion, they were fuch as thefe: b/ue and purple, from the ifles of Elifhah, was that which covered thee; meaning not garments made of cloth of thefe colours, which the mafter of the veffel or mariners wore; but the tilts, or tents, or canopies erected on the decks, where they fat fheltered from the rain, wind or fun; thefe were made of ftuff died. of a violet and purple colour, the beft they could get; and which they fetched from the ifles of Ei- Joah, or the Egean-fea, from Coa; Rhodia, Nifprus, and other places famous for purple, as Tyre itfelf afterwards was. The Targum is, ‘‘ from the pro- “* vince of Italy;” or of Apulia, as others‘; fee Rev. xviii. 12, 16,

¥.8. The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners, &c.] Zidon was a city in Phenicia, near to Tyre, and older than that, by whofe inhabitants it was built; fee the notes on J/- xxiii. 2, 4. and Arvad was an ifland in Phenicia, to the fouth of Zidon, not far from Tyre. Mr. Maundrel * fays, it is about a league diftant from the fhore; and is now called by the Turks Ru-ad.. It feemed to the eye to be not above two or three fur-, longs long, and wholly filled up with tall build~ ings like caftles: its ancient inhabitants, he obferves, were famous for navigation, and had a command upon the continent as far as Gabale aftermentioned. Dr. Shaw * fays, it is at prefent called Rou-wadde; and that the profpect of it from the continent is wonderfully magnificent; promifing at a diftance a continued train of fine buildings and impregnable fortifications; but this is entirely owing to the height and rockinefs of its fitvation; for at prefent all the ftrength and beauty it can boaft of lies in a weak unfortified caftle, with a few {mall cannon to defend it; fo that the prophecy of Feremiah appears to be fulfilled, Arpad is confounded, Fer. xlix.23. This is the Aradus of Strabo, and other writers; and which he fays is diftant from the land twenty furlongs, and is about feven furlongs in circumference; and is faid to be built by in fhooting arrows; and they of Lud, or the Ly-. dians, a people in Greece; renowned for war! the times of Crajus their king, as well as in his time; and they of Phut, the Lydians, a people in Africa, Nxilful in drawing the bow, Jf Ixvi. 19; they hanged the field and helmet in thee; in thei garrifons and towers, or places of armoury; whic! were defenfive weapons, the one for the body, the other for the head; this they did in times of peace, when there was no occafion to ufe them, or when they were off their guard, and not on duty; f Cant. iv.4: they fet forth thy comelinefs;-iv being an honour to the Zyrtans to have fuch foldiers in their fervice. The Targum is, “ they ancseafed ‘¢ thy fplendor;” added to their glory. =) «1 » wy. 11. The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about, &c.| Placed there for the defence of the city, to watch againft an enemiy, left it fhould be furprized; here they were upon the patrole day and night; fee J/ Ixii.6.; thefe were the men of the fame place before-mentioned, y. 8. which furnifhed Zyre both with mariners and foldiers: and the Gammadim were in thy towers; not the Medes, as Symmachus renders it; nor the Cappadocians, as the Targum, much lefs-were they images of their tutelar gods, as Spencer thinks, of a cubit long; nor pygmies, as the Vulgate Latin verfion renders it; which to mention, would not be to the honour of their militia; tho’ Kimchi and Ben Melech call them dwarfs, men of a fimall ftature, of a cubit high, from whence they lafe: fuppofed to have their name; fo Schindler o> rather they were the inhabitants of fome place im Phanicia either of Ancon, which in Greek “fignifies 2 cubit, as Gamad does:in Hebrew; or of Gammade, the fame which Piiny.* corruptly calls Gamale. Hillerus $ thinks the word: fignifies ombi-dewters, or left-handed men, fuch as Ehud: they hanged their Joields upon thy walls round about. Kimchi and Ben Melech obferve, it was a cuftom in fome places to hang fuch weapons upon the tops of towers, and upon the walls of them; which might be done. either that they might be ready to take up: ane make ufe of, whenever occafion required; or to difmay their enemies, and to fhew them that they were provided for them: they have made thy beauty perfett; befides the beauty of her buildings and fhipping, there was the beauty of her militia; which was increafed by the foldiers from Perfa, Lydia; and Lybia, and added to by the men of Arvad, but completed by the Gammadim; and particularly being gilded, as probably they were, looked ath glittering and beautiful in the rays of the un. ry ¥. 12. Tarfoifh was thy merchant by reafon of the multitude of all kind of riches, 8&c.]. Some under-= ftand this of the /ea2, which is fometimes called Tarfoifh; fo Farchi and Kimchi interpret it here: and the Targum, ‘‘ from the fea, or they of the ‘¢ fea bring merchandife into the midft of thee;” that is, thofe who lived upon the coafts, or on the ifles, of the Mediterranean fea. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic verfions, render it the Carthaginians, who were a colony of the Tyrians, and no doubt traded with them; but it feems moft— likely, with others, to intend Tarteffus in Spain, a place not far from that where Cadiz now ftands; a the Sidonians *; the inhabitants of it are the fame with the Arvadite, Gen. x. 18. thefe places brought up abundance of fea-faring men, and which furnifhed Tyre with rowers, as the word! fignifies; which was the moft flavifh work in navigation: thy wife men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots; fuch as had learnt the art of navigation; were well verfed in geography; underftood the charts; knew the fhores of different places; where’ were creeks and promontories, rocks and fands; thefe were brought up among themfelves, and made pilots or governors, as the Zargum renders it; who have their names here, from the ropes ™ the fails are faftened to; and which they loofened or contracted, as they faw fit.

y. 9. The ancients of Gebal, &c.] A promontory of the Phanicians, the fame with the Gabale of Pliny ®, and with the land of the Giébites, Fofb. xiii. 5. t Kings y. 18. fee Pf: Ixxxiii. 7. It was by the Greeks called Byblus; and fo the Septuagint here render the words, the elders of Bybli or Byblus, a place once famous for the birth and temple of Adonis; it is now called Gibyle. Mr. Maundrel ° fays, it is pleafantly fituated by the fea-fide, and that at prefent it contains but a little extent of ground, yet more than enough for the {mall number of its inhabitants; it is compafled with a dry ditch, and a wall with fquare towers in it, at about every forty yards diftance; on its fouth-fide, it has an old caftle; within it is a church; befides which it has nothing remarkable; tho’ anciently it was a place of no mean extent, as well as beauty, as may appear from the many heaps of ruins, and the fine pillars that are fcattered up and down in the gardens near the town. The old experienced workmen of this place were employed by the Tyvians in mending and refitting their fhips, and in the caulking of them, as’ follows: the wife. men thereof were in thee thy caulkers, or, the ftrengtheners of thy breaches *, or chinks; the feams and commiffures of the planks; which they ftopped with tow, oakum, or fuch like ftufF; at leaft this is what is ufed now, whatever might be -by thofe wife men; and it feems by this, that it was reckoned avery great art and myftery, and which only wife men were matters of, at leaft fuch the Tyrians employed. The Yargum renders it, ‘* providing “¢ thy neceffaries;” as if they were the fhips hufbands: all the hips of the fea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandife;, fhips from all parts were in her harbours, which brought goods into her, and carried goods out of her, by way of merchandife. So the Targum, ‘* all that ** go down into the fea, and the fhips; they were *¢ rowers, and they brought merchandife into the *¢ midft of thee;” the goods of merchants from divers places; and carried back commodities again they traded for at Tyre; fee Rev. xviii. 19.

y¥. 10. They of Perfia, and of Lud, and of Phut, were in thine army, thy men of war, 8c.) As the

_ Tyrians were a trading people, they hired foreign troops into their fervice, to fill their garrifons, defend their city, and fight for them in time of war; and thefe were of various nations, and the moft famous for military fkill and valour; as the Perfians, a people well known, and famous for war

~ in the times of Cyrus, and before, and well fkilled country which abounded with riches, and with the following things: with filver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs; Pliny‘ fays, that almoft all Spain abounded in metals of lead, iron, brafs, ‘filver and gold; which takes in the feveral things here mentioned, excepting tin; and that the Spaniards might have from our Cornwall, which they might import into Tyre; tho’ the Phanicians carried on a commerce with our ifle of Britain themfelves, whither they came for tin, and difpofed of other goods they brought with them. Gufesius * obferves, that the word 7"31nty, does not fignify the place of trade and traffick, as it is commonly rendered; but refpects the goods traded in, and the manner of trafficking with them, by way of exchange, as the word fhould be rendered; and the fenfe is, that the things before-mentioned, were what they gave in exchange, bartered, and /e/t, with the Tyrians, for other goods they took of them; and fo it is to be underftood in all the following places, where the word is ufed. So Ben Melech fays, it is expreffive of merchandife.

¥. 13. Favan, Tubal, and Mefhech, they were thy merchants, &c.| Favan defigns Greece, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin verfions render it; efpecially that part of it.called Jouia, from ‘fauan the fon of Faphet, Gen. x. 2. and Tubal and Mefbech, were alfo fons of aphet; the former are the Iberi and Albanians, as Ferom and others, among whom were a city called Thabilaca by Ptolemy ~; and the latter the Cappadocians, with whom is a city called Mazaca*. They traded the perfons of men, and veffels of brafs, in thy markets; or, the fouls of men ¥; they bought up men and women in the feveral countries to which they belonged, or where they traded, and brought them to Tyre, and fold them for flaves; and the Jonian and Grecian flaves were had in great efteem: and the beft brafs, of which veffels were made, was had from Corinth, Delus, and Aiginetus,; according to Pliny”, Cappadocia was famous for it alfo: in the firft of thefe merchandifes, Tyrus was remarkably a.type of antichrift, who is {aid to deal in fuch wares, the fouls of men, Rev. xviii. 13. The word here rendered markets, Guffetius * alfo obferves, does not defign the place of commerce, but the act of negotiation or trade; and fo it is rendered by many °.

y. 14. They of the houfe of Togarmah, &c.| The Targum is, ** they of the province or country of s* Germany.” ‘Ferom underftands it of Phrygia, near to which was Cappadocia; and perhaps is here meant, fince it abounded with what theie people are faid to trade with Zyre in: thefe traded in thy fairs with horfes, horfemen, and mules; for the Cappadocians paid for their yearly tribute to the Perfians, fifteen hundred horfes, and two thoufand mules, as Bochart from Strabo obferves; and as they fold horfes and mules to the Tyrians, fo likewife horfemen, men that were fkilled in riding and taking care of horfes; and thefe were fold along with the horfes, as fervants for that purpofe.

y. 15. The men of Dedan were thy merchants, &ec.] Not Dedan in Idumea or Edom, but in Arabia, from Dedan the fon of Raamab, Gen. x. 7 many ifles were the merchandife of thine hands, that is, many ifles took off their manufactures from them, in lieu of what they brought them, which wefe as follow; they brought thee for a prefent s that they might have the liberty of trading in their fairs and markets; or rather for a reward, or as a price, for the goods they had of them: orns of ivory and ebony 5 Kimchi reads them as feparate things; and which the Targum confirms, horns; ivory, and ebony: elks horns, or horns of goats, as the Targum; and ivory, or the teeth of elephants;. and ebony, which is. a wood of a very black colour, hard and heavy, and of which many things are made. The Zargum takes it for the name of a fowl, and renders it, peacocks; fo Farchi; fee 2 Chyon. ix. 21. but Ben Melech much better interprets it of a tree, called in Arabia, Ebenus. Solinus makes it peculiar to India *; and fo Virfirs ¥. 16. Syria was thy merchant by reafon of thé multitude of the wares of thy making, &c.| Which they took off of their hands, and for them brought the following things: ¢hey occupied in thy fairs with emeralds; precious {tones of a green colour: Farchi renders it carbuncles, other precious ftones of a different colour; and fo the word is tranflated by Pagninus, Montanus, Grotius, the French, and Diodate; fometimes called Carchedonies, and which the apoftle Fobu calls the Chalcedony, Rev. xxi. 19. the fame with rubies; and fo the word here ufed is rendered by Luther; and by Abarbinel, precious ftones of great value; fee Prov. iii. 15. from whence the Syrians had thefe to trade with at Tyre, cannot be eafily faid; the modern rubies, which are thought to be the true and genuine carbuncles of the ancients, feldom exceed the weight of twenty carats; yet, fome fay, the emperor Rudolpbus the fecond, had a ruby as big as a little hen’s egg, bought at fixty thoufand ducats, and fuppofed to be worth more; and that Regulus Decan had one of thirty-four carats, bought at fix minz of gold, that is, an hundred and ninety-two pounds of gold; and that the Great Mogul had one, which coft a million, four hundred and twenty-five thoufand florins; and that there are fome which exceed the weight of fifty carats‘; but there were few, if any of thefe, that came to the market of Zyre; however, no doubt fome valuable ones were here fold. Purple, and broidered work, and fine linen; cloth of purple colour, raiment of needle-work curioufly embroidered, and linen of the beft fort. So the Targum, ‘* purple clothes, and wrought with a *¢ needle, and linen of different colours.” and of fuch they made their fails, tilts, and tents; fee y. And coral, and agate; the firft is.a fea-plant.

“¢ This opinion is now fo well eftablifhed, that al! ‘* other fentiments feem almoft precluded. P. Kir- ‘© cher fuppofes entire forefts of it at the bottom “* of the fea; and M. Tournefort, that able bota- ‘* nift, maintains, that it evidently multiplies by ‘© feed, tho’ neither its flower nor feed be known, ‘© However, the count de Marfigli has difcovered ‘¢ fome parts therein, which feem to ferve the pur- “* pofe of feeds and flower—it vegetates the con- ‘¢ trary way to all other plants; its foot adhering “< to the top of the grotto, and its branches fhoot- “* ing downwards—there are properly but three “¢ kinds of coral, red, white, and black; the white <¢ is the rareft and moft efteemed; but it is the red “* that is ordinarily ufed in medicine—the em “ce or

*¢ for fifhirig it, are the Perfan gulf, Red-Sea, “© coafts of Africa towards the baftion of France, <‘ the ifles of Majorca and Corfica, and the coatts “ of Provence and Catalonia®.” Perhaps the Syrians might have theirs from the Red-Sea, or the Mediterranean. The other, the Agate, is a precious ftone, the fame with the Achates, firft found in Sicily, as Iidore fays*, by a river of the fame name; is of a black colour, according to him, having in the middle black and white circles joined and variated; but they are of different colours, and of different degrees of tranfparency. The word is varioufly rendered; by fome the ruby; by others the carbuncle; by others the chalcedony; and by others cryftal; it is hard to fay what is meant. Now the Phenicians or Tyrians were fo deeply engaged in trade with the Syrians, that it became a common proverb, the Phenicians againft the Syrians'; when like were fet againft like, as the Bs Chalybon of Ptolemy *, which he places in Syria; a place famous for wine, as Strabo % reports; the kings of Perfia, he fays, thro’ riches fell into’ luxury, fo that they would have wheat brought from Affos in Aolia, and Chalybonian wine out of Syria, and water from Luleus (the river U/ai in Daz. viil. 2.) which was lighteft of all; and fo 4theneus ' fays, the kings of the Perfans drink only Chalybonian wine; which, fays Pofidonius, was made at Damaj/cus in Syria, from whence the Per- /ans tranfplant vines: He/bon is thought to be the fame with. /leppo; the grapes there are all white, and make a ftrong wine, as Monfieur TAevenot + relates; and who alfo obferves, that the wines of Damafcus are treacherous and ftrong: and the wool they bought, was fuch as it came off of the backs of the fheep, and the purer and whiter fort of it; which was brought to Zyre, and by them bought, and dyed purple, for which dye the Zyriaus were y¥. 17. Judah and the land of Ifrael, they were thy merchants, &c.] The inhabitants of fudah and J/- rae]; the two tribes of ‘fudah and Benjamin, and the other ten tribes of J/rael, they all merchandized with the Tyrians, being near unto them: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith;, the name of a place, Fudg. xi. 33. where probably the beft wheat grew; fo the Yargum renders it; the Tyrians were fupplied with wheat from the land of J/rael, in the times of Solomon, long before this, 1 Kings v. 11. as they were in the times of Herod, \ong after, As xii. 20. it was four miles from E/bus or Hefhbon, in the way to Philadelphia, according to Eujebius: and Pannag, which fome | 4f take to be the name of a place, where the beft wheat alfo was; which fome fay was Phenicia, or the land of Canaan. The Septuagint render it, ointments; and the Latin interpreter of the Targum, balfam; with which agrees Fo/ephus ben Gorion *, who fays, that at ericho grew the balfam-tree, from whence came a precious oil, which oil is Pannag; and Hillerus’ tranflates it balfam: lows, and honey, and oil; with which the land of Canaan abounded; for it was a land of oil-olive and honey, a land that flowed with milk and honey, Deut. viii. 8. fo that they had enough for themfelves, and to fpare for their neighbours, and which they carried to the market of Zyre: anud balm; or balfam, of which there was plenty at Gilead, and near Fericho, however at the latter; we read of the balm of Gilead, Fer. viii. 22. and xlvi. 11. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin verfions render it, rofim; and fo the Targum; and this the Zyrians might make ufe of in their fhips”. The balm, or balfam-plant, was peculiar to Fudea, as Pliny"; at leaft it was the place of it until tranfplanted into other countries; and fo fays yt. 19. Dan alfo and Favan going to and fro, occupied in thy fairs, 8cc.] Either the inhabitants of the tribe of Daz in general; or of Lai/fh, fometime called Dan, and in after-times Cz/area Philippi, which was in that tribe: tho’ Grotius thinks, that Taprobane, or the ifle of Zeilan, is meant, where, and not in Daz, were the things aftermentioned, in plenty; and where alfo, according to Péolemy', was a city called Dana or Dagana: and Bochart takes Favan not to be Greece, but a people of a country in Arabia, the metropolis of which was Uzal; and fo he renders it, as fome of the Greek verfions do, Favan of Uzal, or, to diftinguifh it from the other Favan, y. 13. where alfo, and not in Greece, the fweet fpices grew, which thefe are faid to trade in: bright iron, caffia, and calamus were im thy market; brought from the above places; polifhed iron or fteel, and the fweet fpices of caffia and calamus, or the aromatic cane or reed, which came from afar, Fer. vi. 20.

it fol- ¥. 20. Dedan was thy merchant in precious cloths for chariots.] Or, cloths of freedom” fach as fren men, and even nobles wore; and yet fo extrayagant were the Zyrians, that they bought thefe to line or cover their chariots with; this is different from the Dedan in ¥. 15. and is either Dedan in Edom or Idumea, Fer. xlix. 8. or in Arabia, the inhabitants of which defcended from Dedan, a grandfon of Abraham, Gen. xxv. 3. which agrees with the following. Do y. 21. Aralia, and all the princes of Kedar, 8c.] Arabia was a large country, divided into three parts; Arabia Deferta, or the defert; Arabia Pe- ¢rea, or the rocky; and Arabia Felix, or the happy. Kedar was in Arabia Petrea, its inhabitants were called Kedarenes, defcended from Kedar, a fon of

¥. 18. Damafcus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, &c.] Of the many things manufactured at Tyre, the inhabitants of Damafcus, once the chief city of Syria, took fome: for the multitude of all riches; in lieu of the vaft quantity of rich things there made, they traded with them for them: in the wine of Helvon, and white wool; Helbon very probably is the fame with and dwelt in tents, to which the allufion is in Cant. i. 5. thefe princes were the rich and wealthy [among them, who bought up the cattel of the meaner fort, and brought them to Tyre. In Ferom’s time, Kedar was the country of the Saracens. The Targum calls them the princes of Nebat, the fame with Nebaioth, the firft-born of J/bmael, and brother of Kedar, Gen, xxv. 13. They occupied with thee; or, they were the merchants of thine band 3 that took off her manufaC@tures from her, in lieu of the /embs, and rams, and goats, they brought to market, for her food and facrifices; keeping of fheep being their chief employment: iz the/e were they thy merchants, they fupplied them with their cattel, and took their wares of them for them. ¥. 22. The merchants of Sheba and Raamab, they were thy merchants, &c.| This Sheba was the fon of Raaimab, Gen. x. 7. who fettled in Arabia Felix; where, according to Prolemy*, is a city called Rbegma, and {o Raamab is pronounced in the Septuagint verfion of Gen. x. 7: they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all fpices; as with myrrh and frankincenfe, with which they abounded: Pliny fays, that the 4radians paid annually to the kings of Perfia a thoufand talents of frankincenfe; and that the Sabeans + boiled their food, fome with wood of frankincenfe, and others with wood of myrrh: and with all precious fones, and gold; as jaipers, emeralds, carbuncles, and others, which Pliny * fays are found in Arabia; and mention is made of the gold of Sheba, Pf. \xxii. 15. and Bochart thinks that Opbir, from whence the famous gold of that name was fetched, was in Arabia Fedix; and it may be obferved, that the queen of Sheba gave great quantities of gold, of fpices, and of precious ftones, to Solomon, and that he had much of thefe kinds yearly from the fpice-merchants, and kings of Arabia, 1 Kings x. 10, 14, 15. fee the note on J/. lx. 6. ¥. 23. Haran, and Canneb, and Eden, &c.] Hayan was a city of Me/opotamia, the fame with Charvan, where Abraham dwelt awhile, As vii. 2. the Charre of the Parthians, famous for the defeat of Craffus. Canneb is thought to be the fame with Calneh, Gen. x. 10. afterwards called Crefiphon; and here, by the Targum, Netzibin, a place not far from Tigris: and Eden was alfo between Tigris and Euphrates. All three places feem to be in Mée/opotamia, and not far from each other; the latter is thought by fome to be the place where the garden of Eden was. The merchants of Sheba; this was another Sheba, diftinét from that in y¥. 22. this Sheba was the fon of Fok/ban, a fon of Abraham by Keturab, Gen. xxv. 3. thefe were the Sabeans, who were not far from the former, and dwelt near the Perfian fea. Afbur, and Chilmad were thy merchants, or dealt in thy merchandife; took goods of them. fur defigns the Afjyrians, who had their name from Aur, the builder. of Niniveb, Gen. x. 11. and Chilmad is by the Targum rendered. Media; and by Grotius thought to be the Gaala of Media in-Ptolemy”, and fo Hille- “rus * takes it to be a city of Media. ¥. 24. Thefe were thy merchants in all forts of things, &c,] Either all before-mentioned throughout the chapter, or rather thofe only in the preceding verie; alfo thefe.were merchants in various things after-mentioned, afd ‘which were the’ beft and moft perfect of the kind, as the word ¢ ufed fignifies: # blue cloths, aid ‘broidered work, thefe the Afjrians took of them, a colour in which they “much delighted; fee ch. xxiii. 6: and in chefts of “rich apparel bound with cords, and made of cedar among thy merchendifé; ticli apparel, fuch as ear- let cloaks, as the Targum, and blue cloths 4s before; thefe were well packed up in chefts made of cedar, which they had from Lebanon, and fo fit to be put on board a fhip, and carried into any part of the world. The Targum adds, ‘* and fealed “* with a fignet;” as things well packed up and bound fometimes are, being of worth and value: Some render it, in chains; or, chains weré among thy merchandife®; fuch as chains of gold, wore about the neck; and take the word to be of the fame fignification with that in Cant. i. 10.

¥. 25. Lhe fhips of Tarfbifh did fing of thee in thy market, 8c.| The fhips of the fea in general; for Tarfoifo is ufed for the fea; thefe from all parts came to Yyre with their feveral wares,. the product of their country from whence they came, and finding a good market for them at Tyre, fpoke greatly in her ptaile: or, were thy princes, or thy chief ones, in thy market §; thefe brought the principal things into it, and took off the chief that were in it; which were of the produce of Tyre: and thou waft replenifoed; with goods from all parts, with every thing for their neceffity, convenience, pleafure, and delight, and to carry on a traffick with all nations: and made very glorious in the midft of the feas; with gteat riches, ftately towers and buildings. Here ends the account of Zyre’s greatnefs; next follows her ruin and deftruction.

¥. 26. Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters, &c.] Here the city of Zyre is compared to a veffel at fea, with great propriety, it being built in the fea, and its trade chiefly there; and its rulers and governors, or the inhabitants of it, to rowers; literally the men of Zidon and Arvad were her rowers, y¥. 8. the ftraits, difficulties; and di- {treffes thefe brought Tyre into; aré compared to great waters; who by fome unadvifed ftep or another, provoked the king of Babylon to come againft them with his army, and lay fiege unto them: the eaft wind hath broken thee in the midft of the feas; a wind very fatal to fhips and mariners 4 fee Pf. xlviii. 7. by it are meant Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldean army; fo called, becaufe of their great force and fury; and becaufe Babylon, from whence they came, lay fomewhat to the eaft of Tyre. So the Targum, ** a king who is ftrong as the eaft «¢ wind, hath broken thee in the midft of the ay soca

¥. 27. Thy riches, &c.] That vaft mafs of wealth Tyre had got by her trade and merchandife, were all loft at once, and came to nought, which had been many years gathering; fee Rev. xviii. 17: and thy fairs; to which there were fuch great reforts from all parts, and where fuch a prodigious trafick was carried on, were now interrupted by the fiege, and put to an end upon the ruin of the city: thy merchandife, the goods both imported and exported; the wares that were brought in from foreign parts, and fold in her, and what was taken from her in lieu of them; now nothing more of this kind; and what goods were in her, whether her own or others, were all loft and deftroyed: thy mariners; who were the inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad, y. 8. thefe perifhed with her: and thy pilots;

pilots; who were the wifeft, moft fkilfal, and beft learned in the art of navigation, and who were of the city itfelf, thefe were no more, ¥. 8: thy calkers the wife and ancient men of Gebal, ¥. 9: and the occupiers of thy merchandife; that traded in her markets and fairs, mentioned from y. 12. to 25: and all thy men of war that are in thee; to fight for her, and defend her; the Perfiaus, Lydians, and Lybians, the men of Arvad, and the Gammadim, ¥.. 10, 11: and in all thy company, which is in the midft of thee; the great concourfe of people, whether natives or foreigners: thefe all foall fall inta, the midft of the feas, in the day of thy ruin; the walls and banks being demolifhed, the fea broke in upon it, and wafhed all away in it, and left it a bare rock; fee ch. xxvi. 4, 12, 14.

¥. 28. The fuburbs fhall [bake at the found of the cry of thy pilots.| Or governors, as the Targum, and fo the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental verfions; the allegory of a fhip wrecked is ftill continued: the fente is, that fuch fhould be the cry of the principal men of the city when it fhould be taken, that the noife of it would be heard upon the continent, and in the towns and villages belonging to Zyre, which would make the inhabitants of them tremble: or, at the found of the cry of thy pilots, the waves are moved, or tremble ®; which beat very ftrong at the time of her fall into the fea.

¥. 29. And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the fea, &c.] Inferior officers, and the common people; tho’ this may be literally underftood of all forts of fea-faring people, differently employed in fhips; fome at the oar; fome at the fails; and others at the helm; but all fhall quit their pofts, and jeall come down from their feoips, either there being no farther bufinefs for them, an entire ftop being put to trade, thro’ the fall of Zyre; or becaufe of danger, and to fave themfelves,; would leave the fhip, and betake to their boats, and make for land: hence it follows, they fall fiand upon the land, upon the continent, being fafely arrived; looking upon the fhip-wrecks, and bewailing the lofs or Zyre, as in the. next verfe,

¥. 30. And fhall caufe their voice to be heard againft thee, &c.] The rulers and governors of the city, for having taken a falfe ftep. in provoking the enemy, and then holding out the fiege no longer, as it was thought they might and would: or rather, over thee, or for thee’, mourning over the city, and lamenting its fad cafe; fee Rev. xviii. 9,11:,and foal cry bitterly; with great weeping, howling,;and fhricking: and they hall caft duft upon their. beads; a cuftom ufed in the eaftern countries, in times of mourning and forrow; fee Rev. xviii..19: aud they fhall wallow themfelves in ofkes; Or roll themfelves in them, another cuftom. ufed in mourning; fee Fer, vi. 26. Mic. i.

¥. 31. And they shall make themfelves utterly bald for thee, &cc.] Either by, having their heads, or tearing off their hair, as mourners in diftrefs have been ufed to do: and gird them with fackcloth; about their loins, as was very cuftomary.in fuch diftrefled cafes: and they fhall weep for thee with bitternefs of heart, and bitter wailing; not in fhew only, but in reality; not like the prefice or mourning women, though the allufion may be to them, who only mourned.outwardly; but thefe from the very heart, and in great bitternefs of fpirit; this is expreffive of the inward grief of their minds on this melancholy occafion, as what follows declares the lamentation they exprefled vocally; fee Rev. XVili. 1g.

¥..32. And in their wailing they fhall take up a lamentation for thee, &c.| A mournful fong, fuch as was ufed at funerals, or in times of calamity; and fo the Vulgate Latin verfion renders it: and lament over thee, faying the following ditty: what city is dike Tyrus, like the deftroyed in the midft of the fea? as there was none like it a few years ago for riches, fplendor, and glory, fo now there’s’ none like it for mifery and ruin; fee Rev. xviii. 18. The Targum is, ‘* who is as Tyre? there is <¢ none like unto her in the midft of the fea;” fhe is not now Tyre the renowned, but Tyre the deftroyed; deftroyed in the midit of the fea, from whence fhe had her riches and her glory: or, as one dumb or filent in the midft of the fea, the, in whom was heard the voice of joy and finging, is now mute, and nothing more of that kind is heard in-her; fee Rev. xvili. 22. Me 2

¥. 33. When thy wares went forth out of the Seas, &c.] When they were took out of fhips, which came to Zyre from all parts, and were landed on the fhore, and put up in warehoufes, and expofed in markets and fairs. ‘The Targum is, ** when’. “* thy merchandife went out from among the na- “* tions;” being brought from all parts thither: thou filledft many people, by felling them in their markets commodities they wanted, for which they came from all quarters; and by fending them to others in fhips, where they knew they ftood in need of them, and would fetch them a good price; and they had enough to anfwer the demands of all, and to fupply them to the full: thou didft enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches, and of thy merchandife, by taking off the goods of their fubjects, whereby they were able the better to pay their taxes, and fupport them in their grandeur and dignity; as well as by furnifhing them with gold and filver, and precious ftones, which they gave for the produce of their country; or by the toll and cuftom. of the goods imported or exported.

¥. 34. In the time when thou fhalt be broken by the feas, in the depths of the waters, &c.] By the Chaldean army, which came upon. them like the waves.of the fea, ch. xxvi. 3. by which they were overpowered and deftroyed; juft as a fhip on the mighty waters is dafhed and broke to pieces by the waves thereof: thy merchandife, and all thy company in the midft of thee ball fall, trade fhall ceafe, and the mixt multitude of traders from all parts fhall be feen no more; the natives of the place fhall perifh, mariners and foldiers, and perfons of every rank and degree, age and fex. The Targum renders it, ‘* all thine armies.” Abendana fuggetts, that this refpects the deftruction of Tyre by Alexander the Great. Si

‘¥. 35. All the inhabitants of the ifles fhall be aftonifoed at thee, &c.| Both near and afar off; and not only the inhabitants of the ifles, properly fo called, but all that dwelt on the continent by the fea-fide; who would all be amazed, when th heard of the ruin of Zyre, which they thought inexpugnable, by reafon of its natural and artificial ftrength: and their kings foall be ft eed that it. will be their turn next; and as well kr i:; thee t o” imty ’ marae ‘b-{ that they were lefs able to contend with fo mighty a monarch as the king of Babylon, or Alexander the Great, than Tyre was; fee Rev. xviii. 9g, 10: they feall be stroubled in their countenance; their inward paffions of grief and fear, fhall be feen in their countenances; which will wax pale, be dejected, diftorted, and furrowed.

¥. 36. The merchants among the people fhall bifs at thee, &c.] As Tyre had done at Ferufalem, ch. xxvi. 2. as fhe hoped to make better markets upon the fall of Feru/alem, and therefore rejoiced at it; fo thefe merchants upon her fall will hope that her trade will come into their hands, and therefore defpife her; -hifs and laugh at her in her abject ftate. The Yargum is, ** fhall be aftonifhed at

HIS chapter contains a prophecy of thé deftruction of the prince of Zyre; a laméntation for the king of Tyre; a denunciation of judgments on Zidon, and a promife of peace and fafety to J/rael. The order given the prophet to prophely of the ruin of the prince of Zyre, ¥. 1,2. the caufe of his ruin, his-pride on account of his wifdom and riches, which rofe to fuch a pitch, as to make himfelf God, y. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. the manner in which his deftruction fhall be accomplifhed, y. 7, 8,9, 10. the lamentation for the king of Tyre begins, ¥. 11, 12. fetting forth his former grandeur and dignity, ¥. 13, 14, 15. his fall, and the caufe of it, injuftice and violence in merchandife, pride becaufe of beauty and wifdom, and profanation of fanctuaries, ¥. 16, 17, 18, 19. next follow the judgments on Zidon, y¥. 20, 21, 22, 23. and the chapter is concluded with a promife of the re- {toration of the ews to their own land, and of great tranquillity and fafety in it, ¥. 24, 25, 26.

y. 1. Fhe word of the Lord came again unto me, &c.] With another prophecy; as before againft the city of Tyre, now againit the king of Tyre: /aying, as follows,

¥. 2. Son of man, fay unto the prince of Tyre, &c.] Whofe name was Ethdaal, or Ithobalus, as he is called in ‘fofephus; for that this was Hiram that was in the days of Solomon, and lived a thoufand years, is a fable of the Fewifh Radbins, as erom relates: this prince of Tyre is thought by fome, to be an emblem of the devil; but rather of antichrift; and ‘between them there is a great agreement, and it feems to have a prophetic refpect to him: thus faith the Lord God, becaufe thine heart is lifted up; with pride, on account of his ‘ wifdom and knowledge, wealth and riches, as aftermentioned: and thou haft faid, Iam a god; this he faid in his heart, in the pride of it, and perhaps expreffed it with his lips, and required divine homage to be given him by his fubjeéts, as fome infolent, proud, and haughty monarchs have done;

in which he was a lively type of antichrift, who, fhews himfelf, and behaves as if he was God, taking upon him what belongs to God; pardoning the fins of men; opening and fhutting the gates of heaven, binding mens confciences with laws of his own making, and difpenfing with the laws of God and man; and calling himfelf, or “fuffering hinvfelf to be called God, and to: be worfhipped as fuch; fee the note on 2 Thef. ii. 4: J

** thee;” ftruck with wonder, and even with 4 ftupor at her fall: and thou foalt be a terror; not only to thyfelf, but to kings and merchants, and to all the inhabitants of the ifles, and to all that tradé by fea; who will be ftruck with furprize and dread, when they hear of thy deftruction; fee Rev. XVili. 9, 10, 11, 15, 17: and never fhall be any more, upon the fame fpot, and in the fame grandeur and glory: fome underftand this only of a long time, as 70 year's, when it was rebuilt; fee Tf. Xxiii. 15, 17. it may refpect its laft deftruction, fince which it has not been, nor now is, or ever will be: this will be true of myftical Babylon; the antitype of Tyre; Rev. xviii. 21;