Explanatory Notes upon the Old and New Testaments

A call to true repentance, ver. 1-7. Not to live in theft, murder, adultery, perjury, &c., to trust in the outward worship and temple of God, by the example of Shiloh, ver. 8-15. The prophet is forbid to pray for them, ver. 16. Their idolatry, and its judgment, ver. 17-20. Their sacrifices rejected, and obedience required, ver. 21-28. They are called to mourn for their abominations in Tophet, and their judgments, ver. 29-34.

2. The gate - The east gate, which was the publick place of going out and coming in, and where the people were then wont to assemble. Proclaim - Proclaiming signifies both the authority by which he spake, and the divulging of what he spake plainly and boldly; possibly, it might be at some publick time, when all the males were to meet.

4. Saying - Because this was God's house, they flattered themselves that he would not suffer the Chaldeans to destroy it, therefore the prophet cautions them not to deceive themselves, trusting to the temple and its buildings, as the two courts and house, and holy of holies implied in the word these, which he doth as it were point to with his finger. The emphasis, in this threefold repetition, seems to relate to the confident, and reiterated boasts of the temple, that were in their mouths. These - The prophet standing in the gate at which the people entered, as it were, points at the several buildings pertaining to the temple.

6. Oppress not - Here they are cautioned against three sins, that this people were generally addicted to, oppression, blood, and idolatry; and instances in the worst of oppressions, of such as God hath more especially taken into his immediate protection.

9. Will ye steal - Can you think that this can be grateful to me, or advantageous to yourselves, to frequent my house, and yet retain these odious sins. Whom - Such as they had set up new, and never had any experience of, and therefore could have no reason to serve them.

10. Delivered - After they had appeared before God with their sacrifices, they thought they were privileged to return to all those wickednesses.

11. A den - Do you look upon this house as a sanctuary for robbers and murderers.

12. Shiloh - A place in the tribe of Ephraim. Where - Where I did at first give you the pledges of my presence. What I did - He utterly forsook it.

15. Even - The ten tribes.

16. Pray not - Certainly the prophet did pray that God would save a remnant, though not that he would revoke his decree; or save the body of them.

18. The children - Here God shews how busily they are employed from the youngest to the oldest for their idolatry. The queen - As the sun was looked upon as king, so the moon as the queen of heaven.

20. Shall not be quenched - He follows the threatening with shewing his resolution is not to be revoked.

21. Put - Ironical words, take those that are peculiar, and to be all burnt to me, and do what you will with them, I will have none of them. To your sacrifices - That part of your sacrifices, which you are allowed to eat, they are but as profane food.

22. For - God doth not condemn these offerings, save only comparatively in respect of obedience, not so much these, as obeying his commands.

25. Since the day - The church of God hath never wanted teachers raised up and sent by God.

28. Cut off - There is no believing them in any thing they say.

29. Cut off thine hair - This was an usual token of sorrow among the Jews. On high places - Upon the high places where thou wentest a whoring from me. The generation - A generation destined to the wrath of God.

30. In the house - It was not enough to have their idols abroad in the hills and groves, but they must bring them into God's house.

31. Tophet - It comes from Toph, a drum, because they beat drums to drown the children's screeches, when they burnt them in sacrifice upon the altars, called here high places, to Moloch. Tophet was situate in a pleasant valley near Jerusalem, a place in the possession of the children of one Hinnom, Josh. xv, 8.

The calamity of the Jews, both dead and alive, ver. 1-3. Their brutish impenitency, ver. 4-7. Their vain boast of wisdom: their covetousness, security, impudence, ver. 8-12. Their grievous judgments, ver. 13-17. Bewailed by the prophet, ver. 18-22.

1. The bones - This denotes the utter desolation of the city, not only rasing the walls, but turning up the very sepulchres which were accounted sacred, and not to be violated.

4. Not arise - Will they never think of rising again? Not return - Will he wander forever?

5. Deceit - Their false prophets, encouraging themselves in their wickedness, and pleasing themselves, that their miseries should not come upon them.

6. I - God.

7. Appointed time - The seasons of her going and coming. The judgment - God's vengeance, hovering over Jerusalem, and Judea.

8. How - These things considered where is your wisdom? He speaks to the whole body of the people. The Lord - This may have a more special eye to the priests. In vain - For any use they made of it; neither need it ever have been copied out by the scribe. A scribe was a teacher, one well versed in the scripture, or esteemed to be so.

13. Pass away - Shall be taken away by their enemies.

14. Why - The people at length seem to bethink themselves, and thus to bespeak each other. Silent - Keep close within our walls.

16. The snorting - The fury of the Chaldeans march is described by the snorting of their horses, which is a noise they make through their nostrils. Heard - Even to Jerusalem. Have devoured - It is spoken in a prophetical style, who use to express the certainty of what shall be, as if it actually were already.

17. Shall bite - There will be no appeasing their fury by any method.

18. Sorrow - The prophet now seems to speak, how greatly the calamity of this people affected him.

19. Why - As if God should seem to reply; let them not think it strange, seeing they have turned their backs upon me, and trusted to idols.

21. Am I hurt - The prophet here shews how deeply he is affected with the peoples misery. Black - I am as those that are clad in deep mourning.

The prophet's lamentation continues over their adultery, deceit, idolatry, which God would certainly punish, and they should be laid waste, when they should sufficiently lament, ver. 1-22. No trust in ourselves, but in God, who will punish all nations, ver. 23- 26.

2. A lodging place - Some retiring place, though it were but some mean hut in the wilderness.

5. Weary - They use industry, and contrivance in it, they spare no labour.

7. Try them - By melting them, I will bring upon them, the fire of the Chaldean war, that shall purge away those deceits in which they trust, that the remnant may be purified. For how - I have tried all other means.

10. Wailing - The prophet having taken up a lamentation for the slaughter of the people, now re-assumes it for the desolation of the whole land. The mountains shall not be able to secure them, nor the valleys to feed them.

12. Who is - Is there not a wise man among you, that will search into the cause of all these threatened judgments.

16. A sword - But I will follow them with the sword, 'till they be destroyed, such of them as were appointed for destruction; for otherwise, they were not all consumed, a full end was not to be made.

17. Women - Who were hired to tear their hair, and beat their breasts, with other mourning postures, a foolish custom which has obtained in most ages and countries. Cunning - Such as are most skilful in it.

20. Everyone - It denotes how large and universal the mourning shall be.

21. Death - The unavoidableness of the ruin is expressed metaphorically, alluding to the storming of a city, wherein there is no respect had to sex, youth, or age.

22. As the handful - They shall be no more regarded than a few scattered ears that drop out of the reapers hand, which either lie on the ground and are eaten by birds, or trod to dirt by beasts. None - None shall have so much respect to them, as to afford burial.

24. Knoweth - Whether we make any curious distinction between understanding God, as if that be more speculative, whereby we rightly apprehend his nature; and knowing God, as if that be more practical, as directing the conversation, we need not here inquire; yet certainly both center in this, that we so know and understand God as to trust in him, and depend on him alone in all conditions. Exercise - Kindness, as it relates to his own people; judgment, in punishing the wicked; righteousness, as he deals justly and uprightly with both.

They are forbid to be afraid of the tokens of heaven, and consult idols which are vain, ver. 1-5 and not to be compared with the majesty and power of God, who is Jacob's portion, ver. 6-16. The Babylonians destroy the temple; the brutish pastors and the flocks are scattered, ver. 17-22. The prophet's humble supplication, ver. 23-25.

2. Learn not - The Jews being to live among the Chaldeans in their captivity, where many of them were already, the prophet admonishes them against the Chaldean idolatries, who were all much addicted to astrology. The signs - This was so common among them, that Judicial astrologers, of what nation soever, were generally termed Chaldeans. The Heathen - Leave this to Heathens; it doth not become God's people.

9. Tarshish - Is the proper name of a sea-town in Cilicia, and being a noted port, it is usually put for the ocean, and may signify any place beyond the sea. Uphaz - Probably the best gold came from thence as the best silver from Tarshish.

10. But - All these are but false gods. Living - These are all but dead stocks and stones, Jehovah is the only living God, having life in himself, and giving life to all things else. An everlasting king - Time devours them all, but the true God is everlasting.

13. When - As in the former verse he relates God's unspeakable power and wisdom in his creating and fixing the stated order of things, so here he farther sets it forth in his providential ordering and disposing of them.

14. Every man - Every idolator.

15. Visitation - When God shall come to reckon with Babylon and her idols.

16. Portion - God, who vouchsafes to be the portion of his people. The former - Idols are things framed or formed, but God is the former of all things. The rod of his inheritance - So called, because the inheritances of Israel were measured by a line, reed, or rod.

17. Gather up - The prophet now enters upon another subject. Thy wares - Every thing thou hast any advantage by, all thy merchandise, as men use to do in case of invasion by an enemy. The fortress - The inhabitants of Jerusalem, the chief place of security in Judea.

18. Sing out - It denotes with how much violence and ease the Chaldeans shall hurry away the people into Babylon. And therefore it is said at this once, I will make one thorough quick work of it. May find it so - Though they would never believe it, yet they shall actually find the truth of my threatenings.

19. Woe is me - Here the prophet personates the complaint of the people of the land.

20. My tabernacle - He describes the overthrow of the land, or Jerusalem, by the breaking of the cords of a tabernacle, the use whereof is to fasten it on every side to stakes in the ground, which cords being broken the tabernacle falls.

21. The pastors - The rulers of church and state.

22. Noise - Rumour, report.

23. It is not - Lord we know it is not in our power to divert these judgments that are coming upon us, but thou canst moderate, and limit them as thou pleasest.

24. Correct me - Seeing thou wilt punish us, let it be a correction only, not a destruction. Let it be in measure; in the midst of judgment remember mercy. Anger - Lest if thou shouldst let out thy fury upon me, thou wouldst utterly consume me.

25. The Heathen - Such as do not acknowledge thee for their God. Call not - One part of worship put for the whole. If thou wilt pour out thy fury, let the effects of it be to thine enemies, not unto thine own people.

God's covenant, ver. 1-7. Their disobedience, ver. 8-10. Evils to come on them, ver. 11-17. and on the men of Anathoth, for conspiring to kill Jeremiah, ver. 18-23.

2. Of this covenant - The covenant here spoken of, was the covenant of the law of God, delivered by Moses, to which the people more than once promised obedience.

5. So be it - God having ended his speech, the prophet saith, Amen, either asserting the truth of which God had said, or wishing that the people would do according to their covenant.

8. Did them not - For this God threatens to bring upon them all his words of threatening, annexed to the covenant of the law.

9. A conspiracy - All sorts of people have done alike, as if they had conspired together to break my law.

11. I will not hearken - God will not hear them crying to him in their adversity, who refuse to hear him speaking to them in their prosperity.

13. That shameful thing - Baal, called a shameful thing, because it was what they had reason to be ashamed of, and what would certainly bring them to shame and confusion. Baal - Signifies Lord, and was a common name given to more idols than one; the Phoenicians used the name Baal, the Chaldeans, Bell. Learned men say, that the Asians called the same idol Baal, whom those of Europe called Jupiter. It is not improbable, that the Heathens acknowledging one supreme being, worshipped him in several creatures; some mistaking the Sun, Moon, and Stars to be he, others, other things; these they called Baalim, Lords, as they called the principal God, Baal.

15. My beloved - My people, saith God, though I was formerly their husband, yet have wrought lewdness with many, that is, committed idolatry with many idols, and now what have they to do more in my house? The holy flesh - Flesh of their sacrifices, being set before idols, as well as before God, became polluted, and was abomination to the Lord. Thou rejoicest - They were not only evil but gloried in their wickedness.

16. Fair - The Lord fixed thee when he brought thee first into Canaan, in a flourishing condition, like a fair olive-tree, fit to bear goodly fruit. Broken - But thou hast so behaved thyself, that he who planted thee, is about to pluck thee up. God is about to kindle a fire which will burn thee up, and to break thy branches.

18. Thou shewedst me - This may be understood with relation to that conspiracy which is mentioned in the following verses.

19. Let us destroy - We have no other mention of this conspiracy, but it is plain both from this verse, and what follows, that the men of Anathoth (which was Jeremiah's own town) were offended at his prophesying, and had conspired to kill him. Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof - Let us not only put an end to his prophesying, but to his life.

The prophet complains of the prosperity of the wicked: by faith sees their ruin, ver. 1-4. God admonishes him of his brethren's treachery against him, and laments his heritage, ver. 5- 13. A return from captivity promised to the penitent, ver. 14-17.

1. Talk with thee - Not by way of accusing thee, but for my own satisfaction concerning thy judicial dispensations in the government of the world. Wherefore - I know thy ways are just and righteous, but they are dark; I cannot understand why thou doest this.

2. Far - Thou art far from their inward parts, they neither fear thee, nor love thee.

4. He - They were bold to say, neither the prophet nor any other should see their last end.

5. If - If thou art not able to encounter lesser dangers, how wilt thou be able to overcome greater? I have greater dangers for thee to encounter than those at Anathoth; if thou art so disturbed with them, how wilt thou be able to grapple with those at Jerusalem. Jordan - Anathoth seems to be understood by the land of thy peace, that is, the land of thy friends wherein thou hadst a confidence: if thy enemies there tire thee, what wilt thou do in the swellings of Jordan? In a place in which thou art like to meet with greater troubles, like the swelling of Jordan (which in harvest used to overflow its banks).

6. For even - The men of Anathoth, thine own town and country, and those of thy own family have conspired evil against thee secretly. A multitude - They have exposed thee to the rage of a multitude. Though - Tho' therefore they give thee fair words, yet repose no confidence in them.

7. My house - God by his house here understands the temple. Heritage - The whole body of the Israelites, whom God threatens to leave with respect to his special providence.

8. As a lion - Those that were my sheep, are become like lions.

9. The birds round about - It is usual for other birds to flock about a strange coloured bird, such as they have not been used to see.

10. A wilderness - They have caused God to turn the country which he had chosen for his portion, into a wilderness.

11. They - Hebrew. He hath made it desolate: but it cannot be meant of God, for it is God that speaketh, and God is he mentioned in the next words; it must therefore either be understood of Nebuchadnezzar, the instrumental cause; or (one number being put for another) of the people or the rulers as the meritorious cause, and in that rueful state into which their sins had brought it, it cried onto God. Because - And one great cause of this sore judgment was, the peoples not seriously considering what God had done or was doing against it.

12. Are come - The prophet, as usual, speaks of a thing as already done, which was very shortly to be done. No flesh - No rank or order of men.

13. Shall not profit - All the works of their hands, all their counsels and deliberations should be of no profit unto them. Because - The fierce anger of God shall be so shewed, that the returns of their labours or estates, the profits of their trades, shall be so small, that they shall be ashamed of them.

14. Behold - I will bring the sword upon them also, and they shall be led into captivity; and tho' they may have made inroads upon my people, and carried away some of them, yet I will fetch them out of their captivity.

16. If - If they will leave their idolatries, and learn to worship me, and swear by my name the Lord liveth, that is, pay that homage which they owe to the Divine being to me, the living and true God. Then - They shall have a portion among my people, which was eminently fulfilled in the conversion of the Gentiles.

In the type of a linen girdle God prefigures their destruction, ver. 1-11. Under the parable of bottles filled with wine, is foretold their drunkenness with misery, ver. 12-14. He exhorts to prevent these judgments by repentance, ver. 15-27.

5. So - Most think Jeremiah did this in a vision, for it was a very long journey from Anathoth to Euphrates.

12. Do we not know - This is no strange thing.

13. Behold - There is a wine of astonishment and confusion, Psalm lx, 3. With that wine, saith God, I will fill all orders of persons, kings, priests, prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

16. Give glory - Glorify God, by an humble confession of your sins, by submitting yourselves to God, humbling yourselves under his word, and under his mighty hand, before God brings upon you, his great and heavy judgments.

19. The cities - The cities of Judah lay southward from Chaldea.

20. Where - The prophet speaks to the king, or to the rulers. In the multitude of the people is the king's honour.

21. What wilt thou say - Thou wilt have nothing to say, but be wholly confounded when God shall visit thee with this sore judgment, for by thy so often calling them to thy assistance, thou hast taught them to be captains over thee.

22. Thy skirts - Probably these phrases are fetched from the usual practice of soldiers when they have conquered a place and taken prisoners, to strip them. By skirts is meant the lower part of their bodies covered with the lower part of their garments.

26. Therefore - I will expose thee to shame and contempt.

27. Thy whoredom - Thy idolatries.

A grievous famine prophesied, its miseries, ver. 1-6. The prophet prays, but God will not be entreated for them, ver. 7-12. Lying prophets no excuse for them, ver. 13-16. The prophet's complaint, ver. 17-22.

5. The hind - Hinds use not to get their food in fields, but upon mountains and in wildernesses, but the drought was such, that these creatures came into the lower grounds, and there brought forth their young. The hinds are loving creatures and as all creatures love their young, so hinds especially; but their moisture being dried up, they could not suckle them, but were forced to leave them, running about to seek grass to eat.

6. The wild asses - The wild asses wanting water, got upon high places, where was the coolest air, and sucked in the wind; and this it is said they did like dragons, of whom Aristotle and Pliny report, that they ordinarily stand upon high places sucking in the cool air.

7. Testify - That thou art righteous in what thou hast done. Do thou it - Do thou what we stand in need of; give us rain, though not for our sake, we deserve no such kindness from thee, yet for thy names sake: thy promise, or for thine honour and glory.

9. Astonished - In such disorder through some great passion, that he is able to do nothing. A mighty man - Like a man who in his own nature is strong, but through sickness so weakened, that he cannot put forth any strength for the succor of his friends. Yet - Yet (saith the prophet) thou art in the midst of us; of the whole land, according to what God had declared, Num. v, 3; xxxv, 34. Defile not the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.

10. Thus - Here begins the answer to the prophet's complaint and prayer in the nine first verses. The substance is, that for their manifold sins, he was resolved to punish them. They loved - They have been fond of their idols, and they have persisted in those sinful courses, notwithstanding all counsels.

21. The throne - The words are either to be understood of the throne of the house of David, called the Lord's throne, 1 Chron. xxix, 23, or else the temple, and the ark in it, the more special symbol of God's presence.

22. Rain - The present judgment under which they groan, was a drought, which he had described in the six first verses; the prophet imploring God for the removal of it, argues, from the impossibility of help in this case from any other way, none of the idols of the Heathens, which he calls vain things, nothing in themselves, and of no use, or profit to those that ran after them. Give showers - Without thy will? Art not - Lord, art not thou he alone who is able to do it? The scripture constantly gives God the honour of giving rain.

The Jews rejection, and judgments, especially of four kinds; the sins which procured them, ver. 1-9. The prophet complains, that the people curse and persecute him for these prophecies; they are threatened, and he instructed and comforted, ver. 10-21.

1. Cast them out - I am not able to abide the sight of them, therefore let them go forth.

4. Manasseh - Manasseh is here named as the son of Hezekiah for his shame, because of his degeneracy from so good a parent; it is expressly said, 2 Kings xxiii, 26, that not withstanding Josiah's reformation, yet the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his wrath, kindled against Judah, for the provocations of Manasseh.

6. I am weary - I am resolved to bear no longer.

7. A fan - Not a purging fan by affliction, to separate their chaff and dross from them, but a scattering fan. In the gates - This is added in pursuit of the metaphor of fanning, men usually chusing barn-doors to fan at, that they may have the advantage of the wind.

8. Their widows - The prophet still speaks of things to come as if present. In Jehoiakim's time we read of no such plenty of widows; they were multiplied when the city was besieged and taken in Zedekiah's time, to a great number, hyperbolically compared to the sands of the sea. The mother - Jerusalem was the mother of the Jewish people, against whom, Nebuchadnezzar the spoiler, at noon-day, was sent.

9. Seven - Seven signifies many: the prophet complains, that the country of Judah, that had been very numerous in people, now grew feeble. While - In the midst of her prosperity. Confounded - A part of them were confounded by the judgments of God which came upon them before their captivity.

10. I have not - I have done them no wrong, yet they speak of me all manner of evil.

11. Thy remnant - The latter words of the verse expound the former; for by remnant is meant the remnant of days that Jeremiah had to live.

12. The northern iron - As the northern iron and steel is the hardest, and no iron could break that, so God having edged and hardened their enemies, the Chaldeans, all opposition to them would signify nothing.

13. The substance - All thy precious things shall be spoiled, there shall be no price taken for the redemption of them.

15. Thou knowest - My sincerity, or my sufferings. Visit me - With thy love.

16. Thy words - The words which from time to time thou didst reveal to me, were by me greedily digested. I am called - I became a prophet by thy authority, therefore, do thou own and defend me.

17. I sat not - God had all along filled his mouth with such dreadful messages, that his whole prophetical life had been to him a time of mourning and solitude, a time when he sat alone, mourning and weeping in secret for the wrath of God revealed to him against his people.

18. Why - Jeremiah, though a great prophet, was (as Elijah) a man subject to like passions with other men.

19. If thou - These are God's words to the prophet, rebuking his distrust in God, and promising him, that if he did return from his distrust in God's providence, he would restore him to the former favour he had with him, and he should be his prophet to reveal his mind to the people; and that if he would separate the precious truths of God from the vile conceits of men, then God would continue him as his prophet, to speak in his name to the people. But - He charges the prophet to keep his ground, and not to go over to wicked men.

21. The wicked - The wicked Jews. The terrible - And the power of the terrible Chaldeans.

The prophet is commanded to abstain from marriage, from mourning, or festival assemblies; hereby representing to them their approaching misery, ver. 1-9. Their sins which caused it, ver. 10-13. Their strange deliverance from Babylon, ver. 14, 15. After that their iniquity is recompensed, ver. 16-18. The prophet's comfort in the calling of the Gentiles, ver. 19-21

5. Enter not - Do not go to comfort such as mourn for any relations dead, (for their feastings upon those occasions were upon a consolatory account) those that die are most happy, for I will take away the peace of this people, and deprive them of all my mercy and loving-kindness.

6. Nor cut - Cutting themselves and cutting off their hair, were Pagan customs, which God forbad his own people; but yet it seemed they practiced them: but saith God, Men shall die so fast that they shall have no leisure to cut themselves.

7. Deal bread - It was a custom among them, when they had any friend, that had lost his relations, to send them some meat (for among the Hebrew all things they ate were called bread) and then to go and sup with them, and speak comfortably to them. The cup - They were also wont to send wine, that they might forget their sorrows; this is called, The cup of consolation.

8. Go - God did not only forbid his prophet to go into houses of mourning, but forbad him to go into houses, where they were wont to eat and drink upon a more chearful account.

13. Ye shall serve - What is now matter of choice to you, shall then be forced upon you.

14. Notwithstanding - God sweetens the dreadful threatenings preceding, with a comfortable promise of their restoration.

16. Fishers - Those enemies whom God made use of to destroy the Jews, hunting them out of all holes and coverts wheresoever they should take sanctuary.

18. I will recompense - Before I will restore them, I will plentifully punish them, (for so double here signifies, not the double of what their sins deserve.) Defiled - By their idolatry, blood and cruelty. Detestable - Unclean beasts offered to their idols, or innocent persons slain by them.

21. Therefore - Because all the mercy I have shewed them, will not learn them to know my might, I will once for all make them to understand it, by the dreadful strokes of my vengeance. And - They shall know that my name is Jehovah; that I am not such a one as their idols, but one who have my being from myself, and give life and being to all other things, and have all might and power in my hand, and can do whatsoever I please.

The captivity of Judah for her sin, ver. 1-4. Trust in man cursed: in God, blessed, ver. 5-8. The deceitful heart and most secret practices are known to God, ver. 9-11. The salvation of God, ver. 12-14. The prophet complains of the mockers of his prophecies, ver. 15-18. Of keeping the sabbath, ver. 19-27.

1. Graven - Nor is it a thing done in secret, but it is engraven upon the horns of their altars. God's altar was four-square, and at each corner there was a rising part made of brass, these were called the horns of the altar. Now their sin is said to be engraven upon the horns of the altar, because the blood of the sacrifices which they offered to idols was sprinkled there, or because their altars had some inscription upon them, declaring to what idol that altar was consecrated.

2. Their children - This shewed how inveterate they were in this sin of idolatry, that they taught it their children.

3. My mountain - Jerusalem stood at the foot of an hill, and part of it on the side of it, upon the top of which hills, were many pleasant fields.

4. For ever - For a long time; so the word ever is often taken.

9. The heart - There is nothing so false and deceitful as the heart of man; deceitful in its apprehensions of things, in the hopes and promises which it nourishes, in the assurances that it gives us; unsearchable by others, deceitful with reference to ourselves, and abominably wicked, so that neither can a man know his own heart, nor can any other know that of his neighbour's.

11. Hatcheth them not - Having lost them, either by some man that has taken them from her, or by some vermin or wild beast. A fool - Shall lose it again before he dies, and then shall understand what a fool he was.

13. Depart - From what I have revealed to them as thy will, shall have no portion beyond the earth.

14. For thou art - He whom alone I have reason to praise for mercies already received.

15. Where - Daring the vengeance of God.

16. I hastened not - As I did not seek the office of a prophet, so when thou wast pleased to call me to it, I did not decline.