Explanatory Notes upon the Old and New Testaments

The kingdom of Judah and house of David is compared to a lioness, and their princes to lions taken in nets, ver. 1-9. The kingdom and house are compared to a vine, and these princes to branches, now broken off and burnt, ver. 10-14.

1. For the princes - Jehoahaz, Jehoiachim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah.

2. What - What resemblance shall I use to set out the nature, deportment, and state of the mother of these princes? Thy - One of whom was upon the throne at once, and therefore the prophet speaks to one at a time. Mother - The land of Judea, and Jerusalem, the chief city of it, the royal family of David. Lioness - Tho' chosen of God to execute justice; yet they soon degenerated into the fierce and ravening nature of the lioness. Lay down - Associated, and grew familiar with neighbour kings, called here lions; fierce and bloody. Her whelps - Her sons, successors to the crown. Young lions - Either foreign princes and kings, or some of the fierce, unjust, tyrannizing princes at home.

3. Brought up - Advanced, caused him to take the throne after the slaughter of Josiah. One - Jehoahaz the second son of Josiah. Became - Soon shewed his fierce, cruel, and bloody disposition.

4. The nations - The Egyptians heard what he did.

5. Made him - King, and infused the lion-like maxims into him.

6. He - Jehoiachim. Went up - He continued eleven years on the throne; whereas Jehoahaz was taken as soon as he first ventured out. The lions - Heathen kings, with whom he entered into leagues. He became - Fierce, ravenous, unsatiable.

7. He knew - By taking them, he came to know their places, which are here called, what he made them, desolate. Roaring - By the perpetual violent threats of this cruel king.

8. The nations - Which were tributary to Nebuchadnezzar. Set against - By order of the king of Babylon. The provinces - Which belonged to the Babylonish kingdom.

10. Thy mother - O thou prince of Israel. By the waters - In a very fruitful soil. Full of branches - Full of children; when Josiah died, he left four behind him, beside other branches of the royal line.

11. Strong rods - Many excellent persons endowed with qualifications befitting kings, that they might sway the scepter. Exalted - Above the ordinary majesty of other kingdoms. Thick branches - This kingdom equalled, if not excelled, the greatest neighbour-kingdoms, and her kings exceeded all their neighbouring kings, in riches and power.

12. The east wind - God raised up the king of Babylon to pull up this sinful kingdom. Dried up - Blasted all her fruit, deposed her king, captivated him, his family, and the whole kingdom. Strong rods - All the choice men.

13. She - A few of the branches of the last pruning. In the wilderness - Tho' Babylon was in a very fruitful place, yet the cruelty of the Babylonians, made it to the Jews as terrible as a wilderness.

14. Fire - The fire of rebellion, kindled by Zedekiah, who is of the blood-royal. No strong rod - The regal dignity is ceased.

The prophet consulted by the elders, signifies God's displeasure against them, ver. 1-3. Gives them a history of God's dealings with their fathers, and their treacherous dealings with God in Egypt, ver. 4-9. In the wilderness, ver. 10-26. In Canaan, ver. 27-32. Judgments denounced against them, ver. 33-36. Mercy promised to a remnant, ver. 37-44. A word dropt toward Jerusalem, ver. 45-49.

1. The seventh year - Of Zedekiah's reign, two years and five months before Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. Came - Yet resolved before-hand what they would do.

3. Are ye come - Are ye in good earnest?

4. Wilt thou - Wilt thou not convince and reprove them? And denounce my judgments against them? The abominations - What their fathers have done, they approve, and have outdone; by that let them know what to expect.

5. When I chose - When I shewed that I had chosen them. The history of the rebellions of the children of Israel, begins as early, as their beginning. So does the history of man's apostasy from his Maker. No sooner have we read the story of his creation, but we meet with that of his rebellion. So we see here, it was with Israel; a people designed to represent the body of mankind, both in their dealings with God, and in God's dealing with them. Lifted up my hand - Or stretched out and made bare my arm; that is, magnified my power for their deliverance. When I lifted up mine hand - Shewed my power in performing my oath, and assuring them of doing what was farther promised.

6. I had espied - God speaks after the manner of men. Milk and honey - Literally milk and honey in abundance were in the land of Canaan. Proverbially it speaks the plenty and abundance of all the blessings of life.

7. Of his eyes - To which you have looked for help.

8. To accomplish - To make an end of them.

9. For my name's sake - For the glory of my mercy and faithfulness. Polluted - Reproached and blasphemed.

12. A sign - Of their being peculiarly my people.

13. In the wilderness - Where they most needed my care and favour; where the preserving their life from destruction by the noxious creatures, and from famine by the barrenness of the wilderness, was a continued miracle.

15. I lifted up my hand - I swear. Them - So all the murmuring, disobedient, unbelieving generation was excluded, and their children were brought in.

18. Walk ye not - Live not as your fathers did.

20. Hallow - Remember to keep them holy.

22. I withdrew - God seems to take the posture of one that was just going to smite, yet draws back that he might spare.

23. I lifted - I swear.

25. Wherefore - Because they rejected my good laws and judgments. I gave them - Not by enjoining, but by permitting them to make such for themselves. Not good - That were pernicious to the users.

26. Polluted - I permitted them to pollute themselves. Might know - Be forced to own, that the Lord is a mighty king in punishing those that would not have him a gracious king in governing them.

29. What - What mean you that you go to the high place? What do you find so inviting there, that you will leave God's altar, where he requires your attendance, to frequent such places as he has forbidden you to worship in? Bamah - That is, the high place.

31. Shall I be inquired of - Are you fit to ask counsel of me, whom you have so obstinately forsaken and reproached?

32. And that - God to convince them, tells them what they think and have purposed. Shall not be - Shall be quite frustrated. We will be - Will unite with them in marriages, commerce, and religion too; and then we shall be safe among them.

34. The people - Sidonians, Ammonites, Moabites, or whoever they were, to whom the apostate Jews betook themselves, where they thought to lurk, God will bring them thence into Babylonish captivity.

35. Bring you - Drive you. The wilderness - Into the most horrid parts of the world; into the mountainous parts of Media, Hyrcania, Iberia, Caspia, Albania, and Scythia. Plead with you - Pass sentence, and execute it on you.

36. Your fathers - Who died there, and never entered Canaan.

37. I will cause - I will bring you out by number, so that you shall either own my scepter, or by a conquered subjection, yield to my sword and power. Under the rod - Referring to the manner of shepherds in that country, who did tell their sheep in, and out of the fold. Bring you - The voluntary and obedient into covenant with myself.

38. The rebels - The stubborn sinners.

39. But pollute - But while ye are such idolaters, forbear to take my name into your lips.

40. Mine holy mountain - Sion, God's holy hill, Psalm ii, 6. Holy by designation, and God's own appointing it for his temple and presence. Of the height - Sion, tho' lower than many other hills, yet was above them all for God's peculiar presence. In the land - Their own land. Your offerings - When I have brought you into the land, then I will require your offerings as formerly: you shall see my temple built, Jerusalem filled with inhabitants, and my worship restored.

41. Sanctified - Magnified and praised for the good I do to my people.

43. Remember - Review your former ways with sorrow: remember, and grieve.

46. The south - Look toward Jerusalem, and the land of Canaan. Drop thy word - Let thy word distil, begin with softer words, before thou shower down with the vehemency of a storm. The forest - Jerusalem, which was become like a forest.

47. Every green tree - All that flourish, and all that are poor. All faces - All persons and orders of men, from one end of the land to the other.

49. Parables - So absolutely, that we cannot understand him.

An explication of the prophecy in the close of the last chapter, with directions to the prophet upon it, ver. 1-7. A prediction of the sword that was coming on the land, ver. 8-17. A prospect given of the king of Babylon's coming to Jerusalem, to which he was determined by divination, ver. 18-24. Sentence passed on Zedekiah, ver. 25-27. The destruction of the Ammonites, ver. 28-32.

2. The holy places - The temple and all parts of it.

3. The righteous - It is no unusual thing, that in publick calamities, those who are indeed righteous should be involved with others.

4. All flesh - All the Jews that dwell in the land.

5. Shall not return - It shall not return into the scabbard 'till it hath done full execution.

6. Sigh therefore - Thereby express deep sorrow. Breaking of thy loins - Like a woman in travail.

7. Because - The saddest news you ever heard is coming.

9. Furbished - Made clean and bright.

10. Of my son - To whom God saith, Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Psalm ii, 9. This sword is that rod of iron, which despiseth every tree, and will bear it down.

12. It - The devouring sword. Upon thy thigh - In token of thy sense of what they must suffer.

13. If - But if the king and kingdom of Judah despise this trial, both shall be destroyed and be no more.

14. And smite - In token of amazement and sorrow. Of the slain - Wherewith many shall be slain. Privy chambers - Where they were hidden in hope to escape.

15. All their gates - Both of cities, of palaces, and of private houses. Wrapt up - And hath been carefully kept in the scabbard, that it might not be blunted.

16. Go - O sword, take thy own course.

17. Smite my hands - In token of my approbation.

19. Appoint - Paint, or describe them on a tile. One land - That is, Babylon. Chuse - Pitch on some convenient place, where thou mayest place Nebuchadnezzar's army, consulting where this one way divides into two, which was on the edge of the desert of Arabia. At the head - Where each way runs, toward either Rabbath, or Jerusalem; for there Nebuchadnezzar will cast lots.

20. To Judah - The Jews.

21. Stood - The prophet speaks of what shall be, as if it were already. To use - To consult with his gods, and to cast lots. Arrows - Writing on them the names of the cities, then putting them into a quiver, and thence drawing them out and concluding, according to the name which was drawn. He consulted - Perhaps by a divine permission, the devil gave them answers from those images. In the liver - They judged of future events, by the entrails, and more especially by the liver. 22. The divination - The divination which concerned Jerusalem, was managed on his right hand.

23. Them - The Jews. That have sworn - Zedekiah, his princes, and nobles, who swore allegiance to the king of Babylon, these perjured persons will contemn all predictions of the prophet. He - Nebuchadnezzar. The iniquity - The wickedness of their perjury and rebellion. They - Zedekiah, and the Jews with him

24. Your transgressions - Against God, and against the king of Babylon. Discovered - To all in court, city, and country. With the hand - As birds, or beasts in the net, are taken with the hands, so shall you, and be carried into Babylon.

25. And thou - Zedekiah. Whose day - The day of sorrows, and sufferings, and punishment is at hand. Shall have an end - Shall bring the ruin of king and kingdom, and with the overthrow of your state, the means of sinning shall end too.

26. The diadem - The royal attire of the head, which the king daily wore. Shall not be the same - The kingdom shall never be what it hath been. Him that is low - Jeconiah. The advance of this captive king, came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of his captivity.

27. Shall be no more - Never recover its former glory, 'till the scepter be quite taken away from Judah, and way be made for the Messiah. He hath an incontestable right to the dominion both in the church and in the world. And in due time he shall have the possession of it, all adverse power being overturned.

28. Their reproach - Wherewith they reproached Israel in the day of Israel's afflictions.

29. While - While thy astrologers, and soothsayers, deceive thee with fair, but false divinations. To bring thee - To bring thee under the sword of the Chaldeans, and destroy thee as the Jews; to make thee stumble and fall on their necks, as men that fall among a multitude of slain.

30. Shall I cause it - God will by no means suffer the sword to be sheathed. Judge thee - Condemn, and execute.

31. I will blow - As those who melt down metals blow upon the metal in the fire, that the fire may burn the fiercer.

A catalogue of the sins of Jerusalem, ver. 1-12. Punishment threatened, ver. 13-16. They are condemned as dross to the fire, ver. 17-22. All orders of men having contributed to the national guilt, must share in the punishment of it, ver. 23-31.

2. Judge - The question is doubled, to awaken the prophet more fully, and to quicken him to his work.

3. Her time - The time of ripeness in her sins, and of execution of judgments on her. To defile - For this does more defile them, and provoke God to wrath against them.

4. Thy days - The days of thy sorrows, and punishment. Art come - Thou art grown up to the eldest years in sin, beyond which thou art not to go.

5. Much vexed - Afflicted, impoverished, and ruined.

6. Everyone - Not one to be found of a more merciful temper. To their power - According to their ability.

7. In thee - In Jerusalem.

8. Thou - O Jerusalem. Mine holy things - All mine institutions, temple, sacrifices, feasts.

9. Carry tales - Informers, or persons that for money, give in false witness against the innocent. They eat - Offer sacrifice on the mountains and feast there, in honour of their idols.

10. Discovered - Defiled their fathers bed.

13. Smitten mine hand - In testimony of my abhorrence.

14. Endure - Withstand the evils that are coming, or bear them when come.

16. In thyself - Whereas I was thine inheritance so long as thou wert a holy, obedient people; now be an inheritance to thyself, if thou canst.

18. Dross - Utterly degenerate, and base metal. The furnace - The afflictions I have laid upon them have not bettered them. The dross - While they loved mercy, did justly, walked humbly with their God, they were as silver; now they are but dross.

19. Gather you - From all parts. I will, by a secret over-ruling providence, bring you into Jerusalem, as into a furnace, where you may be consumed.

23. Her - The land of Israel. Not cleansed - Though God's judgments have been as violent floods; and as hottest fires. Nor rained upon - Yet neither thy filth hath been carried away, nor thy dross melted out of thee. Therefore thou shalt be deprived of the rain, that should cool thy thirsty land.

25. A conspiracy - A contrivance, to speak all alike, smooth words, and give out promises of peace and safety. Thereof - Of the land. The treasure - As a reward of their lies. Made her - By persuading Zedekiah to hold out the war, which filled Jerusalem with dead husbands, and forlorn widows.

26. My holy things - Sacrifices, and oblations. Put no difference - Neither have they in their practice, differenced holy and profane, nor in their teaching acquainted the people with the difference, nor in the exercise of their authority, separated the profane from the holy, either persons, or things. Hid their eyes - Despised, and would not see the holiness of the sabbaths. Profaned - Contemned, dishonoured, disobeyed.

27. Destroy souls - Ruin families; cutting off the fathers, and impoverishing the widow, and fatherless.

28. Daubed them - Flattered them, in their ways of sin. Untempered mortar - With promises that like ill-tempered mortar, will deceive them, though all seems at present smooth and safe.

30. I sought - God speaks after the manner of men. A man - Any one, among princes, prophets, priests, or people, to repair the breach. And stand - Interpose between a sinful people, and their offended God, and intreat for mercy. But - All were corrupted.

The apostacy of Israel and Samaria from God, ver. 1-8. Their ruin, ver. 9, 10. The apostacy of Judah and Jerusalem from God, ver. 11-21. Their ruin, ver. 22-35. The joint wickedness of them both, ver. 36- 44. And their joint ruin, ver. 45-49.

2. Two women - Judah, and Israel, two kingdoms.

3. Whoredoms - Idolatry.

4. Aholah - That is, his own tabernacle; for Israel falling off from the house of David, fell off from the tabernacle, or temple of God; so that all the temple they had was of their own making. The elder - Greater for number of tribes, and for power, wealth, and for multitudes of people. Aholibah - That is, my tabernacle in her: the two tribes had the temple of God with them. Mine - By solemn marriage-covenant. Bare sons - Were fruitful and brought forth children to me; they increased in numbers of people; and among these, some there were that were children of God by faith, love, and obedience.

5. Played the harlot - United in idolatry, with the Assyrians. Mine - When under my government, and protection.

6. Horsemen - Skillful in riding, and well furnished with choice horses.

7. With all - Other nations, with whom she had commerce.

10. Discovered - Stript her naked, and exposed her to shame. Took her sons - Captives. Slew her - The kingdom of Israel, under Hoshea, was by Salmanesar utterly destroyed. They - The Assyrians, had executed God's just displeasure upon her.

15. Girded - With soldiers belts, which includes the rest of the habit of soldiers. In dyed attire - Both rich, comely, large, and of divers colours. Princes - Of princely aspect and majesty.

17. Alienated - She grew weary of the Chaldeans.

18. Discovered - Made it appear to all, far and near.

19. By - Remembering her idolatries in Egypt, her alliance with it in days past, which she now resolved to act over again.

20. Paramours - The nations, that were confederate with the Egyptians.

23. Pekod - Pekod is the province between Tigris, and Lycus; in this was old Nineveh. Shoa - Either Sia in Armenia, or the Sohia, among which were the Adiabeni, and this contained the middle part of the kingdom of Babylon. Koa - This bordered upon Media, the inhabitants were called Kohai, and dwelt about Arbela. And all - All subjects of the Assyrian monarchy.

24. And wheels - Lest in their march the carriage wheels should break, a store of these were provided. An assembly - A mighty confluence of people. I will set - Give them a power in right of conquest over their rebels, as well as mine, and I will give them a spirit of judgment to discern the greatness of this people's sins. Judge - Condemn, and execute sentence upon thee. According - To their will, power, wrath, and custom, against rebels; for these are their rules of judgment.

25. I will set my jealousy - As a jealous provoked husband, I will be as much against thee as they are. Thy residue - Either the people, who hid themselves in vaults and cellars, or what the Chaldeans cannot carry away, all this shall be devoured by fire.

29. Take away - Deprive thee of the comfortable use of all thy labour, which they will exact of thee in captivity.

32. It - Is large, and contains what will last many years, even 'till the seventy years be expired.

34. Thou - Shalt stagger with sorrows, that shall intoxicate, and astonish. Suck it out - The dregs shalt thou drink, and multiply thine own sorrows. Break the sheards - To suck out what remains. And pluck - Revenging thyself upon thyself.

35. Bear thou - The guilt, I will impute it, the punishment, I will not pardon it.

38. In the same day - When they had newly polluted themselves with idolatry and murder, they thrust into the temple.

39. My house - Nay, these things have been in my house.

40. Wash thyself - After the manner of harlots.

41. Sattest - Prepared to feast them. A stately bed - A magnificent bed, on which women sat to feast, when men leaned on their sides. Incense - Offered to their idols.

42. A voice - A shout for joy, that there was a treaty of peace between the Jews, and the Chaldeans.

45. Righteous men - Men that keep the law of their God.

46. Upon them - Against the Jews, the children of this Aholibah.

47. The company - The Babylonian army.

48. Lewdness - Idolatry. And indeed we do not read of any after their return out of this captivity.

49. They - The Babylonians. The sins - The guilt of worshipping idols; and you shall bear the punishment of idolaters.

By the sign of flesh boiling in a pot are shewed, the miseries of Jerusalem during the siege, ver. 1-14. By the sign of Ezekiel's not mourning for his wife is shewed, that the approaching calamities would be to great to be lamented, ver. 15- 27.

1. In the ninth year - Of Zedekiah's reign. Came unto me - The prophet was now in Babylon.

2. Set himself - Sat down to besiege.

4. Every good piece - All the chief of the inhabitants of the land, the wealthiest, who will fly from their country-houses to live in safety in Jerusalem: the most war-like, who will betake themselves to Jerusalem for its defense. Fill it - With those pieces that are biggest, fullest of marrow, and which are divided according to the bones; these are the principal members of the state, the king, princes, priests, magistrates, and the most wealthy citizens.

5. The bones - Not of the pieces to be boiled, but of the many innocents murdered in Jerusalem; for their blood crieth for vengeance, and their bones scattered on the face of the earth, will both make and maintain this fire.

6. The bloody city - Jerusalem. Whose scum - Her wickedness is still within her. Piece by piece - One piece after another 'till all be consumed. No lot - Lots are for saving some, but here shall be no sparing any.

7. The blood - Innocent blood which she hath shed. The top of a rock - Where it might be long seen. To cover it - These butchers of innocent ones leave their blood uncovered.

8. I have set - I will openly punish, and in such a manner as shall not be soon forgotten.

10. And spice it well - To express this justice, that is acceptable to God and men. The bones - The greatest, strongest, and firmest of the Jews shall perish in this fiery indignation.

11. The filthiness - A type of the unreformed sinfulness of the city. Molten - That their wickedness may be taken away with their persons, and city.

12. She - Jerusalem. With lies - Her allies, their promises, their forces, and their idols, all prove a lie to the house of Judah. Her scum - Her unrepented sins shall be punished in the fire that burns their city.

13. Lewdness - Or obstinacy and boldness. Purged thee - Used all means to purge thee.

16. With a stroke - A sudden stroke, by my own immediate hand. We know not how soon the desire of our eyes may be removed from us. Death is a stroke, which the most pious, the most useful, the most amiable are not exempted from.

17. Bind the tire - Adorn thy head, as thou wast used to do; go not bare-headed as a mourner. Thy shoes - ln great mournings the Jews went bare-footed. Cover not thy lips - It was a custom among them to cover the upper lip. Eat not - Of thy neighbours and friends, who were wont to visit their mourning friends, and send in choice provision to their houses.

18. I spake - Told them what I expected would be.

21. Profane - Cast off, and put into the hands of Heathens. The excellency of your strength - So it was while God's presence was there. The desire - As much your desire, as my wife was mine; most dear to you.

22. Ye shall do - When you are in captivity, where you may not use your own customs.

23. Pine away - You shall languish with secret sorrow, when you shall not dare to shew it openly.

25. Their strength - Their walls and fortifications. The joy - All their public and private joys and hopes shall be destroyed in the destruction of the kingdom, and their children.

26. To hear it - To give thee a narrative of all he had seen.

27. No more dumb - From this prophecy for eighteen months during the siege, he does not prophesy of Israel, but of other nations. Thou shalt be a sign - Until the event shall convince the Jews, thou shalt by sign, signify to them, what is coming.

A prophesy against the Ammonites, ver. 1-7. The Moabites, ver. 8-11. The Edomites, ver. 12-14. And the Philistines, ver. 15- 17.

3. Aha - When thou shouldest have pitied, thou didst proudly insult over my people.

4. The men of the east - The Arabians, associates of Nebuchadnezzar, who recompensed their service, with giving them this country when it was conquered, as it was five years after the desolation of Jerusalem.

5. Rabbah - The royal city, called since Philadelphia from the king of Egypt who built it. The Ammonites - The land they dwelt in.

7. Know - Thus God will bring those that were strangers to him into an acquaintance with him, and it will be a blessed effect of their calamities. How much better is it, to be poor and know God, than to be rich, and ignorant of him?

8. Seir - The seed of Esau, the Edomites. Seir was the mountain where they first planted themselves. Is like - Are no more a select people than others.

9. The side - That part of his country which was best fortified. Bethjeshimoth - An ancient city; it was a fortress toward the desert, which watched lest any should make an inroad on the country.

10. With the Ammonites - As I have given Ammon, so I will with them give Moab to the Chaldeans, who will give it to the Arabians.

13. Teman - A country in the southern coast of Edom. Dedan - Adjoining to Edom.

15. It - Israel.

16. The Cherethim - The bowmen, the strength of Philistia. The remnant - Who had escaped the sword of Samuel, David, Hezekiah, and of Psammetichus king of Egypt.

The sin of Tyre, ver. 1, 2. The utter destruction of it, ver. 3- 14. The astonishment of the neighbouring nations, ver. 15-21.

1. In the eleventh year - Of Jechoniah's captivity, the year wherein Jerusalem was taken. The month - That month which followed the taking of Jerusalem.

2. Because - Probably God revealed this to the prophet as soon as these insulting Tyrians spoke it. The gates - The great mart of nations, people from all parts. She is turned - The trading interest will turn to me.

4. Scrape - I will leave thee nothing; thou shalt be scraped, and swept, that not so much as dust shall remain in thee. Like - As bare as was the rock on which thy city is built.

6. Her daughters - The lesser cities. In the field - On the firm land.

11. Garrisons - Bastions, or forts, or triumphal arches.

12. Shall lay - It had been a quicker way, to have burnt all; but the greedy soldier might dream of treasures hid in walls, or under the timber, and therefore take the pains to pull all down, and throw it into the sea.

14. No more - Tho' there was a city of that name built, yet it was built on the continent; and in propriety of speech, was another city.

15. The isles - Isles which are places freest from danger of invasions, will shake with fear, when they learn that Tyre is fallen.

16. The princes - Who were lords of the islands of that sea. Come down - In token of condolence. Trembling - They shall be afraid of their own concerns, and astonished in the midst of their fears.

18. In the sea - At a great distance, and farther from land. Departure - Leaving thy ancient dwelling, to go into captivity.

19. The deep - Nebuchadnezzar's army. Great waters - Great afflictions.

20. Bring thee down - When I shall slay thee, and throw thee into the grave. With the people - Who are long since dead, and gone to eternity. The low parts - Another description of the grave, from the situation and solitude of it. Set glory - Then I will restore the beauty, strength, and wealth of Israel, and bring them back to Jerusalem. In the land - In the land of Judea, called, land of the living, because a land, where God will bless, and give life by his word, ordinances, and spirit: thus different shall Tyre's captivity and Jerusalem's be.

21. A terror - To all that hear of thee.

A large account of the wealth, splendour and trade of Tyre, ver. 1-25. Its utter ruin, and the consternation of its neighbours, ver. 26-36.

2. A lamentation - We ought to mourn for the miseries of other nations, as well as of our own, out of an affection for mankind in general; yea, tho' they have brought them upon themselves.

3. At the entry - Hebrew. Entrances. She was about four furlongs, or half an English mile from the continent, as it were in the very door of the sea.

5. They - The shipwrights. Shipboards - The planks and benches, or transoms for their ships. Fir-trees - Of the best and finest firtrees. Lebanon - Whose cedars excelled others.

6. With box - From the isles, and parts about the Ionian, Aegean, and other seas of the Mediterranean, where box-tree is a native, and of great growth and firmness, fit to saw into boards for benches; they were conveyed to Tyre, where their artists inlaid these box boards with ivory, and made them beautiful seats in their ships.

7. The isles of Elishah - Probably the sea-coast of Aeolis in the lesser Asia, the inhabitants whereof were excellent in the skill of dying wool. Which covered - He speaks of the coverings they used in their ships or galleys: their tilts, as our boat-men call them.

8. Zidon - An ancient town and haven of Phoenicia, not far from Tyre. Arvad - Or Aradus, an island belonging to Phoenicia, twenty furlongs from the continent. Mariners - Rowers in thy galleys; the rich Tyrians would not employ their own in such servile works, they hired strangers. Wise men - Thy learned men: for navigation was the great study of the Tyrians.

9. The ancients - Old experienced workmen. Gebal - A town of Phoenicia near the sea. The wise men - Skilful in their trades. Were in thee - Who dwelt in Tyre for gain. All the ships - Ships from all parts of the sea, full of mariners, not only to manage the ships at sea, but to offer their service to the Tyrians for bringing in, or carrying out their wares.

10. Lud - Lydians, not those Cresus was king over, but those that dwelt in Egypt about the lake Maraeolis. Phut - Lybians, a people of Africa; these were their hired soldiers. Hanged the shield - In time of peace. They set forth - These stout, expert, well armed guards, were an honour to thee.

11. With - Mixed with other hired soldiers. The Gammadim - Probably men of Gammade, a town of Phoenicia.

13. Javan - The Grecians, particularly the Ionians. Tubal - The Asiatic Iberians, and the Albanians toward the Caspian sea. Meshech - The Cappadocians. They traded - Brought men to sell for slaves.

14. Of the house - Of the country. Togarmah - Armenia the lesser, Phrygia, Galatia, or Cappadocia. Horsemen - It is likely they might sell grooms, as best able to manage, and keep those horses.

15. Isles - In the Indian seas, and in the Red-sea traded with thee. Horns - Elk's horns, or wild goats. Ebony - Is a very solid, heavy, shining, black wood, fit for many choice works.

16. The multitude - The abundance of the Tyrian manufactures.

17. Minnith - The name of an excellent wheat country. Pannag - Some obscure place, which now is forgotten.

19. Javan - In the isle of Meroe, in Egypt.

20. Dedan - The posterity of Abraham by Keturah, who dwelt in Arabia, and were sheep-masters. Clothes - With which they lined their chariots.

22. Sheba - A country in Arabia Felix. Raamah - Another people of the same Arabia.

23. Haran - In Mesopotamia, where Abraham dwelt. Canneh - This is supposed to be the same with Calneh, Gen. x, 10, afterwards Ctesiphon, a pleasant city on Tigris. Ashur - Assyria. Chilmad - A country between Assyria and Parthia.

25. The ships - The ships from all parts of the sea. Did sing - Had their songs to commend thy state.

26. Thy rowers - Thy governors and counsellors. Great waters - Dangers and difficulties. The east wind - The king of Babylon with his army. Hath broken - As surely will, as if he had already done it. In the midst - Where thou thoughtest thyself impregnable.

27. All thy company - All that are men fit for war, in the multitudes of people that are in thee. Shall fall - These all shall fall together.

28. The suburbs - The suburbs, which are nearest the sea, shall first hear the out-cries of pilots, and mariners.

29. Shall come down - ln the allegory of a miserable shipwreck, the prophet sets forth the fall of Tyre; and in this verse he represents them all shifting out of the sinking ship, in great confusion.

30. Wallow themselves in ashes - As men use to do in their greatest mournings.

32. In the sea - Alas! what was once her safeguard, is now her grave.

33. Went forth - Were landed. Thou filledst - There was enough to supply to the full.

34. By the seas - The Babylonians, that like seas shall swell, roar, and break in upon thee.

35. Troubled - They shall not be able to conceal the discomposure of their mind, but will shew it in their countenance.

36. Shall hiss - Will mock at thy fall.