1The calamities coming upon Judah because of sin. 10The different reward of the righteous and the wicked. 12The oppression of the rulers. 16The punishment of the women for their pride. 25The general desolation.
1FOR, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the 1staya and the staff, the whole 2stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
1 That is, everything on which they rely themselves, whether great or small, honorable or low. Other, the leaning man and the leaning woman.
a support
2 That is, all the nourishing virtue of bread, and all the nourishing virtue of water, so that they shall not be filled and satisfied, though they eat much bread and drink much water. With this kind of judgment the Lord also threatens the transgressors of His laws, Lev. 26:26. See there the annotation; and see thereof an example Hag. 1:6.
2The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the 3prudent, and the 4ancient,
3 That is, the farseeing, provident, prudent man, who sees a thing coming afar off, or foresees it before it comes to pass. See Prov. 16:10.
4 Namely, not only ancient in years, but also well experienced, wise, and skilful in governing, whether church or commonwealth.
3The captain of fifty, and 5the honourable man, and the 6counseller, and the 7cunning artificer,b and 8the eloquent orator.
5 Hebr. the man lifted up in countenance, that is, the honorable man, or the man in authority.
6 Other, the giver of counsel.
7 Or, wise, experienced.
b skilled craftsman, inventor*
8 He who has a fluent tongue, or wise in reasoning, an eloquent man.
4And I will give 9children to be their princes, and 10babes shall rule over them.
9 Namely, young in years. Or young in understanding, or in both. See Eccl. 10:16.
10 Other, childish men.
5And the people shall be 11oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself 12proudly against the ancient, and 13the base against the honourable.
11 Or, be driven hard, namely, to payment, or, to heavy service and labor.
12 Or, audacious, bold.
13 That is, the ignoble ones, or not esteemed among the people.
6When a man shall take hold of 14his brother 15of the house of his father, saying, 16Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let 17this ruin be 18under thy hand:
14 That is, his kinsman.
15 That is, he who is of his father’s house or family.
16 That is, thou art well-to-do, or, thou hast enough means to live; thou art one of the most honorable persons among us; commonly, riches are seen in men’s clothing.
17 Or, this calamity, or, ruin, or destruction. The sense is: Take the sad and decayed case of our state or commonwealth at hand, and help to support it as much as thou art able. Other, let now thine hand be under this ruin; a phrase borrowed from a house in disrepair.
18 That is, under thy discretion.
719In that day shall he 20swear, saying, I will not be an 21healer; for in my house 22is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.
19 That is, forthwith, without taking long deliberation.
20 Or, he shall lift up his hands, namely to heaven, that is, he shall swear. See Gen. 14:22. Other, he shall lift up his voice.
21 Hebr. wrapper, namely, of your wounds, or, be no surgeon or physician. As if he had said, things are too far decayed in our state, the wound of our commonwealth is too far corrupted; I am not able to remedy the matter that is so decayed. In brief, the prophet intimates that the case of the Jews would be so sad and miserable that notwithstanding everyone would be pleased to be great, yet no man would be ready to embrace the government though it were offered unto him. See also Job 34 on verse 17.
22 As if he said: I am so poor that I am not able to provide the necessities for myself and mine own relations, much less am I able to help you.
8For Jerusalem 23is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
23 That is, it will surely fall very shortly.
9 ¶ 24The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they 25declare their sin 26as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for 27they have rewarded evil unto themselves.
24 That is, one may see by their looks and by their very countenance that they are wicked, impudent people. Other, The hardness of their face, in which signification the Hebrew word is also taken Job 19:3.
25 That is, they boast. Hebr. they proclaim.
26 That is, as the inhabitants of Sodom. See Gen. 13:13; 18:20; 19:5.
27 Namely, by provoking the Lord to judgment by their sins. See of the Hebrew word gamal, bountifully, Psalm 13 on verse 6.
10Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be 28well with him: for they shall 29eat the fruit of their doings.
28 See of such use of the Hebrew word tob Jer. 22:15, 16.
29 That is, enjoy, that is, God shall graciously reward their godliness. See the annotations at Prov. 1 on verse 31.
11Woe unto the wicked! 30it shall be ill with him: 31for the reward of his hands shall be given him.
30 In the Hebrew is only mentioned the word evil or wicked. Other, when he is wicked, that is, when he remains wicked.
31 That is, the very same which he has done unto others shall befall him; he shall be punished for the sake of his evil deeds.
12¶As for my people, 32children are their 33oppressors, and 34women rule over them. O my people, they which lead 35thee cause thee to err, and 36destroy the way of thy paths.
32 That is, inexperienced men, who follow their own lusts, like children.
33 That is, severe rulers or drivers.
34 That is, effeminate men, who have no courage at all.
35 Or, your leaders that is, your teachers and rulers. Other, Those that count you happy, or, blessed; understanding such preachers who sow pillows under men’s elbows, crying: There is no danger.
36 That is, they destroy the way in which you ought to walk, as he who devours or swallows down a thing that he puts in his mouth, or they cover and darken the way, as a thing that is swallowed down is hid, and as it were wrapped up. Compare Num. 4:20. Or, they pass over it very lightly. Compare Job 39:24 with the annotation.
13The LORD standeth up 37to plead, and standeth to judge 38the people.
37 That is, to enter into judgment, as Isa. 1:18.
38 Namely, the people of Israel, which is great and many in number, as Acts 4:27.
14The LORD will enter into judgment with 39the ancientsc of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have 40eaten up 41the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
39 That is, the judges, rulers, magistrates, who were used to be chosen out of ancient, grave men. These the Lord shall summon before the bar of His justice, because they have oppressed His people by injustice.
c elders*
40 Hebr. burned, or consumed it with fire. See Num. 24:22. The sense is: Instead of cultivating My vineyard and bringing Me good fruits from it, ye waste and destroy it, and bring reproach and contempt upon it.
41 That is, the church of God, or the people of God, who were committed to their charge. See Isa. 5:1; Mat. 21:33.
1542What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and 43grind 44the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
42 That is, what right or reasons have ye for it? that ye, etc.
43 That is, treat them most cruelly and most inhumanely. Other, beat them as in a mortar, or, deface them with scratching and filth.
44 That is, the persons.
16¶Moreover the LORD saith, Because the 45daughters of Zion are 46haughty, and walk 47with stretched forth necks and 48wanton eyes, 49walking and mincingdas they go, 50and making a tinkling with their feet:
45 That is, the women and maidens at Jerusalem, who are threatened here on account of their haughtiness.
46 The head stuck up high through pride.
47 Hebr. stretched out in neck or in throat.
48 Hebr. deceiving with the eyes, or, leering with the eyes, that is, giving to understand her craftiness with the eyes.
49 Other, they go tripping along, as if they were little children, making small steps.
d with little steps
50 Or, fettered. Other, yea, they wear little fetters at their feet. Other, making a sound or tinkling with their feet, as if there hung little bells at them. Others take it thus: They go half dancing, keeping certain measures or time in their treading. But the most and leading interpreters understand it of certain costly ornaments on the feet, having the manner of little or small fetters.
17Therefore the Lord will smite with a 51scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and 52the LORD will discover their secret parts.
51 Or, make scabby. Other, bald. Upon scabbiness commonly follows baldness or the falling out of the hair. Others understand it thus, that they would fall into the hand and power of the enemy, that would shave their head clean off with a razor, and make them bald, as to slaves and servants are used to be done.
52 That is, the Lord shall cause them to be stripped of their garments, so that they shall have to go naked, and shall not have so much as to cover therewith their shame.
18In that day the Lord will take away 53the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and 54their cauls,e and their 55round tiresf like the moon,
53 Concerning the verses from 18 to 24, they are translated in many different ways. The proud dames in those times had many other braveries and dressings which our maidens have now today, so that many of those names are unknown to us, many of them bringing the name along with them from the country where they were first invented. They are here set down as close as we could guess them. For bravery or ornaments of the garters, others have networks or grated garments, which were knit or made transparent, or pinked, which some call windows of immodesty.
54 Or, scarves, or, chain-work, such as are your fine-knitted small nets, or tiffanies, thin cloth, and all kinds of knitting or weaving, which is transparent.
e hair nets
55 This was a kind of ornament in the form or fashion of little moons. See Judges 8 on verse 21. At this day some do wear in the ear tips jewels of gold, silver, pearls or precious stones, similar to little moons.
f (noun) head-dress
1956The chains, and the bracelets, and 57the mufflers,g
56 Understand here the gold or silver boxes, which had musk or other sweet-smelling spices in them, which the young women wore about their neck, or upon their breasts, or between them. Other, neck-chains, or such like.
57 That is, clothes spread with gold or silver spangles, which glitter when the sun did shine upon them, as if they had been glittering stars. Other. shaking or quavering leaves.
g scarf covering the lower part of the face
2058The bonnets, and 59the ornaments of the legs, and the 60headbands, and 61the tablets,h and the earrings,
58 See Ezek. 24 on verse 17; Ezek. 44 on verse 18.
59 See 2 Sam. 1:10.
60 Or, head strings. See Jer. 2 on verse 32.
61 Hebr. little houses of the soul, or, of the breath, as such the sweet-balls are called, because they cheer the heart and strengthen breathing.
h necklace ornament
21The rings, and 62nose jewels,
62 These were certain ornaments, which hang from the forehead down upon the nose, Gen. 24:22.
2263The changeablei suits of apparel, and 64the mantles, and the wimples,j and 65the crisping pins,k
63 As Judges 14:12.
i that can be changed, changes of dress being a sign of wealth
64 Hebr. the upper coverings. It may well be they were great veils, which are now called in French le grand voile.
j shawls, cloaks
65 As 2 Kings 5:23. Other, needles, or, pins, namely, of gold or silver, such as now also some young daughters wear in their hair.
k curling pins for the hair
23The glasses, and the fine linen, and 66the hoods, and 67the vails.
66 Or, headdress.
67 Other, launes, or, thin veils, or fine, thin and light garments, which were worn in Judea, and in the hot countries round about.
24And it shall come to pass, that instead of 68sweet smell there shall be 69stink; and instead of a girdle a 70rent; and instead 71of well set hair baldness; and instead of 72a stomacherl a girding of sackcloth; and 73burning instead of beauty.
68 That is, spices.
69 Or, consumption, rottenness, as Isa. 5:24.
70 As when women are unlaced.
71 Or, frizzled hair, or, hair combed smooth, or, hair laid neatly.
72 Or, loose gown.
l richly ornamented triangular piece of cloth, worn as a covering for the chest or abdomen
73 Understand the burning or peeling of the face, occasioned by the heat of the sun.
2574Thy men shall fall by the sword, and 75thy mighty in the war.
74 O Jerusalem, or, Zion.
75 Hebr. thy strength; so we use to say the nobility of the land for the noble men of the land.
26And 76her 77gates shall lament and mourn; and she being 78desolate shall sit 79upon the ground.
76 Namely, of Jerusalem, or, of Zion.
77 That is, the courts of justice, the public places of judicature, for the counselors would have perished.
78 Namely, of inhabitants, goods and household furniture. See likewise of the Hebrew word Prov. 14 on verse 4.
79 As sad, mournful and dejected persons use to do. See Job 1:20.