Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. In this chapter he reproves the people and priests for their sins in the eleven years interregnum which follo... [ Continue Reading ]
By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. BY SWEARING, AND LYING, AND KILLING, AND STEALING, AND COMMITTING ADULTERY, THEY BREAK OUT - bursting through every restraint. AND BLOOD TOUCHETH BLOOD - literally, bloods. One... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. THEREFORE SHALL THE LAND MOURN, AND EVERY ONE THAT DWELLETH THEREIN SHALL LANGUISH - (; ; ; ). SE... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest. YET LET NO MAN STRIVE, NOR REPROVE ANOTHER - great as is the sin of Israel, it is hopeless to reprove them. FOR THY PEOPLE ARE AS THEY THAT STRIVE WITH THE PRIEST - for their presumptuous guilt i... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. THEREFORE SHALT THOU FALL IN THE DAY - in broad daylight, a time when an attack would not be expected (notes, Jeremiah 6:4, "Prepare ye war ... let us go up at noon;" , "a... [ Continue Reading ]
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. MY PEOPLE ARE DESTROYED FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE - literally, 'THE knowled... [ Continue Reading ]
As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. AS THEY WERE INCREASED - in numbers, wealth, and power. Compare , "thy children," to which their "increase" in numbers refers. God had designed that the larger were their numbers, and the greater t... [ Continue Reading ]
They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. THEY EAT UP THE SIN OF MY PEOPLE - i:e., the sin offerings (; ). The priests greedily devoured them. AND THEY SET THEIR HEART ON THEIR INIQUITY - literally, lift up the animal soul to, i:e., lust after, or strongly de... [ Continue Reading ]
And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. AND THERE SHALL BE, LIKE PEOPLE, LIKE PRIEST - they are one in guilt, therefore, they shall be one in punishment (Isaiah 24:2, "And it shall be as with the people, so with the pries... [ Continue Reading ]
For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. FOR THEY SHALL EAT, AND NOT HAVE ENOUGH - just retribution on those who "eat up (greedily) the sin of my people" (): insatiable desire is its own torm... [ Continue Reading ]
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. WHOREDOM AND WINE AND NEW WINE TAKE AWAY THE HEART - a moral truth applicable to all times The special reference here is to the licentious orgies connected with the Syrian worship, which lured Israel away from the pure worship of God (; ; ). T... [ Continue Reading ]
My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. MY PEOPLE ASK COUNSEL AT THEIR STOCKS - literally, on their stocks, depending on them, wholly and habitually. Instan... [ Continue Reading ]
They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery. THEY SACRIFICE UPON THE TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS. High places... [ Continue Reading ]
I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall. I WILL NOT PUNISH YOUR DAUGHTERS WHEN THEY COMMIT WHOREDOM... [ Continue Reading ]
Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth. THOUGH THOU, ISRAEL, PLAY THE HARLOT, YET LET NOT JUDAH OFFEND - though Israel's ten tribes indulge in spiritual harlotry, at least thou, Judah,... [ Continue Reading ]
For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place. FOR ISRAEL SLIDETH BACK AS A BACKSLIDING HEIFER - translate, 'Israel is refractory, as a refractory heifer,' namely, one that throws the yoke off her neck. Israel had represented God under th... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone. EPHRAIM - the ten tribes. Judah was at this time not so given to idolatry as afterward. IS JOINED TO IDOLS - closely and voluntarily; identifying themselves with them as a whoremonger becomes one flesh with the harlot (Numbers 25:3, "Israel joined him... [ Continue Reading ]
Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye. THEIR DRINK IS SOUR - metaphor for utter degeneracy of principle (Isaiah 1:22). Or, unbridled licentiousness; not mere ordinary sin, but as abandoned as drunkards who vomit and smell sour with... [ Continue Reading ]
The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. THE WIND HATH BOUND HER UP IN HER WINGS. Israel shall be swept away from her land () suddenly and violently, as if by "the wings of the wind" (; ; Jeremiah 4:11, "A dry wind of the high places in the... [ Continue Reading ]