Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. Ver. 1. _Open thy doors, O Lebanon_] This chapter is no less comminatory than the two former had been consolatory. The tartness of the threatening maketh men best taste the sweetness of the promise. Sour and sweet make the best sauce;... [ Continue Reading ]
Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. Ver. 2. _Howl, fir tree_] That is, ye of lower rank, or ye meaner cities, those daughters of Jerusalem, that felt the Roman's force; howl, take up a loud o... [ Continue Reading ]
Zechariah 11:3 [There is] a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. Ver. 3. _There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds_] _Potentes potenter torquebuntur._ "The loftiness of man shall be bowe... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; Ver. 4. _Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of slaughter_] So lately pulled out of the jaws of those lions, Zec 11:3 cf. Amos 3:12, and yet destined to destruction by the Romans, those _Raptores Orbis_ robbers of the world, (their... [ Continue Reading ]
Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed [be] the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. Ver. 5. _Whose possessors slay them_] Flaying their skin from off them, eating their flesh, breaking their bones, &c., Micah 3:3; fee... [ Continue Reading ]
For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver [them]. Ver. 6. _For I will no more pity the inhabitants o... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will feed the flock of slaughter, [even] you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock. Ver. 7. _And will I feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock_] Or, as Montanus readeth it, for you, f... [ Continue Reading ]
Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Ver. 8. _Three shepherds also I cut off in one month_] That is, in a short time I took away and displaced, even by the heathen princes, many proud princes and priests; such as were Menelaus, Jason... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another. Ver. 9. _Then said I, I will not feed you_] Now the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, so that there was no remedy, as 2 Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
And I took my staff, [even] Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. Ver. 10. _And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder_] In token that he had cast off his office of shepherd, he breaks his staff, the ensign and instrument of his o... [ Continue Reading ]
And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it [was] the word of the LORD. Ver. 11. _And it was broken in that day_] When they filled up the measure of their fathers' sins, and added this to all their other evils, that they crucified the Lord of glory,... [ Continue Reading ]
And I said unto them, If ye think good, give [me] my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty [pieces] of silver. Ver. 12. _If ye think good, give me my price_] Pay me for my pains, lay me down my shepherd's wages. Is not the labourer worthy of his hire? Shall I be forced to... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty [pieces] of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. Ver. 13. _Cast it unto the potter_] _q.d._ Do they deal with me as with some sordid swineherd? Do they awa... [ Continue Reading ]
Then I cut asunder mine other staff, [even] Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. Ver. 14. _Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands_] Or, binders; the bond of unity, say some; by sending a spirit of perversities among them, such as that was which made way for t... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. Ver. 15. _Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd_] And so represent in a type, or figure, the wicked and depraved government, that, for a just punishment of their frowardness and uuthankfulness, I... [ Continue Reading ]
For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, [which] shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. Ver. 16. _For, lo, I will raise u... [ Continue Reading ]
Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword [shall be] upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. Ver. 17. _Woe to the idol shepherd_] The Vulgate hath, _O pastor et idolum,_ O thou shepherd and idol; thou that... [ Continue Reading ]