By another vision God confirms what he had lately taught concerning the siege of Jerusalem. For he orders the Prophet to shave the hairs off his head and his beard, then to distribute them into three parts, and to weigh them in a balance. He mentions a just balance, that equity may be preserved, and... [ Continue Reading ]
It is now added: _Thou shalt take then a small number, and bind them, _(that is, that number, but the number is changed,) viz., _those hairs of which the number is small in the skirts of thy clothing _It either takes away the confidence which might spring up from a temporary escape, or else it signi... [ Continue Reading ]
We just saw that there were many reprobate in that small number. Hence, therefore, it is easily gathered how desperate was the impiety of the whole people. _After this, he _says, _take: _this adverb is used that those who survived after the slaughter of the city should not think that all their punis... [ Continue Reading ]
Now God shows the reason why he determined to act so severely and harshly towards that holy city which he had selected as the royal residence. For the greater the benefits with which he had adorned the city, by so much the baser and grosser was their ingratitude. God recounts, therefore, his benefit... [ Continue Reading ]
He now adds, _My judgments are changed _concerning the word מרה, _mereh_, I said that it signifies sometimes to change, but oftener to transgress or to reject, and there the sense suits very well, because the Jews were rebellious against the judgments of God even to impiety. But he enlarges upon the... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is variously expounded on account of the word המנכם _, hemenekem: _for some read it jointly in one context, as if through being multiplied they did not worship God; as if he meant that they were luxurious through their opulence, as horses are restive through too much food and fatness. Tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Now follows the threat, that God was prepared to take vengeance. _Behold, I, even, I, am against you _The particle גם _, gam, “even,” _is used as we in French say, _yea, even: I, _even I. We now see that the repetition is emphatic, as if God asserted a horrible destruction to be hanging over the Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
Now God subjoins, that their punishment should be so severe that no similar example could be found in the world — _I will do what I have not done, nor intended to do, _that is, I will avenge your contempt of my law in a striking and unexpected manner; for God sometimes so chastises men as not to exc... [ Continue Reading ]
He says, then, _fathers shall eat their sons in the midst of you, _and this was certainly fulfilled: for Jeremiah speaks of women, but he comprehends men also. (Lamentations 4:10.) For he says that women are tender-hearted, he does not say mothers merely, but that they were humane beyond others; but... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God again expresses more clearly why he was so eager to take vengeance namely, because the religion of the Jews was corrupt, and the Temple had been violated, as we shall see to-morrow.... [ Continue Reading ]
Now he explains without a figure what he had previously proposed figuratively. For he had been commanded to shave off the hairs of his head and of his beard with a razor, and to divide them so that the pestilence should consume one part, the sword another, and the famine a third. Now he repeats the... [ Continue Reading ]
In this verse the Prophet only teaches what he had said before, but by way of confirmation, namely, that God’s vengeance would be horrible and unceasing until the destruction and extinction of the people. There are some who think that this was interposed that God might mitigate the rigor of his veng... [ Continue Reading ]
He explains what we saw before more at length, whence also we understand that in the next verse God had not softened his anger, but proclaimed the ultimate destruction of the nation. He says therefore, _that the Jews shall be desolate, _as they translate it: it also signifies dryness, and hence is t... [ Continue Reading ]
He further explains how the Jews should be devastated and become a reproach among the nations. Now, he does not speak of their dispersion, but uses two words for one idea: he puts חרפה, _cherepheh, _which signifies a reproach, and adds גדופה _, gedopheh, _which signifies a taunt and a mocking: but t... [ Continue Reading ]
He illustrates the sentiment which we have seen, but not after the manner of rhetoricians, who affect splendor and ornament of speech; but his only design was to penetrate the minds of the people, like stones or iron. This, then, is the reason why he uses such variety here, and adorns his teaching w... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God speaks generally concerning certain adversities — _I will send evil upon them, _he says, but immediately afterwards he adds the kind of evil, of which he had not yet spoken. Hence, under the name of evil he embraces all adversities, as if he had said that he intended to exact the penalty fr... [ Continue Reading ]