*H Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith the Lord: I have remembered thee, pitying thy youth, and the love of thy espousals, when thou followedst me in the desert, in a land that is not sown.
Ver. 2. Espousals. He speaks ironically. Theod. — Yet the Israelites at first shewed greater proofs of love than they did afterwards. It is true they often prevaricated, in the wilderness. Ex. xxxii. 1. Amos v. 25. Ps. lxxvii. &c. C. — The Lord declares his gratuitous love, and then upbraids his people. H. — He had caused them to multiply in Egypt, and gratuitously made choice of them. W.
*H Israel is holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his increase: all they that devour him offend: evils shall come upon them, saith the Lord.
Ver. 3. Increase; most desirable. Osee ix. 10. God punished those who attempted to injure his people: yet they abandoned his service.
*H Thus saith the Lord: What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
Ver. 5. Vanity; idols, whom he will not mention, to spare their shame. C.
* Footnote * Micheas 6 : 3
O my people, what have I done to thee, or in what have I molested thee? answer thou me.*H And I brought you into the land of Carmel, to eat the fruit thereof, and the best things thereof: and when ye entered in, you defiled my land and made my inheritance an abomination.
Ver. 7. Carmel. That is, a fruitful, plentiful land. Ch. W. — All Palestine is thus designated. M.
*H The priests did not say: Where is the Lord? and they that held the law knew me not, and the pastors transgressed against me: and the prophets prophesied in Baal, and followed idols.
Ver. 8. Priests were silent, or abandoned themselves. — Pastors; "princes." Chal. Manasses, Amon, &c. — In Baal, promoting his worship. H. — The land was full of false prophets, and none stood up for the Lord.
*H Therefore will I yet contend in judgment with you, saith the Lord, and I will plead with your children.
Ver. 9. Children; the Israelites, under Moses, and their posterity transgressed.
*H Pass over to the isles of Cethim, and see: and send into Cedar, and consider diligently: and see if there hath been done any thing like this.
Ver. 10. Cethim; Macedon. It here denotes the western nations, as Cedar does those on the east.
*H If a nation hath changed their gods, and indeed they are not gods: but my people have changed their glory into an idol.
Ver. 11. Glory; the true God and his ark. Ps. iii. 4. and 1 K. iv. 21.
*H Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and ye gates thereof, be very desolate, saith the Lord.
Ver. 12. Gates; angels, or the temple.
*H For my people have done two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have digged to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Ver. 13. Water. The idols and nations, to which they have had recourse, injure them. C. — The Jews did just the reverse to what God commanded. W.
*H Is Israel a bondman, or a homeborn slave? why then is he become a prey?
Ver. 14. Slave. From such, labour and tribute were required. Mat. xvii. 24. Jo. viii. 33.
*H The lions have roared upon him, and have made a noise, they have made his land a wilderness: his cities are burnt down, and there is none to dwell in them.
Ver. 15. Lions; kings of Assyria, &c. The decree for the devastation of Juda had already passed, though it was not put in execution.
*H The children also of Memphis, and of Taphnes have defloured thee, even to the crown of the head.
Ver. 16. Taphnes, 16 miles from Pelusium, in Egypt. The nation proved only detrimental to the Jews, by engaging them in their abominations, instead of affording relief.
*H And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the troubled water? And what hast thou to do with the way of the Assyrians, to drink the water of the river?
Ver. 18. Troubled. Heb. shichor, or Nile water, (Jos. xiii. 3.) which was thought as good as wine, and grew better for keeping. Strabo xvii. — Hence the people adored it. Vitruv. viii. — God often reproached the Jews for distrusting in his protection, and seeking aid from the Egyptians, who deceived them. We know not that Josias did so. C. — He even opposed them, and lost his life in defending the country. 4 K. xxiii. 29. H. — He was probably obliged to pay tribute to the Assyrians, whom Achaz had called in. 2 Par. xxviii. 23. These alliances the Lord condemned.
*H Of old time thou hast broken my yoke, thou hast burst my bands, and thou saidst: I will not serve. For on every high hill, and under every green tree thou didst prostitute thyself.
Ver. 20. Thou. Sept. Yet Heb. and Chal. have, "I have permissively broken," or foretold this infidelity.
*H Yet, I planted thee a chosen vineyard, all true seed: how then art thou turned unto me into that which is good for nothing, O strange vineyard?
Ver. 21. Chosen. Heb. Sorek. Judg. xvi. 4. Is. v. 2. and xvi. 8. C. — God created all things good, planted his Church in justice, and no evil proceeds from Him. W.
* Footnote * Isaias 5 : 1
I will sing to my beloved the canticle of my cousin concerning his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a hill in a fruitful place.* Footnote * Matthew 21 : 33
Hear ye another parable. There was a man, an householder, who planted a vineyard and made a hedge round about it and dug in it a press and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen and went into a strange country.*H Though thou wash thyself with nitre, and multiply to thyself the herb borith, thou art stained in thy iniquity before me, saith the Lord God.
Ver. 22. Borith. An herb used to clean clothes, and take out spots and dirt, (Ch.) like kali, soda, (C.) or soap. Langius. — Prot. "and take thee much soap." H.
*H How canst thou say: I am not polluted, I have not walked after Baalim? see thy ways in the valley, know what thou hast done: as a swift runner pursuing his course.
Ver. 23. Valley of Hinnom, under the very walls of Jerusalem. C. — Runner. Heb. "dromedary," which takes its name from its swiftness. H. — The female camel continues all day with the male, and cannot be approached. Aristot. Pliny x. 63. — Juda is represented as no less libidinous. C.
*H A wild ass accustomed to the wilderness in the desire of his heart, snuffed up the wind of his love: none shall turn her away: all that seek her shall not fail: in her monthly filth they shall find her.
Ver. 24. Away. The female may easily be found by the poisonous hippo-manes. Georg. iii. — Thus Jerusalem is an impudent prostitute. H.
*H Keep thy foot from being bare, and thy throat from thirst. But thou saidst: I have lost all hope, I will not do it: for I have loved strangers, and I will walk after them.
Ver. 25. Foot, and the parts which modesty covers. My exhortations are slighted. C. — Despair opens the door to every sort of impurity. Eph. iv. 19. H.
*H As the thief is confounded when he is taken, so is the house of Israel confounded, they and their kings, their princes and their priests, and their prophets.
Ver. 26. Taken. Juda affected still to be very pious. v. 23.
*H Where are the gods, whom thou hast made thee? let them arise and deliver thee in the time of thy affliction: for according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Juda.
Ver. 28. Cities. All were abandoned. Ezec. xvi. 24. Osee x. 1.
*H In vain have I struck your children, they have not received correction: your sword hath devoured your prophets, your generation is like a ravaging lion.
Ver. 30. Prophets; Zacharias, (2 Par. xxiv. 21.) Isaias, &c. Mat. xxiii. 34. C. — Punishment is designed by God to cause people to repent. W.
*H See ye the word of the Lord: Am I become a wilderness to Israel, or a lateward springing land? why then have my people said: We are revolted, we will come to thee no more?
Ver. 31. See, or hear. The sword seems to be animated. C. — Lateward. Heb. "darksome land." Have I not heaped blessings on my people? — Revolted. Prot. "Lords." H.
*H Why dost thou endeavour to shew thy way good to seek my love, thou who hast also taught thy malices to be thy ways,
Ver. 33. Thou who. Heb. "Therefore have I." C. — Prot. "hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways." H. — Thou hast opened a school of vice.
*H And in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor and innocent? not in ditches have I found them, but in all places, which I mentioned before.
Ver. 34. Innocent children, immolated to Moloc, or people murdered, whose blood thou hast not concealed. 4 K. xxi. 16.
*H For from thence thou shalt go, and thy hand shall be upon thy head: for the Lord hath destroyed thy trust, and thou shalt have nothing prosperous therein.
Ver. 37. Head, like the violated Thamar. 2 K. xiii. 19. The king of Egypt was routed, when coming to assist Sedecias. C. xxxvii. 3. 10. C.