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2 AND THOU, BETHLEHEM Ephrata, art ajand tread down, and take, there is none to little one among the thousands of Juda: out deliver.

of thee shall he come forth unto me that is 9 Thy hand shall be lifted up over thy to be the ruler in Israel: and his going forth enemies and all thy enemies shall be cut is from the beginning, from the days of off.

eternity. 10 And it shall come to pass in that day, 3 Therefore will he give them up even saith the Lord, that I will take away thy till the time wherein she that travaileth horses out of the midst of thee, and will shall bring forth and the remnant of his destroy thy chariots. brethren shall be converted to the children 11 And 1 will destroy the cities of thy land, and will throw down all thy strong

of Israel.

4 And he shall stand, and feed in the holds: and I will take away sorceries out of strength of the Lord, in the height of the thy hand: and there shall be no divinations name of the Lord his God: and they shall in thee.

be converted; for now shall he be magni- 12 And I will destroy thy graven things fied even to the ends of the earth. and thy statues out of the midst of thee: 5 And this man shall be our peace, when and thou shalt no more adore the works of the Assyriant shall come into our land, and thy hands. when he shall set his foot in our houses: and we shall raise against him seven shep- the midst of thee: and will crush thy cities. herds, and eight principal men. 14 And I will execute vengeance in

13 And I will pluck up thy groves out of

CHAP. VI.

6 And they shall feeds the land of As-wrath and in indignation among all the nasyria with the sword, and the land of Nem-tions that have not given ear. rod with the spears thereof: and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he shall God expostulates with the Jews for their income into our land, and when he shall tread gratitude and sins: for which they shall in our borders. be punished.

7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be

in the midst of many peoples as a dew from the Lord, and as drops upon the grass, which waiteth not for man, nor tarrieth for the children of men.

HEAR ye what the Lord saith: Arise; contend thou in judgment against the mountains ;† and let the hills hear thy voice. 2 Let the mountains hear the judgment of the Lord, and the strong foundations of 8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be a-the earth: for the Lord will enter into mong the Gentiles in the midst of many judgment with his people; and he will peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the plead against Israel. forests, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep who when he shall go through,

His going forth, &c. That is, he who us man shall be born in thee, as God was born of his Father from all eternity.

†The Assyrian. That is, the persecutors of the church; who are here called Assyrians by the prophet; because the Assyrians were at that time the chief enemies and persecutors of the people of God.

Seven shepherds, &c. viz. The pastors of God's church, and the defenders of the faith. The number seven in scripture, is taken to signify many; and when eight is joined with it, we are to understand that the number will be very great.

§ They shall feed, &c. They shall make spiritual conquests in the lands of their persecutors, with the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, Eph. vi. 17.

3 0 my people, what have I done to thee, or in what have I molested thee? answer thou me.

4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and delivered thee out of the house of slaves: and I sent before thy face Moses, and Aaron, and Mary :

5 0 my people, remember, I pray thee, what Balach the king of Moab purposed: and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, from Setim to Galgal, that thou mightest know the justices of the Lord.

* I will take away thy horses, &c. Some understand this, and all that follows to the end of the chapter, as addressed to the enemies of the church. But it may as well be understood of the converts to the church;

who should no longer put their trust in any of these things.

The mountains, &c. That is, the great ones, the princes of the people.

The remnant of Jacob, viz. The apostles, From Setim to Galgal. He puts them and the first preachers of the Jewish na-in mind of the favour he did them, in not tion; whose doctrine, like dew, shall make suffering them to be quite destroyed by the the plants of the converted Gentiles grow evil purpose of Balach, and the wicked up, without waiting for any man to cultivate counsel of Balaam; and then gives them a them by human learning. hint of the wonders he wrought, in order to

As a lion, &c. This denotes the forti- bring them into the land of Promise, by tude of these first preachers, and their suc-stopping the course of the Jordan, in their cess in their spiritual enterprises. march from Setim to Galgal.

6 What shall I offer to the Lord that is worthy? wherewith shall I kneel before the high God? shall I offer holocausts unto him, and calves of a year old?

men: they all lie in wait for blood; every one hunteth his brother to death.

3 The evil of their hands they call good: the prince requireth, and the judge is for 7 May the Lord be appeased with thou-giving: and the great man hath uttered the sands of rams, or with many thousands of desire of his soul, and they have troubled it. fat he-goats? shall I give my first-born for 4 He that is best among them, is as a my wickedness, the fruit of my body for the brier: and he that is righteous, as the thorn sin of my soul? of the hedge. The day of thy inspection, 8 I will shew thee, O man, what is good,thy visitation cometh now shall be their and what the Lord requireth of thee: Veri-destruction. ly to do judgment, and to love mercy, and 5 Believe not a friend, and trust not in a to walk solicitous with thy God. prince: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that sleepeth in thy bosom.

9 The voice of the Lord crieth to the city, and salvation shall be to them that fear thy name: hear, O ye tribes, and who shall approve it?

:

6 For the son dishonoureth the father; and the daughter riseth up against her mother; the daughter-in-law against her mo10 As yet there is a fire in the house of ther-in-law: and a man's enemies are they the wicked, the treasures of iniquity, and a of his own household. scant measure full of wrath.†

11 Shall I justify wicked balances, and the deceitful weights of the bag?

7 But I will look towards the Lord: I will wait for God my Saviour: my God will

hear me.

12 By which her rich men were filled 8 Rejoice not, thou my enemy, over me, with iniquity, and the inhabitants thereof because I am fallen: I shall arise, when I have spoken lies; and their tongue was de-sit in darkness, the Lord is my light. ceitful in their mouth.

13 And I therefore began to strike thee with desolation for thy sins.

14 Thou shalt eat but shalt not be filled and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt take hold, but shalt|| not save and those whom thou shalt save, I will give up to the sword.

15 Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not be anointed with the oil; and the new wine, but shalt not drink the wine.

9 I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him: until he judge my cause, and execute judgment for me he will bring me forth into the light: shall behold his justice.

10 And my enemy shall behold, and she shall be covered with shame, who saith to me: Where is the Lord thy God? my eyes shall look down upon her: now shall she be trodden under foot as the mire of the streets.

11 The day shall come, that thy walls may 16 For thou hast kept the statutes of be built up: in that day shall the law] be Amri, and all the works of the house of far removed.

Achab and thou hast walked according to 12 In that day they shall come even from their wills, that I should make thee a deso-Assyria to thee, and to the fortified cities : lation, and the inhabitants thereof a hiss- and from the fortified cities even to the riing and you shall bear the reproach of my ver, and from sea to sea, and from mountain people. to mountain.

CHAP. VII.

13 And the land¶ shall be made desolate because of the inhabitants thereof, and for

The prophet laments, that notwithstanding all the fruit of their devices.

his preaching, the generality are still cor- 14, Feed thy people with thy rod, the rupt in their manners: therefore their de-flock of thy inheritance, them that dwell solation is at hand: but they shall be re-alone in the forest, in the midst of Carmel : stored again and prosper; and all mankind they shall feed in Basan and Galaad accordshall be redeemed by Christ. ing to the days of old.

Wo

Ο is me, for I am become as one that 15 According to the days of thy coming gleaneth in autumn the grapes of the out of the land of Egypt I will shew him vintage there is no cluster to eat: my soul wonders. desired the first ripe figs.

2 The holy man is perished out of the earth; and there is none upright among

• What shall I offer, &c. This is spoken in the person of the people, desiring to be informed what they are to do to please God. Full of wrath, &c. That is, highly provoking in the sight of God.

The statutes of Amri, &c. The wicked ways of Amri and Achab, idolatrous kings.

16 The nations shall see, and shall be confounded at all their strength: they shall put the hand upon the mouth: their ears shall be deaf.

17 They shall lick the dust like serpents,

§ She shall be covered, &c. viz. Babylon my enemy.

The law, viz. of thy enemies, who have tyrannized over thee.

The land, &c. viz. of Babylon.

as the creeping things of the earth, they 19 He will turn again, and have mercy shall be disturbed in their houses: they shall on us: he will put away our iniquities: and dread the Lord our God, and shall fear thee. he will cast all our sins into the bottom of 18 Who is a God like to thee, who takest the sea.

away iniquity, and passest by the sin of the 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jaremnant of thy inheritance? he will send cob, the mercy to Abraham; which thou his fury in no more, because he delighteth hast sworn to our fathers from the days of lold.

in mercy.

THE

PROPHECY OF NAHUM.

Nahum, whose name signifies a comforter,gether, they shall be consumed as stubble was a native of Elcese, or Elcesai, sup-that is fully dry.

posed to be a little town in Galilee. He 11 Out of thee shall come forth one that prophesied, after the ten tribes were carried imagineth evil against the Lord, contriving into captivity; and foretold the utter de- treachery in his mind. struction of Ninive by the Babylonians and|| Medes; which happened in the reign of Josias.

CHAP. I.

12 Thus saith the Lord: Though they were perfect, and many of them so, yet thus they shall be cut off; and he shall pass: I have afflicted thee, and I will afflict thee

The majesty of God: his goodness to his peo-no more.
ple, and severity to his enemies.

Tvision of Nahum the Elcesite.
HE burden of Ninive. The book of the

13 And now I will break in pieces his rod with which he struck thy back: and I will burst thy bonds asunder.

2 The Lord is a jealous God, and a re- 14 And the Lord will give a commandvenger: the Lord is a revenger, and hath ment‡ concerning thee, that no more of thy wrath: the Lord taketh vengeance on his name shall be sown: I will destroy the graadversaries; and he is angry with his ene-ven and molten thing out of the house of mies. thy God: I will make it thy grave; for thou

3 The Lord is patient, and great in pow-art disgraced. er, and will not cleanse and acquit the guil- 15 Behold, upon the mountains the feet ty. The Lord's ways are in a tempest, and of him that bringeth good tidings, and that a whirlwind and clouds are the dust of his preacheth peace: O Juda, keep thy festifeet. vals, and pay thy vows: for Belial | shall no more pass through thee again: he is utterly cut off.

4 He rebuketh the sea, and drieth it up; and bringeth all the rivers to be a desert. Basan languisheth and Carmel: and the flower of Libanus fadeth away.

5 The mountains tremble at him; and

the hills are made desolate: and the earth hath quaked at his presence, and the world, and all that dwell therein.

6 Who can stand before the face of his indignation? and who shall resist in the fierceness of his anger? his indignation is poured out like fire: and the rocks are melted by him.

7 The Lord is good, and giveth strength in the day of trouble; and knoweth them that hope in him.

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8 But with a flood that passeth by, he † Though they were perfect, &c. That is, will make an utter end of the place there- however strong or numerous their forces of:* and darkness shall pursue his enemies. may be, they shall be cut off; and their 9 What do ye devise against the Lord? prince or leader shall pass away and dishe will make an utter end: there shall not appear. rise a double affliction.

Will give a commandment. That is, a 10 For as thorns embrace one another; decree, concerning thee, O king of Ninive, so while they are feasting and drinking to-thy seed shall fail, &c.

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of Jacob, as Israel: because

the spoilers have laid them waste, and have W lies and violence: pine shall not def

marred their vine-branches.

are stupified.

thee, O city of blood, full of part from thee.

3 The shield of his mighty ment is like 2 The noise of the whip, and the noise fire; the men of the army are clad in scar- of the rattling of the wheels, and of the let; the reins of the chariot are flaming in neighing horse, and of the running chariot, the day of his preparation; and the drivers and of the horsemen coming up: 3 And of the shining sword, and of the 4 They are in confusion in the ways; the glittering spear, and of a multitude slain, chariots justle one against another in the and of a grievous destruction: and there is streets: their looks are like torches, like no end of carcasses: and they shall fall lightning running to and fro. down on their dead bodies.

5 He will muster up his valiant men: 4 Because of the multitude of the fornithey shall stumble in their march: they cations of the harlot that was beautiful and shall quickly get upon the walls thereof agreeable, and that made use of witchcraft, and a covering shall be prepared. that sold nations through her fornications, and families through her witchcrafts.

6 The gates of the rivers are opened and the temple is thrown down to the ground.

5 Behold, I come against thee, saith the Lord of hosts: and I will discover thy shame 7 And the soldier is led away captive to thy face, and will shew thy nakedness to and her bond-women were led away mourn- the nations, and thy shame to kingdoms. ing as doves murmuring in their hearts. 6 And I will cast abominations upon thee, 8 And as for Ninive, her waters are like and will disgrace thee, and will make an a great pool: but the men flee away. They example of thee. cry: Stand, stand; but there is none that will return back.

7 And it shall come to pass that every one that shall see thee, shall flee from thee, 9 Take ye the spoil of the silver; take and shall say: Ninive is laid waste: who the spoil of the gold: for there is no end of shall bemoan thee? whence shall I seek a the riches of all the precious furniture. comforter for thee?

10 She is destroyed, and rent, and torn: 8 Art thou better than the populous the heart melteth; and the knees fail; and Alexandria, that dwellest among the ri all the loins lose their strength: and the vers? waters are round about it: the sea is faces of them all are as the blackness of alits riches: the waters are its walls.

9 Ethiopia and Egypt were the strength

kettle. 11 Where is now the dwelling of the lions, thereof; and there is no end: Africa and and the feeding place of the young lions, to the Libyans were thy helpers. which the lion went, to enter in thither, the 10 Yet she also was removed, and caryoung lion, and there was none to make ried into captivity: her young children them afraid? were dashed in pieces at the top of every

12 The lion caught enough for his whelps, street: and they cast lots upon her nobles; and killed for his lionesses: and he filled and all her great men were bound in fetters. his holes with prey, and his den with ra- 11 Therefore thou also shalt be made pine. drunk, and shalt be despised: and thou 13 Behold, I come against thee, saith the shalt seek help from the enemy. Lord of hosts: and I will burn thy chariots 12 All thy strong-holds shall be like even to smoke; and the sword shall devour fig-trees with their green figs: if they be thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the out of the land; and the voice of thy mes-eater. sengers shall be heard no more.

CHAP. III.

The miserable destruction of Ninive.

13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open to thy enemies; the fire shall devour thy bars.

14 Draw thee water for the siege; build Hath rendered the pride of Jacob, &c. up thy bulwarks: go into the clay, and He hath punished Jacob for his pride; and tread; work it, and make brick. therefore Ninive must not expect to escape. 15 There shall the fire devour thee: thou Or else, rendering the pride of Jacob means shalt perish by the sword; it shall devour rewarding, that is, punishing Ninive for the thee like the bruchus: assemble together pride they exercised against Jacob. like the bruchus; make thyself many like

Of his mighty men, &c. He speaks of the locust. the Chaldeans and Medes sent to destroy Ninive. Stupified, consopiti. That is, they & Populous Alexandria. No-Ammon. A drive on furiously like men intoxicated with populous city of Egypt, destroyed by the wine. Chaldeans, and afterwards rebuilt by Alex

+ Stumble in their march. By running ander, and called Alexandria. Others suphastily on. pose No-Ammon to be the same as Diospolis.

16 Thou hast multiplied thy merchandi- 18 Thy shepherds have slumbered, o ses above the stars of heaven: the bruchus king of Assyria; thy princes shall be hath spread himself, and flew away. buried: thy people are hid in the moun17 Thy guards are like the locusts; and tains; and there is none to gather them to thy little ones like the locusts of locusts gether. which swarm on the hedges in the day of 19 Thy destruction is not hidden; thy cold: the sun arose, and they flew away: and wound is grievous: all that have heard the their place was not known where they were. fame of thee, have clapped their hands over thee for upon whom hath not thy wicked

The locusts of locusts. The young locusts. ness passed continually?

THE

PROPHECY OF HABACUC.

Habacuc was a native of Bezocher, and pro- 9 They shall all come to the prey; their phesied in Juda, some time before the invaface is like a burning wind: and they shall sion of the Chaldeans, which he foretold gather together captives as the sand. He lived to see this prophecy fulfilled, and 10 And their prince shall triumph over for many years after, according to the ge-kings; and princes shall be his laughingneral opinion, which supposes him to be the stock: and he shall laugh at every strong same that was brought by the Angel to hold, and shall cast up a mount, and shall Daniel in Babylon, Dan. xvi. take it.

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11 Then shall his spiritt be changed; and he shall pass, and fall: this is his strength of his god.

12 Wast thou not from the beginning, O Lord my God, my holy one, and we shall not die? Lord, thou hast appointed him for judgment, and made him strong for correc tion.

13 Thy eyes are too pure to behold evil, and thou canst not look on iniquity. Why lookest thou upon them that do unjust things, and holdest thy peace when the wicked devoureth the man that is more just

3 Why hast thou shewn me iniquity and grievance, to see rapine and injustice before me? and there is a judgment, but opposi-than himself? tion is more powerful.

4 Therefore the law is torn in pieces, and judgment cometh not to the end: because the wicked prevaileth against the just; therefore wrong judgment goeth forth

5 Behold ye among the nations, and see wonder, and be astonished: for a work is done in your days, which no man will believe when it shall be told.

14 And thou wilt make men as the fishes of the sea, and as the creeping things that have no ruler.

15 He lifted up all them with his hook: he drew them in his drag, and gathered them into his net: for this he will be glad, and rejoice.

16 Therefore will he offer victims to his drag, and he will sacrifice to his net: be6 For behold, I will raise up the Chal-cause through them his portion is made fat, deans, a bitter and swift nation, marching and his meat dainty.

upon the breadth of the earth, to possess 17 For this cause therefore he spreadeth the dwelling places that are not their own. his net, and will not spare continually to 7 They are dreadful and terrible: from slay the nations. themselves shall their judgment and their burden proceed.

8 Their horses are lighter than leopards, and swifter than evening wolves: and their horsemen shall be spread abroad: for their horsemen shall come from afar: they shall fly as an eagle that maketh haste to eat.

CHAP. II.

The prophet is admonished to wait with faith. The enemies of God's people shall assuredly be punished.

†Then shall his spirit, &c. viz. the spirit of the king of Babylon. It alludes to the * Burden. Such prophecies more espe-judgment of God upon Nabuchodonosor, cially are called burdens, as threaten griev-recorded Dan. iv. and to the speedy fall of ous evils and punishments.

the Chaldean empire.

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