CHAP. II.
mandments, and their lies caused theni The judgment of God against Moab, for his impotent revenge to err, 1 after the which their fathers have of God's law, 4, 5; and on Israel, for idolatry, iniquity, ingratitude, 6-16.
on the dead king of Edom, 1-3; on Judah, for his contempt walked:
5 But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusa
THUS NHUS saith the LORD; a For three b of Moab, and for lem. four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:
2 But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kirioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:
3. And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD.
4 Thus saith the LORD; & For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his com
a 4,6. 1:3,6,9,11,13. Num. 22: h 2 Kings 17:19. Jer. 9:25,26.
-25: Deut. 23.4,5. Ps. 85:4 -7. Mic. 6:5.
b Is. 11:14. 15: 16: 25:10. Jer. 48: Ez. 25:8,9. Zeph. 2:8,9. c 2 Kings 3:9,26,27. Prov. 15:3. d Jer. 48:24,41.
e 1:14. Is. 9.5. Jer. 48.34.
f Num. 24:17,18. Jer. 48:7,25. g Deut. 31:16-18.32:15-27.
Hos. 5:12,13. 6:11. 12:2.
i Lev. 26:14,15. Judg. 2:17- 20. 2 Sam. 12:9,10. 2 Kings 22:11-17. 2 Chr. 36:14-17, Neh. 1:7. 9:26,29,30. Is. 5:24, 25. Jer. 8:9. Ez. 16: 20:13,16, 24. 22:8. 23:11, &c. Dan. 9:5 -12. 1 Thes. 4:8.
of relative duties, or contempt of sacred trea
6 Thus saith the LORD; " For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;
7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, 9 and turn aside the way of the meek: 'and a man and his father will go in unto the same * maid, s to profane my holy name:
8 And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge, " by every altar, and * they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
k Is. 9:15,16. 28:15. 44:20. Jer. 16:19. 23:13-15,25-32. 28:15, 16. Ez. 13:6-16,22. 22:28. Hab. 2:18. Rom. 1:25.
1 Judg. 2:11-17. 10:6. 2 Chr. 30:7. Jer. 8:2. 9:14. Ez. 20: 13,16,24,30. 1 Pet. 1:18.
m Jer. 17:27. 21:10. 37:8-10. 39:8.52:13. Hos. 8:14. n 6:3-7.
2 Kings 17:7-18. 18:12. Ez. 23:5-9. Hos. 4: 1,2,11-14. 7:7-10. 8:4-6. 13:2,3. Mic. 6:10-16.
ο 5:11,12. 8:4-6. Is. 5:22,23. 29:21. Joel 3:3,6. Mic. 3:2,3.
P p. 4:1. 1 Kings 21:4. Prov. 28 21. Mic. 2:2,9. 7:2,3. Zeph. 3:3 q 5:12. Is. 10:2.
r Lev. 13:8,15. Ez. 22:11. 1 Cor. 5:1.
Or, young woman.
s Lev. 20:3. 2 Sam. 12:14. Ez. 36:20. Rom. 2:24.
t Ex. 22:26,27. Deut. 24:1217. Ez. 18.7,12.
u 6:4. Is. 57:7. Ez. 23:41. 1 Cor. 8:10. 10:7,21.
x 6:6. Judg. 9:27. Hos. 4:8.
Or, such as have fined, or mulcted.
and worshipped idols, which were vanity and
ties; or to that of their enmity and oppression. lies. 'Seeing the Gentiles ... were thus pun
-"They shall have judgment without mercy, who have shewed no mercy;" and they who cast off all pity for their brethren, and whose wrath and revenge have raged perpetually against them, have no reason to expect any mercy from God. Yet what cruelty will not men commit to increase their estates! And what villany will not ambitious princes and even republics countenance, in order to enlarge their territories! But the day of retribution will come on all such inhuman monsters, as an overwhelming tempest and
an irresistible
whirlwind: and what will they then do? or whither will they flee from the vengeance of God, and from the devouring fire of his incensed justice?
NOTES.
'ished, Judah, which was so fully instructed in 'the Lord's will, might not think to escape.' ( Marg . Ref . Notes , Ps . 51:4. 106:6. 147:19,20. Jer . 8:8,9. 11:2-8.)
V.6-8. After the prophet had given a general warning to the surrounding nations, and to Judah: he more particularly, in the name of God, addressed the Israelites, to whom he was especially sent. They also had filled up, or were about to fill up, the measure of their sins, and the Lord would not avert from them the merited punishment. Several atrocious crimes were charged on them, some of which were sanctioned by the authority and example of the rulers. The smallest bribe, even the value of a pair of shoes, would induce the magistrates to give up a poor man to the will of his merciless oppressor, to be cast into prison, reduced
CHAP. II. V. 1. Marg. Ref . Because , &c.] to slavery, or put to death; though his cause
The Lord noticed this expression of impotent revenge, of the Moabites, against the dead body of an idolatrous prince, and assigned it as a reason of the severe judgments which he was about to inflict on that people.
V. 2, 3. ( Marg . Ref . Notes , Is . 15: 16: Jer . 48: Ez . 25:8-11. Zeph . 2:8-10.) - "The judge" seems to mark out the principal magistrate, or ruler: for there is no mention of a king , in the prophecies against Moab; though the nation was governed by a king, in the the days of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. (2 Kings 3:4-26.)
V. 4. Judah was not indicted for any particular outrage, against the dictates of humanity or natural conscience, though guilty of very many; but for contempt of the law and authority of God, who had committed to the nation his sacred oracles. ( Note , Rom . 3:1,2.) Despising his worship, ordinances, and commandments, they hearkened to their false teachers,
and character were most evidently righteous; nay, perhaps for that very reason! ( Marg Ref . n, o.- Notes , 5:10-13, vv. 11,12. 8:4-10, υυ. -6. Is . 5:22,23. Mic . 3:1-4.) The least property of a poor man, though scarcely more valuable than the dust of the earth that fell on his head, excited their covetousness, and they panted after it till they had got it from him: or, as some render the clause, "They tread down the heads of the poor, into the dust of the earth." Thus they perverted the cause of such as were too weak, timid, or gentle to resist their oppressions. ( Marg . Ref. Ref . P p, q.- Notes , Notes , 4:1-3, v . 1. Is . 10:1--4. Mic . 2:1,3,8-10, v . 9.) At the same time they were equally regardless of the divine law, and even of common decency, in their sensual indulgences: for, both the father and his son would cohabit with the same woman, to the scandal of their religion; when the Gentiles themselves would not allow a man to
9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before 12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to
them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet a I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, d to possess the land of the Amorite .
11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. & Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the Lord.
drink, hand commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
13 Behold, *I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.
14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:
15 Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself : neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver thimself.
16 And he that is the mighty shall m flee day, saith the Lord. h 7:12,13. Is. 30:10,11. Jer. 11: 21. 26:11. Matt. 21:34-38. Acts 4:18. 5:28. 7:51. 1 Thes. 2:15,16.
i Ps. 78:40. Is. 1:14. 7:13. 43: 24. Ex. 6:9. 16:43. Mal. 2:17. * Or, I will press your place, as a cart full of sheaves press-eth.
courageous among away naked in that
k 9:1-3. Job 11:20. marg. Ec. 9:11. Is. 30:16. Jer. 9:23. 1Ps. 33:16,17. † Heb. his soul, or, life.
Heb. strong of his heart. Jer. 48:41.
m Judg. 4:17. 2 Kings 7:8,&c. Mark 14:52.
marry his father's wife. ( Marg.and Marg . Ref . F, Note , 1 Cor . 5:1-5.)-Instead of restoring, according to the law, the garments of the poor when taken as pledges; they made use of them, especially when they prostrated themselves before their idols; when they feasted, or slept, or committed abomination, before their altars: and the wine, which they poured out as libations, or drank in their idolatrous feasts, was received as a bribe for the condemnation of innocent persons, or as a fine unjustly levied from them! ( Marg , and Marg . Ref . 6:3-8. 'ed corn-wain presseth the sheaves.' Bp. New
Notes , 7:12-17. Is . 30:8-11, v. 10. Jer . 20:16. 26:7-9,12,15. Mic . lic . 2:6,7.)- 2:6,7.) 'They y would not 'endure their idolatry and other darling sins 'should be reproved. Lowth .
V. 13. Israel was become, as it were, an intolerable burden to the Lord: they so dishonored and provoked him, that he was weary of them, and was pressed down by their obstinate provocations, like a cart when heavy laden with sheaves of corn. ( Marg . and Marg . Ref .) - Therefore I will press your place, as a load
Notes, Ex . 22:25-27. Deut . 24:10-13.) The word rendered "their god," may be translated by their crimes, he would entirely destroy their "their gods." Either the golden calves, or other idols, are evidently meant.
V.9-12. The peculiar favors, which God had shewn to Israel, aggravated the guilt of their iniquities and idolatries. He had destroyed before their fathers the gigantic Amorites, and the other formidable inhabitants of the land, on purpose to put them in possession of it. Not only were some individuals, among these nations, of extraordinary stature and strength: but the whole collective body of them resembled a deep rooted and strong oak; which the Lord, for Israel's benefit, destroyed, root, branch, and fruit together. ( Marg . Ref . y-a. d.- Notes , Gen. 15:16. Num . 21:21-25, 34. Deut . 3:11.
Josh . 11:21-23. 15:14. 1 Sam . 17:4-7,48-53. 2 Sam . 21:15-22.) This was indeed the continuation of his former favors to that nation, in delivering them from the Egyptians, and preserving them in the wilderness. ( Marg . Ref . b, c.- Notes , Deut . 8:2-5.) He had also greatly honored them, and provided for their spiritual good, in raising up prophets from among their sons, to instruct them in his service: and he had continued this favor to the kingdom of the ten tribes, even after their revolt from the family of David, and separation from the temple and worship at Jerusalem. (Marg.
Ref. e.) He had likewise raised up, among their young men, Nazarites, to be examples of self-denial and devotedness to God. (Marg. Ref . f.-. Num . 6:1-21. Lam . 4:7,8.) But instead of profiting by these undeniable and extraordinary benefits, they tempted
combe. ( Note , Is . 28:23-29, v . 27.) Provoked cities and habitations. The illustration, according to either rendering, is taken from the scenes in which the prophet had been conversant.
V. 14-16. Neither agility of man or horse, nor vigor, numbers, or valor, would deliver the people from the judgments which were coming upon them; few would escape, and those few would be destitute fugitives in other countries, or naked captives in the hands of their enemies. The desolations occasioned by the earthquake before mentioned (1:1.) may perhaps be here referred to; but the destruction of Samaria, and the captivity of Israel, by the Assyrians, must principally be intended. ( Marg . and Marg . Ref . Notes , 9:1-4. Ec . 9: 11,12. Is . 30:15-17. Ez . 5:1-4.)
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.
In what varied and horrid forins do the malignant passions of the human heart break forth, on different occasions! But the Lord keeps an exact account of the conduct of ungodly men even towards each other: and he will punish every expression of a vindictive and cruel disposition, towards the living or the dead. They, who insult over the fallen or the miserable, may expect to be insulted over, perhaps when in extreme agony; and to die "with tumult and shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet:" and judges and princes, when ringleaders in wickedness, may have the preeminence of more aggravated misery than their subjects. But it is a small thing for those,
the Nazarites to break their vows; and by au- "to whom are committed the oracles of God, thority, threatenings, and persecution, endeav- to avoid the gross enormities of benighted ored to silence the prophets. ( Marg . Ref . h.- || heathens: even without crimes so atrocious in