CHAP. IX. V. 1—4. The altar, on which the prophet in vision saw the Lord-standing, and giving orders tor the destruction of the temple and the worshippers, is generally understood of the altar at-Beth-el: for the sacrifices offered there to the golden calf chiefly provoked God to take véngeance on Israel.
He therefore from thence commissioned the Assyrians, to smite the lintel of the door, and cause its posts and pillars to shake; to destroy that temple and put an end. to that idolatry; and mortally to wound the king, princes, priests, and people, who worshipped there for he was determined to slay the last of them by the sword of his vengeance, from which there should be no method of escape.—But as the vision scems to coincide with some predictions of the Lord's departure from the temple at Jerusalem ; (Notes, Ez. viii. ix. x. xi 5) it may be questioned, whether that event were not also intended by the Spirit of prophecy.—The devoted objects, however, of the divine indignation would find no place of refuge from their oinnipresent and omnipotent Avenger.
Could they even dig to the centre of the earth, or descend to the place of condemned spirits, his hand would there arrest them: could they climb up into heaven, his arm would cast them down: should they hide themselves in the rocks, at the summit of mount Carmel, he would search
them out, and drag them from their recesses; or should.
3
CHAPTER IX.
hrist, the
5 And the Lord Gop of hosts zs he
B.C. 784. |
melt, ° and all that dwell. therein shall ys Jer, = mourn: and it P shall rise up wholly like? 2%, 37. ,¢ a flood, and it shall be drowned, as by via." “™ the flood of Egypt. 3 |
6 I¢ is he that 4 buildeth his * storiesa Pers. in the heaven, and hath founded his f eytearipa § troop in the earth; he that ‘calleth for + | the waters of the sea, and poureth them }!-'9. Jer. +. out upon the face of the earth: * The’ ¥, 3: & Lorp is his name. . ee 9 Are tye not as the children of the’ st. Noe ui. 13: Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? * ser. xiii.s, saith the Lorp. " Have not I brought? xvi, s. i a up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and Prv.v. 21. xv. * the Philistines from Caphtor, ¥ and the* Sea. +i 7. vi. Syrians from Kir? "he be ell
8 Behold, 2 the eyes of the Lord Gop 4!” are upon the sinful kingdom; # and 1°55. 710. a: will destroy it from off the face of the earth; © saving that I will not utterly 16, 17- Ror x destroy the house of Jacob, saith thes kev. xui, ‘ss. Lorp. shinee cause to
Q For, lo, I will command, ° and [4 fete
will | sift the house of Israel among all . wiiv.%5, 47: nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, {5 %ean. sain
8, 9. Mal. hir. Q2=— 5, iv, !
yet shall not the least * grain fall upon
the earth. | . 12. ii ‘4, 42 Jo All ¢the sinners of my people shalle vi. 1,s. ps. x.
die by the sword, which say, * The evil v.19, xxvit.
shall not overtake nor prevent us, aii:
they endeavour to elude his search by diving to. the bottom of the ocean, he would order the serpent, or some destruc tive sea-monster, to bite or devour them there. The executioners of his vengeance would pursue them into every place whither they fled from them: and even the remnant, that would be dispersed, as captives and slaves‘in the land of their enemies, would be followed by the murdering sword; for the Lord would watch over them for evil and not for good. — The contrast between hel] and heaven, (2,) shews that the ass world, and not the grave, is here meant.. (Note, Ps. xvi. 8—11.) |
V. 5, 6. (Marg. Ref.) The eternal almighty God would even cause the land to melt like wax at his touch ;. and all. the inhabitants to mourn because of the wide spreading calamities which would follow. For it was he, who formed aid occupied the heavens as his chambers, or exalted throne ;. who hath appointed the creatures of this lower world as a troop of his armies, to annoy his enemies ; and who can at his pleasure, bring all the waters of the ocean to cover the-whole earth.—‘ The power and sure vengeance of the Deity. ‘ are very sublimely described in this and the four preceding ‘ verses.” (Bp. Newcombe.)
V.7—10. * Are ye not-under a curse, as. the- Ethio- ‘ pians, the posterity of Ham, were; by reason of your ‘ multiplied sins and apostacies?’ (Lowrh.) (Notes, Gen. ix, 24, 25. x. 6, 7.)—* The sense seems to be, Trust not.
7
AM
11 @& In ‘that day will I § raise up
h the tabernacle of David that is fallen,
* close up the breaches thereof; and
a1. xxiv. 28,7 will raise up his ruins, and I will build
2s, Hos. ili. 5-i¢ ! as in the days of old:
i ass 6a70. 19 That they may * possess the rem-
Dis. xvi 5. BZ ant of | Edom, and of all the heathen, * wali Soot te:™ which are t called by my name, saith xxix. 40. 1» the Lorp that doeth this. .
i Ps, cali 5.1 13 Behold, the days come, saith the
xivig6. amv. Lorp, that " the plowman shall overtake, i Mic. vii. 4 the reaper, and the treader of grapes him
1,2 Joeliii. 8. Ob. 18—8t. 1 Gen. xxvii, 29. 37. 40.,.Num, xxiv. 17, 18. Ps. ix. 8. Mal,
i. 4 m Is. xliii, 7. Ixtii. 19. Ixv. 1. Jer. xiv. 9. xv. 16. Dan. ix. 18,19. t Heb. upon whom my name is called. n Ley. xxvi. 5. EZ, xxxvi. 35. Hos. ii. 21—93. John iy. $5,
B.C.784.
f Acts xv. 16, 17. g Ts. 1X. 6, 7. XI. 1—10. Jer. Xxiil.
‘J 6. e a d RX 1418,
‘ in your ancestors, who were so highly favoured by me. © Your vices have made you vile in my sight. Trust not ‘ in my deliverance of you from the land of Egypt.—Other ‘ nations have been transplanted into fertile countries as ‘ well as you, and particularly your neighbouring enemies.’ (Bp. Newcombe.) —Little is certainly known about the events
‘here referred to: doubtless they were well known in the—
prophet’s days. (Marg. Ref.)—But though the Lord would destroy the sinful kingdom of Israel from off the earth; yet he would not utterly extirpate all the posterity _ of Jacob. He intended to scatter the remnant of them through all nations, amd to harass them with manifold cala-
| perity, than in the days of David and Solomon. The king-oe , B.C. 284. that * soweth seed; and ° the moyntainss web. arewah shall drop *sweet wine, and all P theo's. saw: 1 hills shall melt. | ie ae
18. 14 And 1] will bring again the capti-p 3. Jag ee &
vity of my people of Israel, and they shall & i Ja. « build the waste cities, and inhabit them, 27°," and they shall * plant vineyards, and drink ; SiS Be. the wine thereof; they shall also make {s! imu‘ a gardens, and eat the fruit of them. Souder ater,
15° And I will plant them upon theirs v1. i su,
land, and ‘ they shall no more be pulled, se. Zep 1m;
up out of their land which [ have given i", 6 mu them, saith the Lorp thy God. Sr “ive 4."
estate of David’s family, the degeneracy of Judah, the low ebb of true religion. But by the incarnation birth of Christ, the Seed of David, and in consequence his death, resurrection, ascension, and heavenly exaltation,. that tabernacle was again erected, its breaches were closed, its ruins repaired, and-it was advanced to far greater pros-dom of the Son of David became conspicuous, glorious,
many of whom became the subjects of Christ ; and: this was the case among the heathen nations in general: they were Called by the grace, and by thename, of Christ, who
mities, as the corn is shaken in the sieve: yet he would | isthe Lord, Jznovan, here spoken of, that predicted and.preserve all that were valuable of them with the most exact care, and not suffer one‘of them to perish.—The astonishing preservation of the Jews as a distinct people, through all their dispersions to the present day, is here evidently predicted.—* I will mingle the Israelites among all nations, « just as good and bad grain are mingled in a sieve: but will ‘ ‘so order it, that none of the good grain shall be lost.’
(Lowth.) * Though I will thus mix the Israelites with dis- - ‘ tant nations; yet there shall be a general restoration of |
¢ them to their own land.—The most secure and presump- ‘ tuous sinners of the Israelites shall fall by the sword.’ (Bp.
Newcombe.) —The whole house of Jacob, the families brought out of Egypt, are here certainly intended, and not the then tribes only, which are never spoken of in this manner. | V. 11, 12. (Note, Acts xv. 16,17.) This passage is quoted by the apostle James, in the sense, though not in the exact words, of the Septuagint; which varies considerably from the present Hebrew text.—* On the resto- ‘ ration of the Jews after their captivity, the Messiah © came, and the Gentiles, (or the rest of mankind besides ‘ the Jews,) were admitted into the church: and on the ¢ future grand restoration of the Jews, the borders of the ‘ christian church will be enlarged among the Gentiles.’ (Bp.
Newcombe.) —The foregoing prophecy, evidently included the rejection of the Jews, and their dispersion by the Romans, with which the establishment of Christ’s kingdom was connected. The place of David became a2 tabernacle, by the defection of the ten tribes and by subsequent calamities: this tabernacle fell down at the Ba-bylonish captivity, and it lay in ruins till the coming of hrist: so that these expressions may denote the mean
| | and extensive ; it acquired the ascendancy over its enemies, = -
performed all these things: for the Gentile converts, as well | as other christians, were called by the name of Christ, and. ‘ called upon his name.— Whether we adhere to, the present ' Hebrew text, or, on the authority of the Septuagint as | quoted by the apostle, admit a trifling alteration ; it is plain, that the -conversion of the Gentiles, and not the reducing , of them to subjection, is predicted. ‘* That they may be ‘© heirs with the remnant of Edom, and with alk the na- ‘* tions which are called by my name.”
V. 19—15. ‘* Asthe prophecy in the foregoing verse was to commence from the coming of Christ, but not to receive its full completion, till the fulness both of Jews and Gentiles come into the church: so these verses ought to be understood of the happy state of the-Millennium, which may be supposed to begin, after the Jews are restored ‘to their country.’ (Lewth.)—* This part of.the prophecy will receive its completion, on the
‘ future restoration of the Jews to their land.’ (Bp. Newcombe.) ‘The passage may. have some reference to the primitive times ; but will receive a more glorious accomplishment, in those expected events which all the prophets more or less foretold.—The plenteous harvest would take up so much time in gathering in, that the plowman, pre- : paring to sow for the ensuing crop, would overtake the reaper; whilst the treader out of the grapes would inime-diately follow ; all hands would be full of business, and all
meet with encouragement and advantage: this represents : the great diligence and success of the preachers of the 1 gospel, and the vast numbers of flourishing and joyful converts, which they shall then make. The mountains drop-"
ping sweet wine, and the hills melting into rivulets of wine
or oil, denote the abundant consolations and fruitfulness of
~n
4 ‘6 r§ ¢ ¢ ¢
¢
ee ee a ee
B.C. 784. > |
-believers, ‘through the abundant influences of the Holy
Spirit upon their souls. Then the Lord will bring again the captivity of his people, and they will be planted and
_ prosper in their own land, and will no more be pulled up out
of it.—This cannot be interpreted of the return of the Jews from the: Babylonish captivity ; for they were afterwards driven out of their land by the-Romans, and continue excluded from it to this day: so that the future conversion of the Jews, and their restoration to their own land, and the security and felicity of the ehurch in times to come, must be here predicted. (Marg. Re.) 7
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. ——
Hypocrisy and obstinate preference of human inventions to God's appointments, rénder men’s religious observances their most heinous and ruinous crimes.—Wherever ungodly men flee to hide themselves, they meet the frown and vengeance of their offended Sovereign, which would suffice to turn a local heaven into a real hell. Wretched then must. they be, on whom the Lord ‘¢ sets his eyes for evil, and not
‘6 for good,” for all creatures are ready at his command to pursue and fight against his enemies.—When professed christians copy the crimes of infidels or idolaters, they become still more abominable in the sight of God: and no extetnal advantages, or favours, can prove us the objects of his special love. Whilst he watches over sinful kingdoms to destroy them ; he will not fail to preserve his church.
CHAPTER IX.
alone is fulness of joy for evermore.
B.C. 784.
His servants may be scattered, persecuted, tempted, and harassed in a variety of ways; but not one of them shall
-be lost: for the least true believer shall infallibly -be taken
care of, through all the revolutions of nations, in the hour of death, and amidst the convulsions of expiring nature: but. the tares will be'gathered from amidst the wheat, and Cast into the fire to be burned; and then hypocrites will know the truth of those threatenings, which they here presumptuously despised.—Blessed be God, we live in the days, when the kingdom of Dayid is set up, in the Person of his Son the divine Redeemer, and we Gentiles are become his possession and are called by his name: let'us be thankful for our privileges, and endeavour to walk worthy of them.
Yet, we still witness many breaches in the tabernacle of our King: many divisions, abuses, and scandals yet deform the church; the power of godliness is declined in many parts of it, and others are harassed by oppressions and persecutions ; and a great part of mankind yet continue-strangers and enemies to the gospel: we should therefore continue in prayer for the complete performance of these predictions, in the more perfect peace, purity, and beauty of the church; in the increase of diligent, able, faithful, and successful ministers ; in the ruin of all obstinate enemies ; and in the conversion of Jews, Gentiles, and Maho-metans to the faith of Christ.—But only in heaven shall we be so planted and established, as to experience no more changes, fears, temptations, sins, or sorrows: for there
ad
1s vot
THE |
BOOK or OBADIAH.
-_ &*
Is is probable, that Obadiah delivered this short prophecy, about the time when Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.—Obabiah signifies the servant of the Lorn, which was a@ common name .in Israel: but the prophet must be distinguished from.all others that bare ik—He seems to have beé contemporary with Jeremiah, and uses several of his expressions in prophesying against Edom:
(Jer. xlix. 7—22:) and he concludes, (as almost all the other prophets do,) with predicting victory.
and prosperity to Israel and to the church.
B. C. 587;
~ a Ps. cxxxvii. 7.
Is. | XXi. IIe CHAPTER I.
0. der. ix. 2, A prediction of the ruin of Edom for his
26. xxv. 17. 21,
14. xxxv. $, &e
scendants of his brother Jacob, 1—16. poate =©-Promises of glorious times, in. the bie’ six.,13. latter ages, 17—21.
li. 46. Matt.
A et ee 3, [HE vision of Obadiah. Thus saith Swe a the Lord Gop * concerning Edom ; wieiis’° We have heard a rumour from the ¢ Nam. 72, ORD ¢and.an ambassador is sent among a9, ms cli. 39, the heathen, ¢ Arise ye, and let us rise
Ez. an. ‘is. Up against her in battle.
- hake bi Se 2 Behold, *I have made thee small avi, xxix among fhe heathen: thou art greatly
Wat ‘ap: ‘so, despised. 3 The ‘ pride of thine heart hath de-xlix. 16. Mal, i, 4
xxiv. 6. Mark
NOTES.
V. 1, 2. Obadiah might be employed to deliver verbal messages to his people on other occasions ; but this ‘vision alone was preserved for the benefit of future generations. —The prophets had heard a report from the Lord, that ruin was preparing for the insulting enemies of the Jews; and ambassadors were sent among the nations, to excite each other to war against the Edomites; by which means the Lord would shortly make them small and despised among their neighbours. (Note, Jer. xlix. - 4) 16. ,
_. V. g—6. (Notes, Jer. xlix. g—~11. 16.) The Edomites inhabited a mountainous country, which they had strongly
ee : ;
pride, and his malice against the de-. a toe @ -@
bh ante blarg. clefts of the rock, whose habitation. ig mv. Ie.
high; that saith in his heart, " Who®, => & shall bring me down to the ground? -- Ber avi ve A Though thou ‘exalt thyself as the’ #74 7 eagle, and though thouw set thy nest *"* * among the stars, thence will I bring "%e-i"san: thee down, saith the Lorp. - aia 5 If thieves came to thee, ! if robbers! **™™*,
by night, (= how art thou cut off 1) are de
ceived thee; & thou that dwellest in thee pxae aw. r
‘would they not have stolen till they had Ze" “us:
enough ? "if the grape-gatherers CAME n Dest. aie. t to thee, would they not leave * some, i. Mi. vi 1. grapes? |
6 How °are the things of Esau°h, %j% Jt searched out! how are his hidden things 4,5." sought up! :
fortified: they had for some time been prospered, and they proudly confided in their strength and munitions, and concluded that no enemy could prevail against them. But the Lord was become their adversary ; and even if they could exalt themselves as much above their other édemies, as the stars are out of the reach of man, or like the eagle which builds her nest in the loftiest cedars; yet the Lord would certainly bring them down, and their pride would only help to deceive and ruin them. With.astonishment the prophet saw, as it were, the. hostile invaders not only making depredations and slaughter, and then departing; but cutting off all their multitudes and-ransacking their most secret' treasures, till they had plundered the whole of them. -
B.C. 587,
* p Pa. he 1@, 13.
7. @ Or, do not behold.
'7 All? the men of thy confederacy ia. Lam, 19: have brought thee even to the border:
2s, Rer-awil i the “men that were at peace with thee * Heb. mn of ty have deceived thee, and prevailed against
eve thee; t they that eat thy bread have laid
Margins.
Tica pr. @ wound under thee: % there zs none. 9. John xiii.
i understanding *in him. Tid use. & Shall I not in that day, saith the
xiii 13, — Lorp, ' even destroy the wise men out of F 3ob'v. 12-4.Edom, and understanding out of the, Ps. xxniii. 10. Is. xix. 3. 13, mount of Esau? 1 Cor. ih Q And * thy mighty men, tO Teman, * Te, unio’ 17.SQall be dismayed, to the end that “every
Ys. xix. 16, 17.“ er insee cone of the * mount of Esau may be cut
16. Nab. iii. 13.
t Gen. xxxvi1.0ff by slaughter. zix.7. x8 10 QJ For thy * violence against thy iz.” “" “brother Jacob, 7 shame shall cover thee,
* and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
y Gen xxvii. 41. 1 In the day that thou stoodest on ar nacthe other side, °in the day’ that the Enon. 3 Strangers carried away § captive his forces, is. Am.ivii. and foreigners entered into his gates, and
* fecxix. 46, cis Cast lots upon Jerusalem, * even thou
Jer. ti. ®. ic ast as one of them. -
_ Mic. sina. 12) But |! thou: shouldest not have ee © looked on the day of thy brother, in the 71 Mali day that he became a stranger; neither
be King: xxiv. 10 shouldest thou have ‘ rejoiced over the
5 On Muubtene Children of Judah in the day of their de-
© ito “struction; neither shouldest § thou have
2 ™* spoken proudly in the day of distress.
oe... 13 Thou shouldest not have entered riot, nto the -gate of my people in the day of
Pil to-. their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not Prov. xvii, 5 have ® looked on their affliction in the Lam. iv. 21. BZ. xxv. 6, 9. xxxv. 15. Mic. vil. 8. Luke xix. 41, 1 Sam. ii. 3. Ps,
s oe eee & ae Xxxi, 18. * Heb. magnified thy mouth. Is. xxxvii. 24. Jam. iL 5. 2 Pet. ii, 18 Jude
16. Rey. xiii. 5. h 3 Sam. xvi. 19. Ps. xxii. 17. Zech, §. 15.
—— 2 ew oe
t2.
w Is, ZRxiV, 5—8. Ixili. 13.
x 2l. Deut. il. 5.
—— .
V. 9. These calamities would be brought upon Edom,
by the defection and treachery of all their confederates ;
who would march to their borders as if ‘to assist them, and induce them to go forth to meet them as friends, and so, deceive and prevail against them. The very troops, that took pay to defend them, would most fatally assault them ; nor would they have urderstanding to see or avoid this danger, or to take warning from this prediction.~* Those that were * maintained at thy cost, as thine allies, have given thee a * secret blow which thou wast not aware of.’ (Lowth.)— The Edomites seem to have been joined in alliance with the Chaldeans and tributary to them, when Jerusalem was taken: but within about five years after, they and their confederates invaded and desolatéd Edom.
V. 10-14. (Marg. Ref. Notes, Ps. cxxxvii. 7, Ez. XXV. XXXV. Am. 1.11, 12.) The prophet shews, what the conduct of Edom towards his brother Jacob ought to have been, and thus, with peculiar energy, by the implied cantrast, exposes the cruelty, violence, insolence, rapa-
OBADIAH,
B. C.'587.
day of their calamity, nor have laid hands Qs /reu-,
on their tsubstance in the day of their? 92,7! P*
calamity ; * giles 8
14. Neither shouldest thou have stood: ?
cr. XXX. 7.
ix. 95, $6, a4¥- ( 4 X. 25, 26. XxVe in the cross-way, to cut off those of his 15-23. xix. 19,
Lam, iv. Qi, 92,
that did escape; neither ‘ shouldest thou #. *«.s. Joel
15 For 'the day of the Lorp is near #7". iio
° Ps. ‘s 9 done, it shall be done unto thee: thy ‘is. xin. 25, 9b: reward shall return upon thine own xxv. is, 16, 97 head. ; 1 Pet. iv, 17
Or, sup up. Is.
16 For "as ye have drunk upon my 2 i fer holy mountain, so shall all the heathen ° 33, "Hie, 9 10, drink continually; yea, they shall drink,? ij") Ue and they shall § swallow down, ° and they acm it 7 shall be as though they had ‘not been. "fides dea
17 4 But P upon mount Zion’4 shall , 16: | eee be "deliverance, and “there shall be +). 1s. i. a7, holiness ; and the house of Jacob shall jee wi. 17 ‘possess their possessions. _ fe) ee meee
18 And the house of Jacob °* shall be’ !..3"- 22% a fire, and ' the house of Joseph a flame, s i754 nt and the house of Esau " for stubble, and Zech. ii, 6. - they shall kindle in them, and devour’ iz. ‘xn 12: them; * and there shall not be any re-,%6
maining of the house of Esau; for the ¥,.¥- % 9%.
xlii, 14. Joel ii. 5, Nah. i. 10. -1 Cor. iit, 12,
Lorp hath spoken i¢.
19 And zhey of Y the,south shall pos-% $1 ic, a9, -
sess the mount of Esau; and they of of: ig sath:
* the plain the Philistines: and they shall | Mat 4, be a possess * the fields of Ephraim, and the’ xv, 3s, 4,"4s.
ba ° ° e udg. 3. 18, 19. fields of Samaria: and » Benjamin shall Is, xis 13, 14. possess Gilead. Am. i. te Zepb: 1X. 57, a 2 Kings xvii. M4. Ezra iv. 2, 710.17. Ps. Ixix. 35, Jer. xxxi. 4—60. Ez.
XXXVi, G—12. 98. XXAVIL. VI—Qy,. xvii. LA—BI, xlvili, Ly, Josh, xiii, a8. 31. xvii. 21-28. 1 Chr. v. 96. Jer. xtix. 1. Ang. i. 13. Mic. vii. 14. .
city, and treachery, which he had committed, in various ways, during the distresses of ‘the nation, °
V. 15, 16. Israel and Judah had experienced a day of the Lord’s righteous judgment on them for their sins, by the hands of the Assyrians and Chaldeans; whilst the Gentiles seemed to escape with impunity, and to prosper in theif. wickedness: but the day of the Lord was at hand, in which he would judge all those nations, that had injured his people,
and retaliate their oppressions upon them. The Jews had |
drunk the cup of God’s indignation, even-on mount Zion ‘ and the heathen should drink continually and abundantly of the same cup, until they were utterly destroyed.—The ruin. of the several nations, which bordered on ‘and had fought against Israel, was predicted; but they were _ types of the enemies of the christian church, which will be utterly destroyed in due season, (Notes, Fs. xxxiv. Ixiii. 1—6.) ‘ The prophet speaks of the Jews here, as already under & ‘ state of captivity ; as they actually were before this pro- ‘ phecy was fulflled.’ (Lowth.) *16B
“s ee ee ey eT ee
ees arena
B.C. 587.
ete, ii, uw 20 And ° the captivity of this host of the zai, 2 3-Children of Israel shall possess that of the Am, ix. 14, 18: Canaanites, e’oen unto 4Zarephath; and the di king svi. 9 captivity of Jerusalem, * which zs in Sepha- Seta: esFad, shall possess * the cities of the south. that which is in Sepharad, they shall possess.
= 10. €
~
V. 17—21. When this prophecy was delivered, mount Zion either lay desolate, or was about immediately to be desolated, while the enemies of the Jews had dominion over them.—‘‘ But upon mount Zion shall be those that
mee ar a or (an escaping;) ‘¢ and it shall be holy.” (Bp. Newcombe.) —Thus it-was foretold, that’ there would be deliverance and holiness at Jerusalem, and that the house of Jacob would again occupy their ancient possessions.
Then Israel and Judah would become as a flame, to consume the Edomites as stubble, till they were utterly destroyed: and the remnant of the people, that were at that time captives, would not only possess the land of ‘Canaan, but the adjoining districts; which they would take out of the hands of those, who now oppressed them.— ~The remaining tribes would possess the country, which had belonged to those who continued in their dispersions, to the utmost borders of the promised land, and even beyond them.
Thus Judah would, possess mount Seir, to the south; and another company, the land of the Philistines towards the west; and others would recover possession of mount Ephraim and ‘Samaria, thongh at that time possessed by strangers. Benjamin would inherit Gilead, beyond Jordan, which the Ammonites had seized on; and the residue of the ten tribes would gain plssession of all the country, formerly inhabited by the Canaanites; even to Zarephah, or Sarepta, which bordered on Zidon.
It is not agreed, what is meant by Sepharad: but some think, that it was the name of a city in Edom, which the remnant of those, who were led captive from Jerusalem, would possess with the cities of the south.
For Saviours, or deliverers, would ‘be raised up on mount Zion, to judge and execute vengeance on the Edomites; and the kingdom, or dominion, would actually be possessed and exercised by JEHOVAH, for the benefit of his worshippers—This prophecy was accomplished, when the Jews returned to their own land by Cyrus’s decree; when the temple was rebuilded, and the worship of God restored ; when Jerusalem was reestablished 3n prosperity, and the land replenished with inhabitants; when the Jews, under the Maccabees and other leaders, entirely subjugated the Edomites, and incorporated the remnant of them amongst themselves as pro-gelytes; and in their subsequent prosperity, till the days of Christ.—No mention is made of the Philistines by Christ and his apostles.
They seem, before that time, to
have been extirpated from the land.—But the salvation and |
holiness of the gospel, its success and spread, by the . faithful preaching of the word, and the conversion of the ' Gentiles, were also intended ; especially the future restoration of the Jews, the destruction of antichristian opposers, and that prosperous state of the church, to which all the prophets evidently bear witness. Then, and not till then, in the full sense of the words, shall ‘* the kingdom be the “¢ Lonn’s.” | |
| &
—
ORADIAH.
© Jer. xiii. 19. XXXii. 44, XXXL. 190 esd
\
21 And ‘ saviours shall come’ up ON § yidg. i. 16. Ha. mount: Zion &to judge the matnt of & 1. si. ,s0.: ‘ect Esau; ® and the kingdonii shall be the * mic 7v- 9 =i ge
Lorp’s. oe 19. 1 Tim. ive
16. Jam. v. 20. g Ps. exlix. 5—9. Dam. vii. 97. Luke xxi. $0. 1 Cor. vi & $. Mev. xix.
Til=—138. xXx. 4 h Ps. ii. 6—9. “xii. 28. Chi. 15. Is. ix. 6,7. Dan. tin 350 46. vil, ie 87. Zech. xiv.9. Matt. vi. 10. 13. Luke i. $2 33. Rev. xi. 5. Xike 6. .
nnn OUD DU eee
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. V. 1—9.
~—e
The Lord exalts, or abases, and renders nations honour-able or contemptible, as he sees good.—Self-confidence, reliance on external advantages, ambitious projects, and carnal security, uniformly tend to calamity and mag, and thus. the pride of men’s hearts deceive them. No exaltation or power can sécure those, whom God is concerned in honour to bring down.—Renowned warriors are generally the most rapacious and insatiable: of all thieves and robbers; the prosperity of others only excites their appetite.for plunder ; and so, riches tend to the ruin of their
| possessors.—They, who rely on plausible and mercenary
helpers, are deficient in understanding: for there is so much treachery in man, that such persons commonly give their confederates the most fatal wounds. happy who trust in the Lord: for in the day of his displeasure, he destroys the wisdom of the prudent, and mars the courage of the mighty, that all his enemies may receive deserved punishment.
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V. 10—21.
God will surely confound those who oppress. their brethren, of the same nature with themselves; and those especially who hate such as the Lord loves, and afflict them because they belong to him. They, who rejoice in the calamities which others inflict, will be numbered among oppressors; and all that would escape their doom, must take care not to sanction their cruelties by their presence, or approbation. It is criminal to -behold, with the least degree of satisfaction, or even without deep concern, the distresses of our neghbours; and still more. so to insult over them under their calamities. If we cannot enter the
them, and to soothe or relieve their sorrows; we
better keep at a distance, lest we should increase or appear to take pleasure in their misery. How base then must they be, who seize on such opportunities to lay hands on the property of their neighbours, or to wre their revenge or satiate their cruelty, by giving assistance to the principal actors in these bloody tragedies! But let both the sorrowful believer, and the insolent oppressor, know, that. the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: that the injuries, which the persecuted have endured, will be recompensed upon their persecutors, whe will drink of that cup, which they have been instrumental in putting into the hands of others; and that the troubles of the righteous will soon be over, but those of the wicked will be eternal and complete. Happy then is the inhabitant of Zion, even in the most afflicted times! ghere alone. is deliverance
B.C. 58%.
They only are -
doors of the oppressed and afflicted, to sympathize edt
f .
B.C. 587.
from the wrath to come and from every evil; there holiness is communicated end resides: and whilst the Lord purifies his redeemed ‘* from all their iniquities, to be unto << himself a peculiar people zealous of good works,” he both.marks them out as his own, and prepares them to possess their purchased inheritance. His people will also be victorious, afid as a flame to consumé their enemtes: an
they shall ‘¢ inherit all things,” whilst others shall lose even what they seemed to have.—Blessed be God, fox the divine
OBADIAH.
B.C. 587.
Saviour and Judge on mount Zion, and for those, whom he sends forth as instruments of bringing sinners to partake of his salvation! May all employed in this work be faithful and successful ! so that their word may be ‘* a savour of . ‘¢ life unto life’ to numbers, anda ‘* savour of death unto ‘¢ death” to all that reject it, as judging and condemning
_ obstinate unbelievers ; and in both respects a sweet savour
to the Lord, whose is, ‘* the kingdom, and the power, and ‘* the glory for ever, Amen.” :”
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163 2
= ’ 3 , ; - ° a a
THE —— - fg. 8
BOOK or. JONAH. 7 % e os
| 7
Jonah was no doubt more ancient than any of thosé prophets, whose writings are preserved tn this part of the sacred scripture — He predicted the successes of Jeroboam, the son of Joash; (2 Kings xiv. 25 ;) -
it is probable that the prophecy was delivered a considerable time before tts accomplishment.
and 1 Some think, that Jonah executed his prophetical office, as early as the latter part of Jehu's reign: and it is not agreed, whether the eoénts recorded in this book, occurred at his entrance on that office; or at alater period — Nothing more is, known of him, , that he was of Gath-hepher, a town tn the tribe of Zebulun: (Josh. xix. 13: Gittah-hepher:) and the traditions, extant concerning him, are unworthy of the least notice.—The book before us is rather a narratioce, than .a prophecy.
Several of the events recorded in it are of a very extraordinary nature ; which has induced some te explain it as an allegory, and emboldened others profanely to ridicule it. But it should be rememberéd, that our Lord himself hath repeatedly attested the truth of the narrative; and shewn, that the most wonderful event in it was intended as a type or emblem of his own death, burial, and resurrection on the third day. (Matt. xii. 39—41. xvi. 4.
Luke xi. 32.) The knowledge of “ the power of God,” as manifested by the scriptures, will fully satisfy the humble mind respecting the miracles here, _ recorded: and a deep knowledge of our own hearts will abate our astonishment at the extraordinary . ' conduct of the prophet himself.— The fame of Jonah’s deliverance appears to have spread among the ~ ¢ heathen nations: and the-Greeks, who were accustomed to adorn the memory of their heroes, by
‘ every remarkable event and embellishment which they could appropriate, afterwards added to the
¢ fictitious adventures of Hercules, that of having continued three days without injury in the belly <“of a dog, sent against him by Neptune. The fable of Arion and the Dolphin, of which the date ‘is fired at a time nearly cocoal with the period of Jonah, is possibly a misrepresentation of ‘ particulars recorded in this sacred book... (Gray’s Key.) Jonah lived almost as early as the most ancient of the Greek poets.—His impartiality in recording his own sins, ts peculiar to the sacred writers. ; “a |
B. C. 840. B. C. 840,