There - At Tel - abib. Go forth - Withdraw from the multitude.
As the glory - We are not now to expect such visions. But we have a favour done us nothing inferior, if we by faith behold the glory of the Lord, so as to be changed into the same image. And this honour have all his saints.
Shut - To foresignify the shutting up of the Jews in Jerusalem.
Not go - Thou shalt be straitly confined.
But - When ever I shall reveal any thing to thee. Open - I will give thee power to speak. Let - 'Tis his duty and safety. Forbear - 'Tis at his own peril.
Portray - Draw a map of Jerusalem.
Lay siege - Draw the figure of a siege about the city. Build - Raise a tower and bulwarks.
A wall - That it may resemble a wall of iron, for as impregnable as such a wall, shall the resolution and patience of the Chaldeans be.
Lay - Take upon thee the representation of their guilt and punishment. House of Israel - The ten tribes. The number - By this thou shalt intimate how long I have borne with their sins, and how long they shall bear their punishment.
I have laid - I have pointed out the number of years wherein apostate Israel sinned against me, and I did bear with them. Years - These years probably began at Solomon's falling to idolatry, in the twenty - seventh year of his reign, and ended in the fifth of Zedekiah's captivity.
Accomplished - That is, almost accomplished. House of Judah - Of the two tribes. Forty days - Probably from Josiah's renewing the covenant, until the destruction of the temple, during which time God deferred to punish, expecting whether they would keep their covenant, or retain their idolatries, which latter they did for thirteen years of Josiah's reign, for eleven of Jehoiakim's, and eleven of Zedekiah's reign, and five of his captivity, which amount to just forty years. But all this was done in a vision.
Set - While thou liest on thy side thou shalt fix thy countenance on the portrait of besieged Jerusalem. Uncovered - Naked and stretched out as being ready to strike.
Bands - An invisible restraint assuring him, that those could no more remove from the siege, than he from that side he lay on.
Take - Provide thee corn enough: for a grievous famine will accompany the siege. Wheat - All sorts of grain are to be provided, and all will be little enough. One vessel - Mix the worst with the best to lengthen out the provision.
By weight - Not as much as you will, but a small pittance delivered by weight to all. Twenty shekels - Ten ounces: scarce enough to maintain life. From time to time - At set hours this was weighed out.
The sixth part - About six ounces.
As barley cakes - Because they never had enough to make a loaf with, they eat them as barley cakes. With dung - There was no wood left, nor yet dung of other creatures. This also was represented in a vision.
May want - So because they served not God with chearfulness in the abundance of all things, He made them serve their enemies in the want of all things.
Take - Thus foretel the mourning, reproach, and deformity that are coming, for all this is signified by shaving the head and beard.
A third part - Described on the tile, chap.4:1, a type of what should be done in Jerusalem. The days - When the three hundred and ninety days of thy lying against the portrayed city shall be ended. With a knife - To signify them that fall by the sword. Scatter - To typify them that fell to the Chaldeans, or fled to Egypt, or other countries.
Take - Of the last third. Bind - As men tied up in the skirt of their garment what they would not lose: to signify the small remnant.
Of them - Out of that little remnant. In the fire - For their sin against God, their discontents at their state, and conspiracies against their governor, another fire shall break out which shall devour the most, and be near consuming all the houses of Israel.
This is Jerusalem - This portrayed city, is typically Jerusalem. The midst - Jerusalem was set in the midst of the nations, to be as the heart in the body, to invigorate the dead world with a divine life, as well as to enlighten the dark world with a divine light.
More - More than the heathen.
Multiplied - In idols, superstitions, and wickedness. Neither - You have exceeded them in superstition and idolatry, and fallen short of them in moral virtues.
Not done - Though the old world perished by water, and Sodom by fire, yet neither one or other was so lingering a death.
Scatter - This was verified when they were fetched away, who were left at the departure of the besiegers, and when the very small remnant with Johanan fled into Egypt.
Sanctuary - My temple. Detestable things - Thy idols.
Comforted - In executing my vengeance. In my zeal - For my own glory.
Taunt - A very proverb among them. Instruction - Sinners shall learn by thy miseries, what they may expect from me.
Bereave thee - Of your children, friends, and your own life. Pestilence and blood - Thy land shall be the common road for pestilence and blood. Tho' this prophecy was to be accomplished presently, in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans; yet it may well be supposed to look forward, to the final destruction of it by the Romans, when God made a full end of the Jewish nation, and caused his fury to rest upon them.
The mountains - The inhabitants of the mountains, who were secure in their fastnesses.
Rivers - To those who dwell by river sides, or in the valleys. High places - The places of your idolatrous worship.
Cast down - Before the altars of your idols, which you fly to for refuge.
And - Thus the idols were upbraided with their inability to help their worshippers, and the idolaters, with the folly of trusting in them.
Your works - All your costly work for your idols.
Remnant - It is the Lord that preserves a remnant, the enemies rage would destroy all.
Shall remember - So as to turn unto me. Broken - I am much grieved. Whorish heart - Idolatrous hearts depart from God, as an adulterous wife departs from her husband. Loath - With a mixture of grief towards God, of indignation against themselves, and abhorrence of the offence.
In vain - Either without cause, the sufferers gave him just cause to pronounce that evil; or without effect. Their sins where the cause, and their destruction is the effect of their sufferings.
Smite - To shew thy wonder, indignation, sorrow, and pity, for their sins and sufferings.
Far off - Either by flight, or captivity. Shall fall - Who dwell near to Jerusalem, or would retire to it, when the Babylonians approach.
Wilderness - The horrid wilderness of Moab. Therein the fiery serpents so much annoyed Israel. Accordingly the land of Canaan is at this day one of the most desolate countries in the world.
An end - An end of God's patience, and of the peace and welfare of the people.
Recompense - The punishment of them.
An evil - An evil and sore affliction, a singular, uncommon one.