Daubed them - Flattered them, in their ways of sin. Untempered mortar - With promises that like ill - tempered mortar, will deceive them, though all seems at present smooth and safe.
I sought - God speaks after the manner of men. A man - Any one, among princes, prophets, priests, or people, to repair the breach. And stand - Interpose between a sinful people, and their offended God, and intreat for mercy. But - All were corrupted.
Two women - Judah, and Israel, two kingdoms.
Whoredoms - Idolatry.
Aholah - That is, his own tabernacle; for Israel falling off from the house of David, fell off from the tabernacle, or temple of God; so that all the temple they had was of their own making. The elder - Greater for number of tribes, and for power, wealth, and for multitudes of people. Aholibah - That is, my tabernacle in her: the two tribes had the temple of God with them. Mine - By solemn marriage - covenant. Bare sons - Were fruitful and brought forth children to me; they increased in numbers of people; and among these, some there were that were children of God by faith, love, and obedience.
Played the harlot - United in idolatry, with the Assyrians. Mine - When under my government, and protection.
Horsemen - Skillful in riding, and well furnished with choice horses.
With all - Other nations, with whom she had commerce.
Discovered - Stript her naked, and exposed her to shame. Took her sons - Captives. Slew her - The kingdom of Israel, under Hoshea, was by Salmanesar utterly destroyed. They - The Assyrians, had executed God's just displeasure upon her.
Girded - With soldiers belts, which includes the rest of the habit of soldiers. In dyed attire - Both rich, comely, large, and of divers colours. Princes - Of princely aspect and majesty.
Alienated - She grew weary of the Chaldeans.
Discovered - Made it appear to all, far and near.
By - Remembering her idolatries in Egypt, her alliance with it in days past, which she now resolved to act over again.
Paramours - The nations, that were confederate with the Egyptians.
Pekod - Pekod is the province between Tigris, and Lycus; in this was old Nineveh. Shoa - Either Sia in Armenia, or the Sohia, among which were the Adiabeni, and this contained the middle part of the kingdom of Babylon. Koa - This bordered upon Media, the inhabitants were called Kohai, and dwelt about Arbela. And all - All subjects of the Assyrian monarchy.
And wheels - Lest in their march the carriage wheels should break, a store of these were provided. An assembly - A mighty confluence of people. I will set - Give them a power in right of conquest over their rebels, as well as mine, and I will give them a spirit of judgment to discern the greatness of this people's sins. Judge - Condemn, and execute sentence upon thee. According - To their will, power, wrath, and custom, against rebels; for these are their rules of judgment.
I will set my jealousy - As a jealous provoked husband, I will be as much against thee as they are. Thy residue - Either the people, who hid themselves in vaults and cellars, or what the Chaldeans cannot carry away, all this shall be devoured by fire.
Take away - Deprive thee of the comfortable use of all thy labour, which they will exact of thee in captivity.
It - Is large, and contains what will last many years, even 'till the seventy years be expired.
Thou - Shalt stagger with sorrows, that shall intoxicate, and astonish. Suck it out - The dregs shalt thou drink, and multiply thine own sorrows. Break the sheards - To suck out what remains. And pluck - Revenging thyself upon thyself.
Bear thou - The guilt, I will impute it, the punishment, I will not pardon it.
In the same day - When they had newly polluted themselves with idolatry and murder, they thrust into the temple.
My house - Nay, these things have been in my house.
Wash thyself - After the manner of harlots.
Sattest - Prepared to feast them. A stately bed - A magnificent bed, on which women sat to feast, when men leaned on their sides. Incense - Offered to their idols.
A voice - A shout for joy, that there was a treaty of peace between the Jews, and the Chaldeans.
Righteous men - Men that keep the law of their God.
Upon them - Against the Jews, the children of this Aholibah.
The company - The Babylonian army.
Lewdness - Idolatry. And indeed we do not read of any after their return out of this captivity.
They - The Babylonians. The sins - The guilt of worshipping idols; and you shall bear the punishment of idolaters.
In the ninth year - Of Zedekiah's reign. Came unto me - The prophet was now in Babylon.
Set himself - Sat down to besiege.
Every good piece - All the chief of the inhabitants of the land, the wealthiest, who will fly from their country - houses to live in safety in Jerusalem: the most war - like, who will betake themselves to Jerusalem for its defence. Fill it - With those pieces that are biggest, fullest of marrow, and which are divided according to the bones; these are the principal members of the state, the king, princes, priests, magistrates, and the most wealthy citizens.
The bones - Not of the pieces to be boiled, but of the many innocents murdered in Jerusalem; for their blood crieth for vengeance, and their bones scattered on the face of the earth, will both make and maintain this fire.
The bloody city - Jerusalem. Whose scum - Her wickedness is still within her. Piece by piece - One piece after another 'till all be consumed. No lot - Lots are for saving some, but here shall be no sparing any.
The blood - Innocent blood which she hath shed. The top of a rock - Where it might be long seen. To cover it - These butchers of innocent ones leave their blood uncovered.
I have set - I will openly punish, and in such a manner as shall not be soon forgotten.
And spice it well - To express this justice, that is acceptable to God and men. The bones - The greatest, strongest, and firmest of the Jews shall perish in this fiery indignation.
The filthiness - A type of the unreformed sinfulness of the city. Molten - That their wickedness may be taken away with their persons, and city.
She - Jerusalem. With lies - Her allies, their promises, their forces, and their idols, all prove a lie to the house of Judah. Her scum - Her unrepented sins shall be punished in the fire that burns their city.
Lewdness - Or obstinacy and boldness. Purged thee - Used all means to purge thee.
With a stroke - A sudden stroke, by my own immediate hand. We know not how soon the desire of our eyes may be removed from us. Death is a stroke, which the most pious, the most useful, the most amiable are not exempted from.
Bind the tire - Adorn thy head, as thou wast used to do; go not bare - headed as a mourner. Thy shoes - ln great mournings the Jews went bare - footed. Cover not thy lips - It was a custom among them to cover the upper lip. Eat not - Of thy neighbours and friends, who were wont to visit their mourning friends, and send in choice provision to their houses.
I spake - Told them what I expected would be.