Whom - Art thou better than others that thou shouldest not die, and be laid in the dust, as well as they. Go - Go down like others. With the uncircumcised - Among profane and loathed carcasses, such the uncircumcised were in the opinion of the circumcised, as were the Egyptians.
They - The Egyptians. She - The whole Egyptian kingdom. Draw - And throw them together into the pit.
Him - The king of Egypt. The grave - Where they lie without strength, as dead mortals, tho' while they lived, they bore themselves, as gods. That help - His helpers, dead before him, shall speak to him. Gone down - To the grave. They lie - Neglected, and forgotten.
Ashur - The famous, warlike, king of Assyria. Is there - In the state of the dead, in the land of darkness and oblivion. Her company - Princes, soldiers, subjects, and confederates. Are about him - They are about him, who were slain with him.
Whose graves - Here is supposed a spacious vault, in the midst whereof the king of Ashur lies, and round the vault, his familiar captains and commanders. Her company - The common subjects of the Assyrian empire, all buried undistinguished about her. Her grave - The ruins of an empire are its grave. In the land - While they were in the land of the living.
Elam - The Persians, and their famous kings, who lived in former days. Their shame - God, and man poured contempt upon them, and turned their glory into shame.
A bed - The Persians had their coffins, in which with balms and spices, the dead were kept, in the midst of places provided for them; in such is the king of Elam here placed with his slaughtered captains about him. All the honour he can now pretend to, is to be buried in the chief sepulchre.
Her multitude - With the Cappadocians and Albanians, the Scythians may be included, many of whom were next neighbors to them.
They - The leaders of these Scythians were not buried with a pomp like that of Ashur, or Elan, but surprised by Halyattes and Cyaxares, were cut off with all their multitude, and tumbled into pits with the rabble. With their weapons - A ceremony observed in pompous funerals of great captains, to have their weapons, and their armour carried before the hearse. Laid their swords - In their graves, as if they could sleep the sweeter there, when they laid their heads on such a pillow: These barbarous Scythians were not so buried. Their iniquity - The exemplary punishment of their iniquity shall be seen upon their bones unburied.
Thou - Chief of Mesech, and Tubal. Shalt be broken - Shalt be killed with the rest of thy wicked followers. Shalt lie - Without regard, hurled into the pit with common soldiers.
With the uncircumcised - The Edomites retained circumcision, being of the seed of Abraham. But that shall stand them in no stead: they shall lie with the uncircumcised.
Of the north - Tyrians, Assyrians, and Syrians, who lay northward from Judea, now swallowed up by the Babylonian. Of their might - When it appeared too weak to resist the enemy. Uncircumcised - Scorned, and cast out as profane and loathsome.
Comforted - Poor comfort! Yet all that he will find!
My terror - These tyrants were a terror to the world by their cruelty; and God hath made them a terror by his just punishments; and so, saith God, will I do with Pharaoh. Come and see the calamitous state of human life! See what a dying world this is! The strong die, the mighty die; Pharaoh and all his multitude! But here is likewise an allusion to the final and everlasting death of impenitent sinners. Those that are uncircumcised in heart, are slain by the sword of Divine Justice. Their iniquity is upon them, and they bear their shame for ever.
Is taken away - Punished by the Lord for his sin.
Our sins - The unpardoned guilt, and the unsupportable punishment of our sins, in the wasting of our country, burning our city, abolishing the publick worship of God; we shall pine away, 'tis too late to hope. How - How can it be better with us?
Smitten - Taken and plundered.
Opened my mouth - Not that the prophet was utterly dumb before, for he had prophesied against many nations, only he was forbidden to say anything of the Jews, But now the spirit moved him to speak, and continued his motion, 'till the messenger came, and ever after.
They - Who were left behind, now come out of their holes, or returned from neighbouring countries, or permitted by the conqueror to stay and plant vineyards. Wastes - Places once fruitful and abounding with people, but now, made a desolate wilderness. He inherited - Our father had a right to all this land, when but one; we his children though diminished, are many, and the divine goodness will surely continue to us both right and possession. Is given - It was given by promise to us, the seed, as well as to our progenitor; nay more, 'tis given us in possession, whereas Abraham had not one foot of it.
Ye stand - You trust to your sword; you do all with violence. Abominations - Idolatry.
The children - Captives in Babylon.
They come - As if they were really the people of God. They sit - So we find the elders of Judah, chap.8:1, so the disciples of the rabbis sat at their feet.
The shepherds - The rulers of the people kings, magistrates, and princes; as also priests, and prophets. Of Israel - The two tribes, and the few out of the ten that adhere to the house of David. That feed - Contrive their own ease, advantage, and honour.
Ye kill - You contrive methods, to take first the life, and next the estate of the well - fed, the rich and wealthy. But - You take care to lead, protect, provide for, and watch over them.
The diseased - The weak and languishing. Bound up - Oppressors in the state, or church, broke many then, but these shepherds bound them not up.
No shepherd - No vigilant, faithful shepherd. Became meat - Were made a prey of, and devoured by all their neighbours.
In the cloudy and dark day - In the time of general distress.
The fat - The powerful and rich. I will feed - I will judge and punish them.
I judge - Between men and men, between the smaller and weaker, and the greater and stronger, as their different state requires I will do. The rams - Rulers, who also shalt be dealt with according to their behaviour.
But ye must tread down - You great ones, eat the fat, and sweet; and what you cannot eat, you waste and spoil. The deep waters - Which are sufficient for all.
I will judge - I will vindicate the poor. The fat cattle - The rich. The lean - The poor.
One shepherd - Christ, the great good, chief, only shepherd, that laid down his life for his sheep. My servant David - The seed of David, the beloved one, who was typified by David, and is in other places called by his name, as Jer 30:9 Eze 37:24 Isa 37:35 Hos 3:5. He shall feed - Do all the office of a good and faithful shepherd, and that for ever.
My servant - Christ was in this great work his fathers servant, Isa 42:1.
A covenant - A covenant of promises, which contain, and shall bring peace, that is all good.
Them - My returned captives, The places - All the country. My hill - Jerusalem.
A plant - The Messiah. The shame - The reproach.
Their God - By covenant, from their forefathers. Am with them - Present with them, and reconciled to them.
Mount Seir - The Edomites, who inhabited it.
Their iniquity - When their iniquity was punished on them, which brought them to final ruin.
And blood - Thy guilt, and my just revenge of innocent blood. Hast not hated - Thou hast loved, rather than hated, blood - shed; therefore vengeance for it follows thee.
That passeth out - All travellers that go to or from Edom.
Return - To their former glory.
Though - Though God was with Israel.
Judged - Punished thee.
The whole earth - The inhabitants of all the countries round about thee. Rejoiceth - Is in peace and plenty.