Ezekiel 16
DortBy the similitude of a new born and miserably forsaken young daughter andsee God presenteth before the eyes of the Jews their unworthiness and his special love and kindness which he shewed them out of their meer free grace vers 1.2,3 on the contrary their vile unthankfulness and unfaithfulness manifested by all manner of idolatry and heathenish covenant 15 moreover the justice of his severe judgments upon them 35 which they being worse then their sisters Sodom and Samaria had well deserved 45 yet with a promise of gracious restoration which thy with the elect Gentiles should be partakers of the Messiah 60.
1. Moreover the word the Lord came unto me saying :
2. Child of man make Jerusalem [that is inhabitants of Jerusalem which here in the sequel for the cause are spoken to in the singular number and in the feminine gender]acquainted with her abomination [that is abominable committed especially by idolatry .]
3. And say thus saith the Lord LORD unto Jerusalem ;thy dealings [many understand hereby the whole practice of all the people of Israel in the point of religion and the service of God where under are also to be comprehended the works concerning the conversations of life others render this word offsprings or generations originals habitations and conversations]and thy nativities are of the land of the Canaanites [that is the beginnings and the originals of forementioned dealings are not Abraham and Sara of whom ye boast to be descended but of the idolatrous and wicked heathen whose doings ye have imitated degenerating from the faiths and the works of your father Abraham compare Job 8..39 Romans 2:28 and 9.7,8 some conceive that the Hebrew word is here put in the plural number to shew that the Israelites always followeth the drivers idolatrous religion not being contented with one] thy father was Amorite [see of this people descent Genes 10.16 and their wickedness Genes 15.16] and thy mother an Hittite [of the Hittites descent see Genes 10.15 and their wickedness Genes 27.46.]
4. And concerning the nativities in the day when thou wast born [that is at the time that I called Abraham as an idolater Joshua 24:2 when thou wast in his loins out of Uz in Chaldea to go into the land of Canaan and brought his feed into Egypt and led them through the wilderness into the land of promise compare Hosea 2:3] thy navel was not cut [this signifieth that no bare creature was delivered or could deliver this people from their natural misery and death to bring them to everlasting salvation]neither wast thou washed with water when I beheld thee [Heb my beholding that is as soon as I beheld thee so do some also render the words by or with my foot Genes 30.30 that is as soon as I came in others for my beholding that is for a delight of my beholding so that thou shouldest have been delightful and acceptable unto my sight others for softening to wit whereby the skin a new born child is made soft clean neat and smooth when after it is washed it is anointed with some materials useful for that purpose] also thou wast not rubbed with salt at all [Heb being salted wast not salted salt was also used to stiffen or harden the skin and to strengthen the inward parts all this intimateth that God in the Israelites when he took them for his own people found nothing else in them but misery filth and weakness and consequently chose them not in respect of their own worthness but of this free grace in the promised Messiah]nor swaddled in swaddling –bands [the people of Israel misery is in this and some following verses described by a similitude taken from a new-born child that being come forth out of its mother womb is regarded by no man.]
5. No eye had compression on thee [to wit not only because they would not but also because they could not Heb no cry spared or pitied thee] to do one of these things unto thee [to wit which ought necessarily to be done to a such new born babe for its preservations] to have mercy upon thee but thou wast cast out upon the plain of the field [that is forsaken by all and to be held by none but by God] for the loathsomeness of thy soul [for the heart of man is deceitful above all things and corrupt Jerem 17.9 his understanding is enmity against God Romans 8:7 and he wholly as a maggot and a worm Job 25:6 yea lighter then vanity Psal 62.10]in the day when thou wast born .
6. When I passed by thee then I saw thee being trodden down in thy blood [to wit which was upon thy body when thou first camest into the world this blood signifieth the corruption of our nature wherein we are all conceived and born and which maketh us liable to both temporal and eternal death] and I said unto thee in thy blood [that is when thou wast in thy blood] live [that is thou shalt live though thou art exceeding corrupt and miserable it is a command containing in it a promise of life of which kind of phrase see Psal 37 on vers 3 and Prov 3 on vers 25 as if the Lord should say though ye be very unclean and deformed and lie as it is were in the midst of death and I will cause you to live this is continually accomplished according to the covenant of grace which God made with Abraham] yea I say unto thee in thy bloud live [this is here said to shew that God hath often times renewed his promises and that they remain firm and stedfast see of these promises Genesis 12:1 ,2 ,3 and 13.15 ,16 and 15.1 c and 17.1,2 c and 22.17,c and 24.7 and 26.3 and 28.13 c.]
7. I have made thee ten thousand [that is a very great maltitude see Exodus 1:7 nd 12.27 a certain number for an uncertain]as the bird of the field and thou art grown and waxen great and thou art come to great ornament [Heb. ornament of ornaments that is to a very great or to the greatest vigour see of this phrase Lev. 2 on vers 3 understand this of a spiritual ornament and viguor the cause whereof see Deuteronomy 7:7,8 and consequently issued from the first mercy here mentioned contained in the promise of life above vers 6] thy breast are become firm and thine hair is grown but thou wast naked [Heb nakedness so below vers. 22 meaning the deprivation of original righteousness and the emptiness of the saving riches see of the spiritual nakedness also Revel 3.17.] and bare .
8. For when I passed by thee I saw thee and behold thy time was the time of loves [that is the time that thou wast marriage the Lord here speaketh after the manner of man of the spiritual marriage which he out of meer grace and love made with the people of the Jews when he separated from other nations of the earth and entered with them into a covenant of grace in the Messiah]then I spread out my wings over thee [that is I took the into my custody to make thee my spouse compare Ruth 3 on vers 9] and covered thy nakedness [or shame] yea I swear unto thee [see Genes 22.16 and 24.7]and entered with thee into a covenant [to wit of spiritual marriage that I will be your God and ye should be my people see Genes 17.1 ,2 &c] saith the Lord and thou became mine .
9. Then washed I thee with water [hereby many understand the benefit of the forgiveness of sins flowing from the covenant of grace which is often represented and expressed by washing Exodus 24:8 Levit 15.13 psal 51.4 ,9 below chap 36.25 Acts 22 .16 1 Corinthians 6:11 Revel 1.5 but understand also this and the following benefit to wit the regeneration and sanctification in respect of the children of promise and the elect among the people] yea I rinsed thy blood off from thee [to wit the blood that was found upon thee in thy nativity]and anointed thee with oil [to wit to make the acceptable compare Esther 2:12 this signified the spiritual anointing with the oil of regeneration whereby to men is sanctified for a better life see of this oil and anointing 2Cor 1 .21 ,22 1 Job 2.20,27.]
10. I clothed thee also with bordered work [or broidered works so below vers 18 is I have abundantly furnished thee not only in body in all that was needful for thee but have likewise so enriched and filled thee with spiritual goods and mercies that thou excellest all other nations Genesis 12:2,3 Numb 24.5,6,7,17,18,19 Deuteronomy 4:6,7,8 Psal 132.13,14,15 c and by my marriage art become a queen see Psal 45.11,12,13 ,14 c see also below on vers 13] and I shod thee with badgers skins [see of these Exod on vers 5]and girded thee about with fine linen [see Genes 41 on vers 42] and covered the with silk.
11. I adorned thee also ornament and put bracelets upon thine hands [see of these bracelets Genes 24on vers 22] and a chain [see of this word also Genes 4.42]on thy neck [Heb. throat.]
12. Likewise I put a front let [see Gen 24 on vers 22]upon thy face [or over thy nose or upon thy forehead see Gen 24 on vers 47] and ear rings [see the same word in the same signification Gen 35 .4]on thine ears and a crown of glory [or a crown of ornament that is glorious or a beautiful crown see Proverbs 4:9 and the annotate]upon thine head .]
13. Thus wast thou adorned with gold and silver and thy clothing was fine linen and silk and embroidered work thou didst eat fine floure and hony and oil [understand the forts of sustenance here mentioned all that is necessary for sustenance here mentioned all that is necessary for sustentations of life and recreations of the body]and thou wast prosperous so that thou becomest a kingdom [that is so that thou hadst thine own kings that governed thee or thou hadst prosperity in the kingdom to wit for the most part under the reign of King David and Solomon the royal dignity was promised to the Israelites Genesis 17:6 and 49.10 by all these similitudes taken from corporal ornaments necessaries beauty and prosperity is shadowed out of the abundance of spiritual blessings whereby God had exalted the people of Israel above other nations such as were the giving of the law the revelation of heavenly doctrine the gift of prophecy the priesthood the pure worship of God the miracles the hope of the life to come &c.]
14. Moreover a name of thee went forth among the heathen because of thy beauty [see the promise hereof Genesis 12:2 Deuteronomy 4:6,7,8 the accomplishment Numb 23.8,21 c Joshua 2:9.1 Samuel 3:7 1 Kings 10c.24 c 2Chrons 32.23]for the same was perfect through my glory which I had put upon thee [see above on vers 10and 13]saith the Lord LORD.
15. But thou didst trust in thy beauty [as if though shouldst keep it forever though thou shouldst deal never so ill with me] and playedst the harlot [that is didst commit idolatry partly in thy idol worship and partly in your covenants with idolatrous nations see of the spiritual whoredom committed by idolatry Levit 17on vers 7 and 20 on vers 5 and of lawful confederacies forbidden by God Exodus 23:32 and 34.12 Deuteronomy 7:2 and made by the Jews 2Chrons 19.2 and 20.25 c] because of thy name [that is because thou hast the name of being very beautiful and in that respect thou hast a desire to prostitute thy self for the satisfying of thy whorish condition] yea hast poured out thy fornications on everyone that passed by for him it was [it to wit thy beauty compare Isa57.5 Jerem 2.20,23 ,36 and 3.6.]
16. And of thy garments thou didst take and madest to thy self speckled high places [meaning altars set up in high places unto idols and hung with faire or broad speckled garments that being spied afar off they might allure the passengers of idolatry these are here compare to the beds of harlots that are beautiful and costly trimmed to entice lovers thither Proverbs 7:16 for which cause also these idolatrous places are called the beds of idolaters Isaiah 57:7] and playedst the harlot thereupon such a thing hath not come neither shall it come to pass [the meaning is that the Jews committed such a gross offence by their idolatry that they never had the like nor ever should have .]
17. Moreover thou hast taken the vessel of thine ornament [the Hebrew word is generally taken for all the manner of vessels furniture or household staff made of gold silver &c compare Levit 15 on vers 4] made of my gold and of silver which I had given thee [that is which I have given thee for the necessary use and moderate ornament compare Hosea 2:8 and madest [to wit of that gold and silver]to thy self images of a man are named and not the images of a woman either because here Jerusalem is brought under the person of all harlot that keepeth company with every man portrayed most unchastely and formidably ]and thou didst commit whoredom with them [to wit by offering sacrifices unto them calling upon them and giving all religious honor and worship unto them]
18. And thou lookest thy embroidered garments and coveredst them [to wit thy images and that for to adorn them also with costly ornaments which is likewise idolatry]and thou hast set mine oil [which I gave thee for other uses and amongst the rest for my service see Genes 28 on vers 18 Exod 27 .20 ,21 and 30.7 Levit 2.1,2 and 8on vers 2 and Judge9 on vers 9 and mine incense [of incense made of sundry spices for the service of God see Exodus 30:4 ,35]before their face .
19. And my bread which I gave thee fine flour oils honey wherewith I fed thee the same hast thou set also before their faces [to wit the faces of the images]for a pleasant savor [compare Gen 8 on vers 21]thus it was said the Lord LORD.
20. Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters whom thou hast born unto me [to wit which belong to me by virtue of the covenant which I made with thee and thy seed for though the people of the Jews have forsaken God and deserved to be forsaken of God yet in regard this was not yet done they begat children whom he by reason of circumcision also yet vouchsafed to own for his not desiring to punish the children for the offence of the parents so below chap 23.37]and hast offered them unto them [to wit unto the idols and images] to be consumed [that is that they might devour them by the fire] is it a small thing of thy whoredoms [to wit in thine eyes or in thy judgment that thou dost commit such abominations as are mentioned in the former and following words proceeding from thy whoredom ?]
21. That thou hast slain [the Hebrew word signifieth properly to throat or to cut the throat Levit 1 on vers 5 but here its taken simple for killing or slaying by causing to pass through the fire see Levit 18 on vers 21 2Kings 23 on vers 10 2Chrons 28.on vers 3 and below chap 23.37]my children and hast delivered them when thou didst cause them to pass through the fire for them ?[that is to the honor of the idols .]
22. Also in all thine abominations and in thine whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth [see above on vers 4] when thou wast naked [see above on vers 7 and bare when thou wast trample on in thy blood [see above on vers 6.]
23. It came also to pass after all thy wickedness wow o unto the saith the Lord LORD.
24. That thou hast built unto thee a gallery [that is an elevated place to commit thine idolatry upon it compare Levit 26 on vers 30 also Isaiah 57:7 c Jerem 3.6] and hast made thee an high place in every street .
25. Thou hast build thine high at every head of the way [or in every head way or in the front of every way that is in all the cross- ways and top of the streets so below chap 21.21 compare Prov 8 on vers 2 and the annotate were the cross way is called an house of paths] and hast made thy beauty abominable and hast straddled with thy legs [Heb fell before everyone that passed by [that is thou hast given thyself up to all manner of the vilest and most shameless idolatry that is of what nations forever thou mightest have borrowed it the Hebrew is used both of the mouth and of the legs of the mouth for opening it wide to speak immodestly and impudently Proverbs 13:3 of the legs for open them wide to uncleanness as here]and thou hast multiplied thou whoredoms.
26. Thou hast also committed fornication with the children of Egypt [that is the Egyptians so children of Assur for the Assyrians below vers 21 children of Babel below 23.18]thy neighbors [to wit by making unlawful covenants with them compare Isaiah 30:2 and 31 contrary to the command of God Deut 17 .16 so is the word committing fornication or playing the whore also taken below vers 28]which are great of flesh [that is are strong and mighty even in uncleanness compare below chap 23 .20]and thou hast multiplied thy whoredoms to provoke me to anger
27. Behold therefore I stretched mine hand over thee [to wit to punish thee as followeth see above chap 14 on vers 9 and diminished thine appointed portions [to wit of meat and drink and ordinary sustenance see Job 23 on vers 12]and delivered thee unto the lust that hate thee [see the exposition of this phrase Psal 27 on vers 12]the daughters of the Philistines which were ashamed because of thy lewd way [Heb thy way of .]
28. Moreover thou hast played the whore with the children of Assur [see above on vers 26 see also 2Kings 16.7 and 2Chrons 28.16]because thou hast insatiable [to wit of playing the whore] yea when thou hadst played the harlot with them thou wast also not satisfied .
29. But thou hast multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea: [Some understand this thus; that the Jews not only followed the idolatry of the Canaanites, but also of the Chaldeans: and this might have been done by those that were carried away captive to Babel with Jechonia] and therewith also thou wast not satisfied.
30. How weak [or faint feeble weary]is thine heart [to wit being wearied and over -labored by that insatiable whorish lust] saith the Lord LORD when thou doest all these things being the work of an imperious whorish woman ?[that is which is not only an whore but is so excessive wanton and willful in whoredom that she is the mistress over all.]
31. When thou buildest thine arch [see above on vers 24] at the head of every way[see above on vers 25] and makest thine high places in every street and hast not been as a harlot scorning an harlot reward [seeing thou desirest no reward but givest it see vers 33,34.]
32. O that adulterous woman [to wit that entiseth other man to her without desiring any reward]she receiveth strangers [to wit lovers and fornicators that is strange and false Gods Psal 44.21 Jerem 2.25 and 3.13]instead of her husband [which is God himself Hosea 2:19 2 Corinthians 11:2.]
33. Men give a reward to whore [Heb they give c. To wheremongers] but thou giveth they reward [to wit, as well in getting and obtaining of strange gods, and the manner how to serve them, as for to make idolatrous covenant with the heathen] to all thy lovers, so in the sequel] and thou giveth them gifts that they may go in unto thee, [se of this phrase, Gen. 6 on verse 4.] from round about [that is, from all cities and countries] for thy whoredomes. [that is, for to commitwheredome with her]
34. So the country [Heb. Turning about] happeneth thee in thy whoredomes from women, [to wit, that are unchaste and make their bodies common: for they desire to receive a whores reward, & not to give a reward] seeing none pursueth thee, or enquireth after thee to commit wherdome with thee] for not given to thee, therefore thou art become contrary.
35. Therefore O harlot hear the word of the LORD:
36. Thus saith the Lord LORD because thy venome is poured out [the Hebrew word rendered here venome signifieth properly copper ,copper rust ,copper green ,Spanish green,which is venomous and is here by way of similitude taken for that contagiousness which an harlot by frequent uncleanness getteth in her body .Whereby is intimated how filthy and odious idolatry is in the sight of God .According to the opinion of others ,the word pointeth at the unfatiable lust of whores .See of the Hebrew word also below chap 24.11 .Others render this word filthiness ,dersomity ,shamefulness or basness] and thy shame is discovered through thy whoredoms with the suiters and with all dung-gods of thine abominations ;[here is related a two fold spiritual whoredom the first committed with the strange nations by unlawful covenants ,such as were the Assyrians ,Egyptians ,and Babylonians :The other word with idols by false worship or religions idols are called abominations ,because in their idolatrous service many abominations are committed] and according to the blood of thy children which thou didst give unto them [Heb the blood that is slaughters ,murders see Gen 4 on vers 10 whereby thou hast cruelly murdered thy children in honor of thine idols see above vers 20,21 others by or about the blood of thy children c that is when thou didst murder thy children.]
37. Therefore behold I will gather all the lovers [of whom the army of the Babylonians consisteth] with whom hast thou been mingled [to wit in the spiritual idolatry ,both of wicked covenant and of false worship .Others hast taken or committed pleasure or delight or hast been voluptuous or hast had the sweet]and all them that thou hast loved with all them that thou hast hated :and I will gather them round about against thee and I will discover thy nakedness [or thy shame]before them all that they shall see all thy nakedness [this signifieth vilest and basest infamy and reproach that may be done to any one before men compare 2Sam 10 .4 Isaiah 10:4 and 47.3 Jerem 13 on vers 22,26 Nahum 3:5.]
38. Besides I will judge thee according to the judgments of adulteress [see of these laws of judgments Levit 20.10 and Deuteronomy 22:22] and of blood –shedders [see Genesis 9:6 Exodus 21:12 Matth 26.52 Revel 13.10]and I will deliver thee to the blood of wrath and jealousy [that is to death that shall proceed from my wrath and jealousy see of God above chap 5 on vers 13.]
39. And I will deliver thee unto their hand and they shall break down thine arch and throw down thine high places and strip thee of thy clothes and take thy beautiful jewels [Heb vessels or furniture of thy beauty or of thy glory] and leave thee naked and bare .
40. Moreover they shall cause a congregation to come up against thee and shall stone thee with stones and thrust thee through their sword .
41. They shall also burn thy houses with fire [this punishment is peradventure here also mentioned in respect of the sins by adultery which by some ancient laws was so punished compare Genesis 38:24 Levit 21.9 Jerem 29.2 ,23 below chap 23.45,47 see tis burning accomplished 2 Kings 25 and 2 Chron 36 and Jerem 52]and execute judgments against thee before the eyes of many women [that is nation .Thus the nation of the Jews is the whole transactions is set forth under the name of the adulterous woman so likewise in scripture by daughters is meant nations see above on vers 27 now here mention is made of the nations round about unto whom the Jews in their ruine became a public example of Gods vengeance yea a scorn and a derision unto many see Psal 137.7 Lament 1.8 ,21 and 2.15 ,16 below chap 25.3 and 26.2]and I will cause thee to cease from being a harlot and thou shalt give no harlots a reward anymore .
42. So I will cause my fury to rest upon them [see above chap 5 on vers 13]and my jealousy shall depart from thee [to wit after that I shall have executed all my fearful judgments against thee so that I shall rest satisfied therewith without being any more angry at thy lewdness as followeth God speaketh of himself after the manner of man]and I will be quiet and will be no more angry .
43. Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth [that is thy former misery and my mercy therein towards thee see above vers 4]and hast been a commotion unto me [that is an anger or vexation thus this word is taken for angry commotion Genesis 45:24 Proverbs 29:9 see the annotate]by all these things behold therefore I will also render thy way upon thine head [see above chap 9 on vers 10 and chap 11.21] saith the Lord LORD thou shalt not commit that lewd act meaning the forgetfulness of her youth whereof mention is made in the beginning of this vers .others understand the murdering of her children whereof see above vers 20,21 some take the Hebrew word in a good sense and render these words thus and thou hast not made and had one thought that is not once thought on all thy abominations ]above all thine abominations [that is abominable idolatries .]
44. Behold everyone that useth proverb shall use a proverb concerning thee [see of the word proverb above chap 12 on vers 22] saying as is the mother so is her daughter [that is the daughter very often follows the mothers qualities and nature.]
45. Thou art thy mothers daughters [that is thou art of thy mothers nature and art like unto her in qualities and actions]that loathes her husband and children [that is God when she forsook by idolatry and her own sons and daughters whom she murdered to the honour of the idols]and thou art the sister of thy sisters [called Samaria and Sodom in the next vers Heb sister that is each of thy sisters so in the sequel]which loathed their husbands and their children thy mothers was an Hittite and thy father was an Amorite [see above on vers 3.]
46. Now thy great sister is Samaria [Samaria whereby the ten tribes are to be understood is called Jerusalem great sister because her kingdom was greater then the kingdom of Juda so Sodom in the following words is called her little sister because her kingdom was less]she and her daughter [the words daughter indeed often times signifieth the dependent places of the greatest cities see 2 Kings 19 on vers 21 but here it may be understood of the inhabitants of these cities and countries]which dwelleth at thy left hand [that is northward of thee for those that were at Jerusalem with their faces towards the east had Samaria on their left hand that is by north and Sodom on their right hand that is by forth]but thy sister that is less then thee which dwelleth towards thy right hand is Sodom and her daughters .
47. Yet hast thou not walked in their ways nor done after their abominations [that is their fins are not comparable to yours which are far greater and more abominable then theirs] it was a mean thing to wit to sin no other ways then as those of Samaria and Sodom had sinned [a grief to wit that thou shouldst do no more then they had done]but thou hast corrupted it more [that is made it worst and lived more wickedly so is the word corrupting or making corrupt taken Deuteronomy 31:29 Judg2.19 otherwise the scripture calleth this corrupting ones way Genes 6.12 corrupting ones doing or works Zephan 3.7]then they in all thy ways [that is works .]
48. As true as I live saith the Lord LORD if Sodom thy sister she with her daughters hath done like as thou hast done and thy daughters [an abrupt speech usual in oaths.]
49. Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom pride fullness of bread [understand hereby all sins that are wont to proceed from the wicked in the abundance of all their earthly enjoyments so in the words following still quietness for the evil that proceedeth thence]and still quietness [or quiet stillness others abundant idleness]had she and her daughters but she strengthened not the band of the poor and needy .
50. And they lifted up themselves and committed abominations [see hereof Genes 13.13 and 18.20 and 19.5]before my face [see Genes 6 on vers 11]therefore I took them away [see Genes 19.24]after that I had seen it [to wit how abominable they lived compare Genes 18.21 and the annotate is spoken of God after the manner of men.]
51. Neither hath Samaria sinned the half of thy sins [to wit by reason of thy thankfulness whereby thou hast contemptibly rejected my bounty and loving and kindness which I best owed upon thee in afar great measure then I did upon Samaria and by reason of thy carelessness whereby thou hast slighted the judgments which I sent upon Samaria for thine example and warning]and thou hast multiplied thine abominations more then they and hast justified the sisters by all thine abominations which thou hast done [that is declared then to be more honest then thy self because they have not sinned so abominably as thou hast done compare Jerem 13.11.]
52. Thou then also bear thy shame thou that hasty judged for thy sisters [that is hast justified them and hast pronounced them to be more honest then thy self as in the former vers Heb sister see above on vers 45 others thou hast condemn thy sisters to wit Samaria declaring that she was justly punished and forsaken by God for her backsliding others thou that hast judged thy sisters bear also thy shame for thy fins] by thy fins which thou hast made more abominable then they :they are more righteous then thou be thou then confounded also and bear thy shame because thou hast justified thy sisters [Heb sister see above on vers 45.]
53. Then I shall bring again their captives [Heb captivity so in the sequel see Numb 31 on vers 12]namely the captives of Sodom and her daughters and the captives and the captives of Samaria and her daughters ;[the word captivity is used for all manner of plagues and judgments that come upon man see Job 42:10 and the annotate]then will I bring again the captives of thy captivities in the midst of them [then that is never for Sodom and Samaria were utterly destroyed without any hope of being restore to their former estate so in 55 vers following understand this with exception of those whom God of grace had chosen to be an holy seed and remnant of his church of whom see below vers 60.]
54. That thou maist bear thy shame and maist be confounded for all that thou hast done when thou shall comfort them [to wit Sodom and Samaria that is ease them in their plague which they have received when they shall consider that like fins they shall be rewarded with like plagues compare above chap 14 on verse 22.]
55. Which thy sisters Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate and also Samaria and her daughters shall also return to thy former estate .
56. Yea thy sister Sodom was not heard in thy mouth [Heb was not an hearing or report in thy mouth that is thou hast fiercely made any mention on of the fearful example of my vengeance which I have poured out upon my Sodomites to the end that thou by avoiding the like fins to the mightest escape like the plagues]in the day of thy great pride [Heb thy prides that is when thou wast exceeding thou proud to wit when thou is thy great pride stoutness didst despise all the admonitions of my prophets and wentest on in thine abominations others thy glories and excellencies that is when thou wast in thy greatest prosperity pleasure and dignity the Hebrew word is in a bad sense taken for pride or haughtiness Levit 26 vers 19 Job 35:12 above chap 7.2 in a good sense for glory excellency dignity Exodus 15:7 Job 40:5 Psal 47.5.]
57. Before thy wickedness was discovered [to wit by my judgments that I sent upon thee otherwise of Gods people have been always discovered by the preaching and admonitions of the prophets] when the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria [whereby thou wast reproached by the Syrians when they overrun and plundered thy country 2Kings 16.5,6 2Chrons 8.5 ,6]and of all those that were round about it [to wit the land of Syria] the daughters of Philistines see 2Chrons 28.18 ]which despised thee [understand the contempt and despising which immediately before was called reproach others spoiled and plundered for the Hebrew word according to the opinion of many signifieth not only despising but also spoiling or robbing]from round about [that is on every side.]
58. Thou hast born thy lewd acts ]Heb lewd act lewdness that is the punishment thereof whereby thy wickedness hath begun to be discovered ]and thine abominations saith the Lord .
59. For thus saith the Lord LORD I will also unto thee according as thou hast done which hast despised the oath [to wit whereby thou hast sworn and cursed thy self if ever thy shouldst break thy covenant that I made with thee Deuteronomy 27:15 compare Nehem 10.29 and the annotate] breaking the covenant made on mount Sinai the meaning of this word on this vers is as thou hast broken the covenant so have I now also liberty to do it .]
60. Nevertheless I will remember my covenant [see Genes 8 on verse 1] with thee in the days of thy youth [that is which I made with thee in the times of Abraham ,Isaac and Jacob for with these and their prosperity God had established a covenant of grace grounded on the merits of the Messiah that was to come Genes 17.2]and I will establish with thee an everlasting covenant [to wit depending on the former covenant of grace and being a renewing thereof and likewise standing open for all Gentiles that should believe in Christ.]
61. Then shalt thou [namely O Jerusalem and Juda]remember thy ways and be ashamed thou shalt receive [that is take into the fellowship of the church]the sisters that are greater then thee with them that are smaller than thee [meaning those of the Israelites or ten tribes of the nation both great and small should believe in the Messiah and converted to the true knowledge of God] for I will give them unto thee for daughters [to wit as born unto thee by preaching of the gospel see Galatians 4:26] but not by the covenant of grace which also concerneth mine elect of the Gentiles .]
62. For I will establish or confirm my covenant with thee [understand the covenant of grace compare Jerem 31.32] and thou shalt know that I am the Lord .
63. That thou maist remember it and be ashamed and not open thy mouth any more [Heb maist not have open thy mouth any more that is that thou maist have no more the boldness or cause to excuse thy self of favour thy sins this phrase taken in a good sense is as much as to have the boldness and matter to utter or express something clearly and plainly see below chap 29.21 Ephesians 6:19]because of thy shame when I shall make atonement of thee [that is shall reconcile thee unto myself so 2 Chron 30.18 or shall be gracious unto thee Deuteronomy 21:8 see the annotate]for all that thou hast done saith the Lord LORD .