before them, by the Lord, for an everlasting inherit-
ance, provided they behaved towards him aright; for
they held the possession of' it by their obedience to his
law; and now', notwithstanding all that they had done,
or had been threatened with; yet, if they repented anti
reformed, they should still dwell in the !and, and enjoy
it, and all the blessings and privileges of it.
Ver. 6. And go not after other gods to serve them, and
to worship them, he.] So long as they served the Lord
God, they continued in their own land, in the com-
fortable enjoyment of all the blessings of it; for their
government was a theocracy; God was their King;
and as long as they served and worshipped him only,
he protected and defended them; but when they for-
sook him, and went after other gods, and served and
worshippeal them, then they were threatened to be
turned out of their land, and carried captive into other
lands; and yet, after all, if they returned from their
idolatries, and left off worshipping idols, the Lord was
ready to receive them kindly, and continue his favours
to them: and provoke me not to anger with the works of
3tour hands; their idols, which their own hands made,
and then fell down to worship them; than which no-
thing can be more provoking to God: and I will do
you no hurt; by sword, or famine, or pestilence, or
captivity; signifying the hurt he had threatened them
with should not be done, provided they forsook their
idolatrous worship; God does no hurt to his true wor-
shippers; yea, he makes all things work together for
their good.
Ver, 7. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the
Lord, &c.] Though it was he that spake unto them by
his prophets; and though it was so much to their own
good and advantage; and the neglect of him and his
word were so much to their disadvantage, and even
ruin: that ye might provoke me to anger with the works
of your hands, to your .own heart : which, though not
signed to do either, yet eventually did both; both
provoked the Lord, and brought destruction upon
themselves; for whatever is against the glory of God
is to the hurt of man; and whatever provokes him is
pernicious to them in its consequences.
Ver. 8. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, &c.]
Of armies above and below; and so can do what he
pleases in heaven and in earth: because ye have not
heard my words; by the prophets, so as to obey them;
they had heard them externally, but did not observe
to do them.
Ver. 9. Behold, I will send and take all the families
of the north, saith the Lord, &c.] The Targum is, the
kingdoms of the north, the same with those in ch. i. 15.
even all those kingdoms which were subject to the
king of Babylon, and lay north of Judea: and Nebu-
chadrezzar the king of Babylon my servant: though a
great king, he was a servant of the Lord of hosts; his
servant, both as a creature of his make, and as a king
that ruled under him; and as he was an instrument in
his hand to chastise his people the Jews; though it
was not knowingly and with intention that he served
the Lord: and will bring them against this land, and
against the inhabitants thereof; the land of Judea, and
its inhabitants; this was the Lord's doing; it was he
that stirred, up the king of Babylon, and by his secret
instinct and powerful providence brought him and his
armies into Judea to spoil it, and the inhabitants of it
Jehovah as it were marched at the head of them, and
led them on, and brought them against the Jews, and
delivered them into their hands: and against all these
nations round about; Egypt and others; so that the
Jews could have no help from them; nor would ap-
plication to them, and alliance with them, signify
any thing: and will utterly destroy them, and make them
an astonishment, and an hissi.ng, and perpetual desola-
tions; both the Jews and their neighbours; who should
be an astonishment to some, and a hissing to others,
and remain desolate for a long time; even till the
seventy years were ended after mentioned.
Ver. 10. 3Ioreover, I will take from them the voice of
mirth, and the voice of gladness, &c.] At their festivals,
and nuptial solemnities: the voice of. the bridegroom,
and the voice of the bride; expressing their mutual
love unto, and delight in, each other; so agreeable to
one another and their friends: or it may mean those
epithalamies, or nuptial songs, sung unto them by
their friends: the sound of the millstones; either the
voice of those that sing at the mill while grinding; or
rather the sound of the stones themselves used in
grinding; either in grinding spices for the bride-cakes;
or rather in grinding corn for common use; and so de-
notes the taking away of bread-corn from them, and
the want of that. The sense is, there should be
corn to grind, and so no use of the mill: and the light
of the candle; at their feasts and weddings, or rather.
for common use; signifying that houses should be
desolate, without inhabitants, no light in them, nor
work to be done. The whole shews that they should
be deprived of every thing both for necessity and
pleasure. John seems to have borrowed some phrases.
from hence, Rev. xviii, 22, 23. in which he appears to
have followed the Hebrew text, and not the Greek
version. The Targum of the last clause is," the voice
"of the company of those that sing at the light of
"candles."
Ver. 11. And this whole land shah be a desolation,
&c.] Not only the city of Jerusalem, but all Judea,
without inhabitants, or very few, and shall be uncul-
tivated, and become barren and tinfruitful: and an,
astonishment; to all other nations, and to all persons.
that pass through, beholding the desolations of it:
and other nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy.
years; both the Jews, and other nations of Egypt,.
reckoning from th,e date of this prophecy, the fourth
year of Jehoiakim s reign, when Daniel and others were
carried captive, Dan. i. 1--6. to the first year of Cyrus..
Ver. 12. And it shallcome to pass, when seventy years
are accomplished, &c.] Which were accomplished in
the first year of Cyrus: they began with the first year
of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned two years and two
months with his father Nabopolassar; after that forty-
three years by himself; Evil-merodach two years:
Neriglissar four vears; Belshazzar or Nabonadins
seventeen years; and Darius the Median two years;
which all make sixty-nine years and two months; and
if ten months more be added to complete the said
seventy years, it will carry the end of them to the
first year of Cyrus g. These years are differently

{g} See Prideaux's Connexion, par. 1. B. 2. p. 130.