in courts of judicature, in cases brought'betbre them
and not only to know, in a speculative way, what
is equitable, but to practise it themselves, and se, e that
it is done. by others; and when they duly considered
this, they would be able to see and own that what the
prophet from the Lord would now chargd them with,
or denounce upon them, was according to truth and
justice.
Vet. 2. Who hate the good, and love the evil, &c.]
Instead of knowing and doing what was just and right;
or, directly contrary to their. light and knowledge, and
the duty of their office, they hated that which is good,
which is agreeable to the law, nature, and will of God,
and loved that which is evil, which is contrary there-
unto; or they hated to do good, and loved to do evil,
as the Targum; as men do who are averse to good,
and prone to evil; or they hated a good man, as Aben
Ezra, and loved theevii man; not only delighted in com-
mitting sin themselves, but took pleasure in those that
did it; and could not endure the company and conversa-
tion of holy and good men: whopluck off their skin from.
off them, and their flesh from off' their bones: like wild
beasts that tear off skin and flesh from the bones, and
then devour them; or like cruel Shepherds, that, not
content to fleece their flocks, skin them, and take their
flesh also, and feed themselves, and not the flock; or
like butchers, that first take off' the skin off a beast,
and then cut up its flesh. The design 6f the expres-
sions is to shew what rigour, cruelty, and oppressions,
these rulers exercised on the people and by their
heavy taxes and levies, and exorbitant mulcts and fines,
pillaged and plundered them of all they had in the
World, and left them quite bare, as bones stripped of
their skin and flesh. So the Targum," seizing on
"their substance by yiolence, and their precious mam-
"mon they take away."
Vet. 3. Who also eat the .flesh of my people, and flay
theXr skins from off them, &c.] Like canuibals, flay
them alive, and then eat their flesh: this signifies, as
before, devouring their substance, only expressed in
terms which still more set forth their savagehess, in-
humanity, barbarity, and cruelty. So t. he Targum,
"who spoil the substance of my people, and their pre-
"cious mammon they take froth them ;" and-what
aggravated their guilt was, that they were the Lord's
people by profession and religion they so used; whom
he had committed to' their care to rule over, protect,
and defend: and they break their bones, and chop them
in pieces as .for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron:
did' with them as cooks do, who not only cut flesh
off the bones, and into slices, but break the bones
themselves, to get out the marrow, and chop them
small, that they may have all the virtue that is in
them, to make their soup and broth the richer; by
which is signified, that these wicked-and avaricious
rulers took every method to squeeze the people, and
get all their wealth and r{ches into their hands, that
they might hive in a more riotous and luxurious
manner.
Vet. 4. Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will
not hear.them, &c.] When all the above evils threat-
cued them in the preceding chapters shall come upon
them; when the enemy shall invade their hind, besiege
their cities, and take them, and they, their families and
substance, just ready to fall into theirhands, they shall
cry unto the Lord; or pray unto him, as the Targum,in
the time of their distress; but he will not hear their
prayer, so as to answer it according to their desire;
that is, he,will not save them from imminent danger.
but deliver them up, them, and all that belong unto
them, into the hands of such that. shall use them as they
have done others: he will even hide his face from them
at that tithe; turn his back upon them, and a deaf ear
to them, and shew them no thvour, nor grant them
any help and protection: as they have behaved them-
selves ill in their doings; he'll punish them according
to the law of retaliation; as when the poor cried unto
them, when they were stripping them of their sub-
stance, and they would not hearken to them, so now,
when they cry unto the Lord in their distress, he'll not
hearken to them; and as they turned their backs, and
hid their faces from those that were afflicted by them.
and would shew them no fayour, so will the Lord deal
with them; and as they exercised the utmost cruelty
and barbarity that could be done, they will now be
given up into the hands of cruel and merciless men,
that will use them in like manner: or, because they
have done ill in their doings {b}. to the poor, whose cause
God will defend and vindicate.
Ver..5. Thus saith the Lord, concerning the prophets
that make my people err, &c.] The false prophets, as
the Targum; and as the description given of them
shews; who, instead of directing the people in the
right way, as by their office and characters as prophets
they should have done, they led them into mistakes
about matters of religion and civil government, and out
of the way of their ,tuty to God and men, and exposed
them to great danger and distress; and this was the
more aggravating, as they were the Lord's people by
name and profession, whom they caused to err from his
ways and worship, which 'brought his displeasure upon
them: that bite with their teeth, and cry, peace; pro-
phesy.smooth things, promise all kind .of prosperity
and plenty, and bite their lips, and keep in those
distresses and calamities which they could not but see
coming upon the people.; or, while they are prophesy-
ing good things, they gnash their teeth against the pro-
phets of the Lord, and bitterly inveigh against them for
threatening with war, destruction, and .captivity; or, by
flattering the people with their lips, they bite them,
devour their substance, and are the cause of their hurt
and ruin ;.or rather, so long as the people fed them
well, and they had a sufficiency to bite and live upon,
they foretold happy days unto them., So the Tar-.
gum, "he that feeds them with a feast of flesh,
"they prophesy peace to him ;" which sense is con-
firmed by what follows, and he that putteth not into
their mouth, they even declare war against him; who
don't give them what they ask, or don't reed them
according to their desire, don't keep a good table for
them, and cram and pamper them, but neglect them,
and don't provide well for them; these they threaten
with one calamity or another that shall befall them;
and endeavour to set their neighbours against them,.

{b} \^rvak\^ \~any' wn\~, eo quod, Sept.; quia, Drusius; pro eo quod, Grotius.