Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/5_200_p.lzh/5_252.TXT

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a sinful man, though a good man, and a great believer;
of whose" infirmity and frailty many instances are on
record. Some have thought Terah the father of Abra-
ham is designed, who was an idolater; others think
some particular king is meant, the father of his people;
Aben Ezra supposes Jeroboam to be intended, the first
king of the ten tribes who made Israel to sin; but
Kimchi observes, it is better to nnderstand it of Saul,
who was the first king over all Israel; others interpret
it of Ahaz; and others of ManasSeh; Vitringa of
Uriah the priest, in the times of Ahaz; but it seems
best to take the singular for the plural, as the Arabic
version does, which renders it, yourfirst fathers have
sinned; all their forefathers had sinned, from their
coming out of Egypt to that day; and ,therefore it was
in vain to have respect to them, or plead any worthi-
ness of theirs in their .favour; besides, they imitated
them in their sins, and were filling up the measure of
their iniquities:and thy teachers have transgressed
against me; or interpreters '; of the law to the people,
the Priests and Levites, Scribes and Pharisees; such
who should have taught the people, and instructed
them in the knowledge of divine things, and interceded
with God for them; these were transgressors of the
law themselves, as well as despisers of the Gospel;
these rejected the counsel of God against themselves,
disbelieved the Messiah, and dissuaded the people
from receiving him; they were orators t, as the word is
by some rendered; and they used all the ,oratory they
were masters of against Christ, and to persuade the
people into an ill opinion of him, and at last to insist
upon his crucifixion.
Vet. 28. Therefore I have profaned the princes of the
sanctuary, &c.] Or will do it; the past tense for the
future, common in prophetic writings; these are not
Moses and Aaron, or the kings, but the priests of the
temple, who had the care and government of things
there, and therefore called princes; these, when this
prophecy was futfilled, wore treated as common per-
sons, and divested of their office, and laid aside; their.
priesthood and the honour of it were taken from them;
sacrifices were abolished, and the law concerning
them; this was more especially true when Jerusalem
was destroyed, the temple burnt, and the daily sacri-
fice- made to cease, by the Romans: and havoc given
Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches; to be cursed
and reproached, as the Jews are in all places to this
day, wherever they be, and that very righteously, and
in just retaliation for their bebaviour to Christ, and
their usage of his followers; for they both hung him
upon the accursed tree, and imprecated his blood on
them and their children, and anathematized, or deli-
vered to an anathema {u}, as the word here used signi-
fies, and cast those who professed his name out of their
synagogues, as well as reproached and blasphemed
him, his person, offices, miracles, and doctrines; and
therefore have been justly given up to the curse of
God and man, and to be a taunt, proverb, and by-
word throughout the world, Jer. xxiv. 9.

C H A P. XLIV.

In this chapter the Lord comforts his people with the
promise of the effusion .of his spirit, and the blessings
of his grace upon them ; the consequence of which
would be fruitfulness in them, -and the conversion of
others, who should profess themselves the Lord's
people, yet. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. he proves his deity in opposi-
tion to all false gods from his eternity, omniscience,
and foretelling future events, yet. 6, 7, 8. exposes the
stupidity of idol-makers and the worshippers of them,
yet. 9--°-0. makes gracious promises of the remem-
brance of his people, the remission of their sins, and
their redemption by Christ, ver.,2l, 22, 23. of which
redemption from Babylon was a type; and of that as-
surance is given, from the Lord's creating all things by
his power; from his frustrating and infatuating diviners
and wise men; from his fulfilling his predictions de-'
livered by his prophets; and from his mentioning by
name .the instrumentof their redemption, Cyrus, ver.
24--S8.. which makes way for a particular prophecy
concerning him in the next chapter.
Ver. 1. Yet now hear, 0 3acob my servant, &c.]
These words are directed to a remnant according to
the election of grace among the Jews, about the time
when their princes should be profaned, and the body of
the people should be given to curse and reproaches;
and who are distinguished from them by the title of
the Lord's servants: who, being called by grace, were
made willing.to serve him in righteousness and holi-
ness, either by preaching his Gospel, and so had the
title of the servants of the most high God, which shew
unto men the way of salvation; or by observing his
commands and ordinances, and walking agreeably to
his will, serving him acceptably with reverence and
godlyTear; as they are also, in the next clause, distin-
guished from the rest by their being chosen of God:
'and these, having ears to hear, are called upon to
hearken to what the Lord had to say unto them; for,
notwithstanding the sorrowful things delivered out in
the latter part of the preceding chapter, threatening de-
struction to the nation of the JewS; yet he had some
comfortable things to say to this remnant, and therefore
would now have them hear them, and attend unto
them for their use and comfort: and Israel whom 1
have chosen; an Israel out of Israel; a seed the Lord
had reserved for himself, whom he had chosen in
Christ before the world was; to be holy and happy, to
grace here and glory hereafter, to believe in him, and
profess his name, and to serve him in their day and ge-
neration, either in a more public, or in areore private
way; chosen vessels they were to bear his name, and

{s} \^Kyuylm\^ interpretes tui, Vulg. Lat. Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus.
{t} Oratores, Cocceius; interpretes, seu oratores tui, Piscator~ oratores,
intercessores tui, Vitringa.
{u} \^Mrxl\^ in anathema, Montanus; anathemati, Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator, Vitringa.