Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/5_600_p.lzh/5_639.TXT

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"and moon: that which is sacred to the sun at Hello-
" polls is called Mnevis, and is the greatest of them:
"it is very black, because much sun makes human
"bodies black; and the hairs of its tail, and of its
"whole body, contrary to other oxen, turn upwards,
"as the sun makes its course contrary to the pole;
"its testicles are the largest, because by the heat of
"the sun venereal desires are excited; hence the sun
"is said to make nature fruitful. To the moon they
"dedicate Taurus {or the bull), which they call Apis,
"and is blacker than others, bearing the signs of the
"sun and moon, because the light of the moon is from
"the sun; and the sign of the sun is the blackness of
"its body, and also the beetle that is under its tongue;"
and these were the images and gods of Beth-shemesh
or Hellopolis, that were to be destroyed by Nebuchad-
nezzar. Of his expedition into Egypt, whereby this
prophecy was fulfilled, not only Jo. seph us makes men-
lion, but some Heathen writers gave plain hints of it.
The Jewish historian says {p}, that Nebuchadnezzar, five
years after the destruction of Jerusalem, led his army
into Coelesyria, and took it; and made war with the
.AremoniSes and Moabites; and, having subdued these
nations, made a push into Egypt, in order to destroy
that, and slew the king of it: and Berosus says {q}, that
"Nebuchadnezzar having settled his affairs in Egypt,
"and other countries; and having committed to his
"friends the captives of the Jews, Phoenicians, Syrians,
"and the nations about Egypt, went to Babylon:" and
Megasthenes {r} relates, that "he conquered the greatest
"part of Lybia (or Africa) and Iberia ;" or, as it is else-
where{s} expressed, "he led his army into Lybia and
"Iberia; and, having subdued these, carried colonies of
"them to the right of Pontus."

C H A P. XLIV.

THIS chapter contains a sermon of Jeremiah's to the
Jews in Egypt, reproving them for their idolatry there;
their answer to it, expressing their resolution to con-
tinue in their idolatrous practices; and a denunciation
of judgments upon them, of which a sign is given.
The sermon begins with observing to them the de-
struction of Jerusalem, and the causes of it, idolatry
and contempt of the prophets, vet. 1--6. then follows
an expostulation with the present Jews for doing the
same things, and exposing themselves and their pos-
terity to the same punishment, ver. 7--10. upon
which they are threatened with the sore judgments
of God that should come upon them, and cut them
off in general, yet. 11--14. yet such were the impu-
dence and obstinacy of this people, that they declared
they would not hearken to the prophet, but persist
in their idolatry; it having been better with them
when they practised it than when they left it, vet.
15---19. to which the prophet replies by observing,
that for the idolatry of their fathers their land was
become a desolation and a curse, as at this day, ver.
20---23. and assrues them that destruction would
come from the Lord upon them, which he had swore
to, ver. 24--$8. and a sign of it is given; the delivery
of the king of Egypt into the hand of the king of
Babylon, ver. £9, 30.
Vet. 1. The word which came to Jeremiah concerning
all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, &c.] Or,
unto all the Jews t; the word came to him, that it
might be delive'red to tkem; or, against all the Jews {u};
· they having gone into Egypt contrary to the will of
God, and committing idolatry; and the word or
sermon is full of threatenlugs and judgments de-
nounced upon them: which dwell at Migdol, and at
Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros :
this prophecy was delivered after the Jews were come
to Tahpanhes, or Daphne; see oh. xliii. 7. and had
divided themselves, and were settled in different parts
of the kingdom: some continued at Tahpanhes, where
were the king's court and palace: others went to
Migdol, a place near the Red sea, just at the entrance
into Egypt, from the land of Canaan, Exod. xiv.
called, by Herodotus, Magdolus"; and by Adricho-
mius{x} said to be distant about a mile and a quarter
from Pelusium, or Sin, the strength of Egypt, Ezek.
xxx. 15, others .took up their residence at Noph, ge-.
herally thought to be the city of Memphis. The
Targutn calls it Mappas; the same which is now
called Grand Cairo; or, however, this city is near
the place where Memphis stood: others dwelt in the
country of Pathros, which perhaps had its name from
Pathrusim, ason ofMizraim, Gen. x. 13, 14. It is
thought by Bothart and others to be the country
of Thebais in Egypt, the same with the Nomos.
Phanturites, or Phaturites, of Plinyr; and in this
country Jeremiah seems to have been when this
word came to him, vet. 15. and from hence
sent or carried it to the other places: saying; as
follows:
Ver. 2. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of
Israel, &c.] In which manner the prophecies of this
book are frequently prefaced; see ch. xlii. 15, 18. and
xliii. 10: ye have seen all the evil that I have brought
upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of dudah ; they
saw it with their bodily eyes; they could not but
serve it in their minds; nay, had an experimental
knowledge of it; they suffered it in part themselves,,
and must be convicted in their own consciences that it.
was from the hand of the Lord: and, behold., this day
they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein; lie
waste, at this very time; the walls are broken down
the houses are demolished; the goods in them carriteS

{p} Joseph. Antiqu. I. 10. c. 9. sect. 7.
{q} Apud Josph. Antiqu. ib. c. 11. sect 1. & contra Apion. I. 1. sect.
19. & Euseb. Praepar. Evangel I. 9. c. 40. p. 455.
{r} Apud Joseph. Antiqu. ib. & contra Apion. I. 1. sect. 20.
{s} Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. 1.9. c. 41. p. 456.
{t} \^Mydwhyh lk la\^ ad omnes Judaeos, Vulg. Lat, Castalio, Cocceius,
Schmidt; erga omnes, Pagninus, Montanus.
{u} Contra omnes Judaeos, Junius & Tremeilius; de, vel contra, Piscator.
{w} Euterpe, sive I. 2. c. 159.
{x} Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 121.
{y} Nat. Hist. L 5. c. 9.