Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_100.lzh/6_110.TXT

Text File | 1994-08-17 | 7KB | 128 lines

and take off' the crown, &c.] That is, from Zedekiah;
and as these are the regalia and ensigns of royal dignity,
taking them off signilies the deposition of him as a
king, the stripping him of his kingly power and au-
thority: an earthly crown is a corruptible and fading
one, at most it continues but during this life, and
sometimes not so long; it does not always sit firm;
sometimes it is tottering and shakes, and sometimes
quite fails off to the ground; it is taken from the head
of one, and put upon the head of another, by him who
gives the orders in the text, and has the sovereign dis-
posal of crowns and kingdoms; who sets up one, and
puts down another. The diadem was a royal tire of
the head, wore in common; the crown was put on at
certain times; both signify one and the same thing,
royal dignity; though the former is sometimes used as
an ornament of the priesthood, as the latter of kingly
power; hence the Targum, "remove the diadem (or
"mitre) from Seraiah the high-priest, and I will take
"away the crown from Zedekiah the king;" but the
latter is only meant; besides, as Kinlchi observes, it
was not Seraiah, but Jehozedek his son, that was carried
Captive with Zedekiah: this shall not be the same; this
royal dignity shall not continue the same; the kingdom
shall not be in the same insire and glory, nor in the
same hands: exalt him that is low : ehherJeconiab now
in captivity; and which was fulfilled when Evil-me-
rodach lifted up his head, and set his throne above the
thrones of the kings in Babylon, Jet. lii. 31, 32. or
Zerubbabel, of the seed of Jeconiah, who was born in
the captivity, and became prince of Judah; or rather.
the Messiah, who was of a low extraction; born of
mean parents; was as a root out of a dry ground; ap-
peared in the form of a servant, poor and lowly; yet,
when he had done his work, was highly exalted at the
right hand of God; far above angels, principalities,
and powers; as well as set tipon the throne of his fa-
ther David: and abase him that is high; the then prince
upon the throne, Zedekiah; who was high and lifted up,
but should be pulled down and humbled, as he was.
Vet. 27. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it, &c.]
The crown and kingdom ofJudah; which being ex-
preyed .three times, has not respect, as Kimchi thinks,
to the three generations, in which the crown ceased
after the capti.vity, as those of Asir, Shaaltiel, Pedaiah ;
and in the fourth generation was restored to Zerub-
babel; for he was no king, nor'was there any of ])avid's
line after; nor were the Macabees or Hasmoneans
properly kings; but the phrase denotes the utter abo-
lition of the kingly power, and the certainty of it,
which could not be restored, notwithstanding the at-
tempts made by Gedaliah and Ishmael; all their
schemes were overturned, and so in successive ages
and may also denote and include the troubles that were
in the Jewish state, not only during the captivity, but
from that time unto the Messiah's coming; there were
nothing but overturnings, overturnings till that time
came: and it shall be no more; a kingdom governed by
one of the seed of the then present. family, or of the
seed of David; there shall be no more a king of his
race, as there was not till Shiloh came, intended in
the next clause: until he come whose right it is; the right
of the crown and kingdom of Israet; which belongs to
Jesus the Messiah, being descended from a race of
kings of the houSeofJ udah, and of the seed of David:
or, to whom the judgment is{s}; to whom the father hath
committed all .judgment, John v. 22. all power of
judging both his church and people, and the whole
world: and I will give it him; the crown and kingdom,
which is his right; put him in the possession of it, as
he was at his resurrection and ascension; and which
will more fully appear in the latter day, when all king-
doms will become his; especially he has, and will
appear to have, the throne of his thther David, and of
his kingdont there will be no end, Luke-i. 31, 32.
This is understood and interpreted of the Messiah, by
R. Abendana t, a modern Jew.
Vet. 28..And .thou, son of man, prophesy, and say,
&c.] Here begins a new prophecy, or rather an en-
largement -on part of the former; two ways being
marked out for the sword of the Chaldeans to come in;
the one leading to Jerusalem, the other to Rabbat'h of
the Ammonites; the prophecy being finished con-
cernlug the former, here an account is given of the
latter; how the sword should move that way, and
what execution it would do: thus saith the Lord God
concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach;
Nebuchadnezzar, agreeably to the above prophecy,
having taken his rout to Jerusalem, as his divination
directed him, and destroyed that, returned to Babylon,
without making any attempt upon the Ammonites;
which so flushed them, .that they insulted the Jews,
and laughed at their destruction, as if their God whom
they served could not save them; attributing their
safety and pr9sperity to the idols they worshipped; see
ch. xxv. 1--7. Zeph. ii. 8--10: even say thou, the sword,
the sword is drawn for the slaughter; the same sword
of the Chaldeans, which was drawn for the slaughter
of the Jews, is now drawn for the slaughter of
the Ammonites; and which is repeated for the cer-
tainty of it, and to inject terror; and this, as Josephus{u}
says, was accomplished five years after the destruction
of Jerusalem, in the twenty-third year of Nebuchad-
nezzar: it is furbished, to consume because of the glittcr-
ing; being brightened and made sharp, it not only ter-
rified with its glittering, but was more tit and prepared
to cut and destroy; see yet. 9, 10.
Ver. 29. Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they
divine a lie unto thee, &c.] The Ammonites had
their seers, soothsayers, diviners, and fhlse prophets,
which they are bid to be aware of, and are cantioned
against hearkening t.o, Jer. xxvii. 3, 9. these told them
they were in the utmost safety, and that the king of
Babylon would not come .against them; or, if he did,
would not succeed, when his sword was drawn and
furbished for the dcsD:uction of them: to bring thee
upon the necks of the slain, of the wicked; that is, of the
Jews who were slain by the sword of the Chaldeans fbr
their wickedness; and these diviners by their vain
divination and lies would bring the Ammonites into
the same condition, to be slain as they were; and as it
were to fall upon their necks, as one slain person upon

{s} \^jpvmh wl rva\^ cujus est judicium, Pagninus, Starckius; vel jus,
Junius & Tremellius, Polanus, Piscator.
{t} Not. in Ben Melech, Miclol Yophi in loc.
{u} Antiqu. Jud. I. 10. c. 9. sect. 7.