Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_700.lzh/6_731.TXT

Text File | 1994-11-26 | 7KB | 127 lines

Jerusalem, and the inhabitants of it, is signified by
figurative expressions, ver. 1, 2. which occasions an
howling among the shepherds or rulers of Israel, on
account of whose cruelty and covetousness the wrath
of God came upon them without mercy, yet. 3, 5, 6.
but inasmuch as there were a remnant according to
the election of grace among them, named the flock of
the slaughter, Christ is called upon to feed them ;
who undertakes it, and prepares for it, vet. 4, 7. but
being abhorred by the shepherds, whom he therefore
loathed and cut off, he determines to leave the people
to utter ruin and destruction, vet. 8, 9. and, as a token
of it, breaks the two staves asunder he had took to
feed them with, ver. 10, 11, 14. and, as an instance of
their ingratitude to him, and which is a justification
of his conduct towards them, notice is taken of his
being valued at and sold for thirty, pieces of silver, vet.
1°., 13. but, in the room of these shepherds cut off, it
is suggested that another should arise, who is de-
scribed by his folly, negligence, and cruelty, ver. 15,
16. to whom a woe is denounced, ver. '17.
Ver. 1. Open thy doors, 0 Lebanon, &c.3 By which
may be meant, either the temple of Jerusalem, which
was built of the cedars of Lebanon; "the gates of which
"are said" to open of themselves forty years before
"the destruction of Jerusalem, when Jochanan ben
"Zaccai, who lived at the same time, rebuked them,
"saying, O temple, temple, wherefore dost thou fright
"thyself? I know thine end is to be destroyed; for
"so prophesied Zcchariah, the son of Iddo, concern-
" ing thee, open thy doors, 0 Lebanon." So Lebanon,
in ch. x. 10, is interpreted of the sanctuary, both by the
Targum and by Jarchi; or else it may be understood
of Jerusalem, and of the whole land of Judea, because
it was situated by it; it was the border of it on the
north side. That the .fire may devour thy cedars; of
which the temple was built, and the houses of Jerusa-
lem, which were cons_Umed by fire; unless the for-
tresses of the land are meant. So the Targum para-
phrases it, "and the fire shall consume your fortresses."
Ver. 2. Itowl, fir-tree; for the cedar is fallen, &c.] By
which are designed the princes, nobles, and magistrates
of the land: so theTargum interprets them of kings and
princes; see NaIL iS. 3. Ezek. xxxi. 3: because all the
mighty are spoiled; which is an explanation of the figu ra-
tire expressions in the former clause, and in the follow-
ing; and designs rich men, as the Targum paraphrases
it, who at this time would be spoiled of their wealth and
substance. Howl, 0 ye oaks of Bashan; which the
Targum interprets of governors of provinces; and men
of power and authority are doubtless intended; see
Isa. ii.,13. Amos iS. 9: for the forest of the vintage is
come down; or rather, thefortifiedforest; meaning the
city of Jerusalem, which was a fortitled place, and like
a forest full of trees, for nnmber of inhabitants, but
now cut down and destroyed; see Isa. x. 16, 17, 18, 19.
Ver. 3. There is a voice of the howling of the shep-
herds, &c.] Which may be understood either of the
civil rulers among the Jews, who now lose their honour
and their riches; and so the Targum, Jarchi, and Aben
Ezra, interpret it of kings; or of the ecclesiastical
rulers, the elders of the people, the Scribes and Pha-
risees: for their glory is spoiled; their power and au-
thorSty; their riches and wealth; their places of- ho-
nour and profit; their offices, .posts, and employments,
whether in civil or religious matters, are taken from
them, and they are deprived of them: a voice of the
roaring of young lions; of princes, con}parable to them
for their power, tyranny, and cruelty: theTargum is,
the pride of Jordan is spoiled; a place where hons and
their young ones resorted, as Jarchi observes; see
the note on Jet. xlix. 19. Jordan is here put for the
whole land of Judea now wasted, and so its pride and
glory gone; as if the waters of Jordan were dried up,
the pride and glory of that, and which it shewed when
its waters swelled and overflowed; hence called by
Plinv" ambitiosus amnis, a haughty and ambitious
swefiing river.
Vet. 4. Thus saith the Lord my God, &c.] The
Syriac version adds, to me; not the Prophet Zecha-
riah, but the Messiah, who calls the Lord his God,
as he was man and Mediator, John xx. 17. for what
follow are the words of God the Father to him, call-
ing upon him, and giving him a commission to feed
the flock of the slaughter; meaning the people of the
Jews in general, to whom Christ was sent as a prophet,
to teach and instruct them by the ministry of the
word; so feeding is interpreted of prophesying, by the
Targum and Jarchi: and these are called the flock of
slaughter, because of the cruel usage they met with
from their shepherds and owners, mentioned in the
next verse;and because they were appointed and
given' up to ruin and destruction of God, on account
of their sins and transgressions; though there was a
remnant among them, a little flock, afterwards in this
chapter called the poor of the. flock, who were the
special care of Christ, and were fed by him in a spi-
ritual manner; and may go by this name, because ex-
posed to the cruelties of men, and are accounted as
sheep for the slaughter, Rom. viii. 36. these Christ was
called upon by his Father in the council of peace to
tike care of, which he did; and in the everlasting co-
venant of grace he agreed to feed them; and in the
fulness9f time he was sent to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel, who were as sheep without a shep-
herd;and he fed them with knowledge and with
understanding.
Ver. 5. Whose possessors slay them, and hold them-
selves not guilty, &c.] Not the Romans after Christ
came, into whose hands they were delivered, and by
whom they were slain in great numbers, not account-
ing it any sin to put them to-death; but the priests,
Scribes, Pharisees, and doctors, among theJews, who
ruined and destroyed their souls, by feeding them
with poisonous doctrines; teaching .them the com-
mandments of men, and to observe the traditions Of
the elders; and to seek for life and salvation by the
works of the law, which was a ministration of con-
demnation and death to them; and yet thought they
did God and the souls of men good service: and they
that sell them; as false teachers make merchandise of
the souls of men: say, blessed be the Lord, for I am
rich; having devoured widows' houses and substances,

{w} T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 39. 2.
{x} Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 15.