Geneva Study Bible Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the {a} signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them.
(a) God forbids his people to give credit or fear the constellations and conjunctions of stars and planets which have no power of themselves but are governed by him, and their secret motions and influences are not known to man and therefore there can be no certain judgment of it, De 18:9. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. For the {b} customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
(b) Meaning not only in the observation of the stars, but their laws and ceremonies by which they confirm their idolatry, which is forbidden, De 12:30. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They deck it {c} with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it may not move.
(c) The prophets use thus plainly and simply to set forth the vile absurdity of the idolaters that men might learn to be ashamed of that to which their corrupt nature is most subject, Isa 44:12. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Forasmuch as there is none like thee, O LORD; {d} thou art great, and thy name is great in might.
(d) He teaches the people to lift up their eyes to God, who has all power and therefore ought only to be feared: and in this he shows them not only the evil that they ought to hate: but the good which they ought to follow, Re 15:4. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.
But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. But they are altogether senseless and foolish: the stock is a {e} doctrine of vanities.
(e) Because the people thought that to have images was a means to serve God, and to bring them to the knowledge of him, he shows that nothing more displeases God, nor brings man into greater errors and ignorance of God: and therefore he calls them the doctrine of vanity, the work of errors, Jer 10:15. Hab 2:18 calls them the teachers of lies: contrary to that wicked opinion, that they are the books of the lay people. Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men. Silver beaten into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold {f} from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman, and of the hands of the goldsmith: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of skilful men.
(f) Where they found the best gold; showing that they thought nothing too dear for their idols, some read Ophir as in 1Ki 9:28. But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. Thus shall ye say to them, The gods {g} that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
(g) This declares that all that has been spoken of idols in this chapter, was to arm the Jews when they would be in Chaldea among the idolaters, and now with one sentence he instructs them both how to protest their own religion against the idolaters and how to answer them to their shame who would exhort them to idolatry, and therefore he writes this sentence in the Chaldean tongue for a memorial while all the rest of his writing is in Hebrew. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. Every man is {h} senseless in his knowledge: every goldsmith is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
(h) The more man thinks to do anything well by his own wisdom, and not as God instructs him, the more he proves himself to be a vile beast. They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name. The {i} portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name.
(i) By these words, portion and rod, he signifies their inheritance, meaning that God would be all sufficient for them: and that their happiness consisted in him alone, and therefore they ought to renounce all other help and comfort as of idols, etc. De 32:9, Ps 16:5. Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress. {k} Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.
(k) The prophet wills the Jews to prepare themselves for this captivity, showing that it was now at hand that they would feel the things of which he had told them. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.
Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it. Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this {l} is a grief, and I must bear it.
(l) It is my just plague, and therefore I will take it patiently: by which he teaches the people how to behave themselves toward God. My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. {m} My tabernacle is laid waste, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone from me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.
(m) He shows how Jerusalem will lament. For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. For the shepherds {n} have become senseless, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
(n) The governors and ministers. Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons. Behold, the sound of a rumour is come, and a great commotion from the {o} north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.
(o) Read Jer 4:15. O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O LORD, I know that {p} the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
(p) He speaks this because Nebuchadnezzar purposed to have made war against the Moabites and Ammonites, but hearing of Zedekiah's rebellion he turned his power to go against Jerusalem, Eze 21:21 therefore the prophet says that this was the Lord's direction. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. O LORD, correct me, but with {q} judgment; not in thy anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.
(q) Considering that God had revealed to him the certainty of their captivity Jer 7:16 he only prays that he would punish them with mercy which Isaiah calls in measure, Isa 27:8 measuring his rods by their infirmity 1Co 10:13 for here by judgment is meant not only the punishment but also the merciful moderation of the same as in Jer 30:11. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate. Pour out {r} thy fury upon the nations that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate. (r) As God cannot only be known and glorified by his mercy that he uses toward his Church, but also by his justice in punishing his enemies, he prays that this glory may fully appear both in the one and the other, Ps 79:6. The Geneva Bible Translation Notes [1599] Bible Hub |
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