HE begins to comfort the afflicted with hope of a mitigation of the chastisements, least they should be swallowed up with so great an heap of calamities. Many draw these words to a clean contrary sense, saying, that it is a threatening which presageth a more heavy affliction to the Jews,1 then that wherewith they were chastised by Tiglath-pelezer, or by Salmanazar. The first did them much evil, and the second more then the former: for he carried the ten tribes away captive, and abolished the name of Israel. Some think then that the Prophet in this place foretells of a more heavy calamity then ever they yet tasted of, which being compared to the two former, should much surpass them. Although I am not minded to reject this exposition because it is something probable; yet notwithstanding I am of a contrary opinion, albeit this first hath the fairer show: the Prophet meant to take all pleasures from the hypocrites, lest they should imagine that this destruction which was to overflow all, should be like some little spoil which might pass away by and by as the former afflictions had done; and so shall we take the particle Ci in his proper signification. But me thinks the natural sense of the place will agree better if we say, that it is a consolation, wherein the Prophet begins to moderate that which he had formerly spoken of these horrible darkness, and drivings forward: and in mitigating the bitterness of these chastisements, he comforts and draws them to hope that God will show them mercy; as if he should say, And yet, even in this cruel destruction which the Jews shall undergo, the darkness shall not be such as it was when the land of Israel was first afflicted by Tiglath-pelezer, and then a little more severely by Salmanazer: for the faithful might have grown out of heart in such distresses, if they had not had some consolations to have cheered and comforted them. The Prophet then speaks unto them, to the end they should not think themselves undone, and declares unto them that the rods wherewith God meant to beat them should be more easy then the first. We shall easily discern hereafter by the context how proper and natural this exposition is.
HE begins to comfort ye afflicted with hope of a mitigation of the chastisements, least they should be swallowed vp with so great an heape of calamities. Many draw these words to a cleane cō trarie sense, saying, that it is a threatning which presageth a more heauie affliction to the Iewes,1 then that wherewith they were chastised by Tiglath-pelezer, or by Salmanazar. The first did them much euill, and the second more then the former: for he caried the ten tribes away captiue, and abolished the name of Israel. Some thinke then that the Prophet in this place foretels of a more heauie calamitie then euer they yet tasted of, which being compared to the two former, should much surpasse them. Although I am not minded to reiect this exposition because it is something probable; yet notwithstanding I am of a contrarie opinion, albeit this first hath the fairer shew: the Prophet meant to take all pleasures from the hypocrites, lest they should imagine that this destruction which was to ouerflow all, should be like some little spoile which might passe away by and by as the former afflictions had done; and so shall we take the particle Ci in his proper signification. But me thinks the naturall sense of the place will agree better if we say, that it is a consolation, wherein the Prophet begins to moderate that which he had formerlie spoken of these horrible darknes, and driuings forward: and in mitigating the bitternes of these chastisements, he comforts and drawes them to hope that God will shew them mercie; as if he should say, And yet, euen in this cruell destruction which the Iewes shall vndergoe, the darknes shall not be such as it was when the land of Israel was first afflicted by Tiglath-pelezer, and then a little more seuerely by Salmanazer: for the faithfull might haue growne out of heart in such distresses, if they had not had some consolations to haue cheered and comforted them. The Prophet then speakes vnto them, to the end they should not thinke themselues vndone, and declares vnto them that the rods wherewith God meant to beate them should be more easie then the first. We shall easily discerne hereafter by the context how proper and naturall this exposition is.
- 12. King. 15.29. & 17.6.
