How shall I pardon? how canst thou expect that I shall bear such affronts? I shall expose myself, and seem to lay aside my power; I shall be looked upon as one that either regard not such injuries, or cannot avenge them, as Jeremiah 5:9. Thy children; thy inhabitants, both in city and country. Sworn by them that are no gods, but by idols: swearing is here put, not for one part of worship, as sometimes it is, but for a religious worship and service of them, Jeremiah 4:2. When I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery: here is noted the abuse of God's bounty, or the natural effect of our unsanctified prosperity, Deuteronomy 32:15 Jeremiah 2:7 Jude 4. That which in good men doth oft breed forgetfulness, in bad men generally breeds filthiness: rising up to play the wanton was the effect of Israel's eating and drinking, Exodus 32:6, and of Sodom's sin, Ezekiel 16:49. Adultery; either,
1. Metaphorically to be understood of their going a whoring after their idols; or,
2. Properly, for corporal uncleanness, they usually going both together, Numbers 25:1,2 Ho 4:12,14. Assembled themselves by troops in the harlots houses; it may be read in the nominative case, the house of the harlot assembled themselves: q.d. The whole house of Israel, Jerusalem and Judea, are but one stew. If it refers to their idolatry, then it alludes to their making the temple a common house of spiritual harlotry; but rather, as it refers to their corporal uncleanness, it seems to intimate that they did not act their adulteries clandestinely or by stealth, but laying aside all modesty, they went to harlots houses, like brute beasts, in company, as ashamed of nothing.