Hear ye this word which I take up against you, [even] a lamentation, O house of Israel.
Ver. 1. Hear ye this word] A new sermon, as appeareth by this new O yes; not unlike that of St Paul, Acts 13:16, "Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience": or rather, that of Diogenes, who cried out at Athens, Aκουσατε ανδρες, Hear, O ye men. And when as (thereupon) a great sort of people resorted to him, expecting some great matter, he looked about him, and said, ανδρας εκαλεσα, ου καθαρματα, I called men, and not slaves. They were no better surely that our prophet had to deal with; "Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers," Isaiah 1:4, children that were corrupters; they had forsaken the Lord, provoked the Holy One of Israel, they had increased revolt. Hence this onerosa prophetia, this word, this weighty word, this burdensome prophecy.
Which I take up against you] Heb. lift up, being scarce able to stand under the burden of it, גשׁא, from this משׁא, onus. burden. See Trapp on " Mal 1:1 " And it is against you, not for you; but that is your own fault; for "do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?" Micah 2:7. Excellently Austin, Adversarius est nobis quandiu sumus et ipsi nobis. The word of God is adversary to none but such as are adversaries to themselves; neither doth it condemn any but those that shall be assuredly condemned by the Lord except they repent. But we have in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, saith the apostle, 2 Corinthians 10:6, and if any man will hurt God's faithful witnesses, for discharging their duties, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed, Revelation 11:5, for Elisha had his sword as well as Jehu and Hazael, 1 Kings 19:17. And when Elisha unsheatheth and brandisheth his sword, it is a fair warning that the sword of Jehu and Hazael are at hand, See Hos 6:5 Jeremiah 1:18 .
Even a lamentation] Heb. a very bitter lamentation, Ezekiel 19:14, like those of Jeremiah for Judah, or of the mourners in Jerusalem, Ezekiel 9:4, or of Christ weeping over that city, Luke 19:41,42. Or of Paul bewailing his wretched countrymen, Romans 9:3; Romans 10:1 : or of the two witnesses clothed in sackcloth, Revelation 11:3, the habit of mourners: or of Athanasius, who by his tears (as by the bleeding of a chaste vine) sought to cure the leprosy, and prevent the misery of that tainted age. Heu, heu, Domine Deus, Alas alas, Oh God, God, was the cry of the ancient Christians. Flete nefas magnum, nam toto flebitis orbe (Cardan.). Their books are like that in Ezekiel, written on both sides, and there was written therein, "lamentations, and mourning, and woe," Ezekiel 2:10. This of Amos was a sad song, a doleful ditty, a lamentable prophecy of Israel's utter destruction, as it followeth in the second verse, where (prophet-like) he speaketh of it as already done, notwithstanding their present prosperity and tranquillity. And have not England's turtledoves groaned out for a great while the sad and lamentable tunes of woe and misery to this sinful nation; and plainly foretold what we have felt already, and have yet cause enough to fear. Ah! great be the plagues that hang over England (said Mr Philpot, martyr, long since). Happy shall that person be whom the Lord shall take out of this world, not to see them, &c. And the like said Rogers, our proto-martyr, Bradford, Ridley, Lever, &c., besides the concurrent predictions of God's faithful servants lately, whose hearts and tongues he hath so guided, as that they all, as one man, have denounced heavy judgments, and taken up loud lamentations against us. Now, as before great storms cocks crow loud and thick: so is it here; and so it should be, Exo 32:31-32 Jer 18:20 Joel 2:17; else God will be displeased, Ezekiel 13:5; Ezekiel 22:30,31 .