That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
Ver. 4. That lie upon beds of ivory] Which was a commodity far fetched (even out of India), and dearly bought; precious and sumptuous, Ezekiel 27:15. The wealthier sort used to deck their houses with such kind of beds decked with ivory (lectis eburatis, as Plautus phraseth it), as Esther 1:6, with gold and silver; hence their houses are called houses of ivory, Amo 3:15 1 Kings 22:39. See Plin. lib. 33. cap. 11; Horat. l. 2. Sat. 6. Here, then, is condemned their luxury, and abuse of God's good gifts, with neglect of the public welfare, and contempt of judgments threatened.
And stretch themselves upon their couches] Pandiculantur in suis cubilibus, so Rabbi Solomon. Others render it, redundantibus ac diffluentibus. Woe to them that delight in overlong and large coverlets, curtains, &c., superfluously hanging down on all sides upon the very ground: so Kimchi. The Seventy and Vulgate render it, Woe to those that wantonize upon their couches, melting in sensual pleasures. Kατασπαταλωντες. Lascivientes. Deliciantes. Compare 1 Timothy 5:6 James 5:5. God grudgeth not his people an honest affluence, Psalms 23:4, but granteth them all things richly to enjoy, 1 Timothy 6:17. Howbeit he requireth them to be sober and watch; not making provision for the flesh, to live after the lusts thereof, but walking decently as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, Romans 13:13,14 .
And eat the lambs out of the flock] E grege, id est, egregios ac optimos, the very best and fattest morsels, pampering their paunches; swinish belly gods.
And the calves out of the midst of the stall] The French call them high-grass-veals, Veaux de haute graisse. Nothing would down with them but tid bits, λιπαρα και λαμπρα, dainty and goodly, Revelation 18:9. Those abbey lubbers of the Romish synagogue are compared to fed horses, pampered in their cloisters (as war horses in their stalls or stables), and prepared unto battle, Revelation 9:7. Lawful it is, I grant, at some times to eat of the fat and drink of the sweet, Nehemiah 8:10, and to please the appetite, Deuteronomy 4:26, to gratify it with what it liketh and lusteth after. But yet it must still be remembered, that it is a sin to feed without fear; and a shame for a servant of God to be a slave to his palate. "Eat such things as are set before you," παρατιθεμενα, saith Christ to his disciples, be it never so homely or wholesome, Luke 10:8. And Genesis 9:3, after, "Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you," it is added, "even as the green herb have I given you all things," that is, soberly and without curiosity, to take and make use of such meats as are at hand, as Dr Willet interprets it. And this Nature seems to teach man, in giving him so narrow a mouth, throat, and belly; whereas to swine she hath given a wide mouth, a very thick neck, a large belly, and but a very little brains; that they might the sooner grow fat, and take no other thought but for the belly, saith Bodine.