They have deeply corrupted [themselves], as in the days of Gibeah: [therefore] he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.
Ver. 9. They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah] The people are as bad as possible, shamelessly, lawlessly wicked; nothing better then those sons of Belial, the men of Gibeah, that were sunk to sin's bottom; totally transformed into sin's image, extremely flagitious, so that a worse people could hardly be found upon the face of the earth, Judges 19:12,30. As it was given in answer to a godly man who desired to know of God, why Phocas was set up for emperor? because there could not be a worse man found, and that the sins of Christians required it. Lipsius maketh mention of one Tubulus (about Cicero's time) who was so desperately wicked, ut eius nomen non hominis sed vitii esse videretur, that his name seemed to be the name not of a man, but of wickedness itself. Lo, such were these men of Gibeah, Judges 19:22,25, nothing behind Sodomites in sin; as Samaria now was nothing behind them, and is therefore fitly coupled with her sister Sodom, Ezekiel 16:46. The reason of all which is here given, their wicked watchmen; according to that, Isaiah 3:12, qui te ducunt, seducunt, "they which lead thee cause thee to err"; and again, Isaiah 9:16, "the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed." It is thought that the Gibeah here mentioned, and to which this verse relateth, was the same which, Joshua 21:17, is called Gebah; which was a city given to the priests, who being lords and owners of the town, were probably the ringleaders of the rest in that matchless villany; and so were of the number of those worst of sinners, "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them," Romans 1:32 .
Now will he remember their iniquities, and visit their sins] Now that they had filled up the measure of their fathers' sins, Matthew 23:32, nay, sought to out sin them, et puduit non esse impudentes it was not disgusting to be shameful, (as Austin saith somewhere), God would forbear them no longer. Let this be noted, by such as being told of their vile and vicious practices, plead that they do but as their forefathers did. Certainly if the times be as ill as they were heretofore, they are even for that cause much the worse; and God will the sooner remember and visit, pay wicked men for the new and the old. See Hosea 8:13 .