And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Ver. 15. And when ye spread forth your hands.] This was the ancient guise and garb in extraordinary and most earnest prayer, especially to spread forth the arms, and lay open the hands as it were, to receive a blessing from the Almighty. Exo 9:23 Psalms 44:20 ; Psalms 143:6 1 Kings 8:22 ; 1Ki 8:38
I will hide mine eyes from you.] Tanquam a teterrimo cadavere, quod oculos et nasum ut occludatis faciat. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry; but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, Psa 34:15-16 his pure eyes cannot behold them with patience. Hab 1:13
Yea, when ye make many prayers.] As hoping to be heard for your much babbling. The Turks pray constantly five times a day. The Jews pronounce daily a hundred benedictions. The Papists pray more by tale than by weight of zeal. The wild Irish pray for a blessing on their theft also.
I will not hear.] Your prayers are as jarring in mine ears, as if divers distracted musicians should play upon divers bad instruments so many several tunes at one time, or as if so many dogs should set up a howl together. Hosea 7:14 ; see the note there Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs (those black sanctus), for I will not hear "the melody of thy viols." Amo 5:23 The Jews at this day conclude their Sabbath with singing, or caterwauling rather, which they continue as long as they can, for the ease of souls departed; and with it they pray many times over and over that Elijah would hasten his coming, even the next Sabbath, if he please, to give them notice of the Messiah's coming. All this is lost labour.
Your hands are full of blood.] Ac proinde horrorem mihi incutiunt; Hands imbrued in blood are horrible to behold. Should he who hath assassined the king's son, come to him with a petition presently upon it? and should not pure hands be everywhere lifted up to God without wrath and without doubting? 1Ti 2:8 By "blood" here may be meant not only injustice and oppression of the poor, but all other sins also allowed and wallowed in. When "blood toucheth blood," Hos 4:2 one foul sin is added to another.