And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench [them].
Ver. 31. And the strong shall be as tow.] The idol is here called the strong one, either by an irony, sicut siquis scelestum bonum virum dicat, as if one should say to a knave, You are a right honest man: or else according to the idolater's false opinion of it, and vain expectation of it: like as in 2 Chronicles 28:23, the gods of Damascus are said to have "smitten" or "plagued" Ahaz: not that they did so indeed (for an idol is "nothing in the world," and this strong in the text is weak as water, Jer 10:5 2Co 8:4), but he thought they did so like as the silly Papists also think of their male saints and female saints, whereof they have not a few, but are shamefully foiled and frustrated; besides that they are here and elsewhere threatened with unquenchable fire. Jerome, following Symmachus, for "tow," hath the "refuse of tow," which is quickly kindled.
And the maker of it.] Or, And his work - that is, all your pains taken to no purpose in worshipping your idols, and bringing your memories, as they are called, and presents to them.
And they shall both burn together.] As one saith of Aretine's obscene book, that it is opus dignum quod cremetur cum authore, a fit for nothing but to make a bonfire to burn the author of it in. The beast and his complices shall be cast alive into the burning lake. Rev 19:20
And none shall quench them.] Hell fire is unquenchable. Isa 30:33 Mat 3:12 This Origen denied, and is therefore justly condemned by all sound divines.
a Boissard. Biblioth.