They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
Ver. 1. They say.] Vulgo dicitur, saith the Vulgate; Dicendo dicitur, say others. They say, and they say well, for they have good law for it. Deu 24:4 But I am above law, saith God, and will deal with thee, not according to mine ordinary rule, but according to my prerogative. Thou shalt be a paradox to the Bible; for I will do that in favour of thee, which I have inhibited others in like case to do, and that scarce any man would do, though there were no law to inhibit it, as one here paraphraseth.
Shall not the land be greatly polluted?] Great sins do greatly pollute, that of adultery especially, for this is a heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. Job 31:11
But thou hast played the harlot; yet return to me.] Haec est Dei clementia insuperabilis; God's mercy is matchless. No man, no god, would show mercy as he doth. Micah 7:18 Mal 3:7 Zec 1:3 He followeth after those that run from him, as the sunbeams do the passenger that goeth from them; and as it is sweetly set forth by our Saviour in those three parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son. Luk 15:3-32 Paul alloweth of Mark, 2Ti 4:11 though before he had refused him, Act 15:38 and willeth others to entertain him. Col 4:10-11 Let none despair that hath but a mind to return to God, from whom he hath deeply revolted. There is a natural Novatianism in the timorous conscience of convinced sinners, to doubt and question pardon for sins of apostasy and falling after repentance. But this need not be, we see here. Pernicious was Ahithophel's counsel to Absalom, "Go in to thy father's concubines"; this he judged such an injury as David would never put up; yet "return again to me, saith the Lord," and all shall be well between us.