Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
Ver. 5. Who hath sent out the wild ass free?] פרא Phere, ferum animal (so Tremellius rendereth it), the wild creature. And it is not unlikely that the Latin word fera comes from this Hebrew word for a wild ass; which is a most untameable and untractable creature, Eo quod onager feritate antecellit (Piscat.). "Every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind," James 3:7. We read of Augustus Caesar that he had a tame tiger, but who ever heard of a wild ass tamed? Africa is said to have whole herds of them; and it is reported, that when they see a man they stand stock still, and kick with their hinder feet, braying aloud. And when the hunter comes so near to them that he could touch them almost, they snuff up the wind, kick up their heels, and run quite away; so nimble they are, that they can hardly be taken, much less tamed? To the colt of this wild creature is a natural man compared by Zophar, Job 11:12, for his extreme rudeness and unruliness. The prophet Jeremiah hath the like of the idolaters of his time, Jeremiah 2:24, who were lawless and lewd losels, obstinate, and refractory; such as multo facilius fregeris quam flexeris, will sooner break than bend: with these froward God will wrestle, Psalms 18:26; with these antipodes God will walk contrary, Leviticus 26:41, and be as cross as they are for the hearts of them. His law hath four teeth to taw and tame these masterless monsters: viz. 1. Irritation, Romans 7:7 Romans 7:2. Induration, Isaiah 6:10 Isaiah 6:3. Obsignation, Genesis 4:7 Genesis 4:4. Execration, Deuteronomy 28:16,17, &c. Obeyed he will be of them, either actively or passively; and sanctified he will be, either by them or upon them, Leviticus 10:3. Wild asses are free from men; but so are not wild Ishmaelites from God. Who hath ever loosed the bands of the wild ass? but God will hamper his rebels, and certainly subdue them; all his foes shall become his footstool. Be instructed therefore, O Jerusalem, Jeremiah 6:8. Be not as horse and mule that have no understanding, &c., for many sorrows shall be to such wicked, Psalms 32:9,10, and it is too hard for them to kick against the pricks, Acts 9:5, to push back upon the goad, as untamed heifers use to do, but to their further sorrow and sufferance.