And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Ver. 4. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair] Suitable to Elias (in whose spirit and power he came), who was thus habited. So those worthies, of whom the world was not worthy, wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins; Heb 11:37 but they were like the ark, without, covered with goat's hair; within, all of pure gold. God clothed our first parents in leather, when there was means of better clothing, to humble them, doubtless, and to shame all such as are proud of their clothes, which are the ensigns of our shame, and came in with sin as its cognizance. Saepe sub attrita latitat sapientia veste. Vestes sunt peccati testes. Vestium curiositas deformitatis mentium et morum indicium est. Bernard.
And a leathern girdle about his loins] So had Elias, and God takes notice of it, and records it, when the pomp and pride of many monarchs lie hidden in obscurity, buried in oblivion. Such love beareth the Lord to his people, that everything in them is remarked and registered. He thinks the better of the very ground they go upon, Psalms 87:2,6; their walls are ever in his sight, and he loveth to look upon the houses where they dwell, Isaiah 49:16 .
And his meat was locusts] These creatures have their name in Greek from the top of the ears of grain (ακριδες) which, as they fled, they fed upon. That they were man's food in those eastern countries appears Leviticus 11:22, and Pliny testifieth as much (lib. xi. cap. 29). Coarse meat they were, but nature is content with little, grace with less. Cibus et potus sunt divitiae Christianorum, Food and dring are the wealth of Christians. saith Jerome. a Bread and water with the gospel are good cheer, saith another. Our Saviour hath taught us to pray for bread, not for manchet b or junkets, but downright household bread; and himself gave thanks for barley bread and broiled fishes. A little of the creature will serve turn to carry thee through thy pilgrimage. One told a philosopher, If you will be content to please Dionysius, you need not feed upon green herbs. He replied, And if you can feed upon green herbs, you need not please Dionysius; you need not flatter, comply, be base, &c. c The ancients held green herbs to be good cheer, and accounted it wealth enough, μη διψαν και μη ριγαν, not to be thirsty, nor cold, saith Galen. But what miscreants were those Jews, that for ακριδες, locusts, read εγκριδες, deserts, as Epiphanius noteth against the Ebionites. The best, we see, are liable to be belied.
And wild honey] Such as naturally distilled out of trees: as did that which Jonathan tasted with the tip of his rod, called honey of the wood, 1 Samuel 14:27. God made Jeshurun suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock,Deuteronomy 32:13. Hence Judea was called Sumen totius Orbis. breeding sow of the whole world. (Heidfeldius.) And Strabo, that spitefully affirmeth it to be a dry, barren country, had not so much ingenuity as that railing Rabshakeh, 2 Kings 18:32 .
a Liba recuso,
Pane egeo, iam mellitis potiore placentis.
Hor. Epist. i. 10,11.
b The finest kind of wheaten bread. ŒD
c Adulator est qui ollam sectatus. Becman. Holus ab ολον . Prisci nihil obsonii sibi deesse existimabant, modo ne deesset holus.