Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
Ver. 8. Three shepherds also I cut off in one month] That is, in a short time I took away and displaced, even by the heathen princes, many proud princes and priests; such as were Menelaus, Jason, the Aristobuli, Hircani, Annas, Caiaphas, and others: or, I removed those three sorts of shepherds of the old law, viz. princes, prophets, and priests. Thus Theodoret and Vatablus. Diodati understands the text of the three chief empires that had tyrannized over the people, Zechariah 11:6; Zechariah 11:3; Zechariah 11:12; Zechariah 11:10. Namely, the Chaldean, Persian, and Grecian empire, which were destroyed by the Son of God, Daniel 2:45. But they do best, in mine opinion, that by these three shepherds understand those three sects among the Jews at Christ's coming in the flesh, viz. Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes; whereof, though the Pharisees were the best, and most exact for the outward observation of the law, yet are they in the Gospel, for their putid hypocrisy, first sharply taxed by our Saviour (after the Baptist), and then plainly rejected, and even sent to hell by a chain shot of eight links of woes, Matthew 23:13,16; Matthew 23:23; Matthew 23:25; Matthew 23:27; Matthew 23:29
And my soul loathed them] Or, was taken off from them, or, was straitened for them; because I saw that they received my grace in vain, and considered not my care for their good. Theodotion and Symmachus render it, Anima mea exanimata est, I am dispirited, as it were, and even disheartened to do any more for them.
And their soul also abhorred me] And so they became God haters (θεοστυγεις), as Romans 1:30, and therefore hateful to God (στυγητοι), Titus 3:3, hateful as hell (so the word imports), yea, more and worse, for hell is but an effect of God's justice, but wickedness is a breach of his law. The prophet here seemeth to allude to those murmurers in the wilderness, that disdainfully cried out, Our soul loatheth this light bread, Numbers 21:5. Let God's servants take heed how they hang loose toward him; and lest, by disuse and discontinuance of a duty, there grow upon them an alienation of affection, a secret disrelishing and nauseating at that which we ought most deeply to affect and duly to perform. Surely, as loathing of meat and difficulty of breathing are two symptoms of a sick body, so are carelessness of hearing and irksomeness of praying two sure signs of a sick soul.