Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion,.... Or thy god; but the portion of Jacob is not like them, stocks and stones,
Jeremiah 10:16. Whenever they could pick up smooth stones, and such as were fit for their purpose, whether in the stream of a brook, or in a valley, as the word also signifies, they polished and formed them into an image, and made gods of them; and these were their portion and inheritance, and which they left to their children. There is an elegant play on words k in the Hebrew tongue, between the word for "smooth stones", and that for a "portion l", which cannot be expressed in our language: or, "in the smooth or slippery places of the valley shall be thy portions"; see Psalms 35:6.
They, they are thy lot; even those stones. Jarchi's note is, to stone thee with, the punishment of idolaters with the Jews; suggesting that those idols would be their ruin; as they will be the ruin of the idolatrous members of the church of Rome, who repent not of worshipping their idols of stone among others, Revelation 9:20:
even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering; or a "bread offering", as well as a libation of wine, respecting the sacrifice of the mass, which consists of bread and wine, which is offered up in honour of their idols, angels and saints; hence "Michael mass" and "Martin mass", c.
Should I receive comfort in these? be pleased with such idolatrous sacrifices? no. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions render it, "should I not be angry for these?" I will I have just reason for it. Or it may be rendered, "shall I repent of these m?" of the evil I have threatened to bring, and am about to bring upon these idolaters? I will not.
k בחלקי נהל חלקך. l "In laevitatibus vallis erit portio tua", Gataker, Vitringa. m העל אלה אנחם "a me super his poenitebit?" Musculus; "poenitebit me", some in Vatablus.