Bible Commentaries

Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, [but] not in truth, nor in righteousness.

Hear ye this, O house of Jacob. — Ye stiffnecked of Israel, and "uncircumcised in heart and ears, who do always resist the Holy Ghost," Acts 7:51 to you be it spoken; for to the "Israelites indeed" enough hath been said of this subject already.

Which are called by the name of Israel — Picti estis Israelitae, estis hypocritae. Sed nomen inane crimen immane. Ye are "called Jews, and make your boast of God," Romans 2:17 having a form of knowledge, Romans 2:20 and of godliness, 2 Timothy 3:5 and that is all; the voice of Jacob, but the hands of Esau. Let such fear Jacob’s fear, "My father perhaps will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing." Genesis 27:12 It is sure enough.

And are come forth out of the waters Pro îîé videtur hic legendum îîòé of Judah, — i.e., Out of the bowels, as Genesis 15:4 as waters out of a spring. Deuteronomy 33:28 Psalms 68:26 Judah was the tribe royal: hence they so gloried, and remained "ruling with God, and faithful with the saints," when other tribes revolted.

Which swear by the name of the Lord. — And not of Baal.

And make mention of the God of Israel. — Who was near in their mouths, but far from their reins. Jeremiah 12:2 Psalms 50:16 Religionem simulabant, cum in cute essent nequissimi. Arrant hypocrites.

But not in truth, nor in righteousness, — i.e., Without faith and sound conversion.

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For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts [is] his name.

For they call themselves of the holy city. — Inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah; yea, they swore by their city and temple, as appeareth in the gospel, and cried out, ad ravim usque, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord," Jeremiah 7:4 like as the Romists now do, The Church, the Church, glorying in the false and empty title of Roman Catholics. Sed grande est Christianum esse, non dici, saith Jerome; and it is a great vanity, saith the poet,

“ Respicere ad fumos et nomina vana Catonum. ”

And stay themselves. — As far as a few good words will go. See on Micah 3:11 .

The Lord of hosts is his name. — So said these hypocrites, bearing themselves bold upon so great a God, who had all creatures at his command.

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I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did [them] suddenly, and they came to pass.

I have declared the former things. — This God had said oft before; but being now to conclude this comfortable sermon, he repeats here the heads of what had been spoken in the seven foregoing chapters.

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Because I knew that thou [art] obstinate, and thy neck [is] an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;

Because I knew that thou art obstinate. — Heb., Hard, obdurate; therefore do I so inculcate these things, if by any means I may mollify thee. Hypocrites are harder to be wrought upon than other sinners.

And thy neck is an iron sinew. — Thou art utterly averse from, yea, adverse to any good; no more bended thereunto than if the body had for every sinew a plate of iron.

And thy brow brass. — Sinews of iron argue a natural impotence, and somewhat more; but brows of brass impudence in evil; quando pudet non esse impudentes, when men are shameless in sin, setting it "upon the cliff of the rock," Ezekiel 24:7 and "declaring it as Sodom." Isaiah 3:9

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I have even from the beginning declared [it] to thee; before it came to pass I shewed [it] thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.

I have even from the beginning, … — See Isaiah 48:3 . It is probable that there were many among the Jews who, when they saw themselves to be so punished, and the heathen prospered, would be ready to think that the God of Israel either could not or would not do for his people, as those devil gods did for theirs. For their help, therefore, under such a temptation, God was pleased to foretell his people what good or evil should betide them, and accordingly to accomplish it.

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Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare [it]? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

Thou hast heard, see all this. — Here God extorteth from them a confession of the aforesaid truth, and urgeth them to attest and publish it.

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They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

They are created now, — i.e., They are now brought to light by my revelations and predictions.

Behold, I knew them. — By my gods or diviners, or by my natural sagacity.

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Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time [that] thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not. — "Yea," so oft used here, is very emphatic, and showeth how hardly sinners are borne down, and made to believe plain truths where they are prepossessed with conceits to the contrary.

And wast called a transgressor from the womb. — Ever since thou madest and worshippedst a golden calf in the wilderness, See Trapp on " Psalms 58:3 " and art still as good at resisting the Holy Ghost as ever thy fathers were. Acts 7:51

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