of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is
'for many days to come, and he prophesieth
of the times that are far off.

28 Therefore say unto them, Thus saith

the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.

92 Pet. 3. 4.

Verse 7. "I digged through the wall with mine hand.”—With respect to walls, compare the notes on Job iv. 19, Prov. Xxvii. 3, and Isa. xxx. 13. In the first of these notes the class numbered 2, answers exactly to the cob-walls of Devonshire, which form the subject of an interesting paper in No. cxvi. of the Quarterly Review.' These wails, formed of earth and straw well beaten and trodden together, and raised upon a foundation of stone or brick, were very ancient and are still very common in the East; and, as observed in the note to which we refer, explain what is meant by digging through walls. To the brief intimation there given, we may as well add the somewhat larger remark in the recent Quarterly Review:-"Ezekiel, of all the prophets best acquainted with the customs of the Phoenicians-of which the thirty-seventh chapter is a proof-when speaking of breaking through a wall, invariably uses the word dig through,' diegruv.—I digged through the wall with mine hand' (Ezek. xii. 7); this would be impossible in the case of a stone or brick wall, but by no means so as to one of cob. The identical expression is used twice by our Saviour himself in the sixth chapter of St. Matthew, Lay up for yourselves treasures...where thieves do not break through and steal'-ov xλsætai un dioguæsour, where thieves do not dig through.' In fact, the common Greek term for a housebreaker was roxguxos, a wall-breaker. Therefore the author of that most ancient book, Job, in the fourth chapter, adverts to the little trust to be placed in those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed by the moth.' A very high authority has suggested, that by the moth is meant the white ant. It is clear that some sort of those destructive insects are alluded to, which so notoriously harbour in walls of clay, that is, of cob."

13. “I will bring him to Babylon.....yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there."-The prophet Jeremiah foretold of Zedekiah that his eyes should behold the eyes of the king of Babylon; and here Ezekiel predicts that he should not see Babylon though he should die there. We are informed by Josephus, that the king, thinking these prophecies contradicted each other, gave no credit to either. But both proved true; for being taken captive and carried to Riblah, be there saw Nebuchadnezzar, and then his eyes were put out, and he was sent to Babylon, where he remained for the rest of his life; so that he saw not that city, though he died in it.

CHAPTER XIII.

1 The reproof of lying prophets, 10 and their untempered morter. 17 Of prophetesses and their

pillows.

AND the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto 'them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

5 Ye have not gone up into the 'gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of

the LORD.

6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.

7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?

8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen

lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.

pro

9 And mine hand shall be upon the phets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, 'Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:

11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.

12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?

13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.

14 So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and 8 Heb. walk after. 4 Or, and things which they have not seen. 129

1 Heb. them that are prophets out of their own hearts. * Jer. 23. 16.
5 Or,breaches. Heb.edged the hedge 7 Or, secret, or counsel. 8 Jer. 6. 14. 9 Or, a slight wall.
VOL. IIL

Verse 10. "Daubed it with untempered morter."-The Targum and Vulgate seem to understand this not of plaster but of the cement used in uniting the materials of the wall, rendering it, clay without straw "-clay and straw, well mixed together, being correctly understood to have been the common cement of eastern buildings, as it still is in the East. If this view be correct, it will of course imply that the wall was not built with wet cob, which requires no cement; but with dry cob, or clay and straw worked well together and formed into masses which are dried before employed in building; or else common sun-dried or kiln-burnt bricks, or even stone. We rather incline to this view of

regarding the "morter" here rather as cement than plaster. However there is no reason to question that the Hebrews did at least sometimes plaster their walls. The most common in the East is made with the same materials as the cob walls, sun-dried bricks and mortar-namely, clay and straw mixed together-the straw, such as they give to their cattle, chopped and beaten small and serving the same purpose as the ox hair which our plasterers mix with their plaster. This, to be good, requires to be well tempered. which is generally done by long continued treading or beating. This is much used for the exterior of walls of humbler materials; but it will only do for dry countries, as the rain acts upon it very much, causing it to peel off, or else wearing it off; whence the prophet mentions an "overwhelming shower" as the agent of its destruction. We have seen the interiors even of houses above the common, with no other plastering than this. Lime is however sometimes mixed with the clay and straw, and for certain purposes such as the external coat of an interior plastering, simple lime plasters, such as our own, are sometimes used. When lime is largely used alone, or in a large proportion with certain earths, the tempering is usually performed either by beating with sticks, or by the turning of a wheel or roller, in much the same manner that our brick-makers prepare their clay. This work is, as in the parallel case, done by a horse or other animal. It would be to little purpose to mention all the materials and preparations of plasters for different applications, such as the coating of walls. the covering of the terraced roofs. and the lining of baths, tanks, and pools. Some kinds, generally used in a semi liquid s ate, set very hard and last long; and it is well understood that great pains must be taken to temper that required to resist wet. In the way of tempering, perhaps nothing affords a stronger manifestation of persevering and patient labour than the longcontinued and repeated beatings to which the Orientals subject the plaster (of lime, ashes, and straw) which is more especially intended to resist wet, and which does most effectually answer that purpose.

18. "Women that sew pillows to all armholes."-The verse is confessedly a very difficult one. In the present clause, the words rendered "arm-holes" atzilai yadi) means "the juncture of the arms," and may be applied not merely to the shoulders or armholes, but to the elbows, or even the wrists; and as "elbows" seem most intelligible in this context, and is preferred by the Septuagint and Vulgate, as well as given in our margin, we would here so understand it. And then, as to the sewing or applying pillows to elbows, we are disposed to think that it refers to some custom with which we are not acquainted, and for want of knowing which the passage cannot be well understood. However, the nearest approach to a reasonable explanation seems to be derived from a reference to the fact, that the Orientals, when they wish to be at their ease, sit, lounge, or recline on or against various kinds and qualities of rich pillows or cushions; and as the evil woman in the Proverbs alludes to the costliness and richness of those which belonged to her divan or "bed," among the circumstances by which she sought to seduce "the young man void of understanding" to her snare, it is not unreasonable to suppose that something of the same kind may be here intended, since it appears that females of loose character are alluded to in this, as they certainly are in the other instance. It is not impossible that the women here mentioned were false prophetesses, or female votaries of "the queen of heaven," and that the prophet has in view the arts which they employed to seduce the faithful to a participation in the impure rites which so disgracefully signalised her worship.

Kerchiefs upon the head of every stature."The meaning of this seems to be, that they put kerchiefs upon the heads of females of every age (or stature) whom they had brought to join their society. But what this kerchief was, and what peculiarity made it instrumental "to hunt (or seduce) souls" may be difficult to conjecture; perhaps it was

merely a rich or peculiar veil or head-dress, which rendered their presence attractive; and possibly it did at the same time, by its shape or ornament, denote the profession or character of those who wore them, and which is, in the East, in all cases. more generally expressed by the head-dress than by anything else. It is clear that these women practised divinations, and pretended to deliver oracles which contradicted the Divine prophecies-promising peace and safety where they predicted death and desolation. Joining this to the fact that Astarte was reputed to deliver oracles, and that, as appears from both Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the Hebrews-and particularly the women-were at this time greatly addicted to the worship of this idol, we may reasonably presume that these women were not only false prophetesses but, as such, votaries of Astarte; and if this be premised, the impurities practised by her worshippers may countenance the given explanation concerning the "pillows" and the "kerchiefs:" and with reference to the latter we may add, that in the figures of Astarte there is always something remarkable about the head-dress. Macrobius describes her a represented by her worshippers in Mount Lebanon under the figure of an afflicted woman, with her head covered, and leaning upon her left hand, mourning for Adonis.

1 Or, others. Deut. 28. 37. Chap. 5. 15. 31 Kings 22. 23.
6 Or, bereave.

20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righte

ousness.

21 For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

22 ¶ Yet, behold, therein shall be left a

remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

23 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.

8 Or, Also when.

Verse 14. "Noah, Daniel, and Job.”—The mention of those holy patriarchs, Noah and Job, does not require any explanation; but that Daniel, who was then living, and still a rather young man, should be joined with them in this manner may be pointed out as a most distinguished honour conferred upon that prophet. "Daniel was taken captive in the third year of Jehoiakim. (Dan. i. 1.) After this Jehoiakim reigned eight years. (2 Kings xxiii. 26.) And this prophecy, as appears from chap. viii. 1, was uttered in the sixth year of Jehoiachin's captivity, who succeeded Jehoiakim, and reigned only three months. (2 Kings xxiv. 6, 8.) Therefore at this time Daniel had been fourteen years in captivity." (Newcome.) At this time, as we may see from the history in the early chapters of his own book, he had been for many years the most conspicuous and remarkable man of the Hebrew nation then living, whether we regard his exalted piety, and the singular favour which the Lord had shown unto him, or the high and influential place which he occupied at the Babylonian court. Is it not possible that the especial and singular mention of Daniel in this passage, may have partly been intended to counteract an impression entertained by his countrymen, that his high station and great influence with Nebuchadnezzar rendered improbable, or would be successful in averting, those calamities which Jeremiah and Exekiel foretold?

CHAPTER XV.

1 By the unfitness of the vine branch for any work 6 is shewed the rejection of Jerusalem.

AND the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

3 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

4 Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. 'Is it meet for any work?

1 Heb. will it prosper.

CHAPTER XVI.

5 Behold, when it was whole, it was 'meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?

6 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

7 And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.

8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have 'committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.

2 Heb. made fit.

1 Under the similitude of a wretched infant is shewed the natural state of Jerusalem. 6 God's extraordinary love towards her. 15 Her monstrous whoredom. 35 Her grievous judgment. 44 Her sin, matching her mother, and exceeding her sisters, Sodom and Samaria, calleth for judgments. 60 Mercy is promised her in the end. AGAIN the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,

Heb, cutting out, or habitation.

Heb. trespassed a trespass.

3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem; Thy 'birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.

4 And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water 'to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

5 None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to

* Or, when I looked upon thee.