Don't follow heathen customs 1
You, Lord, are the one to fear, but they are foolish 6
Only the true God made the heavens 11
Remove your things from the fortress; the tabernacle is spoiled 17
The enemies come; pour out your fury 22
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¶ Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
.2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. .3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. |
1 -
House
of Israel What was left of the original nation, that is, Judah
je0401,3.
2 - Way of the heathen The heathen had false worship le1803, le2023, je0418. They looked to the sky, specifically the zodiac, for direction for their lives is4713. 3 - Customs Or "a statute." ps119005. 4 - Deck Or "adorn" or "decorate" in modern English. is4019. 5 - Upright From miqshah. "They are of turned work, resembling a palm tree ... The point of comparison between the idol and the palm is in the pillar-like uprightness of the latter, it having no branches except at the top." (JFB). Elsewhere in the OT the word is at ex1527, le2340, nu3309. |
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Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and
thy name is great in might.
7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. 8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. 9 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men. 10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. |
6 -
None
like unto thee He is unique ex1511,
ps08608.
6 - Thy name That is, His character or reputation ps03103. 7 - King of the nations All the world (and the universe) is responsible to Him. He was not just the king of the Jews ps02228, ps04707, ps09610. 7 - For to thee doth it appertain "... For this is Your rightful due." NKJV. |
.11
Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and
the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these
heavens.
 .12
He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his
wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
.13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. 13 - Multitude of waters See re1402a. 7 PK17 13 - Vapours From nasi'im, meaning "damp fog." Also je5116 and ps13507. In pr2514 it is translated "clouds." 13 - With rain Literally, "for the rain." Language accent marks do not often appear in this commentary. |
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Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the
graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath
in them.
.15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. 16 The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name. |
15
- Visitation That is "punishment" of the idol craftsmen.
See ps00804,
ps05905,
v11.
16 - Portion of Jacob That is, Yahweh (Jehovah). ps01605, ps0119057, ps07326. 16 - Rod From shebet, a staff or scepter ps07402, ps12204, is06317. In ps12205 and is6317 shebet is "tribe." |
| .17
¶ Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.
.18 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so. .19 Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it. 20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. .21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. |
17
- Wares From kin'ah, meaning "a pack" or "a bundle."
Apparently the instruction is for them to pack what they can carry in readiness
for being taken captive.
18 - Sling out Yahweh speaks. The process would be violent. je1613, compare 1sa2530. A sling is a weapon used to throw stones. 18 - This once Rather "this time." Earlier invaders had not been successful 2ki1603, is1414. The words "it so" are not in the Hebrew. Maybe the Lord wanted the readers to ponder what might happen. 19 - Woe ... my hurt Distress of the nation. 21 - Pastors Here civil rulers je0208, je0315. |
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Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the
north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.
.23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. .25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate. |
22
- Noise ... out of the north The enemies of Mesopotamia came
from the north.
23 - The way of man We cannot direct our steps. This doesn't mean we are lacking in initiative and choice. We need the Lord to correct us. This is not oppression, it's a voluntary love relationship with Him. 25 - Pour out thy fury This sounds more like many of the psalms is1412. The call is for God to do what He planned. The time will come. |
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