A paraphrasticall explication of the twelve minor prophets. Viz. Hoseah. Joel. Amos. Obadiah. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi. / By Da. Stokes. D.D.

CHAP. I.

1. THe word of the Lord, which was made known to Micah, of Moreshah (a City in Judaea) in the dayes of Iotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Kings of Iudah: and which he had revealed to him in a vision concerning Sama∣ria, and Ierusalem (two eminent Cities, by whose example the two kingdoms of Judah, and Israel were drawn into many grievous sins, and disorders.)

2. Hear all ye people of Judah, and Israel. Attend to this Prophesie of mine, you that dwell in any part of this land, how populous, and of how great extent soever it is. And for my faithfull delivery of what I am enjoyn∣ed to say, let God himself, that sees, and hears all, from his (a) 1.1 holy and glorious habi∣tation in heaven, hear witnesse against you, (if I be at any time accused, or mistrusted for concealing any part of his will and plea∣sure.)

3. For I wish you all to take notice of this, that God is now coming out of those high and

holy places of his, to show himself in the exe∣cution of his judgements upon your nation: and the highest and strongest places, with the highest, and stateliest persons (as stout as they are) will he trample under his feet, and lay even with the lowest earth.

4. At his angry voice, the mountainous Ci∣ties shall melt under him, like wax before the fire: and the lower villages in the vale shall part asunder, and leave their former glory, and station with as much speed and violence, as waters will run down in the steepest places, and leave no markes of any abode in that place from whence they come.

5 And all this for the transgressions of Ia∣cob, and the sins of the house of Israel. Now, what caused the transgressions of Iacob, but the ill example of Samaria: and what occa∣sioned the idolatry of the high places of Iudah but the ill copy that was set them by Ieru∣salem?

6. But Samaria, that first began the sin, shall feel the first smart of the punishment. And I will make Samaria like a heap of rubbish in the field, or of withered plants in a vineyard. So far shall she be from having the face and show of a Citie, when I have caused the stones to be cast down out of her high buildings into the lowest holes, and bottomes: and discovered

the very foundations of that fabrick, wherein she gloried so much.

7. Then shall all their graven images be beaten to peices and the (b) 1.2 rich ornaments, that were bestowed upon their idoll-temples shall be con∣sumed with fire, and the idols themselves will I lay desolate. For at the best, those fair dona∣ries were but the rewards and bribes of their spirituall adultery with idols, and to no other end shall they come, then to what such wages of adultery and idolatry do best deserve to be brought.

8. (Thus said the Lord.) But, I their sad Prophet cannot but interpret my inward sorrow by my bitter lamentations, and divesting my self of my best and upper garments, and, in that little better than naked posture, mourn∣ing (c) 1.3 like the prodigious melancholy beasts in the desert, and howling, like the young(d) 1.4 owles (that have no other tone, and thence have their name, as fit to expresse it.

9. (All which I am brought to) because this Land is so desperately wounded, that there is no hope of her cure, no not in Judah, the best part of her. For which cause he that hath al∣ready given such a blow to Israel, is marching

toward my selected people, even to the very gates of Ierusalem.

10. Yet let not these sad things be published in Gath, or any other town of the Philistims our enemies. Let not our teares be seen of them, that will laugh the more at our miseries. But thou (e) 1.5 Ephraim, (that bearest the name of fruitfulnesse) or rather I will call thee (f) 1.6 Ophrah, (from dust and ashes, that are signes of sorrow, and barrennesse) spare not thy sor∣rowes for thy self within thy own houses. Wallow thy self in dust and ashes in contem∣plation of the sad day, wherein all thy houses shall be beaten into dust.

11. And you of Samaria, so pleasantly seat∣ed that the name of Samaria may be turned into (g) 1.7 Shaphir: you shall passe along from thence into a land of desolation and captivity: having your fair City laid bare and naked to your utter shame, and confusion: while thy Sister that dwels in (h) 1.8 Sion will not stir a foot, from her (i) 1.9 quiet Hill, to come towards you, and releive you; But, (k) keeping her own station, (and not troubling her self any further) she will (for fashion sake) take the hint of her

mourning from thee, O (l) 1.10 Bethel, that mayest•• now rather be called Beth-etsel, i. a place of schism and separation.

12. But (though Jerusalem be yet so sense∣lesse of misery) yet she that dwels in (m) 1.11 Ra∣moth of Judaea (for which you may say [by transposition of the letters] that dwells in Maroth, i. in a place destined to sorrow and bitternesse) she shall much bewaile the losse of her good people, ere long; For, mischief and divine vengeance shall come down at last, not to them onely of the (n) 1.12 severall Ramoths, and eminent seates in Judaea: but to the very gates of Jerusalem too, (that is pirked up high∣er than all the rest.)

13. And thou inhabitant of Lachish shalt bind the chariot to the swift dromedaries (that chariot, (o) 1.13 that must convey Senna∣cheribs servants to Jerusalem, to demand no lesse than the rendring up of the Citie into his hands) because Lachish gave the first and chief occasion of the sinne (of idolatry) to the daughter of Sion. Such great faults of the ten tribes of Israel being first found in thee.

14. Therefore also have I somewhat to say to Moreshah-Gath, and Aczib (the two neighbour townes of Lachish) Thou, O La∣chish, shalt be fain to send presents and bribe the Assyrians well to show favour to Moreshath-Gath. And the houshoulders of Achzib shall be put to another shift, where∣by to help themselves, i. by proving them∣selves false dissemblers and lyars, ((p) 1.14 as their name imports) and betraying that trust, that was reposed in them by the Kings of Is∣rael.

15. And now I will say somewhat allu∣ding to the name of Moreshah, as I did to that of Achzib. Moreshah, in the deriva∣tion of the word, referrs to an (q) 1.15 heir. And I have an heir in store for thee, O inhabitant of Moreshah. (It shall be the Assyrian, that shall hereafter possesse what is yet thine) I will bring him to thee my self. And this Assyrian, whom you made so much of once, as if he had been the glo∣ry of Israel; shall quickly enlarge himself and come as farre as Odullam (after he hath got the safe possession of Moreshah.)

16. Therefore O thou poor and misera∣ble Judaea that hearest these sad prophe∣sies against the greatest Townes and Cities, fall to those ceremonies now, that are the best expressions of their sorrow and heavi∣nesse.

Take away thy dainty haire, and make thy self as good as bald in signe of grief, for the slaughter of thy delicate children, wherein thou hast placed thy delight. And yet enlarge thy baldnesse, like that of the Eagle, in token of greater sorrow, for those thy Children, that are led into cap∣tivity, (and so have a heavier sentence passed upon them, then there was upon them, that were taken away, by death, from the sense of any further calami∣tie.)

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 templum, & palatium significat.
• (b) 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 à 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 i. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (c) 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 animal prodigiosum & monstrosum in gon••re significat.
• (d) 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 à 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 owles of howling.
• (e) 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 à 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (f) 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 pulvis s••••o alludit ad Ephraim.
• (g) 1.7

  i. pulchra.
• (h) 1.8

  occulto hic nomine pro 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ponitur 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 q∣peco••osa terra, à 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (i) 1.9

  hoc etiam 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signif. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in statione sua.
• (l) 1.10

  Bethel etiam hic later sub nomine Beth-etsel.
• (m) 1.11

  hebr. Maroth.
• (n) 1.12

  Ramoth the name of many several places in Judaea, that were eminently seated a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (o) 1.13

  ut habetur 2. Reg. 18, 17.
• (p) 1.14

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 à 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (q) 1.15

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉