Vers. 2. Take the milstones, and grind meale: lose thy lockes, make bare the feete, vncouer the leg, and passe tho∣row the floods.
ALl this description tends to this end,* 1.1 namely, that Chaldea shal taste of a won∣derfull change. For this Citie which before was in great honour, shall bee brought into extreme dishonout, and euery way put to such drudgerie, that all shall perceiue euident and apparant signes of Gods wrath therein. Behold then the marks of a most seruile bon∣dage, Take the milstones, and grind meale. For they were wont in ancient time, to put slaues of the basest and abiectest condition to the mill. Their condition then must needs bee miserable, when they were held no better then horses: for in warre, those that got the conquest, handled some of their prisoners with much better respect. But heere the Pro∣phet propounds nothing before the Chalde∣ans, but a wofull condition in all points, to the end the faithfull might assure themselues that they should goe forth freely;* 1.2 when the Chaldeans, who held them captiues, should themselues be captiuated. Now howsoeuer we reade not that the great states of the land were thus dishonourably vsed, yet it sufficed for the accomplishment of the prophecie; that Cyrus suffering them to inioy some base offices, made them vncapeable of any rule or authority, by constraining them to cease from all honest exercises, and liberall sci∣ences.
And because they ouerflowed in voluptu∣ousnesse,* 1.3 by the lockes hee alludes to the trim∣mings of virgins. We know they are but too curious in tricking and setting out their haire. Isaiah therefore on the contrarie de∣scribes here a dressing far discrepant from the former; to wit, that from the head downe to the feete, they should be couered with igno∣minie, with filth and mire, in stead of that braue and costly attire they were wont to weare. Maidens and virgins will scarsly bee seene to passe through the streetes, much lesse through high waies: but the Chaldeans must passe thorow the floods, and that with the thigh or leg vncouered.