A fruitfull commentarie vpon the twelue small prophets briefe, plaine, and easie, going ouer the same verse by verse, and shewing every where the method, points of doctrine, and figures of rhetoricke, to the no small profit of all godly and well disposed readers, with very necessarie fore-notes for the vnderstanding of both of these, and also all other the prophets. The text of these prophets together with that of the quotations omitted by the author, faithfully supplied by the translatour, and purged of faults in the Latine coppie almost innumerable, with a table of all the chiefe matters herein handled, and marginall notes very plentifull and profitable; so that it may in manner be counted a new booke in regard of these additions. VVritten in Latin by Lambertus Danæus, and newly turned into English by Iohn Stockwood minister and preacher at Tunbridge.

Vers. 9.

And I wil sowe them among the people, and they shal remem∣ber me in farre countries: and they shall liue with their children, and turne againe.

* 1.1AN amplification of the promise of God immediatly going be∣fore, touching the multiplying or increasing of the nation of the Iewes, and a confirmation of the same, by a most excellent and manifest effect thereof, to wit, the Iewes shall be so many in num∣ber, that they shal be scattered among other nations as pearles, and sowed among them for the spreading abrode of the knowledge of the true God. Wherfore there is promised an exceeding multiply∣ing or increasing of this nation, & the same described by the signe or token spoken of before.* 1.2 So that this verse containeth these three benefites of God. First, that the Iewes are in such sort to be scatte∣red, and carried among other nations, as the seede is sowne in the fieldes for hope of haruest,* 1.3 and not that they shall bee cast out in∣to most lamentable bondage and banishment, as they were before among the heathen. Wherfore this thing sheweth the multiplying or increasing of this people: & that which otherwise might seeme most wofull, namely, to liue without the borders of their countrie, that the same shall bee both profitable and glorious for the Iewes, who by this meanes are sent forth to be as it were preachers of the glorie of God among the heathen, that they might sowe the first seedes of the grace of God, which was to be shewed toward them. This scattering abrode of the Iewes, as it were an heauenly sowing, fell out after their returne f••••m the captiuitie of Babylon. Where∣vpon both Acts. 2. and also 1. Pet. 1. and 1. Iam. ver. 1. they are called Diaspora,* 1.4 that is, a scattering or sowing abrode. The second bene∣fite of God is, That it shall come to passe, that in those countries, howbeit neuer so farre off, they shall notwithstanding serue God: they shall be suffered, and also may freely retaine and godly vse the remembrance and calling vpon of God: The which doth not al∣wayes appeare to haue been done and graunted vnto them in the captiuitie of Babylon. So the Iewes euery where had their Syna∣gogues by the permission or sufferance of the Magistrates, when as before the time of Christ they were thus scattered among the hea∣then, as may be gathered both by the Acts of the Apostles: and al∣so by the historie of Iosephus. The third benefite, That the same

Iewes shall with their whole families both haue their being and dwelling among those nations in safetie, and shall returne to Ie∣rusalem,* 1.5 when they will, both to sacrifice, and also to dwell. The which was not lawfull for them to do in the time of their captiui∣tie. So then here by the way of matching together of contraries is a comparison made between the estate of the same Iewes, when as they were in exile or banishment among the Babylonians, and when as the Lord shall scatter them among the Gentiles, as the preachers of his glory, and fore-runners of his Gospell. Others doe referre this vnto a mysticall or spirituall sence of the calling of the Iewes, and Gentiles, the which I confesse also to bee true, but first these things ought thus to be vnderstood according vnto the letter, as they also in very deede fell out, and came to passe. And the euent or falling out of the matter is the best interpretati∣on of Prophesies.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An amplifica∣tion and con∣firmation of the former pro∣mise of God.
• * 1.2

  Three benefites of God toward the Iewes.
• * 1.3

  1. They shall be scattered a∣mong the hea∣thē to be prea∣chers of the grace and glo∣rie of God.
• * 1.4

  2. They shal haue free libertie to serue God a∣mong other na∣tions.
• * 1.5

  3. They & theirs shall dwell in saftie among the heathen, and may re∣turne to Ie∣rusalem, when they will.