For beholde, the Lord commaundeth, and he will strike the great house with breaches, and the little house with cleftes.
* 1.1THe conclusion, That these things shal come to passe in such sort as they were foretolde. The reason: Because God commaun∣deth it, that is, will rayse vp agaynst these hard and vnrepentant men, most cruell enemies, to wit, the Assyrians, as it afterward came to passe. There is a like place Isai 7. ver. 18.19. And in that day shall the Lord hisse for the flie that is at the vttermost parte of the floods of Egypt, & for the Bee which is in the land of Ashur, (wherby he meaneth the hoste of the Egyptians and Assyrians, the which at hi•• commaund shall come in swarmes like Flies and Bees) And they shall come and light all in the desolate valleyes, and in the holes of the rock••••▪ and vpon all thorny places, and vpon all bushie places.
There is also in this verse the figure (Occupatio,* 1.2 or answering of an obiecti••n that might be made) for they might alleadg against this threatning of the Prophet: but how hard soeuer the world go∣eth, we shall in some place or other shift for our selues either in the great houses, or else in the little ones This vaine hope the Prophet here cutteth off, to the end that they should not imagine that they could any where be it•• safety. For both their smal and also their great houses shall bee ouert••rowen, and therefore nothing can defend and saue them: their whole Citie shall be wasted and spoyled and pulled downe. For as for their great and gorgeous houses, they shall perish and be destroyed with all kinde ruine, as with an heap and hoord of euils, rushing in vpon them. And their little houses shal be filled with clefts, and throwen downe to the ground.