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. 14.

Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy munitions shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-ar∣bel in the day of battell: the mother with the children was dashed in pieces.

* 1.1A Denouncing or threatning of most grieuous punishments a∣gainst such contemners or despisers of God, and rebellious per∣sons against his commandements. For among them all things are pronounced to bee miserablie wasted, spoyled and consumed, and that with ciuill warres: yea and all their most fortified forts of that

countrie, and castles built to keepe away forraine enemies, shall be destroyed: and that with ciuill warres, the which they themselues shall stirre vp within themselues one against another. For so doe I expound that which is sayd, There shall a tumult arise among thy people. Therefore this spoyle and laying waste shall be committed not by forraine enemies, but by the inhabitants of the countrie themselues: because the Israelites shall arise one against another in ciuill warre: the which is a most miserable kinde of battaile, and punishment. For in ciuill warres all things alwayes are most mise∣rable. Yet thus doth God oftentimes punish idolatrous people, and Kings, to entangle them with home-warres, and to set them toge∣ther by the eares within themselues. And that this so afterwards came to passe, the historie of the kingdome of Israel doth confirme or proue 2. King. cap. 14. and so following. Neither shall this laying waste, ruine, and destroying of the whole countrie and the cities thereof come to passe onely by the meanes of ciuill warres: but it shall moreouer fall out to be so great, that there cannot any grea∣ter be made by any enemie, be he neuer so mortall and deadly. For it shall be such, as was that of the countrie of Arbel, the which ouer∣throw was giuen by Salmanazar 2. King. 18. ver. 34. for there the proud captains of Saneherib vpbrayed the Israelites with that ouer∣throw, when as they aske them, Where is the God of Hamah, and of Arpad? Meaning that Arpad, in which Arbel was, was destroyed by Salmanazar.* 1.2 And this countrie of Arbel is beyond the riuer Eu∣phrates, and at that time the fame of that ouerthrow was come vn∣to the neighbour people and nations dwelling neere vnto it, yea e∣uen vnto the Israelites, as of a destruction and ouerthrow of things very straunge, fearefull, and such whereof the like had not been heard before. Finally, the mother with her children shall by the in∣habitants bee dashed against the rockes and stones, the which is a kind of barbarous and outragious crueltie, such as the Babylonians in the taking of Ierusalem vsed against the poore Iewes, and there∣fore they pray vnto God that he in his iustice will cause them to be requited and payed with the like Psalm. 137. ver. 8.9. O daughter of Babel, worthie to be destroyed, blessed shall he be that rewardeth thee, as thou hast serued vs. Blessed shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy children against the stones.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A threatning of most grie∣uous punish∣ments against the contemners
• * 1.2

  Arbel was in a most fearefull and cruell ma∣ner destroyed by Salmana∣zar, which here is called Shalman, the fame of which ouerthrow was then fresh a∣mong the Is∣raelites.