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. 12.

Therefore will I be vnto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Iudah as a rottennes.

* 1.1AS in the verse before going the Prophet described a very great sinne, and such as was ratified and warranted by the authoritie of their princes and rulers: so now he setteth downe, and that vnto the princes both of Israel and also of Iudah, the greatnesse of the pu∣nishment, wherewith the selfe same princes shall be punished. And this is no new punishment, the which is here rehearsed: but an am∣plification, or a more especiall laying open of that which hath been alreadie threatned. For he painteth out the greatnesse thereof by two similitudes. And here are two things to be noted, to wit,* 1.2 what punishment is here threatned, and vnto whom. The punishment is most heauie: namely, because these princes shall bee eaten vp and consumed in long continuance of time, and by little and little,* 1.3 and not forthwith or at once: neither shall they cease to bee vexed: but as a moth vseth to eate a garment by little and little, and to fret it by peece meale, so shall they be vexed by little and little, and conti∣nually. So were they threatned before ver. 7. to be consumed with a lingering disease, as also Deut. 28. ver. 51.52. Moses sheweth a∣mong other plagues that shall fall vpon them for the despising of God his commandements, that forraine enemies shall waste them and all theirs, both corne, fruite, and cattell, wine, and oyle, &c. by little and little, vntill they bee quite and cleane destroyed. The like similitude of a moth is vsed Psal. 39. ver. 11. where the Prophet wri∣teth after this maner: When thou with rebukes doest chastise man for iniquitie, thou as a moth makest his beautie to consume: surely euery man is vanitie. Therefore as the moth doth eate away the beautie,* 1.4 and euery the best part of a garment: so shall euery the best things of both these kingdomes, that is, of Israel and of Iudah, by the ene∣mies be by little and little carried away, and taken from them. That which was done in the kingdome of Israel by the Assyrians: and in the kingdome of Iudah by the Babylonians or Chaldees. For by these was both these kingdomes at the first broken, and spoyled of their richest countries, and littled in their borders. To the selfe same purpose appertaineth also the similitude of Rottennes in the latter end of this verse. See Iam. 5. ver. 5. to much like effect the like com∣parison of the rust and cancre in the gold and siluer of the cruel and merciles rich men, the which he threatneth shall eate their flesh also,

as it were fire. Further, the punishment which the Prophet here spea∣keth of, is threatned vnto both the kingdomes, to with, that of Israel, and also that of Iudah: and vnto those especially, the which in them both were the princes and peeres of the people, that men should not deceiue themselues with vaine names and titles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The greatnesse of their punish∣ment set out by two similitudes
• * 1.2

  1. What punish∣ment is threat∣ned.
• * 1.3

  2. To wh••m it is thre••••ned.
• * 1.4

  The simi••••••••de of a garm••••at e••ten with moths, is vsed also Iob. 1••. ver. 28.