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. 13.

O thou inhabitant of Lachish, binde the charet to the beasts of price (or dromedaries) she is the beginning of the sinne to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

THis is a descending or comming downe vnto particulars. For after that he hath generally shewed the laying waste and de∣struction of the whole land to come,* 1.1 that he might declare the greatnes of this punishment and ouerthrowe, he now commeth downe vnto certaine places, and describeth what trembling and miserie shall be in them especially:* 1.2 as in this verse by Prosopopoeia, or feining of a person, the Prophet speaketh vnto Lachish a citie of the kingdome of Iudah, the which he sheweth shall bee punished for the same impietie or vngodlines which was in Israel, that there∣by Israel himselfe may iudge, that is, that kingdome, that he must be punished for the like vngodlines.

* 1.3Wherefore there are two things here to be noted. One, the spee∣die fleeing and feare of the citie Lachish, and of the citizens. The other,* 1.4 the cause of the same. The fleeing, and that not onely vpon horses, such as posts are wont to ride on, but also vpon Dromeda∣ries. And this is a kind of beast most quicke and swift,* 1.5 farre excee∣ding the swiftnes of horses, as writers of histories doe affirme. For they are called Dromedaries of their swiftnes in running. [unspec 1] But

whereas it is sayd that this calamitie or miserie shall make the citie of Lachish it selfe afrayd, it appeareth to be great.* 1.6 For Lachish was a strong citie in the kingdome of Iudah, but yet such a citie, the which Sennacherib afterwards wonne: as it is Isai. 36. ver. 2. and the citizens thereof, as wee see them here in this verse willed for to doe, ranne away most fearefully, whilest Salmanazar taketh Sama∣ria, and spoyleth, and wasteth it. The reason and cause of this their punishment and fleeing away with shame is, because this citie was partaker and partner in those impieties, the which were vsed in th•••• kingdom of Israel, to wit, that she might offer vnto God a strange worship. For the citie Lachish sacrificed vnto God in the high pla∣ces. Neither is she sayd to be partaker onely of the same impieties, or vngodlines: but she was the author & ringleader vnto the king∣dome of Iudah, yea, and vnto Ierusalem it selfe, of receiuing those idolatries: whereby appeareth that she was the more iustly pu∣nished.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A comming vnto particu∣lars.
• * 1.2

  What the fi∣gure Prosopo∣poeia is, see O∣seas cap. 6. ver. 1.
• * 1.3

  Two parts of this verse.
• * 1.4

  1. Their speedie fleeing.
• * 1.5

  2. The cause thereof.
• * 1.6

  Ierem. 34. ver. 7. Lachish and Azekah are called strong cities of Iudah.