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. 16.

For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the maner of the house of Achab, and ye walke in their counsels, that I should make thee waste, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shal beare the reproch of my people.

* 1.1THe rendring of a reason of the former so grieous punishment, for that the Israelites were notorious, and stubborne Idolaters. And this place sheweth that these threatnings doe properly apper∣taine vnto the Israelites, and not vnto the Iewes. For they, and not these diligently followed and embraced the impietie or vngodli∣nes of Ambri, or Omri, and Achab, as namely being their Kings. And the Prophet rehearseth these twaine by name, and their de∣crees, or publike edicts, and statutes: also their crafts or counsels in spreading abroad & establishing of idolatrie: because that among all the rest of the Kings of Israel idolaters, these twaine were most shamefull and ranke idolaters, for of Omri the father it is recorded 1. King. 16. ver. 25. That he did euill in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse then all that were before him. And in the same chapter ver. 30. it is written of Achab his sonne, that he was yet worse then his fa∣ther. Kings then do in such maner rage against true godlines, either openly, to wit, by force and violence, or els making edicts and sta∣tutes against it: or priuilie honoring those which are idolaters and vngodly, and preferring them before those that are godly in deed. Both which things Ambri and also Achab did.

* 1.2 Wherefore I will make thee waste.) A confirmation of the former threatning, by repeating of the summe thereof in this place, & the equitie whereof now appeareth, by this comparing of the idolatrie

of the Israelites and the punishments ordained against them, toge∣ther: the which is done in this v••rse. In summe, the Israelites the in∣habitants of this countrie and of the cities therein, shall feele and beare the reproch of the people of GOD, that is, such a reproch as God hath peculiarly decreed ag••inst his rebellious people, for that, when as they sayd themselues to be the seede of Abraham and Ia∣cob, and consequently boasted that they appertained vnto the in∣heritance of God, they liued and were notwithstanding so obsti∣natly stubborne and rebels against GOD, in the which sinne and vice they continued and remained.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A reason of the former punish∣ment.
• * 1.2

  A confirmatiō of the former threatning.