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. 2.

For the Lord hath turned away the glory of Iaacob (or, The Lord shall cause the excellencie of Iaacob to returne) as the glo∣ry of Israel, (or, and as it were excellencie vnto the Israelites:) for the emptiers haue emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.

* 1.1THis is the rendring of a reason, why the forces of so mighty an Empire (as that of the Assyrians was at that time) shall neuer∣thelesse not be able to defend themselues, I answere: because God shall take vengeance on them, and that for the sake of the Iewes and Israelites, whom they most miserably and most cruelly affli∣cted. Therefore God shall cause the excellencie of Iaacob to returne: and as it were excellencie vnto the Israelites, and shall not be angry with them any more, but shall shew his fauour toward both those peoples, the seede of Abraham. Wherefore he shall bring to passe that they which before seemed vtterly to be offeasts, captiues, mise∣rable, and were so: shall now be made manifest, shall be deliuered from that bondage, in the which they were, and shall bee taken and acknowledged for excellent people, and people acceptable vn∣to God. For this is the excellcēie both of Iacob, that is of the king∣dome of Iudah; and also of Israel, that is, of the kingdome of Israel, namely, to haue God mercifull, fauourable and louing vnto them. For then appeared the dignitie, greatnes, strength, authoritie, and commendation of that nation aboue others, euen then when they were captiue, the which also in a manner had the gouernment of the Empire of the Chaldees (vnder which the Iewes were captiues, as Daniel among the Babylonians, Nehemias among the Persians) So then God will cause, that this his fauour shall appeare towards this people, and that the excellencie and preciousnesse of this peo∣ple shall returne vnto them, as namely being now pacified and appeased with them. This selfe same thing doth Isaias teach cap. 10. ver. 12, 22, 25. It shall come to passe that when as the Lorde shall

haue made an ende of his worke in Sion, he will visite the proud heart of the Assyrians. Further, the prophet speaking of the kingdome of Iudah, sayd fully, The excellencie of Iacob, but when as he speaketh of Israel, that is, of the other kingdome of that nation, he sayd, di∣minishingly, as if it were the excellencie, because that the chiefe fauour of God appeared toward the Iewes, and he cherished them most especially, because they had retayned and kept still his wor∣ship, and law, and sacrifices, the which the Israelites had despised, and cast a side. Therefore God ouerthrew both the Assyrians, and also the Babylonians afterward, rather for the Iewes sake, then for the Israelites.

Now the cause of this anger of God against the Assyrians is,* 1.2 because they spoyled, or emptied both the Iewes and also the Is∣raelites, so far as in them lay, vtterly corrupted and cutte off their branches and issue that was to come, that there should no hope be left of stocke or nation of them hereafter to be restored. And this cruelty is set downe also for one of the causes, why God destroy∣ed Babylon Isai 47. ve. 6. I was wroth with my people: I haue pollu∣ted mine inheritance, and giuen them into thine hande: thou diddest shew them no mercie, but thou diddest lay thy very heauy yoke vpon the ancient. As for these Assyrians, they went about vtterly to destroy the whole seede of Abraham without any mercie or compassion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Why the Assy∣rians shall not bee able to de∣fend thēselues.
• * 1.2

  The cause of this anger of God against the Assyrians.