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. 9.

Spoyle ye the siluer, spoyle ye the gold: for there is none ende of the store, and glorie of all the pleasant vessels.

* 1.1THis is a Prosopopoeia of God encouraging the enemies of the Assyrians vnto the pray. But it is added, that it should bee the third amplification of the miserable estate of the citie Niniueh, when as it shall be taken.* 1.2 For the Chaldees shall steale and take vn∣to themselues euery the most pretious things out of it, albeit that there were in it an infinit masse of goods a long time stolen & hor∣ded vp together from all places by the Assyrians. And by this kind of speaking is shewed, that God is the author of this destruction of Niniueh: and that not only the Chaldees would haue it so. Finally that is confirmed, which I haue sayd, namely, that no forces of the Assyrians, no wealth of theirs, no power could let, but that they must feele and vndergo these iudgements & punishments of God, because of their crueltie against the people of God. For God will encourage their enemies both vnto the fight, & also vnto the pray, and will make them vnconquerable. There is a like place Isai. 10. ver. 6. when as God sendeth the Assyrians to vanquish the Iewes: I will send him (sayth God, speaking of the Assyrian) to a dissembling nation, and I will giue him a charge against the people of my wrath, to take the spoyle, and to take the pray, and to tread them vnder feete like the mire in the streete. Yet are not the Chaldees hereby excused, that they should not bee condemned of couetousnes in that same spoyling of the Niniuites.* 1.3 For they behaued themselues after this maner, not of any mind to obey God, but to rob and steale: neither did they carrie away those riches of the Niniuites of faith in God, but of a greedines of minde, which was insatiable, or could not be filled: albeit by the priuileges of warre, those which doe ouercome haue much libertie ouer those whom they doe thus ouercome, and

may doe very many things vnto them.

* 1.4Further this verse hath two things to be noted. First the kinde of speaking, the which for the more earnest encouragement sake containeth a repetition of the same word of spoyling,* 1.5 Spoyle ye, Spoyle ye, saith the Lord. Secondly the thing it selfe, which is com∣manded, & sheweth that the spoyling of Niniueh, which was to insue, should bee most miserable, and exceeding great.* 1.6 For both the gold and siluer of the Niniuites shall be taken away: and also that endlesse furniture of theirs, and heape of riches, and other things, by succession of so many ages gathered and horded vp together. For the Assyrians neuer made any ende of heaping vp of goodes, so couetuous, and such robbers of the world were they. Last of all, the Chaldcans shall pull away and take vnto themselues what so euer daintie and pretious thing shall bee hid vp in all the vessels, chestes, and whole houshould of the Niniuites. For these things also were the praye or spoile of the Assyrians: hereafter 13. And all these things do shew and describe the ransacking and spoyling of this Citie, be it neuer so wide or large, that it shall be maruailous great.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What the fi∣gure Prosopo∣poeia is, see O∣seas cap 6. ver.
• * 1.2

  1. The third am∣plification of the miserie of the Assyrians.
• * 1.3

  Though God be the author of the spoyling of the Nini∣uites, yet are not the Chal∣dees, which spoyled them, excused.
• * 1.4

  Two things to be noted.
• * 1.5

  1. The kinde of speaking.
• * 1.6

  2. The thing it selfe.