20.
Thy sons have fainted,] i. e. Thy sons have fainted, or are faint, for want of bread and food to strengthen them.
They lie at the head of all the streets,] i. e. They lie some dead, some ready to dye, through famine and the sword, at the en∣trance of every street.
Quest. What streets of what City are here meant?
Ans. The streets of the City of Jerusa∣lem may be here meant: But then under∣stand this of that which happened present∣ly after the taking of Jerusalem, for not long after the Jews were carryed from thence captive to Babylon. Or the streets of the City of Babylon may be here meant, where no doubt but many Jews dyed in the streets, in the time of their captivity, for want of food, and by reason of that cruelty which was used to them.
As a wilde Bull in a net,] Understand here, they are; q. d. They are as a wilde Bull in a net: i. e. Some of thy sons have fainted, others be dead, or ready to dye, at the head of every street. And if any be in health and strength of body, yet being he is in chains, and in prison and captivi∣ty, he is but as a wilde Bull in a net, or toyl, whose strength can avail him no∣thing, so that none of thy sons are able to comfort thee.
Note, that these words, Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of the streets, they are as a wilde Bull in a net, are not to be understood collectivè, but disjunctivè, or distributivè, as I have expounded them.
They are full of the fury of the Lord,] i. e. They are full of the calamities and mise∣ries, which the Lord in his fury hath pour∣ed out upon them.
The fury of the Lord is put here, by a Metonymy, for calamities and miseries proceeding from the Lords fury.
The rebuke of thy God.] This is a repeti∣tion of the former sentence.
Rebuke signifieth properly a chiding; but as Gods blessing is not meer verbal, so is not his rebuke and his cursing; but whom he rebuketh, or curseth, he afflicteth.
Therefore hear now this, &c.] q. d. Though thy misery be thus great, and thou hast none to comfort thee, no not of all thy sons, neither King, nor Prince, nor Priest, &c. yet notwithstanding I will comfort thee.
Therefore is put here for yet notwithstand∣ing.
Thou afflicted,] i. e. Thou Jerusalem which art afflicted.
And drunken, but not with wine.] i. e. And drunken, but not with wine and strong drink, which are pleasant to the pallate, and with which most men are drunk; but with a bitter potion, a potion of poyson, a potion which I the Lord mingled for thee to drink in my fury.