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CHAP. XXIII.
IN this chap. the prophet sets forth at Gods direction the same, that he did cha. 16. but with this difference, there he plainly without any parable laid open their sins, here by a parable of Aholah and Aholibah, to the first of which he com∣pareth Samaria, the head City of the kingdom of Israel, and to the other the king∣dom of Judah, which these names served most aptly to set forth, for Aholah signifieth a tent, and Aholibah, a tent or tabernacle in her, or the one her tabernacle, * 1.1 the other my tabernacle in her, Samaria being so called, because her taber∣nacle, to which she resorted to worship her golden calf was at Bethel, and like∣wise at Dan, and in Jerus. was the tent of God where Judah worshipped. Both these are said to have fornicated in Egypt, because their idolatry had the ori∣ginal from thence, where both they had of old been idolaters, as hath been she wed upon Ch. 20. 7. and they learned to worship an oxe or calfe. But this was not all their sin, but first Aholah went further in committing idolatry with the Gods of the Assyrians, for which and for other foule sins she was de∣stroyed * 1.2 by the same Assyrians. Then Aholibah was so far from being amended by her punishment, that she did worse, in that she served idols and burnt her sons and daughters to them in sacrifice, and from this abominable sin came to the house of God to worship him, who abhorreth more those, that do so then such as serve idols altogether, as appeareth by the speech of Elijah, How * 1.3 long halt yee betwixt two opinions? if the Lord be God follow him, &c. and of the H. G. I would thou wert either hot or cold.
And in speaking of Aholibah and her whoredoms with the Babylonians, and with how great love she was carryed towards them, he saith yet v. 17. that her affection was alienated from them, and likewise v. 22. whereby he meaneth her * 1.4 leaving the Caldean and confederating with the Egyptian, as Zedekiah, the last King of Judah did even contrary to his oath after that he had served the King * 1.5 of Babylon three yeers. For all her sins therefore and for this as a capital one Judah or Aholibah is threatened with destruction. And in amplifying this de∣struction, he saith, v. 25. They shall take away thy nose and thine eares, because they used to do thus to adulteresses, to cut off their noses, and to perjured per∣sons * 1.6 to cut off their ears setting them upon the pillory to their greatest dis∣grace. Therefore hereby is shewed, that the Jewes should not only suffer most extreamly by fire and sword, but also by being otherwise debased and most ignominiously used.
I will bring them against thee on every side, the Babylonians, Caldeans, Pekod, Shoah, * 1.7 and Koa, and the Assyrians, v. 24. And they shall come against thee with chariots, wag∣gons and wheels, &c. The Vulg. for Pekod hath noble men, tyrants and princes, and for the first of these Jerom saith, that the Latine simplicity hath ternos statores expounding it of those that were the third from the King, but the Sept. he saith, * 1.8 hath it tristatas, as they were called, that were second to the King, 1 Chron. 11. it is said of some of Davids worthies, that they attained not to the first three, they were princes of horse and foot, magistrates of either Militia. But the Cald. retaines the proper names of Pekod, Shoa and Goa. And Junius saith, that * 1.9 they were countreys lying in Assyria, of which see before, Jer. 50. 21. That of cutting off the nose and the eares is by Pet. Damianus applyed to John an an∣tipope, who like a thief came to the pontifical seate putting down Gregory, for which he was taken and had his nose and eares cut offand then set upon an horse with his face to his taile, being made to hold his taile instead of a bridle to his great ignominy and disgrace.
The rest of the ch. is spent in further dilating upon their punishments and the cause therof, their sins, especially idolatry, in speaking of which v. 41. he saith, * 1.10 Thou hast upon a table prepared set mine incense and mine oyle, which is so spoken because that to serve their idols they robbed God, to whom such oblations