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V. 3. For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the Lord; what then should a king do to us?
For now they shall say we have no king, &c.] For now. * 1.1 Others, therefore now. Others, certainly now. In either of these wayes may the particle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ci, (as we have elsewhere seen) be used. If it be used in the first way r 1.2 * 1.3
as ours take it, it seems to infer what is said that they should say as consequent on what was before said, should come upon them; and what they should thereby u 1.4 be forced to say or is w 1.5 a declaration of what their condition then was which should expose or make them ob∣noxious to that, and then it would require to be rendred, For they now do-say, as Ju∣nius and Tremellius render it, nunc enim di∣cunt. And in this way 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 attah, Now, will de∣note the present time, whereas otherwise it will be understood for shortly, as in the foregoing v. or x 1.6 tunc, then, (viz.) when the threatned evils of destruction come upon them which shall sud∣denly be, Then they shall say, and in both ways is that particle often used. And according as it is here taken, and the Verb following it put either in the Present sense, do say, or the Future, shall say, are suggested, and are by expositors taken, different meanings and expositions of the words, some looking on them as the proud and insolent speech∣es of the people at present, others as such wherewith they shall bewail their calamity or miserable condition, when now shortly it shall come upon them. They who take the first way think the insolent people re∣presented thus speaking in contempt of their king, yea of God himself, at least so be∣having themselves, as to make it appear that they y 1.7 thought, and were as if they did so speak, viz. that they did not stand in aw of their king, nor would by him be curb'd from doing what they list. For they feared not God himself, and what should a king do to them? they would z 1.8 rule him as they list, and not be ruled by him.
But the other way is by ours followed, as by many a 1.9 others, and seems the best, which is, that however they had hitherto consided in their having a king and his forces to defend them, yet now it should shortly come to pass that, punishment over∣taking them, and the enemy prevailing a∣gainst them and their king, or depriving them of him, and all hope of help from him, b 1.10 as despairing men rather than true pe∣nitents, they shall be forced, at least their condition should dictate to them, to say, we have no king, or c 1.11 are as if we had none, none that can save us, d 1.12 he being taken and not able to save himself; and deservedly is this happened unto us, because we feared not the Lord, we have forsaken him and made him our enemy, and what good then shall a king do, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 lanu, to us? this seems plain meaning.
Some of the Jews look here back to the history of their first desiring a king, and afterwards again to their rejecting a king of the house of David, and making Jero∣boam king, e 1.13 (after which time they chang∣ed them almost as they pleased) So Kim∣chi whose words sound, When they shall go captives out of their countrey, they shall ac∣knowledge and say, We have no king, i. e. We are as if we had no king, because he hath no strength to deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, as we thought when we asked a king which should go before us, and fight our battels, 1 Sam. 8.19. The Lord was our king, and we had no need of another king, and he did deliver us out of the hand of our enemies while we did his will, but since we feared not the Lord and have forsaken his Law, what shall the king whom we have asked do for us? Behold he hath no power to deliver us, since God is angry with us, because we have sinned against him. This shall Israel confess at their banishment, (or being led into captivity.) Thus he. And R. Salomo's words are to the same pur∣pose: Abarbinel, At the time of destruction they shall say, We have no king, for if we had a king of the house of David, according to the will of God, it would not so have happened to us, but now that we have no such king, and have not feared God, what shall this king that we now have, do to, (or for) us? Aben Ezra dif∣ferently, as if the words were rather spo∣ken in contempt of their present king, and as a threat of rejecting him, to this tenour, When their heart was divided, they would not have any king to be over them, neither did they fear the Lord, therefore there was to (or in) them, no fear at all, and they every one did as he listed. This comes near the first way of exposition that we mentioned; but the second seems plainer. Lyra takes these words to declare what some few good men who were left among them spake, but is not liked by f 1.14 others.
See Rive••.
Perhaps for the gold, &c. on them.
Lyra, Oecol.
Trem. Capito.
See Trem.
Trem.
As Za••chi observes the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be sometimes sau∣sed.
Jun. Trem. Daneus and Grot. seeming to take that way.
Jerome, &c.
Pare. and see Calv. and Merc.
Perinde ac si non esset, Kimchi. Drus.
V. 7. and 2 King. 17.4.
See Dane.
Petr. à Fig. and see Tarnov.