v. 10. And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face, and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this.
This is a plain rendring of the words out of the Hebrew, without change in the signification of the first Particle, and, such as o 1.1 some make by taking it to denote, at least to include, quamvis, although, which I think makes the sense more obscure. Taken as it is, in its pro∣per signification of and, it joyns these words to the former, as expressing an higher degree of that stupidness or p 1.2 refractoriness, or an evi∣dent sign of it, if we may not say the cause of it, viz. their manifest pride and insolency openly appearing in their faces amidst all their sufferings, which kept them from acknow∣ledging, and repenting of, those sins which had brought them on them, and from turning unto God, and seeking to him for remedy. So Abar∣binel expounds it;
He farther declares con∣cerning their shamefulness; that notwith∣standing all those evil afflictions they were not humble and lowly, but there all along was in their countenance q 1.3 pride and arrogancy, and the evil way, as if no affliction or distress were at all upon them; this is that which he saith, the pride of Israel testifieth to, or in, his face, viz. that the q 1.4 shew of their coun∣tenance doth witness against them concern∣ing the loftiness and pride of their heart, that they are not humbled by all their afflictions, and therefore they have not returned unto the Lord their God, nor have sought him for all this.This of his seems to me a good explication of the words, as by ours ren∣dred, which I think is the most genuine ren∣dring. For another there is both ancient, and backed with great authority, which takes the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Anah, not in the signification of testifying, but of humbling, as it also signifies. So the LXX, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The r 1.5 pride of Israel shall be hum∣bled to his face; as also the printed Arabic, and the Vulgar Latin, & humiliabitur superbia Is∣rael in facie ejus, The pride of Israel shall be humbled in his face, and the Chaldee, And the glory of Israel shall be humbled, themselves see∣ing it; and the Syriac, And the glory of Israel 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 hath been humbled before him.
The meaning that would be according to this signification of the word also, Abarbinel likewise gives, I think as plain as any.
Some Interpreters (saith he) expound 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Anah in the signification of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Humiliation, (in which it is used Ex. 10.3. How long wilt thou refuse 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Leanoth mippanai, to humble thy self before me?) denoting that their faces were dejected and humbled by their afflictions, yet notwithstanding all this they did not return unto the Lord.
Between these expositions there is this dif∣ference, that the first makes the first words a description of their fault, the second of their punishment; and according to the first, the words that follow declare the effect of what the former affirm of them, by reason of the pride that did openly appear in their face, they did not return unto the Lord, nor seek him, though so many calamities oppressing them should have taught them so to do, so stupid were they; or else are both together an argument of that stupidity objected to them, that notwithstanding all the evils that were up∣on them, yet they were not at all humbled, but continued so proud, that they would not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him: ac∣cording to the second, they are so likewise an exaggeration or proof of that their stupidness, in that they, though their pride or glory were humbled and brought low in their light, and manifestly to all, yet were not by this wrought on to return and seek God; or, ac∣cording to the Chaldee Paraphrast, the latter are a reason of the former, viz. that they should be so humbled and brought low, be∣cause they, though afflicted by God, yet did not return and seek God; his words thus sound, And the glory of Israel shall be humbled, (or, brought low,) they themselves seeing it, because they have not returned to the service of the Lord their God, nor sought his pre∣sence for all this.
For a farther account of this expression, and the grounds of the different rendrings, and the signification of the particular words in the first part of the verse, the reader may be pleased to look back to the notes on c. 5.5. where the very same words are used; as for the latter part, the words are plain, as to the signification and meaning. They had depar∣ted, and estranged themselves from God by fol∣lowing after Idols, and by their many sins and rebellions against him; he provoked by such their doings had severely chastised them by several judgments, and delivered them to be spoiled and afflicted by the hand of their enemies, and threatned still heavier things to them, yet so stupid, obstinate, insolent, and proud were they, that they would not by all these things inflicted on them be wrought on to repent and forsake their ido∣latrous courses and wicked ways, and to re∣turn and betake themselves to serve with