v. 3. They make the King glad with their wickedness, and the Princes with their lies.
Among their sins, which were before the face of God, is this reckoned, that seeing their King to be pleased with wickedness, and their Princes to delight in lies, they applied them∣selves wholly without respect of their duty to God, yea with neglect and contempt of it, to do such things as might please them, and so did all conspire and agree in what is evil; so that in the words is a reproof of both, both of the Kings and Princes for delighting in wicked∣ness and lies, and of the people for complying with them, or seeking to please them therein, although more particularly it seems directed to the ordinary people. In the words seems not much difficulty, nor is there betwixt trans∣lators or expounders so much difference con∣cerning any of them, as to make any differ∣ence in the sense, as by observing such as is, will easily appear.
It is said, They make the King glad. They do make, others, they have made: the word is in the Original in the Future tense, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Yeshammechu, literally, they shall make glad. But as that tense is elsewhere used often for the Present tense, and sometimes for the Pre∣ter tense, so the sense here seeming to require it, it is by some rendred in the one, by others, in the other; both to the same purpose. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Melec, the King, i. e. say c 1.1 some, Jeroboam, with whom and his Princes they complied, in setting up the golden Calves. d 1.2 Others, King Jehu, in complying with him in all he did: but the name is indefinitely put, without expres∣sing any particular, and so may be well taken of any King that at any time they had, and as so seems to be understood by several ancient Translators; as by the LXX in the ordinary copies, in which is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Kings, every of their Kings, not one particular. And so the Syriac, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Lemalce, and the printed Arabic, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Kings. With their wick∣edness, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Beraatam, viz. such as for pleasing him they commit, and do, because they see him to incline to it, and to delight in it. Though it might be good sense enough to say, as e 1.3 some think it may sound, the wick∣edness of the King; yet the affixe in the Ori∣ginal being of the plural number, and King in the singular, shews it to be called the peoples wickedness, not his; though both concurred in it: and so then likewise will it be conse∣quently necessary, by their lies to understand the lies of the people, that they told to delight the Princes whom they saw pleased therewith, not the lies of the Princes themselves. And by their wickedness Kimchi understands, the wickedness that they every day did, their oppression and violence wherein the hand of the King was with them, or he joined with them; and by their lies, their calumnies and false reports, which they raised one against another, in which their Princes also supported them. The names of wickedness and lies may well agree to their Idolatrous practises, and acts of false worship, in compliance with their King and Princes, and those are well included: but the terms being general, we may take them to extend themselves to all f 1.4 other wicked works also, and evil and false words, which for pleasing them, and insinuating them∣selves into their favour, seeing them to delight in them, they did, or spake, not having regard to their duty to God, or their neighbour.