John Wesley

Pile on the logs and kindle the fire; cook the meat well and mix in the spices; let the bones be burned.

“And spice it well - To express this justice, that is acceptable to God and men. The bones - The greatest, strongest, and firmest of the Jews shall perish in this fiery indignation.”

It has frustrated every effort; its thick rust has not been removed, even by the fire.

“With lies - Her allies, their promises, their forces, and their idols, all prove a lie to the house of Judah. Her scum - Her unrepented sins shall be punished in the fire that burns their city.”

Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.”

“Bind the tire - Adorn thy head, as thou wast used to do; go not bare-headed as a mourner. Thy shoes - ln great mournings the Jews went bare-footed. Cover not thy lips - It was a custom among them to cover the upper lip.”

Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes…

“Profane - Cast off, and put into the hands of Heathens. The excellency of your strength - So it was while God's presence was there. The desire - As much your desire, as my wife was mine; most dear to you.”

On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you will speak and no longer be mute.

“No more dumb - From this prophecy for eighteen months during the siege, he does not prophesy of Israel, but of other nations.”

Tell the Ammonites to hear the word of the Lord GOD, for this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you exclaimed, “Aha!”

“Aha - When thou shouldest have pitied, thou didst proudly insult over my people. The men of the east - The Arabians, associates of Nebuchadnezzar, who recompensed their service, with giving them this country when it was conquered, as it was five years after the…”

then I will bring you down with those who descend to the Pit, to the people of antiquity.

“With the people - Who are long since dead, and gone to eternity. The low parts - Another description of the grave, from the situation and solitude of it.”

Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; of wood from the coasts of Cyprus they made your deck, inlaid with ivory.

“With box - From the isles, and parts about the Ionian, Aegean, and other seas of the Mediterranean, where box-tree is a native, and of great growth and firmness, fit to saw into boards for benches; they were conveyed to Tyre, where their artists inlaid…”

The men of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen. Your men of skill, O Tyre, were there as your captains.

“Arvad - Or Aradus, an island belonging to Phoenicia, twenty furlongs from the continent. Mariners - Rowers in thy galleys; the rich Tyrians would not employ their own in such servile works, they hired strangers.”

Men of Persia, Lydia, and Put served as warriors in your army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls; they gave you splendor.

“Lud - Lydians, not those Cresus was king over, but those that dwelt in Egypt about the lake Maraeolis. Phut - Lybians, a people of Africa; these were their hired soldiers.”

The men of Beth-togarmah exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your wares.

“Of the house - Of the country. Togarmah - Armenia the lesser, Phrygia, Galatia, or Cappadocia. Horsemen - It is likely they might sell grooms, as best able to manage, and keep those horses.”

The men of Dedan were your clients; many coastlands were your market; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony.

“Isles - In the Indian seas, and in the Red-sea traded with thee. Horns - Elk's horns, or wild goats. Ebony - Is a very solid, heavy, shining, black wood, fit for many choice works.”

Speak to him and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies among…

“That lieth - Not only at rest, but waiting for prey. My river - My kingdom, power, riches, and forces, all the strength and glory of Egypt. Put hooks - The Allegory is continued.”

“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre. Every head was made bald and every shoulder made raw.

“Made bald - Through age, or sicknesses, or continued wearing of helmets. Peeled - Galled with carrying burdens.”

The young men of On and Pi-beseth will fall by the sword, and those cities will go into captivity.

“Young men - 'Tis probable these might be a body of valiant youths, collected out of these ten cities.”

In the eleventh year, on the seventh day of the first month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

“The eleventh year - Of Jeconiah's captivity, three months and two days before Jerusalem was taken, about the time that the Egyptians attempted to raise the siege of Jerusalem.”

All the birds of the air nested in its branches, and all the beasts of the field gave birth beneath its boughs; all the great nations lived in its shade.

“Made their nests - Settled their habitations. In his boughs - In his kingdom, in the cities and towns of it. All great nations - No nation that was great at that time, but, sought the friendship of this kingdom.”

I will cause many peoples to be appalled over you, and their kings will shudder in horror because of you when I brandish My sword before them.

“Shall tremble - Be greatly afraid, lest Nebuchadnezzar, who is God's sword, should smite them. Every man - Every one of the kings, whose kingdoms are near to Egypt.”

Among the slain they prepare a resting place for Elam with all her hordes, with her graves all around her.

“A bed - The Persians had their coffins, in which with balms and spices, the dead were kept, in the midst of places provided for them; in such is the king of Elam here placed with his slaughtered captains about him.”

But if the watchman sees the sword coming and fails to blow the horn to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes away a life, then that one…

“Commentary on Chapter XXXIII 6. Is taken away - Punished by the Lord for his sin. Our sins - The unpardoned guilt, and the unsupportable punishment of our sins, in the wasting of our country, burning our city, abolishing the publick worship of God; we…”

Now the evening before the fugitive arrived, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning.

“Opened my mouth - Not that the prophet was utterly dumb before, for he had prophesied against many nations, only he was forbidden to say anything of the Jews, But now the spirit moved him to speak, and continued his motion, 'till the messenger came…”

“Son of man, those living in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land.

“He inherited - Our father had a right to all this land, when but one; we his children though diminished, are many, and the divine goodness will surely continue to us both right and possession.”

Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of the pasture with your feet?

“But ye must tread down - You great ones, eat the fat, and sweet; and what you cannot eat, you waste and spoil. The deep waters - Which are sufficient for all.”

I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.

“One shepherd - Christ, the great good, chief, only shepherd, that laid down his life for his sheep. My servant David - The seed of David, the beloved one, who was typified by David, and is in other places called by his name, as Jer.”

“And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.

“And sanctification, 25-38 Commentary on Chapter XXXVI 1. The mountains - The inhabitants being in captivity, speak to the mountains, that is, the land of Judah, and Israel, which was a country full of mountains.”