Wesley Corpus

Chapter II The sins of Israel and the judgments hanging over them, ver. 1 - 11. Gracious promises of comfort, ver. 12, 13. That devise - Contrive and frame mischief. Evil work - Contrive how to work it. It is in the power - Because they can; without regarding right or wrong. And his house - His family, which by this means is left to poverty. And his heritage - And this is done against ancient right and possession, nay, in a case where God hath forbidden them to sell their heritage. Against this family - God will devise evil against their family, as they devised evil against the family of their neighbours. Haughty - You have made others hang the head; so shall you now. Is evil - Full of miseries on the whole family of Jacob. A parable - A taunting proverb. And lament - Your friends for you, and you for yourselves. He - God. Portion - Their wealth, plenty, freedom, joy and honour, into poverty, famine, servitude, grief and dishonour. How - How dreadfully hath God dealt with Israel; removing their persons into captivity, and transferring their possession to their enemies Turning away - Turning away from us in displeasure. God hath divided our fields among others. Thou shalt have - None that shall ever return to this land, to see it allotted by line and given them to possess it. In the congregation - They shall no more be the congregation of the Lord, nor their children after them. They shall not prophesy - So God doth in his displeasure grant their desire. Take shame - That will not take shame to themselves. That art named - You are in name, not in truth, the seed of Jacob. Straitened - The power, wisdom, and kindness of God is not less now than formerly. Are these - Are these severe proceedings the doings your God delighteth in Do not my words - My words promise all good, to those that with honest hearts walk in the ways of God. Is risen up - They have risen up, Israel against Judah, and Judah against Israel, and of late the tribes have conspired against one another; subjects against their kings, and great ones against the meaner sort. With the garment - You strip those that fearing no evil, go about their private affairs. The women - The widows.