HOSEA iv.

THE interregnum in Ifrael, preceding the reign of Zechariah, was doubtless a time of very great disorder and violence, and of much bloody ftrife for the crown. Probably, Zechariah gained it by cutting off competitors. Shallum flew him, Menahem flew Shallum, and all within the fpace of feven months. To this fad ftate of things Hofea may well be fupposed to refer, chap. iv. 2. By fwearing and lying, and killing and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth [reacheth unto] blood. Here, therefore, we may place the fourth chapter of Hofea.

JONAH i. ii. iii. iv.

JONAH, I fuppofe, about the fecond year of Menahem, king of Ifrael; and about the 70th year of his age, was fent to cry against Nineveh, about 700 miles from Gath-heper, then a great, wealthy, populous, and haughty city, the chief feat of the Affyrian empire, and the mistress of the world; which had long been remarkable for luxury and jollity to a proverb, How Neve weons, better than merry Nineveh. By Zephaniah it is called, the rejoicing, or joyous, city, chap. ii. 15. To be fent with a meflage of divine wrath to fuch a place as this could not but seem a frightful and dangerous errand to Jonah. He faw how much the Ifraelites, God's own people, hated and perfecuted the Prophets, who reproved and threatened them. What then could he expect from that great and wicked city, Nineveh, the head-quarters of pride and fin? Further, he knew the Prophets very much hazarded their reputation in the world, when employed in denouncing judgments; because God, being gracious, was How in executing them. On this account, the Prophets at Bethel and Jerufalem were vilely abused and decried by infolent and rude infidels, who durft even profefs to defire, or long for, the day of the Lord, (Amos v. 18.) in a confident perfuafion, that it would never come; and dared to challenge God to haften his work. Ifai. v. 19. See also Jer. xvii. 15. Ezekiel xii. 22. And if this should be Jonah's cafe at Nineveh, what could he expect but to be torn in pieces for an impoftor? How must he, and the religion he profeffed, be expofed to publick contempt and fcorn? This was what he particularly dreaded. Chap. iv. 2. He was therefore refolved to flee from the prefence of [from before] Jehovah; that is, I fuppofe, to run away from the Council of God in the land of Ifrael, to fome remote country beyond sea *, where, he thought, it was never held. But he was ftopt by a miracle, and at length obliged to deliver the doleful meffage, Yet forty days and impenitent Nineveh shall be overthrown Convinced of his miraculous miffion, § the king proclaimed a

.

faft,

Note-Tarfish may fignify any remote country beyond sea, as the Indie now with us. See Root 1827. in the Eng. Heb. Concordance. § Luke xi. 30.

faft, and enjoined all the ufual forms of repentance; and God repented of the evil, which he had faid he would do unto them:

It is very probable, that the idolatrous priefts, and the aftrologers, foothfayers, and magicians, who must be numerous at Nineveh, as well as at Babylon, (Ifai. xlvii. 13. Dan. ii. 2.) would zealously endeavour to divert the king, when the firft fright was over, from attending to a meflage from Jehovah, as soon as ever they poffibly could, before the forty days were expired. They would naturally reprefent Jonah to the king and all the people, as an impoftor; and bear them in hand that the prediction was falfe, and would not be fulfilled. This muft give the Prophet, who was zealous for the glory of the God of Ifrael, very great uneafinefs; infomuch, that he wifhed for death, chap. iv. 2, 3; as Elijah, in a cafe fomewhat fimilar, had done before him. 1 Kings xix. 4.

The queftion of Jehovah, Jon. iv. 4. which we render, Doft thou well, to be angry? fhould have been rendered, Art thou very much grieved? And fo ver. 9. See Heb. Eng. Concordance. R. 748, 637.

Pul, the king of Affyria, who came against the land of Ifrael in the reign of Menahem, 2 Kings xv. 19. is fuppofed by Arch-Bishop USHER to be the king of Nineveh, to whom Jonah was fent. As it appears from the history, that Pul had no defign to make conqueft of the land of Ifrael, I can affign no reason, why he should reach his arm over the kingdom of Syria, which lay to the extent of about 300 miles, between his dominions, and the land of Canaan, to strike at Ifrael, but that he did it in revenge for the fuppofed infult, which Jonah had offered to him and his people.

ISAIA H vi. ii. iii. iv. v.

ISAIAH, the brighteft luminary of the Jewish church, juftly called the evangelical Prophet, he speaks fo much, and fo clearly of Christ, began to prophefy in the year king Uzziah died, chap. vi. 1. and prophefied in Judah in the fucceffive reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. He was certainly alive and prophefied when Merodachbaladen fent his embassy to Hezekiah, who had been fick, in the 14th year of Hezekiah, and before Chrift 714. Thus we certainly know that he prophefied 46 years. There is an ancient and probable tradition among the Jews, that he suffered martyrdom under Manasseh, in the first year of his reign, before Chrift 698, by being cruelly fawn afunder; to which the Apoftle, Heb. xi. 37. is generally thought to have refpect. And then he must have continued 61 years. See PIERCE upon Heb. xi. 37.

t

The firft chapter, by reafon of the grand exordium, might be judged proper to ftand at the front of the book; but it gives fuch an account of the diftreffed, defolate condition of the land of Judah, as agrees much better with the wicked and afflicted reign of the apoftate Abaz, than with the flourishing circumftances of the country in the reigns of Uzziah, and of his fon and fucceffor Jotham, who were both, in the main, good princes. Compare Ifai. i. 7, 8, 9. with 2 Chron. xxvi. 116. and the whole 27th chapter. But the fecond, third, fourth, and fifth chapters of this prophecy, do describe, and exactly correfpond to a state of national

Wealth

CH. XXXIV. wealth and profperity, which are ufually attended with pride, arrogance, and luxury. See chap. ii. 6-18. iii. 16-25. v. 8, 11, 12.

Therefore, I take this to be the order of those chapters. In the fixth chapter, and in the year before Chrift 759 the Prophet, in the council of God, received his commiffion; and foon after delivered the contents of the fecond, third, fourth, and fifth chapters. And these chapters contain all that remains of his prophecies in the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham, for about the space of 16 years, till the first year of king Abaz.

MICAH i. ii.

THESE two chapters were delivered before the deftruction of Samaria, which is here predicted, chap. i, 6, in the reign of Jotham, chap. i. 1. And therefore, may be rightly placed about this time.

ISAIAH vii.

In the first year of Abaz king of Judah, Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah king of Ifrael, formed a defign of dethroning Ahaz, and of extirpating the family of David, by feting up the son of Tabeal, fome potent, factious Jew, to be king of Judah. And therefore having no defign upon the nation, but only upon the royal family, marched directly to Jerufalem, and laid close fiege to it. But as it was the will of God, not to extirpate the family of David, but only to punish wicked Ahaz, he fent Isaiah to incourage him to make a vigorous defence, and to affure him they fhould not prevail against him, and that the house of David should fubfift till the Meffiah was born. Then was the prophecy delivered to Ahaz contained in the feventh chapter of Isaiah *.

ISAIAH viii. ix. x. to the fifth Verfe.

AHAZ, a wicked idolater, paid little regard to what Isaiah had spoken to him in the name of the Lord. Therefore God ordered Isaiah to take a large

ISA1. vii. 8. Within 65 years Ephraim shall be broken, that it be not a people. This was predicted in the first year of Abaz. Abaz reigned 16 years, and in the fixth year of his fucceffor, Hezekiah, Shalmanefer took. Samaria, and carried away Ifrael [Ephraim] unto Affyria. This makes but 16 and 5, or 21 years. How then fhall we make out 65 years? This has very much puzzled the critics. But obferve, probably Ifrael, or Ephraim, was carried into captivity by the Affyrians three times. I. By Tiglath-Pilefer. 1 Chron. v. 26. 2 Kings xv. 29. II. By his fon Shalmanefer, 2 Kings xvii. 6. xviii. 10, 11. Thus Ephraim was no more a kingdom. III. Probably, by Efarhaddon, who finally carried away all remains of the people; which is implied in his bringing new inhabitants from Babylon, Cuthah, &c. 2 Kings xvii. 24. Ezra iv. z. Thus Ephraim was no more a people. This happened in the 224 year of Manaffeh 65 years from the firft of Abaz. See Dr. PRIDEAUX's Con, ad An. 677.

à large roll of parchment, and therein, with the pen of a man, i. e. in the common and moft legible way of writing, to put down and publish, what God fhould further difcover about the prefent deliverance and future calamities of Judah. The roll was to be a comment upon the name of a fon, which was then born to the Prophet, and by Divine Direction was called Maher-fha-lal-hash-baz, i. e. wake Speed to the spoil, and haften to the prey. Denoting the speedy deftruction of the two confederate kings of Samaria and Damafcus. This roll, I fuppofe, takes in the eighth and ninth chapters of Ifaiah, and the five first verses of the 10th chapter.

ISAIAH xvii.

THIS chapter relates to the fame fubject, the destruction of Ifrael and Damafcus; and therefore, I judge, it was delivered in the fame year, after the roll was finished. For in about two years after, Tiglath-pilefer, king of Affyria, took Damafcus, and carried the people therein captive to Kir. 2 Kings xvi. 9.

ISAIAH i.

PEKAH and Rezin failing in their attempt upon Jerufalem, (2 Kings xvi. 5. Ifai. vii. 1.) the next year, 741, they returned with forces better appointed, and councils better concerted; and dividing themselves into three armies, one under Pekah, another under Rezin, and a third under Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, they fell upon the country in three different parts, making every where terrible havock and flaughter, and carrying away a prodigious number of captives. See 2 Chron. xxviii. 5-9. And no fooner was the land freed from thofe enemies, but it was invaded by the Edomites, on the fouth, and the Philistines, on the weft, who treated it with the fame cruelty, flaying, plundering, and carrying away captives. 1 Chron. xxviii. 17, 18, 19. Thus was Judah grievously diftreffed all over the country, and brought exceeding low, which lately had been high in wealth and power, because they and their king had forfaken the Lord their God. And upon this occafion, moft probably, Ifaiah delivered the prophetic fermon, contained in the first chapter, as it is very fuitable to the state of the nation at that time.

ISAIAH xxviii.

THIS chapter, relating to the deftruction of Ephraim, or the ten tribes, without any mention of Syria or Damafcus, lieth between the deftruction of Damafcus, 740, and the captivity of the ten tribes, 721.

HOSEA v. vi.

AHAZ, greatly diftreffed by Pekah, Rezin, &c. called in Tiglath-pilefer, king of Affyria, to his help, 2 Kings xvi. 7. 2 Chron. xxviii. 16. VOL. I.

K

And

And Menahem, king of Ifrael, about 30 years before that, had hired Pul, king of Affyria, to confirm the kingdom in his hand, 2 Kings xv. 19; though they reaped no benefit from them. Thefe are the only times in which the kings of Judah and Ifrael applied to the Affyrian for affiftance. And whereas Hofea, chap. v. 13. mentions both those applica. tions, the fifth and fixth chapters must be taken in after Ahaz had applied to Tiglath-pilefer.

ISAIAH xiv. 28, &c.

THE Philistines triumphed over Ifrael all the days of Ahaz. But in the year Ahaz died, Ifaiah delivered the burden, or meffage, relating to them, chap. xiv. 28, &c. which was fulfilled by Hezekiah, fon and fucceffor to Ahaz. 2 Kings xviii. 8.

THE Moabites had not used the Ifraelites well, who fled for fhelter from the ravages of Pekah and Rezin. With this inhumanity they are ironically upbraided, Ifai. xvi. 3, 4. But now they are told, the oppreffor and spoiler were ceased, and the throne of Hezekiah should be established in mercy, and he fhould fit upon it in truth, &c. Therefore, this prophecy against Moab, must have been delivered about the begining (perhaps in the fecond year) of Hezekiah's reign. And Dr. PRIDEAUX fuppofeth it was accomplished by Shalmanefer, three or four years after, when, as he thinks, Shalmanefer, previouйly to the fiege of Samaria, subdued the Moabites, to prevent any incurfions, or attacks, from that quarter.

HOSEA vii-xiv.

THE prophecies in these chapters were delivered (1.) after Ephraim, or the king of Ifrael, had called to Egypt for fuccour, chap. vii. 11. xii. 1. as Menahem had don before to Affyria. 2 Kings xv. 19. But the only time they applied to Egypt was, when king Hofhea, revolting from Shalmanefer, fent meflengers to So king of Egypt. 2 Kings xvii. 4. Which occafioned Shalmanefer's befieging of Samaria, and carrying the ten tribes into captivity. And therefore these chapters might be delivered about three years before that event. (2.) Thefe prophecies were delivered after the first year of Shalman, or Shalmanefer, who, according to Dr. PRIDEAUX, began to reign in the year before Chrift 728, or 729. For the Prophet Hofea refers to the deftruction of Beth-arbel by Shalman, chap. x. 14. And they were delivered before the taking of Samaria, which was in the 8th year of Shalmanefer, before Chrift 721; for the Prophet evidently, in those chapters, fuppofeth, that Ephraim, or the ten tribes, were not yet carried into captivity. Therefore, they were delivered after the deftruction of Beth-arbel, and before the captivity of the ten tribes, about the time above noted.

u

MICAH