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1 The sinne of Iudah is written with a pen of yron, and with the point of a diamond; it is grauen vpon the table of their heart, and vpon the hornes of your altars:
2 Whilest their children remember their altars and their groues by the greene trees vpon the high hilles.
3 O my mountaine, in the field I will giue thy substance, and all thy treasures to the spoile, and thy high places for sinne, throughout all thy borders.
4 And thou, euen thy selfe shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gaue thee, and I will cause thee to serue thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for yee haue kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burne for euer.
5 ¶ Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arme, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
6 For hee shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good commeth, but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernesse, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her rootes by the riuer, and shall not see when heate commeth, but her leafe shall be greene, and shall not be carefull in the yeere of drought, neither shall cease from yeelding fruit.
9 ¶ The heart is deceitfull aboue all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?
10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reines, euen to giue euery man according to his waies, and according to the fruit of his doings.
11 As the partrich sitteth on egges, and hatcheth them not: so he that getteth riches and not by right, shall leaue them in the midst of his dayes, and at his end shall be a foole.
12 ¶ A glorious high throne from the beginning, is the place of our Sanctuarie.
13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall bee written in the earth, because they haue forsaken the Lord the fountaine of liuing waters.
14 Heale me, O Lord, and I shall be healed: saue me, and I shalbe saued: for thou art my praise.
15 ¶ Behold, they say vnto mee, Where is the word of the Lord ? let it come now.
16 As for me, I haue not hastened from being a pastour to follow thee, neither haue I desired the wofull day, thou knowest: that which came out of my lips, was right before thee.
17 Be not a terrour vnto me, thou art my hope in the day of euill.
18 Let them bee confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring vpon them the day of euill, and destroy them with double destruction.
19 ¶ Thus sayd the Lord vnto me, Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Iudah come in, and by the which they goe out, and in all the gates of Ierusalem.
20 And say vnto them, Heare ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Iudah, and all Iudah, and all the inhabitants of Ierusalem, that enter in by these gates.
21 Thus saith the Lord, Take heed to your selues, and beare no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Ierusalem.
22 Neither carie forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, neither doe ye any worke, but hallowe ye the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.
23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their eare, but made their necke stiffe, that they might not heare nor receiue instruction.
24 And it shall come to passe, if yee diligently hearken vnto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this citie on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to doe no worke therein:
25 Then shall there enter into the gates of this citie kings and princes sitting vpon the throne of Dauid, riding in charets and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem: and this citie shall remaine for euer.
26 And they shall come from the cities of Iudah, and from the places about Ierusalem, and from the lande of Beniamin, and from the plaine and from the mountaines, and from the South, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meate offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise vnto the house of the Lord.
27 But if you will not hearken vnto me to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to beare a burden, euen entring in at the gates of Ierusalem on the Sabbath day: then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
The fatal consequences of the idolatry of the Jews. (1-4) The happiness of the man that trusts in God; the end of the opposite character. (5-11) The malice of the prophet's enemies. (12-18) The observance of the sabbath. (19-27)1-4 The sins which men commit make little impression on their minds, yet every sin is marked in the book of God; they are all so graven upon the table of the heart, that they will all be remembered by the conscience. That which is graven in the heart will become plain in the life; men's actions show the desires and purposes of their hearts. What need we have to humble ourselves before God, who are so vile in his sight! How should we depend on his mercy and grace, begging of God to search and prove us; not to suffer us to be deceived by our own hearts, but to create in us a clean and holy nature by his Spirit!
5-11 He who puts confidence in man, shall be like the heath in a desert, a naked tree, a sorry shrub, the product of barren ground, useless and worthless. Those who trust to their own righteousness and strength, and think they can do without Christ, make flesh their arm, and their souls cannot prosper in graces or comforts. Those who make God their Hope, shall flourish like a tree always green, whose leaf does not wither. They shall be fixed in peace and satisfaction of mind; they shall not be anxious in a year of drought. Those who make God their Hope, have enough in him to make up the want of all creature-comforts. They shall not cease from yielding fruit in holiness and good works. The heart, the conscience of man, in his corrupt and fallen state, is deceitful above all things. It calls evil good, and good evil; and cries peace to those to whom it does not belong. Herein the heart is desperately wicked; it is deadly, it is desperate. The case is bad indeed, if the conscience, which should set right the errors of other faculties, is a leader in the delusion. We cannot know our own hearts, nor what they will do in an hour of temptation. Who can understand his errors? Much less can we know the hearts of others, or depend upon them. He that believes God's testimony in this matter, and learns to watch his own heart, will find this is a correct, though a sad picture, and learns many lessons to direct his conduct. But much in our own hearts and in the hearts of others, will remain unknown. Yet whatever wickedness there is in the heart, God sees it. Men may be imposed upon, but God cannot be deceived. He that gets riches, and not by right, though he may make them his hope, never shall have joy of them. This shows what vexation it is to a worldly man at death, that he must leave his riches behind; but though the wealth will not follow to another world, guilt will, and everlasting torment. The rich man takes pains to get an estate, and sits brooding upon it, but never has any satisfaction in it; by sinful courses it comes to nothing. Let us be wise in time; what we get, let us get it honestly; and what we have, use it charitably, that we may be wise for eternity.
12-18 The prophet acknowledges the favour of God in setting up religion. There is fulness of comfort in God, overflowing, ever-flowing fulness, like a fountain. It is always fresh and clear, like spring-water, while the pleasures of sin are puddle-waters. He prays to God for healing, saving mercy. He appeals to God concerning his faithful discharge of the office to which he was called. He humbly begs that God would own and protect him in the work to which he had plainly called him. Whatever wounds or diseases we find to be in our hearts and consciences, let us apply to the Lord to heal us, to save us, that our souls may praise his name. His hands can bind up the troubled conscience, and heal the broken heart; he can cure the worst diseases of our nature.
19-27 The prophet was to lay before the rulers and the people of Judah, the command to keep holy the sabbath day. Let them strictly observe the fourth command. If they obeyed this word, their prosperity should be restored. It is a day of rest, and must not be made a day of labour, unless in cases of necessity. Take heed, watch against the profanation of the sabbath. Let not the soul be burdened with the cares of this world on sabbath days. The streams of religion run deep or shallow, according as the banks of the sabbath are kept up or neglected. The degree of strictness with which this ordinance is observed, or the neglect shown towards it, is a good test to find the state of spiritual religion in any land. Let all; by their own example, by attention to their families, strive to check this evil, that national prosperity may be preserved, and, above all, that souls may be saved.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.