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1 Woe to them that deuise iniquitie, and worke euill vpon their beds: when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.
2 And they couet fields and take them by violence: and houses, and take them away: so they oppresse a man and his house, euen a man and his heritage.
3 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, against this familie doe I deuise an euill, from which ye shall not remoue your necks, neither shall ye goe haughtily: for this time is euill.
4 ¶ In that day shall one take vp a parable against you, and lament with a dolefull lamentation, and say, We be vtterly spoiled: hee hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he remoued it from me? turning away hee hath diuided our fields.
5 Therefore thou shalt haue none that shall cast a cord by lot in the Congregation of the Lord.
6 Prophecie ye not, say they, to them that prophecie: they shall not prophecie to them, that they shall not take shame.
7 ¶ O thou that art named the house of Iacob, is the Spirit of the Lord straitned? are these his dongs? doe not my words do good to him that walketh vprightly?
8 Euen of late, my people is risen vp as an enemie: ye pull off the robe with the garment, frō them that passe by securely, as men auerse from warre.
9 The women of my people haue ye cast out from their pleasant houses, from their children haue ye taken away my glory for euer.
10 Arise ye and depart, for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you euen with a sore destruction.
11 If a man walking in the spirit and falshood, doe lie, saying, I will prophecie vnto thee of wine and of strong drinke, he shall euen bee the prophet of this people.
12 ¶ I will surely assemble, O Iacob, all of thee: I will surely gather the remnant of Israel, I will put them together as the sheepe of Bozrah, as the flocke in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.
13 The breaker is come vp before them: they haue broken vp and haue passed through the gate, and are gone out by it, and their king shal passe before them, & the Lord on the head of them.
The sins and desolations of Israel. (1-5) Their evil practices. (6-11) A promise of restoration. (12,13)1-5 Woe to the people that devise evil during the night, and rise early to carry it into execution! It is bad to do mischief on a sudden thought, much worse to do it with design and forethought. It is of great moment to improve and employ hours of retirement and solitude in a proper manner. If covetousness reigns in the heart, compassion is banished; and when the heart is thus engaged, violence and fraud commonly occupy the hands. The most haughty and secure in prosperity, are commonly most ready to despair in adversity. Woe to those from whom God turns away! Those are the sorest calamities which cut us off from the congregation of the Lord, or cut us short in the enjoyment of its privileges.
6-11 Since they say, "Prophesy not," God will take them at their word, and their sin shall be their punishment. Let the physician no longer attend the patient that will not be healed. Those are enemies, not only to God, but to their country, who silence good ministers, and stop the means of grace. What bonds will hold those who have no reverence for God's word? Sinners cannot expect to rest in a land they have polluted. You shall not only be obliged to depart out of this land, but it shall destroy you. Apply this to our state in this present world. There is corruption in the world through lust, and we should keep at a distance from it. It is not our rest: it was designed for our passage, but not for our portion; our inn, but not our home; here we have no continuing city; let us therefore arise and depart, let us seek a continuing city above. Since they will be deceived, let them be deceived. Teachers who recommend self-indulgence by their doctrine and example, best suit such sinners.
12,13 These verses may refer to the captivity of Israel and Judah. But the passage is also a prophecy of the conversion of the Jews to Christ. The Lord would not only bring them from captivity, and multiply them, but the Lord Jesus would open their way to God, by taking upon him the nature of man, and by the work of his Spirit in their hearts, breaking the fetters of Satan. Thus he has gone before, and the people follow, breaking, in his strength, through the enemies that would stop their way to heaven.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.