1 He curseth them that forsake God, & seek for the help of men.
1.Wo unto them that ago down into Egypt for help, and stay upon horses, and trust in charettes, because they are many, and in horsemen, because they be very strong: but they look not unto the holie one of Israél, nor bseek unto the Lord.
2.But he yet is cwisest: therefore he will bring evil, and not turn back his word, but he will arise against the house of the wicked, and against the help of them that work vanity.
3.Now the Egyptians are men, and not God, and their horses flesh and not spirit: and when the Lord shall stretch out his hand, the dhelper shall fall, and he that holpen shall fall, and they shall altogether fail.
4.For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, As the lion or lion’s whelp roareth upon his prey, against whom if a multitude of shepherds be called, he will not be afraid at their voice, neither will humble him self at their noise: so shall the Lord of hostes come edown to fight for mount Zión, and for the hill thereof.
5.As birds that fly, so shall the Lord of hostes defend Jerusalém by defending and delivering, by passing through & preserving it.
6.O ye children of Israél, turn again, inasmuch as ye are fsunken deep in rebellion.
7.For in that day ever man shall gcast out his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your hands have made you, even a sin.
8.Then shall Asshúr fall by hthe sword, not of man, neither shall the sword of man devour him, and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall faint.
9.And he shall go for fear to his itower, and his princes shall be afraid of the standart, saith the Lord, whose kfire is in Zión, and his furnace in Jerusalém.
There were two special causes, why that the Israelites should not join amity with the Egyptians: first, because the Lord had commanded them never to return thether, Deut. 17.16 and 28.68, lest they should forget the benefit of their redemption: and secondly, lest they should be corrupted with the superstition and idolatry of the Egyptians, and so forsake God, Jer. 2.18.
He shows the Jews, that if they would put their trust in him, he is so able, that none can resist his power: and so careful over them, as a bird over her young, which ever flies about them for their defence: which similitude the Scripture uses in diverse places, as Deut. 32.11, Mt. 23.37.
He touches their conscience that they might earnestly feel their grievous sins and so truly repent, forasmuch as now they are almost drowned and past recovery.