*H Son of man, set thy face against the children of Ammon, and thou shalt prophesy of them.
Ver. 2-3. Ammon. These nations were punished five years after the Jews. C. xxi. 19. Jer. xxvii. 3. C. — "Egypt, Syria, Phœnicia, and Arabia," were conquered. Beros. — Hast. God saw their dispositions, which they manifested afterwards. C. — They rejoiced most, and were therefore punished with other nations. W.
* Footnote * Jeremias 49 : 7
Against Edom. Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Is wisdom no more in Theman? counsel is perished from her children: their wisdom is become unprofitable.*H Therefore will I deliver thee to the men of the east for an inheritance, and they shall place their sheepcotes in thee, and shall set up their tents in thee: they shall eat thy fruits: and they shall drink thy milk.
Ver. 4. East; the Chaldeans, (Sanct.) who conquered them, (H.) though the Scenite Arabs, who occupied the country after the inhabitants were removed, or the Armenians and Agarens, are rather meant than the Chaldees. W.
*H And I will make Rabbath a stable for camels, and the children of Ammon a couching place for flocks: and you shall know that I am the Lord.
Ver. 5. Rabbath, the capital city of the Ammonites: it was afterwards called Philadelphia. Ch. — Flocks. These constituted the riches of those Arabians.
*H Therefore behold I will stretch forth my hand upon thee, and will deliver thee to be the spoil of nations, and will cut thee off from among the people, and destroy thee out of the lands, and break thee in pieces: and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
Ver. 7. Lord, and that it was not through impotence that my people became a prey. Ammon and Moab returned after some time. v. 10. C. xvi. 53. Jer. xlix. 6.
*H Thus saith the Lord God: Because Moab and Seir have said: Behold the house of Juda is like all other nations:
Ver. 8. Seir; Idumea. — Nations, whose gods could not defend them. C. — Thus they blasphemed the Lord. Theod.
*H Therefore behold I will open the shoulder of Moab from the cities, from his cities, I say, and his borders, the noble cities of the land of Bethiesimoth, and Beelmeon, and Cariathaim,
Ver. 9. Shoulder; reduce to slavery, (H.) or take the strong places, (Jer. xlviii. 7. C.) or cities and strength of Moab. W.
*H To the people of the east with the children of Ammon, and I will give it them for an inheritance: that there may be no more any remembrance of the children of Ammon among the nations.
Ver. 10. With, or "like thee." Moab (v. 11.) shall be treated like Ammon. H. — Heb. "As for the," &c. C.
*H Thus saith the Lord God: Because Edom hath taken vengeance to revenge herself of the children of Juda, and hath greatly offended, and hath sought revenge of them:
Ver. 12. Revenge; exhorting the Chaldeans to destroy utterly, (Ps. cxxxvi. 7.) and seizing every opportunity of injuring the Jews. 2 Par. xxviii. 18. Amos i. 11.
*H Therefore thus saith the Lord God: I will stretch forth my hand upon Edom, and will take away out of it man and beast, and will make it desolate from the south: and they that are in Dedan shall fall by the sword.
Ver. 13. South. Heb. "Theman," a city at one extremity. The Chaldeans laid waste the country, (C. xxxii. 29.) but did not remove the people, who seized the southern parts of Juda, till they were forced to submit to the Machabees.
*H Thus saith the Lord God: Because the Philistines have taken vengeance, and have revenged themselves with all their mind, destroying and satisfying old enmities:
Ver. 15. Enmities. They also watched every moment to injure the Jews. Amos i. 5. But Nabuchodonosor was irritated, because they had assisted Tyre. Jer. xlvii. 4.
*H Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will stretch forth my hand upon the Philistines, and will kill the killers, and will destroy the remnant of the sea coast.
Ver. 16. Killers. Heb. "Ceretheans." David's guards were of this nation. 2 K. viii. 18. They came originally from Crete; and the Sept. have here, "Cretans;" (C.) as Grabe substitutes for "Judges of Sidon." H. — Chal. "archers." — Remnant. They deserve not the name of a nation, having been much reduced by Egypt and the Chaldeans. C.