2 a According to that grace, and fauour, which I shewed thee from the beginning, when I did first chuse thee to be my people, and maried the to my self, {Ezek. 16,3}.
2 b When I had deliuered thee out of Egypt.
2 c Chosen aboue all other to serue the Lord onely, & the first offred to the Lord of all other nations.
5 f Altogether giuen to vanitie, and are become to blinde and insensible as the idoles, that thei serue.
6 g Where for lacke of all things necessarie for life, ye colde loke for nothing euerie houre but present death.
8 i Thei taught not the people to seke after God.
8 k As the Scribes, which shulde haue expounded the Law to the people.
8 l Meaning, the princes and ministers: signifying hat all estates were corrupt.
9 m That is, spake vaine things, and broght the people from the true worship of God to serue idoles: for by Baal, which was the chief idole of the Moabites, are ment all idoles.
9 n Signifying, that he wolde not as he might, streight way condemn them, but sheweth them by euident examples their great ingratitude, that they might be ashamed, and repent.
10 p Vnto Arabia.
11 q That is, God which is their glorie, & who maketh them glorious aboue all other people: reprouing the Jewes, that they were lesse diligent to serue the true God, then were the idolaters to honour their vanities.
12 s He sheweth, that the insensible creatures abhorre this vile ingratitude, and as it were tremble for fear of Gods great judgements against the same.
13 t Signifying that when men forsake Gods worde, which is the fountaine of life, they reject God himself, and so fall to their owne inuencious, & vaine considence, and procure to them selues destruction, {Jona 2,8}, {Zach. 10, 2}.
14 u Haue I ordered them like seruants, & not like derelie beloued children {Exo. 4, 22}, therefore it is their faut onely, if the enemie spoile them.
15 y Not one shal be left to dwell there.
16 a Haue grieuously vexed thee at sondrie times.
18 c To seke helpe of man, as thogh God were not able ynough to defende thee, which is to drinke of the puddels, and to leaue the fountain, read {Isa 31, 1}.
18 d To wit, Euphrates.
19 e Meaning, that the wicked are insensible til the punishment for their sinne waken them, as {verse, 26. Isa. 3,9}.
22 g Thogh thou vse all the purifications and ceremonies of the Law, thou canst not escape punishment, except thou turne to me by faith, and repentance.
23 h Meaning, that hypocrites denie that thei worship the idoles, but that they honour God in them, and therefore they call their doings Gods seruice.
23 i He compareth the idoles to these beastes, because they neuer cease running to and fro: for bothe valleis, and hils are ful of their idolatrie.
24 k He compareth the idolaters to a wilde asse: for she can neuer be tamed, nor yet wearied: for as she runneth, she can take her winde at euerie occasion.
24 l That is, when she is with sole, & therefore the hunters waite their time: so thogh thou canst not be turned backe now from: thine idolatrie, yet when thine iniquitie shal be at the ful, God wil mete with them.
25 m Hereby he warenth them that thei shulde not go into strange countreis to seke helpe: for thei shuld but spend their labour, & hurt them selues, which is here ment by the bare sorte and thirst, {Isa. 57, 10}.
26 n As a thfe wil not acknowledge his faute, til he be taken with the dede, & ready to be punished, so they wil not sonfesse thei idolatrie, til the plagues due to the same light upon them.
27 o Meaning, the idolaters spoyle God of his honour: & where as he hathe taught to call him the father of all flesh, tey atrribute this title to their idoles.
28 p Thou thoghtest that thy gods of blockes and stones colde haue holpen thee, because they were many in nomber & present in euery place: but now let vs se whether ether the multitude, or their presence can deliuer thee from my plague, {Chap. 11,13}.
30 r That is, you haue killed your Prophetes, that exhorted you to repentance, as Zechariah, Isaiah, &c.
31 s Haue I not giuen them abundance of all things?