1 Woe to the crowne of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flowre, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are ouercome with wine.
2 Behold, the Lord hath a mightie and strong one, which as a tempest of haile and a destroying storme, as a flood of mightie waters ouerflowing, shall cast downe to the earth with the hand.
3 The crowne of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim shall be troden vnder feete.
4 And the glorious beautie which is on the head of the fat valley, shall bee a fading flowre, and as the hastie fruite before the summer: which when he that looketh vpon it, seeth it, while it is yet in his hand, he eateth it vp.
5 ¶ In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crowne of glory, and for a diademe of beautie vnto the residue of his people:
6 And for a spirit of iudgement to him that sitteth in iudgement, and for strength to them that turne the battell to the gate.
7 ¶ But they also haue erred through wine, and through strong drinke are out of the way: the priest and the prophet haue erred through strong drinke, they are swallowed vp of wine: they are out of the way through strong drinke, they erre in vision, they stumble in iudgement.
8 For all tables are full of vomite and filthinesse, so that there is no place cleane.
9 ¶ Whome shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to vnderstand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milke, and drawen from the breasts.
10 For precept must be vpon precept, precept vpon precept, line vpon line, line vpon line, here a litle, and there a litle.
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speake to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherwith ye may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing, yet they would not heare.
13 But the word of the Lord was vnto them, precept vpon precept, precept vpon precept, line vpon line, line vpon line, here a litle and there a litle: that they might goe and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
14 ¶ Wherefore heare the worde of the Lord, yee scornefull men, that rule this people which is in Ierusalem.
15 Because ye haue said, Wee haue made a couenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement, when the ouerflowing scourge shall passe thorow, it shall not come vnto vs: for wee haue made lies our refuge, and vnder falsehood haue we hid our selues:
16 ¶ Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Beholde, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tryed stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: hee that beleeueth, shall not make haste.
17 Iudgement also will I lay to the line, and righteousnesse to the plummet: and the haile shall sweepe away the refuge of lyes, and the waters shall ouerflow the hiding place.
18 ¶ And your couenant with death shalbe disanulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the ouerflowing scourge shall passe thorough, then yee shalbe troden downe by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth, it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it passe ouer, by day and by night, and it shalbe a vexation, onely to vnderstand the report.
20 For the bed is shorter, then that a man can stretch himselfe on it: and the couering narrower, then that he can wrap himselfe in it.
21 For the Lord shall rise vp as in mount Perazim, he shalbe wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may doe his worke, his strange worke; and bring to passe his act, his strange act.
22 Now therefore be yee not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I haue heard from the Lord God of hostes a consumption euen determined vpon the whole earth.
23 ¶ Giue yee eare, and heare my voyce, hearken and heare my speach.
24 Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and breake the clods of his ground?
25 When hee hath made plaine the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principall wheate, and the appointed barly and the rye in their place?
26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
27 For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheele turned about vpon the cummin: but the fitches are beaten out with a staffe, and the cummin with a rodde.
28 Bread corne is bruised; because he will not euer be threshing it, nor breake it with the wheele of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
29 This also commeth forth from the Lord of hostes, which is wonderfull in counsell, and excellent in working.
The desolations of Samaria. (1-4) The prosperity of Judah; with reproofs for sinfulness and unbelief. (5-15) Christ is pointed out as the sure Foundation for all believers. (16-22) God's dealings with his people. (23-29)1-4 What men are proud of, be it ever so mean, is to them as a crown; but pride is the forerunner of destruction. How foolishly drunkards act! Those who are overcome with wine are overcome by Satan; and there is not greater drudgery in the world than hard drinking. Their health is ruined; men are broken in their callings and estates, and their families are ruined by it. Their souls are in danger of being undone for ever, and all merely to gratify a base lust. In God's professing people, like Israel, it is worse than in any other. And he is just in taking away the plenty they thus abuse. The plenty they were proud of, is but a fading flower. Like the early fruit, which, as soon as discovered, is plucked and eaten.
5-15 The prophet next turns to Judah, whom he calls the residue of his people. Happy are those alone, who glory in the Lord of hosts himself. Hence his people get wisdom and strength for every service and every conflict. But it is only in Christ Jesus that the holy God communicates with sinful man. And whether those that teach are drunk with wine, or intoxicated with false doctrines and notions concerning the kingdom and salvation of the Messiah, they not only err themselves, but lead multitudes astray. All places where such persons have taught are filled with errors. For our instruction in the things of God, it is needful that the same precept and the same line should be often repeated to us, that we may the better understand them. God, by his word, calls us to what is really for our advantage; the service of God is the only true rest for those weary of the service of sin, and there is no refreshment but under the easy yoke of the Lord Jesus. All this had little effect upon the people. Those who will not understand what is plain, but scorn and despise it as mean and trifling, are justly punished. If we are at peace with God, we have, in effect, made a covenant with death; whenever it comes, it cannot do us any real damage, if we are Christ's. But to think of making death our friend, while by sin we are making God our enemy, is absurd. And do not they make lies their refuge who trust in their own righteousness, or to a death-bed repentance? which is a resolution to sin no more, when it is no longer in their power to do so.
16-22 Here is a promise of Christ, as the only foundation of hope for escaping the wrath to come. This foundation was laid in Zion, in the eternal counsels of God. This foundation is a stone, firm and able to support his church. It is a tried stone, a chosen stone, approved of God, and never failed any who made trial of it. A corner stone, binding together the whole building, and bearing the whole weight; precious in the sight of the Lord, and of every believer; a sure foundation on which to build. And he who in any age or nation shall believe this testimony, and rest all his hopes, and his never-dying soul on this foundation, shall never be confounded. The right effect of faith in Christ is, to quiet and calm the soul, till events shall be timed by Him, who has all times in his own hand and power. Whatever men trust to for justification, except the righteousness of Christ; or for wisdom, strength, and holiness, except the influences of the Holy Ghost; or for happiness, except the favour of God; that protection in which they thought to shelter themselves, will prove not enough to answer the intention. Those who rest in a righteousness of their own, will have deceived themselves: the bed is too short, the covering too narrow. God will be glorified in the fulfilling of his counsels. If those that profess to be members of God's church, make themselves like Philistines and Canaanites, they must expect to be dealt with as such. Then dare not to ridicule the reproofs of God's word, or the approaches of judgements.
23-29 The husbandman applies to his calling with pains and prudence, in all the works of it according to their nature. Thus the Lord, who has given men this wisdom, is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in his working. As the occasion requires, he threatens, corrects, spares, shows mercy, or executes vengeance. Afflictions are God's threshing instruments, to loosen us from the world, to part between us and our chaff, and to prepare us for use. God will proportion them to our strength; they shall be no heavier than there is need. When his end is answered, the trials and sufferings of his people shall cease; his wheat shall be gathered into the garner, but the chaff shall be burned with unquenchable fire.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.