1 Heare ye the word which the Lord speaketh vnto you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus sayeth the Lord, Learne not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signes of heauen, for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customes of the people are vaine: for one cutteth a tree out of the forrest (the worke of the handes of the workeman) with the axe.
4 They decke it with siluer and with golde, they fasten it with nayles, and with hammers that it mooue not.
5 They are vpright as the palme tree, but speake not: they must needes bee borne, because they cannot goe: be not afraid of them, for they cannot doe euil, neither also is it in them to doe good.
6 Forasmuch as there is none like vnto thee, O Lord, thou art great, and thy Name is great in might.
7 Who would not feare thee, O King of nations? for to thee doeth it appertaine: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdomes, there is none like vnto thee.
8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stocke is a doctrine of vanities.
9 Siluer spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the worke of the workeman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the worke of cunning men.
10 But the Lord is the true God, he is the liuing God, and an euerlasting King: at his wrath the earth shal tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
11 Thus shal ye say vnto them, The Gods that haue not made the heauens, & the earth, euen they shall perish from the earth, & from vnder these heauens.
12 Hee hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisedome, and hath stretched out the heauens by his discretion.
13 When he vttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heauens, and hee causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: hee maketh lightnings with raine, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
14 Euery man is brutish in his knowledge, euery founder is confounded by the grauen image: for his moulten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
15 They are vanity, and the worke of errours: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
16 The portion of Iacob is not like them: for he is the fourmer of all things, and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the Lord of hostes is his Name.
17 ¶ Gather vp thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortresse.
18 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distresse them, that they may find it so.
19 ¶ Woe is mee for my hurt, my wound is grieuous: but I sayd, Truely this is a griefe, and I must beare it.
20 My Tabernacle is spoyled, and all my cordes are broken: my children are gone foorth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch foorth my tent any more, and to set vp my curtaines.
21 For the Pastours are become brutish, and haue not sought the Lord: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flockes shall be scattered.
22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the North countrey, to make the cities of Iudah desolate, and a denne of dragons.
23 ¶ O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himselfe: it is not in man that walketh, to direct his steps.
24 O Lord, correct mee, but with iudgement, not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.
25 Powre out thy fury vpon the heathen that know thee not, and vpon the families that call not on thy Name: for they haue eaten vp Iacob, and deuoured him, and consumed him, and haue made his habitation desolate.
The absurdity of idolatry. (1-16) Destruction denounced against Jerusalem. (17-25)1-16 The prophet shows the glory of Israel's God, and exposes the folly of idolaters. Charms and other attempts to obtain supernatural help, or to pry into futurity, are copied from the wicked customs of the heathen. Let us stand in awe, and not dare provoke God, by giving that glory to another which is due to him alone. He is ready to forgive, and save all who repent and believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. Faith learns these blessed truths from the word of God; but all knowledge not from that source, leads to doctrines of vanity.
17-25 The Jews who continued in their own land, felt secure. But, sooner or later, sinners will find all things as the word of God has declared, and that its threatenings are not empty terrors. Submission will support the believer under every grief allotted to him; but what can render the load of Divine vengeance easy to be borne by those who fall under it in sullen despair? Those cannot expect to prosper, who do not, by faith and prayer, take God with them in all their ways. The report of the enemy's approach was very dreadful. Yet the designs which men lay deep, and think well formed, are dashed to pieces in a moment. Events are often overruled, so as to be quite contrary to what we intended and expected. If the Lord has directed our steps into the ways of peace and righteousness, let us entreat him to enable us to walk therein. Say not, Lord, do not correct me; but, Lord, do not correct me in anger. We may bear the smart of God's rod, but we cannot bear the weight of his wrath. Those who restrain prayer, prove that they know not God; for those who know him will seek him, and seek his favour. If even severe corrections lead sinners to be convinced of wholesome truths, they will have abundant cause for gratitude. And they will then humble themselves before the Lord.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.