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Matthew Poole and continuators on Isaiah 57:8

Annotations upon the Holy Bible. Browse this work.

Isaiah57:8

8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance : for thou hast discovered thy self to another than me , and art gone up : thou hast enlarged thy bed , and made a covenant with them ; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it .

Which by a Figure called Hendiaduo may be put for the doorposts, as it is expressed, Deut. 11. 20. Behind the posts of the doors of thine House: where the Heathens are said to have placed their tutelary gods to whose protection they committed themselves and their Houses, that so they might have their Eyes and Minds upon them, whensoever they went out or came in. Here also the Israelites might put them in some close corner, that they might keep them secret, it being opprobrious, and oft times dangerous for them to worship Idols.

Those Images or Monuments and tokens which thou didst make and set up there as remembrances of those Idol-gods whom they represented, or to whom they belonged. He saith, thy remembrance, in opposition to Gods remembrances, or to that Writing of Gods Law upon their doorposts, which God prescribed to keep him and his Law in their remembrance, Deut. 6. 9. & 11. 20.

Thou hast uncovered thy nakedness, i. e. prostituted thy Body (as that Phrase commonly signifies) to others besides me thine Husband. Heb. from with me (departing from me, or, as it were rising out of my Bed) thou hast uncovered or prostituted thy self to others like an impudent and insatiable strumpet.

Into the Adulterous Bed, as this very word is used, Gen. 49. 4.

That it might receive many Adulterers together. Thou hast multiplied thine Idols and Altars.

Thou hast covenanted to serve them, and to expect help from them. But because the verb here used being thus put by itself, never signifies to make a Covenant, it seems to be better rendred in the margent of our Bible, and by others, hast hewed it (to wit, thy Bed, which is expressed both in the next foregoing, and in the next following words:) for thy self (for thine Idolatrous uses:) larger than theirs, than their bed, as it follows: or thus, didst hew down (to wit, trees, which is easily understood both from the Verb, and from the nature of the thing) to or for thy self (to make Images or other things relating to thy false Gods) more than they, more than the Heathens, of whom thou hast learned these practices, as God complains, 2 King. 21. 9. Ezek. 16. 46, 47, 52.

No sooner didst thou see their Idols but thou wast enamoured with them, and didst fall down and worship them, like an unchaste and lewd Woman, who upon all occasions, and at the very first view of any man, is inflamed with Lust towards them. Heb. thou lovedst their Bed (i. e. their filthy conversation) in the place (for so this Hebrew word frequently signifies, as Deut. 23. 12. Isa. 22. 18. and elsewhere,) where thou sawest it. Or, thus, thou lovedst their bed, thou didst provide (as this word signifies, Exod. 18. 21. and so doth a word of the very same signification, Gen. 22. 8.) a place for it, to receive their Bed, to set up their Idols in thine own house.

Marginal references: Ezek. 8. 10. & 23. 14.; Or, hewed it for thy self larger than theirs.; Ezek. 16. 26, 28. & 23. 12, &c.; Or, thou providest room.

Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Isaiah 57:8. Public domain.

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