Matthew Poole and continuators on Isaiah 66:17

17. They that sanctifie themselves, and purifie themselves in the gardens , behind one tree in the midst , eating swines flesh , and the abominations , and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.

That the Jews might not think that the Judgments threatned, concerned only the Heathen, he tells them they concerned them, the Idol Worshippers amongst them and not Idolaters only, but such as broke his laws about mea[illegible: 1+ letters]s, which he had prohibited them to Eat. Those that sanctified and purifyed themselves in gardens, gardens in which they Worshipped Idols, ch. 1. 29. & ▪ 65. 3. 4. Kings 14. 23. & 15 13. the word translated gardens signifieth such as were thick planted with trees, and had groves in them, where they set their Idols, 1 King. 15. 13. hence the Idol is called the Grove▪ 2 Kings 23. 6. they had also in these Gardens Pools where they washed themselves in a way of preparation for their Idol-Worship, as the Priest by Gods Ordinance was to bath himself, Num. 19. 7.

[illegible: 1 word] one [illegible: 1 word] the trees, or one by one behind the Trees. Some think that Achar is here a proper name of an Idol, behind which, or behind whose Temple these Idolaters were wont to purifie themselves. These Gardens were places too as well for brutish Lusts as Idol-Worship as may be learned from 1 Kin. 14. 24. 2 Kin. 23. 7. and they by these washings thought to make themselves clean.

Eating Swines flesh, forbidden, Lev. 11. 7. Deut. 14. 8.

And the abomination, either any abominable things, or all those Beasts forbidden the Jews for meat, Lev. 11. 9, 10, &c. Some think a particular abominable thing is here meant, & think it is the Weasel which Lev. 11. 29. is joined with the Mouse, which is here next mentioned. The word which we translate Mouse being no where [illegible: 1+ letters]ound but there, and here, and 1 Sam. 6. 4, 5, 11, 18. some think it is not that creature we call a Mouse, (because a Mouse is properly no creeping thing; but the word Lev. 11. 29. signifyeth a creeping thing,) they therefore think it rather signifieth some Serpent. It is a matter of no great consequence. The sense is, that God would not only destroy the open and gross Idolaters and superstitious persons, but all those also who had made no Conscience of yielding Obedience to the Law of God in such things as seemed to them of a minute nature, and such as they easily might have yielded Obedience to; he saith that they shall all perish together. In the day of Judgment the Idolatrous P[illegible: 1+ letters]n, and Papist, and the leud and disobedient Protestant shall fare alike. It will be an hard thing for a thinking Soul to see how Baptism, and a membership in the Christian Church, should save men from Gods Wrath, without Holiness, more than Circumcision and Membership in the Jewish Church.

Marginal references: Ch. 65. 3, 4.; One after another.