John Trapp on Ezekiel 5:1

CHAP. V.

Ver. 1. ANd thou, ſon of man] See on chap. 2.1.

Take thee a ſharp knife] This was the King of Babylon, as Iſa. 7.20. The Turk is at this day ſuch another. Mahomet the firſt was, in his time, the death of 800000 men. Selymus the ſecond, in revenge of the loſſe received at Lepanto, Turk. Hiſt. 885. would have put to death all the Chriſtians in his dominions.

Take the a barbers razor] Not a deceitful razor, as Pſal. 52.2. but one that will do the deed; ſharp and ſure. Pliny telleth us out of Varro, Lib. 7. cap. 59. that the Romans had no barbers, till 454 years after the City was built: antè intenſi fuere.

And cauſe it to paſſe upon thy head and upon thy beard] As hairs are an ornament to the head and beard, ſo are people to a City. But, as when they begin to be a burthen or trouble to either, they are cut off and caſt away: ſo are people by Gods Judgements, when by their ſins they are offenſive to him; dealing as Dionyſius did by his god Aeſculapius, from whom he preſumed to pull his golden beard. David felt himſelf ſhaved in his Embaſſadours: ſo doth God in his ſervants (whoſe very hairs are numbred, Matth. 10.30.) in his Miniſters eſpecially (who, by a ſpecialty, are called Gods men, 1 Tim. 6.11. & 2 Tim. 3.17.) with whom to meddle is more dangerous then to take a Lion by the beard, or a bear by the hair.

Then take the ballances to weigh] This ſheweth that Gods Judgements are juſt, to a hairs weight: And capillus nous ſuam habet umbram, ſaith Mimus.

And divide the hair] Dii nos quaſi pilas habent, ſaith Plautus: imo quaſi pilos, ſaith Another.