1 A lamentation for Israel.
4 An exhortation to repentance.
21 God rejects their hypocritical service.

Hear. 3:1 4:1

I take. 16 Jer 7:29 9:10,17,20 Eze 19:1,14 26:17 27:2,27-32 Eze 28:12 Eze 32:2,16 Mic 2:4

2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.

virgin. Isa 37:22 Jer 14:17 18:13 31:4 La 2:13

is fallen. 2Ki 15:29 17:16 Isa 3:8 Ho 14:1

she shall. Isa 14:21 24:20 43:17 Jer 51:64

she is. Jer 4:20

none. 7:2-5 9:11 Isa 51:17,18 Jer 2:27 30:12-14 La 1:16-19 Eze 16:36,37 Ho 6:2

3 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.

The city. De 4:27 28:62 Isa 1:9 10:22 Eze 12:16 Ro 9:27

4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

Seek. 6 De 30:1-8 1Ch 28:9 2Ch 15:2 20:3 34:3 Ps 14:2 27:8 Isa 55:6,7 Jer 29:12,13 La 3:25,26 Zep 2:3 Mt 7:8

and. Ps 22:26 69:32 105:3,4 Isa 55:3

5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.

seek. 4:4 Ho 4:15 9:15 10:14,15 12:11

Beer-sheba. 8:14 Ge 21:33

Gilgal. There is a paronomasia here, both on the letters and words: {hag-gilgal galoh yigleh oovaith el yiheyeh le?wen,} Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el (the house of God) shall come to nought, or Aven, i.e. Beth-aven, the house of iniquity.

and Beth-el. 7:17 Le 26:30-32 De 28:41 Ho 4:15 10:8,15

come. Job 8:22 Ps 33:10 Isa 8:10 29:20 1Co 1:28 2:6 Re 18:17

6 Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.

Seek. 4 Eze 33:11

lest. Ex 22:6

the house. 6:6 Ge 48:8-20 Jos 18:5 Jud 1:22,23 2Sa 19:20 1Ki 11:28 Eze 37:19 Zec 10:6

there. Isa 1:31 Jer 4:4 7:20 Eze 20:47,48 Mr 9:43-48

7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

turn. 11,12 6:12 De 29:18 Isa 1:23 5:7 10:1 59:13,14 Ho 10:4 Hab 1:12-14

leave. Ps 36:3 125:5 Eze 3:20 18:24 33:12,13,18 Zep 1:6

8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:

maketh. Job 9:9 38:31,32

and turneth. Job 12:22 38:12,13 Ps 107:10-14 Mt 4:16 Lu 1:79

maketh. 4:13 8:9 Ex 10:21-23 14:24-28 Ps 104:20 105:28 Isa 59:10

that calleth. 9:6 Ge 7:11-20 1Ki 18:44,45 Job 37:13 38:34

The Lord. 4:13

9 That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

strengtheneth. 2Ki 13:17,25 Jer 37:10 Heb 11:34

spoiled. Heb. spoil.

10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

hate. 7:10-17 1Ki 18:17 21:20 22:8 2Ch 24:20-22 25:16 36:16 Pr 9:7,8 Isa 29:21 Jer 20:7-10 Joh 7:7 15:19,22-24 Re 11:10

abhor. Jer 17:16,17 Joh 3:20 8:45-47

11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.

treading. 4:1 Isa 5:7,8 59:13,14 Mic 2:2 3:1-3 Jas 2:6 Re 11:8-10

ye have built. De 28:30,38,39 Isa 65:21,22 Mic 6:15 Zep 1:13 Hag 1:6

pleasant vineyards. Heb. vineyards of desire.

12 For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.

I know. De 31:21 Isa 66:18 Jer 29:23 Heb 4:12,13

manifold. 2Ki 17:7-17 Isa 47:9

they afflict. 2:6,7,16 Ac 3:13,14 7:52 Jas 5:4,6

take. 1Sa 8:3 Ps 26:9,10 Isa 1:23 33:15 Mic 3:11 7:3

bribe. or, ransom. and they. 2:7 Isa 10:2 29:21 La 3:34 Mal 3:5

in the. 10 De 16:18 Ru 4:1 Job 29:7-25 31:21 Pr 22:22

13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.

the prudent. 6:10 Ec 3:7 Isa 36:21 Ho 4:4 Mic 7:5-7 Mt 27:12-14

an evil. Ec 9:12 Isa 37:3 Mic 2:3 Hab 3:16 Zep 2:2,3 Eph 5:15,16 6:13 2Ti 3:1

14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.

Seek. Ps 34:12-16 Pr 11:27 Isa 1:16,17 55:2 Mic 6:8 Mt 6:33 Ro 2:7-9

and so. 3:3 Ge 39:2,3,23 Ex 3:12 Jos 1:9 1Ch 28:20 2Ch 15:2 Ps 46:11 Isa 8:10 Mt 1:23 28:20 Php 4:8,9 2Ti 4:22

as. Nu 16:3 Isa 48:1,2 Jer 7:3,4 Mic 3:11

15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

Hate. Ps 34:14 36:4 37:27 97:10 119:104 139:21,22 Ro 7:15,16,22 8:7 Ro 12:9 1Th 5:21,22 3Jo 11

establish. 10,24 6:12 2Ch 19:6-11 Ps 82:2-4 Jer 7:5-7

it may. Ex 32:30 2Sa 16:12 1Ki 20:31 2Ki 19:4 Joe 2:14 Jon 3:9

the remnant. 6 2Ki 13:7 14:26,27 15:29 Jer 31:7 Mic 2:12 5:3,7,8

16 Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

the Lord. 27 3:13

Wailing. 8:10 Isa 15:2-5,8 22:12 Jer 4:31 9:10,18-20 Joe 1:8,11,14 Mic 1:8 2:4 Re 18:10,15,16,19

such. Jer 9:17-19

17 And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.

in. Isa 16:10 32:10-12 Jer 48:33 Ho 9:1,2

I will. Ex 12:12,23 Joe 3:17 Na 1:12,15 Zec 9:8

18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.

desire. Isa 5:19 28:15-22 Jer 17:15 Eze 12:22,27 Mal 3:1,2 2Pe 3:4

the day of the Lord is. Isa 5:30 9:19 24:11,12 Jer 30:7 Joe 1:15 2:1,2,10,31 Zep 1:14,15 Mal 4:1 2Pe 3:10

19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

As if. They should go from one evil to another.

9:1,2 1Ki 20:29,30 Job 20:24,25 Isa 24:17,18 Jer 15:2,3 Jer 48:43,44 Ac 28:4

20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

darkness. Job 3:4-6 10:21,22 Isa 13:10 Eze 34:12 Na 1:8 Mt 22:13 Jude 13 Re 16:10

21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

hate. Pr 15:8 21:27 28:9 Isa 1:11-16 66:3 Jer 6:20 7:21-23 Ho 8:13 Mt 23:14

I will. Ge 8:21 Le 26:31 Eph 5:2 Php 4:18

smell in your solemn assemblies. or, smell your holy days.

22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

offer. Ps 50:8-13 Isa 66:3 Mic 6:6,7

peace offerings. or, thank offerings. 4:4,5 Le 7:12-15 Ps 50:14,23 107:21,22 116:17

23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

the noise. 6:5 8:3,10

24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

let. 7,14,15 Job 29:12-17 Pr 21:3 Ho 6:6 Mic 6:8 Mr 12:32-34

run. Heb. roll.

25 Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

Le 17:7 De 32:17-19 Jos 24:14 Ne 9:18,21 Isa 43:23,24 Eze 20:8,16,24 Ho 9:9,10 Zec 7:5 Ac 7:42,43

26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

the tabernacle of your Moloch. or, Siccuth your king. Le 18:21 20:2-5 1Ki 11:33 2Ki 23:12,13

Milcom.

27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.

beyond. 2Ki 15:29 17:6 Ac 7:43

whose. 4:13