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278
^Commentary
Chapter immediate Care of their Souls, See Tfal lxxviii.
XXXtV. 71,72. To the fame Senfe Homer calls oAgal^VNJ
memnon, Tioltuva **&>>, the Shepherd of the People.
And as the Threatnings here denounced
extend to all forts of Governors, fo the feveral
Sins of the Princes, Priefts and Prophets are reproved
Chap. xxii. 2$, &c. Compare likewife
Chap. xlv. 8, 9.
Ibid. Wo to the Shepherds of Ifrael that feed
them/elves.] That regard their own Profit and
Advantage, not the Good of the People committed
to their Charge. Tlato in the firft Book
of his Commonwealth, defcribing the Office of a
Magiftrate, faith, " He fhould look upon him-
" felf as fuftaining the Office of a Shepherd,
" that makes it his chief Bufmefs to take Care
" of his Flock ; not as if he were going to a
" Feaft to fill himfelf and fatiate his Appetite,
" or to a Market to make what Gain he can to
" himfelf." Eufebm in his 1 ith 'Book De Tra-
faratione Evangelica, Chap. 44. hath tranfcribed
the whole Paffage, as an exact Parallel to
this place of Ezekiel.
Ver. 3. Ver. 3. Te eat the Fat.'] Or the Milk, as the
LXX render it. The Hebrew Words Halab,
Milk, and Heleb, Fat, differ only in their
Points, fo that the ancient Verfions take them
promifcuoufly one for the other. See Chapter
xxv. 4.
Ibid. Te kill them that are fed.] Them that are
Fat ye defign for the Slaughter, wherewith to
feed your felves : See Zech. x. 5. i. e. they took
away the Lives of the Wealthy and SuMantial,
that