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ge A Commentary
Chapter So here God commands the Prophet to take a Tile,
IV. or fuch a Slate as the Mathematicians draw Lines
L/"VNJ or Figures upon, and there make a Pourtraiture of
'Jerujalem, thereby to reprefent it as under a Siege.
We may obferve that God often iuits Prophetical
Types and Figures to the Genius and Education of
the Prophets themfelves. So the Figures which
eAmos makes ufe of are generally taken from fuch
Obfervations as are proper to the Imploymentof a
Shepherd or an Husbandman. Ezekiel had a pe-
culiar Talent for Architecture, fo feveral of his
Reprefentations are fuitable to that Profeflion. And
they that fuppofe the Emblem here made ufe of
to be below the Dignity of the Prophetical Office,
may as well accufe oArchimedes of Folly for making
Lines in the Duft.
Ver. 2. Ver. 2. oAnd lay Siege againfl it, &-c] Make
a Portraiture of a Siege, and of fuch warlike Preparations
as are neceffary to it.
Ver. 2. Ver. 3. Moreover take thou unto thee an Iron
Tan.'] A Plate or Slice, as the Margin reads.
This may either reprefent the Walls of Jerufalem
which were to be broken down, in order to the
taking of it, as the following Words may be
thought to imply : or elfe fome of thofe Works
which the Befiegers caft up for their own defence
fo this is another Reprefentation of the Siege men-
tioned Ver. 1.
Ibid. This Jhall he a Sign to the Houfe oflfraeh']
Ezekiel often expreffed God's Purpofes by Signs.
See Chap. xii. 2-12. xxiv. 24, 27. and the Notes
upon the 17th Ver. of this Chapter.
Ver.