John Wesley · 2040 of 2131
Commentary on Chapter VIII
2. The end - Of God's patience towards Israel, the end of their ripening, they are now fully ripe, fit to be gathered. Pass by them - God had with admirable patience spared, but now he will no more pardon or spare.
3. With silence - So great will be the cruelty of the enemy, that they dare not bury them, or if they do, it must be undiscerned.
4. To fail - Either to root them out, or to enslave them.
5. When - Ye that could wish there were nothing to interrupt your marketing, that look on solemn times of worship as burdensome, such was the first day of every month, and the weekly . Small - So the ephah being too little, the poor buyer had not his due. The shekel great - They weighed the money which they received, and had no more justice, than to make their shekel weight greater than the standard; so the poor were twice oppressed, had less than was their right, and paid more than they ought to pay.
6. That we may buy - They would have new moons and over, that they might go to market to buy the poor. And when these poor owed but for a very little commodity, as suppose a pair of shoes, these merciless men would take the advantage against them, and make them sell themselves to pay the debt. The refuse - This was another kind of oppression, corrupted wares, sold to those that were necessitous.
7. Hath sworn - By himself. Forget - Suffer to pass unpunished.
8. The land - The people of it. For this - This that you have done, and this that God will do. And it - The judgment, the displeasure of God, shall rise and grow like a mighty wasting flood. It - The land. Drowned - As Egypt by the overflowing of the Nile.
9. At noon - So Israel's sun did as at noon set under the dark cloud of conspiracies and civil wars by Shallum, Menahem, Pekah, and Hosea, 'till the midnight darkness drew on by Pul, Tiglath- Pilneser, and Salmaneser. Darken - Bring a thick cloud of troubles and afflictions. In the clear day - When they think all is safe, sure, and well settled.
10. Upon all loins - All sorts of persons shall put on mourning. Baldness - Shaving the head and beard was a sign of the greatest sadness. A bitter day - A bitter day, which you shall wish you had never seen, shall succeed your dark night.
12. Shall wander - Search all places for a prophet or preacher, from the Mid-land sea to the dead sea, they shall search all corners for a prophet.
14. They - Who sacrifice to and swear by the calves at Daniel and Beth-el. By the sin - Who say the idol at Daniel is the true and living God. The manner - The idol which is worshipped at Beersheba.