(37) Thou hast loved . . . hast hated.--Not only those with whom Israel had sought alliances, but those who had been her hereditary foes, like the Philistines and Edomites, shared in the spoil of her land. Much of this had been already accomplished (see 2 Kings 16:6; 2 Chronicles 28:17-18, &c). Israel's weakness and wickedness should be fully exposed to all her enemies.
Verse 37. - I will gather all thy lovers, etc. Interpreting the parable, the" lovers" are the nations with which Judah had allied herself, and whose religion she had adopted. In that confederacy of Moabites, Ammonites, Syrians, Philistines, Edomites and Chaldeans them should be small difference between those whom she had loved and those whom she had hated. All alike would exult in her shame and her fall (comp. Psalm 137:7; 2 Kings 24:2).
16:1-58 In this chapter God's dealings with the Jewish nation, and their conduct towards him, are described, and their punishment through the surrounding nations, even those they most trusted in. This is done under the parable of an exposed infant rescued from death, educated, espoused, and richly provided for, but afterwards guilty of the most abandoned conduct, and punished for it; yet at last received into favour, and ashamed of her base conduct. We are not to judge of these expressions by modern ideas, but by those of the times and places in which they were used, where many of them would not sound as they do to us. The design was to raise hatred to idolatry, and such a parable was well suited for that purpose.
Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure,.... Or, "with whom thou hast mixed" (r); in unlawful embraces, joined in sinful alliances, or in idolatrous practices:
and all them that thou hast loved; the Egyptians and Assyrians, whose friendship and idolatrous customs they were fond of:
with all them that thou hast hated; as the Philistines, Moabites, and Ammonites:
I will even gather them round about against thee; as they were in the Chaldean army, which consisted of many nations:
and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness; as a just retaliation for discovering it herself, as in Ezekiel 16:36; than which nothing can be more disagreeable to the sex. The Milesian virgins were restrained from suicide by a law, which ordered that such should be drawn naked through the market place. This is to be understood of the spoiling of the city and temple.
and all them that thou hast loved; the Egyptians and Assyrians, whose friendship and idolatrous customs they were fond of:
with all them that thou hast hated; as the Philistines, Moabites, and Ammonites:
I will even gather them round about against thee; as they were in the Chaldean army, which consisted of many nations:
and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness; as a just retaliation for discovering it herself, as in Ezekiel 16:36; than which nothing can be more disagreeable to the sex. The Milesian virgins were restrained from suicide by a law, which ordered that such should be drawn naked through the market place. This is to be understood of the spoiling of the city and temple.
(r) "quibus commixtuisti cum illis", Starckius.