Resultados para: "VEGETATION"

<p>let the earth bring forth--The bare soil was clothed with verdure, and it is noticeable that the trees, plants, and grasses--the three great divisions of the vegetable kingdom here mentioned--were not called into existence in the same way as the light and the air; they were made to grow, and they grew as they do still out of the ground--not, however, by the slow process of vegetation, but through the divine power, without rain, dew, or any process of labor--sprouting up and flourishing in a single day.</p>

<p>blasted with the east wind--destructive everywhere to grain, but particularly so in Egypt; where, sweeping over the sandy deserts of Arabia, it comes in the character of a hot, blighting wind, that quickly withers all vegetation (compare Eze 19:12; Hos 13:15).</p>

<p>He that feared the word of the Lord . . . regarded not, &amp;c.--Due premonition, it appears, had been publicly given of the impending tempest--the cattle seem to have been sent out to graze, which is from January to April, when alone pasturage can be obtained, and accordingly the cattle were in the fields. This storm occurring at that season, not only struck universal terror into the minds of the people, but occasioned the destruction of all--people and cattle--which, in neglect of the warning, had been left in the fields, as well as of all vegetation [Exo 9:25]. It was the more appalling because hailstones in Egypt are small and of little force; lightning also is scarcely ever known to produce fatal effects; and to enhance the wonder, not a trace of any storm was found in Goshen [Exo 9:26].</p>

<p>the first rain and the latter rain--The early rain commenced in autumn, that is, chiefly during the months of September and October, while the latter rain fell in the spring of the year, that is, during the months of March and April. It is true that occasional showers fell all the winter; but, at the autumnal and vernal seasons, they were more frequent, copious, and important; for the early rain was necessary, after a hot and protracted summer, to prepare the soil for receiving the seed; and the latter rain, which shortly preceded the harvest, was of the greatest use in invigorating the languishing powers of vegetation (Jer 5:24; Joe 2:23; Amo 4:7; Jam 5:7).</p>

<p>I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle--Undoubtedly the special blessing of the former and the latter rain [Deu 11:14] was one principal cause of the extraordinary fertility of Canaan in ancient times. That blessing was promised to the Israelites as a temporal reward for their fidelity to the national covenant [Deu 11:13]. It was threatened to be withdrawn on their disobedience or apostasy; and most signally is the execution of that threatening seen in the present sterility of Palestine. MR. LOWTHIAN, an English farmer, who was struck during his journey from Joppa to Jerusalem by not seeing a blade of grass, where even in the poorest localities of Britain some wild vegetation is found, directed his attention particularly to the subject, and pursued the inquiry during a month&#039;s residence in Jerusalem, where he learned that a miserably small quantity of milk is daily sold to the inhabitants at a dear rate, and that chiefly asses&#039; milk. &quot;Most clearly,&quot; says he, &quot;did I perceive that the barrenness of large portions of the country was owing to the cessation of the early and latter rain, and that the absence of grass and flowers made it no longer the land (Deu 11:9) flowing with milk and honey.&quot;</p>

<p>paper-reeds--rather, pastures, literally, &quot;places naked&quot; of wood, and famed for rich herbage, on the banks of the Nile [GESENIUS]. Compare Gen 13:10; Deu 11:10. HORSLEY translates, &quot;nakedness upon the river,&quot; descriptive of the appearance of a river when its bottom is bare and its banks stripped of verdure by long drought: so Vulgate.

the brooks--the river.

mouth--rather, &quot;the source&quot; [Vulgate]. &quot;Even close to the river&#039;s side vegetation shall be so withered as to be scattered in the shape of powder by the wind&quot; (English Version, &quot;driven away&quot;) [HORSLEY].</p>

<p>they--the &quot;princes and judges&quot; (Isa 40:23) who oppose God&#039;s purposes and God&#039;s people. Often compared to tall trees (Psa 37:35; Dan 4:10).

not . . . sown--the seed, that is, race shall become extinct (Nah 1:14).

stock--not even shall any shoots spring up from the stump when the tree has been cut down: no descendants whatever (Job 14:7; see on Isa 11:1).

and . . . also--so the Septuagint. But MAURER translates, &quot;They are hardly (literally, &#039;not yet&#039;, as in Kg2 20:4) planted (&amp;c.) when He (God) blows upon them.&quot;

blow--The image is from the hot east wind (simoon) that &quot;withers&quot; vegetation.

whirlwind . . . stubble-- (Psa 83:13), where, &quot;like a wheel,&quot; refers to the rotatory action of the whirlwind on the stubble.</p>

<p>wind--the Chaldees, as a parching wind that sweeps over rapidly and withers vegetation (Jer 4:11-12; Psa 103:16; Isa 40:7).

eat up . . . pastors--that is, thy kings (Jer 2:8). There is a happy play on words. The pastors, whose office it is to feed the sheep, shall themselves be fed on. They who should drive the flock from place to place for pasture shall be driven into exile by the Chaldees.</p>

<p>being planted--that is, &quot;though planted.&quot;

east wind--The east wind was noxious to vegetation in Palestine; a fit emblem of Babylon, which came from the northeast.

wither in . . . furrows where it grew--Zedekiah was taken at Jericho, on Jewish soil (Jer 52:8). &quot;It shall wither, although it has furrows from which it expects continual waterings&quot; [CALVIN], (Eze 19:12; Hos 13:15).</p>

<p>nation--applied to the locusts, rather than &quot;people&quot; (Pro 30:25-26), to mark not only their numbers, but also their savage hostility; and also to prepare the mind of the hearer for the transition to the figurative locusts in the second chapter, namely, the &quot;nation&quot; or Gentile foe coming against Judea (compare Joe 2:2).

my land--that is, Jehovah&#039;s; which never would have been so devastated were I not pleased to inflict punishment (Joe 2:18; Isa 14:25; Jer 16:18; Eze 36:5; Eze 38:16).

strong--as irresistibly sweeping away before its compact body the fruits of man&#039;s industry.

without number--so Jdg 6:5; Jdg 7:12, &quot;like grasshoppers (or &quot;locusts&quot;) for multitude&quot; (Jer 46:23; Nah 3:15).

teeth . . . lion--that is, the locusts are as destructive as a lion; there is no vegetation that can resist their bite (compare Rev 9:8). PLINY says &quot;they gnaw even the doors of houses.&quot;</p>

<p>Taken from Isa 40:6-8.

heat--rather, &quot;the hot wind&quot; from the (east or) south, which scorches vegetation (Luk 12:55). The &quot;burning heat&quot; of the sun is not at its rising, but rather at noon; whereas the scorching Kadim wind is often at sunrise (Jon 4:8) [MIDDLETON, The Doctrine of the Greek Article]. Mat 20:12 uses the Greek word for &quot;heat.&quot; Isa 40:7, &quot;bloweth upon it,&quot; seems to answer to &quot;the hot wind&quot; here.

grace of the fashion--that is of the external appearance.

in his ways--referring to the burdensome extent of the rich man&#039;s devices [BENGEL]. Compare &quot;his ways,&quot; that is, his course of life, Jam 1:8.</p>