wherever
they occur within the religion of Jehovah, they belong to a degenerate
condition of it only, which is on a par with idolatry. It would appear
that they are here contrasted with the Ephod, as the illegal means for
ascertaining the future, in opposition to the legal means. That the
Ephod was used for discovering the divine will, is seen from 1 Sam.
xxiii. 9, xxx. 7. The Teraphim, in like manner, served to explore [Pg
285] the future. A closer connection of the two seems to be indicated
by the circumstance that [Hebrew: aiN] is omitted before [Hebrew:
trpiM].--But how can we account for this strange intermingling of what
belonged to the idols with what belonged to Jehovah, since it cannot
but be done intentionally? It points to the dark mixture which at that
time existed among the people, and is a kind of ironical reflection
upon it.--The Lord makes them disgusted with idolatry, and all that
belongs to it, through His visitations, in which they seek in vain the
help of the idols, and become thoroughly acquainted with their vanity;
compare remarks in ver. 3. At the same time, however, all the pledges
of His grace are taken from them, so that they get into an altogether
isolated position. He withdraws from them their independent government,
the altar and priesthood--the former as a just punishment for their
rebellion against the dynasty ordained by God (compare chap. viii. 4),
of which, first Israel, and then Judah, had made themselves guilty.--As
regards the historical reference of this prophecy, interpreters are
divided, and refer it either to the Assyrian, the Babylonish, or the
Romish exile. The greater number of them, however, refer it exclusively
to the last. This is especially the case with the Jewish interpreters;
_e.g._, _Kimchi_, who says: "These are the days of the exile, in which
we are now; we have neither an Israelitish king nor an Israelitish
prince, but are under the dominion of the Gentiles and their kings."
The principal defenders of a direct reference to the Assyrian
captivity, are _Venema_ (_Dissert._ p. 232) and _Manger_. The decision
depends chiefly upon what we are to understand by "the children of
Israel." If these are the whole people, it is arbitrary to assign any
narrower limits to the _Word_ of God, than to His _deed_. The prophecy
must, in that case, comprehend everything in which the idea is
realized; and this so much the more, as the spiritual eye of the
prophet, directed to the idea o