The following sermons are the last prophesies, in which he declares that they shall be disturbed, both concerning the kingdom and the priesthood, and indicates that he is as it were tired of prophesying 2c. This face (The visio) "goes" to the end 2c.
V. 1. 2.1 ) [A basket of fruit.]
Puns cannot be rendered in another language. Here is one [such] pun. 2) A cage or container for fattening, 3) in which chickens and other poultry are fattened; baskets of rice woven, a basket of figs or fruit. This is the summa: It is present that the people must go to herald and "be slaughtered"; like fattened poultry "I will slaughter them". I have them in the cage, "in a farmer", they will not escape. It indicates that they are to be killed and brought to ruin. A cage for fattening cattle, where poultry and other animals are kept for slaughter 2c. "I will prepare a meal." [This pun is as if we said in the Dellish:^ "I see a rice, yea, I will well rip thee; I see kaitz, "yea, I will set up a kez". As if to say: all that I do is in vain. "I will divorce him, [it shall have a] good year." We are divorced, like "summer and winter." That is, I will spare no more, [no more^ overlook their sins; I see that sparing is preached in vain. "Farewell, dear fellows," I will preach no more 2c.
V. 3. [And the songs in the church shall be turned into a howling (stridebunt cardines templi)].
Instead of templi it should be "of the palace". - That is, when this end comes, and the
1) In the Weimar edition, the following up to v. 3. is attached to the preceding without verse number or other distinction.
2) Namely lObst) and pj? sEnde). - In the following in the second place instead of kaitn is to be read: ksr.
people is given into captivity, all the palaces shall be destroyed, that is, the kingdom "shall go to ruin," the royal house shall perish and be utterly destroyed. - [Instead of multi morientur in omni loco, etc., the Hebrew should read.] The multitude of corpses will cause silence in all places. This indicates two things: first, he will destroy the palaces and the royal apartments; second, the whole kingdom will be destroyed; the people will be silent, there will be corpses everywhere. "Silence" is "that which is out." In Virgil it is said: camposque silentes. 4) In Hosea above [Cap. 4, 16. (?)]. In Psalm [49, 13. Vulg.]: ["When a man stands in dignity, and has no understanding,] he is like the unreasoning cattle, and like the same," that is, there will be silence. He indicates the total disturbance of the kingdom, "there will be silence," as if a pestilence were there and raging. Now he returns to admonishing and warning them.
V. 4 [Hear this, you who oppress the "poor" (conteritis)].
[Instead of conteritis it should read:] you devour and you finish him off. You ruin the poor, you suck them dry, "so that no one can stay. [You devour, you devour," so that no one can remain. But how can this devouring be done?
V. 5. When will the new moon put an end to our selling grain (merces)?
Merces is the cereal on which you live.
V. 6 [That we may bring the poor for money, and the needy for a pair of shoes among us].
In argento, that is, through money. - This is the way "you deal" with the poor: 1. [You] "translate the poverty", 2. you increase
4) This citation will not be correct, rather what the Hallische Handschrift and the Altenburger offer: urnbrssyu" siltzntulll, Ud. VI, v. 432.
the "grain", 3. [you have] "wrong measurements". - "By a pair of shoes," is a (Hebrew) figure of speech: [the poor] is ostracized exceedingly. The fourth vice is that they do not give whole and pure grain, but mixed with refuse and garbage, if only the measure is full, "GOD grant" what it is 2c., as nowadays the goods are wont to be adulterated. "Evil measure, 1) adulterated measure"; so the rich deal with the poor 2c. But what is this, that he says [Vulg.], "When will the month have an end?" ("Month" is the time when the moon) renews itself, 2) the new moon, as if to say, "On holidays you must not sell. He punishes their excessive avarice, that they hated the feast days, the new moon and the Sabbaths. That is what is happening today; they did not like the feasts because of their stinginess. We want to offer grain, wheat for sale, we want to sell publicly. We want to increase the sekel, "must be worth more" than before, (we want to) counterfeit the scales, the garbage, refuse, filth (to mix into the grain) 2c. And because you have deserved such things, I have announced the end to you.
V. 7. (The Lord swore against the hope of Jacob, "What matter if I forget these works of theirs forever?)
In superbia, that is, "against the court of Jacob". - "Whether I will forget", that is, I will never forget. - In finem, that is, altogether. I will not have mercy, but will afflict and punish everything.
V. 8. Should not the land shake because of this? 2c.
"Should I suffer this," that I teach, preach in vain? 2c. "It must be." He describes the future captivity. "Yea, it shall be wholly as with a water overflowing, and shall be led away," that is, the destruction of my people shall rise upon them like a "downpour, [a] great mighty river, [a]
1) It seems to us that either here or immediately following should be read instead of "maß": Waare.
2) Weim. Ausg.: "For rsvoeat one could also read renovut"; we have assumed the latter. In the Hall manuscript: Hlsnsik i. s. noviluniuua.
Cloud breast". Defluet, it will be devoured. The river of Egypt flows with impetuosity into the sea. Every river that pours into the sea will be swallowed up by the sea. This great sea, that is, the Assyrian, will swallow up this people, as the sea swallows up the river of Egypt that flows into the sea.
V. 9.3 ) In that day, saith the Lord GOD, I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and the land to be darkened in broad daylight.
[This] luminis, that is, the bright day (lucis). It is a Hebrew way of speaking: Darkness means misfortune, light happiness. "The light of my eyes is not with me," says the Psalm (Ps. 38, 11.); that is, the cheerfulness, the serenity of the countenance has ceased. He wants to cover the dawn with a very ugly cloud. That is, when the day is brightest. Diem lucis he calls the middle of the day. It is a repetition. That is, when everything is in its highest bloom, suddenly the downfall will come upon them, when there is peace and safety. They are lifted high, so that they do a the heavier fall. In the highest happiness and prosperity, when they least believe it, they will be carried away 2c.
V. 10. I will turn your holidays into mourning 2c.
All this is said of the captivity. "I will put an end to the game." - "I will bring sackcloth upon all loins." At the time of mourning they clothed themselves with sackcloth. This is an indication of the sorrowful going in and the sorrowful heart 2c. It is a Hebrew way of speaking; that is, I will make you go in mourning garments as captive, wretched people. It is for the happy to adorn the hair, for the sad to go unkempt. - ["To make all heads bald."] This indicates a sign of sadness. It was the custom for the sad to go along "shorn." In Isaiah it is said [Cap. 47:1], "Set thee in the dust," make thee bald 2c.
3) The verse number is missing in Weimar's.
[I] "will make them so" that there shall be no joy. That is, it indicates the most violent, that is, the most bitter pain, the irrevocable captivity. Note the similitude [of a mother's grief over an unmarried son]. 1) I will make that there shall be no hope for the return from captivity. Novissima [that is] the remaining 2) "shall have sorrowful heart and misery".
B. 11. Behold, the time is coming that I will send a famine into the land.
I will do another, that is, the word of God will not be there. The other is to take away the grace, the teachers and the word. This is the greatest plague of God. The previous calamity, that the kingdom is destroyed and the priesthood is taken away, is a lesser calamity than that the word is taken away. He summarizes both misfortunes in one prophecy. Up to now God has done nothing; one day he will do it, so that all misfortune will come and he will take away the word 2c. So it will happen to us. Since we have it, we neglect it. The Jews find been so punished, the Christians will be so punished, if [the teachers) preach long and accomplish nothing 2c. - "Hunger" is a theuration. That is, the preaching of the word of the LORD will be taken away, that is, no one will say, preach, teach the word of the LORD. If [man] does not have the word of GOD, [he] "must" have the word of the devil and men, for nature cannot rest 2c.
V. 12.3 ) [That they circulate hm and hither, from one sea to another].
"From one sea," that is, from one place to another, "and seek." Hast thou not seen the word? 2c. So they did in times past, [went to] St. Jacob, Jerusalem, and "Rome" 2c. [where the devil had his seat and spoke to us, and gave us
1) Supplemented by us according to the Altenburg manuscript.
2) Not rsliquiss, which the Weimar edition emphasized, is the keyword, but Nvvissiwa, as the Altenburg and Hall manuscripts also testify.
3) The Weimar one added this section (without a new Berszahl) to V. II.
Poison and dung sent for saffron, as Jeremiah [Klagl. 4, 5.] says: [The] "good bites they scrape) before eaten", now they eat dung 2c. What else have we eaten but the Pabst's dung? "have bought it dear". "O how will it rain after that", after this neglect of the word and ingratitude 2c. No one gives the right preachers a "morsel of bread" 2c. This is the greatest wrath of God 2c.
V. 13. At that time beautiful virgins and young men will pine away because of thirst.
That is, there will be many beautiful young people, but they will "pine away, that [it] will be shame and pity" that such beautiful 2c. He means the souls, "fine, skillful people" 2c. "They are let go" and neglected. The universities have been nothing else than silences for the best sung people 2c., first by fornication and eating and drinking, then by the most pernicious doctrines 2c. Look at the monasteries of the monks and nuns. When these young people (pueri) perish, "that's it." - "Bor thirst." He is talking about the spiritual thirst. Why?
V. 14. Now swear to you Lei the curse (delicto) Samaria.
If the people do not have the word of GOD, they are led to doctrines of devils 2c., "must perish". - "The curse of Samaria" refers to the idol. They worshipped the true GOt among these idols, but because GOt did not want this worship, He calls it a curse (delictum = an offense). For they had this delusion: GOD, who brought us [out of Egypt] 2c. has pleasure in this worship. Thus they misuse the service in terms of the place, the person, the prescribed manner, the time, 2c. So it is with the monastic vows: GOD who created 2c. who regards my chastity, my poverty 2c. - "Vowing" is a work of divine service. - "By the curse," by that ungodly service in Samaria.-"The manner" (via), that is, the way of living which is by the service in Berezba. "That they may not rise again," "shall come to gallows," and never return.