5. put off thy ornaments--In seasons of mourning, it is
customary with Eastern people to lay aside all gewgaws and divest
themselves of their jewels, their gold, and every thing rich and
splendid in their dress. This token of their sorrow the Lord required
of His offending people.
that I may know what to do unto thee--The language is
accommodated to the feeble apprehensions of men. God judges the state
of the heart by the tenor of the conduct. In the case of the
Israelites, He cherished a design of mercy; and the moment He discerned
the first symptoms of contrition, by their stripping off their
ornaments, as penitents conscious of their error and sincerely
sorrowful, this fact added its weight to the fervency of Moses'
prayers, and gave them prevalence with God in behalf of the people.
JFB.
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