5  Israel, God's vineyard, his mercies, and their faithfulness, should be laid waste, Isa 5:1-7.
Judgments upon covetousness, Isa 5:8-10.
Upon drunkards, and the lascivious, Isa 5:11-12.
The great misery of the Jews, Isa 5:13-17.
Judgments on impiety, scoffers at God's threatnings, those who corrupt the notions of good and ill, strong - drinkers, and unjust judges, Isa 5:18-23.
God's anger, and the Chaldeans army against them, Isa 5:24-30.

5:16 Exalted - By the execution of this just judgment.Sanctified - Shall appear to be an holy God, by his righteous judgments.

5:17 Then - When God shall have finished that work of judgment.The lambs - The poor and harmless people, who shall be left in the land when the rich are carried into captivity. Manner - Or, by their fold, as this word is manifestly used, Mic 2:12, the only place of scripture, except this, in which this word is found. Waste places - The lands left by their owners. Fat ones - Of the rich and great men. Strangers - The poor Israelites, who were left to be vine - dressers and husbandmen, Ki2 25:12, who are called strangers, because they were so, inreference to that hand, not being the proper owners of it.

5:18 That draw - That are not only drawn to sin by the allurements of the world; but are active and illustrious in drawing sin to themselves.Cords - Or, with cords of lying, as the last word frequently signifies, with vain and deceitful arguments and pretences, whereby sinners generally draw themselves to sin. A rope - With all their might, as beasts commonly do that draw carts with ropes.

5:19 Let him - God, in whose name thou and other prophets are always threatening us. This was the plain language of their actions; they lived as if they were of this opinion. The Holy One - They scornfully repeated the title usually given by the prophets to God.

5:20 To them - That take away the difference between good and evil; that justify wicked men and things, and condemn piety, or righteous persons.

5:22 To mingle - To drink: the antecedent being put for the consequent: for they mingled it in order to drinking.

5:23 Take away - Pronounce sentence against him.

5:24 Rottenness - They shall be like a tree which not only withers in its branches, but dies and rots at the roots, therefore is past recovery.Dust - Shall be resolved into dust, and yield no fruit.

4 In this chapter we have both the world and the church in Adam's family, and a specimen of the character and state of both in all ages.As all mankind were represented in Adam, so that great distinction of mankind into the children of God and the children of the wicked one, was here represented in Cain and Abel; and an early instance of the enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.We have here,

1. The birth, names, and callings of Cain and Abel, Gen 4:1-2.
   
2. Their religion, and different success in it, Gen 4:3-4,
   and part of Gen 4:5.
   
3. Cain's anger at God, and the reproof of him for that anger, Gen 4:5-7.
   
4. Cain's murder of his brother, and the process against him for that murder. The murder committed, Gen 4:8.
   The proceedings against him.
   1. His arraignment, Gen 4:9, former part.
      
   2. His plea, Gen 4:9. latter part.
      
   3. His conviction, Gen 4:10.
      
   4. The sentence passed upon him, Gen 4:11-12.
      
   5. His complaint against the sentence, Gen 4:13-14.
      
   6. The ratification of the sentence, Gen 4:15.
      
   7. The execution of the sentence, Gen 4:15-16.
      
5. The family and posterity of Cain, Gen 4:17-24.
   
6. The birth of another son and grandson of Adam, Gen 4:25-26.
   

4:16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt on the east of Eden - Somewhere distant from the place were Adam and his religious family resided: distinguishing himself and his accursed generation from the holy seed; in the land of Nod - That is, of shaking or trembling, because of the continual restlessness of his spirit. Those that depart from God cannot find rest any where else. When Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, he never rested after.

4:17 And he builded a city - In token of a settled separation from the church of God. And here is an account of his posterity, at least the heirs of his family, for seven generations. His son was Enoch, of the same name, but not of the same character with that holy man that walked with God. The names of more of his posterity are mentioned, and but just mentioned, as those of the holy seed, Gen 5:1-32. They are numbered in haste, as not valued or delighted in, in comparison with God's children.

4:19 And Lamech took two wives - It was one of the degenerate race of Cain who first transgressed that original law of marriage, that two only should be one flesh.

1. Jabal was a famous shepherd; he delighted much in keepingcattle, and was so happy in devising methods of doing it to the best advantage, and instructing others in them, that the shepherds of those times, nay, the shepherds of after - times, called him Father; or perhaps his children after him, being brought up to the same employment: the family was a family of shepherds.
2. Jubal was a famous musician, and particularly an organist, and thefirst that gave rules for that noble art or science of music. When Jabal had set them in a way to be rich, Jubal put them in a way to be merry. From Jubal probably the Jubilee trumpet was so called; for the best music was that which proclaimed liberty and redemption.

4:22 From Tubal - Cain, probably the Heathen Vulcan came.Why Naamah is particularly named, we know not: probably they did, who lived when Moses wrote.

4:23 This passage is extremely obscure. We know not whom he slew, or on what occasion: neither what ground he had to be so confident of the Divine protection.

4:25 This is the first mention of Adam in the story of this chapter.No question the murder of Abel, and the impenitency and apostacy of Cain, were a very great grief to him and Eve, and the more because their own wickedness did now correct them, and their backsliding did reprove them. Their folly had given sin and death entrance into the world, and now they smarted by it, being by means thereof deprived of both their sons in one day, Gen 27:45.When parents are grieved by their children's wickedness, they should take occasion from thence to lament that corruption of nature which was derived from them, and which is the root of bitterness. But here we have that which was a relief to our first parents in their affliction, namely, God gave them to see the rebuilding of their family which was sorely shaken and weakened by that sad event. For, they saw their seed, another instead of Abel. And Adam called his name Seth - That is, Set, settled or placed, because in his seed mankind should continue to the end of time.

4:26 And to Seth was born a son called Enos, which is the general name for all men, and speaks the weakness, frailty, and misery of man's state. Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord - Doubtless God's name was called upon before, but now, 1. The worshippers of God began to stir up themselves to do more in religion than they had done; perhaps not more than had been done at first, but more than had been done since the defection of Cain. Now men began to worship God, not only in their closets and families, but in public and solemn assemblies. 2. The worshippers of God began to distinguish themselves: so the margin reads it. Then began men to be called by the name of the Lord, or, to call themselves by it. Now Cain and those that had deserted religion had built a city, and begun to declare for irreligion, and called themselves the sons of men. Those that adhered to God began to declare for him and his worship, and called themselves the sons of God.

5  A farther exhortation to wisdom, Pro 5:1-2.
A caution against whoredom, Pro 5:3-14.
Remedies against it, Pro 5:15-23.

5:15 Drink - Content thyself with those delights which God alloweth thee in the sober use of the marriage - bed.

5:16 Fountains - Thy children proceeding from thy wife and from thyself. Fountains are here put for rivers flowing from them.Dispersed - They shall in due time appear abroad to thy comfort, and for the good of others.

5:18 Fountain - Thy wife. Blessed - With children; for barrenness was esteemed a curse among the Israelites.

5:19 Satisfy thee - At all convenient times: for that there may be excess in the marriage - bed is manifest. Ravished - Love her fervently.It is an hyperbolical expression.

5:22 Holden - He is in perfect bondage to his lusts, and is neither able nor wiling to set himself at liberty.

5:23 Die - He shall die in his sins. Astray - From the way of life, and from eternal salvation.

6  A caution against suretyship, Pro 6:1-5.
Against slothfulness, Pro 6:6-11.
The practice and end of a mischievous man, Pro 6:12-15.
Account of seven things which God hates, Pro 6:16-19.
An exhortation to keep the commandments, Pro 6:20-23.
Farther warnings against whoredom, Pro 6:24-35.

6:1 Surety - Rashly, without considering how thou shalt discharge the debt as occasion require. Otherwise suretyship in some cases may be not only lawful, but an act of justice and charity.Stricken thy hand - Obliged thyself by giving thine hand, as the custom then was in such cases. With - With the creditor, whom he calls a stranger, because the usurers in Israel, who lent money to others, upon condition of paying use for it, were either Heathens, or were reputed as bad as Heathens, because this practice was forbidden by God's law, Deu 23:19.

6:3 Hand - Into the power. Friend - Of the debtor, for whom, as being thy friend, thou didst become surety; whereby thou art in his power, by his neglect or unfaithfulness, to expose thee to the payment of the debt. Make sure - Or, and prevail with thy friend, strive to win him by thine incessant and earnest solicitations.