Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of
wayfaring
men
Such as travellers take up with in a desert, when they are
benighted, and cannot reach a town or village. This the prophet
chose, partly that he might have an opportunity to give vent to
his grief, being alone; for which reason he did not desire to be
in cities and populous places, where he might be amused and
diverted while his people were in distress: and partly to show
his sympathy, not being able to bear the sight of their misery;
and also some degree of indignation at their impieties, which had
brought ruin upon them; on account of which it was more eligible
to dwell with the wild beasts of the desert than with them in his
native country: wherefore it follows, that I might leave my
people, and go from them;
which of itself was not desirable; no man chooses to leave his
country, his own people, and his father's house, and go into
distant lands and strange countries; and especially into a
wilderness, where there is neither suitable food nor agreeable
company: wherefore this shows, that there must be something very
bad, and very provoking, to lead him to take such a step as this:
the reason follows, for they be all adulterers;
either in a literal or figurative sense; the latter seems rather
intended; for though corporeal fornication and adultery might
greatly prevail among them, yet not to such a height as that
"all" of them were guilty; whereas idolatry did generally obtain
among them: an assembly of treacherous men; not a few only, but
in general they were apostates from God and from true religion,
and treacherous to one another. The Septuagint calls them "a
synod"; and Joseph Kimchi interprets it "a kingdom"; deriving the
word from (rue) , as it
signifies to have rule and dominion; denoting, that the kingdom
in general was false and perfidious.