For the idols have spoken vanity
The vanities of the Gentiles cannot give rain; if they promise it, they speak vain things; God only can give it, and therefore it must, be asked of him, ( Jeremiah 14:22 ) . The word for idols is "teraphim", the same as in ( Genesis 31:19 ) ( Hosea 3:4 ) and here signifies worshippers of idols, as the Targum interprets it; and may be understood of the idolatrous Papists who worship idols of gold, silver, brass, and wood, ( Revelation 9:20 Revelation 9:21 ) and who speak lies in hypocrisy, great swelling words of vanity, and even blasphemy against God, his name, his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven, ( 1 Timothy 4:1 1 Timothy 4:2 ) ( Revelation 13:6 ) . Jarchi on ( 2 Kings 23:24 ) , says, the teraphim are images that speak by sorcerers or sorceries; and to such evils the followers of the man of sin are addicted, ( Revelation 9:21 ) ( 18:23 ) and the Jews F12 have a notion that those images were so formed, that they were capable of speaking and talking with men; see ( Hosea 3:4 ) they seem to confound them with the "talisman": and the diviners have seen a lie;
delivered it out, and others believed it, being given up to judicial blindness, because they received not the love of the truth, ( 2 Thessalonians 2:10 2 Thessalonians 2:11 ) . The Targum is,
``the diviners prophesy falsehood;''or preach false doctrine, as the Romish clergy do, who are meant by the diviners: and have told false dreams;
``they are scattered as sheep are scattered;''that is, the Jews, being hardened against the Christian religion, by the idolatry, lies, and dreams of the Papists, wander about in their mistakes and errors concerning the Messiah; which is their case to this day, and will be until the man of sin is destroyed: they were troubled, because [there was] no shepherd;
The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.