For thus saith the Lord unto the king's house of Judah
That is, to the family of the king of Judah; though it may be rendered, "concerning the house of the king of Judah" F26; and so refer to his palace as before: thou [art] Gilead unto me, [and] the head of Lebanon;
or, though like to Gilead (which was a very fruitful country) for wealth, riches, and all kind of valuable things; and like to the top of Mount Lebanon F1, being set with tall cedars, for stateliness. So the Targum is,
``although thou art beloved before me more than the sanctuary, which is high upon the top of the mountains:''or thou shall be as Gilead, and Mount Lebanon, which belonged to the ten tribes of Israel, and are put for the whole kingdom of Israel, which was wasted by the king of Assyria; and in like condition should the royal palace at Jerusalem be, notwithstanding all its riches and grandeur, and so the city and temple likewise; as follows: [yet] surely I will make thee a wilderness, [and] cities [which] are