- little children:
- The words nearim ketannim not only signify little children but young men; for katon signifies not only little, but young, in opposition to old; and naar signifies not only a child, but a young man grown to years of maturity. Thus Isaac is called naar when twenty-eight years old, Joseph when thirty-nine, and Rehoboam when forty. These idolatrous young men, having heard of the ascension of Elijah, without believing it, blasphemously bade Elisha to follow him. The venerable prophet, from a Divine impulse, pronounced a curse "in the name of the Lord," which was immediately followed by the most terrible judgment; thus evincing the Source from which it flowed. "Yea,¹ young childrenª despisedª° me; I arose,ª° and they spakeª° against me." {Job 19:18} + "But now¹ [they that are] youngerªª than¹ I have me in derision,ª°¹ whose¹ fathersª I would have disdainedª° to have setª° with¹ the dogsª of my flock.ª" {Job 30:1} + "[They were] childrenª of fools,ª yea,¹ childrenª of base men:ª¹ they were vilerª° than¹ the earth.ª ... My harpª also is¹ [turned] to mourning,ª and my organª into the voiceª of them that weep.ª°" {Job 30:8-31} + "Even¹ a childª is knownª° by his doings,ª whether¹ his workª [be] pure,ª and whether¹ [it be] right.ª" {Prv 20:11} + "Train upª° a childª in¹ the wayª he should go:ª and¹ when¹ he is old,ª° he will not¹ departª° from¹ it." {Prv 22:6} + "Foolishnessª [is] boundª° in the heartª of a child;ª [but] the rodª of correctionª shall drive it farª° from¹ him." {Prv 22:15} + "Therefore removeª° sorrowª from thy heart,ª¹ and put awayª° evilª from thy flesh:ª¹ for¹ childhoodª and youthª [are] vanity.ª" {Ecc 11:10} + "Ahª sinfulª° nation,ª a peopleª ladenª with iniquity,ª a seedª of evildoers,ª° childrenª that are corrupters:ª° they have forsakenªª° the LORD,ª they have provokedªª° the Holy Oneª of Israelª unto anger,²° they are gone awayª° backward.ª" {Isa 1:4} + "And the peopleª shall be oppressed,ª° every oneª by another,ª and every oneª by his neighbour:ª the childª shall behave himself proudlyª° against the ancient,ª and the baseª° against the honourable.ª°" {Isa 3:5} + "The childrenª gatherª° wood,ª and the fathersª kindleª°¹ the fire,ª and the womenª kneadª° [their] dough,ª to makeª° cakesª to the queenª of heaven,ª and to pour outª° drink offeringsª unto otherª gods,ª that¹ they may provoke me to anger.ª°" {Jer 7:18}
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