Declare ye it] 2 Samuel 1:20. The meaning is, the peoples calamities shall be so horrible, that it were to be wished that their deadly enemies; such as those of Gath, and other Philistims were, might never heare no news of it: for feare lest they should make triumphs for it, and should aggravate the measure of them by their insultings. weep ye not at all] Forbear making any shew of your miseries, for feare of giving your enemies occasion of laughter. Aphrah] That is, dust. roll thy self in the dust] Thou nation of Israel, in sign of extreme sorrow, Jeremiah 6:26. These names of Aphrah and Saphir, &c. are not found any where else; and yet seeme to signifie some noted places; therefore it is likely that they were framed by the Prophet, to make some allusion to the sense of his prophecie: as in stead of Ephraim, that is to say, fruitfulnesse, he saith house of Aphrah, that is to say, of ashes: to shew that this tribe, which was so mighty, should be ruined and brought to ashes. In stead of Samaria, that is, a place of coales, he saith, Saphir, that is, faire: to signifie the glory to which that citie was raised, and from which it should fall. In stead of Sion, he saith Zaanan, that is to say, a place of coming forth: of great concourse of persons going and coming: out of which place, when the Assyrians should over-run the countrey, one should not be able to come out. In stead of Bethel that is to say, the house of God, he saith Bethezel, that is to say, a house of separation: because God should forsake it, as an unclean place. In stead of Ramoth, which signifieth altitudes or heights, he saith Maroth, that is to say, bitternesses, by reason of the great and bitter mourning and lamentation, which should be made in it.