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Michael Butterfield · #15 (**permalink**) 07-19-2005, 02:19 PM

Quote:

And all such as are clothed with strange apparel - the princes or courtiers who attired themselves in costly garments imported from abroad; partly for the sake of luxury, and partly to ingratiate themselves with foreign great nations whose costume they imitated, as well as their idolatries (Calvin); whereas in costume, as in other respects, God would have them to be separate from the nations. Grotius refers the "strange apparel" to garments forbidden by the law-e.g., men's garments worn by women, and vice versa-a pagan usage in the worship of Mars and Venus (Deut 22:5, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God." I think the reference is to the outlandish "vestments" (imported, like the idolatry itself, from the pagan abroad) in which the idolatrous Jews worshipped the idols. So the idolatrous Chemarim (Zeph 1:4) wore a black garment. Also, when the worshippers of Baal were summoned together by Jehu, and filled the house of Baal "from one end to another," Jehu "said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments." What a blessed contrast is presented by the "fine linen, clean and white," granted unto the Church, even "the righteousness of saints" (Rev 19:8 ), which is the righteousness of Christ.

Robert Jamieson, Andrew Fausset, and David Brown