Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city!
KJV
Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
Commentary
Commentary
We now return to Jerusalem, and must again hear what God has to say to
her,
I. By way of reproof and threatening, for the abundance of wickedness
that was found in her, of which divers instances are given, with the
aggravations of them, ver. 1-7 .
II. By way of promise of mercy and grace, which God had yet in reserve
for them. Two general heads of promises here are:--
1. That God would bring in a glorious work of reformation among them,
cleanse them from their sins, and bring them home to himself; many
promises of this kind here are, ver. 8-13 .
2. That he would bring about a glorious work of salvation for them,
when he had thus prepared them for it, ver. 14-20 .
Thus the "Redeemer shall come to Zion," and to clear his own way, shall
"turn away ungodliness from Jacob." These promises were to have their
full accomplishment in gospel-times and gospel-graces.
1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing
city!
2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she
trusted not in the L ORD ; she drew not near to her God.
3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her
priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to
the law.
5 The just L ORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do
iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he
faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
6 I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made
their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are
destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none
inhabitant.
7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive
instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I
punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their
doings.
One would wonder that Jerusalem, the holy city, where God was known,
and his name was great, should be the city of which this black
character is here given, that a place which enjoyed such abundance of
the means of grace should become so very corrupt and vicious, and that
God should permit it to be so; yet so it is, to show that the law
made nothing perfect; but if this be the true character of
Jerusalem, as no doubt it is (for God's judgments will make none worse
than they are), it is no wonder that the prophet begins with woe to
her. For the holy God hates sin in those that are nearest to him,
nay, in them he hates it most. A sinful state is, and will be, a woeful
state.
I. Here is a very bad character given of the city in general. How has
the faithful city become a harlot!
1. She shames herself; she is filthy and polluted ( v. 1 ),
has made herself infamous (so some read it), the
gluttonous city (so the margin), always cramming, and making
provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts of it. Sin is the
filthiness and pollution of persons and places, and makes them odious
in the sight of the holy God.
2. She wrongs her neighbours and inhabitants; she is the oppressing
city. Never any place had statutes and judgments so
righteous as this city had, and yet, in the administration of the
government, never was more unrighteousness.
3. She is very provoking to her God, and in every respect walks
contrary to him, v. 2 .
He had given his law, and spoken to her by his servants the prophets,
telling her what was the good she should do and what the evil she
should avoid; but she obeyed not his voice, nor made conscience
of doing as he commanded her, in any thing. He had taken her under an
excellent discipline, both of the word and of the rod; but she did not
receive the instruction of the one nor the correction of the other, did
not submit to God's will nor answer his end in either. He encouraged
her to depend upon him, and his power and promise, for deliverance from
evil and supply with good; but she trusted not in the Lord; her
confidence was placed in her alliances with the nations more than in
her covenant with God. He gave her tokens of his presence, and
instituted ordinances of communion for her with himself; but she drew not near to her God, did not meet him where he appointed
and where he promised to meet her. She stood at a distance, and said
to the Almighty, Depart.
II. Here is a very bad character of the leading men in it; those that
should by their influence suppress vice and profaneness there are the
great patterns and patrons of wickedness, and those that should be her
physicians are really her worst disease.
1. Her princes are ravenous and barbarous as roaring
lions that make a prey of all about them, and they are universally
feared and hated; they use their power for destruction, and not for
edification.
2. Her judges, who should be the protectors of injured
innocence, are evening wolves, rapacious and greedy, and their
cruelty and covetousness both insatiable: They gnaw not the bones
till the morrow; they take so much delight and pleasure in cruelty
and oppression that when they have devoured a good man they reserve the
bones, as it were, for a sweet morsel, to be gnawed the next morning, Job xxxi. 31 .
3. Her prophets, who pretend to be special messengers from
heaven to them, are light and treacherous persons, fanciful, and
of a vain imagination, frothy and airy, and of a loose conversation,
men of no consistency with themselves, in whom one can put no
confidence. They were so given to bantering that it was hard to say
when they were serious. Their pretended prophecies were all a sham, and
they secretly laughed at those that were deluded by them.
4. Her priests, who are teachers by office and have the charge
of the holy things, are false to their trust and betray it. They were
to preserve the purity of the sanctuary, but they did themselves pollute it, and the sacred offices of it, which they were to
attend upon--such priests as Hophni and Phinehas, who by their wicked
lives made the sacrifices of the Lord to be abhorred. They were
to expound and apply the law, and to judge according to it; but,
in their explications and applications of it, they did violence to
the law; they corrupted the sense of it, and perverted it to the
patronising of that which was directly contrary to it. By forced
constructions, they made the law to speak what they pleased, to serve a
turn, and so, in effect, made void the law.
III. We have here the aggravations of this general corruption of all
orders and degrees of men in Jerusalem.
1. They had the tokens of God's presence among them, and all the
advantages that could be of knowing his will, with the strongest
inducements possible to do it, and yet they persisted in their
disobedience, v. 5 .
(1.) They had the honour and privilege of the Shechinah, God's dwelling
in their land, so as he dwelt not with any other people: " The just
Lord is in the midst of thee, to take cognizance of all thou doest
amiss and give countenance to all thou doest well; he is in the midst
of thee as a holy God, and therefore thy pollutions are the more
offensive, Deut. xxiii. 14 .
He is in the midst of you as a just God, and therefore will punish the
affronts you put upon him, and the wrongs and injuries you do to one
another."
(2.) They had God's own example set before them, in the discovery he
made of himself to them, that they might conform to it: " He will not
do iniquity, and therefore you should not;" for this was the great
rule of their institution, " Be you holy, for I am holy. God will
be true to you; be not you then false to him."
(3.) He sent to them his prophets, rising up early and sending them: Every morning he brings his judgment to light, as duly as the
morning comes; he fails not. He shows them plainly what the good
is which he requires of them, and puts them in mind of it; he wakens
morning by morning ( Isa. l. 4 ),
wakens his prophets with the rising sun, to bring to light the things
which belong to their peace. So that, upon the whole matter, what more
could have been done to his vineyard, to make it fruitful? Isa. v. 4 .
And yet, after all, the unjust know no shame; those that have
been unjust are unjust still, and are not ashamed of their
unrighteousness, neither can they blush. If they had any sense
of honour, any shame left in them, they would not go so directly
contrary to their profession and to the instructions given them. But
those that are past shame are past cure.
2. God had set before their eyes some remarkable monuments of his
justice, which were designed for warning to them
( v. 6 ): I have cut off the nations, the seven nations of Canaan, which
the land spewed out for their wickedness, upon which they had this
caution given them, to take heed lest it spew them out also, Lev. xviii. 28 .
Or it may refer to some of the neighbouring nations that were made
desolate for their wickedness, especially to the nations of Israel, the
ten tribes. Their towers were desolate, their high towers,
their strong towers, their pride and power broken; their streets
were wasted, so that none passed along through them; their
cities were destroyed and laid in ruins; no man was
to be found in them, no inhabitant, all were slain or carried
into captivity. The enemies did it, but God avows it: I cut them
off, says he. And God designed this for an admonition to Jerusalem
( Ezek. xxiii. 9, 11 ):
" I said, Surely thou wilt fear me; surely these judgments upon
others will deter thee from the like wicked practices; surely thou
wilt receive instruction by these providences; it ought to be
expected that thou wouldst not continue to sin like the nations when
thou seest the ruin which their sin brought upon them." They could not
but see their own house in danger when their neighbour's was on fire;
and, when we are frightened, God should be feared.
3. He had set before them life and death, good and evil, both in his
word and in his providence.
(1.) He had assured them of the continuance of their prosperity if they
would fear him and receive instruction, for so their dwelling would
not be cut off as their neighbour's was; if they took the warning
given them, and reformed, what was past should be pardoned, and their
tranquility lengthened out.
(2.) He had made them feel the smart of the rod, though he reprieved
them from the sword: Howsoever I punished them, that, being
chastened, they might not be condemned. Such various methods did God
take with them, to reclaim them, but all in vain; they were not won
upon by gentle methods, nor had severe ones any effect, for they
rose early, and corrupted all their doings; they were more resolute
and eager in their wicked courses than ever, more studious and
solicitous in making provision for their lusts, and let slip no
opportunity for the gratification of them. God rose up early, to
send them his prophets, to reduce and reclaim them, but they
were up before him, to shut and bolt the door against them.
Their wickedness was universal: All their doings were corrupted;
and it was all owing to themselves; they could not lay the blame upon
the tempter, but they alone must bear it; they themselves wilfully and
designedly corrupted all their doings; for every man is
tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust and enticed.
8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the L ORD , until the day that
I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the
nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine
indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall
be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they
may all call upon the name of the L ORD , to serve him with one
consent.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the
daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings,
wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take
away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and
thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor
people, and they shall trust in the name of the L ORD .
13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies;
neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for
they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
Things looked very bad with Jerusalem in the foregoing verses ;
she has got into a very bad name, and seems to be incorrigible,
incurable, mercy-proof and judgment-proof. Now one would think it
should follow, Therefore expect no other but that she should be utterly
abandoned and rejected as reprobate silver; since they will not
be wrought upon by prophets or providences, let them be made a
desolation as their neighbours have been. But behold and wonder at the
riches of divine grace, which takes occasion from man's badness to
appear so much the more illustrious. They still grew worse and worse, therefore wait you upon me, saith the Lord, v. 8 .
"Since the law, it seems, will make nothing perfect, the bringing in of a better hope shall. Let those that lament the
corruptions of the church wait upon God, till he send his Son
into the world, to save his people from their sins, till he send
his gospel to reform and refine his church, and to purify to himself a
peculiar people both of Jews and Gentiles." And there were those who,
according to this direction and encouragement, waited for
redemption, for this redemption in Jerusalem; and long-looked-for
came at last, Luke ii. 38 . For judgment Christ will come into this world, John ix. 39 .
I. To avenge what has been done amiss against his church, to bring down
and destroy the enemies of it, its spiritual enemies, of which the
destruction of Babylon, and other oppressors of God's people, in the
Old-Testament times, was a type, and would be a happy presage. He will rise up to the prey, to lead captivity captive ( Ps. lxvii. 18 ),
to conquer and spoil the powers of darkness, and the powers on earth
that set themselves against the Lord and his anointed; he will break them with a rod of iron ( Ps. ii. 5, 9; xi. 5, 6 );
his determination is to gather the nations and to assemble
the kingdoms. By the gospel of Christ preached to every creature
all nations are summoned, as it were, to appear in a body before the
Lord Jesus, who is about to set up his kingdom in the world. But, since
the greatest part of mankind will not obey the summons, he will pour
upon them his indignation, for he that believes not is condemned
already. At the time of the setting up of the kingdom of the
Messiah, there shall be on earth distress of nations with
perplexity ( Luke xxi. 25 ), great tribulation, such as never was, nor ever shall be, Matt. xxiv. 21 .
Then God pours upon the nations his indignation, even all his fierce
anger, for their indignation and fierce anger against the Messiah
and his kingdom, Ps. ii. 1, 2 .
Then all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of his
jealousy; both Jews and Gentiles shall be reckoned with for their
enmity to the gospel. Principalities and powers shall be spoiled, and made a show of openly, and the victorious Redeemer shall triumph
over them. The end of those that continue to be of the earth, and to mind earthly things, after God has set up the kingdom of
heaven among men, shall be destruction ( Phil. iii. 19 );
they shall be devoured with the fire of God's jealousy.
II. To amend what he finds amiss in his church. When God intends the
restoration of Israel, and the revival of their peace and prosperity,
he makes way for the accomplishment of his purpose by their reformation
and the revival of their virtue and piety; for this is God's method,
both with particular persons and with communities, first to make them
holy and then to make them happy. These promises were in part
accomplished after the return of the Jews out of Babylon, when by their
captivity they were thoroughly cured of their idolatry; and this was
all the fruit, even the taking away of sin. But they look further, to
the blessed effects of the gospel and the grace of it, to those times of reformation in which we live, Heb. ix. 10 .
1. It is promised that there shall be a reformation in men's discourse,
which had been generally corrupt, but should now be with grace seasoned
with salt
( v. 9 ):
" Then will I turn to the people a pure language; I will turn the
people to such a language from that evil communication which has
almost ruined all good manners among them." Note, Converting
grace refines the language, not by making the phrases witty, but the
substance wise. Among the Jews, after the captivity, there needed a
reformation of the dialect, for they had mingled the language of Canaan
with that of Ashdod
( Neh. xiii. 24 ),
and that grievance shall be redressed. But that is not all: their
language shall be purified from all profaneness, filthiness, and
falsehood. I will turn them to a choice language (so some read
it); they shall not speak rashly, but with caution and deliberation;
they shall choose out their words. Note, An air of purity and
piety in common conversation is a very happy omen to any people; other
graces, other blessings, shall be given where God gives a pure language
to those who have been a people of unclean lips.
2. That the worship of God, according to his will, shall be more
closely applied to, and more unanimously concurred in. Instead of
sacrifice and incense, they shall call upon the name of the
Lord. Prayer is the spiritual offering with which God must be
honoured; and, to prepare and fit us for that duty, it is necessary
that we have a pure language. We are utterly unfit to take God's
name into our lips, unless they be pure lips. The purifying of the
language in common conversation is necessary to the acceptableness of
the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart on our devotion;
for how can sweet waters and bitter come out of the same
fountain? James iii. 9-12 .
It is likewise promised that their language being thus purified they
shall serve God with one consent, with one shoulder (so
the word is), alluding to oxen in the yoke, that draw even. When
Christians are unanimous in the service of God the work goes on
cheerfully. This is the effect of the pure language, purified from
passion, envy, and censoriousness. Note, Purity is the way to unity;
the reformation of manners is the way to a comprehension. The
wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable.
3. That those that were driven from God shall return to him and be
accepted of him
( v. 10 ): From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, that is, from Egypt (so
described, Isa. xviii. 1 )
or from some other very remote country-- my suppliants, even the
daughter of my dispersed, shall bring my offering. Those that by
reason of their distance had almost forgotten God, their obligations to
him, shall be put in mind of him, as the prodigal son was of his
father's house, in the far country. Those that by reason of their
dispersion, under the tokens of his displeasure, might be afraid of
coming to him, yet even they shall be gathered under his wings; the daughter of his dispersed, that is afar off, will be
found among those whom the Lord our God shall call; and, though
they are dispersed, he will own them for his; his calling them my
dispersed puts honour upon them, sufficient to counterbalance all
the disgrace of their dispersion. These shall come,
(1.) With their humble petitions: They are my suppliants. Note,
True converts are suppliants to God; they do not plead, but make
supplication to their Judge ( Job ix. 15 );
and wherever they are, though beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, a
great way off from his house of prayer, he has his eye upon them and
his ear open to them; they are his suppliants.
(2.) With their spiritual sacrifices: They shall bring my
offering, shall bring themselves as spiritual sacrifices to God
( Rom. xii. 1 );
the conversion of the Gentiles is called the offering up of the
Gentiles ( Rom. xv. 16 );
and with themselves they shall bring the gospel-sacrifices of prayer,
and praise, and alms, with which God is well pleased.
4. That sin and sinners shall be purged out from among them, v. 11 .
God will take away,
(1.) Their just reproach: In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for
all thy doings. They shall be ashamed as penitents, and shall
continue to be so (see Ezek. xvi. 63 ),
but they shall not be ashamed as sinners that return to folly again.
" Thou shalt not be ashamed, that is, thou shalt no more do a
shameful thing, as thou hast done." The guilt of sin being taken away
by pardoning mercy, the reproach of it shall be rolled away from the
sinner's own conscience, that being purified, and pacified, and cleansed from dead works. When wickedness
and wicked people abound in a nation those few in it that are good are
ashamed of them and of their land; but when sinners are converted, and
the land reformed, that shame and the cause of it are removed.
(2.) Their unjust glorying: " I will take away out of the midst of
thee, not only the profane, who are a shame to thy land, but the
hypocrites, who appear beautiful outwardly, and rejoice in thy
pride, in the holy city, the holy house." These were indeed
Israel's glory, but they made them their pride, and rejoiced in them,
as if they were an invincible bulwark to secure them in their sinful
ways; they relied on them as their righteousness and strength, boasting
of the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord ( Jer. vii. 4 );
they were haughty because of the holy mountain, were conceited
of themselves, scornful of others, and set even the judgments of God at
defiance. Note, Church-privileges, when they are not duly improved as
they ought to be, are often made the matter of men's pride and the
ground of their security. But that haughtiness is the most offensive to
God which is supported and fed by the pretensions of holiness. This God
will silence and take away.
5. That God will have a remnant of holy, humble, serious people among
them, that shall have the comfort of their relation to him and interest
in him
( v. 12 ): I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people. When the Chaldeans carried away the Jews into captivity they left of
the poor of the land for vine-dressers and husbandmen, a type and
figure of God's distinguished remnant, whom he sets apart for himself.
They are afflicted and poor, low in the world; such God has chosen, James ii. 5 .
The poor are evangelized, low in their own eyes, afflicted for sin,
poor in spirit. They are God's leaving, for it is a remnant
according to the election of grace. I have reserved them to myself, says God
( Rom. xi. 4, 5 ), and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. Note, Those whom
God designs for the glory of his name he enables to trust in his name;
and the greater their affliction and poverty in the world are the more
reason they see to trust in God, having nothing else to trust to, 1 Tim. v. 5 .
6. That this select remnant shall be blessed with purity and peace, v. 13 .
(1.) They shall be blessed with purity, both in words and actions: They shall neither do iniquity nor speak lies. Justice and veracity
shall command them and govern them, though they be ever so much against
their secular interest. They shall not only not speak a direct
deliberate lie, but there shall not be a deceitful tongue found in
their mouth, not in the mouth of any of them; not the least
equivocation shall come from them.
(2.) They shall be blessed with peace. They shall, as the sheep of
God's pasture, feed and lie down, and none shall make them
afraid. They shall not be fearful themselves, nor shall any about
them be frightful to them. Note, Those that are careful not to do
iniquity need not be afraid of any calamity, for it cannot hurt them,
and therefore should not terrify them.
14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and
rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
15 The L ORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out
thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the L ORD , is in the
midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
17 The L ORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will
save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his
love, he will joy over thee with singing.
18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn
assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a
burden.
19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and
I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out;
and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have
been put to shame.
20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that
I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all
people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your
eyes, saith the L ORD .
After the promises of the taking away of sin, here follow promises of
the taking away of trouble; for when the cause is removed the effect
will cease. What makes a people holy will make them happy of course.
The precious promises here made to the purified people were to have
their full accomplishment in the comforts of the gospel, in the hope,
and much more in the enjoyment, of which, they are here called upon,
1. To rejoice and sing
( v. 14 ): Sing, O daughter of Zion! sing for joy; Shout, O Israel! in a holy transport and exultation; be glad and rejoice with all the
heart; let the joy be inward, let it be great. Those that love God
with all their heart have occasion with all their heart to rejoice in
him. It was promised
( v. 13 )
that their sins should be mortified and their fears silenced, and then
follows, Sing and rejoice. Note, Those that reform have
cause to rejoice, whereas Israel cannot rejoice for joy as other
people, while she goes a whoring from her God. God's promises, applied
by faith, furnish the saints with constant and abundant matter for joy;
they are filled with joy and peace in believing them.
2. To throw off all their discouragements
( v. 16 ): In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem (God will say it by
his prophets, by his providences, their neighbours shall say it, they
shall say it to one another), " Fear thou not, be not disposed to
fear, do not easily admit the impressions of it; when things are bad,
fear not their being worse, but hope they will mend; frighten not
thyself upon every occasion. Let not thy hands be slack or faint; wring not thy hands in despair; drop not thy hands in
despondence; disfit not thyself for thy work and warfare by giving way
to doubts and fears. Pluck up thy spirits, and, in token of that, lift
up thy hands, the hands that hung down, Heb. xii. 12; Isa. xxxv. 3 .
Lift up thy hands in prayer to God; lift up thy hands to help thyself."
Fear makes the hands slack, but faith and hope make them vigorous, and
the joy of the Lord will be our strength both for doing and
suffering.
Let us now see what these precious promises are which are here made to
the people of God, for the banishing of their griefs and fears and the
encouraging of their hopes and joys; and to us are these promises made
as well as to them.
I. An end shall be put to all their troubles and distresses
( v. 15 ):
" The Lord has taken away thy judgments, has removed all the
calamities thou hast been groaning under, which were the punishments of
thy sin; the noise of war shall be silenced, the reproach of famine
done away, and the captivity brought back. Though some grievances
remain, they shall be only afflictions, and not judgments, for sin
shall be pardoned. He has cast out thy enemy, that has thrust
himself into thy land, and triumphed over thee. He has swept out thy
enemy " (so some read it), "as dirt is swept out of the house to the
dunghill." When they sweep out their sins with the besom of reformation
God will sweep out their enemies with the besom of destruction. If
they should need correction, they shall fall into the hands of the
Lord, whose mercies are great, and shall not again fall into the hands
of man, whose tender mercies are cruel: " Thou shalt not see evil any
more, not such evil days as thou hast seen." Note, The way to get
clear of the evil of trouble is to keep clear from the evil of sin; and
to those that do so trouble has no real evil in it.
II. God will give them the tokens of his presence with them; though he
has long seemed to stand at a distance (they having provoked him to
withdraw), he will make it to appear that he is with them of a
truth: "The Lord is in the midst of thee, O Zion! of thee, O
Jerusalem! as the sun in the centre of the universe, to diffuse his
light and influence upon every part. He is in the midst of thee, to preside in all thy affairs and to take care of all thy interests."
And,
1. "He is the King of Israel ( v. 15 )
and is in the midst of thee as a king in the midst of his people." With
an eye to this, our Lord Jesus is called the King of Israel ( John i. 49 );
and he is, and will be, in the midst of his church always, even to the
end of the world, to receive the homage of his subjects, and to give
out his favours to them, even where but two or three are
gathered together in his name. 2. "He is the Lord thy God, thine in covenant, and he is in the midst
of thee as thy God, whom thou hast an interest in and whose own thou
art. He has put himself into dear relations to thee, laid himself by
promise under obligations to thee, and, that thou mayest have abundant
comfort in both, he is in the midst of thee, nigh at hand to
answer both."
3. "He that is in the midst of thee as thy God and King is mighty, is almighty, is able to do all that for thee that thou
needest and canst desire."
4. "He has engaged his power for thy succour: He will save. He will
be Jesus, will answer the name, for he will save his people from
their sins."
III. God will take delight in them, and in doing them good. The
expressions of this are very lively and affecting
( v. 17 ): He will rejoice over thee with joy, will not only be well
pleased with thee, upon thy repentance and reformation, and take thee
into favour, but will take a complacency in thee, as the bridegroom
does in his bride, or the bride in her ornaments, Isa. lxii. 3-5 .
The conversion of sinners and the consolation of saints are the joy of
angels, for they are the joy of God him-self. The church should be the joy of the whole earth ( Ps. xlviii. 2 ),
for it is the joy of the whole heaven. He will rest in his love, will be silent in his love, so the word is. "I will not rebuke
thee as I have done, for thy sins; I will acquiesce in thee, and in my
relation to thee." I know not where there is the like expression of
Christ's love to his church, unless in that song of songs, Cant. iv. 9 , Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse, with one of thy
eyes. O the condescensions of divine grace! The great God not only
loves his saints, but he loves to love them, is pleased that he has
pitched upon these objects of his love. He will joy over them with
singing. He that is grieved for the sin of sinners rejoices in the
graces and services of the saints, and is ready to express that joy by
singing over them. The Lord takes plea-sure in those that fear
him, and in them Jesus Christ will shortly be glorified and
admired.
IV. God will comfort Zion's mourners, who sympathize with her in her
griefs, and will wipe away their tears
( v. 18 ): I will gather those who are sorrowful for the solemn assemblies, to
whom the reproach of it was a burden. See,
1. Who those are whom God will rejoice in and make to rejoice. They are
such as are sorrowful. Those only must expect to reap in joy that sow
in tears. The sorrowful now shall be for ever joyful.
2. What is the great matter of sorrow to Zion's mourners, when Zion is
in mourning. Many are her calamities. The city is ruined, and the
palaces are demolished; trade is at an end, and the administration of
public justice; but all these are nothing to them in comparison with
the desolations of the sanctuary, the destruction of the temple and the
altar, to attend on which, in solemn feasts, all Israel used to come
together three times a year. It is for those sacred solemn assemblies
that they are sorrowful,
(1.) Because they are dispersed; there is no temple to come up to, or,
if there were, no people to come up to it; so that the solemn feasts
and sabbaths are forgotten in Zion, Lam. ii. 6 .
Note, The restraining of public assemblies for religious worship, the
scattering of them by their enemies, or the forsaking of them by their
friends, so that either there are no assemblies or not solemn ones, is
a very sorrowful thing to all good people. If the ways of Zion
mourn, the sons of Zion mourn too. And hereby they make it to
appear that they are indeed of Zion, living members of that body with
the grievances of which they are so sensibly affected.
(2.) Because they are despised; the reproach of the solemn assemblies
is a burden to them. It had been the lot of the solemn assemblies to
lie under a great deal of reproach. Satan and his instruments having a
particular spite at them, as the great support of the interest of God's
kingdom among men. Black and odious characters have been put upon those
assemblies; and this is a burden to all those that have a cordial
concern for the glory of God and the welfare of the souls of men. They
reckon that the reproaches of those who reproach the solemn assemblies
fall upon them, fall foul upon them.
V. God will recover the captives out of the hands of their oppressors,
and bring home the banished that seemed to be expelled, v. 19, 20 .
1. Their enemies shall be disabled to detain them in bondage: " At
that time I will undo all that afflict thee, will break their
power, and blast their counsels, so that they shall be forced to
surrender the prey they have taken." Conficiam--I will take them to
task; "I will be doing with them shortly, and so as to make an end
of them." Note, Those that abuse and oppress God's people take the
ready way to undo themselves.
2. They shall be enabled to assert and recover their liberty, and all
the difficulties in the way of it shall be surmounted. Is the church
weak and wounded? I will save her that halts, as was promised, Mic. iv. 7 .
He will help her when she cannot help herself; even the lame shall
take the prey, Isa. xxxiii. 23 .
Is she dispersed, and not likely to incorporate for her common benefit?
I will gather her that was driven out, and bring her again at
the time that I gather her. One act of mercy and grace shall serve
both to collect them out of their dispersions and to conduct them to
their own land. When the people's hearts are prepared, the work
will be done suddenly; and who can hinder it if God undertake to effect
it? " I will turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the
Lord; you shall plainly discern the hand of God in it, and say, This is the Lord's doing. "
VI. God will by all this put honour upon them and gain them respect
from all about them. Israel was at first made high above all nations
in praise and fame, Deut. xxvi. 19 .
The reproach brought upon them was therefore one of the sorest of their
grievances (nothing cuts deeper to those that are in honour than
disgrace does); and therefore when God returns, in mercy, to his
church, it is here promised that she shall regain her credit; all the
reproach shall be for ever rolled way, as Israel's at Gilgal, Josh. v. 9 .
The church shall be as honourable as ever she had been despicable.
1. Even those that reproached her shall be made to respect her: " I
will get them praise and fame in every land, where they have been put
to shame, that the same who were the witnesses of their disgrace
may see cause to change their mind concerning them." Those that said,
"This is Zion whom no man looks after," shall say, "This is Zion whom
the great God looks after." And she that was looked upon to be the offscouring of the earth now appears to be the darling of
heaven.
2. Even those that never knew her shall be brought to honour her
( v. 20 ): I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the
earth. So the Jewish church was when the fear of the Jews fell upon their neighbours
( Esth. viii. 17 ),
and some of all nations said, we will go with you, for we have heard
that God is with you, Zech. viii. 23 .
So the Christian church was when it was made to flourish in the world,
for there is that in it which may justly recommend it to the value and
esteem of all the people of the earth. And so the universal church of
the firstborn will be in the great day, when the saints shall be
brought together to Christ, that he may be admired and glorified in
them, and they admired and glorified in him before angels and men. Then
will God's Israel be made a name and a praise to eternity.
INTRODUCTION TO ZEPHANIAH 3
In this chapter the character of the city of Jerusalem, and its inhabitants in general, is drawn, as it would be, and as it was, in the times of Christ and his apostles, Zep 3:1 and of the principal persons of it in particular, its princes, judges, prophets, and priests, Zep 3:3. The hardness, impenitence, and shamelessness of this people, are exposed and aggravated by the just Lord being among them; who, by his example and doctrine, taught them otherwise; yet they were not amended or made ashamed, Zep 3:5 nor received instruction, nor took warning by the judgments of God on other nations, Zep 3:6 wherefore the followers of God are called upon to wait his time, who would gather many people together, and destroy the whole land of Judea, Zep 3:8 at which time he would send his Gospel among the Gentiles, who should thereby be brought to the true worship and service of God, Zep 3:9 though there should be a remnant among the Jews, according to the election of grace, that should be saved from that general calamity, Zep 3:11 and the spiritual Israel are encouraged with promises of better times, when the Jews in general should be converted and gathered into the church of God, have the presence and protection of God with them, and deliverance from all their enemies, and be a praise among all people of the earth, Zep 3:14.
Ver. 1. Woe to her that is filthy, and polluted,.... Meaning the city of Jerusalem, and its inhabitants; not as before the Babylonish captivity, but after their return from it, under the second temple, as Abarbinel owns; and even as in the times before and at the coming of Christ, and the preaching of his apostles among them; as the whole series of the prophecy, and the connection of the several parts of it, show; and there are such plain intimations of the conversion of the Gentiles, and of such a happy state of the Jews, in which they shall see evil no more, as can agree with no other times than the times of the Gospel, both the beginning and latter part of them. The character of this city, and its inhabitants, is, that it was "filthy", and polluted with murders, adulteries, oppression, rapine, and other sins: our Lord often calls them a wicked and an adulterous generation; and yet they pretended to great purity of life and manners; and they were pure in their own eyes, though not washed from their filthiness; they took much pains to make clean the outside of the cup, but within were full of impurity, Mt 23:25. In the margin it is, "woe to her that is gluttonous". The word is used for the craw or crop of a fowl, Le 1:16 hence some render it {t} "woe to the craw"; to the city that is all craw, to which Jerusalem is compared for its devouring the wealth and substance of others. The Scribes and Pharisees in Christ's time are said to devour widows' houses, Mt 23:14 and this seems to be the sin with which they were defiled, and here charged with. Some think the word signifies one that is publicly, infamous; either made a public example of, or openly exposed, as sometimes filthy harlots are; or rather one "that has made herself infamous" {u}; by her sins and vices:
to the oppressing city! that oppressed the poor, the widow, and the fatherless. This may have respect to the inhabitants of Jerusalem stoning the prophets of the Lord sent unto them; to the discouragements they laid the followers of Christ under, by not suffering such to come to hear him that were inclined; threatening to cast them out of their synagogues if they professed him, which passed into a law; and to their killing the Lord of life and glory; and the persecution of his apostles, ministers, and people: see Mt 23:13. Some render it, "to the city a dove" {w}; being like a silly dove without heart, as in Ho 7:11. R. Azariah {x} thinks Jerusalem is so called because in its works it was like Babylon, which had for its military sign on its standard a dove; See Gill on "Jer 25:38" see Gill on "Jer 46:16" see Gill on "Ho 11:11" but the former sense is best.
{t} harwm ywh "vae ingluviei", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. {u} ouav th paradeigmatizomhnh "vae huic quae infamatur", L'Empereur Not. in Mosis Kimchii oidopozia "ad scientiam", p. 174. so Drusius and Tarnovius. {w} hnwyh ryex poliv h peristera, Sept.; "civitas columba", V. L.; so Syr. Ar. Jarchi, and other Jewish interpreters. {x} Meor Enayin, c. 21. fol. 90. 1.
Zephaniah 3:2
Ver. 2. She obeyed not the voice,.... Of his servants the prophets, as the Targum, by way of explanation, adds, who warned her of her sins and of her ruin. The inhabitants of Jerusalem hearkened not to the voice of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, who gave notice of his coming; nor to the voice of Christ himself, who stretched out his hand all the day to a disobedient and gainsaying people; nor to the voice of his apostles, whose doctrines they contradicted and blasphemed; and put away the word of God from them, thereby judging themselves unworthy of eternal life:
she received not correction; by the rod, by the judgments of God upon her: or "instruction" {y}; by the Gospel preached to her inhabitants. So the Targum interprets it,
"she received not doctrine;''
the doctrine of baptism, repentance, and remission of sins, preached by John; but rejected the counsel of God by him against themselves, Lu 7:31 nor the doctrine and instruction of Christ and his apostles, though of more worth than gold and silver; but, on the contrary, slighted and despised it, and rejected it with the utmost contempt:
she trusted not in the Lord; not in the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; the essential Word, Christ Jesus; the Word made flesh, and dwelling among them; they trusted in the law of Moses, and in their obedience to it; in their rites and ceremonies, and in the observance of them, and the traditions of their elders; they trusted in the flesh, in their carnal privileges; in their own legal righteousness, and in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others; and particularly the righteousness of Christ they submitted not unto; they trusted not in him, nor in that; though they were told, that, if they believed not that he was the Messiah, they should die in their sins:
she drew not near to her God; Immanuel, God manifest in the flesh, who was promised to the Jews, and sent unto them, whom their fathers expected, and whose God he was, and theirs also; being in his human nature of them, and God over all blessed for ever; so far were they from drawing near to him, and embracing, him, that they hid, as it were, their faces from him; they would not come to him for life and light, for grace, righteousness, and salvation; nor even to hear him preach, nor suffer others to do the same; but, as much as in them lay, hindered them from attending his ministry, word, and ordinances. The Targum is,
"she drew not nigh to the worship of her God.''
{y} rowm "institutionem", Drusius, Tarnovius.
Zephaniah 3:3
Ver. 3. Her princes within her [are] roaring lions,.... Or, "as roaring lions"; there being a defect of the note of similitude; which is supplied by the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions. This is to be understood, not of the princes of the blood; but of civil magistrates in common; the members of the grand sanhedrim; the princes of the Jewish world, that crucified the Lord of glory; and who gaped upon him with their mouths like ravening and roaring lions, as is foretold they should, Ps 22:12 and who breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of Christ; and by their menaces endeavoured to frighten and deter them from preaching in his name, and from a profession of him; see 1Co 2:8:
her judges [are] evening wolves; or, like them, cruel, voracious, never satisfied; especially are very ravenous in the evening, having had no food all day; not daring to go abroad in the daytime to seek their prey; see Jer 5:6. The Septuagint and Arabic versions read "wolves of Arabia"; but wrongly; See Gill on "Hab 1:8" such rapacious covetous judges were there in Christ's time; who gives us an instance in one, by which we may judge of the rest, who feared not God, nor regarded men, Lu 18:2 such as these were hungry and greedy after gifts and bribes to pervert judgment, and to devour the poor, the widow, and the fatherless, on whom they had no mercy:
they gnaw not the bones till the morrow; or rather, "in the morning" {z}; that is, either they leave not the bones till the morning, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; they are so hungry, that they eat up bones and all at once, and reserve nothing for the next day; which expresses both the greediness of these judges, and the total consumption of the estates of men made by them: or else the sense is, that not having gnawn any bones in the morning, or eaten anything that day, hence they are so greedy in the evening; and so this last clause gives a reason why evening wolves are so voracious; for which such cruel judges are compared to them.
{z} rqbl "in mane", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "matutino", Cocceius.
Zephaniah 3:4
Ver. 4. Her prophets [are] light [and treacherous persons,.... The false prophets, as the Targum and Kimchi explain it: these seem to design the lawyers spoken of in the New Testament, whose business it was to interpret the law to the people; these were "light" men, good for nothing, of no worth and value; light in knowledge, as Kimchi gives the sense of the word; men of no brains; empty headed men, that had no substantial knowledge; giddy, unstable, and inconstant, and compliant with the humours and vices of the people; men of no gravity in their countenance, speech, and conversation. Schultens {a}, from the use of the word in the Arabic language, renders it "proud", as these men were, proud boasters; for, though they had but a superficial knowledge of things, they boasted of much, and carried it with a haughty and insolent air to the common people: and they were "treacherous" to God, and to his truths, and to the souls of men, and took away the key of knowledge from them; and particularly were so to Christ, of whom they were the betrayers and murderers, delivering him up into the hands of the Gentiles to be scourged and crucified, Mt 20:18:
her priests have polluted the sanctuary; the temple; by selling, or suffering to be sold in it, various things, whereby it became a den of thieves, which once was called a house of prayer, Mt 21:12 and also our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the sanctuary or temple was a type, by denying, blaspheming, and reproaching him, and by shedding his blood:
they have done violence to the law; by not teaching it as they should; and by their false glosses, senses, and interpretations of it; and by the traditions of the elders they preferred unto it, and whereby they made it void; see Mt 5:1 and Mt 15:1.
{a} Animadv. Philol. in Job, p. 144.
Zephaniah 3:5
Ver. 5. The just Lord [is] in the midst thereof,.... In the midst of the city of Jerusalem, where those princes, judges, prophets and priests, were, that behaved so ill, and saw and observed all their evil actions; and yet they were not deterred from them by his presence, even though he is the "just" and Holy One, who loves righteousness, and hates iniquity, and will punish for it; nor were they directed and allured to do what is righteous and good by his example. This character of the just Lord well agrees with Christ, who is perfectly righteous in both his natures, and in the execution of his offices; and is the author of righteousness to his people; and this is to be understood of his incarnation and personal presence in human nature in Jerusalem, and in the temple, where he taught his doctrine, and wrought his miracles:
he will not do iniquity; Christ was holy in his nature, harmless in his life; he knew no sin; he did not commit any; no violence was done by him, or guile found in him; he was not guilty of sin against God, nor of doing any injury to men; and should have been imitated by the men of the age in which he lived, as well as by others; and should have been valued and esteemed, and not traduced and vilified as he was, as if he had been the worst of men:
every morning doth he bring his judgment to light; the doctrine of the Gospel, which he set in the clearest light, and preached with the greatest constancy, day after day, morning by morning, and very early in the morning, when the people came to hear him in the temple; and he continued in it all the day; he waking morning by morning to this service, as was predicted of him, Isa 1:4 see Lu 21:37:
he faileth not; in this work of preaching the word, with the greatest evidence and assiduity:
but the unjust knoweth no shame: those unjust persons, who aspersed the character of Christ, and traduced his doctrine and miracles; though there was nothing in his life, nor in his ministry, that could be justly blamed, yet they blushed not at their sin and wickedness; and though they were sharply reproved by him, and their errors in principle, and sins in practice, were exposed by him, yet they were not ashamed; such were the hardness and obduracy of their hearts.
Zephaniah 3:6
Ver. 6. I have cut off the nations,.... Utterly destroyed them, as the Philistines, Moabites, Ethiopians, and Assyrians, as in the preceding chapters; all which were done before the coming of Christ in the flesh; and by which instances the Jews should have took warning, lest by their sins they should provoke the Lord to destroy their nation, city, and temple:
their towers are desolate; built on their frontiers, or on the walls of their cities, to defend them; these were demolished, and laid waste, and of no use: or, "their corners" {b}; towers being usually built on the angles or corners of walls. Some interpret this of their princes, nobles, and great men, who were destroyed; see Zec 10:4:
I made their streets waste, that none passeth by; the streets of their cities, the houses being pulled down by the enemy, the rubbish of them lay in the streets, so that there was no passing for any; and indeed, the houses being demolished, the streets were no more in form:
their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant; the houses being burnt with fire, or pulled down, and plundered of the goods and substance in them, and the people cut off by famine, pestilence, or sword; and the rest carried captive, there was scarce a man or inhabitant left; so general was the destruction.
{b} Mtwnp "anguli earum", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, Cocceius, Burkius.
Zephaniah 3:7
Ver. 7. I said, Surely thou wilt fear me,.... This is spoken after the manner of men; as if God should say within himself, and reason in his own mind, upon a view of things, surely the people of the Jews will take notice of my judgments executed on other nations, and will stand in awe of me on account of them; and fear to offend me, lest the same calamities should come upon them; this, humanly speaking, might be reasonably thought would be the case:
thou wilt receive instruction; by these judgments, taking warning by them; repent, reform, and amend, and thereby escape the like:
so their dwelling should not be cut off; or, "its dwelling"; the dwelling of the city of Jerusalem, the houses in it; the dwelling places of the inhabitants of it; the singular being put for the plural; unless the temple should be meant, as Abendana interprets it; and so it may be rendered "his dwelling" {c}; their house, which was left desolate to them, because they feared not the Lord; nor received instruction by the example of others; nor repented of their sins, and altered their course of life; which, if done, their dwelling would have been preserved, Mt 23:38:
howsoever I punished them; or "visited" {d} them; chastised them in a gentle manner, in order to reform them, but in vain. Some render it, "all which I committed to them" {e}; the oracles of God, his word and ordinances, his promises, and the blessings of his goodness, which he deposited with them, in order to do them good, and bring them to repentance. The Targum is,
"all the good things which I have said unto them (or promised them), I will bring unto them;''
and to the same sense Jarchi. The goodness of God should have brought them to repentance, yet it did not:
but they rose early, [and] corrupted all their doings; they were diligent and industrious eager and early, in the commission of sins, in doing corrupt and abominable works; receiving and tenaciously adhering to the traditions of the elders; seeking to establish their own righteousness, not submitting to Christ's; rejecting him the true Messiah; blaspheming his doctrines, despising his ordinances, and persecuting his people; besides other vices, which abounded among them; for which the wrath of God came upon them to the uttermost, as expressed in the following verse, Zep 3:8.
{c} hnwem "habitaculum; [vel] habitatio ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Burkius; "mansio ejus", Cocceius. {d} ytdqp "visitavi", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus. {e} "Omne id quod commendavi illi", Cocceius.
Zephaniah 3:8
Ver. 8. Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord,.... Or "nevertheless" {f}: this is said to the disciples and followers of Christ among the Jews; for there were some few that did fear the Lord, and received his doctrine, and submitted to his ordinances, and walked in his ways; and these are encouraged to wait upon the Lord; upon the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; or for him, and to expect that he would appear, and work salvation and deliverance for them, when distress should come upon the unbelieving Jews:
until the day that I rise up to the prey: until the day that he rose from the dead, quickly after which he ascended to heaven, leading captivity captive; Satan, and his principalities and powers, which he made a prey and spoil of upon the cross: or, till I rise "up for a testimony", or witness {g}; of his being the true Messiah; for his resurrection from the dead was the signal he gave as a testimony of it,
Mt 12:39. Some render it, "till I rise up to perpetuity": or, "for ever" {h}; for, when Christ rose from the dead, he rose to an immortal life, never to die more; and ever live he does to make intercession for his people, to secure their happiness for them, and to preserve them unto it; and therefore they have great encouragement to wait upon him, and for him:
for my determination [is] to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms; not the Chaldeans or Babylonians, as some; nor the armies of Gog and Magog, as Kimchi; but the Romans under Titus Vespasian, with whom were people of many nations, who came against Jerusalem, according to the decree, will, and appointment of God:
to pour upon them mine indignation, [even] all my fierce anger; not upon the nations and kingdoms assembled; but by them upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea, against whom they would be gathered; who had corrupted their doings, and provoked the Lord to stir up and pour out all his wrath upon them, in utterly destroying their nation, city, and temple: and the apostle, speaking of the same thing, at least of the beginning of it, calls it "wrath upon them to the uttermost": and which answers to the expressions of the Lord's indignation, and all his fierce anger, here used, 1Th 2:16:
for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy; not the whole world, and the several nations of it; but the whole land of Judea, and its inhabitants. The same phrase is used of the destruction of it by the Babylonians, Zep 1:18 and which shows, that not that destruction, but the destruction by the Romans, is here meant; or otherwise a tautology is here committed; but the following words show clearly that this respects, not the former, but the latter destruction of Jerusalem; since a pure language was not given to the nations or Gentiles after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians; but has been since it was destroyed by the Romans; and which was in a few years after Christ's resurrection from the dead, predicted in the beginning of this verse; by which may be observed the connection of things in this prophecy.
{f} Nkl, as in Hos. ii. 14. See Noldius. {g} eiv marturion, Sept. {h} "In futurum", V. L. "in perpetuum", some in Calvin; so Abendana; "in perpetuitatem", Cocceius.
Zephaniah 3:9
Ver. 9. For then will I turn to the people a pure language,.... That is, at or about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans; when the Jews, both in their own land, and in the Gentile world, would have the Gospel first preached to them, but would reject it; upon which the apostles and first ministers of the word would turn to the Gentiles, as the Lord commanded them; when he would turn or change his speech and language towards them, and their speech and language towards him would be turned and changed also: for the words may be taken either way; either of God's speech to the Gentiles, which is his Gospel sent unto them; as it was quickly after Christ's resurrection from the dead, and the rejection of it by the Jews; for many hundred years the Lord took no notice of them; winked at the times of their ignorance; sent no prophet to them, nor any message by anyone to instruct them; yea, he spake roughly to them, in a providential way; in the way of his judgments; particularly they raging and imagining vain things against his Messiah, he spake to them in his wrath, and vexed them in his sore displeasure; see Ac 17:30 but now he alters the tone of his voice, changes his language, and sends his Gospel to them; which is a "language" of love, grace, and mercy; of peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation; encouraging souls to believe in Christ for those things: and this is a "pure" speech or language; a pure doctrine, fetched out of the sacred Scriptures; free from the dross of error; unmixed, consistent, and all of a piece; and which has a tendency to promote purity of heart, life, and conversation: or, is a "choice speech" {h}; as some render it; it speaks of choice things, more valuable than gold and silver, pearls, and precious stones; the doctrines of it being an inestimable treasure, the unsearchable riches of Christ; and this, by the commission of Christ, upon his resurrection from the dead, was ordered to be spoke unto all nations, Mt 28:19 or this may respect the different language spoken by the converted Gentiles, when the Gospel should come with power to them; who should speak, as all converted persons do, a different language than they spake before; instead of swearing and cursing, lying, filthy, and frothy speaking, now they speak the language of repentance towards God, confessing their sins, and praying for the pardon of them; the language of faith in Christ, first in a more weak and feeble manner, then with more strength and assurance, believing their interest in him, and in the everlasting love of God, and the covenant of grace; the language of love to Christ, his people, truths, and ordinances; a soul abasing, Christ exalting, and free grace magnifying language; the language of praise and gratitude for mercies received, temporal and spiritual; and especially for Christ, and grace and glory by him: they then speak the language of gracious experience to one another; and in the language of the Scriptures, in the taught words of the Holy Ghost; and, in common conversation, their language is pure, and free from that corruption and vitiosity it was before tainted with: this arises from pureness of heart; from a rich experience of the grace of God; from the teachings of the Spirit of God; and which betrays a man, and shows that he has been with Jesus; this is the language of Canaan, Isa 19:18:
that they may all call upon the name of the Lord; which sometimes takes in the whole worship and service of God; but, since that is later expressed, it rather intends, in particular, prayer to God; for which men are fitted and qualified, by having a pure language turned to them; or through the Gospel coming with power on them; and by virtue of efficacious grace converting them, and causing them to speak differently from what they did before; and then it is their voice is heard in prayer to God; and which is delightful and pleasant to him, Ac 9:11 and this is the case of "all" such that have this pure language; there is not a prayerless soul among them: it follows,
to serve him with one consent; or, "with one shoulder" {i}; the allusion is, either to bearers of burdens, that join together in carrying any burden, who put shoulder to shoulder as they carry it; or else to oxen drawing in a yoke, who are yoked together shoulder by shoulder; hence the Septuagint version renders it "under one yoke": in which it is followed by the Syriac and Arabic versions. The phrase signifies, that the Gentiles having the Gospel brought to them, and they called by it, and all speaking the same language, should join in fellowship with one another, and sing the praises of God together; agree in prayer to ask of God the same things; stand fast in the faith of the Gospel, and strive for it, being of the same mind; meet constantly together to carry on the several branches of religious worship, and promote the Redeemer's interest; all drawing the same way, like a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots; having one heart, and one way given them to fear the Lord; and so, with one mind and one mouth, glorify God; so Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it with one heart and one mind. This passage is applied to the times of the Messiah by the Jews, ancient and modern {k}.
{h} hrwrb hpv "labium electum", Pagninus, Drusius. {i} dxa Mkv "humero uno", V. L. Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius. {k} Zohar in Gen. fol. 74. 1. Maimon. Hilchot Melachim, c. 11. sect. 5. Aben Ezra in Psal. cxlix. 7.
Zephaniah 3:10
Ver. 10. From beyond the rivers of ,.... Either the African Ethiopia, or Arabia Chusea, which lay between and : here some particular places and people are mentioned, in whom the preceding prophecy would be fulfilled. If these rivers of Ethiopia are such as ran in the midst of the country, and so point at some parts of it, though on the other side of them, then this prophecy might have its accomplishment, at least when the Evangelist Matthew went thither, and preached the Gospel, and very likely the Apostle Paul; as also when the Ethiopian eunuch was converted, who doubtless did what in him lay to promote the interest of Christ in those parts. Ben Melech makes this parallel with and illustrates it by Isa 18:1,
See Gill on "Isa 18:1",
See Gill on "Isa 18:7"; but if these design rivers on the furthermost borders of the country, which divided it from others, then Egypt, which lay beyond it, seems to be intended; and so the prophecy, in connection with the foregoing verse Zep 3:9, is the same with Isa 19:18 "in that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan"; of these rivers of Ethiopia, whether in Africa or Arabia Chusea,
See Gill on "Isa 18:1". The Targum renders it
"beyond the rivers of India:''
my suppliants, [even] the daughter of my dispersed: Aben Ezra, Kimchi, Abarbinel, and Ben Melech, take the words "Atharai Bathpusai" to be the proper name of a nation or family beyond the rivers of Ethiopia {l}; whereas they are characters which describe persons there, who should have the pure language turned to them, and call on the name of the Lord; even such, who, being made sensible of sin, and of their danger, would be humble supplicants at the throne of grace, and pray to the Lord for the discovery and application of pardoning grace and mercy to them, agreeably to the prophecy in Ps 68:31 "princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God"; that is, in prayer: and these are the sons and daughters of the Almighty, who are scattered abroad in the several parts of the world, and among the rest here; but as they are gathered together by Christ in redemption, so they are found out and reached by efficacious grace in calling, whether Jews or Gentiles. Some think the Jews are here meant, even the elect of God among them, who were dispersed in several nations, and particularly in Egypt and Ethiopia; who were met with by the Gospel, and converted in the first times of it; to these Peter and James direct their epistles: and of whom, being called by grace, it is said, they
shall bring mine offering; themselves as an offering to the Lord, souls and bodies, with all other spiritual sacrifices of prayer, praise, and well doing; and likewise such persons they may be the instruments of the conversion of, called the offering of the Gentiles,
Ro 15:16.
{l} So Menasseh ben . Spes Israelis, p. 57.
Zephaniah 3:11
Ver. 11. In that day shall thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me,.... Because these shall not be continued in, but repented of, and forsaken; and, besides, shall be forgiven, blotted out, covered, and remembered no more; so that they shall not be charged with them, condemned for them, or be confounded before God, angels, and men, on account of them; not but that shame always arises from a true sense of sin; and the more, as it is beheld in the glass of pardoning love, which is a branch of true evangelical repentance, at least a fruit and evidence of it, Eze 16:63 but then such are not ashamed to appear before God; but can with a holy confidence stand in his sight, their sins being pardoned, and their persons justified. This respects the Christian church or churches in Judea, the few that believed in Christ, called in a following verse the remnant of Israel Zep 3:13, at the time when the generality of the people of the Jews rejected the Messiah, and their city and temple were destroyed, and the Lord turned the pure language of the Gospel to the Gentiles:
for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride; the Scribes and Pharisees, and those that adhered to them of the Jewish nation, who rejoiced in those things which that people generally prided themselves in and boasted of; their descent from Abraham; their observance of the rites and ceremonies of the law, and the traditions of their elders, and their external legal righteousness; and they rejoiced in their boastings of these things, which rejoicing was evil; and they, in the pride of their hearts, despised Christ and his righteousness, his Gospel, ordinances, and people, which were the things in which they transgressed against the Lord, and for which they were taken away by the sword, famine, and pestilence, at the destruction of Jerusalem: this is further explained by the next clause:
and thou shall no more be haughty because of mine holy mountain: the temple; or, "in" {m} it; since it should now be destroyed: the Jews gloried in the temple, and behaved proudly and haughtily on the account of it; reckoned themselves secure, because of that; and trusted and gloried in the sacrifices there offered up, and the services there performed; see Jer 7:4.
{m} yvdq rhb "in monte sancto meo", V. L. Vatablus, Cocceius; "in monte sanctitatis meae", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Calvin, Burkius.
Zephaniah 3:12
Ver. 12. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people,.... Of a character just the reverse of the proud and haughty, that should be removed from Jerusalem and Judea by death or captivity; these are they that should be preserved from the general calamity, as the Christians were, and were left in the church of God: these were an "afflicted" people, as the Lord's people in all ages are afflicted with a body of sin; with the temptations of Satan; with the hidings of God's face; with bodily infirmities, and with the reproaches and persecutions of men; the first Christians, both among Jews and Gentiles, justly bore this character, especially with respect to the last article: and they were also "poor", for the most part the poor of this world, being stripped of their worldly enjoyments for the sake of Christ; but especially poor in spirit, broken hearted, contrite, lowly ones; that had a mean opinion of themselves, modest, meek, and humble; sensible of their spiritual poverty, and seeking after the true riches of grace and glory. The Targum renders it,
"a meek people, and receiving injuries;''
quietly and patiently:
and they shall trust in the name of the Lord; not in men, but in the Lord; not in descent from men, from the patriarchs, as the Jews were wont to do; not in Moses, as they, in his law, and obedience to it; not in any creature or creature enjoyment; not in wealth and riches: nor in their own hearts, or in their own righteousness; but in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; in his person for acceptance with God; in his righteousness for justification; in his blood for pardon and cleansing; in his sacrifice for atonement; in his fulness for supplies of grace; in his power and strength for protection and preservation; and in his obedience, sufferings, and death, for salvation and eternal life. This trust signifies, according to the sense of the word {n}, a betaking of themselves to Christ as a refuge; a hiding themselves under the shadow of his wings; under his person, blood, and righteousness, where they are covered and sheltered from the avenging justice of God; from the curses of the law, and wrath to come: it is a committing themselves into the hands of Christ; a leaning and staying upon him, expecting grace and glory from him; trusting him with all they have, and for all they want in time and eternity: and this the chosen, redeemed, and called ones, "shall do"; for, through the efficacious grace of God, faith is given to them, and wrought in them; and this is drawn forth into act and exercise by the same grace, and is continued in them, and shall never fail, through the powerful intercession of Christ for them; they shall believe, and go on believing, to the saving of their souls.
{n} wox "se recipient", Junius & Tremellius, Drusius, Burkius; "confugient", Cocceius.
Zephaniah 3:13
Ver. 13. The remnant of shall not do iniquity,.... This is the remnant, according to the election of grace, the few the Lord reserved for himself, left in the land, and in his church, for his own glory; who, being truly convinced of sin, and brought to believe in Christ, should leave and forsake their former course of sinning; not that they should be without sin, or none be committed by them; but should not live in it, and be workers of it; make a trade of sinning, and continue therein; or should not commit the sin against the Holy Ghost, as great numbers of the Jews did, in rejecting Jesus as the Messiah, against clear evidence, and the light of their own consciences:
nor speak lies; in common talk and conversation; which a child of God, a true believer in Christ, a real Christian, should not and dare not do, Isa 63:8 or doctrinal lies, lies in hypocrisy; such doctrines as are not of the truth of the Gospel, but contrary to it; such as the doctrine of justification by works; atonement by ceremonial sacrifices; acceptance with God, through the merits of their fathers; and keeping the traditions of the elders; and other Jewish lies and fables of the same stamp; but rejected by those who have embraced the truth, as it is in Jesus:
neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; having clean hearts created and right spirits renewed in them; being Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile, and true followers of Jesus, in whom nothing of this kind could be found:
for they shall feed, like a flock of sheep, to which they may be compared for their innocence and harmlessness, meekness and patience; feed in the fat pastures of the word and ordinances of Christ, under the care and guidance of him the good Shepherd; and so go in and out, and find pasture, food, and fulness of it, in him, his flesh, and blood; in his precious truths, and Gospel provisions made in his house:
and lie down; in green pastures of ordinances, beside the still waters of everlasting love and divine grace, and in the good fold of the church; all which is a reason why they do not and cannot sin as others do; nor tell lies, and be guilty of deceit and falsehood; for they are better taught; and the grace of God, in giving them spiritual food and rest, influences and engages them to such a conduct and behaviour: or, "therefore they shall feed" {o}, &c. being truly gracious and sincere souls, who cannot indulge themselves in sin, nor act a false and deceitful part:
and none shall make [them] afraid; of feeding in those pastures, and lying down in those folds; or shall deter them from an attendance on the word and ordinances; or joining in fellowship with the churches of Christ therein; neither Satan, the roaring lion, nor false teachers, and persecuting tyrants, those grievous wolves, and cruel bears; or so frighten them, that in their fright they shall tell lies, and use deceit.
{o} yk "ideo", Grotius.
Zephaniah 3:14
Ver. 14. Sing, O daughter of ,.... The congregation of Zion, as the Targum; the church of Christ in Gospel times, which has great reason to sing and rejoice, because of the coming of Christ, redemption by him, and all other benefits and blessings of grace; because of the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, and the numbers of souls converted, both among Jews and Gentiles; especially the church in the latter day is here called upon to sing for joy, when the Jews will be converted; to which these words and what follow relate:
shout, O Israel; the ten tribes, as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it; which shall now return, and all Israel shall be saved,
Ro 11:26 and therefore just cause of shouting, and of keeping a jubilee on that account:
be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem; the metropolis of the two tribes; for now the children of Israel and of Judah shall be together, and seek the Lord their God, and the true Messiah, and find him; and shall embrace him, profess and serve him; which will be matter of great joy; and this will be sincere and hearty, and devoid of all hypocrisy. Several terms are used, describing the people of the Jews, to comprehend them all; and several words to express their joy, in order to set forth the greatness of it, as their happy case would require; as follows:
Zephaniah 3:15
Ver. 15. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments,.... Both outward and inward; not only exile, poverty, contempt and reproach among the nations of the earth; but hardness of heart, blindness of mind, impenitence and unbelief, to which the Jews are now given up, in a judicial way; but at this time these shall be removed, through the goodness of God unto them, and the power of divine grace upon them: they will be brought to a sense of sin, and an acknowledgment of it; their iniquities will be pardoned; and, the cause being removed, the effects will cease; and all calamities, corrections and punishment, will end; and they will be put into the possession of their own land, and enjoy all the privileges of the church of God; and so will have just reason to sing, shout, and rejoice:
he hath cast out thine enemy; that is, the Lord has removed the enemy that was in possession of their land, and so made way, and prepared it for them; he has swept him away, as the word {p} signifies, with great force, with much ease, and like so much dirt and filth; he stood in their way, nor could they have easily removed him; but the Lord did it, or will do it; though it may be by instruments, by means of the Christian princes. This is to be understood of the eastern antichrist, the Turk, now in possession of the land of Israel {o}; but shall be obliged to depart from it, when this prophecy shall take place, for a reason following:
the King of Israel, [even] the Lord, [is] in the midst of thee; that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Messiah; one of whose titles is the King of Israel, of the spiritual Israel, King of saints, both Jews and Gentiles; in whose hearts he rules by his Spirit and grace; and to this passage the Jews in Christ's time seem to have respect, allowing this to be the character of the Messiah, Mt 27:42 and also Nathanael, Joh 1:49 now at this time Christ will be in the midst of the converted Jews, by his spiritual and gracious presence, as their King, to reign over them, to whom they will be subject; and to protect and defend them, and deliver them out of the hands of all their enemies; and so he is in all his churches, and will be to the end of the world:
thou shalt not see evil any more; the evil of affliction or punishment; the evil of captivity, disgrace, and contempt. This shows that this prophecy does not respect the Babylonish captivity, and deliverance from that; for, since that time, they have seen evil by Antiochus Epiphanes, in the times of the Maccabees; and by the Romans; and have had a large and long experience of it; but when they are converted, and returned to their own land in the latter day, all their afflictions and troubles will be at an end, they will know them no more. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "thou shalt not fear evil any more". So the Targum,
"thou shalt not be afraid from before evil any more.''
In the same sense Aben Ezra understands it,
"thou shalt not be afraid of the enemy any more;''
taking the word to come from another root {q}.
{o} Written about 1750. Editor. {p} hnp "everrit", Drusius; so Ben Melech; see Gen. xxiv. 31. "evacuerit", Cocceius. {q} A ary "timuit", so V. L. "non timebis", Pagninus, Piscator; "fore ut non timeas", Junius & Tremellius; "hinc non erit quod timeas amplius quicquam ", Burkius.
Zephaniah 3:16
Ver. 16. In that day it shall be said to , fear thou not,.... Do not be afraid of any enemies; neither outward ones, the armies of Gog and Magog, the Turk, who will threaten, and will attempt to dispossess them of their land, now returned to it; nor inward and spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, death, and hell, being all vanquished and subdued by Christ: this will be said, not by the enemies themselves, who will confess they have no power to stand before the mighty God, as Aben Ezra; but either by the prophets of the Lord, or by the people themselves, encouraging one another, every man his neighbour, as Kimchi; or rather by the Lord himself, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions supply it,
"the Lord shall say to Jerusalem;''
this will be said at the time of the Jews' conversion, when reinstated in their own land, and shall be threatened with another remove from it, which they will have no reason to fear:
[and to] Zion, Let not thine hands be slack; weak, remiss, hang down through fear of mind, and fainting of spirit; and so unfit to meet the enemy, or perform duty; but, on the contrary, pluck up a good heart, be of good courage, fear not the enemy, be vigorous, active, and diligent, in the performance of the service of the Lord, animated by the following considerations:
Zephaniah 3:17
Ver. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty,.... Every word carries in it something very encouraging to the church and people of God; and is an antidote against those fears and faintings they are subject to; Christ "is in the midst of" them; near at hand to support and supply them, to assist and strengthen them, to protect and defend them; he is not only near by his essential presence, which is everywhere; and by his providential presence, which is concerned with all his creatures; but by his gracious presence, peculiar to his church and people; and which gives them unspeakable joy, and is a sufficient security from all fears and dismayings; see Isa 41:10 and he, who is in the midst of them, is the Lord, Jehovah, the Being of beings, eternal, immutable, and all sufficient, possessed of all divine perfections; and their "God", God in their nature, "Immanuel", God with us; and who is "mighty", the Almighty God, the mighty Mediator, who has all power in heaven and earth; and, as man, the man of God's right hand, made strong for himself, and so able to save his people to the uttermost; to deliver them out of the hands of every enemy; to raise up his interest when ever so low, and to maintain and support it; to help and assist his people in every duty and service he calls them to:
he will save; he is as willing to save as he is able; he readily undertook in counsel and covenant to save the chosen ones; he came in the fulness of time to seek and to save that which was lost; he has wrought out salvation for them, and sees that it is applied unto them, and will come again to put them into the full possession of it: he saves them freely, fully, and everlastingly; he saves them from sin, Satan, the law, hell and wrath, and every spiritual enemy; nor has the church of Christ anything to fear from any temporal enemy; the converted Jews will have no reason to fear the Turk that will come against them with a vast army; for Christ, who will be in the midst of them, and at the head of them, will save them from him; to which salvation this passage has chiefly a respect;
he will rejoice over thee with joy; with exceeding great joy, not to be conceived of, or expressed; as a bridegroom rejoiceth over his bride: this will be the time of the open marriage of the Lamb with the Jewish church; and there will be strong expressions of joy on this occasion; Christ will rejoice over them to do them good; and there will be such singular instances of his goodness to them as will abundantly show the joy he will have in them:
he will rest in his love; continue in his love, without any variation or change; nothing shall separate from it; it shall always remain the same; he will take up his contentment and satisfaction in it; he will solace himself with it; it will be a pleasing thing to him to love his people, and to show it to them; he will take the utmost complacency and delight in expressing his love by words and deeds unto them: or, as some render it, "he will be silent because of his love" {r}; and not upbraid them with their sins; or reprove, correct, and chastise them in his hot displeasure; or say one word in a way of vindictive wrath: and he "will make" all others "silent"; every enemy, or whatever is contrary to them; such is his great love to them {s}; he will forgive their iniquities, and cover their sins, and in love to them cast them behind his back: or, "will be dumb" {t}; and not speak; as sometimes persons, when their affections are strong, and their hearts are filled with love at the sight of one they bear a great regard unto, are not able to speak a word. The phrase expresses the greatness of Christ's love to his people; the strength, fulness, and continuance of it: words seem to be wanted, and more are added:
he will joy over thee with singing; there is a pleonasm of joy in Christ's heart towards his people, and so a redundancy in his expression of it; he rejoices with joy, and joys with singing; which shows how delighted he is with his people, as they are his chosen, redeemed, and called ones; as they have his own righteousness upon them, and his own grace in them; they are his "Hephzibah", in whom he delights; his "Beulah", to whom he is married; and it is his love of complacency and delight, which is the source of all the grace and glory he bestows upon them; see Isa 62:3.
{r} wtbhab vyrxy "silebit", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Calvin; so Ben Melech; "tacebit", Munster, Cocceius. {s} So Burkius. {t} "Obmutescet", so some in Drusius.
Zephaniah 3:18
Ver. 18. I will gather [them that are] sorrowful for the solemn assembly,.... Who are grieved and troubled, because they cannot meet at the time and place of religious worship, or attend the word and ordinances of the Lord; either through distance of place, or infirmity of body; or through the menaces and persecutions of men: and to be prevented the use of the means of grace, upon any account, is a great concern of mind to truly gracious souls: or who are filled with grief and sorrow "for the appointed time" {u}; for the time of the Jews' deliverance from their present exile, and return to their own land, which seems to be delayed, and thought long; and so it may seem to some of them in distant parts, after they are converted; and for whose encouragement this is said, that the Lord will in his own due time and way gather such out of all places where they are, into his church, and among his people, to join with them in religious worship, and partake of all the ordinances and privileges of his house; and also gather them into their own land, and comfortably settle them there:
[who] are of thee; belong to the church of Christ; or however have a right to, and meetness for, a place in it; are her true and genuine children, being born again; and which appears by the taste they have for, and their desire after, the word and ordinances:
[to whom] the reproach of it [was] a burden; it being grievous and burdensome to them to hear the enemy reproach them with their exile and dispersion; with their distance from the place of worship, and their want of opportunity of attending to it: this was intolerable, a burden too heavy for them; it was like a sword in their bones, when they were asked, where is your God? and where are the ordinances of divine worship? and when will it ever be that you will attend them? see
Ps 42:1.
{u} dewmm "propter tempus, [sub.] diuturnum exsilii", Vatablus; "ex tempore statuto [judiciorum poenarumque]", Burkius.
Zephaniah 3:19
Ver. 19. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee,.... Or, "I will do" {w}; their business for them; "slay" them, as the Vulgate Latin version; and make an entire destruction of them, as the Targum; bring them to utter ruin. This must be understood of antichrist, both eastern and western, the Turk and Pope, and all the antichristian states that have afflicted the Jews, or shall attempt to distress them at the time of their conversion; and will be fulfilled at the time of the pouring out of the seven vials of God's wrath upon them, which will issue in the entire undoing and ruin of them, especially the seventh and last of them; which, when poured out, will clear the world of all the enemies of Christ, his church and people; and because this will be a wonderful event, and of great moment and importance, hence the word "behold" is prefixed to it, as exciting attention, as well as a note of admiration and asseveration: "and I will save her that halteth", that has sinned, and is weak in faith, and cannot walk, at least but haltingly; which is like a lame and maimed sheep, of which there is danger of its being left behind and lost; but the Lord here promises he will take care of such, and save them from all their sins, and out of the hands of all their enemies; and bring them through all difficulties and discouragements into his church, and to their own land; they shall none of them be lost, even the meanest and weakest of them, any more than the healthful and strong:
and gather her that was driven out; even everyone that was scattered abroad in each of the nations of the world; See Gill on "Mic 4:6" see Gill on "Mic 4:7":
and I will get them praise and fame in every land, where they have been put to shame; being converted, they shall be spoke well of everywhere; they shall be praised for their ingenuous acknowledgment of their sins; for their sincere repentance of them; and for their faith in Christ, and for their ready submission to his Gospel and ordinances; and the fame of their conversion shall be spread everywhere; and they shall be in great credit and esteem in all Christian countries, where their name has been used for a taunt and a proverb; and so, "instead of their shame", as R. Moses interprets it, they shall have glory and honour in all places.
{w} hvwe "agam", Tigurine version; "conficiam", Castalio; "ego conficiens", Calvin; "ego faciens, [vel] facio", Burkius.
Zephaniah 3:20
Ver. 20. At that time I will bring you [again], even in the time that I gather you,.... That is, at the time that the Lord will gather them in the effectual calling to himself and to his church, he will return them to their own land; and, as soon as the Jews are converted, they will not only be gathered into Christian churches, but will be gathered together in one body, and appoint themselves one head; and will go up out of each of the lands wherein they have been dispersed, and enter into their own land, and possess it; at the same time they are made partakers of the grace of God, they will enjoy all their civil privileges and liberties; see Ho 1:11:
for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth; this is repeated from the preceding verse Zep 3:19, for the confirmation of it; and in connection with the following clause, to show when it will be:
when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord; or "captivities" {x}; meaning not the several captivities of the kings of Judah in Babylon, as of Manasseh, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah; but the two fold captivity of this people, literal and spiritual; their present outward exile from their own land, captivity and dispersion among the nations; and their spiritual captivity or bondage, to sin, Satan, the law, and the traditions of their elders; from both which they will be delivered at one and the same time; and which will be notorious and manifest; what their eyes will see with pleasure and admiration; and which may he depended upon will be done, since the Lord has said it, whose purposes, promises, and prophecies, never fail of their accomplishment: he is God omniscient and knows with certainty what will be done; he is God omnipotent, and can and will do whatever he has determined, promised, or said should be done.
{x} Mkytwbv ta "captivitates vestras", Pagninus, Montanus, Calvin, Drusius.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
The holy God hates sin most in those nearest to
him. A sinful state is, and will be, a woful state. Yet they had the
tokens of God's presence, and all the advantages of knowing his
will, with the strongest reasons to do it; still they persisted in
disobedience. Alas, that men often are more active in doing
wickedness than believers are in doing good.
The holy God hates sin most in those nearest to
him. A sinful state is, and will be, a woful state.
Yet they had the
tokens of God's presence, and all the advantages of knowing his
will, with the strongest reasons to do it; still they persisted in
disobedience. Alas, that men often are more active in doing
wickedness than believers are in doing good.
Sources: Matthew Henry; Gill's Exposition; Matthew Henry Concise
Commentary
Commentary