of wicked and profane sinners, and of carnal professors, and especially of the antichristian party: so that no man went through thee; very few passengers in Zion's ways; few asked the way to her, or joined themselves in fellowship and worship with her. Jacob was small; the number of converts exceeding few: I will make thee an eternal excellency; the saints are the excellent in the earth, in the esteem of God and Christ; they, are their jewels and peculiar treasure, having the excellent graces of the Spirit of God in them; and the excellent robe of Christ's righteousness on them; an excellent knowledge of divine and spiritual things; an excellent spirit of love and unity; and an excellent order and discipline maintained among them; as well as excellent truths preached, and ordinances administered to them; all which shall continue, being made clearly to appear to be their case: the joy of many generations; of age and age (e); or, as the Targum, "the house of joy of generation and generation;'' that is, the church will be the joy of God and Christ, of the saints, and of the whole world, age after age, for a long period of time: see Isa 65:18 there seems to be some respect to Psa 48:2 . (e) "generationis et generationis", Vatablus, Pagninas, Montanus; "cujusque generationis", Vitringa.