Nevertheless — The calamity of this land and its inhabitants shall be great, yet not such as that which was brought upon it by the king of Assyria, who at first indeed dealt more gently with them, but afterwards rooted them out. He — God. Zebulun — These parts are particularly mentioned, because thi... [ Continue Reading ]
The people — Israel and Judah. Darkness — The expression is general and so may well comprehend both calamity and ignorance, idolatry and profaneness, in which those parts were eminently involved. Have seen — Shall see at the coming of the Messiah.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou hast — Thou hast made good thy promise to Abraham concerning the multiplication of his seed, by gathering in the Gentiles to the Jews. Before thee — In thy presence, and in the place of thy worship.... [ Continue Reading ]
The yoke — His burdensome yoke. The staff — The staff or staves by which he was forced to carry burdens upon his shoulders. The rod — Wherewith he beat him. Oppressor — Of all his oppressors, but especially of sin and the devil. As — When God destroyed the Midianites in so admirable a manner by thre... [ Continue Reading ]
Noise — With the triumphant exclamations of the conqueror, and the bitter lamentations of the conquered, and the different cries of the same persons, sometimes conquering, and sometimes conquered. Blood — With great difficulty and slaughter. But — But this victory which God's people shall have over... [ Continue Reading ]
For — Having spoken of the glorious light, and joy, and victory of God's people, he now proceeds to shew the ground of it. Us — Unto us Jews, of whom Christ was born, and to whom he was primarily sent. A child — The Messiah by the consent of interpreters, not only Christian, but Jewish: for so the a... [ Continue Reading ]
No end — His peaceable and happy government shall be extended to all the ends of the earth. The throne — Which was promised to David, and to his seed for ever. For ever — From the beginning of it to all eternity. The zeal — This great work shall be brought to pass by almighty God, out of that ferven... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord — The prophet, having inserted some consolatory passages for God's faithful people, returns to his former comminution against the rebellious Israelites. And — Heb. it fell, that is, it shall fall, in the prophetical style. It shall certainly be accomplished.... [ Continue Reading ]
Know — They shall know whether my word be true or false. Even — The people of the ten tribes, and particularly Ephraim, the proudest of them all. Samaria — The strongest place, and the seat of the king and court.... [ Continue Reading ]
Stones — We have received some damage; but, we doubt not we shall quickly repair it with advantage.... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore — To chastise your pride, and defeat your hopes. Set up — The Assyrians, who, presently after this prophecy, prevailed against him, 2 Kings 16:7. He mentions Rezin, because he was confederate with Ephraim. Join — So that they shall invade him from several quarters. His — Not Rezin's, but E... [ Continue Reading ]
Syrians — For though Rezin, king of Syria was destroyed, yet the body of the nation survived, and submitted themselves to the king of Assyria, and upon his command invaded Israel afterwards. Before — Heb. on the east: for Syria stood eastward from Israel. Behind — On the western side of the land of... [ Continue Reading ]
Him — To God.... [ Continue Reading ]
Head — High and low. Branch — The goodly branches of tall trees, the mighty and noble. Rush — The bulrush, the weakest and meanest persons. One day — All together, one as well as another.... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet — Whose destruction he mentions, not as if it were a punishment to them to be deprived of such persons, but partly to shew the extent of the calamity, that it should reach all sorts of persons; and partly to beat down their vain presumptions of peace and prosperity, by shewing that those... [ Continue Reading ]
The leaders — Their false prophets. Cause — By false doctrines and evil counsels and persuasions. Destroyed — Shall certainly perish.... [ Continue Reading ]
No joy — Shall not rejoice over them to do them good. Fatherless — Who are the special objects of his care and pity, and much less upon others. Every one — Not precisely; for there were seven thousand elect persons among them, when they seemed to Elijah to be universally corrupt, but the body of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Burneth — Shall burn you, as it follows, shall devour. Thorns — The low and mean persons; for these are opposed to the thickets of the forest, in the next clause. Forest — In the wood, where the trees are tall, and stand thick, having their bows entangled together, which makes them more ready both t... [ Continue Reading ]
Manasseh — Though more near and dear to one another than any other tribe, being both sons of Joseph.... [ Continue Reading ]