Micah 4 commentary

The nations have not yet so submitted to the Prince of Peace, as to beat their swords into ploughshares, nor has war ceased. But very precious promises these are, relating to the gospel church, which will be more and more fulfilled, for He is faithful that has promised. There shall be a glorious church for God set up in the world, in the last days, in the days of the Messiah. Christ himself will build it upon a rock. The Gentiles worshipped their idol gods; but in the period spoken of, the people will cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and delight in doing his will. The word “halteth,” describes those who walk not according to the Divine word. The collecting the captives from Babylon was an earnest of healing, purifying, and prospering the church; and the reign of Christ shall continue till succeeded by the everlasting kingdom of heaven. Let us stir up each other to attend the ordinances of God, that we may learn his holy ways, and walk in them, receiving the law from his hands, which, being written in our hearts by his Spirit, may show our interest in the Redeemer's righteousness.

Many nations would assemble against Zion to rejoice in her calamities. They would not understand that the Lord had collected them as sheaves are gathered to be threshed; and that Zion would be strengthened to beat them to pieces. Nothing has yet taken place in the history of the Jewish church agreeing with this prediction. When God has conquering work for his people to do, he will furnish them with strength and ability for it. Believers should cry aloud under distresses, with the prayer of faith, not with despondency.

Here Micah begins his address to the faithful, who were a remnant among that people; for though the infection had nearly extended over the whole body, there were yet a few, we know, who sincerely worshipped God. Hence Micah, that he might not dishearten God’s children by extreme terror, reasonably adds what we have now heard, — that though for a time the temple would be demolished and laid waste, it would yet be only for a season, for the Lord would be again mindful of his covenant. When, therefore, the Prophet had hitherto spoken of God’s dreadful vengeance, he directed his discourse to the whole people and to the princess; but now, especially, and as it were apart, addresses the pious and sincere servants of God; as though he said, “There is now a reason why I should speak to the few: I have hitherto spoken of the near judgment of God on the king’s counselors, the priests and the prophets; in short, on the whole community, because they are all become wicked and ungodly; a contempt of God and an irreclaimable obstinacy have pervaded the whole body. Let them therefore have what they have deserved. But now I address the children of God by themselves, for I have something to say to them.”

For though the Prophet publicly proclaimed this promise, there is yet no doubt but that he had regard only to the children of God, for others were not capable of receiving this consolation; nay, he had shortly before condemned the extreme security of hypocrites, inasmuch as they leaned upon God; that is, relied on a false pretense of religion, in thinking that they were redeemed by a lawful price when they had offered their sacrifices. And we know that we meet with the same thing in the writings of the Prophets, and that it is a practice common among them to add consolations to threatening, not for the sake of the whole people, but to sustain the faithful in their hope, who would have despaired, had not a helping hand been stretched forth to them: for the faithful, we know, tremble, as soon as God manifests any token of wrath; for the more any one is touched with the fear of God, the more he dreads his judgment, and fears on account of his threatening. We hence see how necessary it is to moderate threatenings and terrors, when prophets and teachers have a regard to the children of God; for, as I have said, they are without these fearful enough. Let us then know that Micah has hitherto directed his discourse to the wicked despisers of God, who yet put on the cloak of religion; but now he turns his address to the true and pious worshipers of God. And he further so addresses the faithful of his age, that his doctrine especially belongs to us now; for how has it been, that the kingdom of God has been propagated through all parts of the earth? How has it been, that the truth of the gospel has come to us, and that we are made partakers with the ancient people of the same adoption, except that this prophecy has been fulfilled? Then the calling of the Gentiles, and consequently our salvation, is included in this prophecy.

But the Prophet says, And it shall be in the extremity of days, In extremitate dierum, באחרית הימים, in the posteriority or postremity of the days; επ εσχατων των ημερων, in the last days.—Sept. “In the latter days,” or, “in the end of days.”—Newcome. “In the last of the days.”—Henderson. See Jeremiah 23:20; 30:24; Ezekiel 38:8; Daniel 10:14; Hosea 3:5 Kimchi, as quoted by Lowth, says, “Whenever the latter days are mentioned in Scripture, the days of the Messiah are always meant.” — Ed. that the mount of the house of Jehovah shall be set in order Dispositus, נכזן— constitus, constituted — praeparatus, prepared— firmatus, made firm — are the words by which the term is commonly expressed. It comes from כון, which Leigh justly says, means “aptly and timely to frame, and likewise to make firm and sure;” and he adds, “The word noteth the ordering, perfecting, and fast establishing of anything.” How suitably then it is here used: it is a mountain (which means evidently the Church) that is fitly framed, ordered, and firmly established. — Ed. on the top of mountains The extremity of days the Prophet no doubt calls the coming of Christ, for then it was that the Church of God was built anew; in short, since it was Christ that introduced the renovation of the world, his advent is rightly called a new age; and hence it is also said to be the extremity of days: and this mode of expression very frequently occurs in Scripture; and we know that the time of the gospel is expressly called the last days and the last time by John, (John 2:18,) as well as by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, (Hebrews 1:2,) and also by Paul, (2 Timothy 3:1;) and this way of speaking they borrowed from the prophets. On this subject some remarks were made on Joel 2. Paul gives us the reason for this mode of speaking in 1 Corinthians 10:11: “Upon whom,” he says, “the ends of the world are come.” As Christ then brought in the completion of all things at his coming, the Prophet rightly says that it would be the last days when God would restore his Church by the hand of the Redeemer. At the same time, Micah no doubt intended to intimate that the time of God’s wrath would not be short, but designed to show that its course would be for a long time.

It shall then be in the last of days; that is, when the Lord shall have executed his vengeance by demolishing the temple, by destroying the city, and by reducing the holy place into a solitude, this dreadful devastation shall continue, not for one year, nor for two; in a word, it will not remain only for forty or fifty years, but the Lord will let loose the reins of his wrath, that their minds may long languish, and that no restoration may be evident. We now then understand the Prophet’s design as to the last days.

He calls the mount, the mount of the house of Jehovah, Marckius adduces the opinions of the ancients as to the signification of this “mount.” Some, such as Tertullian, Jerome, and Augustine, interpret it of Christ; while others, namely, Origen, the two Cyrils, and Chrysostom, regard it as signifying the Church; and with the latter most modern commentators agree. Here the consent of moderns exceeds that of the ancients; and it is no doubt sounder and wiser. — Ed. in a sense different from what he did before; for then it was, as we have stated by way of concession; and now he sets forth the reason why God did not wish wholly to cast aside that mount; for he commanded his temple to be built there. It is the same, then, as though he said, — “This ought not to be ascribed to the holiness of the mountain, as if it excelled other mountains in dignity; but because there the temple was founded, not by the authority of men, but by a celestial oracle, as it is sufficiently known.”

The mount then of the house of Jehovah shall be set in order on the top of the mountains, that is it shall surpass in height all other mountains; and it shall be raised, he says, above the highest summits, and assemble Convenient, ונהרו, literally, “and flow;” σπευσουσι — hasten, Sept. It is flowing like that of a river, or of a strong current, and implies copiousness and spontaneity. “There shall be,” says Henry, “a constant stream of believers flowing in from all parts into the Church, as the people of the Jews flowed into the temple, while it was standing, to worship there.”

Kimchi says, that this word means to “run to what is pleasing or delightful,” —”currere ad beneplacitum, hoc est, ad id quod cupias An old author, quoted by Leigh, says, that it implies abundance and celerity — affluentiam cum celeritate It is rendered “flow together” in Jeremiah 51:44.

Instead of “peoples,” עמים, Isaiah has כל חגוים, “all the nations.” One MS. Has the same here, and three have כל before עמים, and this seems to be the correct reading. עם, in the plural number, is synonymous with גוים, meaning nations. The rest of this verse is exactly the same in the two Prophets, except that נכון, “prepared,” is differently placed, and הוא, “it,” is added by Micah after נשא, “exalted.”

In the second verse, which is the third in Isaiah, there is a complete verbal identity, except that גוים and עמים are reversed, and that ו before אל is wanting in Isaiah; but it is supplied in several MSS.

In the third, the fourth in Isaiah, there are verbal varieties in the two first lines, the four remaining are exactly the same with the exception of a paragogic ן, nun, added to a verb by Micah, and the verb ישאו is singular in Isaiah. In the two lines referred to, there is also an addition of עד רחוק, “afar of,” in Micah.

Isaiah. ושפט בין הגוים 4. והוכיחלעמים רבים And he shall judge among the nation, And shall convince many peoples.

Micah.

whwkyx lgwyM eumyM ed rxwq wspj byN emyM rbyM And he shall judge among many peoples, And shall convince strong nations afar off.

With this verse the passage ends in Isaiah; Micah adds another: and this, with the two other circumstances — that the passage is fuller and more connected with the context here than in Isaiah, may seem to favor the opinion that Isaiah, and not Micah, was the copyist; but the words, with which the passage is introduced in Isaiah, forbid such a supposition.

“Bishop Lowth, on Isaiah 2:2, thinks that Micah took this passage from Isaiah. It is true that he has improved it after the manner of imitators. Or, the Spirit may have inspired both with this prediction: or both may have copied some common original, the words of a Prophet well known at the time. — Newcome. there shall all nations. It is certain, that by these words of the Prophet is to be understood no visible eminence of situation: for that mount was not increased at the coming of Christ; and they who lived in the time of the Prophet entertained no gross idea of this kind. But he speaks here of the eminence of dignity, — that God would give to mount Zion a distinction so eminent, that all other mountains would yield to its honor. And how was this done? The explanation follows in the next verse. Lest, then, any one thought that there would be some visible change in mount Zion, that it would increase in size, the Prophet immediately explains what he meant and says, at the end of the verse, Come shall nations to God. It is now easy to see what its elevation was to be, — that God designed this mount to be, as it were, a royal seat. As under the monarchy of the king of Persia, the whole of the east, we know, was subject to one tower of the Persian; so also, when mount Zion became the seat of sovereign power, God designed to reign there, and there he designed that the whole world should be subject to him; and this is the reason and the Prophet said that it would be higher than all other mountains. Hence his meaning, in this expression, is sufficiently evident.

There follows, however, a fuller explanation, when he says, that many nations would come He said only before that nations would come: but as David, even in his age, made some nations tributary to himself, the Prophet here expresses something more, — that many nations would come; as if he had said, “Though David subjugated some people to himself, yet the borders of his kingdom were narrow and confined, compared with the largeness of that kingdom which the Lord will establish at the coming of his Messiah: for not a few nations but many shall assemble to serve him, and shall say,” etc. The Prophet now shows that it would be a spiritual kingdom. When David subdued the Moabites and the Amorites, and others, he imposed a certain tribute to be paid annually but he was not able to establish among them the pure and legitimate worship of God, nor was he able to unite them in one faith. Then the Moabites and other nations, though they paid a tribute to David, did not yet worship the true God, but continued ever alienated from the Church. But our Prophet shows that the kingdom, which God would set up at the coming of the Messiah, would be spiritual.

For they shall say, Marckius says, “corde, ore, et opere — with the heart, mouth, and in deed.” Let us you and ascend to the mount of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for, go כי, ki, for, or because: what follows contains the reason for the preceding promise. How could it be, that the mount of the house of Jehovah should be firmly fixed on the top of mountains, etc.? The answer is here given, “for go forth shall a law from Zion,” etc. And this was literally fulfilled at the commencement of the Gospel; it was first preached at Jerusalem: in consequence of this, the mount of Jehovah’s house, or the Church, was formed; and what is here predicted was in part fulfilled, and will no doubt be hereafter more completely fulfilled.

It is said, “on top of the mountains,” not of a mountain. The Church was not to be confined to one place, but was to be preeminent throughout the earth. It was to be coextensive with the word that was to go forth from Zion. — Ed. forth shall a law from Zion, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem Throughout this passage the Prophet teaches us, that people are not to be constrained by an armed force, or by the power of the sword, to submit to David’s posterity, but that they are to be really and thoroughly reformed, so that they submit themselves to God, unite with the body of the Church, and become one people with the children of Abraham; for they will yield a voluntary service, and embracing the teaching of the Law, they will renounce their own superstitions. This then is the Prophet’s meaning. But the remainder we shall defer till to-morrow.

Prayer.

Grant, Almighty God that as thou hast been pleased to erect the throne of thy Son among us, we may rely on his protection and learn to resign ourselves wholly to thee, and never turn aside here and there, but with tulle obedience so submit ourselves to the King who has been appointed by thee, that he may own us as his legitimate people, and so glorify thy name, that we may not at the same time profane it by an ungodly and wicked life, but testify by our works that we are really thy subjects. and that thou attains full authority over us, so that thy name may be sanctified and thy Spirit may really guide us, until at length thy Son, who has gathered us when we were awfully gone astray, gather us again to that kingdom, which he as purchased for us by his own blood. Amen.

Lecture Eighty-eighth

We began yesterday to explain the prophecy, in which Micah promises the restoration of the Church. We have said that this promise cannot be understood except of Christ’s kingdom, for it refers to the last days. And it was also added, that the superiority and eminence of mount Zion, of which he speaks, cannot be otherwise understood than of God’s spiritual kingdom; for the explanation follows, when he says, that many nations would come to be taught in the ways of the Lord. We hence see that an earthly empire is not what is here predicted, but what exists through the word and celestial doctrine. But each particular ought to be considered by us. We yesterday said, that in the distinct mention made of many nations, there is to be understood a contrast; for till that time God was only known by one people. Since God then had chosen the race of Abraham alone, there is here pointed out a future change, when he shall gather his Church from various nations, so as to do away with the difference between the Gentiles and the Jews.

It now follows, They shall say, Come, and let us ascend to the mount of Jehovah The Prophet shows in these words that not only each one would be obedient to God, when called, but that they would also encourage one another: and this ardor is what is justly required in the faithful; they ought to animate and stir on one another; for it is not enough for each of us himself to obey God, but this zeal ought to be added, by which we may strive to produce a mutual benefit. This concern then is what the Prophet now refers to, when he says, “Come, that we may ascend to the mountain of the Lord.” He might have said, that people would come, and there close his sentence; but he wished to join the two clauses, — that they, who had before despised the God of Israel, would come from all parts, — and also that they would become exhorters to one another. Come then that we may ascend. But the manner of the exhortation deserves to be noticed; for each one offers himself as a companion in the journey. We indeed see that many are prompt enough, when others are to be stimulated in their duty; but they at the same time lie still; their whole fervor is consumed in sending others, and they themselves move not, no, not a finger; so far are they from running with alacrity in company with others. The Prophet shows here, that the faithful will be so solicitous about the salvation of their brethren that they will strenuously run themselves, and that they will prescribe nothing to others but what they themselves perform. Come then that we may ascend; they say not, “Go, ascend to the mount of Jehovah;” but, Let us go together.” It is then the right way of encouraging, when we really show that we require nothing from our brethren but what we desire to do ourselves.

The circumstance of time must now be noticed; for what the Prophet says respecting the nations coming into mount Zion, as it was to be reduced to a waste, might have appeared a fable; for what had he shortly before predicted? That Zion would be plowed as a field, and that trees would grow there, that it would become a wild forest. How then could it be, that many nations would flow to it as to a most renowned place, as it was to be reduced to a dreadful desolation? But the Prophet here extols the wonderful power of God, — that in this wild and desert place there would at length be raised a noble and a celebrated temple, where God would show mercy to his own people. Hence he promises what this mount of Jehovah would be, which was for a time to be forsaken; and that there would be, as formerly, a noble temple in the place, where desolation had for a season existed.

It afterwards follows, And he will teach us of his ways. Both Newcome and Henderson render the ו, vau, here, that, “that he may teach us,” etc.: but it is better to retrain the most common meaning as a simple copulative, as it is done in our version, and by Calvin, and by Lowth in Isaiah. The passage thus runs better, and more emphatically expresses the language of faith. — Ed. Here the Prophet in a few words defines the legitimate worship of God: for it would not be sufficient for the nations to come together into one place to profess the one true God, unless true obedience followed, which rests on faith, as faith does on the word. It ought then to be especially noticed, that the Prophet sets here the word of God before us, in order to show that true religion is founded on the obedience of faith, and that God cannot be truly worshipped, except when he himself teaches his people, and prescribes to them what is necessary to be done. Hence when the will of God is revealed to us, we then can truly worship him. When the word is again taken away, there will indeed be some form of divine worship; but there will be no genuine religion, such as is pleasing to God. And hence we also learn, that there is no other way of raising up the Church of God than by the light of the word, in which God himself, by his own voice, points out the way of salvation. Until then the truth shines, men cannot be united together, so as to form a true Church.

Since it is so, it follows, that where the truth is either corrupted or despised, there is no religion, at least such as is approved by God. Men may indeed boast of the name with their lips: but there is no true religion before God, except it be formed according to the rule of his word. It hence also follows, that there is no Church, except it be obedient to the word of God, and be guided by it: for the prophet defines here what true religion is, and also how God collects a Church for himself. He will then teach us of his ways And a third particular may be added, — that God is robbed of his right and of his honor, when mortals assume to themselves the authority to teach; for it is to God alone that this office of teaching his people can strictly be ascribed. (proprie tribuitur.) There were then priests and prophets, yet Micah here brings them down to their proper state, and shows that the right and the office of teaching would be in the power of the only true God. We hence see that God claims this office for himself, that we may not be tossed to and fro, and led astray by various teachers, but continue in simple obedience to his word, so that he alone may be the Supreme. In short, God is not the God and Head of the Church, except he be the chief and the only Teacher.

Wheat he now says, “He will teach us of his ways,” ought to be thus understood. He will teach us what his ways are; as though the Prophet had said, that the perfect wisdom of men is to understand what pleases God, and what is his will: for there is nothing farther to be learnt.

It follows, And we will walk in his paths. By this clause we are reminded, that the truth of God is not, as they say, speculative, but full of energizing power. God then not only speaks to the end that every one may acknowledge that to be true which proceeds from him, but at the same time he demands obedience. Hence we shall then only be the disciples of God, when we walk in his ways: for if we only nod with our ears, as asses are wont to do, and assent to what God says with our mouth and lips, it is extremely vain and absurd. It is therefore then only that men really profit under the teaching of God, when they form their life according to his doctrine, and be prepared with their feet to walk, and to follow whithersoever be may call them. We will then walk in his paths

Micah had hitherto related only what the faithful would do; he now himself confirms the same truth, For from Zion shall go forth a law, So Newcome renders it; Lowth and Henderson read the same with our version, “the law.” The absence of the definite article is certainly no objection, as it is but seldom used in Hebrew. But “a law” is better except we render the copulative before “word,” even; and then we shall destroy the distinct character of the line. It appears that, according to the usual style of the Prophets, what the first line states indefinitely, is in the second specified, as being the “word of Jehovah.”

The word תורה, law, in Hebrew, is more comprehensive than the word law, in our language. It is derived from the Hiphil of ירה, which means to direct, to appoint, to instruct, to teach. Hence the noun, תורה, may be rendered, directory, institution, law, teaching, or doctrine. “It doth,” says Leigh, “not only signify strictly what is to be done, but it denoteth largely any heavenly doctrine, whether it be promise or precept.” It means often the whole of God’s revealed word, as in Psalm 1:2; Psalm 119:174, etc. See Joshua 1:8. — Ed. and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. Here is a reason given why many nations would come to the temple of the Lord; and that is, because a doctrine would be then promulgated, which had been before heard only in one place. We indeed know that the Jews came to the temple, not only to worship, but also to be instructed in the Law of God. The Law then had at that time, as it were, its habitation in Zion: there was the sanctuary of celestial wisdom. But what does our Prophet say? A law shall go forth from Zion, that is, it shall be proclaimed far and wide: the Lord will show, not only in one corner, what true religion is, and how he seeks to be worshipped, but he will send forth his voice to the extreme limits of the earth. A law then shall go forth from Zion, according to what is said in Psalm 110,

‘the scepter of thy power the Lord will send forth from Zion.’

In that passage the doctrine of Christ is metaphorically called a scepter, or is compared to a royal scepter; for Christ does not otherwise rule among us, than by the doctrine of his Gospel: and there David declares, that this scepter would be sent far abroad by God the Father, that Christ might have under his rule all those nations which had been previously aliens. Such is the meaning in this place, A law from Zion shall go forth Then it follows, The word of Jehovah from Jerusalem This is a repetition of the same sentiment, which is often the case. Then by תורה, ture, the Prophet means no other thing than doctrine: but, by another term, he confirms the same thing, that is that God would be heard not only at Jerusalem and in Judea, but that he would make his word to be proclaimed everywhere. It now follows —

Micah 4:3

3. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

3. Et judicabit inter populos multos, et arguet (vel, corripiet) gentes robustos usque in longinquum, et concident gladios suos in vomeres, et lanceas suas in falces: non tollent gens contra gentem gladium, et non assuescent ultra praelio.

The Prophet here describes the fruit of Divine truth, — that God would restore all nations to such gentleness, that they would study to cultivate fraternal peace among themselves, and that all would consult the good of others, having laid aside every desire for doing harm. As then he has lately showed, that the Church of God could not be otherwise formed than by the Word, and that the legitimate worship of God cannot be set up and continued, except where God is honored with the obedience of faith; so now he shows that Divine truth produces this effect, — that they, who before lived in enmity towards one another and burned with the lust of doing harm, being full of cruelty and avarice, will now, having their disposition changed, devote themselves wholly to acts of kindness. But, before the Prophet comes to this subject, he says, —

He will judge There is a difference of opinion as to the nominative case to the verb “judge;” whether it be Jehovah in the preceding line, or the word of Jehovah. The most natural construction is the last supposition. Jerome and Cyril, as quoted by Marckius, refer it to the word of Jehovah, taking the word for Christ: but this cannot be admitted, as the law and the word seem to mean the same thing, and must be considered as the word of the Gospel; and Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, when referring to this passage regard it as such. And this is the view which Marckius seems to prefer. The rendering then would be, —

And it shall judge among many people, And convince strong nations afar off. among many people, and will reprove strong nations. The word judge, in Hebrew, means the same as to rule or govern. It is certain that God is spoken of here: it is then the same as though the Prophet had said that though the nations had not hitherto obeyed God, they would now own him as king and submit to his government. God has indeed ever governed the world by his hidden providence, as he does still govern it: for how much soever the devil and the ungodly may rage; nay, how ever much they may boil with unbridled fury, there is no doubt but that God restrains and checks their madness by his hidden bridle. But the Scripture speaks of God’s kingdom in two respects. God does indeed govern the devil and all the wicked, but not by his word, nor by the sanctifying power of his Spirit: it is so done, that they obey God, not willingly, but against their will. The peculiar government of God is that of his Church only, where, by his word and Spirit, He bends the hearts of men to obedience, so that they follow him voluntarily and willingly, being taught inwardly and outwardly, — inwardly by the influence of the Spirit, — outwardly by the preaching of the word. Hence it is said in Psalm 110, ‘Thy willing people shall then assemble.’ This is the government that is here described by the Prophet; God then shall judge; not as he judges the world, but he will, in a peculiar manner, make them obedient to himself so that they will look for nothing else than to be wholly devoted to him.

But as men must first be subdued before they render to God such obedience, the Prophet expressly adds, And he will reprove (corripiet) or convince (arguet) many people. And this sentence ought to be carefully noticed; for we hence learn, that such is our innate pride, that not one of us can become a fit disciple to God, except we be by force subdued. Truth then would of itself freeze amidst such corruption as we have, except the Lord proved us guilty, except he prepared us beforehand, as it were, by violent measures. We now then perceive the design of the Prophet in connecting reproof with the government of God: for the verb יכח, ikech, signifies sometimes to expostulate, to convince, and sometimes to correct or reprove. The two verbs here used are שפט, to judge, and הוכיח, in Hiphil, to reprove. The first is to decide what is right and wrong, and also to defend the right and to punish the wrong; hence it means to arbitrate, and also to vindicate as well as to punish. The first sense is most suitable to this place. — The other verb does not occur in Kal, but in Hiphil, it means to make manifest, or show, by facts or by words, or by action; and hence it signifies to demonstrate, to convince, to reprove, to chastise. The Septuagint often renders it by ελεγχειν, which, Parkhurst says, means, in its primary sense, to demonstrate by convincing reasons or arguments. Lowth’s version in Isaiah is, “And shall work conviction,” etc. Newcome renders it “convince.” The rendering of Henderson, “give decision,” is not to be approved. See John 16:8. — Ed. In short, the wickedness and perversity of our flesh are here implied; for even the best of us would never offer themselves to God, without being first subdued, and that by God’s powerful correction. This, then, is the beginning of the kingdom of Christ.

But when he says, that strong nations would be reproved, he hereby eulogizes and sets forth the character of the kingdom of which he speaks: and we hence learn the power of truth, — that strong men, when thus reproved, shall offer themselves, without any resistance, to be ruled by God. Correction is indeed necessary, but God employs no external force, nor any armed power, when he makes the Church subject to himself: and yet he collects strong nations. Hence then is seen the power of truth: for where there is strength, there is confidence and arrogance, and also rebellious opposition. Since then the Lord, without any other helps, thus corrects the perverseness of men, we hence see with what inconceivable power God works, when he gathers his own Church. It is to be added, that there is not the least doubt, but that this is to be applied to the person of Christ. Micah speaks of God, without mentioning Christ by name; for he was not yet manifested in the flesh: but we know that in his person has this been fulfilled, — that God has governed the universe, and subjected to himself the people of the whole world. We hence conclude that Christ is true God; for he is not only a minister to the Father, as Moses, or any one of the Prophets; but he is the supreme King of his Church.

Before I proceed to notice the fruit, the expression, רחוק עד, od rechuk, “afar off” must be observed. It may intimate a length of time as well as distance of place. Jonathan applies it to a long continuance of time, — that God would convince men to the end of the world. But the Prophet, I doubt not, intended to include the most distant countries; as though he had said, that God would not be the king of one people only, or of Judea alone, but that his kingdom would be propagated to the extremities of the earth. He will then convince people afar off

He afterward adds, with respect to the fruit, They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks I have already briefly explained the meaning of the Prophet: he in fact shows that when the nations should be taught by the word of God, there would be such a change, that every one would study to do good, and to perform the duties of love towards his neighbors. But by speaking of swords and spears he briefly intimates, what men, until they are made gentle by the word of the Lord, are ever intent on iniquitous tyranny and oppression; nor can it be otherwise, while every one follows his own nature; for there are none who are not wedded to their own advantages, and the cupidity of men is insatiable. As then all are thus intent on gain, while every one is blinded by self-love, what but cruelty must ever break forth from this wicked principle? Hence then it is, that men cannot cultivate peace with one another; for every one seeks to be the first, and draws every thing to himself; no one will willingly give way: then dissensions arise, and from dissensions, fightings. This is what the Prophet intimates. And then he adds, that the fruit of the doctrine of Christ would however be such, that men, who were before like cruel wild beasts, would become gentle and meek. Forge then shall they their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks.

Raise, he says, shall not a nation a sword against a nation, and accustom themselves they shall no more to war He explains here more fully what I have before said, — that the Gospel of Christ would be to the nations, as it were, a standard of peace: as when a banner is raised up, soldiers engage in battle, and their fury is kindled; so Micah ascribes a directly opposite office to the Gospel of Christ, — that it will restore those to the cultivation of peace and concord, who before were given to acts of hostility. For when he says, ‘Raise a sword shall not a nation against nation,’ he intimates, as I have already stated, that wherever Christ does not reign, men are wolves to men, for every one is disposed to devour all others. Hence as men are naturally impelled by so blind an impulse, the Prophet declares, that this madness cannot be corrected, that men will not cease from wars, that they will not abstain from hostilities, until Christ becomes their teacher: for by the word למד, lamed, he implies, that it is a practice which ever prevails among mankind, that they contend with one another, that they are ever prepared to do injuries and wrongs, except when they put off their natural disposition. But gentleness, whence does it proceed? Even from the teaching of the Gospel.

This passage ought to be remembered; for we here learn, that there is not growing among us the real fruit of the Gospel, unless we exercise mutual love and benevolence, and exert ourselves in doing good. Though the Gospel is at this day purely preached among us, when yet we consider how little progress we make in brotherly love, we ought justly to be ashamed of our indolence. God proclaims daily that he is reconciled to us in his Son; Christ testifies, that he is our peace with God, that he renders him propitious to us, for this end, that we may live as brethren together. We indeed wish to be deemed the children of God, and we wish to enjoy the reconciliation obtained for us by the blood of Christ; but in the meantime we tear one another, we sharpen our teeth, our dispositions are cruel. If then we desire really to prove ourselves to be the disciples of Christ, we must attend to this part of divine truth, each of us must strive to do good to his neighbors. But this cannot be done without being opposed by our flesh; for we have a strong propensity to self-love, and are inclined to seek too much our own advantages. We must therefore put off these inordinate and sinful affections, that brotherly kindness may succeed in their place.

We are also reminded that it is not enough for any one to refrain from doing harm, unless he be also occupied in doing good to his brethren. The Prophet might indeed have said only They shall break their swords and their spears; so that they shall hereafter abstain from doing any hurt to others: this only is not what he says; but, “They shall forge,” or beat,” their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;” that is, when they shall abstain from all injuries they will seek to exercise themselves in the duties of love, consistently with what Paul says, when he exhorts those who had stolen to steal no more, but to work with their own hands, that they might relieve others (Ephesians 4:28.) Except then we endeavor to relieve the necessities of our brethren, and to offer them assistance, there will not be in us but one part of true conversion, as the case is with many, who are not indeed inhuman, who commit no plunder, who give no occasion for complaint, but they live to themselves, and enjoy unprofitable leisure. This indolence the Prophet here indirectly condemns, when he speaks of the plowshares and the pruning hooks.

Again, a question may be here asked, — Was this fulfilled at the coming of Christ? It seems that the Prophet does not describe here the state of the Church for a time, but shows what would be the kingdom of Christ to the end. But we see, that when the Gospel was at first preached, the whole world boiled with wars more than ever; and now, though the Gospel in many parts is clearly preached, yet discords and contentions do not cease; we also see that rapacity, ambition, and insatiable avarice, greatly prevail; and hence arise contentions and bloody wars. And at the same time it would have been inconsistent in the Prophet to have thus spoken of the kingdom of Christ, had not God really designed to perform what is here predicted. My answer to this is, — that as the kingdom of Christ was only begun in the world, when God commanded the Gospel to be everywhere proclaimed, and as at this day its course is not as yet completed; so that which the Prophet says here has not hitherto taken place; but inasmuch as the number of the faithful is small, and the greater part despise and reject the Gospel, so it happens, that plunders and hostilities continue in the world. How so? Because the Prophet speaks here only of the disciples of Christ. He shows the fruit of his doctrine, that wherever it strikes a living root, it brings forth fruit: but the doctrine of the Gospel strikes roots hardly in one out of a hundred. “All these predictions must be confined to the nations converted by the word of Jehovah, and brought into Zion, that is, such as truly repent and believe, and must not be extended to all nations indiscriminately, or to all who embrace the Christian name, who are often as far as possible from the kingdom of Christ, inasmuch as they neither learn nor follow his doctrine. — Marckius. The measure also of its progress must be taken to the account; for so far as any one embraces the doctrine of the Gospel, so far he becomes gentle and seeks to do good to his neighbors. But as we as yet carry about us the relics of sin in our flesh, and as our knowledge of the Gospel is not yet perfect, it is no wonder, that not one of us has hitherto wholly laid aside the depraved and sinful affections of his flesh.

It is also easy hence to see, how foolish is the conceit of those, who seek to take away the use of the sword, on account of the Gospel. The Anabaptists, we know, have been turbulent, as though all civil order were inconsistent with the kingdom of Christ, as though the kingdom of Christ was made up of doctrine only, and that doctrine without any influence. We might indeed do without the sword, were we angels in this world; but the number of the godly, as I have already said, is small; it is therefore necessary that the rest of the people should be restrained by a strong bridle; for the children of God are found mixed together, either with cruel monsters or with wolves and rapacious men. Some are indeed openly rebellious, others are hypocrites. The use of the sword will therefore continue to the end of the world.

We must now understand that at the time our Prophet delivered this discourse, Isaiah had used the very same words, (Isaiah 2:4:) and it is probable that Micah was a disciple of Isaiah. They, however, exercised at the same time the Prophetic office, though Isaiah was the oldest. But Micah was not ashamed to follow Isaiah and to borrow his words; for he was not given to self ostentation, as though he would not adduce any thing but what was his own; but he designedly adopted the expressions of Isaiah, and related verbally what he had said, to show that there was a perfect agreement between him and that illustrious minister of God, that his doctrine might obtain more credit. We hence see how great was the simplicity of our Prophet, and that he did not regard what malevolent and perverse men might say: “What! he only repeats the words of another.” Such a calumny he wholly disregarded; and he thought it enough to show that he faithfully declared what God had commanded. Though we have not the עד רחיק, od rechuk, in Isaiah, yet the meaning is the same: in all other things they agree. It now follows—

Micah 4:4

4. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it

4. Et sedebunt (hoc est, quiescent, vel, quieti habitabunt) quisque sub vite sua et sub ficn sua; et nemo erit qui exterreat; quia os Jehovae exercituum loquutum est.

Micah goes on here with the same subject, — that when the minds of men shall be disposed to acts of kindness, every one shall enjoy God’s blessing without being disturbed. There seems indeed to be two things here included, — that acts of hostility shall cease, — and that real happiness cannot exist among men, except Christ rules among them by the doctrine of his Gospel. And the same thing the prophets teach elsewhere, that is, that every one shall live without fear; and this they do, in order to show that men ever live in a miserable dread, except when they are safe under the protection of God. It is the same thing as though the Prophet had said, that the life of men is most miserable, where the doctrine of the Gospel is not had, inasmuch as when they are disturbed by continual disquietude, every one fears for himself, every one suffers constant terrors. There is nothing more miserable than such a state of things, for peace is the chief good.

We now then understand the meaning of the Prophet to be, — that under the reign of Christ the faithful shall enjoy true and full happiness, as they shall be exempt from trembling and fear; hence he names the vine and the fig-tree. He might have said, “Every one shall live securely at home;” but he says, Every one shall rest under his own fig-tree and under his own vine; that is, though exposed to thieves, he shall yet fear no violence, no injury; for those who were thieves shall observe what is just and right; those who were bloody shall study to do good. Hence when no one closes the door of his house, yea, when he goes out into the fields and sleeps in the open air; he will still be safe and secure. We now then see why the Prophet mentions here the fig-tree and the vine, rather than the dwelling-house.

And there will be no one to terrify them. What the Prophet designed to express is here more clearly specified, — that there would be no danger, and that there would therefore be no need of hiding-places or of any defenses. Why? Because the very fields, he says, will be free from every thing that may hurt, as there will be none to cause fear. And the Prophet seems to allude to the blessing promised in the Law, for Moses used nearly the very same words: and the Prophets, we know, drew many things from the Law; for their design was to retain the people in its doctrine, and to render it as familiar as possible to them. As then Moses promised, among other things, this security,

‘Ye shall sleep, and none shall terrify you,’ (Leviticus 26:6;)

so the Prophet also, in speaking here of the kingdom of Christ, shows that this blessing would be then fully accomplished.

He now at last subjoins, The mouth of Jehovah hath thus spoken, that he might confirm what seemed incredible: for, as I have already said, since he had shortly before predicted the devastation of mount Zion and the ruin of the temple, it seemed very improbable that the nations would come there to worship God. But he declares that the mouth of God had thus spoken, that the faithful might overcome all obstacles and struggle against despair; though they saw the temple destroyed, the mount Zion desolated, though they saw a horrible waste and wild beasts occupying the place of men; they were yet to continue to entertain firm hope. — How so? Because Jehovah has made a promise and he will fulfill it: for when mention is made of God’s mouth, his omnipotence is to be understood by which will be executed whatever he has promised.

Prayer.

Grant, Almighty God, that since, at the coming of Christ thy Son, thou didst really perform what thy servants, the Prophets, had previously so much foretold, and since thou daily invites us to the unity of faith, that with united efforts we may truly serve thee, — O grant, that we may not continue torn asunder, every one pursuing his own perverse inclinations, at a time when Christ is gathering us to thee; nor let us only profess with the mouth and in words, that we are under thy government, but prove that we thus feel in real sincerity and may we then add to the true and lawful worship of thy name brotherly love towards one another, that with united efforts we may promote each other’s good, and that our adoption may thus be proved and be more and more confirmed, that we may ever be able with full confidence to call on thee as our Father through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lecture Eighty-ninth

Micah 4:5

5. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

5. Quia omnes populi ambulabunt, quisque in nomine dei sui; nos autem ambulabimus in nomine Jehovae Dei nostri in seculum et usque.

Micah, after having spoken of the restoration of the Church, now confirms the same truth, and shows that the faithful would have reason enough to cleave constantly to their God, and to despise all the superstitions of the world, and that though they may be tossed here and there by contrary opinions, they will yet continue in true religion. This verse then is connected with the kingdom of Christ; for until we are gathered, and Christ shines among us and rules us by his word, there can be in us no constancy, no firmness. But when under the auspices of Christ, we join together in one body the Church, such then becomes the constancy of our faith, that nothing can turn us from the right course, though new storms were at any time to arise, by which the whole world might be shaken, and though it were to happen that the universe should be agitated or pass away. We now understand what the Prophet means.

He therefore says, All nations shall walk every one in the name of his god. This sentence must be thus explained, — “Though nations be divided into various sects, and each be addicted to their own superstitions, yet we shall continue firm in the pure worship of God and in unity of faith.” But this question occurs, how could the Prophet say that there would be such discords in the world, when he had shortly before spoken of the Church being gathered and united together? for he had said, Come shall all nations, and each will say, Come, let us ascend into the mount of Jehovah. There seems to be here some sort of inconsistency, — that all nations would come to mount Zion, and yet that every people would have their own gods. But the solution is not difficult: the Prophet in this verse strengthens the faithful, until Christ should be revealed to the world: nor is there any doubt but the Prophet intended to sustain the confidence of the godly, who might have otherwise been overwhelmed a hundred times with despair. When the children of Israel were driven into exile, when their inheritance was taken away from them, when the temple had been demolished, when, in a word, no visible religion existed, they might, as I have said, have desponded, had not this promise come to their minds, — that God would restore mount Zion, and gather a Church from the whole world. But there was also need of some confirmation, and this is what the Prophet now subjoins. Hence he says, “Since the Lord gives you hope of so glorious a restoration, you ought to feel confidence. and, in reliance on his promise, to continue in his true worship, how much soever the Gentiles may serve their own idols, and boast that they have the true God. However, then, every one of the nations may take pride in their superstitions, you ought not to fluctuate, nor turn here and there, like reeds, which are tossed to and fro, as the wind changes; but ye shall continue firm and steady in your course; for ye know that God is true, who has once for all adopted you, and has promised that your salvation will be the object of his care, even when the world shall think you to be ruined and lost.”

We hence see that what the Prophet had in view was to raise up into confidence the minds of the godly in the midst not only of troubles, but of utter confusion. All nations then shall walk, that is, when the temple and the city shall be demolished, and the people be led into distant exile, the ungodly will, at the same time, triumph, every one will extol his own gods: though our God should not then appear, there will yet be no reason why we should be discouraged; but we ought to recomb on his word. We shall then walk in the name of our God, and that for ever and ever; that is, though it should happen that the world should a hundred times be turned and turned over again, there shall yet be no change in our minds: for as the truth of God is eternal, so also our faith ought to be constant and never to vary. Now the difficulty is removed, and we see how these two things agree, — that all nations shall come and with one consent worship God, and yet that to each of them there would be their own gods: for the diversity of time must be here regarded, when all nations would walk every one in the name of his god. Marckius views this passage differently. He considers that the converted Gentiles are meant here, — that when turned from their idols and their superstitions, they shall profess the true God, as revealed in the Gospel, and that each nation will regard him as its own God: however various in outward circumstances, they shall yet acknowledge the God revealed in his Word as their own. This view most certainly harmonizes better with the context than that of Calvin, which is commonly adopted. There is another, which is the same nearly in meaning, but founded on a different rendering of the words. The Jewish commentator Abarbanel, as quoted by Marckius, gives this version: —

“Nam omnes populi, qui ambulabant quisque in nomine dei sui, et now ambulabimus in nomine Jehovae Dei nostri.”

The words will no doubt admit of this construction; for it is often the case in Hebrew, that אשר, who, is understood before a verb in the future tense, especially when it has the meaning of the present, as here, for the preceding “ambulabant,” might be rendered “ambulant,” without any inconstancy in the meaning. I would therefore render the verse thus, —

For all the nations, Who walk each in the name of its god, And we ourselves, Shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God, For ever and ever.

The nations were then walking in the name of their multiplied gods; but at the time alluded to, both Gentiles and Jews would walk together in the name of Jehovah. There is thus an entire correspondence between all the parts of this remarkable passage, which extends from the first verse to the seventh inclusive; a part of which, extending only to the end of the third verse, is to be found in Isaiah. — Ed.

By saying, איש בשם אלהיו, aish beshem Aleiu, he touches, in an indirect way, on that variety which exists among men. Though all of them pertinaciously follow and defend their own superstitions yet each one fabricates a goal for himself. Thus it happens, that nothing is certain, for they follow only their own inventions. But this the Prophet meant only to touch by the way. His main object was that which I have stated, — that though the Church of God would be small, and should find a great multitude opposed to it, it ought not yet to succumb. We know how violent a thing is public consent; for when the majority conspire together, the small number, who entertain a different opinion, are, as it were instantly swallowed up. It is not then without reason that the Prophet exhorts the faithful here to an invincible firmness of mind, that they might triumph over all the nations. However small, then, might be the faithful in number, the Prophet wished them to look down, as it were from a higher place, not only on a large multitudes but on all mankind. Though then all nations walk, etc.: nor is the word כל, cal, all, superfluous, — though all nations shall walk, etc. There was then but one nation, the offspring of Abraham, among whom true religion existed; and it was a dreadful devastation, when God suffered the royal city and the temple to be pulled down, and the whole body of the people to be torn asunder, to be driven away here and there, so that no kingdom and no kind of civil community remained. Hence the Prophet intimates here, that though the faithful should find that in number and dignity they were far surpassed by their enemies, they yet should not despair. “Though then all the nations walked, every one in the name of their god, — though every people set up their superstitions against you, and all conspired against you together, yet stand ye firm and proceed in your course, and this not for a short time, but for ever and ever.” לעולם ועד, “for ages and perpetually.” עולם means most commonly an indefinite, rather than an infinite time. The verb signifies to be hidden or concealed; and so the noun means an undefined and unknown period. “For ages,” would perhaps be its best version; whether these ages be limited or unlimited must depend on the context. Here עד is added to show that these ages would be endless, or to the end of time: for עד is “still,” unceasing futurity, that which is perpetual, still the same. The Levitical dispensation was לעולם “for ages,” but the new state of things promised here is to be, not only for ages, but also perpetually, that is to the end of time, while the world lasts. — Ed. Now this passage shows that faith depends not on the suffrages of men, and that we ought not to regard what any one may think, or what may be the consent of all; for the truth of God alone ought to be deemed sufficient by us. How much soever, then, the whole world may oppose God, our faith ought not to be changeable, but remain firm on this strong foundation, — that God, who cannot deceive, has spoken. This is one thing. Then, in the second place, it must be added, that this firmness ought to be perpetual. Though then Satan may excite against us new troubles, since we have hitherto stood firm as to our faith in God’s word, let us proceed in the same course to the end. And the Prophet designedly added this verse; because he saw that the people would be subject to various and long-continued temptations. It was a long captivity: hence languor might have, as it were, wasted away all the confidence which the people then had. And further, after they returned from exile, we know how often and how grievously their faith was tried, when all their neighbors inimically assailed them, and when they were afterwards oppressed by cruel tyranny. This was the reason why the Prophet said that the children of God are to walk perpetually and to the end in his name

Though he gives the name of gods to the idols of the nations he yet shows that there is a great and striking difference; for the nations worship their own gods, which they had invented: or how did they derive their majesty and their power, except from the false imagination of men? But the Prophet says, We will walk in the name of Jehovah our God. He hence shows that the power and authority of God is not founded on any vain device of men, for he of himself exists, and will exist, though he were denied by the whole world. And this also confirms what I have already stated, — that the faithful ought thus to embrace the word of God, as they know that they have not to do with men, the credit of whom is doubtful and inconstant, but with him who is the true God, who cannot lie, and whose truth is immutable. Let us proceed —

Micah 4:6-7

6. In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;

6. In die illa, inquit Jehova, colligam claudam, et ejectam congregabo, et quam malis afflixi;

7. And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

7. Et ponam claudam in reliquias, et ultra ejectam in gentem robustam; regnabit Jehova super eos in monte Sion ex nunc usque in seculum.

The Prophet pursues the same subject. But we must ever remember what I have previously reminded you of, — that the trials would be so grievous and violent that there would be need of strong and uncommon remedies; for the faithful might have been a hundred times sunk, as it were, in the deepest gulfs, except they had been supported by various means. This then is the reason why the Prophet confirms so fully the truth which we have noticed respecting the restoration of the Church.

In that day, he says, I will gather the halting This metaphor is not only found here; for David sage that his own affliction was like that of halting. The word צלעה, tsaloe, means the side: hence they metaphorically call those halters who walk only on one side: it is the same as though he had said, that they were maimed or weak. It means, doubtless, no more here; some refer it to halting between two opinions, between idols and God: but such an idea is foreign to the drift of this passage. It is the depressed, weak, or afflicted and miserable state of the Church that is here set forth. — Ed. He then adds, I will assemble the ejected, whom I have afflicted. In the next verse he repeats the same, I will make the halting, he says, a remnant; that is, I will make her who is now halting to remain alive, and her who is cast afar off, a strong nation. Some explain אנאלאה, It is a Niphal participle from הלא, and corresponds in meaning with הנדחה, “the ejected,” in the last verse; only it is a stronger term, as it means one cast to a distance, while the latter signifies one cast or driven away. The first, as rendered by Junius and Tremelius, is procul disjecta, and the other is depulsa — Ed. enelae, in a more refined manner, and say that it means, She who is gone before; as though the Prophet said, God will sustain the halting, and to those who are lively he will add strength. But this exposition is too strained. We see that the context will not admit it; for the Prophet brings forward the Church here as afflicted by the hand of God, and nigh utter ruin: and then, on the other hand, he intimates, that it was to be restored by God’s power, and that it would thereby gather new strength, and flourish as before: he therefore calls the Church as one cast far away, as in the previous verse; and the other verse clearly shows, that the Prophet’s design was no other but to point out the twofold state of the Church.

Now, in the first place, we must observe, that the Prophet meets the trial then present, which must have otherwise depressed the hearts of the godly. He saw that they were in a manner broken down; and then their dispersion was as it were a symbol of final ruin. If then the faithful had their minds continually fixed on that spectacle, they might have a hundred times despaired. The Prophet therefore comes here seasonably to their help, and reminds them, that though they were now halting, there was yet in God new vigor; that though they were scattered, it was yet in God’s power to gather those who had been driven afar off. The meaning briefly is, that though the Church differed nothing for a time from a dead man, or at least from one that is maimed, no despair ought to be entertained; for the Lord sometimes raises up his people, as though he raised the dead from the grave: and this fact ought to be carefully noticed, for as soon as the Church of God does not shine forth, we think that it is wholly extinct and destroyed. But the Church is so preserved in the world, that it sometimes rises again from death: in short, the preservation of the Church, almost every day, is accompanied with many miracles.

But we ought to bear in mind, that the life of the Church is not without a resurrection, nay, it is not without many resurrections, if the expression be allowed. This we learn from the words of the Prophet, when he says, ‘I will then gather the halting, and assemble the driven away;’ and then he adds, ‘and her whom I have with evils afflicted.’ And this has been expressly said, that the faithful may know, that God can bring out of the grave those whom he has delivered to death. For if the Jews had been destroyed at the pleasure of their enemies, they could not have hoped for so certain a remedy from God: but when they acknowledged that nothing happened to them except through the just judgment of God, they could entertain hope of restoration. How so? Because it is what is peculiar to God to bring forth the dead, as I have already said, from the grave; as it is also his work to kill. We then see that what the Prophet promised, respecting the restoration of the Church, is confirmed by this verse: I am he, says God, who has afflicted; cannot I again restore you to life? For as your death is in my hand, so also is your salvation. If the Assyrians or the Chaldeans had gained the victory over you against my will, there would be some difficulty in my purpose of gathering you; but as nothing has happened but by my command, and as I have proved that your salvation and your destruction is in my power, there is no reason for you to think that it is difficult for me to gather you, who have through my judgment been dispersed.

He then adds, I will make the halting a remnant By remnant he understands the surviving Church. Hence the metaphor, halting, is extended even to destruction; as though he said, “Though the Jews for a time may differ nothing from dead men, I will yet cause them to rise again, that they may become again a new people.” It was difficult to believe this at the time of exile: no wonder, then, that the Prophet here promises that a posterity would be born from a people that were dead. For though Babylon was to them like the grave, yet God was able to do such a thing as to bring them forth as new men, as it really happened.

He afterwards subjoins And the driven afar off, a strong nation When the Jews were scattered here and there, how was it possible that God should from this miserable devastation form for himself a new people, and also a strong people? But the Prophet has put the contrary clauses in opposition to one another, that the Jews, amazed at their own evils, and astonished, might not cast away every consolation. As then he had dispersed them, he would again gather them, and would not only do this, but also make them a strong nation.

He then adds, Reign shall Jehovah over them on mount Zion, henceforth and for ever The Prophet no doubt promises here the new restoration of that kingdom which God himself had erected; for the salvation of the people was grounded on this — that the posterity of David should reign, as we shall hereafter see. And it is a common and usual thing with the prophets to set forth the kingdom of David, whenever they speak of the salvation of the Church. It was necessary then that the kingdom of David should be again established, in order that the Church might flourish and be secure. But Micah does not here name the posterity of David, but mentions Jehovah himself, not to exclude the kingdom of David, but to show that God would become openly the founder of that kingdom, yea, that he himself possessed the whole power. For though God governed the ancient people by the hand of David, by the hand of Josiah and of Hezekiah, there was yet, as it were, a shade intervening, so that God reigned not then visibly. The Prophet then mentions here some difference between that shadowy kingdom and the latter new kingdom, which, at the coming of the Messiah, God would openly set up. Jehovah himself shall then reign over them; as though he said, “Hitherto indeed, when the posterity of David held the government, as God himself created both David and his sons, and as they were anointed by his authority and command, it could not have been thought but that the kingdom was his, though he governed his people by the ministry and agency of men: but now God himself will ascend the throne in a conspicuous manner, so that no one may doubt but that he is the king of his people.” And this was really and actually fulfilled in the person of Christ. Though Christ was indeed the true seed of David, he was yet at the same time Jehovah, even God manifested in the flesh. We hence see, that the Prophet here in lofty terms extols the glory of Christ’s kingdom; as though he had said that it would not be a shadowy kingdom as it was under the Law. Jehovah then shall reign over you.

He then subjoins, on mount Zion. We know that the seat of the kingdom of Christ has not been continued on mount Zion; but this verse must be connected with the beginning of this chapter. The Prophet has previously said, From Zion shall go forth a law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. If then the interpretation of this place be asked, that is, how Jehovah showed himself the king of his people, and erected his throne on mount Zion, the answer is, that from thence the law went forth from that place, as from a fountain flowed the doctrine of salvation, to replenish the whole world. As then the Gospel, which God caused to be promulgated through the whole world, had its beginning on mount Zion, so the Prophet says that God would reign there. But we must at the same time observe, that through the defection and perfidy of the people it has happened that mount Zion is now only an insignificant corner of the earth, and not the most eminent in the world, as also the city Jerusalem, according to the prediction of Zechariah. Mount Zion then is now different from what it was formerly; for wherever the doctrine of the Gospel is preached, there is God really worshipped, there sacrifices are offered; in a word, there the spiritual temple exists. But yet the commencement of the Gospel must be taken to the account, if we would understand the real meaning of the Prophet, that is, that Christ, or God in the person of Christ, began to reign on mount Zion, when the doctrine of the Gospel from thence went forth to the extremities of the world. It now follows —

Micah 4:8

8. And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

8. Et tu turris gregis, arx filiae Sion, ad te veniet; perveniet principatus primus, regnum filiae Jerusalem.

Micah still continues the same subject, — that the miserable calamities of the people, or even their ruin, will not prevent God to restore again his Church. Thou tower of the flock, he says, the fortress of the daughter of Zion, doubt not but that God will again restore to thee thy ancient kingdom and dignity from which thou seemest now to have entirely fallen. But interpreters take the tower of the flock in various senses. Some think that the devastation of the city Jerusalem is pointed out, because it became like a cottage, as it is said in Isaiah; and עפל, ophil, they render “obscure,” for its root is to cover. But another explanation is simpler, — that the holy city is called the tower of the flock, because God had chosen it for himself, to gather his people thence; for we know that they had there their holy assemblies. Thou, then, the tower of the flock, and then, the fortress of the daughter of Zion, to thee shall come the former kingdom “I think the temple is meant, or Jerusalem; the place where the flock, the whole congregation of the people assembled to worship God. Newcome retains the Hebrew word עדר, eder, a tower in or near Bethlehem, Genesis 35:21, or as some think, a tower near the sheep gate in Jerusalem. I believe Jerusalem, or the temple, or both, are meant; for these were considered the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, the fortress of the Jewish people.”—Adam Clarke. What especially confirms this view is, that the two clauses are in apposition, the latter is explanatory of the former. — Ed. If, however, the former sense be more approved, I will not contend; that is, that Jerusalem is here called the tower of the flock on account of its devastation, as it was reduced as it were into a cottage. As to the main import of the passage, there is no ambiguity; for the Prophet here strengthens the minds of the godly: they were not to regard the length of time, nor to allow their thoughts, to be occupied with their present calamity, but to feel assured, that what God had promised was in his power, that he could, as it were, raise the dead, and thus restore the kingdom of David, which had been destroyed.

Do then, he says, firmly hope. — Why? because come to thee, come to thee shall the former kingdom Calvin observes the order of the original, which is not done in our version. The whole verse may be thus rendered, —

And thou tower of the flock, The fortress of the daughter of Zion! To thee it shall return; Yea, come shall the former dominion, The kingdom to the daughter of Jerusalem.

The verb אתה, which I render “return,” means mostly, to come, to come near, to approach, to happen. — Ed. Here the breaking off of the sentence is to be noticed, when the Prophet speaks of the ancient kingdom and dignity. It is not indeed to be doubted, but that the people of God had become objects of mockery, and that hypocrites and heathens thought that what David had testified respecting the perpetuity of his kingdom was a mere delusion.

‘Behold thy kingdom,’ he said, ‘shall continue as long as the sun and the moon,’ (Psalm 72)

but soon after the death of Solomon, a small portion only was reserved for his posterity, and at length the kingdom itself and its dignity disappeared. This is the reason that the Prophet now says, that the former kingdom would come. Come, he says, to thee, daughter of Zion, come shall the former kingdom There is indeed no doubt, but that by the former kingdom he understands its most flourishing condition, recorded in Scripture, under David and Solomon.

The kingdom, he says, to the daughter of Jerusalem shall come He expressly mentions the daughter of Jerusalem, because the kingdom of Israel had obscured the glory of the true kingdom. Hence the Prophet testifies here that God was not unmindful of his promise, and that he would restore to Jerusalem the dignity which it had lost, and unite the whole people into one body, that they might be no more divided, but that one king would rule over the whole race of Abraham. But this was not fulfilled, we are certain, at the coming of Christ, in a manner visible to men: we must therefore bear in mind what Micah has previously taught, — that this kingdom is spiritual; for he did not ascribe to Christ a golden scepter, but a doctrine, “Come, and let us ascend unto the mount of Jehovah, and he will teach us of his ways; and then he added,” From Zion shall go forth a law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. This, then, ought ever to be remembered, — that God has not rendered Jerusalem glorious in the sight of men, as it was formerly, nor has he enriched it with influence and wealth and earthly power; but he has yet restored the sovereign authority; for he has not only subjected to himself the ten tribes which had formerly revolted, but also the whole world. Let us go on —

Micah 4:9-10

9. Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.

9. Nunc quare vociferaris vociferatione? Rex nullus in te? Au conciliarius tuus periit? Quia te occupavit dolor quasi parturientem.

10. Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

10. Dole et ignemisce, filia Sion, quasi parturiens; quia Tyne, עתה, is left out; nor is it restored in the comment. It should be, “For now thou shalt go forth from the city.” — Ed. exibis e civitate, et habitabis in ergo; et venies Babylonem usque; illic liberaberis, illic dedimet te Jehova e manu hostium tuorum.

The Prophet blends here things in their nature wholly contrary, — that the Jews were for a time to be cut off, — and that afterwards they were to recover their former state. Why, he says, dost thou cry out with crying? We must notice the Prophet’s design. He did not intend to overturn what he had before stated; but as the minds of the godly might have fainted amidst so many changes, the Prophet here gives them support, that they might continue firm in their faith; and hence he says, Why dost thou cry aloud with loud crying? That is, “I see that grievous troubles will arise capable of shaking even the stoutest hearts: time will be changeable; it will often be, that the faithful will be disturbed and degraded; but though various tumults may arise, and tempests throw all things into confusion, yet God will redeem his people.” We now then see what the Prophet means by saying, Why dost thou now cry? Why dost thou make an uproar? for the verb here properly means, not only to cry out, but also to sound the trumpet; as though he said, Why do the Jews so much torment themselves? There is he says, no doubt, a good reason.

And he adds, Is there no king among thee? This was doubtless the reason why the Jews so much harassed themselves; it was, because God had deprived them of their kingdom and of counsel: and we know what Jeremiah has said, ‘Christ,’ that is, the anointed of the Lord, ‘by whose life we breathe, is slain,’ (Lamentations 4:20.) Since, then, the whole Church derived as it were its life from the safety of its king, the faithful could not be otherwise than filled with amazement when the kingdom was upset and abolished; for the hope of salvation was taken away Is there, then, not a king among thee? and have thy counselors perished? Some think that the unfaithfulness of the people is here indirectly reproved, because they thought themselves to be destitute of the help of God and of his Christ, as though he said, — “Have ye forgotten what God has promised to you, that he would be your king for ever, and would send the Messiah to rule over you? nay, has he not promised that the kingdom of David would be perpetual? Whence then, is this fear and trembling, as though God no longer reigned in the midst of you, and the throne of David were hopelessly overturned?” These interpreters, in confirmation of this opinion, say, that Christ is here distinguished by the same title as in Isaiah 9:7; where he is called יועף, ivots, a counselor. But as in this verse, it is the Prophet’s design to terrify, and to reprove rather than to alleviate the grievousness of evils by consolation; it is more probable, that their own destitution is set before the people; as though Micah said, “What cause have you for trembling? Is it because your king and all his counselors have been taken away?” But what immediately follows proves that this sorrow arose from a just cause; it was because they were stripped of all those things which had been till that time the evidences of God’s favor.

Why then has pain laid hold on thee as on one in travail? Be in pain, he says, and groan; Ingemisce, groan, mourn, or sigh and sob. גחי, burst forth, or break out; that is, into tears or mourning. “Bring forth,” as it is rendered by Newcome and Henderson, seems not to be the import of the word here. It may be rendered, as Parkhurst proposes, “labor and bring forth.” — Ed. that is, I will not prevent thee to grieve and to mourn; as though he said, “Certainly even the strongest cannot look on calamities so dreadful, without suffering the heaviest sorrow; but though God may for a time subject his children to the greatest tortures, and expose them to the most grievous evils, he will yet restore them at length from their exile.” Thou shalt depart, he says, from the city, and dwell in the field: thou shalt come even to Babylon; but there thou shalt be delivered; there shall Jehovah redeem thee from the hand of thy enemies The import of the whole is, that though God would have a care for his people, as he had promised, there was yet no cause for the faithful to flatter themselves, as though they were to be exempt from troubles; but the Prophet, on the contrary, exhorts them to prepare themselves to undergo calamities, as they were not only to be ejected from their country, and to wander in strange lands like vagrants, but were to be led away into Babylon as to their grave.

But to strengthen the minds of the faithful to bear the cross, he gives them a hope of deliverance, and says, that God would there deliver them, and there redeem them from the hand of their enemies. He repeats the adverb, שם, shem, there, twice, and not without cause: for the faithful might have excluded every hope of deliverance, as though the gate of God’s power had been closed. And this is the reason why the Prophet repeats twice, there, there; even from the grave he will deliver and redeem thee: “Extend then your hope, not only to a small measure of favor, as though God could deliver you only from a state of some small danger, but even to death itself. Though then ye lay, as it were, in your graves, yet doubt not but that God will stretch forth his hand to you, for he will be your deliverer. God then in whose power is victory, can overcome many and innumerable deaths.”

Prayer.

Grant, Almighty God, that since under the guidance of thy Son we have been united together in the body of thy Church, which has been so often scattered and torn asunder, — O grant, that we may continue in the unity of faith, and perseveringly fight against all the temptations of this world, and never deviate from the right course, whatever new troubles may daily arise: and though we are exposed to many deaths, let us not yet be seized with fear, such as may extinguish in our hearts every hope; but may we, on the contrary, learn to raise up our eyes and minds, and all our thoughts, to thy great power, by which thou quickenest the dead, and raises from nothing things which are not, so that though we may be daily exposed to ruin, our souls may ever aspire to eternal salvation, until thou at length really slowest thyself to be the fountain of life, when we shall enjoy that endless felicity, which has beon obtained for us by the blood of thy only-begotten Son our Lord. Amen.

Lecture Ninetieth

Micah 4:11-13

11. Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.

11. Et nunc congregatae sunt contra se gentes multae (vel, robustae,) dicentes Damnata erit; et aspiciet in Sion oculus noster.

12. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.

12. Ipsi vero non noverunt cognitationes Jehovae, et non intellexerunt consilium ejus; quia congregabis eos quasi manipulum in aeream.

13. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

13. Surge, et tritura filia Sion; quia cornu tuum ponam ferrum, et ungulas tuas ponam chalybem; et conteres populos robustos; et dicabis Jehovae opes ipsorum, et substantiam eorum Dominatori universae terrae.

The Prophet’s object here is to give some alleviation to the faithful lest they should succumb under their calamities; for, as we have stated, there were most grievous evils approaching, sufficient to overwhelm the minds of the godly. The Prophet then raises up here, with the moat suitable comfort, those who would have otherwise fainted under their calamities; and the sum of the whole is this, — that the faithful were not to be confounded on finding the ungodly proudly triumphing, as they are wont to do, when they seem to have gained their wishes. Since, then, the wicked show a petulant spirit beyond all bounds, the Prophet exhorts the faithful to sustain themselves by God’s promises, and not to care for such insolence. He then subjoins a promise, — that God would assemble all the forces of their enemies, as when one gathers many ears of corn into a bundle, that he may thrash them on the floor. I will come now to the words of the Prophet.

Assemble, he says, against thee do nations, or strong nations: for, by saying, גוים רבים, guim rebim, he intimates one of two things, either that they were strong, or that they were large in number: as to the subject there is no great difference. The Prophet had this in view, — that though the Church of God may be pressed by a great multitude of enemies, it yet ought not to be broken down in mind: for the ungodly, while they cruelly domineer, do not understand the design of God. Assemble, then, against thee do many nations He sets the thing before them, to heal them of terror: for when we are beyond the reach of harm, we, for the most part, too heedlessly despise all dangers; and then, when we come to a real struggle, we tremble, or even fall and become wholly weak. This is the reason why the Prophet sets before the Jews their prospects, and shows that the time was near when they were to endure a siege, as enemies would, on all sides, surround them. Assemble then do nations, and strong or many nations: he shows here that the Jews had no reason to despond, though their enemies would far exceed them in number, and in forces, and in courage, for it was enough for them to be under the protection of God.

Who say, condemned now shall be Zion Jam damnata erit. Newcome renders the distich thus, —

Who say, Let her be defiled, And let our eye see its desire on Zion.

Profaned, or defiled, it is no doubt the meaning of the verb. But it is better to retain the future tense here, though it may often, in the third person, be rendered as an imperative. To look on, is a Hebrew idiom, and means often to triumph or exalt over another, or to gain the upper hand. See Psalm 22:17; Psalm 118:7. Several copies have the word for “eyes” in the singular number, as the verb is so: but anomalies of this kind often occur, as it is the case in Greek with respect to plural nouns in the neuter gender, and in Welsh, and when the verb precedes its nominative, almost in all instances. I offer the following version, —

Who say, “Defiled shall she be, And look on Zion shall our eyes.”

— Ed. The verb חנף, chenaph, means to act wickedly and perversely. It may then be literally rendered, ‘profane (scelerata) shall be Zion; and on it shall our eye look:’ but this word is often taken metaphorically for condemnation. The meaning then is, ‘Zion is now condemned:’ and the Prophet, no doubt, intended to intimate here, that the enemies would so triumph, as though Zion were not under the guardianship of God; as when any one, who has rendered himself hateful by his vices, is left and forsaken by his patrons. So, then, the Prophet here arms the faithful against the arrogance of their enemies, that they might not despair, when they found that they were condemned by the consent of all men, and that this was the opinion of all, — that they were forsaken by God.

Consolation follows, But they know not the thoughts of Jehovah, nor understand his counsel: for verbs in the past tense have the meaning of the present. Here the Prophet recalls the attention of the godly to a subject the most suitable to them: for when the wicked rise up so cruelly against us, we are apt to think that all things are allowed to them, and then their reproaches and slanders immediately take possession of our minds and thoughts, so that we in a manner measure God’s judgment by their words. Hence when the ungodly deride our faith, and boast that we are forsaken by God, we succumb, being as it were filled with amazement: and nothing is easier than to shake off from us faith and the memory of God’s promises, whenever the ungodly are thus insolent. The Prophet then does not without cause apply a remedy which ought to be carefully observed by us. Who say, condemned is Zion; but they are like the blind when judging of colors, for they understand not the counsel of Jehovah and his thoughts they know not. We now then see what the Prophet had in view, which was to show, — that the faithful would be unwise and foolish, if they formed an opinion of God’s judgment according to the boasting of the ungodly: for Satan carries them away in a furious manner; and when the Lord gives them liberty to do evil, they think that they shall be conquerors to the end. As then the ungodly are thus inebriated with foolish confidence, and despise not only men, but God himself, the Prophet here holds up and supports the minds of the godly that they might ascend higher, and thus understand that the design of God was not the same as what the wicked thought, who neither belonged to nor approached God. The beginning of these two lines is very emphatic: I would give this rendering, —

But they — they know not the purposes of Jehovah, And they understand not his counsel.

It has been rendered, “But, as for them;” but this is flat, and too prosaic. — Ed.

It is especially needful to know this truth. Some at the first sight may think it frigid, “O! than, what does the Prophet mean? he says that what these declare is not the design of Jehovah; and this we know.” But were all to examine the subject, they would then confess with one mouth, that nothing could have been more seasonable than this consolation. Now we are wounded by reproaches, and this very often happens to ingenuous men; and then, while the ungodly vomit forth their slanders, we think that God rests indifferently in heaven; and one of their words, like a cloud, obscures the judgment of God. As soon as any one of the wicked derides us, and laughs at our simplicity, threatens ferociously, and spreads forth his terrors, his words, as I have said, are like a cloud intervening between us and God. This is the reason why the Prophet says here, that the thoughts of Jehovah are different, and that his counsel is different: in short, the Prophet’s object is to show, that whenever the ungodly thus proudly despise us, and also reproachfully threaten and terrify us, we ought to raise our thoughts to heaven. — Why so? Because the design of God is another. Their boastings then will vanish, for they arise from nothing, and they shall come to nothing, but the purpose of God shall stand.

But let us now see why the Prophet spoke here of the design and thoughts of God: for if only these two words are brought before us, there is certainly but little solid comfort, and nothing that has much force or power. There is then another principle to be understood, — that the thoughts of God are known to us, who are taught in his school. The counsel of God then is not hidden, for it is revealed to us in his Word. Consolation therefore depends on a higher and a more recondite doctrine; that is, that the faithful, in their miseries, ought to contemplate the counsel of God as in a mirror. And what is this? that when he afflicts us, he holds a remedy in his hand, and that when he throws us into the grave, he can restore us to life and safety. When, therefore, we understand this design of God, — that he chastens his Church with temporal evils, and that the issue will ever be most salutary, — when this is known by us, there is then no reason why the slanders of the ungodly should deject our minds; and when they vomit forth all their reproaches, we ought to adhere firmly to this counsel of God. But that the ungodly are thus proud is no matter of wonder; for if they raise their horns against God, why should they not despise us also, who are so few in number, and of hardly any influence, at least not equal to what they possess? The Church is indeed contemptible in the eyes of the world; and it is no wonder if our enemies thus deride us, and load us with ridicule and contempt, when they dare to act so frowardly towards God. But it is enough for us to know, that they do not understand the counsel of God. We now then see the Prophet’s meaning, and an explanation follows, —

For thou shalt assemble them, he says, as a sheaf Manipulum, a handful, a bundle of fruit; מיר, a sheaf,—a poetical singular for the plural — sheaves. — Ed. to the floor The Prophet adds this clause as an explanation, that we may know what the counsel of God is, which he has mentioned, and that is, that God will collect the enemies as a sheaf. What is a sheaf? It is a small quantity of corn, it may be three hundred or a thousand ears of corn: they are ears of corn, and carried in a man’s hand. And then, what is to be done with the sheaf? It is to be thrashed on the floor. It was indeed difficult to believe, that enemies, when thus collected together on every side, would be like a sheaf. If an army assembled against us, not only ten or twenty thousand, but a much larger number, who would think, according to the judgment of the flesh, that they would be like a sheaf? They shall be as so many deaths and graves: even the thought of God ought to be to us of more account than the formidable power of men. Whenever, therefore, our enemies exceed us in strength and number, let us learn to arise to that secret counsel of God, of which our Prophet now speaks; and then it will be easy for us to regard a vast multitude to be no more than a handful. And he says, that our enemies are to be gathered to a floor, that they may be thrashed there. They assemble themselves for another purpose; for they think that we shall be presently in their power, that they may swallow us up; but when they thus collect themselves and their forces, the Lord will frustrate their purpose and cause them to be thrashed by us. It follows, —

Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion; for I have made thy horn Horn, in Scripture, means often elevation, dignity, power, strength. It means evidently in the last here. Zion was made strong to thrash the nations, and supplied with strong hoofs to tread on them. The Paraphrase of Rabbi Jonathan is to the purpose, Fortes sicut ferrum, et robusti sicut aes — “Strong as iron, and robust as brass.” And that this is the meaning is proved by what follows, Thou shalt beat in pieces, or beat small, or thrash out, strong nations. — Ed. iron, and thy hoofs brass. The Prophet here confirms what he had previously said: and he exhorts the daughter of Zion to arise; for it was necessary for her to have been cast down, so as to lie prostrate on the ground. God did not indeed restore at once his Church, but afflicted her for a time, so that she differed nothing from a dead man. As then a dead body lies on the ground without any feeling, so also did the Church of God lie prostrate. This is the reason why the Prophet now says, Arise, daughter of Zion; as though God, by his voice, roused the dead. We hence see, that the word קומי, kumi, is emphatical; for the Prophet reminds us, that there is no reason for the faithful wholly to despair, when they find themselves thus cast down, for their restoration is in the hand and power of God, as it is the peculiar office of God to raise the dead. And this same truth ought to be applied for our us, whenever we are so cast down, that no strength, no vigor, remains in us. How then can we rise again? By the power of God, who by his voice alone can restore us to life, which seemed to be wholly extinct.

He afterwards subjoins, Thresh, for I have made thy horn iron, and thy hoofs brass. A mode of thrashing, we know, was in use among the Jews the same with that in Italy and at this day in French Provence. We here thrash the corn with flails; but there by treading. The Prophet speaks here of this custom, and compares the Church of God to oxen; as though he said “The Jews shall be like oxen with iron horns and brazen hoofs that they may lay prostrate under them the whole strength of the nations. However much then the nations may now excel, I will subject them under the feet of my people, as if sheaves were thrashed by them.”

He then adds, It is not often that Calvin passes over a sentence without noticing it, but he does so here; and it is this, and thou shalt tear in pieces strong nations. The verb is הדקות, thou shalt beat small, or thrash out; see Isaiah 28:28; perhaps the latter sense is most suitable to the passage. The meaning is, that a complete subjugation will take place. To thrash and to thrash out, is to conquer and to bring thoroughly under subjection. — Ed. And thou shalt separate or consecrate their wealth to Jehovah, and their substance The Hebrew word for this is חיל, and for “wealth” בצע. The latter means gain, spoil, or what is often unjustly got, or what is scraped together and constitutes the wealth of the covetous; חיל is properly substance, including possessions of all kinds, land, cattle, etc. בצע serves to include money, silver and gold; and חיל, everything else which makes up wealth.

The verb, “consecrate,” is in Hebrew in the first person, as it is in our version. There is no different reading; but the Septuagint and the earlier versions put it in the second person, to correspond with the previous verb, “Thou shalt beat in pieces.” There will be no difference in the sense, if we render it according to the Hiphil form, in which it is found, — “I will cause thee to consecrate.” Jerome, Theodoret, Marckius, Dathius, Newcome, and Henderson, adopt the second person. — This construction renders the passage no doubt more uniform. — Ed. to the Lord of the whole earth Here the Prophet specifies the end for which God had purposed to subject the heathen nations to his chosen people, — that he might be glorified. This is the meaning. But they have refined too much in allegories, who have thought that this prophecy ought to be confined to the time of Christ: for the Prophet no doubt meant to extend consolation to the whole kingdom of Christ, from the beginning to the end. Others, not more correctly, say, that this is to be referred to the Babylonian captivity because then Daniel and some others thrashed the people, when heathen kings were induced through their teaching to restore the temple, and also to offer some worship to the God of Israel. But on this point they are both mistaken, because they take the word thrashing in a different sense from the Prophet; for it commonly means that heathen nations are to be subjected to the Church of God: and this takes place, whenever God stretches forth his hand to the faithful, and suffers not the ungodly to exercise their cruelty as they wish; yea, when he makes them humbly to supplicate the faithful. This often happens in the world, as it is written of Christ, ‘thy enemies shall lick the earth,’ (Psalm 72:9.) But this prophecy shall not be fulfilled until the last coming of Christ. We indeed begin to tread on our enemies whenever God by his power destroys them, or at least causes them to tremble and to be cast down, as we find that they dread whenever any change takes place; and then they blandly profess that they desire to serve God. So at this day it has happened both in France and in Italy. How many hypocrites, for the sake of an earthly advantage, have submitted themselves to God? and how many such England produced when the Gospel flourished there? All the courtiers, and others who were unwilling to incur the displeasure of the king, professed themselves to be the very best lovers of religion. (optimos pietatis cultores, — the best observers of piety) But yet this is ever the case,

‘Aliens have been false to thee,’ (Psalm 18:44.)

We hence see what the prophet means when he speaks of thrashing: he intimates, that the Lord would often cause that the enemies of the Church should be bruised, though no one crushed them: but, as I have said, we must look forward to the last day, if we wish to see the complete fulfillment of this prophecy.

He afterwards adds, Thou shalt consecrate their wealth to Jehovah, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth The Prophet shows here, that the dominion is not to be hoped for by the children of God, that they may abound in worldly pleasures, and appropriate every thing to themselves and also abuse their power, as ungodly men are wont to do; but that all is to be applied to the worship and the glory of God. For what purpose, then does God design his Church to become eminent? That he himself may alone shine forth, and that the faithful may rightly enjoy their honor, and not become thereby proud. There is, therefore nothing more alien to the power of the Church than pride, or cruelty, or avarice. This, then that is said ought to be carefully observed, their wealth thou shalt consecrate to Jehovah He had spoken before of power, “Thou shalt bind strong people, thou shalt thrash them, and thou shalt tread them under thy feet;” but lest the faithful should turn all this to a purpose the Lord had not designed, a most suitable correction is immediately added, and that is, that this power shall not be exercised according to the will of men, but according to the will of God: Thou shalt then consecrate, etc.; and he uses the word חרם, cherem, which means to make a thing an anathema or an offering; The word is very emphatic; it means to devote a thing to a purpose forever, so as to be unchangeably settled. חרם, says Parkhurst, “is anything separated absolutely from its common condition and devoted to Jehovah, so as to be incapable of redemption. See Leviticus 27:21, 28, 29. As a verb in Hiph. To separate or devote thus to Jehovah. Leviticus 27:28, 29; Micah 4:12.” It is therefore a sacrilege to take merely to our own use what ought to be, or what we have, thus consecrated to the Lord. — Ed. as though he said “God will raise his Church that it may rule over its enemies; but let the faithful at the same time take heed, that they rule not tyrannically; for God designs ever to reign alone: therefore the whole excellency, the whole dignity, the whole power of the Church ought to be applied for this end, — that all things may become subject to God, and every thing among the nations may be altogether sacred to him so that the worship of God may flourish among the conquerors, as well as among the conquered.” We now perceive the Prophet’s object in speaking of consecrating the wealth of the nations. Now follows —

Chapter 5

Micah 5:1-2

1. Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

1. Calvin has, in this division, followed the Septuagint, and so have the translators of our version. This verse, in Hebrew, belongs to the last chapter. Marckius, Dathius, and Henderson, follow the Hebrew division; Junius, and Tremelius, and Newcome, that of our version. Nunc colligas te (vel, obsidione cingeris, ut alii vertunt) filia congregationis (hoc est, turmae;) obsidionem posuit contra nos; in virga percutient ad maxillam judicem Israel.

2. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

2. Et tu Beth-lehem Ephrata, parva ad essendum (ut ita loquar) inter millia Jehudah; ex te mihi egredietur ad essendum dominatorem (sic transfero durius, ut sit dominator) in Israel: et egressus ejus ab initio, a diebus seculi.

CHAPTER 4

Mi 4:1-13. Transition to the Glory, Peace, Kingdom, and Victory of Zion.

1-3. Almost identical with Is 2:2-4.

the mountain of the house of the Lord--which just before (Mi 3:12) had been doomed to be a wild forest height. Under Messiah, its elevation is to be not that of situation, but of moral dignity, as the seat of God's universal empire.

people shall flow into it--In Isaiah it is "all nations": a more universal prophecy.

4. sit every man under his vine, &c.--that is, enjoy the most prosperous tranquillity (1Ki 4:25; Zec 3:10). The "vine" and "fig tree" are mentioned rather than a house, to signify, there will be no need of a covert; men will be safe even in the fields and open air.

Lord of hosts hath spoken it--Therefore it must come to pass, however unlikely now it may seem.

5. For--rather, Though it be that all people walk after their several gods, yet we (the Jews in the dispersion) will walk in the name of the Lord. So the Hebrew particle means in the Margin, Ge 8:21; Ex 13:17; Jos 17:18. The resolution of the exile Jews is: As Jehovah gives us hope of so glorious a restoration, notwithstanding the overthrow of our temple and nation, we must in confident reliance on His promise persevere in the true worship of Him, however the nations around, our superiors now in strength and numbers, walk after their gods [Rosenmuller]. As the Jews were thoroughly weaned from idols by the Babylonian captivity, so they shall be completely cured of unbelief by their present long dispersion (Zec 10:8-12).

6. assemble her that halteth--feminine for neuter in Hebrew idiom, "whatever halteth": metaphor from sheep wearied out with a journey: all the suffering exiles of Israel (Eze 34:16; Zep 3:19).

her ... driven out--all Israel's outcasts. Called "the Lord's flock" (Jr 13:17; Eze 34:13; 37:21).

7. I will make her that halted a remnant--I will cause a remnant to remain which shall not perish.

Lord shall reign ... in ... Zion--David's kingdom shall be restored in the person of Messiah, who is the seed of David and at the same time Jehovah (Is 24:23).

for ever--(Is 9:6, 7; Da 7:14, 27; Lu 1:33; Re 11:15).

8. tower of the flock--following up the metaphor of sheep (see on Mi 4:6). Jerusalem is called the "tower," from which the King and Shepherd observes and guards His flock: both the spiritual Jerusalem, the Church now whose tower-like elevation is that of doctrine and practice (So 4:4, "Thy neck is like the tower of David"), and the literal hereafter (Jr 3:17). In large pastures it was usual to erect a high wooden tower, so as to oversee the flock. Jerome takes the Hebrew for "flock," Eder or Edar, as a proper name, namely, a village near Beth-lehem, for which it is put, Beth-lehem being taken to represent the royal stock of David (Mi 5:2; compare Ge 35:21). But the explanatory words, "the stronghold of the daughter of Zion," confirm English Version.

stronghold--Hebrew, "Ophel"; an impregnable height on Mount Zion (2Ch 27:3; 33:14; Ne 3:26, 27).

unto thee shall ... come ... the first dominion--namely, the dominion formerly exercised by thee shall come back to thee.

kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem--rather, "the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem shall come (again)"; such as it was under David, before its being weakened by the secession of the ten tribes.

9. Addressed to the daughter of Zion, in her consternation at the approach of the Chaldeans.

is there no king in thee?--asked tauntingly. There is a king in her; but it is the same as if there were none, so helpless to devise means of escape are he and his counsellors [Maurer]. Or, Zion's pains are because her king is taken away from her (Jr 52:9; La 4:20; Eze 12:13) [Calvin]. The former is perhaps the preferable view (compare Jr 49:7). The latter, however, describes better Zion's kingless state during her present long dispersion (Ho 3:4, 5).

10. Be in pain, and labour--carrying on the metaphor of a pregnant woman. Thou shalt be affected with bitter sorrows before thy deliverance shall come. I do not forbid thy grieving, but I bring thee consolation. Though God cares for His children, yet they must not expect to be exempt from trouble, but must prepare for it.

go forth out of the city--on its capture. So "come out" is used 2Ki 24:12; Is 36:16.

dwell in the field--namely, in the open country, defenseless, instead of their fortified city. Beside the Chebar (Psa 137:1; Eze 3:15).

Babylon--Like Isaiah, Micah looks beyond the existing Assyrian dynasty to the Babylonian, and to Judah's captivity under it, and restoration (Is 39:7; 43:14; 48:20). Had they been, as rationalists represent, merely sagacious politicians, they would have restricted their prophecies to the sphere of the existing Assyrian dynasty. But their seeing into the far-off future of Babylon's subsequent supremacy, and Judah's connection with her, proves them to be inspired prophets.

there ... there--emphatic repetition. The very scene of thy calamities is to be the scene of thy deliverance. In the midst of enemies, where all hope seems cut off, there shall Cyrus, the deliverer, appear (compare Jud 14:14). Cyrus again being the type of the greater Deliverer, who shall finally restore Israel.

11. many nations--the subject peoples composing Babylon's armies: and also Edom, Ammon, &c., who exulted in Judah's fall (La 2:16; Ob 11-13).

defiled--metaphor from a virgin. Let her be defiled (that is, outraged by violence and bloodshed), and let our eye gaze insultingly on her shame and sorrow (Mi 7:10). Her foes desired to feast their eyes on her calamities.

12. thoughts of the Lord--Their unsearchable wisdom, overruling seeming disaster to the final good of His people, is the very ground on which the restoration of Israel hereafter (of which the restoration from Babylon is a type) is based in Is 55:8; compare with Mi 4:3, 12, 13, which prove that Israel, not merely the Christian Church, is the ultimate subject of the prophecy; also in Ro 11:13. God's counsel is to discipline His people for a time with the foe as a scourge; and then to destroy the foe by the hands of His people.

gather them as ... sheaves--them who "gathered" themselves for Zion's destruction (Mi 4:11) the Lord "shall gather" for destruction by Zion (Mi 4:13), like sheaves gathered to be threshed (compare Is 21:10; Jr 51:33). The Hebrew is singular, "sheaf." However great the numbers of the foe, they are all but as one sheaf ready to be threshed [Calvin]. Threshing was done by treading with the feet: hence the propriety of the image for treading under foot and breaking asunder the foe.

13. thresh--destroy thy foes "gathered" by Jehovah as "sheaves" (Is 41:15, 16).

thine horn--Zion being compared to an ox treading corn, and an ox's strength lying in the horns, her strength is implied by giving her a horn of iron (compare 1Ki 22:11).

beat in pieces many--(Da 2:44).

I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord--God subjects the nations to Zion, not for her own selfish aggrandizement, but for His glory (Is 60:6, 9; Zec 14:20, with which compare Is 23:18) and for their ultimate good; therefore He is here called, not merely God of Israel, but "Lord of the whole earth."

But in the last days it shall come to pass - These four verses contain, says Bp. Newcome, a prophecy that was to be fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah, when the Gentiles were to be admitted into covenant with God, and the apostles were to preach the Gospel, beginning at Jerusalem, Luk 24:47; Act 2:14, etc., when Christ was to be the spiritual Judge and King of many people, was to convince many nations of their errors and vices, and was to found a religion which had the strongest tendency to promote peace. Bp. Lowth thinks that "Micah took this passage from Isaiah;" or the Spirit may have inspired both prophets with this prediction; or both may have copied some common original, the words of a prophet well known at that time. The variations (few and of little importance) may be seen in the notes on the parallel passages, Isa 2:2, etc.; to which the reader is requested to refer.

Under his vine and under his fig tree - A proverbial expression, indicative of perfect peace, security, and rural comfort. See on Isa 2:1 (note). This verse is an addition to the prophecy as it stands in Isaiah. See Clarke on Mic 4:1 (note).

Every one in the name of his god - This shall be the state of the Gentile world; but after the captivity, the Jews walked in the name of Jehovah alone; and acknowledge no other object of religious worship to the present day.

Will I assemble her that halteth - driven out - afflicted - Under these epithets, the state of the Jews, who were to be gathered into the Christian Church, is pointed out. They halted between the true God and idols; they were driven out into captivity, because of this idolatry; and they were variously afflicted, because they would not return unto the Lord that bought them.

Her that halted a remnant - I will preserve them as a distinct people after their return from captivity, for the farther purposes of my grace and mercy.

And the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion - The Chaldee is remarkable here, and positively applies the words to the Messiah: "But thou, O Messiah, of Israel, who art hidden because of the sins of the congregation of Zion, the kingdom shall come unto thee."

O tower of the flock - I think the temple is meant, or Jerusalem; the place where the flock, the whole congregation of the people assembled to worship God. Newcome retains the Hebrew word עדר eder, a tower in or near Beth-lehem, Gen 35:21 or, as some think, a tower near the sheep-gate in Jerusalem, I believe Jerusalem, or the temple, or both, are meant; for these were considered the stronghold of the daughter-of Zion, the fortress of the Jewish people.

Even the first dominion - What was this? The Divine theocracy under Jesus Christ; this former, this first dominion, was to be restored. Hence the angel called him Immanuel, God with us, ruling among us.

Is there no King in thee? - None. And why? Because thou hast rejected Jehovah thy king.

Is thy counsellor perished? - No: but thou hast rejected the words and advices of the prophets.

Pangs have taken thee - He is speaking of the desolations that should take place when the Chaldeans should come against the city; and hence he says, "Thou shalt go to Babylon;" ye shall be cast out of your own land, and sent slaves to a foreign country, He represents the people under the notion of a woman in travail.

There shalt thou be delivered - There God shall meet thee; and by redeeming thee from thy captivity, bringing thee back to thine own land, and finally converting thee unto himself, shall deliver thee from the burden of grief and wo which thou now bearest, and under which thou dost groan.

Many nations are gathered against thee - The Chaldeans, who were composed of many nations. And, we may add, all the surrounding nations were their enemies; and rejoiced when the Chaldean army had overthrown Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and led the people away captive.

Let her be defiled - This was their cry and their wish: Let Jerusalem be laid as low as she can be, like a thing defiled and cast away with abhorrence; that their eyes might look upon Zion with scorn, contempt, and exultation.

But they know not the thoughts of the Lord - These think that God has utterly rejected his people, and they shall have a troublesome neighbor no more: but this is not his design; he will afflict them for a time; but these, the enemies of his people, he will gather as sheaves into the threshing-floor, there to be trodden, and the wheel to go over them. This is the counsel, the purpose of God, which these do not understand. The persons here referred to are not only the Chaldeans which were threshed by the Persians and Medes; but the Idumeans, Ammonites, Moabites, and Philistines, which the Jews afterwards subdued.

Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion - This refers to the subject of the preceding verse. When God shall have gathered together all thy enemies, as into the threshing-floor, he will give thee commission and power to get a complete victory over them, and reduce them to servitude. And that thou mayest be able to do this, he will be on thy side as a powerful helper; here signified by the metaphors, iron horns, and brazen hoofs. Thou shalt have power, authority, and unconquerable strength; for thine enemies shall be no more against thee than the corn against oxen shod with brass, or a puny animal against the horn of a fierce bull tipped with iron.

I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord - What they have taken from thee in the way of spoil shall be restored; and again consecrated unto the service of him who will show himself to be the Lord, the Supreme Governor of the whole earth. Was not this prediction fulfilled when Cyrus gave the Jews permission to return to their own land, and gave them back the sacred vessels of the temple which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away? The Maccabees and their successors recovered much of the booty of which the neighboring nations had deprived the Jews; and the treasure taken was devoted to Jehovah. The first verse of the next chapter should conclude this.

In the last days - Or, in the latter days, at the expiring of the seventy years captivity, near two hundred years from Micah's time, a type of the days of the Messiah's kingdom. The mountain - The mountain on which the temple stood, the type of the church of Christ. Established - Literally fulfilled when the second temple was built by the Jews. Spiritually, when Christ established his church by the preaching of the gospel.

Many nations - This was in part fulfilled when so many proselyted servants of several nations, in love to their Jewish masters, and more to the God of the Jews, came up with them from Jerusalem. Come - So the Jews, released from captivity, encouraged each other; which was a fulfilling of this prophecy in part; the conversion of the multitude of the Gentiles to Christ, was a more eminent fulfilling of it. To the mountain - To the temple at Jerusalem, a type of Christ and the gospel church. From Jerusalem - In Jerusalem is declared the only way of worshipping God, and from thence the only law of right worship shall go forth, when the Messiah is come.

They - The redeemed of the Lord, redeemed from Babylonish captivity, the type of a greater redemption by Christ. Shall sit - That is, they shall enjoy peace, security and plenty. This was more fully made good in the gospel - days.

All people will walk - It is the practice of all nations, to serve their gods. Will walk - Seek the Lord, embrace his law and worship.

That halteth - The Jews weakened with the hard usage of oppressing conquerors. Her - Captive Judah; driven out, of their own land. And Christ will much more gather to his fold those who were captives to Satan.

A remnant - Which as they are preserved for a seed, so they take root and increase, and continue to the coming of the Messiah.

O tower - One tower put for the whole city Jerusalem. The strong - hold - Ophel, a strong fort, is likewise put for the whole city. The first dominion - The former dominion; the government (after seventy years captivity) shall return to the former royal family, and continue in it 'till Shiloh come. This, in the type was fulfilled, under Zerubbabel and his successors; but the whole antitype concerns the Messiah's kingdom.

Now - Now I have promised such great things to you. No king - Thou hast lost thy king Zedekiah, but thy God, thy king is with thee. Thy counsellor - Hast thou none among thy wise counsellors left? Yet the Wonderful Counsellor is with thee. Messiah, the wisdom of his father, hath the conduct of thy sufferings, deliverance and re - establishment.

In pain - Thou shalt have troubles, sorrows, and dangers in the wars against the Babylonians, and in the captivity under them. Now - Shortly. In the field - In their journey to Babylon they were forced to lodge in the fields. Delivered - By Cyrus, by Darius, and by Artaxerxes; and this was a type of a greater deliverance. Redeem - The Hebrew word points out a redemption by the next kinsman, and so minds us of the Messiah, the great redeemer of the church.

Now - The time is at hand. Defiled - Let her be polluted with blood, and let us enter, sack and destroy her temple and palaces. Look - With delight on her destruction.

The thoughts - The design of the holy, just and faithful God. As the sheaves - The husbandman gathers the sheaves into the floor to thresh them; so God in due time will bring his enemies together, that they may be bruised, broken and destroyed.

And thresh - The future strength of the church employed in subduing her enemies, is here foretold. Iron - This expresses the strength of the church firm as iron, to beat down her enemies. Brass - By this figurative speech, is the strength of Zion expressed, treading underfoot, and breaking the power of her enemies in pieces. And I - I, the church. Their gain - The spoils of my conquered enemies.

1 BUT in the last dayes it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains e, and it shall be exalted above the hills , and people shall flow unto it .

This particle which ushers in the following promise doth also bid us look to somewhat before spoken, of a very different Complexion; that was news of a Total and a long continued Desolation, but this is of a happy Restitution, which doth refer both to a Temporal Deliverance out of Babylons Captivity, and to a Spiritual Deliverance out of Ignorance, Superstition and all other wayes of false Worship. This latter is the principal, the former is Typical, and so shall we consider them.

Or the latter dayes, at the expiring of the seventy years Captivity, (near 200 years from Micah's time) as Type of the dayes of the Messiah's Kingdom, which are most usually call'd the last dayes.

The City Ierusalem; or, more particularly, the Mountain on which the Temple did stand, called the House of the Lord, the Hieroglyphick of the Church of Christ in Gospel times.

Literally, and in the Type fulfilled when the second Temple was built by the Iews return'd out of Captivity. Spiritually and in the Antitype accomplish'd, when Christ did establish his Church by the Preaching of the Gospel, and laid the Foundations of it so that the Gates of Hell should never prevail against it, and made it this promise.

As the mountain, or hill on which the Temple stood, was by this honoured above other mountains and hills, so shall it, after desolation and reproach of 70 years, be honoured with the Temple rebuilt upon it for Gods true Worship, whereas on other hills the Heathens worship Idols. So the Gospel Church and the way of Worship to God shall excel all modes of Religion.

The Gentiles as Antitype,, those who came up with Israel out of Babylon said to be servants and maids, Ezra 2.65, above 7337▪ many, if not all, of them proselyted to the Iewish Religion and a Type, as well as first fruit of the Gentiles to be converted in the times of the Messiah. This number we are sure of; as for that Iosephus reports of 4074 of a mixed multitude, we look on with no more credit given than to his report of four millions six hundred and twenty eight thousand of Iudah and Benjamin, lib. 11. cap. 4. of Antiq.

Come in freely, continually, and in multitudes, which in the Type was fulfilled, partly at the return out of Babylon, and partly in after dayes when Darius Hystaspis favoured the Iewes and encouraged them, as Iosephus reports, Antiq. lib. 11. cap. 4. consonant with Ezra 6. from ver. 3. to the 12. and we have reason to believe that God so disposed Darius's mind to favour them, that it might occasion some to embrace the Iewish Religion. But all this Type was eminently fulfill'd in the Conversion of those multitudes we read of brought in to Christ by the Preaching of the Gospel in the Apostolical times.

Marginal references: I[illegible: 1 letter]a. [illegible: 1 span]

2 And many nations shall come and say, Come , and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD , and to the house of the God of Jacob , and he will teach us of his wayes , and we will walk in his paths : for the law shall go forth of Zion , and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem .

This was in part, and as Type fulfilled when so many proselyted and circumcised servants of several Nations amassed in the Babylonish Kingdom left their native Countrey, and in love to their Iewish Masters, and more to the God of the Iewes and his Law, came up with them to Ierusalem and the Temple; afterwards, when the wonderful deliverance of the Iews and the advancement of their Countrey-man Mordecai in the Persian Court, brought the people and their Religion into request, and credit, many turn'd Iews, through the 127 Provinces, Esth. 8.17, were circumcised, became Proselytes of Righteousness. And in the times succeeding through the Reigns of five Kings, for 90 years the Iewish affairs and Religion continued in a tolerable good condition. In Alexanders time, and under the Maccabees, also this prophesie was partly fulfilled when Ishmaelites, Moabites, Ammonites and Idumeans submitted to the Maccabees, and by Hyrcanus his command, and with their own consent, the Idumeans were circumcised; as Josephus lib. 13. cap. 17. Antiq. This, notwithstanding the words, had a fuller accomplishment, and still shall have under the Gospel days in these times of the Messiah, to which as to the Antitype and principal mark they are levelled no doubt.

So the captive Jews by Cyrus and Darius Decree released from captivity, did certainly call, perswade and encourage each other to leave the strange lands in which they had been captives, and to go up to Jerusalem, and to build that and the Temple, and to restore the Worship of God. And zealous Proselytes did, as the Eunuch Lord Treasurer to Queen Candace, came up to Jerusalem to Worship. So that we meet many Proselytes at Jerusalem. Acts 2.5, 10, 11. whither they were wont to come before the Gospel was publish'd. Now as this was a fulfilling of this Prophesie in part, so the conversion of the multitude of the Gentiles to Christ is much more eminently a fulfilling of it.

To the Temple at Jerusalem, Type of Christ and the Gospel Church.

This explains the former passage and doth, as that, respectively look to the Worship of God at Jerusalem, and in Gospel dayes.

Out of his Law both in points of Worship and Judicature, by such as Ezra, Nehemiah, by such as Zehariah and Haggai, and by Scribes acquainted with the Law of God, this to last till Elias, forerunner to Christ, should prepare his way and the Messiah should come to teach his people, and publish the Gospel of the Kingdom, by Apostles, and succeeding Preachers.

As was the duty of returning captives▪ and as, indeed, many of them did after their return walk more exactly in the wayes of God, and especially kept themselves from Idolatry, yet this was a fulfilling of this Prophesie in Type presignifying what hath been done this 1600 years and more, under the preaching of the Gospel, before Jacob onely, now all Nations see the Salvation of God.

In Jerusalem and Zion is declared the only way of worshipping God before Messiah comes, and from thence the onely Law of right worshipping God shall go forth, when Messiah is come.

An elegant ingemination of the same thing in somewhat different words which as they do respect both Type and Antitype so must be applyed, to each respectively.

3 ¶ And he shall judge among many people and rebuke strong nations afar off : and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks : nation shall not lift up a sword against nation , neither shall they learn war any more .

God by tho[illegible: 1 letter]e Governours, High-priests and Prophets (taking his word for their Rule) set up of God, Types and Servants of the Messiah, who in due time and in a fuller accomplishment of this Prophesie shall by himself during the dayes of his dwelling in flesh, and by his Spirit, and Word, and Officers he hath appointed, unto the end of the Word.

Judge, rule persons, determine controversies, appoint Ordinances, inlighten minds, convince sinners, and convert them, as Psal. 2.8.

As the knowledge of God, and the worship of God after the Restitution of the Captivity was somewhat more extended by the coming in of many proselytes, as is noted ver. 1, 2. and this as Type prefiguring the largeness of the Kingdom of the Messiah or the Gospel Church, so when Christ set up his visible Kingdom, and commissioned his Apostles, it was Matth. 28.18, 19. to teach all Nations.

By the captive Jewes he did convince some of those mighty Nations among whom the Jewes did live 70 years, and though they were far off from God, his Law, his Temple, and true Worship, he brought them over, they were made proselytes to the true God, so now much more is this fulfilled in the turning the mighty Nations, the Roman Empire and many other Nations from dumb Idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, 2 Thes. 1.9, 10.

All that do heartily Embrace the Gospel shall be of a peaceable disposition both in their private and publick capacities, and shall, as much as in them is, follow peace with all men. They shall gladly see Wars cease and turn their weapons of war and slaughter into instruments of Husbandry. Isa. 2.4.

Wh[illegible: 1 letter]ch receive and obey the Gospel shall not, unless necessitated to it, enter into a course of War and bloodshed.

To make it the employment of their life for their maintenance, or the chosen way to Riches and Honour.

Marginal references: Joel 3.10.; Or, Sithes.

4 But they shall sit every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree , and none shall make them afraid ; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

The redeemed of the Lord, redeemed from Babylonish Captivity, and brought back into their own Land, the Type of a greater Redemption by Jesus Christ.

The planting Vines and Figtrees was one part of that Husbandry which the Iewes made great profit by, to this Husbandry they were much addicted in times of peace, 1 King. 4.25. and when Peace, Security, and Riches or Plenty are promised, among other wayes of expressing it, this is one, so Zech. 3.10. So in the Type, the Iewes re[illegible: 1 letter]urned, (whilst they walked in the wayes of the God of Iacob) did enjoy safety and plenty, as Ezek. 34.25, 26, 27, 28, and 36.8, 9. &c. This was made good in the Gospel dayes more universally and fully, both in outward and inward peace under the Messiah.

Those that were once enemies shall be friends, the Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid, Isa. 11.6, 7, 8, 9. These Proverbial allusions do assure us, that they who are redeemed out of Babylon, and the servitude of sin, should enjoy their own with great safety and security, which literally was performed to the returned, resetled Captives, and spiritually or mystically is made good among those that are redeemed by Christ, and who do embrace the Gospel.

This gives us the greatest confirmation and assurance of the future accomplishment of the prediction and promise; the Merciful▪ Wise, Faithful and Almighty God hath spoken it, he hath promised it, whose word spoken, commanding it should be, can make their state what he saith it shall be.

5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and * we will walk in the name of the LORD our God, for ever and ever .

This is either a reason why they should be so safe, or else a declaration of their resolution to take this course, that it may be so with them, and so the Hebr. Particle may be rendered certainly.

Unchangeably, through the succession of Ages among the restored Iews, and the redeemed Gentiles.

It is a received rule, that they ought, and 'tis a constant practice with the Nations they will pray to, depend on, and serve their Gods, and think by this course to receive their expected Blessings; they are constant to their Gods, Ier. 2.11.

Seek the Lord, embrace his Law and Worship, wait on him as the fountain and giver of all good, as he is the Lord who can give us Vines and Figtrees, and can give us safety under them, as he is our God, and engaged by promise to do all this for us, in his name we will walk, and so shall we be safe and enjoy all good from him; we will have no other lovers, nor go after them, though we have done so, Hos. 2.6, or 7. This was in letter, and in part fulfilled, when upon their return out of Captivity they did abandon all false Gods, and worshipt God alone. And 'tis fulfilled more eminently in all the Israel of God, who turn from dumb Idols to serve the living and true God.

6 In that day, saith the LORD , will I assemble her that halteth , and I will gather her that is driven out , and her that I have afflicted .

Called verse 1. last, or latter dayes, let. b. Vid. in the day wherein I shall restore my captived people, and in the day I shall redeem mine Elect.

First, and in part by the Edicts of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes for the release of the Captives, their return to Jerusalem, and for the rebuilding the Temple, and for restoring the worship of God; But more fully by the Preaching of the Gospel, publishing Salvation by Christ, to whom the gathering of the Gentiles was to be, Gen. 49.10.

Vid. Zeph. 3.19. weakened with the hard usages of oppressing conquerours; who were as lamed ones, unable to walk, such were the impoverisht Jewes in the Babylonish captivity, utterly unprovided for so long a Journey, and its likely, they were unresolved too, whether to go or not go, halted between a desire of going, and a fear of the difficulties that would unavoidably attend their poverty. Now the bounty and favour which God moved in the Persian Kings toward the Jewes, was such, that these poor were encouraged to set forward on the Journey. This word is to this day fulfilled, in that Christ doth by the power of his word and spirit make his people a willing people, determines their resolution, and enables them to perform it, and to give up themselves to God.

In this phrase, I will gather, does God by Ezek. 28.25. promise the recovery of his people from Captivity, and so does Jer. 31.8. almost in the same manner promise the restoring of Captive Judah. Here they are said to be driven out, i. e. of their own Land, into a strange Land, where they are Captives, Jer. 8.3. and 16.15. and 23.3. and 24.8, 9. and 29.15. and Ezek. 4.13. The Lord will by his power and goodness gather those whom Nebuchadnezzar scattered through his Kingdom, and Christ will much more gather to his fold those who were Captives to Satan.

This in the letter refers to wasted and impoverished Israel, on whom God laid an affliction of seventy years.

Marginal references: Ezek. 14.16.

7 And I will make her that halted , a remnant , and her that was cast far off , a strong nation ; and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion , from henceforth even for ever .

See this phrase opened, Zeph. 3.19. and in this Chapter the 6th. verse, let. l.

Which as they were preserved for a seed, so they should as fruitful seed take root and increase, and continue to the coming of the Messiah.

That was cast off by God, and by the ha[illegible: 1 letter]ds of Babylonians were carried away captives into remotest parts of the Babylonish Kingdom.

So the Jewes did grow up in multitudes and strength, as appears by the Jewish Wars, which were by them waged in the dayes of the Maccabees.

The true God, Lord of Heaven and Earth shall be their God alone, him they shall obey in his Worship, Law, and Temple in Jerusalem.

i. e. To the end or period fixed for the Mosaic and Legal Institutions, for a very long time, not simply for ever. This was partly fulfilled to this people in their return, and reestablishment in their own Land, and in Jerusalem, but the final, full and eternal accomplishme[illegible: 1 letter]t hereof, is now fulfilling, and shall continue so, under the Messiah, till fulfilled in the gathering all the Elect to Christ in Grace on Earth, and in Glory in Heaven.

Marginal references: Dan. 7.14. Luke 1.33.

8 ¶ And thou, O towre of the flock , the strong hold of the daughter of Zion , unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion , the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

Some refer this to that Tower Edar, in the Neighbourhood of Bethlehem, built there for the Shepherds convenienter watching over their flocks. The Prophet may possibly allude to this. In the Church Christs flock, there is a Tower built for defence of his flock, but 'tis that name which is a strong Tower, to which the righteous run, and are safe. But there was a Tower of this denomination in Jerusalem, through which Tower the flocks of Sheep were driven into the Sheep Market, this one Tower by Synechdoche put for the whole City Jerusalem.

Ophel, as 'tis Hebr. and perhaps were better rendred a Proper name of that impregnable Fort, 2 Chron. 27.3. another considerable part put for the whole.

Or, O Daughter of Zion, so 'twill be an explication of what the Prophet before meant by the Tower Eder and Ophel, i. e. O Zion, O Ierusalem, both in the Typical, and in the Mystical sense.

The former dominion, not in outward splendor, but because the Government and supream Dignity among this people was restored (after seventy years captivity) to the former Royal Family, and continued in it till Shiloh came. This in the Type was fulfilled upon the settlement, under Zerubbabel and his Successours; but the whole Antitype concerns the Messiah's Kingdom, and the Gospel Ierusalem, and is fulfilled in the Spiritual Glory of it. Christs Kingdom is the antient, supream and most glorious Kingdom, and by his redeeming us from Bondage of Hell, is set up, and shall be continued firm and unmoveable, more then Eder, Ophal, Zion or Ierusalem Typical, as Luc. 1.32, 33. and more large then ever David's or Solomon's Kingdom, Dan. 7.14. and therefore greater in Glory, for Christ is King of Kings, Rev. 17.14. and 19.16. This Spiritual Kingdom came first to the Iewes, Act. 13.46. It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you. The Gospel was to be Preached first to the Daughter of Ierusalem. There the Preacher of Repentance and Remission of sins was to begin, and thence they were to publish it to all Nations, L[illegible: 1 letter]k. 24.47. This Text, and such like, the blinded Iew doth take in a literal sense only, as if it promised a Temporal Dominion over all Nations, and Worldly Kingdom to the Messiah, in which they expect a large share; but what is literal, and concerned the Iews alone, was limited to them that came out of Babyloni[illegible: 2 letters] Captivity, and hath been fulfilled to them.

9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud ? i[illegible: 1 letter] there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished ? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail .

Now that I have from the Lord promised such great good things to you, after the seventy years Captivity, and in the dayes of the Messiah.

As if this case were desperate, or as if it would be ever night with thee, or as if thy hopes would not outweigh thy fears, or thy future Joy would not counterballance thy present griefs.

Thou hast lost thy King Zed[illegible: 1 letter]kiah, and now art become Tributary, but thy God, thy King is with thee, and will be with thee to preserve, restore, establish, enlarge, enrich, and to beautifie thee with Salvation, and to reign over thee in Mount Zion for ever. Verse 7. Thy loss at present is great, but thy future advantage may well stop these outcryes.

Hast thou none among thy wise Counsellors left in thee? Hath Nebuchadnezzar cruelly slain all he took of them, and are the rest fled? Yet the wonderful Counsellour is with thee, doth consult and resolve that thou shalt not be undone, and perish for ever. Messiah, the wisdom of his Father, hath the conduct of thy sufferings, deliverance and re-establishment, in which thou mayest at last glory.

This great distress of Spirit appears by thy outcryes, like t[illegible: 1 letter]ose of a woman in travail, of which no great reason can be given, all things considered. No more then a Woman at her full time, and bringing forth the fruit of her Womb, to the present increase, and future honour of the Family; whose pains end in joy, Iohn 16.21.

10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth , O daughter of Zion , like a woman in travel : for now shalt thou go forth out of the city , and thou shalt dwell in the field , and thou shalt go even to Babylon , there shalt thou be delivered : there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies .

It may be read, Thou shalt be in pain, and thou shalt labour, &c. so it will be a prediction of the troubles, sorrows, and dangers that they shall meet with in the Wars against the Babylonians, and in their Captivity under them.

All the house of Iudah, particularly you that dwell in Ierusalem and near mount Zion.

Whose sorrows are very sharp, but somewhat mitigated by expectation of a good delivery, and the birth of a living child, let your hopes so mitigate your sorrows too.

E're long, within a few years you will see or hear that Israel is carried Captive, (which Micah lived to see,) this may be admonition, it is certainly a token that you shall be Captives too, and this came upon them one hundred and thirty years after, when in Zedekiahs time the daughter of Zion was deplorably wasted, conquered and captivated by Nebuchadnezzar.

Forced thereto by the prevailing power of the Babylonians, who took Zedekiah and those that accompanied him when they stole out of the City, these did go out when they could keep in it no longer.

As conquered, made prisoners, and held so in the Fields under a strong Guard untill all the conquered were brought together, that they might in one body be led away. In their journey to Babylon they were forced to lodge in the Fields, also exposed to all the inconveniencies of heat in the day▪ and of cold in the night, weary, hungry, thirsty and faint near to death.

O daughter of Zion thou shalt certainly be carried Captive to Babylon, where thy dwelling shall be little bettered, thou shalt dwell by the River, without the City.

By Cyrus first, and by Dari[illegible: 1 letter]s Hystaspis next, and by Artaxerxes in Nehemiahs time, all this as Type of a greater deliverance,

The Everlasting God, thy God, whose servants the Persian Kings that favoured the Jews were, and by whose motion they did incline to release them.

The Heb. word points out a Redemption by the next Kinsman, and so fairly minds us of the Messiah the great Redeemer of the Church. And to him and the Redemption of the Church by him do these deliverances ultimately and principally point.

Who would have detained the People of God longer in slavery, or who would have hindred the Rebuilding of the Temple, and the re-establishment of the Worship of God, proportionably to this Type doth the Antitype answer, Luk. 1.74, 75.

11 ¶ Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say , Let her be defiled , and let our eye look upon Zion .

i. e. Ere long, the time is near at hand.

Many for number and great for name, mighty in power, all that were at that time confederate with, or feudatary to Senacherib King of A[illegible: 1 letter]syria or else to the King of Babylon.

The present tense for the future, in the Prophetick stile, to express the certainty & the nearness of the judgment, they will all of them assemble and come up against Iudah and Ierusalem, as Sennacherib did when he besieged Ierusalem, or as Nebuchadnezzar did when he took it.

Propose it as their design, hope for it as their end, and boast of it as easie.

Let us use her contemptuously, tread her under foot as a common and polluted thing, let us destroy her with such spite and scorn as a defiled thing deserveth. So the phrase 2 Kin. 23.8. let her be polluted with blood, and without respect to her former holiness let us enter, sack and destroy her Temple and Palaces.

With delighting our selves in the ruine, let us feed our envious revengeful eye.

Upon Ierusalem the Royal Palace, and the sacred Temple buried in their own rubbish.

12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD , neither understand they his counsel : for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor .

The gathered confederate Nations, Zions Enemies.

Neither discern nor consider.

The design of the holy, just, gracious and faithful God who is God of his people, of Israel, who will humble but not extirpate, who will purifie by, but not consume in, the Furnace; Gods thoughts to Israel is to give him an expected end.

The same thing in somewhat different phrase, this elegancy ever is added to confirm the thing foretold.

By his secret, just, and effectual providence disposing all things to facilitate their gathering together, that they shall do, and yet God also shall do it, he as the first cause, they as the second, he moves according to his own pleasure, they move as they are second and dependent Agents, they shall as a fire purge out the drosse, or a wind blow away the chaff and lightest Corn, which is that God intendeth, but they consult onely to extinguish the people, to cut them off that they be no more a Nation.

A plain and very intelligible simile. The Husbandman gathers the sheaves into the floor to thresh them; so God gathers. i. e. in due time he will do this and bring his Enemies, and his Churches Enemies together that they may be bruised, broken and destroyed utterly. This seems to look to Sennacheribs gathering his power against Ierusalem, and the circumstances [illegible: 1 letter]ell enough suit this, yet is not this to be confined or restrained to Sennacherib, but perhaps to the slaughter made on the Enemies in one hundred twenty seven Provinces in Esthers time, looking to somewhat that is farther off, indeed running through all ages of the Church, and shall be finally accomplisht in the ruin of the Antichristian Kingdom, then shall that of Zech. 12.3. be fulfilled, when though all Nations gather themselves against Ierusalem, yet 'tis that they may be cut in pieces, when the Vine of the Earth shall be gathered into the Winepress of Gods wrath, Revel. 14.19, 20. and chap. 19.15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.

13 Arise and thresh , O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn Iron , and I will make thy hoofs brass , and thou shalt beat in pieces many people : and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD , and their substance to the LORD of the whole earth .

This imperative may be read in the future tense, and so be an express promise, it is however an implicite promise made to the Daughter of Zion, the Jewish Church, Type of the Gospel Catholick Church, that she shall be raised out of a captive, low and oppressed state, and this shall be by the reviving power of her God.

So in a decorum to the Metaphor ver. 12. used to express the gathering of the Enemy into the floor to be broken▪ the future strength of the Church employed successfully, (more by the arm of her Redeemer then her own) in the subduing and breaking her Enemies is here foretold and promised, as 'tis also Isa. 41.15. Christ will thus punish his Enemies, so Babylon Typical as threatned Ier. 51.33. was beat to pieces, and so shall Antitypical Babylon in due time be broken as straw that is thresht into smallest pieces like chaff.

Some taking this for the horny part of the hoof of the Oxe which did tread out the Corn, make it to be in sense the same with the hoofs made brass, but they that take it as our Version doth for the horn properly taken, with which the horned beasts do push and thrust down, break or wound, do express the power and strength of the Church firm as Iron to beat down her Enemies.

By this figurative speech is the strength of Zion expressed, by which she treads under foot, and breaks the power of Enemies into pieces that it shall never be repaired, as straw that is thresht in the floor and broken like chaffe.

In the times after the rebuilding of Ierusalem the Jews grew to such strength that in their Wars they did especially in the Maccabees times break their Enemies in pieces. But here is a mystical and spiritual sense of these words, as they refer to the Messiah's Kingdom in which he will break hard hearts by the power of his word, and convert sinners to himself. And by the power of his Almighty arm will defend and support his own subjects, whilst he doth by invincible strength throw down and trample into dust his and their Enemies, and this power he hath sometimes evidently exercised already in the various deliverances he hath wrought for his people which stand recorded in the Church Histories, of this strength you may truly say what is reported of the inscription in the cross appearing to Constantine. In this thou shalt conquer.

Such as were Enemies in disposition and carriage towards the Jews though Neighbours in their [illegible: 1 letter]cituation, these were both many and mighty Enemies, such Christs Church hath to contest with, and such Christ will conquer for his Church, for he 'tis who goeth forth conquering and to conquer, Revel. 6.2. And all his Enemies shall be made his footstool, Psal. 110.1.

Some refer this to the Church, and so it may well enough be applyed. The Redeemed of the Lord should by their own act and deed become the Lords. Others refer it to the Lord, he will consecrate, its best, but both together the Lord will, and therefore the Church will, God requires it, they consent to it.

The spoils of their conquered Enemies, what they get out of their hand. So the Tabernacle was enricht with the spoils of Egypt, and the Temple built with that which David did dedicate of the spoiles of Enemies; and Persian bounty built the second Temple.

To the true God, for his honour and in his service.

Their power, glory and wealth, all they have and are.

Zech. 4.14. [illegible: 1 letter]nd 6.5.

With humility and low thoughts of all we do as done to him that doth not need it, being Lord of all.

Mic 4:1-4

The promise of salvation opens, in closest connection with the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple, with a picture of the glory awaiting in the remotest future the temple mountain, which has now become a wild forest-height. Mic 4:1. “And it comes to pass at the end of the days, that the mountain of Jehovah’s house will be established on the head of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills, and nations stream to it. Mic 4:2. And many nations go, and say, Up, let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us of His ways, and we may walk in His paths: for from Zion will law go forth, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. Mic 4:3. And He will judge between many nations, and pronounce sentence on strong nations afar off; and they forge their swords into coulters, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war any more. Mic 4:4. And they will sit, every one under his vine, and under his fig-tree, and no one will make them afraid: for the mouth of Jehovah of hosts hath spoken it.”This promise is placed by Isaiah (Isa 2:2-4) at the head of his prophecy of Zion’s way through judgment from the false glory to the true. The originality of the passage in Micah is open to no question. Delitzsch acknowledges this, and has given the principal arguments in its favour in the Commentary on Isaiah. For still more elaborate proofs, see Caspari’s Micha, pp. 444-5.

By the phrase “at the end of the days,” which always denotes the Messianic era when used by the prophets (see at Hos 3:5), the predicted exaltation of the temple mountain is assigned to the period of the completion of the kingdom of God. The mountain of the house of Jehovah is the temple mountain, strictly speaking, Moriah, as the distinction made between the mountain of the house and Zion in Mic 3:12 clearly shows; but as a subordinate peak of Zion, it is embraced along with Zion in what follows (compare Mic 4:2 with Mic 4:7) as the seat of Jehovah’s rule, from which the law proceeds. נכון does not mean placed or set up, but established, founded. By connecting the participle with יהיה, the founding is designated as a permanent one. בּראשׁ ההרים, upon (not at) the top of the mountains, as in Jdg 9:7; 1Sa 26:13; Psa 72:16; whereas such passages as Mic 2:13; Amo 6:7, and 1Ki 21:9 are of a different character, and have no bearing upon the point. The temple mountain, or Zion, will be so exalted above all the mountains and hills, that it will appear to be founded upon the top of the mountains. This exaltation is of course not a physical one, as Hofmann, Drechsler, and several of the Rabbins suppose, but a spiritual (ethical) elevation above all the mountains. This is obvious from Mic 4:2, according to which Zion will tower above all the mountains, because the law of the Lord issues from it. The assumption of a physical elevation cannot be established from Eze 40:2 and Rev 21:10, for in the visions described in both these passages the earthly elevation is a symbol of a spiritual one. “Through a new revelation of the Lord, which is made upon it, and which leaves the older revelations far behind, whether made upon Sinai or upon itself, Zion becomes the greatest and loftiest mountain in the world” (Caspari), and the mountain seen from afar, to which “nations” stream, and not merely the one nation of Israel. עמּים is more precisely defined in Mic 4:2 as גּוים רבּים. The attractive power which this mountain exerts upon the nations, so that they call upon one another to go up to it (Mic 4:2), does not reside in its height, which towers above that of all other mountains, but in the fact that the house of the God of Jacob stands upon it, i.e., that Jehovah is enthroned there, and teacher how to walk in His ways. הורה מן, to teach out of the ways, so that the ways of God form the material from which they derive continual instruction. The desire for salvation, therefore, is the motive which prompts them to this pilgrimage; for they desire instruction in the ways of the Lord, that they may walk in them. The ways of Jehovah are the ways which God takes in His dealing with men, and by which men are led by Him; in reality, therefore, the ordinances of salvation which He has revealed in His word, the knowledge and observance of which secure life and blessedness. The words “for the law goes forth from Zion,” etc., are words spoken not by the nations, but by the prophet, and assign the reason why the heathen go with such zeal to the mountain of Jehovah. The accent is laid upon מצּיון (from Zion), which stands at the head, and מירוּשׁלם (from Jerusalem), which is parallel to it. Thence does tōrâh, i.e., instruction in the ways of God, proceed, - in other words, the law as the rule of a godly life, and debhar Yehōvâh (the word of Jehovah), or the word of revelation as the source of salvation. It is evident from this that the mountain of the house of God is not thought of here as the place of worship, but as the scene of divine revelation, the centre of the kingdom of God. Zion is the source of the law and word of the Lord, from which the nations draw instruction how to walk in the ways of God, to make it their own, take it to their homes, and walk according to it. The fruit of this adoption of the word of the Lord will be, that they will not longer fight out their disputes with weapons of war, but let Jehovah judge and settle them, and thus acknowledge Him as their King and Judge. שׁפם signifies to act as judge; הוכיה (lit., to set right), to settle and put a stop to a dispute. “Many nations,” in contrast with the one nation, which formerly was alone in acknowledge Jehovah as its King and Judge. This is strengthened still further by the parallel “strong, mighty nations afar off.” In consequence of this they will turn their weapons into instruments of peaceful agriculture, and wage no more war; in fact, they will learn war no more, no longer exercise themselves in the use of arms. For the words וכתּתוּ וגו compare Joe 3:10, where the summons to the nations to a decisive conflict with the kingdom of God is described as turning the instruments of agriculture into weapons of war. With the cessation of war, universal peace will ensue, and Israel will have no further enemies to fear, so that every one will have undisturbed enjoyment of the blessings of peace, of which Israel had had a foretaste during the peaceful reign of Solomon. The words “sit under his vine” are taken from 1Ki 5:5 (cf. Zec 3:10), and אין מחריד from the promise in Lev 26:6. All this, however incredible it might appear, not only for the Israel of that time, but even now under the Christian dispensation, will assuredly take place, for the mouth of Jehovah the true God has spoken it.

Mic 4:5

It will not be through any general humanitarian ideas and efforts, however, that the human race will reach this goal, but solely through the omnipotence and faithfulness of the Lord. The reason assigned for the promise points to this. Mic 4:5. “For all nations walk every man in the name of his God, but we walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever.” This verse does not contain an exhortation, or a resolution to walk in the name of God, which involves an exhortation, in the sense of “if all nations walk, etc., then we will,” etc.; for an admonition or a resolution neither suits the connection, in the midst of simple promises, nor the words themselves, since we should at any rate expect נלכה instead of נלך. The sameness in the form of the verbs ילכוּ and נלך requires that they should be understood in the same way. Walking in the name of God does not mean regulating the conduct according to the name of a God, i.e., according to the nature which expresses itself in the name, or worshipping him in a manner corresponding to his nature (Caspari), but walking in the strength of God, in which the nature of this God is displayed. This is the meaning of the phrase in 1Sa 17:45 and Zec 10:12, where “I strengthen them in Jehovah” forms the basis of “and in His name will they walk” (compare Pro 18:10, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower”). But the gods of all the nations, i.e., of all the heathen, are worthless beings, without life, without strength. Jehovah, on the contrary, is the only true God, the almighty Creator and Governor of the world. And the heathen, with their worthless gods, can do nothing to Him and the nation which walks in His name, his strength. If, therefore, Israel rejoices for ever and ever in the strength of its God, the heathen nations cannot disturb the peace which He will create for Israel and all who accept His word. In this way is the promise in Mic 4:3 and Mic 4:4 explained in Mic 4:5. But this explanation assumes that, even at the time when many nations stream to the mountain of the Lord, there will still be nations that do not seek Jehovah and His word, - a thought which is still further expanded in v. Mic 5:4., and involves this consolation, that such opponents of the people of God as shall be still in existence will not be able to interfere with the salvation which has been prepared for it by its God.

Mic 4:6-7

From this salvation even the Israel that may be in misery or scattered abroad will not be excluded. Mic 4:6. “In that day, is the saying of Jehovah, will I assemble that which limps, and gather together that which has been thrust out, and which I have afflicted. Mic 4:7. And I will make that which limps into a remnant, and that which is far removed into a strong nation; and Jehovah will rule over them from henceforth, even for ever.” “In that day” points back to the end of the days in Mic 4:1. At the time when many nations shall go on pilgrimage to the highly exalted mountain of the Lord, and therefore Zion-Jerusalem will not only be restored, but greatly glorified, the Lord will assemble that which limps and is scattered abroad. The feminines הצּלעה and הנּדּחה are neuters, and to be understood collectively. Limping denotes the miserable condition into which the dispersed have been brought (cf. Psa 35:15; Psa 38:18). And this misery is inflicted by God. The limping and dispersed are those whom Jehovah has afflicted, whom He has punished for their sins. The gathering together of the nation has already been promised in Mic 2:12; but there the assembling of all Israel was foretold, whereas here it is merely the assembling of the miserable, and of those who are scattered far and wide. There is no discrepancy in these two promises. The difference may easily be explained from the different tendencies of the two addressed. “All Jacob” referred to the two separate kingdoms into which the nation was divided in the time of the prophet, viz., Israel and Judah, and it was distinctly mentioned there, because the banishment of both had been foretold. This antithesis falls into the background here; and, on the other hand, prominence is given, in connection with what precedes, to the idea of happiness in the enjoyment of the blessings of the holy land. The gathering together involves reinstatement in the possession and enjoyment of these blessings. Hence only the miserable and dispersed are mentioned, to express the thought that no one is to be excluded from the salvation which the Lord will bestow upon His people in the future, though now he may be pining in the misery of the exile inflicted upon them. But just as the whole of the nation of Israel to be gathered together, according to Mic 2:12, consists of the remnant of the nation only, so does the gathering together referred to here point only to the restoration of the remnant, which is to become a strong nation, over which Jehovah reigns as King in Zion. מלך is emphatic, expressing the setting up of the perfected monarchy, as it has never yet existed, either in the present or the past.“Micah does not mention the descendants of David here, but Jehovah Himself, not to exclude the kingdom of David, but to show that God will prove that He was the author of that kingdom, and that all the power is His. For although God governed the ancient people by the hand of David, and by the hand of Josiah and Hezekiah, yet there was as it were a cloud interposed, so that God then reigned obscurely. The prophet therefore indicates a certain difference here between that shadowy kingdom and the new kingdom which God will openly manifest at the advent of the Messiah.” - Calvin.

This dominion will never be interrupted again, as it formerly was, by the banishment of the nation into exile on account of its sins, but will endure מעתּה (henceforth), i.e., from the future, which is regarded as present, even for ever.

So far as the realization of this exceedingly glorious promise is concerned, the expression standing at the head, be'achărı̄th hayyâmı̄m (at the end of the days), already points to the Messianic times: and the substance of the promise itself points to the times of the completion of the Messianic kingdom, i.e., to the establishment of the kingdom of glory (Mat 19:28). The temple mountain is a type of the kingdom of God in its New Testament form, which is described by all the prophets after the forms of the Old Testament kingdom of God. Accordingly, the going of the nations to the mountain of the house of Jehovah is, as a matter of fact, the entrance of the heathen who have been brought to the faith into the kingdom of Christ. This commenced with the spread of the gospel among the Gentiles, and has been continued through all the ages of the Christian church. But however many nations have hitherto entered into the Christian church, the time has not yet come for them to be so entirely pervaded with the spirit of Christ, as to allow their disputes to be settled by the Lord as their King, or to renounce war, and live in everlasting peace. Even for Israel the time has not yet come for the limping and exiled to be gathered together and made into a strong nation, however many individual Jews have already found salvation and peace within the bosom of the Christian church. The cessation of war and establishment of eternal peace can only take place after the destruction of all the ungodly powers on earth, at the return of Christ to judgment and for the perfecting of His kingdom. But even then, when, according to Rom 11:25., the pleroma of the Gentiles shall have entered into the kingdom of God, and Israel as a nation (πᾶς Ἰσραήλ = יעקב כּלּו in Mic 2:12) shall have turned to its Redeemer, and shall be assembled or saved, no physical elevation of the mountain of Zion will ensue, nor any restoration of the temple in Jerusalem, or return of the dispersed of Israel to Palestine. The kingdom of glory will be set up on the new earth, in the Jerusalem which was shown to the holy seer on Patmos in the Spirit, on a great and lofty mountain (Rev 21:10). In this holy city of God there will be no temple, “for the Lord, the Almighty God, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof” (Rev 21:22). The word of the Lord to the Samaritan woman concerning the time when men would neither worship God on this mountain, nor yet in Jerusalem, but worship Him in spirit and in truth (Joh 4:21, Joh 4:23), applies not only to the kingdom of God in its temporal development into the Christian church, but also to the time of the completion of the kingdom of God in glory.

Mic 4:8

The prophecy turns from the highest glorification of Zion to the throne of Zion, which had been founded by David, and swept away with the destruction of Jerusalem (Mic 3:12), and predicts its restoration in the future. Consequently the reign of Jehovah upon Mount Zion, promised in Mic 4:7, is still further defined as effected through the medium of the Davidico-Messianic dominion. Mic 4:8. “And thou flock-tower, hill of the daughter Zion, to thee will the former dominion reach and come, the reign over the daughter Jerusalem.” This announcement is attached primarily to Mic 4:6 and Mic 4:7. As the remnant of Israel gathered together out of the dispersion will become a strong nation, so shall the reign of the daughter Zion be also restored. The address to the flock-tower, the hill of the daughter Zion, shows that these two notions express the same thing, looked at from two sides, or with two different bearings, so that the flock-tower is more precisely defined as the “hill of the daughter Zion.” Now, as the daughter Zion is the city of Zion personified as a virgin, the hill of the daughter Zion might be understood as denoting the hill upon which the city stood, i.e., Mount Zion. But this is precluded by Isa 32:14, where hill and watch-tower (‛ōphel vâbhachan) are mentioned in parallelism with the palace ('armōn), as places or buildings which are to serve as dens for ever. From this it is obvious that ‛ōphel was a place either at the side or at the top of Zion. If we compare with this 2Ch 27:3 and 2Ch 33:14, according to which Jotham built much against the wall of the Ophel (hâ‛ōphel), and Manasseh encircled the Ophel with a wall, and made it very high, Ophel must have been a hill, possibly a bastion, on the south-eastern border of Zion, the fortification of which was of great importance as a defence to the city of Zion against hostile attacks.The opinion that Ophel is the whole of the southern steep rocky promontory of Moriah, from the southern end of the temple ground to its extreme point (Robinson, Schultz, Williams), viz., the Ophla or Ophlas of Josephus, as Arnold (Herzog’s Cycl.) and Winer (Bibl. R.W.) suppose, would be in perfect harmony with this. At the same time, all that can be inferred with any certainty from the passages from Josephus which as cited in support of it (viz., Wars of the Jews, v. 6, 1; cf. vi. 6, 3 and v. 4, 2) is, that the place called Ophla was in the neighbourhood of the valley of Kidron and of the temple mountain. The question then arises, whether the Ophla of Josephus is identical with the Ophel of the Old Testament, since Josephus does not mention the Ophel in his list of the hills of Jerusalem, but simply mentions Ophla as a special locality (see Reland, Pal. p. 855). And lastly, the situation of the Ophel, upon which the Nethinim dwelt (Neh 3:26), is still a matter of dispute, Bertheau supposing it to be the habitable space to the east of the eastern side of the temple area.

Consequently migdal-‛ēder cannot be the flock-tower in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem, which is mentioned in Gen 35:21, but can only be a (or rather the) tower of the Davidic palace, or royal castle upon Zion, namely the town mentioned in Neh 3:25, which stood out against the upper king’s house, by the court of the prison (cf. Neh 3:26). For the prison, which also belonged to the king’s house, according to Jer 32:2, formed a portion of the royal castle, according to the custom of the East. And that it had a lofty tower, is evident from Sol 4:4 : “Thy neck is like David’s tower, built for an armoury: a thousand shields hang thereon, all heroes’ weapons;” according to which the tower of the royal castle was ornamented with the weapons or shields of David’s heroes (1Ch 12:1). And the tower of the king’s castle was so far specially adapted to represent the sovereignty of David, “that by its exaltation above Zion and Jerusalem, by the fact that it ruled the whole city, it symbolized the Davidic family, and its rule over the city and all Israel” (Caspari). This tower, which is most likely the one called bachan (the watch-tower) in Isaiah (l.c.), is called by Micah the flock-tower, probably as a play upon the flock-tower by which the patriarch Jacob once pitched his tent, because David, the ancestor of the divinely-chosen royal house, had been called from being the shepherd of a flock to be the shepherd of the nation of Israel, the flock of Jehovah (Jer 13:17; cf. 2Sa 7:8; Psa 78:70). This epithet was a very natural one for the prophet to employ, as he not only describes the Messiah as a shepherd in Mic 5:3, but also represents Israel as the sheep of Jehovah’s inheritance in Mic 7:14, and the flock-tower is the place where the shepherd takes up his position to see whether any danger threatens his flock (cf. 2Ch 26:10; 2Ch 27:4). עדיך תאהת, “unto thee shall it come.”Luther’s rendering, “thy golden rose will come,” arose from his confounding עדיך (from עד, unto) with עדיך, thine ornament. עדיך affirms more than אליך, to thee: expressing the conquest of every obstacle that blocks up the way to the goal. תּאהת is separated from what follows, and exhibited as independent not only by the athnach, but also by the change of tense occurring in בּאה: “to thee will it come,” sc. what the prophet has in his mind and mentions in the next clause, but brings into special prominence in וּבאה. הם הראשׁנה, the former (first) reign, is the splendid rule of David and Solomon. This predicate presupposes that the sovereignty has departed from Zion, i.e., has been withdrawn from the Davidic family, and points back to the destruction of Jerusalem predicted in Mic 3:12. This sovereignty is still more precisely defined as kingship over the daughter of Jerusalem (ל before בת is a periphrasis of the gen. obj.). Jerusalem, the capital of the kingdom, represents as the object sovereignty over the whole kingdom. This is to be restored to the hill of Zion, i.e., to the royal castle upon the top of it.

Mic 4:9-10

But before this takes place, the daughter Zion will lose her king, and wander into captivity to Babylon; but there she will be redeemed by the Lord out of the power of her enemies. Mic 4:9. “Now why dost thou cry a cry? Is there no king in thee, or is thy counsellor perished, that pangs have seized thee like the woman in labour? Mic 4:10. Writhe and break forth, O daughter Zion, like a woman in labour! For how wilt thou go out of the city and dwell in the field, and come to Babel? there wilt thou be rescued; there will Jehovah redeem thee out of the hand of thine enemies.” From this glorious future the prophet now turns his eye to the immediate future, to proclaim to the people what will precede this glorification, viz., first of all, the loss of the royal government, and the deportation of the people to Babylon. If Micah, after announcing the devastation of Zion in Mic 3:12, has offered to the faithful a firm ground of hope in the approaching calamities, by pointing to the highest glory as awaiting it in the future, he now guards against the abuse which might be made of this view by the careless body of the people, who might either fancy that the threat of punishment was not meant so seriously after all, or that the time of adversity would very speedily give place to a much more glorious state of prosperity, by depicting the grievous times that are still before them. Beholding in spirit the approaching time of distress as already present, he hears a loud cry, like that of a woman in labour, and inquires the cause of this lamentation, and whether it refers to the loss of her king. The words are addressed to the daughter Zion, and the meaning of the rhetorical question is simply this: Zion will lose her king, and be thrown into the deepest mourning in consequence. The loss of the king was a much more painful thing for Israel than for any other nation, because such glorious promises were attached to the throne, the king being the visible representative of the grace of God, and his removal a sign of the wrath of God and of the abolition of all the blessings of salvation which were promised to the nation in his person. Compare Lam 4:20, where Israel calls the king its vital breath (Hengstenberg). יועץ (counsellor) is also the king; and this epithet simply gives prominence to that which the Davidic king had been to Zion (cf. Isa 9:5, where the Messiah is designated as “Counsellor” par excellence). But Zion must experience this pain: writhe and break forth. Gōchı̄ is strengthened by chūlı̄, and is used intransitively, to break forth, describing the pain connected with the birth as being as it were a bursting of the whole nature (cf. Jer 4:31). It is not used transitively in the sense of “drive forth,” as Hitzig and others suppose; for the determination that Jerusalem would submit, and the people be carried away, could not properly be represented as a birth or as a reorganization of things. With the words כּי עתּה וגו the prophet leaves the figure, and predicts in literal terms the catastrophe awaiting the nation. עתּה (now), repeated from Lam 4:9, is the ideal present, which the prophet sees in spirit, but which is in reality the near or more remote future. קריה, without an article, is a kind of proper name, like urbs for Rome (Caspari). In order to set forth the certainty of the threatened judgment, and at the same time the greatness of the calamity in the most impressive manner, Micah fills up the details of the drama: viz., going out of the city, dwelling in the field, without shelter, delivered up to all the chances of weather, and coming to Babel, carried thither without delay. Going out of the city presupposes the conquest of the city by the enemy; since going out to surrender themselves to the enemy (2Ki 24:12; 1Sa 11:3) does not fit in with the prophetic description, which is not a historical description in detail. Nevertheless Israel shall not perish. There (shâm, i.e., even in Babel) will the Lord its God deliver it out of the hand of its foes.

The prediction that the daughter Zion, i.e., the nation of Israel which was governed from Zion, and had its centre in Zion - the covenant nation which, since the destruction of the kingdom of the ten tribes, existed in Judah only - should be carried away to Babylon, and that at a time when Assyria was in the field as the chief enemy of Israel and the representative of the imperial power, goes so far beyond the bounds of the political horizon of Micah’s time, that it cannot be accounted for from any natural presentiment. It is true that it has an analogon in Isa 34:6-7, where Isaiah predicts to king Hezekiah in the most literal terms the carrying away of all his treasures, and of his sons (descendants), to Babylon. At the same time, this analogy is not sufficient to explain the prediction before us; for Isaiah’s prophecy was uttered during the period immediately following the destruction of the Assyrian forces in front of Jerusalem and the arrival of Babylonian ambassadors in Jerusalem, and had a point of connection in these events, which indicated the destruction of the Assyrian empire and the rise of Babylon in its stead, at all events in the germ; whereas no such connecting link exists in the case of Micah’s prophecy, which was unquestionably uttered before these events. It has therefore been thought, that in Mic 3:12 Micah predicts the destruction of Jerusalem, and here in Mic 4:10 the carrying away of Judah to Babylon by the Assyrians; and this opinion, that Micah expected the judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah to be executed by the Assyrians, and not by the Babylonians, has been supported partly by such passages as Mic 5:4-5, and Jer 26:18-19, and partly by the circumstance that Micah threatens his own corrupt contemporaries with the judgment which he predicts on account of their sins; whereas in his time the Assyrians were the only possible executors of a judgment upon Israel who were then standing on the stage of history (Caspari). But these arguments are not decisive. All that can be inferred from Mic 5:4-5, where Asshur is mentioned as the representative of all the enemies of Israel, and of the power of the world in its hostility to the people of God in the Messianic times, is that at the time of Micah the imperial power in its hostility to the kingdom of God was represented by Assyria; but it by no means follows that Assyria would always remain the imperial power, so that it could only be from her that Micah could expect the destruction of Jerusalem, and the carrying away of Judah to Babylon. Again, Jer 26:18, Jer 26:19 - where the chief men of Judah, in order to defend the prophet Jeremiah, quote Micah’s prophecy, with the remark that king Hezekiah did not put him to death in consequence, but feared the Lord and besought His face, so that the Lord repented of the evil which He had spoken concerning Jerusalem - simply proves that these chief men referred Micah’s words to the Assyrians, and attributed the non-fulfilment of the threatened judgment by the Assyrians to Hezekiah’s penitence and prayer, and that this was favoured by the circumstance that the Lord answered the prayer of the king, by assuring him that the Assyrian army should be destroyed (Isa 37:21.). But whether the opinion of these chief men as to the meaning and fulfilment of Micah’s prophecy (Mic 3:12) was the correct one or not, cannot be decided from the passage quoted. Its correctness is apparently favoured, indeed, by the circumstance that Micah threatened the people of his own time with the judgment (for your sakes shall Zion be ploughed into a field, etc.). Now, if he had been speaking of a judgment upon Judah through the medium of the Babylonians, “he would (so Caspari thinks) not only have threatened his contemporaries with a judgment which could not fall upon them, since it was not possible till after their time, inasmuch as the Assyrians were on the stage in his day; but he would also have been most incomprehensibly silent as to the approaching Assyrian judgment, of which Isaiah spoke again and again.” This argument falls to the ground with the untenable assumptions upon which it is founded. Micah neither mentions the Assyrians nor the Babylonians as executing the judgment, nor does he say a word concerning the time when the predicted devastation or destruction of Jerusalem will occur. In the expression בּגללכם, for your sakes (Mic 3:12), it is by no means affirmed that it will take place in his time through the medium of the Assyrians. The persons addressed are the scandalous leaders of the house of Israel, i.e., of the covenant nation, and primarily those living in his own time, though by no means those only, but all who share their character and ungodliness, so that the words apply to succeeding generations quite as much as to his contemporaries. The only thing that would warrant our restricting the prophecy to Micah’s own times, would be a precise definition by Micah himself of the period when Jerusalem would be destroyed, or his expressly distinguishing his own contemporaries from their sons and descendants. But as he has done neither the one nor the other, it cannot be said that, inasmuch as the destruction of Jerusalem and the carrying away of the people was not effected by the Assyrians, but by the Babylonians (Chaldaeans), he would have been altogether silent as to the approaching Assyrian judgment, and only threatened them with the Chaldaean catastrophe, which did not take place till a long time afterwards. His words refer to all the judgments, which took place from his own time onwards till the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the carrying away of the people to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. The one-sided reference of the prophecy to the Assyrians is simply based upon an incorrect idea of the nature of prophecy, and its relation to the fulfilment, and involves the prophet Micah in an irreconcilable discrepancy between himself and his contemporary the prophet Isaiah, who does indeed predict the severe oppression of Judah by the Assyrians, but at the same time foretels the failure of the plans of these foes to the people of Jehovah, and the total destruction of their army.

This contradiction, with the consequence to which it would inevitably lead, - namely, that if one of the prophets predicted the destruction of Jerusalem by the Assyrians, whereas the other prophesied that it would not be destroyed by them, the two contemporary prophets would necessarily lead the people astray, and render both the truth of their contradictory utterances and their own divine mission doubtful, - cannot be removed by the assumption that Isaiah uttered the prophecies in ch. 28-32 at a somewhat later period, after Micah had published his book, and the terribly severe words of Micah in Mic 3:12 had produced repentance. For Isaiah had predicted that the Assyrian would not conquer Jerusalem, but that his army would be destroyed under its walls, not only in Isaiah 28-32, at the time when the Assyrians are approaching with threatening aspect under Shalmaneser or Sennacherib, but much earlier than that, - namely, in the time of Ahaz, in Isaiah 10:5-12:6. Moreover, in Isaiah 28-32 there is not a single trace that Micah’s terrible threatening had produced such repentance, that the Lord was able to withdraw His threat in consequence, and predict through Isaiah the rescue of Jerusalem from the Assyrian. On the contrary, Isaiah scourges the evil judges and false prophets quite as severely in Isa 28:7. and Isa 29:9-12 as Micah does in Mic 3:1-3 and Mic 3:5-8. And lastly, although the distinction between conditional prophecies and those uttered unconditionally is, generally speaking, correct enough, and is placed beyond all doubt by Jer 18:7-10; there is nothing in the addresses and threatenings of the two prophets to indicate that Micah uttered his threats conditionally, i.e., in case there should be no repentance, whereas Isaiah uttered his unconditionally. Moreover, such an explanation is proved to be untenable by the fact, that in Micah the threat of the destruction of Jerusalem and of the desolation of the temple mountain (Mic 3:12) stands in the closest connection with the promise, that at the end of the days the mountain of God’s house will be exalted above all mountains, and Jehovah reign on Zion as king for ever (Mic 4:1-3 and Mic 7:1). If this threat were only conditional, the promise would also have only a conditional validity; and the final glorification of the kingdom of God would be dependent upon the penitence of the great mass of the people of Israel, - a view which is diametrically opposed to the real nature of the prophecies of both, yea, of all the prophets. The only difference between Isaiah and Micah in this respect consists in the fact that Isaiah, in his elaborate addresses, brings out more distinctly the attitude of the imperial power of Assyria towards the kingdom of God in Israel, and predicts not only that Israel will be hard pressed by the Assyrians, but also that the latter will not overcome the people of God, but will be wrecked upon the foundation-stone laid by Jehovah in Zion; whereas Micah simply threatens the sinners with judgment, and after the judgment predicts the glorification of Zion in grand general terms, without entering more minutely into the attitude of the Assyrians towards Israel.

In the main, however, Micah goes hand in hand with his contemporary Isaiah. In Isa 32:14, Isaiah also foretels the devastation, or rather the destruction, of Jerusalem, notwithstanding the fact that he has more than once announced the deliverance of the city of God from Asshur, and that without getting into contradiction with himself. For this double announcement may be very simply explained from the fact that the judgments which Israel had yet to endure, and the period of glory to follow, lay, like a long, deep diorama, before the prophet’s mental eye; and that in his threatenings he plunged sometimes more, sometimes less, deeply into those judgments which lay in perspective before him (see Delitzsch on Isaiah, at Isa 32:20). The same thing applies to Micah, who goes to a great depth both in his threats and promises, not only predicting the judgment in all its extremity, - namely, the utter destruction of Jerusalem, and the carrying away of the people to Babel, - but also the salvation in its ultimate perfection, viz., the glorification of Zion. We must therefore not restrict his threats in Mic 3:12 and Mic 4:10 even to the Chaldaean catastrophe, nor the promise of Israel’s deliverance in Babel out of the hands of its foes to the liberation of the Jews from Babylon, which was effected by Cyrus, and their return to Palestine under Zerubbabel and Ezra; but must also extend the threat of punishment to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans and the attendant dispersion of the Jews over all the world, and the redemption out of Babel promised in Mic 4:10 to that deliverance of Israel which, in the main, is in the future still. These two judgments and these two deliverances are comprehended in an undivided unity in the words of the prophet, Babel being regarded not only in its historical character, but also in its typical significance, as the beginning and the hearth of the kingdom of the world. Babel has this double significance in the Scriptures from the very commencement. Even the building of the city with a tower intended to reach to heaven was a work of human pride, and an ungodly display of power (Gen 11:4.); and after its erection Babel was made by Nimrod the beginning of the empire of the world (Gen 10:10). It was from these two facts that Babel became the type of the imperial power, and not because the division of the human race into nations with different languages, and their dispersion over the whole earth, had their origin there (see A. ch. Lämmert, Babel, das Thier und der falsche Prophet. Goth. 1862, p. 36ff.); and it is in this typical significance of Babel that we have to seek not only for the reason for the divine purpose to banish the people of God to Babel, when they were given up to the power of the kingdom of the world, but also for a point of connection for the prophetic announcement when this purpose had been communicated to the prophet’s mind. Micah accordingly predicts the carrying away of the daughter Zion to Babel, and her deliverance there out of the power of her enemies, not because Babel along with Nineveh was the metropolis of the world-empire of his time, or a chief city of that empire, but because Babel, from its very origin, was a type and symbol of the imperial power. That the words of Micah, in their deepest sense, should be so interpreted, is not only warranted, but necessitated, by the announcement which follows in Mic 4:11-13 of the victorious conflict of Zion with many nations, which points far beyond the conflicts of the Jews in the times succeeding the captivity.

Mic 4:11-13

The daughter Zion, when rescued from Babel, overcomes all hostile powers in the strength of her God. Mic 4:11. “And now many nations have assembled together against thee, who say, Let her be profaned, and let our eyes look upon Zion. Mic 4:12. But they know not the thoughts of Jehovah, and understand not His counsel; for He has gathered them together like sheaves for the threshing-floor. Mic 4:13. Rise up and thresh, O daughter Zion: for I make thy horn iron, and I make thy hoofs brass; and thou wilt crush many nations: and I ban their gain to Jehovah, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.” With ועתּה, corresponding to עתּה in Mic 4:9, there commences a new scene, which opens to the prophet’s mental eye. Many nations have assembled together against the daughter Zion (עליך pointing back to בּת ציּון in Mic 4:10), with the intention of profaning her, and feasting their eyes upon the profaned one. It is the holiness of Zion, therefore, which drives the nations to attack her. תּחנף, let her be or become profaned: not by the sins or bloodguiltiness of her inhabitants (Jer 3:2; Isa 24:5), for this is not appropriate in the mouths of heathen; but through devastation or destruction let her holiness be taken from her. They want to show that there is nothing in her holiness, and to feast their eyes upon the city thus profaned. חזה with ב, to look upon a thing with interest, here with malicious pleasure. On the singular tachaz, followed by the subject in the plural, see Ewald §317, a. To this design on the part of the heathen, the prophet (Mic 4:12) opposes the counsel of the Lord. Whilst the heathen assemble together against Zion, with the intention of profaning her by devastation, the Lord has resolved to destroy them in front of Zion. The destruction which they would prepare for Zion will fall upon themselves, for the Lord gathers them together like sheaves upon the threshing-floor, to thresh, i.e., destroy, them. כּי does not mean “that,” but “for.” The sentence explains the assertion that they do not understand the counsel of the Lord. כּעמיר, with the generic article, equivalent to “like sheaves.” This judgment Zion is to execute upon the heathen. The figurative expression, “Rise up, and thresh,” etc., rests upon the oriental custom of threshing out corn with oxen, i.e., of having it trodden out with their hoofs (see Paulsen, Ackerbau der Morgenländer, §41). In this, of course, only the strength of the hoofs was considered. But as the horn of the ox is a figure frequently used for destructive power (see Deu 33:17; 1Ki 22:11; Amo 6:13, etc.), the prophet combines this figure, to strengthen the idea of crushing power, and express the thought that the Lord will equip Zion perfectly with the strength requisite to destroy the nations. והחרמתּי is the first person, and must not be altered into or regarded as the second, as it has been in the lxx and Syriac, and by Jerome. The prophet does not speak in the name of the theocratic nation, as Jerome supposes, but continues to represent Jehovah as speaking, as in אשׂים, with which, however, instead of לי, the noun ליהוה is used, to give greater clearness to the thought that it is Jehovah, the God and Lord of the whole earth, who will destroy the nations that have rebelled against Him and His kingdom, wresting their possessions from them, and taking them back to Himself. For everything laid under the ban belonged to the Lord, as being most holy (Lev 27:28). חיל, property, wealth, the sum and substance of the possessions. Israel is not to enrich itself by plundering the defeated foe, but Jehovah will sanctify the possessions of the heathen to Himself, to whom they belong as Lord of the whole earth, by laying them under the ban: that is to say, He will apply them to the glorification of His kingdom.

There has been a diversity of opinion as to the historical allusion, or the fulfilment of these verses. So much, however, is obvious at the very outset, namely, that they cannot be made to refer to the same event as Mic 4:9, that is to say, to the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrians, without bringing the prophet into the most striking contradiction to himself. For, since Mic 4:10 predicts not a partial deportation, but the complete carrying away of Israel to Babel, and Mic 4:13 the perfect deliverance of Jerusalem, the people wandering out of Jerusalem into captivity (Mic 4:10) cannot possibly be the enemies who lead it away, beating it utterly before Jerusalem, and banning their possessions to the Lord. There is more to favour the allusion to the victorious conflicts of the Maccabees with the Syrians, for which Theodoret, Calvin, Hengstenberg, and others decide, since these conflicts occurred in the period intervening between the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity (Mic 4:10) and the coming of the Messiah (Mic 5:12). But even this allusion corresponds far too little to the words of the promise for us to be able to regard it as correct. Although, for example, the war of the Maccabees was a religious war in the strict sense of the word, since the Syrians, and with them the small neighbouring nations of the Jews, set themselves to attack Judah as the nation of God, and to exterminate Judaism, the gōyı̄m rabbı̄m who have assembled against Zion, and whom the Lord gathers together thither (Mic 4:11, Mic 4:12), point to a much greater even than the attacks made by the Syrians and the surrounding tribes upon Jerusalem in the time of the Maccabees. Gōyı̄, rabbı̄m (many nations) points back to gōyı̄m rabbı̄m and ‛ammı̄m rabbı̄m in Mic 4:2 and Mic 4:3, so that, both here and there, all the nations of the world that are hostile to God are included. Again, the defeat which they suffer before Jerusalem is much greater than the victory which the Maccabees achieved over their enemies. On the other hand, the circumstance that the Babylonian captivity is predicted in Mic 4:10, and the birth of the Messiah in Mic 5:1-2, and that the victorious conflicts of the Maccabees with the Syrians and the heathen neighbours of the Jews lie in the interim between these events, furnishes no sufficient proof that these conflicts must be referred to in Mic 4:11-13, simply because the assumption that, in Mic 4:9 -14, the attacks of the Chaldaeans, the Graeco-Syrians, and the Romans upon Zion are foretold in the order in which they followed one another in history, has no firm basis in the threefold recurrence of ‛attâh (now) in Mic 4:9, Mic 4:11, and Mic 5:1. As an event is introduced with ‛attâh in Mic 5:9, which does not follow the one predicted in Mic 5:8 in chronological sequence, but, on the contrary, the prophet comes back in ve‛attâh from the more remote to the more immediate future, it cannot be inferred from the ‛attâh in Mic 5:1 that the oppression mentioned there must follow the victory over many nations predicted in Mic 4:11-13 in chronological order, or that the siege and capture of Jerusalem by the Romans are referred to in Rom 5:1. Moreover, the proclamation in Rom 5:10 already goes beyond the Chaldaean catastrophe, and the liberation of the Jews from the Chaldaean exile, so that if the ve‛attâh in Rom 5:12 announces a conflict with Zion which will follow the events predicted in Rom 5:9 and Rom 5:10, we must not restrict the conflict to the wars of the Maccabees. We must therefore understand these verses as referring to the events already predicted by Joel (ch. 3), and afterwards by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 38, 39) and Zechariah (Zec 12:1-14), and in Rev 20:8.: i.e., to the last great attack which the nations of the world will make upon the church of the Lord, that has been redeemed from Babel and sanctified, with the design of exterminating the holy city of God from the face of the earth, and to which the attacks of the Syrians, and the rest of the nations surrounding Judah, upon the covenant nation in the times of the Maccabees, furnished but a feeble prelude. This view is favoured by the unmistakeable similarity between our verses and both Joel and Ezekiel.

The נאספוּ עליך גּויים רבּים in Mic 4:11, compared with קבּצם in Mic 4:12, points clearly back to וקבּצתּי את־הגּוים in Joe 3:2, compared with ונקבּצוּ in Mic 4:11; and the figure in Mic 4:12, of the gathering together of the nations like sheaves for the threshing-floor, to the similar figures of the ripening of the harvest and the treading of the full wine-press in Joe 3:13. And the use of gōyı̄m rabbı̄m in Micah is no reason for supposing that it differs in meaning from the kol-haggōyı̄m of Joel, since Micah uses gōyı̄m rabbı̄m in Mic 4:2 and Mic 4:3 for the totality of the nations of the world. Ezekiel, also, simply speaks of gōyı̄m rabbı̄m as assembling together with Gog to attack the mountains of Israel (Eze 38:6, Eze 38:9, Eze 38:15); and in his case also, this attack of the nations upon Jerusalem is appended to the redemption of Israel effected at Babel. Again, the issue of this attack is the same in Micah as in Joel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah, - namely, the complete overthrow of the hostile nations by the people of Israel, who fight in the strength of the Lord, by which Jehovah manifests Himself to all nations as Lord of the whole earth, and proves Himself to be the Holy One (compare Mic 4:13 with Joe 3:12-13, and Eze 38:16; Eze 39:3.). Lastly, a decisive proof of the correctness of this allusion is to be found in the circumstance, that the attack of the nations is directed against Zion, which has now become holy, that it proceeds from hatred and enmity to His holiness, and has for its object the desecration of the city of God. This feature is by no means applicable to Jerusalem and Judah in the time of the Maccabees, but can only apply to the time when Israel, redeemed from Babel, forms a holy church of God, i.e., to the last period of the development of the kingdom of God, which began with Christ, but has not yet reached its fullest manifestation. “From the fact, however, that Zion, when sanctified, is to be delivered out of much greater danger than that from which it will not be delivered in the immediate future, and also that the refined and sanctified Zion will conquer and destroy an incomparably greater hostile force than that to which it will now soon succumb, it follows, in the clearest and most conclusive way, that in the nearest future it must be given up to the power of the world, because it is now unholy” (Caspari). This thought prepares the way for the transition to Mic 5:1, where the prophecy returns to the oppression foretold in Mic 4:9 and Mic 4:10.

The Prosperity of the Church Predicted. (b. c. 726.)

1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord , and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. 5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. 6 In that day, saith the Lord , will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; 7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

It is a very comfortable but with which this chapter begins, and very reviving to those who lay the interests of God's church near their heart and are concerned for the welfare of it. When we sometimes see the corruptions of the church, especially of church-rulers, princes, priests, and prophets, seeking their own things and not the things of God, and when we soon after see the desolations of the church, Zion for their sakes ploughed as a field, we are ready to fear that it will one day perish between both, that the name of Israel shall be no more in remembrance; we are ready to give up all for gone, and to conclude the church will have neither root not branch upon earth. But let not our faith fail in this matter; out of the ashes of the church another phoenix shall arise. In the last words of the foregoing chapter we left the mountain of the house as desolate and waste as the high places of the forest; and is it possible that such a wilderness should ever become a fruitful field again? Yes, the first words of this chapter bring in the mountain of the Lord's house as much dignified by being frequented as ever it had been disgraced by being deserted. Though Zion be ploughed as a field, yet God has not cast off his people, but by the fall of the Jews salvation has come to the Gentiles, so that it proves to be the riches of the world, Rom. xi. 11, 12. This is the mystery which God by the prophet here shows us, and he says the very same in the first three verses of this chapter which another prophet said by the word of the Lord at the same time (Isa. ii. 2-4), that out of the mouth of these two witnesses these promises might be established; and very precious promises they are, relating to the gospel-church, which have been in part accomplished, and will be yet more and more, for he is faithful that has promised.

I. That there shall be a church for God set up in the world, after the defection and destruction of the Jewish church, and this in the last days; that is, as some of the rabbin themselves acknowledge, in the days of the Messiah. The people of God shall be incorporated by a new charter, a new spiritual way of worship shall be enacted, and a new institution of offices to attend it; better privileges shall be granted by this new charter, and better provision made for enlarging and establishing the kingdom of God among men than had been made by the Old-Testament constitution: The mountain of the house of the Lord shall again appear firm ground for God's faithful worshippers to stand, and go, and build upon, in their attendance on him, v. 1. And it shall be a centre of unity to them; a church shall be set up in the world, to which the Lord will be daily adding such as shall be saved.

II. That this church shall be firmly founded and well-built: It shall be established in the top of the mountains; Christ himself will build it upon a rock; it shall be an impregnable fort upon an immovable foundation, so that the gates of hell shall neither overthrow the one nor undermine the other (Matt. xvi. 18); its foundations are still in the holy mountains (Ps. lxxxvii. 1), the everlasting mountains, which cannot, which shall not, be removed. It shall be established, not as the temple, upon one mountain, but upon many; for the foundations of the church, as they are sure, so they are large.

III. That it shall be highly advanced, and become eminent and conspicuous: It shall be exalted above the hills, observed with wonder for its growing greatness from small beginnings. The kingdom of Christ shall shine with greater lustre than ever any of the kingdoms of the earth did. It shall be as a city on a hill, which cannot be hid, Matt. v. 14. The glory of this latter house is greater than that of the former, Hag. ii. 9. See 2 Cor. iii. 7, 8, &c.

IV. That there shall be a great accession of converts to it and succession of converts in it. People shall flow unto it as the waters of a river are continually flowing; there shall be a constant stream of believers flowing in from all parts into the church, as the people of the Jews flowed into the temple, while it was standing, to worship there. Then many tribes came to the mountain of the house, to enquire of God's temple; but in gospel-times many nations shall flow into the church, shall fly like a cloud and as the doves to their windows. Ministers shall be sent forth to disciple all nations, and they shall not labour in vain; for, multitudes being wrought upon to believe the gospel and embrace the Christian religion, they shall excite and encourage one another, and shall say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord now raised among us, even to the house of the God of Jacob, the spiritual temple which we need not travel far to, for it is brought to our doors and set up in the midst of us." Thus shall people be made willing in the day of his power (Ps. cx. 3), and shall do what they can to make others willing, as Andrew invited Peter, and Philip Nathanael, to be acquainted with Christ. They shall call the people to the mountain (Deut. xxxiii. 19), for there is in Christ enough for all, enough for each. Now observe what it is, 1. Which these converts expect to find in the house of the God of Jacob. They come thither for instruction: "He will teach us of his ways, what is the way in which he would have us to walk with him and in which we may depend upon him to meet us graciously." Note, Where we come to worship God we come to be taught of him. 2. Which they engage to do when they are thus taught of God: We will walk in his paths. Note, Those may comfortably expect that God will teach them who are firmly resolved by his grace to do as they are taught.

V. That, in order to this, a new revelation shall be published to the world, on which the church shall be founded, and by which multitudes shall be brought into it: For the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. The gospel is here called the word of the Lord, for the Lord gave the word, and great was the company of those that published it, Ps. lxviii. 11. It was of a divine original, a divine authority; it began to be spoken by the Lord Christ himself, Heb. ii. 3. And it is a law, a law of faith; we are under the law to Christ. This was to go forth from Jerusalem, from Zion, the metropolis of the Old-Testament dispensation, where the temple, and altars, and oracles were, and whither the Jews went to worship from all parts; thence the gospel must take rise, to show the connexion between the Old Testament and the New, that the gospel is not set up in opposition to the law, but is an explication and illustration of it, and a branch growing out of its roots. It was in Jerusalem that Christ preached and wrought miracles; there he died, rose again, and ascended; there the Spirit was poured out; and those that were to preach repentance and remission of sins to all nations were ordered to begin at Jerusalem, so that thence flowed the streams that were to water the desert world.

VI. That a convincing power should go along with the gospel of Christ, in all places where it should be preached (v. 3): He shall judge among many people. Messiah, the lawgiver (v. 2), is here the judge, for to him the Father committed all judgment, and for judgment he came into this world; his word, the word of his gospel, that was to go forth from Jerusalem, was the golden sceptre by which he shall rule and judge when he sits as king on the holy hill of Zion, Ps. ii. 6. By it he shall rebuke strong nations afar off; for the Spirit working with the word shall reprove the world, John xvi. 8. It is promised to the Son of David that he shall judge among the heathen (Ps. cx. 6), which he does when in the chariot of his everlasting gospel he goes forth, and goes on, conquering and to conquer.

VII. That a disposition to mutual peace and love shall be the happy effect of the setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah: They shall beat their swords into plough-shares; that is, angry passionate men, that have been fierce and furious, shall be wonderfully sweetened, and made mild and meek, Tit. iii. 2, 3. Those who, before their conversion, did injuries, and would bear none, after their conversion can bear injuries, but will do none. As far as the gospel prevails it makes men peaceable, for such is the wisdom from above; it is gentle and easy to be entreated; and if nations were but leavened by it, there would be universal peace. When Christ was born there was universal peace in the Roman empire; those that were first brought into the gospel church were all of one heart and of one soul (Acts iv. 32); and it was observed of the primitive Christians how well they loved one another. In heaven this will have its full accomplishment. It is promised, 1. That none shall be quarrelsome. The art of war, instead of being improved (which some reckon the glory of a kingdom), shall be forgotten and laid aside as useless. They shall not learn war any more as they have done, for they shall have no need to defend themselves nor any inclination to offend their neighbours. Nation shall no longer lift up sword against nation; not that the gospel will make men cowards, but it will make men peaceable. 2. That all shall be quiet, both from evil and from the fear of evil (v. 4): They shall sit safely, and none shall disturb them; they shall sit securely, and shall not disturb themselves, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, enjoying the fruit of them, and needing no other shelter than the leaves of them. None shall make them afraid; not only there shall be nothing that is likely to frighten them, but they shall not be disposed to fear. under the dominion of Christ, as that of Solomon, there shall be abundance of peace. Though his followers have trouble in the world, in him they enjoy great tranquillity. If this seems unlikely, yet we may depend upon it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it, and no word of his shall fall to the ground; what he has spoken by his word he will do by his providence and grace. He that is the Lord of hosts will be the God of peace; and those may well be easy whom the Lord of hosts, of all hosts, undertakes the protection of.

VIII. That the churches shall be constant in their duty, and so shall make a good use of their tranquillity and shall not provoke the Lord to deprive them of it, v. 5. When the churches have rest they shall be edified, and confirmed, and comforted, and shall resolve to be as firm to their God as other nations are to theirs, though they be no gods. Where we find the foregoing promises, Isa. ii. 2, &c. it follows (v. 5), O house of Jacob! come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord; and here, We will walk in the name of the Lord our God. Note, Peace is a blessing indeed when it strengthens our resolutions to cleave to the Lord. Observe, 1. How constant other nations were to their gods: All people will walk every one in the name of his god, will own their god and cleave to him, will worship their god and serve him, will depend upon him and put confidence in him. Whatever men make a god of they will make use of, and take his name along with them in all their actions and affairs. The mariners, in a storm, cried every man to his god, Jonah i. 5. And no instance could be found of a nation's changing its gods, Jer. ii. 11: If the hosts of heaven were their gods, they loved them, and served them, and walked after them, Jer. viii. 2. 2. How constant God's people now resolve to be to him: "We will walk in the name of the Lord our God, will acknowledge him in all our ways, and govern ourselves by a continual regard to him, doing nothing but what we have warrant from him for, and openly professing our relation to him." Observe, Their resolution is peremptory; it is not a thing that needs be disputed: "We will walk in the name of the Lord our God." It is just and reasonable: He is our God. And it is a resolution for a perpetuity: "We will do it for ever and ever, and will never leave him. He will be ours for ever, and therefore so we will be his, and never repent our choice."

IX. That notwithstanding the dispersions, distress, and infirmities of the church, it shall be formed and established, and made very considerable, v. 6, 7. 1. The state of the church had been low, and weak, and very helpless, in the latter times of the Old Testament, partly through the corruptions of the Jewish nation, and partly through the oppressions under which they groaned. They were like a flock of sheep that were maimed, worried, and scattered, Ezek. xxxiv. 16; Jer. l. 6, 17. The good people among them, and in other places, that were well inclined, were dispersed, were very infirm, and in a manner lost and cast far off. 2. It is promised that all these grievances shall be redressed and the distemper healed. Christ will come himself (Matt. xv. 24), and send his apostles to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matt. x. 6. From among the Jews that halted, or that for want of strength, could not go upright, God gathered a remnant (v. 7), that remnant according to the election of grace which is spoken of in Rom. xi. 7, which embraced the gospel of Christ. And from among the Gentiles that were cast far off (so the Gentiles are described to be, Eph. ii. 13, Acts ii. 39) he raised a strong nation; greater numbers of them were brought into the church than of the Jews, Gal. iv. 27. And such a strong nation the gospel-church is that the gates of hell shall never be able to prevail against it. The church of Christ is more numerous than any other nation, and strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

X. That the Messiah shall be the king of this kingdom, shall protect and govern it, and order all the affairs of it for the best, and this to the end of time. The Lord Jesus shall reign over them in Mount Zion by his word and Spirit in his ordinances, and this henceforth and for ever, for of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.

Judgments and Mercies. (b. c. 726.)

8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. 9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. 10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies. 11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. 12 But they know not the thoughts of the Lord , neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. 13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord , and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

These verses relate to Zion and Jerusalem, here called the tower of the flock or the tower of Edor; we read of such a place (Gen. xxxv. 21) near Bethlehem; and some conjecture it is the same place where the shepherds were keeping their flocks when the angels brought them tidings of the birth of Christ, and some think Bethlehem itself is here spoken of, as ch. v. 2. Some think it is a tower at that gate of Jerusalem which is called the sheep-gate (Neh. iii. 32), and conjecture that through that gate Christ rode in triumph into Jerusalem. However, it seems to be put for Jerusalem itself, or for Zion the tower of David. All the sheep of Israel flocked thither three times a year; it was the stronghold (Ophel, which is also a name of a place in Jerusalem, Neh. iii. 27), or castle, of the daughter of Zion. Now here,

I. We have a promise of the glories of the spiritual Jerusalem, the gospel-church, which is; the tower of the flock, that one fold in which all the sheep of Christ are protected under one Shepherd: "Unto thee shall it come; that which thou hast long wanted and wished for, even the first dominion, a dignity and power equal to that of David and Solomon, by whom Jerusalem was first raised, that kingdom shall again come to the daughter of Jerusalem, which it was deprived of at the captivity. It shall make as great a figure and shine with as much lustre among the nations, and have as much influence upon them, as ever it had; this is the first or chief dominion." Now this had by no means its accomplishment in Zerubbabel; his was nothing like the first dominion either in respect of splendour and sovereignty at home or the extent of power abroad; and therefore it must refer to the kingdom of the Messiah (and to that the Chaldee-paraphrase refers it) and had its accomplishment when God gave to our Lord Jesus the throne of his father David (Luke i. 32), set him king upon the holy hill of Zion and gave him the heathen for his inheritance (Ps. ii. 6), made him, his first-born, higher than the kings of the earth, Ps. lxxxix. 27; Dan. vii. 14. David, in spirit, called him Lord, and (as Dr. Pocock observes) he witnessed of himself, and his witness was true, that he was greater than Solomon, none of their dominions being like his for extent and duration. The common people welcomed Christ into Jerusalem with hosannas to the son of David, to show that it was the first dominion that came to the daughter of Zion; and the evangelist applies it to the promise of Zion's king coming to her, Matt. xxi. 5; Zech. ix. 9. Some give this sense of the words: To Zion, and Jerusalem that tower of the flock, to the nation of the Jews, came the first dominion; that is, there the kingdom of Christ was first set up, the gospel of the kingdom was first preached (Luke xxiv. 47), there Christ was first called king of the Jews.

II. This is illustrated by a prediction of the calamities of the literal Jerusalem, to which some favour and relief should be granted, as a type and figure of what God would do for the gospel-Jerusalem in the last days, notwithstanding its distresses. We have here,

1. Jerusalem put in pain by the providences of God. "She cries out aloud, that all her neighbours may take notice of her griefs, because there is no king in her, none of that honour and power she used to have. Instead of ruling the nations, as she did when she sat a queen, she is ruled by them, and has become a captive. Her counsellors have perished; she is no longer at her own disposal, but is given up to the will of her enemies, and is governed by their counsellors. Pangs have taken her." (1.) She is carried captive to Babylon, and there is in pangs of grief. "She goes forth out of the city, and is constrained to dwell in the field, exposed to all manner of inconveniences; she goes even to Babylon, and there wears out seventy tedious years in a miserable captivity, all that while in pain, as a woman in travail, waiting to be delivered, and thinking the time very long." (2.) When she is delivered out of Babylon, and redeemed from the hand of her enemies there, yet still she is in pangs of fear; the end of one trouble is but the beginning of another; for now also, when Jerusalem is in the rebuilding, many nations are gathered against her, v. 11. They were so in Ezra's and Nehemiah's time, and did all they could to obstruct the building of the temple and the wall. They were so in the time of the Maccabees; they said, Let her be defiled; let her be looked upon as a place polluted with sin, and be forsaken and abandoned both of God and man; let her holy places be profaned and all her honours laid in the dust; let our eye look upon Zion, and please itself with the sight of its ruins, as it is said of Edom (Obad. 12, Thou shouldst not have looked upon the day of thy brother); let our eyes see our desire upon Zion, the day we have long wished for. When they hear the enemies thus combine against them, and insult over them, no wonder that they are in pain, and cry aloud. Without are fightings, within are fears.

2. Jerusalem made easy by the promises of God: "Why dost thou cry out aloud? Let thy griefs and fears be silenced; indulge not thyself in them, for, though things are bad with thee, they shall end well; thy pangs are great, but they are like those of a woman in travail (v. 9), that labours to bring forth (v. 10), the issue of which will be good at last." Jerusalem's pangs are not as dying agonies, but as travailing throes, which after a while will be forgotten, for joy that a child is born into the world. Let the literal Jerusalem comfort herself with this, that, whatever straits she may be reduced to, she shall continue until the coming of the Messiah, for there his kingdom must be first set up, and she shall not be destroyed while that blessing is in her; and when at length she is ploughed as a field, and become heaps (as is threatened, ch. iii. 12), yet her privileges shall be resigned to the spiritual Jerusalem, and in that the promises made to her shall be fulfilled. Let Jerusalem be easy then, for, (1.) Her captivity in Babylon shall have an end, a happy end (v. 10): There shalt thou be delivered, and the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thy enemies there. This was done by Cyrus, who acted therein as God's servant; and that deliverance was typical of our redemption by Jesus Christ, and the release from our spiritual bondage which is proclaimed in the everlasting gospel, that acceptable year of the Lord, in which Christ himself preached liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those that were bound, Luke iv. 18, 19. (2.) The designs of her enemies against her afterwards shall be baffled, nay, they shall turn upon themselves, v. 12, 13. They promise themselves a day of it, but it shall prove God's day. They are gathered against Zion, to destroy it, but it shall prove to their own destruction, which Israel and Israel's God shall have the glory of. [1.] Their coming together against Zion shall be the occasion of their ruin. They associate themselves, and gird themselves, that they may break Jerusalem in pieces, but it will prove that they shall be broken in pieces, Isa. viii. 9. They know not the thoughts of the Lord. When they are gathering together, and Providence favours them in it, they little think what God is designing by it, nor do they understand his counsel; they know what they aim at in coming together, but they know not what God aims at in bringing them together; they aim at Zion's ruin, but God aims at theirs. Note, When men are made use of as instruments of Providence in accomplishing its purposes it is very common for them to intend one thing and for God to intend quite the contrary. The king of Assyria is to be a rod in God's hand for the correction of his people, in order to their reformation; howbeit he means not so, nor does his heart think so, Isa. x. 7. And thus it is here; the nations are gathered against Zion, as soldiers into the field, but God gathers them as sheaves into the floor, to be beaten to pieces; and they could not have been so easily, so effectually, destroyed, if they had not gathered together against Zion. Note, The designs of enemies for the ruin of the church often prove ruining to themselves; and thereby they prepare themselves for destruction and put themselves in the way of it; they are snared in the work of their own hands. [2.] Zion shall have the honour of being victorious over them, v. 13. When they are gathered as sheaves into the floor, to be trodden down, as the corn then was by the oxen, then, "Arise, and thresh, O daughter of Zion! instead of fearing them, and fleeing from them, boldly set upon them, and take the opportunity Providence favours thee with of trampling upon them. Plead not thy own weakness, and that thou art not a match for so many confederated enemies; God will make thy horn iron, to push them down, and thy hoofs brass, to tread upon them when they are down; and thus thou shalt beat in pieces many people, that have long been beating thee in pieces." Thus, when God pleases, the daughter of Babylon is made a threshing floor (it is time to thresh her, Jer. li. 33), and the worm Jacob is made a threshing instrument, with which God will thresh the mountains, and make them as chaff, Isa. xli. 14, 15. How strangely, how happily, are the tables turned, since Jacob was the threshing-floor and Babylon the threshing instrument! Isa. xxi. 10. Note, When God has conquering work for his people to do he will furnish them with strength and ability for it, will make the horn iron and the hoofs brass; and, when he does so, they must exert the power he gives them, and execute the commission; even the daughter of Zion must arise, and thresh. [3.] The glory of the victory shall redound to God. Zion shall thresh these sheaves in the floor, but the corn threshed out shall be a meat-offering at God's altar: I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord (that is, I will have it consecrated) and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. The spoils gained by Zion's victory shall be brought into the sanctuary, and devoted to God, either in part, as those of Midian (Num. xxxi. 28), or in whole, as those of Jericho, Josh. vi. 17. God is Jehovah, the fountain of being; he is the Lord of the whole earth, the fountain of power; and therefore he needs not any of our gain or substance, but may challenge and demand it all if he please; and with ourselves we must devote all we have to his honour, to be employed as he directs. Thus far all we have must have holiness to the Lord written upon it, all our gain and substance must be consecrated to the Lord of the whole earth, Isa. xxiii. 18. And extraordinary successes call for extraordinary acknowledgments, whether they be of spoils in war or gains in trade. It is God that gives us power to get wealth, which way soever it is honestly got, and therefore he must be honoured with what we get. Some make all this to point at the defeat of Sennacherib when he besieged Jerusalem, others to the destruction of Babylon, others to the successes of the Maccabees; but the learned Dr. Pocock and others think it had its full accomplishment in the spiritual victories obtained by the gospel of Christ over the powers of darkness that fought against it. The nations thought to ruin Christianity in its infancy, but it was victorious over them; those that persisted in their enmity were broken to pieces (Matt. xxi. 44), particularly the Jewish nation; but multitudes by divine grace were gained to the church, and they and their substance were consecrated to the Lord Jesus, the Lord of the whole earth.

CHAP. IV.

Verſ. 1. BƲt in the laſt dayes it ſhall come to paſſe] God reſerveth his beſt comforts till the laſt, as that Ruler of the feaſt did his beſt wine, Ioh. 2.10. and as the ſweeteſt of the honey lieth at the bottome. Theſe laſt dayes are Goſpel-dayes, Heb. 1.2. times of Reformation, Heb. 9.19. of Reſtitution, Act. 3.21. called the World to come, Heb. 2.5. that new heaven and earth wherein dwelleth Righteouſneſſe, 2 Pet. 3.13. that new Jeruſalem that is all of gold, Rev. 2.1. Ezekiels new Temple, bigger then all the old Jeruſalem; and his new Ieruſalem bigger then all the land of Canaan, chap. 40.41.42, &c. Let Popiſh buzzars blaſpheme that deſcription of the Temple and City:Sanct. Argum. cap. 40. calling it, (as Sanctius doth, once and again) inſulſam deſcriptionem, a ſenſeleſſe deſcription: ſo ſpeaking evil of the things that they know not, Jude 10. We beleeve and are ſure, Joh. 6.69. that God hath provided ſome better thing for us, then for thoſe under the law, Heb. 11.40. viz. that great myſtery of godlineſſe, God manifeſted in the fleſh, 1 Tim. 3.16. who ſhould again reſtore the kingdom to Iſrael, the ſpiritual kingdom to the Iſrael of God: as is here foretold in the ſelf-ſame words with thoſe of Eſay chap. 2.1, 2. whence he is not aſhamed to take it.

That the mountain of the houſe of the Lord] The Church, 1 Tim. 3.15. called elſewhere, the mountain of the Lord, and his holy hill, Pſal. 15.1. and 24.3. and 48.2. Eſay 30.17. both for its ſublimity, Gal. 4.26. and firmneſſe, Pſal. 46.3. and 125.1. winde and ſtormes move it not: no more can all the power and policy of hell combin'd prevail againſt the Church, Mat. 16.18. She is [non-Latin text not transcribed], a kingdom that cannot be ſhaken: and may, better then the city of Venice, take for her Poſie, Immota manet.

Shall be eſtabliſhed in the top of the mountains] Conſtituetur firmiter, ſhall bee ſtrongly ſet upon a ſure bottom, upon munitions of Rocks: yea upon the Rock of Ages, Mat. 16.18. Jer 31.35. Eſay 33.20. Some, by the houſe of the Lord, here underſtand the Church: and by the mountain of this houſe, Chriſt, whereon it is built, and whom Daniel deſcribeth by that great mountain that filled the whole earth, Chap. 2.35. that ſtone cut out without hands, that ſmot in pieces the four Monarchies, ibid. And hence it is, that this mountain of the Lords houſe is exalted above the hils: the Church muſt needs be above all earthly eminencies whatſoever, becauſe founded upon Chriſt: who therefore cannot be exalted, but ſhee muſt be lifted up aloft together with him. God who is rich in mercy, ſaith, that great Apoſtle, hath quickened us together with Chriſt, and hath raiſed us up together, and made us ſit together in heavenly places in Chriſt Jeſus, Epheſ. 2.5, 6. The Church is myſticall Chriſt, 1 Cor. 12.12. ſhe is his wife, and whereſoever hee is Caius, ſhe is Caia: ſhe ſhineth with his beams, and partaketh of his honours; union being the ground of communion.

and people ſhall flow unto it.] As waters roul and run toward the Sea: but that theſe waters ſhould flow upward, flow to the mountain, as here, is as wonderfull; as that the Sun ſhould ſend his beams downward to the earth, when as it is the property of all fire to aſpire and flie upwards. This is the Lords own work, and it is marvellous in our eyes.Chryſoſt. Hom 8. ad Hop. Antioch. The metaphor of flowing, importeth the coming of people to Chriſt, by the preaching of the Goſpel. 1. Freely, Pſal. 110.3. 2. Swiftly, as the waters of the river Tigris, ſwift as an arrow out of a bowe. See Eſay 60.8. 3. Plentifully, by whole Nations turned to the faith, and giving up their names to Chriſt. 4. Joyntly, as verſe 2. and Zach. 8.21. 5. Zealouſly, bearing down all obſtacles that would damme up their way. 6. Conſtantly, and continually, as rivers run perpetually, by reaſon of the perennity of their fountains; and are never dried up, though ſometimes fuller then ſome: quin ut fluvij repentinis imbribus augentur, ſaith Gualther, as rivers ſwell oft with ſudden ſhowres, and overflow the banks, ſo beyond all expectation, many times, doth God take away tyrants, and propagates his truth, enlarging the bounds of his Church, with new confluxes of Converts.

Verſe 2. And many nations ſhall come and ſay] The converſion of the Gentiles is here foretold, a piece of that myſtery of godlineſſe, 1 Tim. 3.16. The Jews uſually call Chriſtians in contempt Gozin, (the word here uſed) and Mamzer Goi Baſtard-Gentiles. But, either they muſt come under this name themſelves, or deny that they are the poſterity of Abraham, Gen. 12.2. Where God ſaith, I will make of thee a great Nation.

Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord] The wicked have their Come, Prov. 1.11. and would not go to hell alone. Should not the Saints have theirs? ſhould they not get what company they can toward heaven? The Greeks call goodneſſe, [non-Latin text not transcribed], from [non-Latin text not transcribed]; and [non-Latin text not transcribed], from [non-Latin text not transcribed], becauſe it doth as it were, invite and call others to it; and every man is willingly to run after it.

and to the houſe of the God of Jacob] to the publike ordinances, where wee may hear, and beleeve, and be ſealed with that holy ſpirit of promiſe, as thoſe Epheſians were, chap. 1.13. We read that Marcellinus, Secundanus, and ſome others, were converted to Chriſtianity by reading Sibylla's oracles of Chriſts birth: and that by Chaucers Book, ſome were brought to the knowledge of the truth. But either this was not ſo, or not ordinary: for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word preached, which therefore the people of God do ſo prize, as Luther did, who ſaid,Acts & Mon. 767. He would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible: and that without the preaching of the word, he could not live comfortably in Paradiſe: as with it, hee could live and enjoy himſelf, though it were in hell.

and he will teach us of his wayes] Cathedram in coelis habet qui corda docet, ſaith Auſtin. All true Converts are taught of God, Joh. 6. and then quàm citò diſcitur quod docetur? ſaith the ſame Father; how ſoon are men diſcipled? how ſoon learn they the wayes of God, whereby to ſerve him here, and be ſaved by him hereafter. For it is falſe that ſome contend for: ſc. that every man may be ſaved in his own faith, be it right or wrong: For none can come to the Father but by the Son, Joh. 14.6. Neither is there any other name but His under heaven whereby men muſt bee ſaved, Acts 4.12. See Joh. 17.3. and 6.40. Heb. 11.6. whatſoever the Huberians affirme of Univerſall Election; or the Puccians of a naturall faith.

and we will walk in his paths] which are all paved with mercy and love: ſo that the ſaints run therein and faint not; walk, and are not weary, Eſay 40.31. They are all Peripateticks, ever in action, Gen. 17.1. they are Curriſts, not Quaeriſts, Ambroſ. ſaith Luther elegantly; they do not reaſon, but run the pathes of Gods precepts. Neſcit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia.

For the law ſhall go forth of Zion] The law, or doctrine, as Prov. 13.14. Underſtand here the Goſpel, that Law of God, Pſal. 19.7. that Law of Chriſt, Gal. 6.2. that perfect law of liberty, Jam. 1.25. a counter-pane whereof God putteth into the hearts of his people, Jer. 31. whereby they become (as it was once ſaid of the Thracians) [non-Latin text not transcribed], a law to themſelves;Herod. as being transformed into the ſame image with the Goſpel, like as the pearl, by the often-beating of the Sun-beams upon it, becommeth radiant as the Sun.

and the word of the Lord from Jeruſalem.] Not from Africa at firſt (as the brethren of the roſy-croſſe would have it) though 'tis thought the Goſpel was received, and the Chriſtian faith profeſſed even from the Apoſtles time, in that large region of Nubia in Africk. But repentance and remiſſion of ſinnes was preached among all nations beginning at Jeruſalem, Luke 24.41. The Jews were Gods Library-keepers, and the Apoſtles ſent and went from Jeruſalem to plant Churches abroad the world, and to gather into one, the children of God that were diſperſed, Ioh. 11.52.

Verſe 3. And he ſhall judge among many people,] We had before, Chriſts Propheticall Office: here we have his Princely, and elſewhere his Prieſtly,This ſeems to have been the effect of that old prophecy among the Eaſterlings, that Judaea profecti rerum potirentur, ſome that came out of[illegible: 1 letter] Jury ſhould conquer all. Vide Sueto. in Veſpaſ. & Tacit. lib. 21. (wherein both the former are founded) for he is the true Triſmegiſt, and Melchiſedech was a right type of him. He is the onely judge, and needs no Vicar upon earth, ſuch as the Pope claims to bee, Eſay 33.22, no ſuch Officers to ſee his lawes executed, as the Ephori were among the Greeks, and the Cenſores among the Romans. The Lord that ſent the rod of his ſtrength out of Zion, as verſe 2. doth alſo give him to rule in the middeſt of his enemies, whiles his people are willing in the day of his power, in the beauties of holineſſe, Pſal. 110.3. willing that Chriſt ſhould ſend forth judgement to victory, Mat. 12.20. that is, perfect his own work of grace begun in their hearts. To which end, as it here followeth,

He ſhall rebuke (or convince) ſtrong nations] Convince them, I ſay, (by his Spirit) of ſinne, of righteouſneſſe, and of judgement, [illegible: 1 letter]oh. 16.8. Of the lotheſomneſſe of ſin, of the neceſſity of getting righteouſneſſe by Chriſt, and repentance from dead works; that men may ſerve the living God, and as much as in them is, Acts 17.30. live peaceably with all.

And they ſhall beat their ſwords into plowſhares] i. e. their fierce and fell natures ſhall be manſuefied, as Eſay 11.6, 7, 8, 9. and if they wage warre, it ſhall be non niſi coacti, either for the juſt puniſhment of Delinquents, whom they cannot otherwiſe come at: or for their own neceſſary defence, and that they may eſtabliſh peace with truth. But if men would live by the lawes of the Goſpel, they need not wage warre, or want peace, either of countrey or of conſcience: but they might take for their Motto, that of David, Ani ſhallom, I am peace: and have for their portion that peace, peace, Eſay 26.3. even a perfect, ſheer, pure-peace, a multiplied peace with God, with themſelves, and with others: this is a main piece of Chriſts kingdom upon earth,Florus. who is the Prince of peace, and came in a time of peace: viz. in the raigne of Auguſtus, when as there was Totius orbis aut pax aut pactio, ſaith Florus, a generall peace, or truce thorowout the whole world.

neither ſhall they learn warre any more] To make a trade or a gain of it, and ſo to earn a curſe Deut. 27.25. to delight in it, Pſal. 68.30. and make a ſport of it (as Abner did, 2 Sam. 2.14. and Pyrrhus king of Epirots) to wage it without weighty reaſon raſhly. If we Princes (ſaid our Hen. 7.) ſhould take every occaſion that's offered, the world ſhould never be quiet, but wearied by continuall warres. We may alſo here take warring (as St. Iames doth, chap. 4.1.) for jarring, and jangling, for private diſcords, and diſſentions. Now theſe the people or God are ſo farre from learning, that they utterly lay them aſide, and are kinde one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Chriſts ſake forgave them, Epheſ. 4.32.

Verſe 4. But they ſhall ſit every man under his vine] ſeeding upon the fruit that ſhall even fall into his mouth, ſaith à Lapide. Sit they ſhall under Chriſt, the true Vine, ſaith Hugo, and under the holy Ghoſt, as a fig-tree, whoſe fruit is farre ſweeter then any honey. But theſe are coynt interpretations ſaith Gualther. I ſhould rather expound this Text by that 91. Pſalm; wherein the ſafe and happy condition of the godly is at large deſcribed. Vineyards and fig-yards were ordinary in thoſe countreys: and hence this proverbiall expreſſion, to ſet forth doubtleſſe, the ſpirituall ſecurity, and that peace of conſcience chiefly, that is granted to Chriſts ſubjects: a peace, farre beyond that under Solomon, which is here pointed at: or that under our Queen Elizabeth, not to be paſſed over without one touch at leaſt upon that ſtring, which ſo many years together ſounded ſo ſweetly in the ears of our Fathers. Then it was, if ever, that the mountains brought forth peace, and the little hills righteouſneſſe, Pſal. 72.5. The great ones defended their inferiours,Westmer. in Pſal. 72. and the inferiours bleſſed their ſuperiours; the Magiſtrate righted the ſubject, and the ſubject reverenced the Magiſtrate.

and none ſhall make them afraid] God, they know, will not hurt them, man cannot: he may take away their heads, but not their crowns; their lives, but not their hopes: for the righteous hath hope in his death: his Poſie is not onely, Dumſpiro ſpero, but Dum expiro. Let the wicked have a trembling heart, and failing eyes while he lives, Deut. 28.65. and when he dies crie out, as a great man was heard to do, Spes & fortuna valete, Farewell life and hope together. The ſervant of Chriſt, as he ſits mediis tranquillus in undis all his life long: ſo when he dies, he can call his ſoul to reſt: and ſing old Simeons Nunc dimittas, Lord, now let thy ſervant depart in peace, &c.

for the mouth of the Lord of hoſts,] And what better aſſurance can we deſire, ſith God can neither die, lie, nor denie himſelf: Sith, ſecondly, he is the Lord of Hoſts, and ſo armed with power to make good what he hath ſpoken. Peter had a will to deliver Chriſt from the Jews, but wanted power. Pilate had power to have done it, but wanted will. God wanteth neither of theſe to do for his people, and to deliver them out of danger. Courage therefore.

Verſe 5. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god,] They will do ſo, they are reſolved not to alter their religion: as Tully ſaid, Me ex ea opinione quam à majoribus accepi de cultu deorum, nullius unquam movebit oratio: I will never be diſſwaded by any one from that way of divine worſhip, which I have received from my forefathers. How wilfull at this day are Jews, Papiſts, Pagans, Heretikes? And how much eaſier a matter do we finde it, to deal with twenty mens reaſons, then with one mans will? A wilfull man ſtands as a ſtake in the middeſt of a ſtream, lets all paſſe by him, but hee ſtands where he was. Nay but wee will have a king ſay they, when they had nothing elſe to ſay. Nay, but I will curſe howſoever, though againſt my conſcience, ſaid Balaam: and do not the Popiſh Balaamites as much as this, many of them? As for the Vulgar ſort of them, they are headlong and headſtrong, reſolved to retaine contra gentes the ſenſeleſſe ſuperſtitions tranſmitted unto them by their Progenitours. But what ſaith the Oracle Rev. 14.7. Feare God, and give glory to him; for the houre of his judgement is come: and (what ever your anceſtours did) worſhip you him that made heaven and earth, and the ſea, and the fountaines of waters.

and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God] This was well reſolved, and is as well practiſed by all Chriſts faithfull people, who dare not follow a multitude to do evill Exod. 23.2. dare not walk by their fathers practiſe Ioſh. 24.2, 14, 15. for they conſider that no commandement doth ſo expreſly threaten Gods judgements upon poſterity as the ſecond. They therefore reſolve to walk in the name, that is, by the lawes and under the view of the Lord their God, who is God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, a great God, a mighty and a terrible, as Moſes deſcribeth him, in oppoſition to all other deities, whether ſo reputed or deputed Deut. 10.17.

for ever and ever] We will not only take a turn or two in his wayes, as temporaries; who are hot at hand but ſoon tire, and give in: but we will hold on a conſtant courſe of holineſſe, and not faile to follow the Lamb whitherſoever he goeth Pſal. 1.2. Ioh. 8.12. and 10.4.14. Rev. 7.17. As for thoſe Apoſtates that change their God, that change their glory for that which doth not profit, as they therein commit an horrible wickedneſſe, ſuch as the heavens have cauſe to be aſtoniſhed at Ier. 2.11, 12, 13. ſo they could not chuſe out for themſelves a worſe condition Heb. 10.37, 38. for why? they put the ſon of God to an open ſhame chap. 6.6. like (as thoſe that are carted amongſt us are held out as a ſcorn) and do in effect ſay, that they have not found him ſuch as they took him for.

Verſe 6. In that day] ſc. of grace and of the Goſpel: It is called a day and that day, by an excellency in regard of Revelation, Adornation, Conſolation, Diſtinction, ſpeedy Preterition.

ſaith the Lord] Whoſe word cannot be broken Ioh. 10.35. and is therefore the beſt ſecurity 2 Cor. 1.20.

will I aſſemble her that halteth] Heb. that goeth ſideling, that is maimed, diſioynted, lamed, Eſa. 35.3. torn Pſal. 35.15. and tired out with long journeys into captivity, as the Jewes were by the Babylonians, Greeks and Romanes before Chriſts comming: that they might breath after thoſe dayes of refreſhing from the preſence of the Lord Mal. 3.1.

and I will gather her that is driven out] Or, rejected, thruſt away with a force, that is, the Gentles, ſuffered to walk in their own wayes Act. 14.16. and carried away unto dumb idols, even as they were led 1 Cor. 12.2.

and her that I have afflicted] Both Jewes and Gentiles, the whole community of people: for God ſhooke all nations then, when the deſire of all nations (Chriſt Heb. 12.25.) was to come Hag. 2.7. See verſes 22, 23. Junius, after the Septuagint, rendr[illegible: 1 letter]th it ut veniant deſiderati omnium gentium, that the Saints, thoſe deſirable ones, out of all nations may come: for unto Shiloh in a moſt afflicted time (when the ſcepter was departed from Judah &c.) was the gathering of all people to be Gen. 49.10. Eſa. 26.8, 9. See Eſay. 66.20. rather in litters as lame people are carried) ſhould they come, then not at all: rather on one leg with Jacob, ſhould they wreſtle, then not prevaile.

Verſe 7. And I will make her that halted a remnant] Yea a renowned remnant Zeph. 3.19. Not many Jewes were converted in compariſon of the Gentiles: hence they are called a remnant. They both killed the Lord Ieſus, and their own Prophets: they have alſo perſecuted us, ſaith the Apoſtle or caſt us out, as by an Oſtraciſme, and they pleaſe not God, and are contrary to all men, 1 Theſſ. 2.15, 16. forbidding us to ſpeak to the Gentiles &c. Thus the generality of them then: and ſo to this day they continue croſſe, and curſing Chriſt and his followers, thrice a day in their ſynagogues:Hieron in Eſai. l. 12. c. 49. & l 14. c. 42. Buxtorf. Synag. Howbeit at this preſent time alſo there is a remnant according to the election of grace Rom. 11.5. and that remnant became the ſeminary of the Chriſtian Church.

and her that was caſt far off, a ſtrong nation] Numerous and valorous. Vide fidem & paſſionem martyrum & de gente robuſta non ambiges, ſaith Hierome here. Conſider the faith and patience of the Martyrs, and you will eaſily yeeld them to be a ſtrong nation indeed: Chriſtians have ſhewed as glorious power in the faith of Martyrdome, as in the faith of miracles. They can do that which others cannot turn their hands to: they can ſuffer wrongs, beſt of any: Compell them to go a mile, they'le be content to go two: yea as far as the ſhooes of the preparation of the Goſpel of peace will carry them. There is nothing that they date not undertake and undergo for the glory of their God. Thi courage in Chriſtians, Heathens counted obſtinacy; Tertull. in Apologet. but they knew not the power of the ſpirit, nor the privy armour of proof that the Saints have about their heart, which maketh them inſuperable, more then Conquerours.

and the Lord ſhall raigne over them in mount Zion] i. e. In the Chriſtian Church, out of which went the law, that is, the Goſp[illegible: 1 letter]l ver. 2. See Eſa. 40.9. and 52.7. Heb. 12, 22. There ſhall Chriſt raigne, and ſo he did ever: but now he ſhall declare himſelf to be Meſſiah the Prin[illegible: 1 letter]e Dan. 9.25 Lord and h[illegible: 2 letters]ſt Act. 2.36. Saviour and Soveraigne. As king he 1. of rebels makes them ſ[illegible: 2 letters]jects, willing to be ruled by him. 2. He preſerves them in that priviledge by his ſpirit. 3. He gives them lawes far better then thoſe of the twelve tables [illegible: 2 letters] Rome, which yet far exceeded (ſaith Cicero) all the learned libraries of the Philoſ[illegible: 1 letter]ph[illegible: 1 letter]rs in worth and weight. 4. He ſweetly inclineth their wil[illegible: 1 letter] to ye[illegible: 2 letters]d univerſal obedience thereunto, and to croſſe themſelves ſo they may pleaſe [illegible: 1 word] 5 He rewards them with comfort and peace here, and with life eternall hereafter. 6. He deſtroyes all the enemies of his Church, and then at laſt delivers up the kingdome to his Father 1 Cor. 15.24. not his eſſentiall kingdome as God, but his oec[illegible: 2 letters]omical kingdome, as Mediatour.

Verſe 8. And thou O tower of the flock] that is, O Church of Chriſt, who is oft compared to a ſhepherdeſſe in the Canticles: here to a Migdal-[illegible: 1 letter]der or tower of the flock (that flock of Chriſt which hath golden fleeces, precious ſouſe:) in reference either to that tower, Gen. 35.21. built for the ſafety and ſe[illegible: 1 letter]vice of ſhepherds: or elſe to the ſheep-gate in Ieruſalem (whereof read N[illegible: 1 letter]h. 3.1. and 12.39.) ſo called from the ſheep-market, which for the conveniency of the Temple was neare to it; as was alſo the ſheep-pool called Betheſda Ioh 5.2. where the ſacrifices were waſhed. The world is a field, the Church a fold, in that field; and a ſtrong fold (ſtrong as a tower) yea a ſtrong-hold Ophel as it is ſtiled in the next words; and that of the daughter of Zion, that is of the Chriſtian Church, the inviolable ſecurity whereof is here noted.

unto thee ſhall it come, even the firſt dominion] ſuch as was in David[illegible: 1 letter] dayes and Solomons: la[illegible: 1 letter]ge, rich, peaceable, proſperous, terrible to other nations &c. This was carnally underſtood by the Jewes, who therefore dr[illegible: 1 letter]ame to thi[illegible: 1 letter] day of an earthly kingdome, and have in their [illegible: 1 letter]ynagogues a crown ready to ſet upon the head of their Meſſiah whenſoever he ſhall come: neither were Chriſts diſciples without a tincture of this Phariſaicall leaven: whence their often-enquiries when the kingdome of God ſhall come? and their frivol[illegible: 1 letter]us conteſts among themſelves, who ſhould be the greateſt in Chriſts kingdome? who ſhould ſit at his right hand and at his left &c. as if there ſhould have been in Chriſts kingdome (as in Solomons) a diſtribution here of honours and offices. And this groundleſſe conceit hung as bullets of lead at their eye-lids; that they could not look up to ſee that Chriſts kingdome was ſpirituall and not of this preſent world.

the kingdome ſhall come to the daughter of Jeruſalem] This the Jewes (miſtaking it as before) pray earneſtly that it may come citò, Baxtor. Syn: Jud. citiùs, citiſſimè, bimherah, bejamen[illegible: 1 letter]s, with ſpeed, and even in our dayes; oft throwing open their windowes to behold their King, and to receive their long-looked-for preferment, in his earthly monarchy.

Ver. 9. Now why doeſt thou cry out aloud?] Hout and houle? q.d. haſt thou any ſuch cauſe to be ſo unreaſonably and out ragiouſly impatient ſo long as Chriſt is thy king and counſellour? What if there now be no king in th[illegible: 1 letter]e? What if thy counſellour be periſhed? A wo-caſe I confeſſe, and great confuſion moſt needes be the iſſue of it; as it fell out in Ieruſalem after Ioſiah was ſlaine: Confer Hoſ. 3.4. with the Note there. But yet there is hope in Iſrael concerning this thing; neither need the Saints be ſo exceſſively dejected with outward croſſes, ſo long as Chriſt is with them, and for them. If Seneca could ſay to his friend Polybius, Fas tibi non eſt ſalvo Caeſare, de fortuna tua queri, Be thy caſe never ſo miſerable,Sen. ad [illegible: 1 letter]olyb. Conſol. thou haſt no cauſe to complaine, ſo long as Caeſar is in ſafety: How much leſſe ground of mourning or murmuring have Chriſts ſubjects, ſo long as He liveth and raigneth? Gaudeo quod Chriſtus Dominus eſt, Calvin. Epiſt. alioqui totus deſperaſſem writeth Miconius to Calvin, of the Churches enemies: I am glad that Chriſt is Lord of all: for otherwiſe I ſhould have had no hope of help at all. David in deep diſtreſs comforteth himſelf in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6. and Pſal. 119.94. I am thine, ſave me, ſaith He: q. d. my profeſſed ſubjection to thee calleth for thy care and protection of me: and here he ſtayes himſelf. Kings and Councellours are great ſtayes to a ſtate: but Chriſt is not tied to them. Theſe are but particular good things, as is health againſt ſickneſſe, wealth againſt poverty &c. but Chriſt is an Ʋniverſall good, all ſufficient and ſatisfactory; every way proportionable and fitting to our ſoules, and ſeverall neceſſities. Why then do we cry aloud as utterly undone? why ſing we not rather with David when at greateſt under, The Lord liveth, and bleſſed be the God of my ſalvation. Pſal. 18.46. It is God that avengeth me, and delivereth me from the violent man &c, He is King of all the earth. He is wonderfull in counſel, and excellent in working &c. It was a learned mans Motto, Bleſſed be God, that he is God; and bleſſed be Chriſt that he reignes for ever; that Counſel is his, and ſound wiſdome: that he hath underſtanding, he hath ſtrength Prov. 8.14.

for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travel] They have, but they needed not, hadſt thou but turned into thy counting-houſe, and conſidered thy manifold priviledges in Chriſt, thy King and Counſellour. We oft puniſh our ſelves by our paſſions, as the lion that beates himſelf with his own taile. Sed ô benè (ſaith an Interpreter here) quod ſint hidolores ſaltem ſimiles parturientium, It is yet an happineſſe, that the Churches pangs, though bitter,Tarnou. yet are no worſe then as thoſe of a woman in travell. For 1. The paines of travell ſeldome bring death; but life both to mother and child: ſo do afflictions to the Saints 2 Cor. 4.17. Heb. 12.9. 2. Travell comes not by chance, nor for long continuance: neither doth affliction Ioh. 7.30. Luk. 22.53. 3. Travell is unavoidable, and muſt be patiently born: ſo muſt affliction; or elſe we loſe the fruit of it: Act. 14.22. 2 Tim. 3.12. 4. Sharp though it be, yet it is ſhort: ſo mourning laſteth but till morning Pſal. 30.6. and 73.24. and 135.14. Ioh. 16.15. Ier. 10.23. 5. As the travelling woman hath the help of other women: ſo hath the afflicted, of God, Angels and men. 6. Laſtly, as ſhe remembreth the ſorrow no more for joy of a manchild born into the world: ſo is it here Ioh. 16.20. Rom. 8.17, 18.

Verſe 10. Be in pain and labour to bring forth &c.] Be ſenſible of thine enſuing captivity, and take on: but yet with hope of a gracious deliverance in due time. See the Note on ver. 9. It is no leſſe a fault to deſpiſe the chaſtening of the Lord, then to faint when thou art rebuked Heb. 12.5. The hypocrite in heart heapeth up wrath ſaith Elihu, and why? he crieth not when God bindeth him Iob. 3[illegible: 1 letter].11. The wicked ſaith Hannah, are ſilent in darkneſſe, and ſhall therefore lie down in ſorrow. This is not patience but pertinacy,1 Sam. 2.9. Eſay. 50.10. the ſtrength of ſtones and fleſh of braſſe Iob 6.12. It is not vaſour but apathie, ſtupidity and indolency, much complained of in ſcripture, and threatened with a ſucceſſion of ſorrowes Lev. 26.18, 28. ſeven more, and ſeven more, and ſeven to that. Three times in that chapter God raiſeth his note of threatening, and he raiſeth it by ſevens, and thoſe are diſcords in muſick. Such ſayings will be heavy ſongs; and their execution heavy pangs: worſe then thoſe of a woman in travel.

for now ſhalt thou go forth out of the city] This Now fell not out of an hundred yeares after. Foule weather ſeldome rotteth in the ayre. Time weareth not out Gods threatenings. Nullum tempus occurrit Regi, nedum Deo, Time can be no prejudice to the Ancient of dayes: ſooner or later his word ſhall be accompliſhed. When the ſins of the Amorites are full, they ſhall be ſure of their payment. The bottle of wickedneſſe, when once filled with thoſe bitter waters, will ſink to the bottom.

and thou ſhalt dwell in the field] Sub dio, having no canopie over thee, but the azured skie: ſo little account is made of poore captives: If they may have the open ayre to breath in, though they lie without dores, 'its better then a ſtinking dungeon, or to be ſhut up cloſe under hatches among the excrements of nature, as Barbaruſſa Chriſtian priſoners taken in Greece were:Turk hiſt. 750. ſo that all the way as he went home with them to Conſtantinople, every houre almoſt ſome of them were caſt dead over-board.

and thou ſhalt go even to Babylon] there to dwell among plants and hedges, making flower-pots for a forreine prince. There they dwelt with the King for his work: 1 Chron. 4.23.

there ſhalt thou be delivered, there the Lord ſhall redeem thee] This There, is as Emphaticall as that Yet ſo oft repeated Zech. 1.17. See the Note there. It ſeemed improbable to many, and to ſome impoſſible, that ever they ſhould return out of Babylon. But God effected it to the great aſtoniſhment of his poore people, who were like them that dream Pſal. 126.1. and could ſcarce beleeve their own eyes. God loves to deliver thoſe that are forſaken of their hopes. Ad nos ergo transferamus promiſſionemiſtam, ſaith Gualther upon the text. Let us apply this promiſe to our ſelves: and as oft as we are pincht with poverty, or tormented with diſeaſes, or caſt out into baniſhment, or are in any great danger by water or land, or under terrours of conſcience, let us think we heare God thus ſpeaking to us, There ſhalt thou be delivered: there I will redeem thee &c.

Verſe 11. Now alſo many nations are gathered &c.] that is, they ſhall be once gathered, when the Babylonians, who are Lords of the world, ſhall muſter many nations againſt thee. Would any man take the Churches picture ſaith Luther? then let him paint a ſilly poor maid, ſitting in a wood or wilderneſſe, compaſſed about with hungry lions, wolves, bores and beares, and with all manner of cruel and hurtfull beaſts,Loc. com. de perſee. ver. Eccleſ. and in the middeſt of a great many furious men aſſaulting her every moment and minute, for this is her condition in the world.

that ſay, Let her be defiled] ſc: with blood and ſlaughter. Or, Let her be condemned as an hypocrite, Let her be ſtoned as an adultereſſe, ſo the Trent tranſlation. Thus they pretend, as Rabſhakeh did, that they were ſent by God againſt an hypocriticall nation, that had broken their faith with God and men. The like craft and cruelty was uſed in the Pariſian maſſacre, and Gunpowder-plot: God and man; ſaid they (in that blind letter, that brought all to light) have agreed to puniſh the wickedneſſe of this age. Thoſe that would kill a dog, give out that he was mad firſt, ſaith the French Proverb. Whom no man looketh after Jer. 30.17.

and let our eyes look upon Zion] Let us feed our eyes with ſuch a delightfull ſpectacle: and ſay as that cruel Charles the 9. of France did, when he ſaw the ſtreetes ſtrawed with the bodies of the maſſacred Proteſtants, and the rivers dyed with their blood, O pulchrum ſpectaculum! O brave ſight, Or, as the Q. Mother of Scotland, when ſhe beheld the dead carcaſſes of her Lutheran ſubjects, ſaid, that ſhe never ſaw a goodlier peece of Arraz in all her dayes. See the accompliſhment of this prophecy in the Lamentations, Pſalm. 137. and in the book of Nehemiah.

Verſe 12. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord] Nothing like their thoughts Eſ. 55.8. Confer Eſ. 10.7, 8. Zach. 11.15, 16. &c. His thoughts are fatherly, whiles theirs are butcherly: the Phyſitian in ſetting leeches to his patient, ſeekes his good: he aymes not at filling the leeches gorges: neither will he ſet more on him, then will make for his health. God by his wisdome, and according to his eternall counſell (which the wicked underſtand not) ordereth and draweth the blind and bruit motions of the worſt creatures to his own honour, and his churches good; D. Reyn. as the huntsman doth the rage of the dog to his pleaſure, or the marriner the blowing of the wind to his voyage, or the Artiſt the heate of the fire to his work, or the Phyſitian the blood-thirſtineſſe of the leech to a cure. Surely, (ſaith the Pſalmiſt ſpeaking of Senacheribs cruelty in the ſiege of Jeruſalem) the wrath of man ſhall praiſe thee (eventually, though not intentionally) the remainder of wrath ſhalt thou reſtraine Pſal. 76.10. Let the enemies think and project as they pleaſe,Ier. 29.11. 2 Theſ. 1.6, 7. let them rage and reſolve upon your utter ruine. I know the thoughts that I think toward you, ſaith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evill, to give you an expected end: to recompenſe tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you who are troubled reſt &c. For thus ſaith the Lord God the Holy One of Iſrael, In returning and reſt ſhall ye be ſaved, in quietneſſe and in confidence ſhall be your ſtrength Eſay. 30.15. And I will ſtrengthen the houſe of Iudah, and I will ſave the houſe of Ioſeph, and I will bring them again to place them, for I have mercy upon them, and they ſhall be as though I had not caſt them off: for I am the Lord their God, and I will heare them, Zech. 10.6. Surely as it was ſaid of old, Neither ſhall Rome fall while Scipio ſtandeth: neither ſhall Scipio live when Rome falleth: ſo may it more truely be affirmed of Chriſt, that he and his people ſhall ſtand and fall together. But he ſhall ſtand at the later day upon the earth Iob 19.25. yea he ſhall ſet his right foot upon the ſea, and his left foot upon the earth Rev. 10.2. as Lord of ſea and land, maugre the malice of all, that ſought to ſupplant him, who ſhall there-hence fall, and never riſe up againe Am. 8.14.

Verſe 13. Ariſe and threſh, O daughter of Zion] Go in this thy might (wherewith thou ſo luſtily threſheſt out thy wheat by the wine-preſſe ſaid the Angell to Gideon Judg. 6.14) and threſh the Midianites another while, thou ſhalt ſmite them as one man ver. 16. threſh them as the ſheaves of the floore that lie ready for the flaile, or (as the cuſtome of thoſe countries was Deut. 25.4. 1 Cor. 9.9. 1 Tim. 5, 18.) for oxen to tread out, or the wheel to turn over Eſa. 2.28.

for I will make thine horne iron &c.] So that thou ſhalt do great exploites, by mine aſſiſtance, againſt Sennacherib, Antiochus and other enemies ſubdued and threſhed down to ſtraw by the valiant Macchabees. Spiritualiter etiam hoc intelligendum, ſaith Sa. here; this is alſo ſpiritually to be underſtood of converting people to the faith ſeparatâ paleâ infidelitatis. This the Apoſtles did vigorouſly and effectually, being furniſhed by Chriſt with hornes of iron, and hoofes of braſs; with ſpirituall courage and metall, whereby they did ſoon beat in peeces many people, and brought them to Chriſt by the obedience of faith, together with all their wealth and ſubſtance, which they cheerfully conſecrate unto the Lord of the whole earth. This was typified of old by the Tabernacle built with the ſpoils of the Egyptians: and by Davids dedicating to the Lord the gold and ſilver which in great abundance he had taken from the enemies 2 Sam. 8. It is prophecied of Tyrus, that being converted ſhe ſhould find another manner of merchandiſe then formerly, viz: to feed and cloth Gods poore with durable cloathing. The Centurion, Eſa. 23.18. Luke 7. when once he became a Proſelyte, built the Jewiſh Synagogues, that had been thrown down by Antiochus. Conſtantine the Great was bountifull to the Church above meaſure, inſomuch as that he was by the heathens in ſcorn called Pupillus, as if he had wanted a guardian to over-rule and order his expences. Sed refriguit hoc ſtudium hodiè in magiſtratibus pleriſque, as Gualthe[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 letter]re complaineth, and not without cauſe. The Church is not only ſcanted, but ſpo[illegible: 1 letter]ed of her revenues: and that which was piouſly conſecrated, is impiouſly converted to other uſes &c. Thus He.