John Trapp on Zechariah 14:2

Verſe 2. For I will gather all nations] The Romans that ſtiled and held themſelves Lords of all nations, and who had levied a mighty army out of all nations to fight againſt Ieruſalem. See Joſeph. lib. 3. belli Iud. chap. 1. and 3. Or Gog and Magog with all his armies and aſlociates Ezek. 37.4, 5, 6. ſhall compaſſe the beloved city Rev. 20.8, 9. See Verſe 1. with the Note. Would any man take the Churches picture?Lec. com. then let him, ſaith Luther, paint a ſilly poor maid ſitting in a wood or wilderneſſe, and compaſſed about with hungry lions, wolves, boares and beares &c. and in the middeſt of a great many ſurious men aſſaulting her every moment: Let him give her ſay I, that of Martial for her Motto.

In me omnis terraeque, aviumque, mariſque rapina eſt.

and the city ſhall be taken] Non tamen ad exitium, ſed ad exercitium. I have forſaken mine houſe: I have leſt mine heritage (ſaith the Lord Ier. 12.7.) I have given the dearely beloved of my ſoule into the hand of her enemies. At which times there is uſually, as at Athens when taken by Sylla [non-Latin text not transcribed] a bloody butchery.

and the houſes riſled] As at the ſack of Conſtantinople by the Turks: where the ſouldiers are ſaid to have divided money among themſelves by whole hat-fuls: and were therewith ſo enriched, that 'tis a proverb amongſt them at this day, if any grow ſuddenly rich, to ſay, he hath been at the ſacking of Conſtantinople.Turk. biſt. 347 The Emperour had in vaine many times with teares requeſted to have borrowed money of his covetous ſubjects, to have been employed in the defence of the city;Hid. 345. but they would ſtill ſweare that they had it not: as men grown poor for want of trade. Which in few dayes after, their enemies found in ſuch abundance, that they wondred at their wealth, and derided their folly, that poſſeſſing ſo much they would beſtow ſo little in the defence of themſelves and their countrey.

and the women raviſhed] Theſe are the common calamities of war: in the in the lawleſſe violence whereof thoſe three commandements, Thou ſhalt not kill, Thou ſhalt not commit adultery, Thou ſhalt not ſteale: as they are ranked together in the law, ſo they are uſually violated together, Hence Iſa. 13.16. Their children alſo ſhall be daſhed to peeces before their eyes, their houſes ſhall be ſpoiled, and their wives raviſhed. The Iriſh rebels bound the husband to the bed-poſt, whiles they abuſed his wife before his face. In the time of K. Edward the third,Donec mulier fatigata ſpiritum exhalare[illegible: 1 letter]. Walſing. the French ſouldiers at Winchelſey in Suſſex took their luſtfull turns upon a beautifull woman in the Church, and at the time of divine ſervice, untill they had turned her out of the world, as a learned man phraſeth it.

and half of the city ſhall go forth into captivity] An evill, an onely evill, threatened Deut. 28. and ſulfilled to the utmoſt upon this nation, ſo ſhameleſly, ſo lawleſly wicked, as can hardly be peered or parallelled. I have noted before, that this their laſt captivity and diſperſion is ſuch, as that one of their own Rabbines concludeth from thence, that their Meſſiah muſt needs be come, and they muſt needs ſuffer ſo much for killing him. They uſe to ſay that there is ſtill an ounce of the golden calf in all their publike calamities. There is another thing lieth more heavily upon them to this day, were they but ſenſible of it. Let us be ſending up, and ſighing out for them that of the Pſalmiſt, O that the ſalvation of Iſrael were come out of Zion! when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob ſhall rejoyce, and Iſrael ſhall be glad. Pſa. 14.7.

and the reſidue of the people ſhall not be cut off from the city] A remnant ſhall be reſerved as it were for royall uſe: whether a third part as chap. 13.8. or an half, as here, 'tis not much materiall: in numeris non eſt anxiè laborandum, ſaith Calvin here; for the direct number, it is neither here nor there as we ſay. God ſhall reſerve unto himſelf a ſet and ſelect number. He who comforteth thoſe that are caſt down, ſpeaketh this to his, for encouragement. The Church may be ſhaken, not ſhivered: perſecuted, but not forſaken: caſt down, but not deſtroyed 2 Cor. 4.9.