when thus rebuilt, sensible of the divine fayours, and
thankful for them, will offer not any ceremonial sacri-
fices, as when before in their own land, which they
will now see are abolished; but the sacrifices of praise
and thanksgiving only, which will be artended with
great spiritual mirth and melody: perhaps this is said
in allusion to the mirth and music used formerly in
the solemn and religious festivals; see Rev. xix. 1, 7:
and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; the
Jews, at the time of their conversion, will be very nu-
merous, Hos. i. 10, 11. especially the number of God's
spiritual Israel will then be very great; though Jacob
is now small, he shall then arise and become a great
multitude; the church's converts will be surprisingly
many, Isa. xlix. 18, 19, 20, 21. and Ix. 4--8: and I
will also glorify them, and they shall not be small ;
numbers of converts add to the glory of the church;
it will be a glorious time; and this is what will make
a considerable part of the latter-day glory; namely,
the conversion of the nation of the Jews at once, and
the bringing in the fulness and forces of the Gentiles.
The Targum is, "I will strengthen them, and they
"shall not be weak." It may be rendered, I will ho-
hour them, and they shall not be little o; or mean and
contemptible; they shall be honoured with temporal
and spiritual blessings, and be in great esteem, espe-
cially among the Christian nations.
Ver. 20. Their children also shall be as afore-time,
&c.] In the streets of Jerusalem, numerous and free;
no more in a strange land, or subject to others, Zech.
viii. 5. and educated in a religious manner. Some
think it refers to the times of the patriarchs before the
law was given; and that the meaning is, that the law
being abrogated, and they now sensible of it, shall live
without it, as their forefathers did. It may be under-
stood of the church's children in a spiritual sense; that
great numbers should be born again in her as formerly,
who shall profess the Christian religion, and behave ac-
cording to it: and their congregation shall be established
before me; the church, consisting of them; or their
church-state shall be settled and confirmed, and no
more be dest. royed, as it formerly was: and I will
punish all that oppress them; or rather, have oppressed
them; all the antichristian nations, who will nosy
sufferthe wrath of God; and after this there will be no
more oppressors and persecutors of the church of God.
Vet. 2l. And their nobles shall be of themselves, &c.]
Or, his noble One a; Jacob's noble One, the Messiah, in
whom all the promises centre; and whose incarnation
and priesthood are the foundation of all the things
above predicted. The Targum interprets these words
of him; "their King shall bc anointed from them, and
"their Messiah shall be revealed from the midst of
"them." And so it is applied to him in the Talmud{*},
and in other writings of the Jews f. Kimchi on the
place says, "it is known that the King Messiah shall
"be of Israel." He may be called a noble One, as he is
a Nobleman in Luke xix. 12. because he descended
from illustrious persons; from David king of Israel,
and from a race of kings in his line, as the ge-
nealogy of Matthew shews. Or, his glorious Ones,
as it may be rendered; he is glorious in his nature,
being the brightness of his Father's glory; glo-
rious in his perfections, which are the same with his
divine Father's; glorious in his names and titles,
the King and Lord of glory; glorious in his works
and worship, which are the same that are ascribed
to God the Father; glorious in his office as Me-
diator, which he has so well performed; glorious
when he was raised from the dead, and had a glory
given him; and when he ascended on high, and sat
down at his Father's right hand, crowned with glory
and honour; glorious in the eyes of God, and of all his
people; and, when his kingdom shall be in a more
glorious condition, he will reign before his ancients
gloriously; and when he comes a second time, he
will come in exceeding great glory. Or, his mighty
One {h}; Christ is the mighty God, the mighty Mediator,
the mighty Saviour; he is the most Mighty, he is
the Almighty. Now, as man, his descent was from
them, the Israelites; from Abraham, from Jacob, from
Judah, from Jesse and David, and from the people of
the Jews; see Rom. ix. 4. 5, John iv. 20. And their
Governor shall proceed from the midst of them; meaning
the King Messiah, as before; who has the government
of the church upon his shoulders; is worthy of all
power and authority. and has received it; has a power of
making laws, and of obliging men to keep them; has a
power of pardoning, justifying, and saving men; is the
lawgiverthat is able to save, and to destroy; and can sub-
ject all to his feet, as he will in a short time. This
seems to refer to a law in Israel, that not a stranger,
but one of their brethren, should be set as king over
them, Dent. xvii. 15. which is true of the Messiah. I
will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto
me; expressive of his priestly office; it being the bu-
siness of a priest to draw nigh to God with the sacri-
fices of the people, and to intercede for them, Lev. x.
3. and xxi. 17. Christ in eternity drew nigh to his fa-
ther, and offered himself as a surety for his people,
and became one; and the Greek word for surety,
\~egguov\~, has the signification of being near: he drew
nigh and interposed between them and his father,
and became a Mediator for them; he proposed to do
every thing for them law and justice required, and
whatsoever was his father's will should be done: he
drew nigh and struck hands, stipulated and agreed
with him, about the salvation of his people; he asked
them of him, and all blessings of grace and glory for
them: he drew nigh in time, having assumed their
nature, and offered himself a sacrifice unto God, made
satisfaction to his .iustice for them, and redeemed them
unto God by his blood; by which means thev are made
nigh to God, and draw near to him with huhable bold-
ness; and now he is gone to heaven, and has taken his
place at the right hand of God, where he napears in
the presence of God, and makes intercession for them,
presenting himself, his blood, righteousness, and sacri-
fice. Now this is ascribed unto God, as causing him
to draw nigh; because he chose, appointed, and called

{c} \^wreuy alw Mytdbkhw\^ et honorabo eos, et non evilesccnt, Mon-
tanus; neque parvi habebuntar aut vilescent, De Dieu.
{d} \^wryda\^ praestans ejus, Montanus.
{e} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 2.
{f} Midrash Tillim apud Galatin. de Cathot. Ver. I. 10. c. I. p. 648.
{g} Magnificus ejus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; dux ejus, V.L.
magnificus dux ejus, Munster, Tigurine version; Rex eorum, Syr.
{h} Fortis ejus, Pagninus; potens ejus, Schmidt.