be, as for evil, so for good, Isa. xiv. 24: fear ye not;
as in ver. 13.
Vet. 16. These are the things that ye shall do, &c.']
Which were duties incumbent on them, and which it
became them to perform, under a sense of the fayours
bestowed on them, to show their gratitude to God,
and that they might glorify him: speak ye every man
the truth to his neighbout ; not using deceit, prevari-
cation, and lying, Ephes. iv. 25. and it becomes every
man under the Gospel dispensation, according to the
gift he has received, to speak, publish, and declare
the truth of the Gospel, to the edification of others:
execute the judgment of truth a,nd peace in your gates;
that is, execute true judgment, as in ch. vii. 9. do jus-
tice between man and man, without respect of persons;
the issue of which will be peace between the contend-
ing parties: and this was 'to be done ,in their gates, be-
cause there their courts of judicature were kept.
Ver. 17. And let none of you imagine evil in your
hearts against his neighhour, &c.] See the note on
ch. vii. 10. hatred without a cause was a governing
vice under the second temple, and Jarchi says was the
cause of the destruction of it; see John xv. 25: and
love no false oath; whereby the character and property
of a fellow-creature are hurt; nor any vain one, which
the Jews were addicted to, Matt. v. 34, 35: for all these
are things that I hate, saith the Lord; as being contrary
to his nature, and to his law; and is a reason why they
should be hated and avoided' by men.
Ver. 18. And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto
me, saying.]] The word of prophecy, as the Targum
paraphrases it: here begins a new prophecy, respecting
the abrogation of Jewish fasts, and the calling of the
Gentiles.
Ver. 19. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, &c.] What
follows is a full answer to the question in ch. vii. 3:
the fast of the fourth month; the month Tammuz, which
answers to June: this fast was kept on the ninth day
of the month, on account of the city of Jerusalem
being bro.ken up on that day *, as it is said, 2 Kings
xxv. 3. 4. Jer. xxxix. 2. and lit. 6, 7. though Kimchi
says this was on the seventeenth day of that month,
as also says the Misna {p}; on which day a fast was kept
likewise, for the breaking of the two tables of the law
on that day: the reconciliation of this with the above
Scriptures is attempted in the Talmud % by observing,
that the Scripture speaks of the first tem. ple, the Misna
of the second temple: and the .fast of the fifth; the
month Ab, which answers to July, on the tenth of
which the city was burnt,, Jet. lit. 12, 13. but the fast
on account of it was kept on the ninth day; see the
note on ch. vii. 3. on which day the Jews say that
both the first and second temple were destroyed, Bither
was taken, and the city ploughed {}: and the fast of the
seventh; the month Tisri, which answers to Septem-
ber; on the third of this month a fast was kept on ac-
count of the murder of Gedaliah; see cb. vii. 5. and on
the tenth day of the same was the day of atonement.
which was the grand fast; see Acts xxvii. 9: and the
fast of the tenth; the month Tebet; which answers to
December, on the tenth day of which the city of
rusalem was besieged by Nebuchadnezzar; and this
fast was kept on that account, Jer. lii. 4. now of all
these fasts the Lord by the prophet says, they shall be
to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful
feasts; that is, there shall be no occasion for them;
but, on the contrary, such plenty of. good things, both
temporal and spiritual, shall be had, that, instead of
them, rather festivals should be kept with the greatest
cheerfulness,joy, and gladness. So Maimonides' says,
that all these fasts shall cease in the times of the Mes-
siah, with all others, which will be times of joy and
gladness. Therefore love the truth and peace; love to
speak truth, and execute the judgment .of peace, .ver.
16. or express by words and deeds love to Christ, who
is the way, the truth, and the life; and also is our Peace,
the Peace-maker, and Peace-giver; and on these
counts, as well as on others, is greatly to be loved:
likewise the Gospel, which is the word of truth, and
the Gospel of peace; which contains nothing but truth,
and is the ministry of reconciliation, and is to be loved
on that account; and even peace with men is no fur-
ther, to be loved and sought after than as it is consistent
with truth; and these being the principal things under
the Gospel dispensation, these, and not fasts, or any
other ceremonial observances, are to be attended to.
Ver. 20. Thus saith the Lord ef hosts, it shall yet come
to pass, &c.]] This is another thing that shall certainly
be accomplished: that there shall come people, and the
inhabitants of many cities; in theGentile world; they
shall come and hear the word, believe in Christ, and
join together in a Gospel church-state; as they did at
Antioch, Thessalonica, Corinth, and many other
places: Ben Moloch says this shall be in the days of
the Messiah; and so it has been in the days of the true
Messiah Jesus, and will be again in the latter day.
Vet. 21. And the inhabitants of one city shall go to
another, &c.] Which shows their concern for the spi-
ritual welfare of each other, their zeal for the honour
and glory of God, and their readiness to attend divine
worship: saying, let us go speedily to pray before the
Lord; for pardoning, justifying, and sanctifying grace
which shews their sense of need of these. th-ings, and
that they are only to be had of the Lord; and that
their case required haste, and would admit of no de-
lay: and to seek the Lord of hosts: by prayer and sup-
plication, as before: the Chaldee paraphrase iS, to seek
doctrine from the Lord of hosts; to learn the truths of his
Gospel; to know his will, and be informed of the right
way of worshipping him, as well as to seek to Christ
for life and salvation: I will go also; that is, this shall
say to that, as the Targum supplies it; one shall say to.
another, and express himself in such language, by way
of example and encouragement.
Ver. 22. Yea, many people, 'and strong nations, &c.]
Or, mighty kingdoms, as the Targum renders it; even
such have embraced the Gospel, and professed the
Christian religion; of which there has been abundant
since the dowhfal of Paganism under Constan-
tine: shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem

{o} T. Bab. Roshhashanah, fol. 18. 2.
{p} Taanith, c. 4. sect. 7.
{q} T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 28. 2.
{r} Roshhashanah, ut supra.
{s} Hilchot Taanioth, c. 5. sect. 19.