be brought into their own land, as follows; see Isa.
xi. 11. Rev. xvi. l2: and I will bring them into the land
of Gilead and Lebanon; Gilead was a land of pasture,
and signifies a heap oftestimonies; and may mysti-
cally intend the Scriptures, which testify or' Christ,
and direct to green pastures, beside the still waters:
and Lebanon, that goodly mountain, and hill offrank-
incense, and where cedars grew, may design the
church, whither the converted Jews will be brought,
and worship before it, Rev. iii. 9. or both may literally
be understood, which they shall return unto; Gilead
being, as Kimchi observes, beyond Jordan eastward;
and Lebanon, comprehending the whole !and of Israel,
on this side of it: and place shall not be found for them;
they will be so numerous; see Isa. x'lix. 20, 21. the
Targum is," and I will bring them to the land of
"Gilead and the sanctuary, and it shall not be suf-
"ticlent for them ;" that is, to hold them. The Sep-
tuagint render it, and not one of them shall be left:
all Israel shall now be converted and saved, though
their number will be as the saud of the sea, Hos.
i. 10.
Ver. 11..4nd he shall pass through the sea with af-
fliction, &c.] Either the people of the Jews, as Israel
of old did, when they came out of Egypt, to which
the allusion is; or the wind shall pass through the sea,
as Aben Ezra supplies it, and it shall become dry; that
is, the river of Egypt: or affliction {}, as many supply
it, shall pass through the sea; the nations, which are
many as the sea, as Kimchi interprets it; and so may
design that hour of temptation that shall come upon
all the earth, Rev. iii. 10. or with which the kingdom
of the beast, who rose up out of the sea, and consists of
many waters, people, tongueS, and nations, will be
afflicted, Rev. xiii. 1. and xvii. 1, 15. and xvi. 3. and
xviii. 21. which the Lord shall pass through and smite;
or it may in general denote the sea of this world, and
the afflictions of it, which the Lord causes his people
to pass through, and brings them out of them: and
shall smite the waves in the sea: that is, the Lord shall
smite them; repress afflictions, which are like the
proud waves, not suffering them to proceed further
than is for his glory and his people's good, and re-
move all obstacles in their way; see Isa. xi. 15, 16. or
destroy their enemies, which are like the proud waters,
that otherwise would go over their souls, and over-
whelm them; and particularly the antichristian states,
at the pouring out of the vials, signified by the sea,
and by fountains and rivers, Rev. xvi. 3, 4. Kimchi
explains it of the multitude of the people: a,d all the
deeps of the river shall dry up; not Nile, the river of
Egypt, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra {}, but the river Eu-
phrates; see Rev. xvi. 12. the drying up of which sig-
nifies the destruction of the Turkish empire; and the
Targum paraphrases it," all the kings of the people
"shall be confounded :" and the pride of Alssyria shall
be brought down; the pride of the Ottoman empire, of
which the old Assyria is a part. and which has been
large and powerful, that shall be destroyed; this will
be at the passing away of the second woe; and then
quickly comes the third, which is as follows, Rev. xi..
14: and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away; all
rule and government shall cease; see Gen. xlix. 10.
meaning that the kingdom of the antichristian beast of
Rome, called Egypt, Rev. xi. 8. shall be at an end;
which will be at the blowing of the seventh trum-
pet, and upon and through the pouring out of the
seven vials. So the Targum, the dominion of the
Egyptians shall be taken away; or its rod, with which
it has smote, hurt, and greatly oppressed and afflicted
the saints; persecution shall now cease; it will not
be in the power of the Romish antichrist to persecute
any more.
Ver. 12. And I will strengthen them in the Lord,
&c.] Not the Egyptians and Assyrians, but the Jews,
as in vet. 5, the Targum is," I will strengthen them
"in the word of the Lord;" in the Messiah, by his
power, and in the grace that is in him; and their faith
and hope in him, and love to him: or by {} him; so
that, through him strengthening them, they will be
able to do all things; to exercise grace; perform duty;
withstand temptation; oppose indwelling sin; bear
the cross of Christ; endure afflictions; engage with
all their spiritual ehemies, and conquer them: for the
words may be rendered, I will cause them to prevail,
or overcome in the Lord {}; all their enemies, temporal
and spiritual; and even to be more than conquerors
through him that has loved them: and they shall walk
up and down in his name, saith the Lord; walk in him,
the way to the Father, to heaven and happiness; walk
by faith on him, in his strength, and in imitation of
him; walk according to his Gospel, calling on his
name, professing and worshipping him; and walk in
his church and ordinances, agreeably to his will; see
Mic. iv. 5. Kimchi owns that this whole chapter be-.
longs to the times of the Messiah, as well as the former.
The words may be considered as a testimony to the
doctrine of the Trinity; that I, Jehovah the Father,
will strengthen them in Jehovah the Son; and they
shall walk up and down in the name of the Son of God,
saith Jehovah the Spirit. Moreover, as a promise of
the saints' final perseverance, very peremptorily ex-
pressed; I will strengthen them, and they shall
walk, &c.
THIS chapter contains a prophecy of the destruc-~
lion of the Jews, and shews the causes and reasons of
it; and is concluded with a prediction concerning an-
richfist. The destruction of the temple and city

{r} Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus, Calvin, Drusius, Coc-
ceius.
{s} So Stockius, p. 891.
{t} \^hwhyb\^ per Jehovam, Piscator.
{u} \^Mytrbgw\^ et faciam illos ut vincant, Cocceius.