Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/5_100_p.lzh/5_167.TXT

Text File | 1994-08-09 | 7KB | 128 lines

be rendered; or it may refer to their persons, as well.
as their counsels. So the Septuagint version, shall ye
not be reckoned as the potter's clay ? ye shall. To
which agrees the Targum, "beholcr, as the clay in th,e,
·  hand of the potter, so are ye accouhted before me;
who could do with them just as seemed good in his
sight. De Dieu renders them, shah the potter be reck-
oned as the clay ? Such was the stupidity and per-
verseness of the Jews, in endeavouring to hide their
counsels from the Lord, and in fancying that he did
not see and know them, that they thought God was
like themselves; which is all one as if the potter was
reckoned as the clay, for they were the clay, and God
the potter. The Vulgate Latin version is, as if the
clay could think against the potter; contrive schemes
to counterwork him; which, to imagine, was.. not
more stupid, than to think they could do any thing
against the Lord: for shall the work salt of him that
made it, he made me not? to say .that God does not
know what is done by his creatures, is in effect to
say that he did not make them; for he that made
them must needs know their actions, and even the
very thoughts of their hearts; as he that makes a
watch knows all that is in it, and the motions of it:
or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, he
had no understanding ? or judgment, did not know how
to make it as it should be.. So the Septuagint ver-
sion, thou hast not made me wisely; or he did not un-
derstand the work itself, the make and fashion of it.
So the Targum, "thou does not understand me."
This might as well be said, as for-a creature to pretend
that God does not know what and where he is, or
what he is doing.
Ver. 17. Is it not yet a very little while, &c.] In a
short space of time, in a few years, what follows would
come to pass; when there would be a strange change
and alteration made in the world, and by which it
would appear, that the Lord not only knows, but
foreknows, all things: and Lebanon shall be turned into
a fruitful .field; the forest of Lebanon should be as
Carmel. The meaning is, that the Gentile world,
which was like a forest uncultivated, arid full of un-
fruitful trees, to which wicked men may be compared,
should through the preaching of the Gospel be ma-
nured, become God's husbandry, and be like a fruitful
field, abounding with people and churches, fruitful in
grace and good works: and the fruitful field shall be
esteemed as a forest? the people of the Jews, who
once had the word and ordinances of God, and were
a fruitful and flourishing people in religion; through
their rejection of the Messiah, and contempt of his
Gospel, should be deprived of all their privileges, and
become like a forest or barren land: this was ful fi l led ,.
when the kingdom of God was taken from them, and
given to a nation bringing forth the fruits of it, Matt.
xxi. 43. See Isa. xxxii. 15. and xxxv. 1, 2.
Ver. 18. And in that day shall the deaf hear the
words of the book, &c.] That is, in. the Gospel day,
or times of the Gospel dispensation, when that should
be preached to the Gentiles; who before were deaf,
but now should be made to hear, and be willing to
hear,. and hear so as to understand the doctrines con-
tained in the Scriptures, the prophecies of them concern-
ing the Messiah; even the words of that book that is
sealed to the Jews, and could not be read, neither by
the learned nor unlearned among them; but should be
both read, heard, and understood, by the Gentiles,
having ears given them to hear the Gospel, to receive
its doctrines, and obey its ordinances: and the eyes of
the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness;
such, who before were blind and ignorant as to spi-
ritual things, being called, through the ministry of the
word, out of darkness into marvellous light, and their
eyes being opened by it, should now see their sin and
misery, their lost and dangerous estate, the way of
life and salvation by Christ, the great and glorious
truths of the Gospel, and what eye has not seen, nor
ear heard.
Ver. 19. The meek also shah increase their joy in the
Lord, &c.] The meek, lowly,. and humble, are such
who are made sensible of sin, and become humble
under a sense of it; who see. the insufficiency of their
own righteousness, and submit to the righteousness
of Christ; who attribute all they .have, and are, to the
free grace of God, and quietly submit to every dispen-
sation of Providence; who are not easily provoked by
men, but bear much and long without reviling; who
envy riot those that are above them in gifts and grace,
nor despise those that are below them, and think the
worst of themselves, and the best of others; now these
have joy in the Lord, in the Word of the Lord, as the
Targum, in the Lord Jesus Christ; in the greatness
and glory of his person as Jehovah, and so able to save
to the uttermost; in him as the Lord their righteous-
ness; in his blood and sacrifice, for the pardon and ex-
piation of their sins; in his fulness as theirs, to supply
their wants; in his salvation, being so great, so full,
so free, and suitable to them: and whereas their joy
may be interrupted through the corruptions of their
hearts, the temptations of Satan, and divine deser-
tions, they shall add {a} joy in the Lord, as in the ori-
ginal; they .shall repeat it, it shall come again, it shall
be restored unto them, and they shall afresh exercise
it, and increase in it, as we render it; for spiritual.
joy may be increased by the discoveries of the love of
God; by fresh views of Christ, through an increase of..
knowledge of him, and faith in him; by means of me-
ditation and prayer, and by reading and hearing tho
word: and the poor among men shall rejoice in the holy
One of Israel; or, the poorest of men {b}, who .were so in
a literal sense; for such were the persons, both
among Jews and Gentiles, who in the first times of
the Gospel were brought to the knowledge of-Christ,
and faith in him, Matt. xi. 4. 1 Cor. i. 26, 27. or such
who are poor in spirit; not only spiritually poor, but
who are sensible of their spiritual poverty, and apply
to Christ for the true riches of grace: the words may
be rendered, Adam's poor; such who are impove-
rished by Adam's fall, and are sensible of it; these,.
perceiving durable riches and righteousness, even un-
searchable riches, in Christ, rejoice in him, the holy
One of Israel; who is holy in himself, the sanctifier of


{a} \^wpoyw\^ et addent, V. L, Pagninus: Montanus,
{b} \^Mda ynwyba\^ mendici hominum, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus;
egentissimi hominum, Junius & Tremellius.