Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_500.lzh/6_570.TXT

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think that place to be intended so called, which was
near to Beth-lehem, Ge.n. xxxv, 19, 21. and perhaps is
the same which Jerom {} calls the tower of Ader, about
a mile from Beth-lehem: this is. supposed to be the
pfitace where the shepherds were watchingOver-their
ocks at the time. of Chr;.st's birth, the tidings of
which were first brought to them here; and the
Jewish {u} doctors speak of it as near Jerusalem, and as a
place of pasture; for .they say, that cattle between Je-
rusalem and Migdal Eder, and in an equal space to
every Wind; the males were used for burnt-offerings,
and the females for peace-offerings; and-thiSplace is
thought to be referred to in the latter clause of this
verse: others think that Bethdehem itself is meant, to
which the dominion came; but rather, as in the next
chapter, the ruler came out of that; others think that
the gate in Jerusalem called the sheep-gate is meant,
Neh. iii. 32. and the tower at it, through which Christ
is supposed to pass when he entered into Jerusalem as
King, amidst the Hosannahs of. the people; others
take it to be the same with the tower of David, and
put for Jerusalem itself, whither the tribes were ga-
thered together three times a year, like sheep in a
fold, so Kimchi and Ben Moloch; here others inter-
pret it spiritually of the church of Christ; but though
that is sometimes spoken of as a strong city, and a for-
tified place, yet is never called- a tower, or a strong
hold; which phrases, when figuratively. used, are al-
ways spoken era divine person; see Psal. xviii. 2. Prey.
xviii. lo. Zech. ix. 12. and here of the Messiah; and so the
Targum interprets it, "O Christ of Israel:" the church
indeed is theflock: the people of God are often corn-
'pared to sheep for their harmlessness and innocence,
and the church to a flock of them, which is Christ's
flock he feeds like a shepherd; the flock of slaughter,
a little one, consisting of persons separated from the
world, and under .his peculiar care; and he is the
tower of this flock, in allusion to a shepherd's cottage,
called a tower, as a cottage in a vineyard is in Isa. v. 2.
where the shepherds watch, and into which they bring
the sick and lame, and take care of them; Christ is a
high tower, where his people are safe out of the reach
of their enemies; and a strong one, being themighty
God and mighty Saytour, who has all power and
strength to defend his church and people, and may be
well called their tower: and the strong hold of the
daughter of Zion; the daughter of Zion is the church,
particularly the church of the converted Jews; Christ
is the strong hold of it, into which, as prisoners of
hope, they will be directed to turn, Zech. ix. 12. a
strong refuge he is to flee unto from the avonget of
blood, the justice of God; from the curses of the law;
frbm the storm of divine wrath; from the temptations
of Satan, and from the persecutions of men; a strong
hold is he to dwell in, and .where the saints dwell
safely,. pleasantly, at ease and. peace, and very com-
fortably, and in great plenty ; a strong hold for shelter
from every enemy: unto thee shall it come; not the
kingdom, as follows, which our version leads to, and is
the sense of Aben Ezra; for there iS a considerable ac-
cent onthe word come, which makes a large stop; and
that it refers, as Jarchi observes, to her that halteth, &c.
it or she that halSeth shall come, being assembled and
gathered, or converted by the grace of God unto the
Messiah; as to her, or their tower and strong hold,
where all. blessings of grace, and the supplies of it,
and all salvation and safety, are to be had and enjoyed.
The promise respects the Jews coming t.o Christ upon
their conversion, even such who have been the halt,
the maimed, the lame, and the blind: even the first do-
minion; the kingdom shall Come to the daughter of Jeru-
salem; or ra.ther, and the first dominion shall come, the
kingdom to the daughter of ,ler, Usalem : meaning, not
the first notice of the Messiah s kingdom, given by
'John the Baptist, Christ, and his apostles, to the Jews,
in the first times of the Gospel; or the preaching of
the Gospel of the kingdom first to them; but rather
he who has the first or principal dominion, and to
whom the kingdom belongs, he shall come to the
daughter of Zion, .as in Zech. ix. 9. though it rather
respects here his coming to them at the time of their
conversion, when they shall come to him, Rom. xi.
and when the first, chief, and principal kingdom in the
world, and which is preferable to all others, will
come unto, and be placed among them, as in ver. 7.
and when it shall. be, as some interpret it, as at the be-
ginning, in the days of David and Solomon, and much
more abundantly.
Ver. 9. Now why dost thou cry out aloud ? &c.] Or
cry a cry"; a vehement one, or set up a most lamentable
cry, as if no help or hope were to be had, but as in
the most desperate condition: here the prophet repre-
sents the Jews as if they were already in captivity,
and in the utmost distress, and as they certainly would
be; and yet had no reason to despair of deliverance
and salvation, since the Messiah would certainly come
to them, and his kingdom wouId be set up among them,
The word used has sometimes the notion of friendship
and association; hence the Targum renders it," now
"why art thou joined to the people ?"" and so Jarchi,
"thou hast no need to seek friends and lovers, the
"kings of Egypt and Assyr. ia, for help." And which
sense of the wordAs approved by Gussetins *. Is there
no king in thee ? is tby counsellor perished ? he it so
that they were; as was the case when Zedekiah was
taken and carried captive, and his princes, nobles, and
counsellots killed; yet God, their King and Counsellor,
was with them, to keep and preserve them, counsel,
instruct, and comfort them, and at last to deliver and
save them; and the King Messiah would be raised up,
and sent unto them in due time, who is the Wonderful
CoUnsellot Isaiah had prophosted of: for pangs have
taken thee as a worn. an in travail; which is often
pressive of great sufferings and sorrows; and yet, as
the pangs of a woman in travail don't continue always,.
but have an end, so would theirs, and therefore there-
was no reason tbr despair; and as, when she brings
forth her issue, her sorrow is turned into joy, this
would be their case.
Vet. 10. Be in pain, ann labour to bring forth, 0


{t} De locis Hebr. fol. 89. E.
{u} T. Hieros. Kiddushin, fol. 63. 1. T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 55. 1.
Misn. Shekalim, c. 7. sect. 4.
{w} \^er yeyrt hml\^ quid vociferabis vociferationem, Pagninus, Monta-
nus. So Vatablus, Drusius.
{x} Ebr. Comment. p. 789.