Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_700.lzh/6_718.TXT

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converted, and a church, consisting of Jews and Gen-
tiles, was formed; and here the disciples were first
called Christians, Acts xi. 26. Tyrus and Zidon; these
were famous cities of Phoenicia; upon the borders of
these our Lord himself was, Matt. xv. 21. of the con-
version of the inhabitants of these places the psalmist
prophecies, Psal. xlv. l2. here likewise the Lord had
his resting-place; we read of the disciples here, Acts
xxi. 3, 4. and xxvii. 3: though it be very wise; parti-
cularly Tyre, which was famous for wisdom, Ezek.
xxviii. 3, 4. which the Lord confounded by the preach-
ing of the Gospel, and by the foolishness of that saved
them that believe. Kimchi refers this to the times of
the Messiah; his note is, she shall not trust in her wis-
dom in the time of the Messiah: so Ben Melech.
Ver. 3. And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold,
&c.] Tyre was built upon a rock, and was a strong
fortress itself, from whence it had its name; and, be-
sides its natural defence, it had a wall 150 feet high,
and its breadth was answerable to its heighte; but yet,
as it could not defend itself against Alexander the
great, who took it; so neither against the Gospel of
Christ, which found its way into it, and was mighty
to pull down strong holds in a spiritual sense: and
heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of
the streets; the riches of these cities, especially Tyre,
are often made mention of; they were famous for their
wealth, being places of great trade and merchandise;
see Isa. xxiii. 2, 8. Ezek. xxvii. 3. and xxviii. 4, 5. all
which were to be holiness to the Lord, and for the
sufficient feeding and durable clothing of them that
dwell before him, Isa. xxiii. 18. his ministers.
Ver. 4. Behold, the Lord will cast her out, &c.] Or
inherit herf, or them, as the Septuagint render-the
words; when, being converted, she would become the
Lord's inheritance and possession, and her riches should
be devoted to his service: and he will smite her power in
the sea; for Tyre was situated in the sea, at the entry of
it, and was strong in it, Ezek. xxvi. 17. and xxvii. 3.
Kimchi interprets this of her humiliation and subjection
in the days of the Messiah; and in a spirituM sense it
has been verified in such who have been spoiled of their
carnal strength, in which they trusted, and have laid
down their weapons, and have submitted to the sceptre
of Christ: and she shall be devoured with fire; with
the spirit of judgment, and of burning, which purges
and removes the filth of sin; and with the fire of the
word, which burns up and consumes its lusts; and
with the flames of divine love, which make souls as a
whole burnt-offering to the Lord. This was literally
accomplished in the burning. of Tyre by Alexan-
der {g}, which injected fear and dread in cities near it,
as follow:
Ver. 5. Ashkelon shall see it, and fear, &c.] That
is, as Kimchi explains it, when Ashkelon shall see
that Tyre humbles herself and submits, she shall hum-
ble herself and submit also: and the sense may be,
that the inhabitants of Ashkelon, seeing that Tyre,.
with all her wisdom and strong reasoning, could not
stand before the power of the Gospel, but submitted
and embraced the Christian religion, were induced,
through the efficacy of divine grace, to do the same;
and certain it is that this place became Christian; we
read {} of a bishop of Ashkelon, in the synod of Nice,
and of other bishops of this place in after-councils: it
belonged to Palestine, and was one of the five lord-
ships of the Philistines, Josh. xiii. 3. Gaza also shall
see it,, and be very sorrowful ; this was a city of Pales-
fine, near to Ashkelon; they are mentioned together,,
Judg. i. 18. the Gentile inhabitants of this place, when
they saw the progress the Gospel made in Tyre, Zidon,
and Ashkelon, were grieved at it, but many among
them submitted to it: very likely Philip the evan-
gelist first preached the Gospel here; see Acts viii.
there was a Christian bishop of this place in the Nicene
council, and others in after-ones {i}. And Ekron; for her
expectation shall be ashamed; this was also one of the
five lordships of the Philistines, Josh. xiii. 3. I Sam.
vi. 16, 17. which, being near to Tyre, had its depen-
dence on that, expecting it could never be taken; but
when they saw that it was taken by Alexander, it was
ashamed of its vain expectation, hope, and confidence:
and so the inhabitants of this place, when the Gospel
came to it, were ashamed of the house of their confi-
dence, as the Targum paraphrases the words; the con-
fidence they had in their idols, and in the works of
their own hands; and were also ashamed because of
their iniquities, as the Arabic version renders them
being convinced of them, and humbled for them, and
betaking themselves to Christ for salvation from them.
It is probable ,that Philip preached the Gospel here,
seeing it was not far from Azotus or Ashdod, next
mentioned, where Philip is heard of after the baptism
of the eunuch: and if Ekron is the same with Caesarea,
that was called Strato's tower, as say the Jews k; and
which also Jerom {l} observes, some say are the same
it is certain that Philip was there, Acts viii. 40. there
Were several Christian bishops of this place in after-
times {m}. And the king shall perish from Gaza ; some
understand this of Batis, who was governor of Gaza,
when it was taken by Alexander; who was fastened
to a chariot, and dragged about the city, as Curtins
relates; but this man was not a king, but governor of
the city under one: I rather think the idol Marries,
which signifies the lord ofman, and was worshipped in
this place, is here meant; which when it became
Christian was destroyed, and a Christian church built
in the room of it, as is reported by Jerom °. And
Ashkelon shall not be inhabited; by Heathens, but by
Christians.
Ver. 6. And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, &c.]
Some {p} take mamzer, the word for bastard, to be the
name of a people that should dwell in Ashdod; this
is the same place with Azotus, Acts viii. 40. and was

{e} Arrian. de Exped. Alex. l. 2. c. 21.
{f} \^hnvrwy\^ \~klhronomhsei autouv\~, Setp.; possidebit eam, V. L. Munster,
Castalio. So some in Vatablus.
{g} Curtius, l. 4. c. 4.
{h} Reland. Palestina Illustrata, l. 3. p. 594.
{i} Ib. p. 795.
{k} T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 6. 1.
{l} De locis Hebraicis, fol. 88. D.
{m} Reland. ib. p. 676, &c.
{n} Hist. l. 4. c. 6.
{o} Comment in Isa. xvii. tom. 5. fol. 39. H. Epist. ad Laetam, tom. 1.
fol. 19. E.
{p} R. Judah ben Bileam apud Aben Ezram in loc.