Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_700.lzh/6_738.TXT

Text File | 1994-11-26 | 7KB | 129 lines

of a custom in the cities of Palestine, and which con-
tinued to his times throughout all Judea, that large,
huge, round stones, used to be placed in the towns and
villages, which the youths exercised themselves with,
by trying to lift them up as high as they could, by
which they shewed their strength; and the same an-
cient writer observes that a like custom obtained in
Greece ; for he says he himself saw in the tower at
Athens, by the image of Minerva, a globe of brass, of
at very great weight, which he, through the weakness
of his body, could not move; and asking the meaning
of it, he was told that the strength of wrestlers was
tried by it; and no man mightbe admitted a combatant,
until it was known, by the lifting up of that weight,
with whom he should be matched; and the throw-
ing of the discus was an ancient military exercise, as
old as the times of Homer, who speaks {} of it; and
is mentioned by Latin writers, as appears from some
lines of Martial {}; see c2. Maccab. iv. 14. and this,
as it tried the strength of men, so it was some-
times dangerous to themselves, or to slanders by,
lest it should fall upon their heads: and as it was usual
to defend themselves and oppress enemies by cast-
ing stones at them, so young men used to exercise
themselves by i lifting up and casting large stones;
to which Virgil {} sometimes refers; and it is well known
that. Abimelech was killed. even by a woman casting a
piece of a millstone upon his head, Judg. ix. 53. and
such heavy stones, and the lifting of them up, in order
to cast them, may he alluded to here: all that burden
themselves with it shall be cut in pieces; all that attempt
to unsettle and remove it shall be pressed down with
the weight of it, and be utterly destroyed: or, shall be
torn topieces {}; as men"s hands are cut. and torn with
rough and heavy stones, The Targum is, "all that
"injure her shall be consumed ;" which gives the sense
of the passage: though all the people of the earth be
gathered together against it; so safe and secure will the
people of God be; he being a wall of fire round about
them, and the glory in the midst of them.
Ver. 4. In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every
horse with astonishment, and his rider with. madness,
&c.'] The meaning is, the enemies of God's people
shall be astonished at the unsuccessfulness of their at-
tempts, and be filled with fury and madness because
they cannot accomplish their designs; and shall be at
their wits' end, not knowing what course to take:
perhaps reference is had to the Turkish armies, that
shall be brought against Jerusalem to recover it into
their possession, which generally consist of a large
cavalry; see Rev. ix. 16, 17: and Iwill open mine eyes
upon fie house ofJudah; which-phrase is sometimes
used, as expressive of the wrath of God against his
enemies, Amos ix. 4, 8. and, if the house of Judah
signifies the same as Judah, joined with the nations
of the earth in the siege, vet. 2, it must be so under-
stood here; but rather it seems to be different, and to
intend those who will inhabit other parts of Judea, and
who will be truly the people of God, Jews riot only
literally, but spiritually; and so is to be interpreted
in a good sense, of the divine love'to them, care of them,
and protection over them; see Job xiv. 13. and so the
Targum paraphrases it, "and upon those of the house
"ofJudah, I will reveal my power to do them good :"
and will smite every horse .of the people with blindness:
that is, every rider of them, either with blindness of
mind or body, or both. It may be, as the former
smiting, mentioned in the beginning of the verse, re-
spects the mind, this may regard the body; so that
they shah not see their way,. and their hands shall not
perform their enterprise.
Ver. 5. And the governors of Judah shall say in their
heart, &c.] The governors of the rest of the cities in
Judea, besides Jerusalem, when they shall observe the
armies of the people, their horses and their riders,
smitten by the Lord, as above, shall take heart, and be
of good courage: and secretly say within themselves,
the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the
Lord of hosts their God; that is, they, in the streogth
of the Lord, shall overcome their enemies, and so be the
means of preserving and securing the other cities of
Judah fi'om destruction: the governors don't place their
strength and confidence in the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
but as they are strengthen. ed in and by the Lord their
God, from whom all strength, safety, and salvation
come. In this and the following verse, by the governors
ofdudah are not meant Judas Meccahens, and his
brethren, as some think; for though there are some
things in' the context that seem to agree with them,
and they may be an emblem of the governors in the
times referred to, for their courage, bravery, and
success; yet the thread of history, and series of pro-
phecy, will not admit such a sense.
Ver. 6. In that day will I make the governors of Judah
lilce a hearth of fire among the wood, &c.] As a large
hearth of fire, with wood all about it, devours and con-
sumes it; so shall the governors of Judah be to the
nations that shall come up against Jertlsalem. The
Targum renders it," as a garment of fire among wood :"
and b.7ce a torch of fire in a sheaf ; of wheat, which pre-
sently destroys it; see Obad. yet. 18: and they shall
devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on
the left; on the south and on the north, as the Targum
interprets it. The phrase denotes the utter destruction
of the people on all sides :. and Jerusalem shall be in-
habited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem; upon
that very spot of ground which was formerly called
Jerusalem shall the city be built again, and inhabited;
and shall continue, notwithstanding the attempts.
of all the nations of the earth to destroy it; see Jet..
xxx. 18.
Vet. 7. The Lord also shall save the tents ofdudahfirst,
&c.] That is, the Jews, who. will be in other parts of
the land encamped in tents, to defend themselves
against their enemies; these will be saved, out of the
hands of them, before the inhabitants of JerusMem will
be saved; and in such a manner, that it will evidently
appear that their salvation is ofthe Lord: and his enct

{z} Ilia. 2. & 23.
{a} Splendida cum volitent Spartani pondera disci
    Este procul pueri; sit se nel ille nocens.---Epigr. l. 14. Ep. 157.
{b} Certabant Troes contra defendere saxis.---AEneid. l. 9.
Mijaculis, illi certent defendere saxis.--AEneid. l. 10.--Vid. Lydium
de Re Militari, l. 5. c. 2. p. 178, 179. & Menochium de Republica
Hebr. l. 6. col. 555, 556.
{c} \^wjrvy jwrv\^ incidendo incidentur, Montanus, Burkius; lace-
rando lacerabuntur, Pagninus, Cocceius.