2) This third chapter, although it has been treated in many ways, is a prophecy of the people after the return from the Babylonian captivity, when the kingdom was restored and had prophets and Christian scholars, that is, those Pharisees etc. He describes the leadership of the Jewish people between the coming of Christ and the Babylonian captivity. Then he deals with the kingdom of Christ and the Roman captivity, and again he threatens the desolation of the whole world after the gospel has been despised. However, first he describes the coming of Christ. He sees that because of ungodliness the rebuilt Jerusalem will have to be destroyed again, and that the kingdom will be spread to the whole world, and because of
2) A gloss; which is repeated at v. 1, we have omitted here.
The whole world will be devastated because of the contempt of the gospel etc. Thus the world, because it despises the word, fills the earth with blood. After the word is preached, the godly are afflicted as it is now. Many are instructed, others despise and persecute it etc. The word now flourishes, false prophets arise. Since this word is despised, we are sure that the world must be filled with murder and bloodshed. The world is world, the prince of the world cannot stand the word. Wherever the gospel is preached, it is certain that there will be a great battle etc. Thus the prophet sees here that the restored synagogue must again be destroyed. Finally, Christ will come and scatter the ungodly, but gather the godly from the four wards etc.
V. 1. woe to the vile,foul,tyrannical city]. 1)
The whole content of this chapter is set forth by this word: redempta [v. 1. Vulg.], which is brought back from the Babylonian captivity. He punishes the disobedient city; by ungodliness it provokes God. Perverse doctrines and sects actually provoke and challenge God. Adulterers etc. do not so challenge God, but rather their sins terrify the consciences. But those ungodlinesses make God a liar, they condemn His word. It is evil because one does not have the truth, and yet wants the truth and to be right.
Columba [the city, the dove rather: of the dove or the doves. In the Song of Songs [Cap. 6, 8.] it is said, "One is my dove." The prophet indicates that he is speaking of Jerusalem, which city is the One and the Friend of God etc. In Isaiah [Cap. 1, 21.] it is said, "How is it that the pious city has become a harlot?" Since it is endowed with the Spirit, it is the dove of God, "our Lord's organ of play." It indicates that He is there in this city.
V. 2. [She will not obey nor be chastened.] 3)
[It must all] be [read] in the present time: it does not obey, it does [not] hear the voice, it does not allow itself to be chastened, it trusts nothing in God the Lord etc. He enumerates the sins. After she was brought back from captivity, she quickly fell away. She does not hear the prophets etc. Soon after the Babylonian captivity, the Pharisees and Sadducees stood up. [She does not] obey the voice, that is, the word of God, does not want to be "wrong." Ps. 12:5, "Our tongue shall have the upper hand." They teach the flesh, the righteousness of works, not of faith, therefore God is irritated. "They
1) Vulgate: Vu6 provoeatrix, 6t redeMpta eivitas, eolumda. - Here the verse number and the keyword are missing in our original, and the following up to Oolumda is still g^ogen to the preface.
2) In the original: 1Nr6n. HereGru.
3) Here, in our template, there is neither verse number nor keyword; the following is attached to the preceding without any distinction.
4) Instead of 8uo We have assumed according to the Vulgate of.
will not trust in the Lord." One comes to God through knowledge, and thus through faith; not through the feet. One must increase in the knowledge of God from day to day. She does not accept discipline, "does not let her 5) say" etc. We also see this now; cause:
V. 3. 6) Her princes are roaring lions under her.
He does not speak of the kings [, but of the rulers], as if to say: they will have no more kings. After ungodliness, the first vice is avarice. He who does not trust in God trusts in mammon; he who has no hope in God has set his hope on gold. - "Roaring lions" who rob and tear the wretched people. The judges and officials are stingy, insatiable. In Habakkuk [Cap. 1, 8.] it is said of the king of the Chaldeans: his chariots etc., "his horses are swifter than the wolves of the evening." [This is] the wolf of the desert or Arabia etc. As if to say, In the evening they shall destroy all things, that in the morning there shall be nothing left. It is all the same whether one takes it as wolf of the desert or wolf in the evening. In one day they will consume everything, so that in the morning nothing is left. They are so stingy, that if they could take all the people today, there would be nothing left tomorrow. They are insatiable to take away everything so that nothing is left for others.
V. 4. Their prophets are reckless.
[Vesani, "reckless, loose knaves." Gen. 49, 4. This word is used of Reuben. [The Septuagint renders it by] spiritiferi, they are driven by every wind etc. This is how Paul uses it in the letter to the Ephesians [Cap. 4, 14.] etc. "People who are dissolute," frivolous, who do not care; as it comes into their mouths, so they speak. [Gen. 49, 4. Vulg.:] "Poured out" etc., flowing easily "like water," without order, without a master. It is not held back, it is not gathered into a vessel, as the wind "flies along." Jer. 23, 32. it should be instead of in mirudilidas suis [with its miracles].
5) "ihr" put by us instead of "Yhn" in our original. 6) This verse number is missing in Weimar's.
rather: with their loose divisions. [They are "loose talkers, washers," they speak words in which there is no use, they have nothing well thought out. "Their prophets are frivolous," spiritiferi, that is, driven about by every wind. They are wind "that sweeps about" ("whoosh") and carries us away. They do not pay attention to how great a meaning the words of the Lord have, they teach them as if they were human statutes. Another example we have [Judg. 11, 3.) to Jephthah: he brought vagos, that is, all the loose people together. Nothing less befits a teacher of the Word than to be reckless. He must be serious etc., not like "Gäukler". Their prophets are very frivolous people and scorners, who consider the thing to be of no value, "scorners cast a thing to the winds", Ps. 25, 3. who 'take no heed to the word, but to their belly; therefore they speak frivolously etc.
Their priests desecrate the sanctuary.
That is, the holy things, the temple, and what was in the temple.
[And interpret the law freventlich.)
They did not use it rightly, but treated it ungodly, as if by these things the people were justified. God wanted everything to be done in faith; they did violence to the law, they violated the law. This is what the godless teachers did, that they counterfeited the law. They did not treat the word of God in a spiritual way, but in a carnal way etc. With godlessness in teaching they profaned the sanctuary, so that the people relied on the righteousness of the law, as is shown in the Gospel Matth. 15, 5: "He who speaks to his father or mother" etc. They preferred the splendor of the righteousness of the flesh to true righteousness. The Pharisees were completely like this, as it says in the gospel Matth. 15, 3]: You pervert the law and distort it with your interpretations.
V. 5 But the Lord, who is among them, teaches rightly and does no evil.
He speaks of Christ. He is true God, who teaches righteousness and does justice.
tivity. He comes in the midst of them, but as a righteous man he teaches and does what is right and constant. As if he wanted to say: So great is godlessness that it is a miracle when one finds godliness and righteousness. Christ came "when it was most grievous.
He lets all the mornings teach his rights publicly.
He wants to say: quickly and soon, "early", swiftly, in the morning, in the dawn, hurriedly, "before all things" etc. Those ungodly who rule in their ungodliness etc.; it will not turn out that way, he will bring [his rights] to light, that is, they will be revealed. The Psalm says [Ps. 37:6], "He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light." The wicked will darken thy cause and bring it into darkness. Thus it will be preserved, 1) the Lord will succor and bring forth thy oppressed righteousness etc., that is, he will make it glorious, known and famous, there will be no lack of him. It will not profit them that they strive with united strength, that it shall not come forth, but Christ shall tear through.
But the bad people do not want to learn shame 2)
[This is] as spoken of the HEART: He will bring forth his cause with his glory etc. He will not hide, but break through, that is, he will not approve of shameful ungodliness. Ps. 1, 6.: "The Lord knows the way of the righteous." [Matth. 7, 23.:) "I have never known you," I have not approved of you. He will put to shame the unrighteousness that contends with his righteousness. He will let it pass and not acknowledge it, he will reject it, he will have no fellowship with its righteousness, "will reject it, will not accept it".
1) Instead of 86rva we have assumed servapitur.
2) This reads in the Vulgate: Rpseivit untern iniquu8 6onin8ion6m. Luther, as both the Altenburg and Hall manuscripts attest, put it this way: IX non uMoseet irnHuitatem iKnoirüniue. Our original offers: et UM08C6nt iniczuitutern jSnoininius ut üs Uomino, which is appended to the preceding without any distinction.
V. 6. Therefore I will cut off these people.
He begins a taunt and an exhortation. "J'ch will cut off these people, that none shall pass through" is a new passage. He begins in this chapter to address his prophecy to the people brought back from Babylon, since some sinned not through idolatry, but through hypocrisy, as in the Gospel. And concerning this people, who were waiting for the coming of Christ, he foresaw that it would happen that godless people and hypocrites would be there, who would corrupt the people no less than once the false prophets with their idolatries. The Lord will find them out to be such people, and will begin to show them the benefits and his grace: I brought you back from the Babylonian captivity, and to do this I destroyed so many nations for your sake, the Babylonians and the Asfyrians, as once I did in Egypt, and all these things you forget. They sang his praises, but soon they fell away etc. The wonders of God soon grow old etc. Remember when we were in the Pabstium etc.
I will lay waste their castles (et dissipati sunt anguli earum).
"Their castles" (anguli - cornerstones), their princes, their heads. I have destroyed the principalities in these realms. It is a Hebrew way of speaking. In the second book of Mosi [Richt. 20, 2.) the princes of Israel are called cornerstones; elsewhere the foundation, the heads, the head, the hair, the beard; those who stand out before others, who are more glorious, respected by the people.
And empty their alleys.
For as a river is dried up by the very great heat of summer, so have I dried up her guests by my very great wrath. It is a picture: where the kingdom of the nations is now, the streets are full of those who walk on it etc. He indicates that he will dry up these streams of people (as in summer [the rivers)). He interprets himself: "empty." Now there is a very numerous people in the gapes, and one walks as if there were a stream in the gapes. We see that. In the devastated cities (their cities
have been abandoned, destroyed) the multitude of citizens has ceased, so has the multitude of houses; and for your sake I have done all these things.
V.7. I said to you, "Fear me.
I have commanded to be preached unto thee by my prophets. I have always been with you through the prophets, who were to say to you, "Fear me," since you saw my works and miracles, that I made the kingdoms desolate, etc., so that you might learn to look to me, but immediately you forgot me.
And let you be chastised,
So that your dwelling will not be cut off. He means to say, lest thou commit similar things to the former ones for which 1) I have afflicted thee, lest I be compelled to destroy thee as before. Once I have scattered thee, or thy dwelling place; unless thou repent etc. In short words, the prophet has grasped the whole Christian life. The fear of God includes everything that relates to God. The fear of God is faith, which is always present. Discipline belongs to the outward life; that one tames the body and serves the neighbor etc. This is the summa of the preaching of all the prophets, as if to say: The Romans will destroy you because you will sin as before, as follows:
But they are diligent (diluculo surgentes) to practice all kinds of wickedness.
As if he wanted to say: I have remembered this in vain. "Early" is a word taken from the Psalter, "Where the Lord buildeth not the house" [Ps. 127:2]: "It is in vain that ye rise early." Above I said that "early" means quickly, hurriedly. "They will come to me early," says Hosea [Cap. 5, 15.), and Ps. 78, 34. "When he strangled them, they sought him, and turned to God early." They will not be forgiven, but will come in haste, that they may find mercy, just as they rose up early here and practiced their wickedness (cor- rupuerunt studia sua). In the 14th Psalm, v. 2:
1) Our template provides: proxtvr te visitavi; we assumed: xroxtsr yuas ts visitavi.
"They are no good" etc. (corrupti), are almost the same words. The opinion is: not only have they not heard the prophets, but moreover, they have rushed and been hot to exercise their wickedness. The doctrine of godlessness goes forward slowly because the flesh, the world and the devil resist, for the mud of many waters is in the way of godliness. The wicked advance on their way, they are wise and mighty to do evil. We are all weak in doing good. The children of the world [are wiser in their race than the children of light, Luc. 16:8], 1) whereas the children of light are equipped by the divine presence; yet they advance slowly. - "They practice wickedness." They have perverted both the opinions from faith and the outward life. Faith alone makes the outward life good; ungodliness corrupts all. And they are "unfit for faith," says Paul [2 Tim. 3:8.]
V. 8 Therefore, says the Lord, you must wait for me again.
He wants to say: In vain I remember, send my prophets etc. Because they have degenerated again immediately after their return, and have adopted the customs of their fathers, and have forgotten the benefits, therefore I begin to be weary of them. Therefore I will not be king in Judea alone, but will go to other nations. I will provoke you on a people that is not holy etc.; in the Song of Moses [5 Mos. 32, 2l.] it says: "on a foolish people". For you are an incorrigible people, therefore it will take a little while, and become different. The kingdom will be taken from you and given to the Gentiles etc. [Matth. 21, 43.] We want to put an end to all these things, we want to let my kingdom and my people cease.
Until I turn out in his time (ad diem resurrectionis meae in futurum).
It is not resurrectionis [until the time of the resurrection], but I do not dislike it; it should rather be called surrectionis [since I make myself out. The first view that he
1) Added by us.
When he speaks of the resurrection of Christ from the dead, I do not dislike that he darkly reproaches it, as if he wanted to say: I am tired of this people: I will make a new one, and this will happen through the power of my resurrection from the dead. And this first conception agrees with me very well. The other view is, if we take surgere [arise] generally, the word which the Scripture [uses, as, Ps. 9, 20.: "Lord, arise"], 2) when he begins to visit, as, since he arose by the Romans, and visited and desolated. Thou shalt be remembered in vain, I will one day stand out against thee, and utterly destroy thee, and raise up a new nation. "I will come upon you suddenly one day and destroy you," says Exodus 33:5. Jerome and the translators "have prepared a great feast for themselves. If I will make myself out again after this, "so hüt dich". The former opinion pleases me better, because that standing out was the end of this whole people and the beginning of a new one.
Since I will also be right, and gather the Gentiles.
Here you see of what resurrection he says, by which the whole world will be opened or is opened, and all the Gentiles will be called to the kingdom of Christ. I will judge the whole world," says the Lord, "because Christ has ascended to heaven through the resurrection and has become a judge. [Ps. 110:6:] "He will judge among the Gentiles," that is, he will assume the office of judgment, that is, the power to rule. "Judgment" here does not mean the execution of judgment, but the office of judge. Ps. 1, 5., likewise [Ps. 7, 7.]: Arise, and execute the judgment which thou hast commanded, give me again the power to rule, and such a power that I may gather the Gentiles etc. This was done through the preaching of the gospel. For he ascended that he might fulfill all things.
And the kingdoms throng.
This is known from the history of the Evangelii.
2) Supplemented by us according to the Hall manuscript.
To pour out my wrath upon them, all the wrath of my fury.
Paul interprets this in the letter to the Romans with round words [Cap. 1, 17. 18.]: "Because in it [in the gospel] is revealed the righteousness that is valid before God, for God's wrath from heaven is revealed against all ungodly beings" etc. For the voice of the gospel is this [Matt. 3:2, 4:17], "Repent." "Repentance had to be preached in his name," Luc. 24, 47. Preaching repentance is nothing else than preaching wrath: Ye are all sinners and under wrath etc. And so, through this voice of the gospel, wrath comes to all the ends of the earth. "I will gather the Gentiles," and how? It is not destruction, and yet he says that wrath shall be poured out upon them. The prophets in Micah [Cap. 2, 6.] are called tearers; ["tear," that is, threaten a little. Here all the fury is poured out, because by the gospel all the thunder and flood of his wrath is poured out. [Marc. 16, 16.:] "He that believeth not shall be damned"; there is all the wrath. There is nothing left of wrath: that I may humble and convert them: for he is in his zeal fire kindled, declaring wrath. Rom. 5, 9. "So rather shall we ever be kept from wrath through him, having been justified by his blood." As if it were already there at this moment, it is poured out in the meantime by the word, which is followed by wrath itself, because at the moment of death it will seem as if the whole world is burning, as the prophet urges us from all sides to understand this in front of the gospel. He arranges his threats in such a way that we cannot understand it from the disturbance of the kingdom. Here he says that he wants to make the lips different etc. This text is therefore clearly about the gospel. Therefore, the pouring out of wrath is none other than that which is done through the Word, as Rom. 1:18 says.
V. 9. Then I will preach differently to the peoples with friendly lips (Vertam ad populum labium purum vel electum etc.).
He wants to say: I want these people who are diligent to practice all kinds of wickedness, that is, the ver-.
Take away from your midst the false ones of the Word of God. I will gather for myself a people who will have pure lips, people who will teach the pure word and live purely. These are words of promise and grace, and yet words of threat are added: I will make different (vertam), not: I will restore (reddam [Vulg.]). Now you have "unclean lips," as it is said above in Isaiah [Cap. 6, 5-7.]: an angel came and touched my mouth etc. These lips are spoken of here. [Instead of labium electum in the Vulgate] read: pure or clean lips, that is, for the unclean lips, which are corrupted by false opinions, which do not teach purely, I will give such as are pure, which teach the pure and unpolluted word of God.
That they may all call upon the name of the Lord.
All who have these pure lips will have this fruit, that they can call upon the name of God. A glorious text! Where sincere faith is not taught, the invocation of God is not taught. After the sincere faith is taught, the sincere invocation of God follows. See Rom. 10, 14. When one has the sincere word, this causes him to call upon the name of the Lord.
And serve him with one accord (humero uno).
[Humero uno,] that is, with one accord; they shall not limp on either side. Thus Elijah [1 Kings 18:21] rebuked his own. Partly they served the Lord, partly the devil. God does not want to be worshipped with a limp, but wants to be served with one accord, that is, each one should have the same mind as the other.
V. 10: They will bring me my worshippers, namely the scattered ones from beyond the water in the land of the Moors, as a gift.
Here he indicates the fruit of the gospel, that this people will be abandoned and another will be adopted. Now my power, my judgment will extend far. The word will run, so that it will not come to the neighboring Gentiles alone, but go out into all lands etc. "Beyond the waters" [will bej people who worship and call upon me. Therefore
my church will not only be in Jerusalem, there will also be worshippers in the land of the Moors, although it was not permitted to worship anywhere else but in Jerusalem. But the time is coming etc. Joh. 4, 21. 23. - "One will bring here." Not only in Jerusalem will sacrifices be made, but everywhere where my Christians will be scattered. It will be a new way of praying, therefore that old use of sacrifice will cease. He therefore pronounces it with round words that the old testament shall be done away with and a new one shall be established. This cannot be understood otherwise than by spiritual sacrifices. At Jerusalem there was an outward service, 1) the spiritual children have a pure sacrifice, that is, [we sacrifice] ourselves, as it is said in the Epistle to the Hebrews ^Rom. 12, II -c.
The dispersed (filii dispersorum). 2)
Peter says 1 Petr. 1, 1.: "To the chosen strangers back and forth" (äispsrsis), which he took from the prophet, because the Christians are scattered throughout the world. They do not come together like the Jews who gathered in Jerusalem, so it will be a different sacrifice, which does not happen because the whole multitude is gathered.
V.11. At that time you will no longer be ashamed of everything you have done.
For I will take away your iniquities. He will say, I will purify my people, I will have true saints, and so there will be no hypocrisy or corruption of the word, because of which there was reproach, and wherewith they sinned against the Lord. I will not only forgive thee, but also give thee the Spirit, that there be no [proud saints] among thee etc. "I will put them away from you" is how the prophet interprets himself. This was 3) thy shame, which was reproached against thee, that thou hadst priests, after whom thine ears itched, which had not pure lips.
1) Here we have added the word eultus to externus. Immediately following, instead of ülii üispersionis in the Weimar, and ,Miae spiritualis in the Erlanger, we have assumed: ülii spirituales.
2) Instead of this reading of the Vulgate, the Erlanger has: "ülia äisperssoruiL^", and the Weimarsche: ülia üispersionis.
3) Instead of erit in our template, we have adopted ernt.
For I will do the proud saints from you.
The old translator has: magniloquos ^that speak great things I do not dislike; that is, who extol the righteousness of the flesh and of works. For I will give pure lips, which declare wrath upon all people. We are taught to despair of what is ours. "Where then is the glory? He is out," Rom. 3:27. I will give you teachers who will teach you the wrath of God and your sins, then you will stop boasting about works and your righteousness. - "The proud," for he speaks spitefully against the righteousness of the flesh; he calls it our hope. And so he has decreed all things under sin, "that every mouth might be stopped up, and all the world guilty to God" [Rom. 3:19.]. "Let the isles be silent before me," says Isaiah [Cap. 41, 1. Let him who wishes to boast boast in the Lord [Jer. 9, 24]; let him humble himself in his sins and ascribe glory to God alone.
V. 12. I will leave in you a poor little people.
"I will leave the apostles and the remnant of Israel. The fat ones of the people I will take away, 4) the select and. Great ones, who persecute the people and resist the word, do not hear etc. After the hopeful people are rejected, I will accept the poor who believe the word to be true and "trust in the Lord." He describes his church as being a poor people etc. Those who are not so constituted are not the church. Although they are within the church, they are not of the church, it is the excrement in the body, not something of the body, that is, it does not belong to the body, is dung etc. Thus the saints are the church, even though it still has excrement and dung in it. Faith is the highest worship.
V. 13: The rest of Israel will do no evil.
These are the virtues of faith, its power and effectiveness. It is true that the whole
4) In our original here is wrong interpungirt: . . . Israel, aclipem populi, toHam eleetos them.
Israel are rejected, but those who are not [likewise] etc., because they trust in the Lord. For [1 John 3:9] "he that is born of God doth not sin," that is, the believers who are born of God. By those who are born of God are indicated those who believe in His name.
Still talking wrong.
They will not preach hypocritical works next to the truthful and blameless word - "And one will not find in their mouth a deceitful tongue", which under a beautiful pretense deceives the souls, teaching something else [namely righteousness], and giving something else, namely death.
But they shall feed and rest without all fear.
They shall be shepherded, that is, with the gospel. They will rest in peace; in good conscience they will fear neither sin, nor death, nor the devil. Rom. 5, I. it says: "Now that we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God"; there is nothing that can frighten. [Rom. 8, 31.:) "If God is for us, who can be against us?" They are kings over all kings. This is the grace of Christ's kingdom, that we may rejoice and be at peace through Christ, who has reconciled us to God. Therefore, the prophet describes here with glorious words this kingdom, which shall have peace and be secure. Not as if it should have no evils, but because the conscience is secure against them. Thus Paul boasts that God works in us by his power. It is not a work of our weakness that we are not terrified by sin and death. The prophet agrees with the letters of the apostles.
V. 14. Rejoice, you daughter of Zion!
This is a description of the realm of peace and security. The prophet wishes happiness from an overflowing heart. All that follows is congratulations because he rejoices with Israel over such a kingdom. Thus Paul wishes happiness everywhere because of the unspeakable gift fund calls GOtt 2 Cor. 1, 3.) the Father of mercy. The spirit, which is
If a person recognizes the benefits of Christ, he cannot help but rejoice and wish for happiness and give thanks, so he rejoices in the Lord. Here you see that he is not talking about a temporal kingdom, because Israel never returned, as one reads in Hosea, but only Judah. Therefore, the fact that he includes Israel, which has never returned, clearly indicates that he is speaking of a spiritual kingdom, in which the scattered Israelites were gathered and are still gathered today, wherever they are.
V. 15 For the Lord has taken away your punishment (judicium).
This is a way of speaking that has, as it were, opposite meanings. Job, cap. 27, 2 [Vulg.]: "As God lives, who has taken away my judgment," is the same as: to deny justice, not to allow a judgment. Here the opposite is: He hides, namely, condemnation upon you. Thus Paul says 1 Cor. 11, 31: "So we judged ourselves." This is what corripere means in Latin. Therefore, such a judgment judicium) is nothing other than a punishment (correptio). [Rom. 13, 2. "But they that resist shall receive judgment (judicium) upon themselves"; there it is correptio, "a punishment or chastisement." So here etc. That is, he no longer wants to punish you, but he loves you as a beloved daughter. You do not fear the angry GOtt as a judge who wants to condemn you, but you have him as an exceedingly kind father. As a judge he is taught when he denounces sin through the law, as a father when he is exceedingly kind for Christ's sake. "While we were yet weak, Christ died for us ungodly," Rom. 5:6.
And your enemies averted.
He has taken away the plagues with which he struck you because of sins, so also the enemies. Not that you had no enemies, no evil, but that the conscience was clean, which could easily bear the enemies and the cross, because it suffers [the enemies] 1) to chastise it, not from God's wrath,
1) We have added iniinicos here; otherwise oastiFari would have to be read instead of oastiZars.
But out of fatherly care, Hebr. 12, 6. In the Psalm it says [Ps. 105, 14.]: The enemy can no longer harm them. Through evil the wicked promote the godly.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you.
This is obviously spoken of Christ. Here he describes Christ exceedingly beautifully. Here is Adonai, which alone is attributed to GOtte. Thou hast furthermore no longer mere men for kings, but "the Lord" etc. - "With thee." The apostles express this thus: He is seated at the right hand of the Father, he was among us. We are in him, and he in us. John 6:56, "He abideth in me." "We will come to him," Jn. 14:23. Though kings are over bodies and over goods, this one is over the heart and conscience; he dwells with you.
That you must no longer be afraid of any misfortune.
He says emphatically, "fear no more," for it is different to suffer a calamity than to fear it. The righteous die, but they do not taste death; the righteous are subject to all evils, but do not feel them. The law remains, but its sting and poison are taken away from it; death is deprived of its sting. Thus all evils are not evils because they are not felt. Therefore, Christ's kingdom is such that his saints are in the midst of evils, but under the fear of calamity. In the Psalm it says [Ps. 64, 2. Vulg.:) "Save my soul from the fear of the enemy." As if to say, Easily would I despise the enemy if there were no fear. The wicked do not know this, who, when they are oppressed by evils, become sad and depressed by the evils, because they do not have the Spirit.
At that time they will say to Jerusalem, "Do not be afraid.
The prophet stops with congratulations. He wants to say the same thing that is pronounced in the Psalm [Ps. 118, 15.]: "One sings with joy of victory in the tabernacles of the righteous." This is the preaching and boasting among Christians. Fear not, Jerusalem, desist not, daughter of Zion, are he
admonishing words, as if he wanted to say: Because you have your King 1) with you, whom would you fear? [Rom. 8, 31: "Is God for us" etc. These are words against fear and sloth, as if he wanted to say: I admit that many misfortunes occur, but do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Here he clearly indicates that there will be a cross, but that against it there is the Spirit and strength enough that the saints will be strengthened and their hands will not be left alone. Satan does not let up. If he cannot overcome by cunning, he finally overcomes by perseverance, by fatigue, by the long duration of the challenge.
[And to Zion: Do not let your hands become loose!)
"Stop, stand firm!" But this is our sermon.
V. 17 For the Lord your God is with you, a strong Savior.
All these words imply that one must recognize that the cross is there, for there would be no need for such glorious words of comfort if there were no fear. I, he says, am with you. Who will overcome me? And I am not only with you, but powerful to save, a hero to give salvation; if I am present, no one will overcome you. This is ours that we preach, and it agrees with Paul.
He will be pleased with you.
[It should read: in dilectione) tua, not sua.... 2) - All this indicates what a good conscience has experienced etc. The Lord will rejoice over you in gladness, that is, you will feel joy that the Lord wants you well. That is, joy in the Lord,30 when he makes us joyful and makes us feel his goodwill toward us; from the right and the
1) In the original reZern x> üabes. The x> has both the Erlangen and the Weimar editions resolved by Mtrern. We have assumed pru686Qt6ni according to the Hall manuscript. The Altenburg offers: in ineäin tui.
3) This gloss contradicts the Hebrew text and what the Altenburg and Hallic manuscripts offer. Both have: sua, not do.
3) Instead of in rnunäo, which does not seem to us to fit the context, we have assumed in vornino.
On the left side he lets us be afflicted with various temptations, inwardly he keeps us in peace, so that we feel that God wants us well. This feeling swallows up all bitterness and bitterness, no matter how great the suffering.
And be kind to you (silebit in dilectione tua,). 1)
Above it was said: He loves you; here is a new way of speaking; that is: He will make you silent, and in the innermost part of your heart there will be the calmest peace and the highest silence. There will not be sadness and crying of the heart as with the wicked, [not] the voice of roaring, sorrow and crying, and this will happen, not by your merit, but by his 2) love, because you feel that he is favorable to you as an exceedingly kind father.
And will be happy above you with sound.
There will be the voice of praise and thanksgiving in you. Daily you will give thanks, praise and your heart will rejoice 3) in the Lord.
V. 18: Those who were troubled by statutes.
Thus: Nugas, qui a lege [recesserant], Jerome has translated, and for this he has his cause. He wants to prove from this passage that the Hebrew language is the mother of all languages. The fact that such great men are so grossly lacking is so that we may know that we are also human. Nugae is not a Hebrew word, except in the status constructus [XXX], otherwise it is XXXX (nugim). But nobody says that it is Latin. Therefore it is a gross error in grammar even for those who are only mediocre Hebrews, tzui a lege, XXXX, is a common word: something fixed, a definite time. Gen. 1, 14: He created the sun and the other lights of heaven] to serve for years, for signs and lines, XXXXXX (moez). In the book
1) Here the text again says do, while the Vulgate and the Altenburg manuscript offer mm.
3) Instead of 8ni we have assumed sua.
3) Instead of exaltakit, we have assumed exultabit with the Altenburg and Hall manuscripts.
the judges [Cap. 20, 38.] is the same word: After the ambush was laid ["they had a lot with each other"]. 4) Is a definite, certain time. In the Psalms it means feast days, "seasons." He made the moon to give times, that is, he made it to divide the year into twelve lines. [Feast days like] with us Michaelis. Likewise are the times for the deliverance, XXX. 6) All that is mine sleeps for weariness. The same word [means] "weeping"; it is the pain of a mother. In the proverbs it means sadness, affliction of the heart. The mourners or those oppressed by mourning for a time, or until a certain time, I will finally gather together those who have been or are from you. 7)
[Will I take away that they come from you.]
The opinion is: The kingdom of Christ will be such that it takes away those who are sorrowful, who are temporally oppressed by sorrow. If someone has fallen into sin, Gal. 6, 1. those who are weak in faith and life I will take away, because the kingdom of Christ is such that it carries both. The weak must be spared, lest they be vexed, though they fall into the most grievous 8) sins. One must see that they are received, that they are punished but not cast away. - "Those who are under you." I will look upon the weak in faith and life, because they are among you, and put them away. The motherly mercy in Christ is indicated, with which he cherishes and cares for us sinners, as a mother does her nasty child. He wants to bear the fruit of his body 9), Is. 46, 3. 4. So Isaiah further says [Cap. 49, 15.ft Like a mother caresses her child (cui). "I admonish you [, dear brethren-.
4) Set by us instead of: ete.
5) Weimarsche: kaeit instead of: teeit.
"6) In our original: luru. - The following sentence seems to us to be an insertion by Roth. He allowed himself the same from time to time.
rint [Vulg.: eruntl actually form the new keyword. But we have inserted Luther's translation instead, because the following interpretation fits very well to it.
8) The Erlangen reads 6Äri88inia, the Weimar raris8inau; we have assumed AravisÄrnu.
9) Instead of koetas we have assumed koetus.
who, through the mercy of God"], 1) Rom. 12, 1. For Christ is not only patient, but also has the attitude of a mother toward us, if we only recognize it. Thus he is stern-minded against enemies for those who obey. If he is only merciful, then no sin can harm us, not even the weaknesses in faith and life. This is an exceedingly beautiful promise for despondent and frightened consciences. Whoever recognizes Christ in this way, let him boast that he has attained something: To consider Christ as a mother, that is the right knowledge of Christ. "He says to those who abide in the pure word, "You who are carried by me in the body. But such people are rare, because the devil uses it to cast it out and take it away. When we die, we run to our mother, the mother hen; that is the bosom of Christ. "I will take away," I will take away, that is, I will change them, because they are in you, since they are not in you.
What statutes were their burden, of which they had shame.
I will take care, and this shall not be the smallest part of my office, that I carry the weak. Our doctrine is the most perfect and purest of all, because it commands the highest faith in God etc. Then comes our exceedingly beautiful reason and compares the impure life with the faith we teach: they teach indeed, but where are those who accept it? they remain teachers like others. They say our life is exceedingly impure, the doctrine all pure. [They may be mindful of] 2) what man is. He is a rational being. He is given the power to govern everything, Gen. 1, 28. Look at the children in the cradle, they can do nothing less [than that. They have nothing] than what is brought to them by men. There lies the being who is to rule over others, and can do nothing but weep. Thus says Pliny. Where are the works praised by men in the children? It is to be hoped; it is not a mere name, but it will come to that. So it goes with the creatures. A shrub, a herb is planted, it is
1) Added by us instead of: sto.
2) Supplemented according to the Altenburg manuscript.
a grain, it is not yet a hundredfold in fruit, not yet bread. If this delay is credited to other creatures, why not also to humans? Hopeful reason compares our weakness with the strong doctrine and demands perfection. It is enough that man remains in the body, in the mother and in the womb of God. In the letter to the Thessalonians [1 Ep. 2, 7] Paul boasts that he had a motherly attitude. - "In that they had reproach." I will make them grow up and become men who do deeds and miracles.
V.19. Behold, I will settle it with all those who offend you at the same time.
Ecce ego faciam is a Mosaic word in the third book of Moses: He shall make a burnt offering for sins, that is, he shall slay and kill; that is, I will kill. He will slaughter. He makes us suffer persecution for a time, triumphing over them, until the iniquity of the Amorites becomes full. So he makes the Romans triumph until the time of destruction comes. Leave the vengeance to me, you be strong in faith and bear the weak and suffer your persecutions; I will be avenger.
And wants to help the limp.
This is almost copied from Micah Cap. 4, 7. The Jews think that this passage must refer to the Jews who were in the Babylonian captivity and were brought back. I take it as a general saying. It refers to the people who were afflicted with various tribulations, as in Micah.
And gather the outcast; and will make them to praise and honor.
He wants to say: Since God makes us glorious through the cross, and we have suffered that we are made ashamed, the time will come that our righteousness will be brought forth, Ps. 37, 6. "Whoever honors me" or glorifies me, is said in 1 Sam. 2, 30. The world considered the martyrs to be sweepings, so they bore the reproach of Christ for the praise of Christ. God has glorified them in such a way that they are praised, glorified and held in honor.
In all lands where they are despised.
Where before they were considered contemptible and died with shame, now they are held in great honor. This is a work of divine power, that they are thus disgraced for a time, after which he brings them forth again. John Hus was hidden and concealed for a hundred years. This is what happened to all [martyrs] when they are praised with the highest praise in the place where they were disgraced. So it will happen in our time, because the Scriptures do not lie.
V. 20. [For I will make you to be praised and honored among all peoples].
Then, when he turns back to the people. And he understands in the special [saying], as it were, a general: 1) Now you are prisoners, but I will indeed liberate you powerfully, that you shall not only be liberated from this captivity, but completely, from death, hell etc.
So much about Zephaniah.
1) Instead of vüem we have assumed universalem according to the Altenburg manuscript.