V. 1. This is the burden of which the Lord has spoken concerning the land of Hadrach and Damascus, upon which it relies.
So far we have heard how the prophet comforted and strengthened the stupid and frightened Jews to build the temple for the preparation of the future kingdom of Christ. And even though temporal and physical goods are promised in it, such promises are not to be disregarded because they are God's words and great examples of faith are presented in them. Some, however, who pretend to great spirituality, do not regard such carnal goods, and do not see how great faith lies in such promises, gawking at spiritual promises, when they themselves have never believed for an hour that God would feed them with bread and drink. I say this once for the reason that the examples of faith and the divine promises in the old stories should not be overflowed, as Origen and Jerome are wont to do, as if they were dead, useless histories, and something greater should be sought in them. If one looks at the things that are promised, they are nothing but temporal, physical goods; but if one looks at the promises, they are living, eternal words of God, which justified and saved those who believed in them at the time. And such faith is a great, powerful example to strengthen our faith.
(2) Therefore the prophet shall prophesy henceforth how all things shall come to pass after these things, and how Christ shall come, upon whom these things shall be.
everything has been done with the temple so far. And although there are many glosses made on this place, I still think that this is the opinion and summa, that the surrounding countries and neighbors of the Jews, as Syria and Palestine with their cities Damascus, Tyre, Zidon, Antioch, Accaron etc. are to be devastated and thus humbled, so that as they have been hostile and against Jerusalem until now, so now they will also become friends, and accept Christ in his future. That is why he says: "This is the burden of which the Lord speaks about Hadrach" etc. But "burden" means a punishment in the prophets, as we have heard in Habakkuk [Cap. 1, 1.], and in Jeremiah 1) it is especially common [Jer, 23, 34. 36. 38.]. But this burden and punishment is, as follows, that they are to be destroyed, burned and won.
3 Hadrach is an unknown word, and nowhere else in Scripture except in this place. But since it is certain that he means the land of Syria, where Damascus is the royal capital, I think the Prophet gives the same land a new name, composed of two words, Had and Räch. Had means to be joyful, and Nach means tender or soft. Just as we Germans say of women, "She is so tender and lukewarm that she will not take hold of cold water unless she is aired," so that the Prophet's opinion is, "This is the burden over the land of Hadrach,
1) Instead of Jeremiah, Isaiah should be read. Cf. Isa. 13, 1. 14, 28. 15, 1. 17, 1. 19, 1. 21, 1. 22, 1.
That is, over the tender, faded land, which until now has been accustomed to vain joys, good days and honors, and also never wanted to get into cold water, suffer no evil nor tolerate misfortune; misfortune will also come upon you one day, and you will get a foreign master.
4. he also calls Damascus of the same land rest. Because in the Hebrew it reads thus: And over Damascon, which is its rest. We have translated this: "on it it relies", which is also the correct sense of the text, as Isaiah Cap. 7, 2: Syria rests on Ephraim, that is, Syria relies on Ephraim etc. So Laud Syria relied and rested on Damascus, as on a strong and mighty city, by which it would be safe and protected and could have good days.
For the Lord looks upon men, and upon all the tribes of Israel.
5 Whether this text is correct, I leave to the Hebrew masters to judge, I am not sure myself whether I have got it right. The Hebrew text stands thus: quoniam Domini est oculus hominis et omnium tribuum Israel. Which may give various meanings, which are not to be told here. I will stick to the one that the prophet wants to say how the surrounding countries are before the Lord as well as the tribes of Israel, and that no one may hide or escape from him. Therefore, as he has punished the tribes of Israel, so he will not leave these countries unpunished.
V. 2. Also about Hamath, which borders with her.
Hamath is the city that was later called Antioch, where the disciples of Christ were first called Christians, Acts 11:26. 11, 26. The same city borders with the land Syria and the city Damascus, yes, it also belongs to the land Syria. Now when the burden passes over Damascus, it will also pass over Antioch, because they are so close to each other.
About Tyrum and Zidon too, who find almost wise.
7. tyre and zidon, both by the sea, find also in syria, and border with the jewi
They were also strong, rich, powerful cities at that time, subject to no one. And he says: they are wise or prudent, not of spiritual but of worldly wisdom, namely, that they had a delicious government, were rich and powerful, to which no doubt wise, sensible people belong. Thus also Ezekiel Cap. 28, 3. that the prince of Tyro was wiser than Daniel. For where fools and idiots rule, there are neither rich cities nor lands.
V. 3: For Tyre builds solidly, and gathers silver like earth, and gold like dung on the gaff.
8 Then you see what wisdom he gives to the tyrants, namely, that they are wise and prudent to build the city firmly against the enemies, and to collect large sums of money and goods for future needs, and thus to provide for themselves in the best possible way in the temporal regime. For this is what is called wise government, when land and cities are well kept and provided for; but against God no building nor provision helps. Therefore follows:
V. 4. But behold, the Lord shall destroy her, and shall smite her power that she hath upon the sea, and she shall be burned with fire.
(9) This is the burden of which he said above [v. 1] that it should pass over these lands and cities. Because Tyro, which was the most powerful and strongest of them all, will suffer this fate, so will the others. Of course, this destruction and devastation was caused by the great Alexander. For he brought about such a burden, especially in Tyre, where he was a long time in front and waged war; and after that these countries were always at war and never had peace because of the kings who ruled in Syria and Egypt after Alexander, until the Romans won the land. Now it is not possible, where there is much and long warfare, that the land and the cities should perish; so that this tender and lumpy land has well been driven out of the thrill, that all such mighty cities have lost their dominion, and have at last been forced under the Romans, and so humbled, that they could well suffer and receive Christ in the future.
V. 5 When Asklon sees it, she will be terrified, and Gasa will be very afraid, and Ekron will be grieved when she sees it.
010 Then he brought in the land of the Philistines, which had always been against the Jews, and had always had their own rulers; but now Alexander and his descendants became rulers, and gained such mighty cities as Tyre and Zidon, which no man could gain before, they were afraid, because they saw it, and perceived that their dominion was ended, as it is now:
V. 6 For the king of Gaza shall be finished, and there shall be no dwelling in Asklon; in Ashdod shall the children of Hur dwell: so shall the glory of the Philistines be cut off.
(11) As I said, until now the land of the Philistines has always had its own kings and lords, and has been a well inhabited, powerful land; but after that it was horribly devastated and ruined by wars (as I said), because it was overpowered by Alexander's descendants, and since then it has not had its own kings or lords, and even today the same cities are almost desolate, so that Lucas also calls Acts 8:26 Gaza desolate. 8, 26, calls Gaza desolate. But when he says, "The children of a whore shall dwell in Ashdod," in Hebrew it means, "Ashdod shall come under the hands of strangers, so that the natives shall no longer reign nor dwell there, but shall be strangers. Now strangers in a city are not the proper children of that city, but are like the children of a whore in a Hanse, where they are not born nor do they belong. So the splendor, court, dominion and power of the Philistines shall come to an end. And all these things happened at the time that passed between the coming of Christ and the building of the temple, as is well known by all who have read the histories, and Zechariah has said all these things beforehand, and has made them clear.
V. 7 And I will put their blood out of their mouth, and their abominations out of their teeth; and they shall remain unto our God.
(12) Though the Philistines have been the most stiff-necked enemies above all others, yet, when they are so disturbed and humbled that they are no more, they become good to me. Then I will accept them, and they shall be kept for me when I come, that they may become good Christians, and the best friends of my people. But when he says that he will put blood from their mouths and abominations from their teeth, I understand that he wants to make them friends of his people. For until now (as has been said) they were a fierce people against the Jews, and bloodthirsty to destroy them. Therefore he called their mouth bloodthirsty, and their teeth full of abominations, because they devoured the Jews with war and wrath, that is, they shed and choked blood continually, and were greedy and fierce to choke and shed blood, as the bears and lions. All these things shall now cease, they shall no more devour and shed blood. I will humble them, and they shall be glad, and shall be the friends of my people, and shall keep their mouths clean, and their teeth pure, from their blood and their flesh.
And they shall be as princes in Judah, and Ekron as the Jebusites.
(13) That is, I will also choose bishops and preachers among them, as well as in Judah. But the name of the prince here is Aluph [XXXX], which is the name of such a prince 1) who presides over the teaching as the teachers, preachers and bishops shall do. Uird Ekron shall be like the Jebusites, that is, the citizens of Ekron shall be Christians as well as the citizens of Jerusalem, whom he here calls Jebusites after the old pagan name. For Jerusalem of old was called Jebus, as we read in Joshua [Cap. 15:8]. And may need the old name to obscure the prophecy, or to indicate that in Christ's time Jerusalem was cheaply called Jebus for the sake of her unbelief, and again, Ekron was cheaply called Teacher and Christian, that is, rightly Jerusalem, for the sake of her faith. All this was said to prepare the Philistines before the coming of Christ, so that when he came they would accept him.
1) In the original: "such princes". Analogous is: Christians --- a Christian.
V. 8 And I will fill my house with the people of war that go out and come in, that the beater pass no more over them: for I have now looked upon it with mine eyes.
14 This text cannot be understood of the temple at Jerusalem. For it is said (as the text indicates) of the time after which the Philistines were to be Christians, at which time the temple was disturbed, or even close to being disturbed; therefore it is another Hans, namely Christianity, in which the Philistines were also to be, as happened in the time of the apostles. There it happened that Christ filled his temple with warriors, that is, with apostles and holy teachers, who preserved the same temple with preaching and admonishing, as the right, well-armed warriors, with weapons of God, and with the sword of the Spirit, skilled against the devil, error, sin and death [Eph. 6, 17].
(15) So that no driver could rule and reign over them any longer, that is, no interloper with your law and the works of men. For the persecutors are nothing else than the teachers, who by works want to make the people devout without faith, which teachers Christ does not leave over his Christians, but sends warriors, who resist such persecutors, and fight chivalrously against them, as we see in St. Paul and Petro. And all this because "I have seen it with my own eyes," that is, I am now watching myself, I am the bishop myself, and no longer command Moses and the prophets, as at that time when I was watching through foreign eyes; but now I myself am watching and ruling in my own house, so that the drivers do not rule over it.
V. 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, and exult, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your king comes to you, a righteous man and a helper, poor, riding on an ass, and on a young colt of the ass.
16 I have interpreted this cheerful, beautiful saying in the ^Kirchenpostille, on the first Sunday in Advent, that here is not necessary to repeat, for the sake of brevity. But it is strange that.
Now he had promised that he would surround his house with warriors, so that no driver would rule over it, and that all the words would read as if he wanted to set up an army with great worldly splendor, like a mighty emperor; for in Hebrew Zaba means militia, warriors, and Chanithi means vallabo, castra metabor, which thus reads: I will surround my house with army power, etc., therefore he himself is called the Lord of hosts, that is, the Lord of hosts; and quickly on such splendid, warlike speech he brings in the king of such army, in the most simple way, without splendor and war, in addition poor and on an ass. Is this the warlike king? Does it mean that the house is surrounded with army power? But all this was done so that the previous words about the people of war would be understood spiritually, and that the Jews would not wait for the kingdom of Christ bodily or earthly, in worldly, outward splendor, but outwardly in poverty and humility, but inwardly and spiritually in great glory, as he says here, that he comes a righteous man and a Savior, and yet poor and on an ass.
V. 10 For I will cut off the chariots from Ephraim, and the horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off.
17. he himself explains further, how the kingdom of Christ should not be physically attacked with weapons, because he says, he will have neither chariots, nor horses, nor bows in his kingdom, as he also says Isaiah Cap. 2, 4. Speaks: "They shall not have any more" etc. And also calls the old kingdom Ephraim, that is, Israel, which was in the lineage of Ephraim. For under Christ both kingdoms were to come together, as Hosea says Cap. 1, 11.
For he will teach peace among the Gentiles.
(18) Therefore he must not use a chariot, a grate, a bow, or a quarrel, for he will be a prince of peace, as Isaiah chap. 9:6 also says, and will not only make peace among the Jews, who will not accept it, but also among the Gentiles. Therefore his rule will be in word or speech, because he says here that he will speak or teach peace among the Gentiles.
And his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the waters to the ends of the earth.
19 This saying is taken from the 72nd Psalm, v. 8, so that it may be seen how the same Psalm must not be understood by Solomon, as the Jews think, but by Christ himself. For in these words the whole earth is subjected to Christ. From one sea, that is, from the dead sea in Judea, to all the other seas around, and from the water, the Jordan, to the end of the world. For his kingdom began in Judea, where the dead sea is, and the Jordan, and so it has gone forth into all the earth.
V.11. You also let your prisoners out of the pit by the blood of your covenant, where there is water in it.
20 He has now said that this kingdom should not be in outward, worldly splendor, but in poverty, and yet establish righteousness and salvation for his people, and for this purpose make peace among the Gentiles, not only to reconcile the Gentiles with the Jews, and to make one people out of both, as far as the world is, which until now have always been mortal enemies, as St. Paul Ephesians 3:8, 9 also says. Paul Eph. 3, 8. 9. also says, but also peace between God and us, Rom. 5, 1. One might ask: With what will he accomplish all this, which no one could accomplish with any worldly power? He answers here and says: By the blood of your testament or covenant etc., and holds this blood against the blood of the old testament, and also cancels the same herewith. As if to say, Moses brought his people out of Egypt by the blood of his testament, but you, the new king, will establish another, new testament, and will abolish that by the blood of your testament, so that you will not bring the people of Israel out of Egypt, but will bring your captives out of another Egypt, that is, "out of the pit where there is no water. This is the power that thou mayest establish such righteousness, salvation, and peace, without sword and armor, even by thy suffering, blood, and death.
21 Thus this text first gives that this king shall die and shed his blood.
to obtain righteousness, salvation and peace for his people, that is, forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Secondly, that he should also rise again from death and live forever, because it follows how he should spread such a testament through the gospel and rule his own, as we will hear, which no dead man can do. So now we have that Christ had to die, and rise again, and so go into his glory, as Lucas Cap. 24, 26.
22) But that some have understood this saying of old, that this pit was the outer castle of hell, where the old fathers should have been, and that Christ came to them when he went down to hell, and brought them out, I leave in their simple mind and favor. But it cannot be proved from the Scriptures, nor from this place, because Zechariah does not take here such a small part as the fathers had, but the whole kingdom of Christ, as far as the world is, and the whole redemption of all saints, and the blood of the whole New Testament, with all its power and fruit. And speak of all these things gloriously, for the text hangs together, and all goes to the whole redemption of all saints.
(23) Therefore he called the pit without water the prison of sins in the law, wherein we all lay captive under the devil, which is signified by the prison in Egypt. For there is no water of life to refresh and comfort the soul, but eternal thirst in eternal heat. Which prison is also meant by the 68th Psalm, v. 19, when it says: "Thou hast gone up on high, and hast caught the prison" etc. And in the Hebrew he puts it finely against the Old Testament, because he says: "You have also by blood" etc., that is, Moses indeed carried out his people by blood of a testament, but you also, you also have a blood, that is a blood of your testament, and not of Moses, and you also did not want to carry out your people without blood etc. Likewise, he says, "Your captives," not Mosi's captives; for Mosi's people were captives in the flesh. But "thy captives," that is, those whom thou carryest out by thy blood, are other captives, even as thou also hast another blood, another testament, also
you are another man than Moses. I show all this from the text, so that everyone may see for himself how Zechariah does not prophesy here about the dead, but, to my mind, about the whole redemption that Christ has purchased through his blood. But if anyone is filled with other things, let him always go.
V. 12. Return therefore to the fortress, which ye lie in captivity for hope.
(24) Because this great redemption has come about through my blood, watch and do not despise it. Hitherto ye have lain captive under the law in sins, and have been in the mire and sand, yea, ye have been every man's spoil and prey: he that came hath led you, and driven you, and scattered you according to his will, because ye were captives, and were not kept from your taskmasters. Then came the scribe, and chased you from one work to another, and yet helped nothing; there was no rest. Here the devil came, and drove you from one sin to another, and was no security, but vain fear of death. But now you have a strong, secure fortress, where you may be safe and at peace, both from the law and the sin-doers, namely the blood of my testament; there keep yourselves, otherwise there is no rest nor peace from the law and sins.
(25) He calls them vinctos spei, prisoners of hope, that is, those who hoped and waited for redemption, as Simeon Luc. 2:25 waited for the redemption of Israel. For they had the promise of God in the prophets that they would be redeemed through Christ. They waited for this hope with great longing until it came, because they felt Moses, the scribe of laws, and the sinner, the devil.
26 Therefore the prisoners of hope are all those who despair of their works, and, being humbled by the law, are in the knowledge of their sins. These are also the ones whom he here calls Christ's prisoners, since he says: "Your prisoners. For the hopeful saints, who want to be pious and righteous by works of the law, are not prisoners of hope, for they do not wait for redemption; nor is the blood of this testament of any concern to them; indeed, they are completely free and unconstrained.
Do not catch them, let them be prisoners of hope. The same ones who deal with human doctrines and works are also holy and free, may not give anything to this fortress, because they are already safe, and live in peace and quiet.
(27) But we poor sinners, who are driven by the law, so that we feel how it demands, which we neither have nor are able to do, and thus are overloaded with sins before God, with a stupid, despondent, evil conscience, and then realize that we must be of death because of sins, and thus lie in this miserable prison, are prisoners of hope. For we wait for redemption, not by our works, but by the blood of this testament, as St. Paul draws from this saying Gal. 5:5, saying, "But we wait in the spirit of hope, that we may be justified by faith." So this text alone applies to those who through law and sin feel their imprisonment in a miserable conscience, and hope for grace through Christ's blood, through which they are redeemed and justified, have peace, and dwell in a firm, secure castle.
For also 1) I declare unto you this day, that I will recompense thee for double things.
28) Read the epistle to the Hebrews in the third [v. 7] and fourth chapters [v. 7, cap. 13, 8], and you will find what the Holy Spirit wants to be understood by the word "today", namely, that the Jews should perceive such preaching and grace at the present time, when Christ would come, who is the right "healed", and not gape at another, future time. So now this is the opinion: Hodie annuncians reddam tibi duplicia, I will reimburse you for your misery twofold good, so that, which I preach healed, that is, by the preaching, which is to go at this time, when I redeem my prisoners by my blood, I will give you instead of all your suffering (as there is, the law and sin) twofold comfort and good, namely twofold redemption,
1) The word "also", which is necessary according to § 2tz, is missing in the original and in all German editions. Walch has added it correctly. In Latin: quoquo.
3) In the original, in the Wittenberg (German and Latin) and in the Erlangen: "im andern und dritten Cap.". The Jenaer and after it Walch have improved this.
Both from the law and from sin; that therefore the law shall not oppress nor afflict thee and thy conscience, neither shall sin afflict nor condemn thee with death; for by my blood both these things shall be done away, that the law may be fulfilled, that thou mayest be justified, and sin be done away, that thou mayest live before death. These then are two blessed liberties, wherein is eternal life. Of these two freedoms or redemptions also says Isaiah Cap. 40:2: "Jerusalem hath received double for all her iniquity: for her sin is forgiven her, and her knighthood (that is, her service under the law) is ended."
(29) The word "anch" here, as above [v. 7], is to be noted. For it reads as if he wanted to say, "You have many teachers and preachers who preach a lot and burden you with sins; you are used to them and know nothing else. But I will also preach, and not let the preachers speak alone. But my preaching is not at all like their preaching. For they afflict and humiliate thee with two evils. Through the law they make your conscience heavy with sin, and with sin they make your heart afraid and despondent through death, which is the wages of sins, Rom. 6:23. But my preaching shall make you free and free from both, only that you pay attention to it "today", at this time.
(30) Now mark, that this twofold good be distributed by word and preaching, that it be received and kept by faith. For he saith, annuncians reddam duplicia, by preaching will I give thee double. This is also the very worst, and hinders the Jews to this day. They would like to feel and grasp it as a physical good, so that they would be free and free in the flesh, but they pay no attention to spiritual salvation; but it must be preached, heard and believed. It is a spiritual kingdom, and its goods and riches are spiritual.
V.13. For I have made Judah my bow, and I have armed Ephraim; and I will raise up thy children, O Zion, over thy children, O Greece; and I will set thee as a sword of giants.
The words are almost worldly, as if it were a physical dispute; but everything is said, according to the foregoing, about the ministry of preaching, which should first begin at Jerusalem among the Jews, as now said, and then continue on, even among the Gentiles, as he says here. The stretched bow from Judah are the dear apostles from the tribe of Judah, as also the 68th Psalm, v. 28. says of 1) princes of Judah in Christendom. Ephraim are the apostles and disciples from the families of Israel, whom he fills (hear) with arrows, and equips well. For in Christ the two kingdoms of Judah and Ephraim had to come together again into one kingdom, as we have heard above [Cap. 9, § 17].
(32) So then, to draw bows and to arm with arrows is nothing else than to send out skilled preachers who have been taught by God. And the same are the children of Zion, whom He raised up over the children of Greece, that is, the apostles and disciples sent with the gospel into Greece from Zion, when they began and became spiritual children of Zion through the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost [Acts 2:4]. And their sword should be like the sword of a sneezer, that is, the word of God should be powerful and active, so that it penetrates mightily, as we also read that the word of St. Paul and his companions was powerful in Asia [Acts 19:20].
V.14. And the Lord will appear over them, and his arrows will execute like lightning.
033 That is, he himself shall be with them, and it shall be seen in the Holy Ghost, and in the miraculous signs which they shall do, that the Lord is upon them, and with them. For the apostles' words are not their own words, but are the arrows of the Lord; the apostles are his bow and his weapons; therefore they go forth like lightning, and are powerful and fruitful words, which terrify the hopeful and comfort the humble.
1) In the German editions wrong: "vom". In Latin correctly: üs prinaipikus. Walch has erroneously "the 78th Psalm, v. 9." This has taken the Erlanger as the correctur for Ps. 67 (according to the Vulgate count).
1920 Erl. 4s, Lg8-3oo. Interpretation of Zechariah (I), Cap. 9, 14. 15. W. vi, Zsos-gsos. 1921
And the Lord God shall blow with a trumpet, and shall go forth with a thunderstorm at noonday.
(34) There shall be another blowing of horns and sounding of trumpets, which was under the law ordained by Moses. The Lord himself will blow the trumpets, that is, he will sound the same gospel through the apostles, proclaiming that all the world is sinful and guilty before God. Therefore it will be like a great weather, thunder and lightning, as they are wont to be at noon. For it proclaims the wrath of God against all ungodliness and injustice of men, Rom. 1, 18, so that the arrogant will be terrified and humble themselves to grace. But the world will confidently oppose and resist, persecuting the word and the apostles. But it will not help. For
V.15. The Lord of hosts will protect them, that they may devour and subdue with sling stones, and drink and rumble as of wine, and be filled as the basin, and as the corners of the altar.
(35) The prophet diligently uses the splendid and flowery speech of strife, tempest, slaughter, etc., to mean that [it] is not an idle or incompetent thing about the gospel, but accomplishes great things, because it overthrows and strikes down all that is great, learned, holy, wise, strong, and proud, and humbles everyone under Christ, as Paul says 2 Cor. 10:4: "Our weapons are not carnal, but mighty through God." Because the world cannot stand such humility and overthrow, it fights against it, persecutes and rages against the apostles, as against poor, abandoned, powerless people on earth. But hear here what a protector they have against them: "The Lord of hosts will protect them." Not that they should suffer nothing in the body, for they must be persecuted and killed, but that their ministry, word and preaching may not be hindered nor dampened, but it penetrates and continues the more it is hindered. For God's word is unbound, though Panlus is bound [2 Tim. 2:9].
But how is it that they eat and drink?
bring them under themselves? How can that become subject which is eaten? Therefore it is a spiritual devouring, that the apostles will bring the Gentiles to themselves by their mouth with the word, and will integrate them into their assembly, and thus make them subject to the obedience of faith to Christ; and they will do this with sling stones, just as David brought Goliath under himself with the bodily sling stone [1 Saul. 17, 49. 50.]. But these sling stones will be spiritual, the word of God, so that they will throw them with such certainty and hit the consciences in such a way that they will not be able to resist or hide, but will have to give themselves up captive and say: It is the truth.
(37) They shall also roar, or rave, as if they were full of wine. This is the same thing, that they shall make as many Gentiles Christians by the word, and shall penetrate boldly as the drunken. For they are full of the Holy Spirit, Apost. 2:4, which makes them bold to go confidently among the Gentiles, and to spare no journey, but to make merry among them with the word, until they drink the same Gentiles into themselves, and make them Christian members.
(38) But I would rather understand and distinguish this eating and drinking, that the apostles should not only be protected and sheltered, so that their ministry continues unhindered, but should also have enough to eat and drink. Eating, so that they may abstain and become strong to bring the Gentiles under Christ. Drink, so that they may become joyful and bold, confidently rumbling with the word among the Gentiles and fearing no danger. But such eating and drinking is spiritual, that they themselves may first be filled and full of the word and the Spirit, and increase daily more and more, that they may not grow weary in their ministry or in tribulations, even as the body must daily have its food, that it may endure the daily labor.
39 But what is this, "They shall be full as the laver, and as the corners of the altar"? With this he indicates the old priesthood and points to the new priesthood. As if to say, "Then the priesthood will be right and full; so when the apostles rumble among the Gentiles, there will be a slaughter and sacrifice when they pass through the altar.
The word of God punish and kill the old man with all his works, and thus sacrifice in honor of God, just as the ancient priests sacrificed the unreasonable animals etc. Such sacrifices are practiced by St. Paul Rom. 12, 1. when he says: "Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God" etc.
40. but he calls "the basin" and "corners of the altar". For as Moses wrote in the third book [Cap. 3, 2. 8. 13. 4, 5.ff. 2 Mos. 24, 6.], the basin was needed to take the blood of the sacrificed animals three times and to carry it into it, and to sprinkle it with the finger against the ark seven times, and to coat the horns of the altar with it, and to pour the rest at the bottom of the altar. By all these things the prophet prophesies that the Gentiles, according to the old man, shall be slain by the gospel for a sacrifice acceptable to God, and that their blood also shall be holy and glorious in his sight.
V.16. And the Lord their God will help them at that time, as He would a flock of His people.
(41) That is, they which were hitherto scattered abroad, and divided into divers manners of doctrine, he will therefore by the gospel bring together into one faith, as one house and one host. For the Jews also were scattered abroad in their way, and had divers ways of becoming godly among themselves, as Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes. But the pagans much more, who were divided into innumerable groups of idolatry in the whole world. But since they were punished by the gospel, and such unbelief was killed, along with all the wisdom and prudence of the old Adam, they were all brought together in one faith and doctrine.
For consecrated stones will be raised in his land.
These stones are also the apostles and preachers of the gospel, and are not only precious stones, but also consecrated stones. For neser [XXX] in Hebrew means consecration or sanctification, by which a person or other thing is set apart for the service of God, as the Nazarites, Num. 6:2 ff. Just so speaks
St. Paul Rom. 1, 1. that he was set apart (that is, a Nazarene) to preach the gospel; as Apost. 13, 2. also speaks of him and Barnaba: "Set apart for me Barnabam and Saulum" etc.
43. But that they are set up is not said of bad indignation, 1) but as one sets up a banner or a sign, and the whole army looks at it, and judges itself by it, as the Hebrew word Nossoth gives it, that the opinion is: That the Christians everywhere should be brought together in one faith through the gospel, as has been said, is to be done in such a way that they will not gather together in physical places, as has happened up to now in Jerusalem, but they will cling to the apostles and adhere to their teaching. For these also shall be set up among the Gentiles, as holy stones and pillars or places of worship in Christendom, whither all Christians shall look, and be guided by their doctrine; that there may be unity of doctrine and faith, and that every man may not set up his own doctrine and mastery, that the host may be divided, and that there may be divisions in the midst of the glory.
V. 17 For what good do they have with them? And what fine thing have they with them? Grain that begets young men, and must that begets virgins.
44. Christ will not redeem or gather his own with armor and weapons, but by food and drink he will accomplish everything. This is a strange king to me, who does nothing but serve bread and wine, and thereby not only gathers his own, but also begets a strong people, both male and female. The sum of this text is this: In the people and kingdom of Israel it is so, that they beget children in the flesh by the natural way, of man and woman; but in this kingdom it is strange; there is the very finest and sweetest childbearing and multiplying of the people. For there are no children conceived in the cradle. What then? Vain fine, strong young men, and full, fair young-
1) This is how all German editions read. The Latin translator has given it by elevatio.
So that everything that is born and raised to this king, that is, young men and virgins, great boys and great maidens, who are fit to marry, may be born quickly. For where a Christian is made, he can so soon teach and do, and make other Christians more proficient. Just as if a mother gave birth to a boy who could immediately take a wife and produce children, that would be a strange child. So are all Christians: they are complete young men, who by the word can also beget others, and complete virgins, who can bear and give birth to other Christians.
45. and such witnessing and multiplying is done through grain and must, that is, through the gospel, as Paul 1 Cor. 4, 1) 15. confesses to such a young man and father, saying: "I have begotten you through the gospel", again Gal. 4, 19. he makes himself such a virgin and mother, saying: "Dear children, whom I bear otherwise, until Christ
1) In the original: "1 Cor. 3." Walch has by a misprint 1 Cor. 1, 15. This has taken the Erlanger as a correctur of the original.
to gain a form in you." So Christ's people are such a people, increased by the gospel, and so increased that they can quickly be fathers and mothers, and in turn beget others who can also be fathers and mothers.
46 The prophet says that young men and virgins are multiplied by grain and must. Isaiah 66:7, 8 speaks of such childbearing: "Before one gives birth, and before the time of birth comes, she has given birth to a man. Who has ever heard this? Who hath ever seen such a thing, that a land should bring forth in a day, or a nation be born at once, as Zion brought forth her children?" etc. As if to say, A woman can bear a child, but not a man. But Zion gives birth to men. Item, a woman must have time before she gives birth, at least she must be fourteen years old. But Zion gives birth quickly when she is one day old. And where a nation is to be begotten on earth, many years belong to it. But Zion gives birth to a nation at once, in one day.