V. 1. This is the burden of the word of the Lord upon Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth out the heavens, and layeth the foundations of the earth, and maketh the breath of man in him.
(1) This chapter I understand from the burden of the cross, which should go over the right people of Israel for the sake of the gospel. For in the previous chapter he separated himself from the fleshly Israel, saying [v. 9], "I will not shepherd you," but yet he kept the poor remnant, saying [v. 11], "And the miserable sheep that kept me perceived that it was the word of the Lord." These miserable sheep are the real Israel, of which he prophesies here that they shall suffer much, and yet in suffering they will become the stronger, as Paul says
2 Cor. 12, 9: "Strength is made stronger through weakness. So this chapter is a comforting sermon to strengthen the apostles and disciples in all kinds of persecutions, which they both, Jews and Gentiles, had to suffer in the whole world. For this reason the prophet introduces the Lord here with such a title as he has not done before, namely, that he is the one who spreads out the heavens, establishes the earth, and gives breath or spirit to men and governs them. As if to say: Both persecutors and the persecuted are in his hand, together with all their ability, so that the persecution should not harm, but promote and help for the good, "be it tyrants, heretics, mobs, devils or his mother.
V. 2. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of stumbling for all the nations that are round about. [For it will also apply to Judah when Jerusalem is besieged.]
Jerusalem are the apostles and first disciples. The nations around are the Gentiles and the Jews, who were against them and wanted to devour them like a cup, even like a spoon. For the beloved disciples were of such low esteem against their enemies, that the Jews thought not only to eat them up and devour them, but also to devour and kill them as easily as one drinks out a cup or spoon. Against such presumption the Lord says here: "Go on, try your art, drink with confidence: I will set a little drink before you, and it shall be right for you; you shall run at me, that you may stagger, and you shall not digest the little drink as you think. But such staggering is that they fall, and will do as the drunken, that they can no more. So the Jews and Gentiles fell upon the disciples at the last, and were destroyed; some were converted by grace, but the rest were destroyed; for they were drunken, and had drunken themselves to the full upon Jerusalem.
3rd But that this drinking is the persecution which the Jews and the Gentiles have committed, the words give that [it] shall also apply to Judah, when Jerusalem is besieged. Here he speaks of besieging, as the enemies do; therefore these nations around must be vain enemies, who not only persecuted Jerusalem, that is, the apostles and nobles, but also Judah, that is, the whole multitude of Christians, and wanted to drink them dry. What is now Rome, which also wanted to devour and drink up the Christians? I mean, they staggered over it, just like the Jews. It is not good to touch the Christians. Oh, if our princes and bishops knew what they have in their dungeons! They think that they want to make a fresh drink, and quench their thirst for blood, and cool their thirst for the poor heretics. But how shall they stagger over it! How does the pope already stagger, and much with him! O of drinking and reeling! Let it be, dear sirs, let it be, the drunkenness is too strong for you.
lein. You would truly rather drink vinegar or laur 1) for it.
V. 3. At that time I will make Jerusalem a burden to all the nations.
(4) Another similitude, which signifies the same thing. The apostles are to be a loadstone or pushstone to all nations, that is, Christendom is not to be oppressed; but all who are subject to it are themselves to be oppressed, some with grace, others with disgrace, as follows:
All who bring the same upon themselves shall be crushed.
(5) But then they load such a stone upon themselves when they lay hold of it, and want to cast the Christians out, as one picks up stones and throws them out of the garden, as useless and obstructive stones. Christians are just as useless, harmful people in the eyes of the world, which is why the world wants to throw them away. But she tears and smashes herself shamefully over them. For the stone is too big and too heavy for the throwers to fail. They can't leave it lying there, and yet they can't take it away; so there must be tearing and pressing.
But all the nations of the earth will gather against them.
(6) He explains himself clearly enough that he speaks of the persecution and cross of Christians in all the world. And here you hear our consolation, who believe in Christ and preach of him, that no one should be an enemy to us, except the whole world, as Christ also says [Matth. 10, 22]: "You must be hated by all men for my name's sake." But it does not help them; as follows:
In that day, saith the Lord, I will make all horses afraid, and their riders afraid.
(7) The power of the world shall not prevail, but shall at last be put to shame against the Christian. And this is almost the interpretation of the staggering cup and burden stone. But he calls them horses and riders, because they rely on their power and strength.
1) Lauer --- pomace wine, bad wine.
as the 20th Psalm, v. 8, says: "These rely on chariots and horses, but we remember the name of our God."
V. 4. But over the house of Judah I will have mine eyes open, and will afflict all the horses of the nations with blindness.
(8) I will have mercy on the apostles and Christians in all their afflictions, and will make their persecutors blind and fools, so that all their attempts against the Christians will be like playing with a blind man's cow or beating pots, so that their persecution will fail and rage in vain, and will accomplish nothing, except that their blunders will be laughed at, and the gospel will increase the more they fight against them.
V. 5. And the princes of Judah shall say in their heart, 1) Let the people of Jerusalem alone be confident in the Lord of hosts, their God.
9 That is, in such persecution and crosses the apostles and teachers will comfort and strengthen themselves and the Christians, not with weapons or armor against their persecutors, but in Christ Jesus. For they will gladly suffer all tribulations, and let them be content that they are strong and confident inwardly in the spirit, through the faith of Christ in His word. There stands their comfort and strength.
V. 6 In that day I will make the princes of Judah a furnace of fire in the wood, and a torch in the straw, and they shall consume, both on the right hand and on the left, all the nations round about.
(10) Not only shall the persecutors rage in vain, but the Christians also shall bring forth much fruit by the word among all the Gentiles, converting and saving many, so that they shall be consumed as a fire burning in the midst of dry wood or straw. Thus the fire of the Holy Spirit shall consume the Gentiles according to the flesh, and make room for the gospel and kingdom of Christ everywhere.
And Jerusalem shall be inhabited for a longer time in her place at Jerusalem.
(11) Nevertheless, the same spiritual Jerusalem that has been spoken of so far shall not be desolate or despoiled.
1) Erlanger: Egg.
It is not to be disturbed, even though all the nations oppose it; indeed, it is to remain right where it is, well inhabited and full of people, because the princes of Judah eat around it like fire in straw. And lest the earthly Jerusalem be understood, saith he, Jerusalem shall be inhabited in her place, that is, where she is, or where her place is, even in all the earth. For where the princes of Judah are, there is and is called Jerusalem; there also shall Jerusalem be inhabited.
V. 7 And the Lord shall save the tabernacles of Judah, as in the days of old; lest the house of David glory, or the inhabitants of Jerusalem, against Judah.
(12) That he distinguishes here between Judah and David's house and Jerusalem, though they are one people, and all Christians, is because he wants to show how in Christianity there should be no difference nor respect of person, but all should be the same, as St. Paul teaches Gal. 3:28: "Here is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, but all are one in Christ" etc. Therefore this salvation, he says, shall be done in such a way that [it] shall not be as before and hitherto, when the house of David, as the royal tribe, was more noble than the citizens of Jerusalem, and the citizens of Jerusalem, as dwelling in the holy, great, royal capital, were more noble than otherwise the common man in Judah, but all shall be equal. For' it shall be a spiritual redemption or liberty' in that none shall be able to boast or flourish against another etc. 1 Cor. 3, 8.
V. 8: For at that time the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and it shall come to pass that he who falls shall be like David; and the house of David shall be like the house of God, like the angels of the Lord among them.
(13) Even those who fall, that is, the weak, should do as much as the strong David, who, though he was small in person and weak against others, yet became a hero over the great Goliath and slew him [1 Sam. 17:50]. Therefore, because Christians all have the same Christ and his Spirit, each one, though he is the least and weakest, should be able to do as much.
as the very strongest. For they shall all overcome sin, death, the world. They all have the same victory, however unequal they are. For there is One Spirit and One Christ in them all, who protects them and helps them, so that even though they seem to be vain and weak men before the world, who are subject to everyone, there they shall be vain heroes and victors. The word "fall" here means when someone is so weak that he must fall, as Ps. 105, 1) 37. says that among the tribes of Israel there was no one who fell or was weak when they went out of Egypt. Such weak are the Christians when they suffer and have tribulations; as Paul says 2 Cor. 12, 10.: "When I am weak, then I am strongest of all!!!"; and Joel Cap. 3, 15. "Let the weak say I am strong."
14. Again, those who are strong, like David's house, shall be like God's house, and like the Lord's angels among them, that is, those who are such strong sigmoid men as David, who in such weakness prevail and conquer, they shall be the right house of God among Christians, and like angels of the Lord, that is, in whom God dwells, and then they can teach others rightly and proclaim God's word; that is, they will be the right noblest Christians, and like Christ's angels and messengers who proclaim His word.
V. 9: At that time I will remember to destroy all the nations that have come against Jerusalem.
015 And I will avenge and recompense all that the Gentiles have done against Jerusalem in their persecution; so that the Gentiles shall perish, and my Christians shall remain, though they think to destroy the Christians, that they may remain; but it shall be turned back, that they may be destroyed. Thus the Roman Empire has perished and perished. So now the papacy also perishes, and all that would destroy Christ must perish. But he says that he will think, or seek, that is, seek to destroy the Gentiles, to show that he will not destroy them.
1) In the editions: Ps. 78.
He wants to destroy them suddenly, but with leisure, and leave room for repentance, so that he may present himself as seeking ways and means of destroying them.
V. 10. But on the house of David and on the citizens of Jerusalem I will pour out the spirit of grace and prayer.
(16) But let the Christians remain, not avenging themselves, but rather patiently suffering all evil. For he will not arm them with weapons, but pour upon them the Spirit of grace, that is, the Holy Spirit, which makes them have a good conscience, and testifies in their hearts that they have a gracious God, and forgiveness of sins in the peace of faith [Rom. 8, 15. Gal. 4, 6/. About that where they lack something or suffer evil, they have the spirit of prayer, which asks and cries out for them with sighs, 2) which are unspeakable, Rom. 8, 26. So that they may not have any weapons nor defense in their affliction, but as St. Paul says Phil. 4, 5.f.: "Do not be anxious, the Lord is near; but in every matter let your prayer be made known before God" etc.
Because they will look at me, which one they have punctured.
(17) Here he indicates in short words his suffering and death, by which he deserved to be healed of such a spirit. And notice that it is the same person of God who has spoken so far, and now confesses that he will be crushed, that is, crucified, and that he will be mourned like a dead man, that is, that he died on the cross. So we have from this place that Christ, true God and man, had to suffer and die. But because he must nevertheless do as much as he has spoken before, and give the Spirit, he must of course not remain in death, but rise from the dead, and live again for eternity.
18 But when he says, "They shall look upon Me whom they have bruised," it is not spoken as if only those who crucified Him should look upon Him, but thus, "They shall see, and this also shall be preached by the gospel to all the world, being formed before their eyes, how I was bruised and crucified.
2) In the original: Sufzen.
has. And in a nutshell this is the opinion: I will be remembered through the gospel, and I will be considered in the heart how I suffered and died; through this the Holy Spirit will be given for the forgiveness of sins. And not only this, but
They will mourn him as one mourns a first child, and will grieve over him as one grieves over a first child.
(19) Such lamentations were fulfilled by his friends in the flesh, when they also saw him bodily bruised and dead; but such lamentation must go further, and come also to those who look upon him in faith through the gospel, as he was crucified and died. Which lamentation, or bearing of suffering, is nothing else, but that, according to his example, every one also bears his cross, and thus performs right compassion, as Paul saith [2 Tim. 2:12.], "Suffer we with, and so shall we also reign with;" and Christ himself [Luc. 9:23.], "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." This is quite a pitying and killing of the old Adam, since a Christian always stands in Fahr Leibes, Gutes, Ehre und Lebens etc. For it is not a monasticism, which plagues the body with fasting or with a shirt of the heart by its own choice, but a serious, great suffering and driving of death every hour. For it is called a suffering, as over a few firstborn children. Which is not a willingly chosen, but a serious, great suffering.
V.11. At that time there will be a great lamentation in Jerusalem, as there was in Hadadrimmon, in the field of Megiddo.
(20) But that it may be seen that there is not in Christendom a fictitious or self-chosen suffering and cross, he gives here the third similitude of the lamentation that happened against the pious king Josiah, of which it is written in the book of Chronicles, 2 Chron. 35, 24. But of the cities, Megiddo and Hadadrimmon, you may read in Joshua [Cap. 12, 21].
V.12-14. And the land will mourn, every generation in particular. The family of the
House of David especially, and their wives especially. [The family of the house of Nathan in particular, and their wives in particular. The family of the house of Levi in particular, and their wives in particular. The family of Shimei in particular, and their wives in particular. So all the rest of the families, every one specially, and their wives also specially].
021 He numbered four generations; two of the royal tribe, David and Nathan; two of the priestly tribe, Levi and Shimei; and after that he numbered them all alike. Each of the generations is to lament in a special way, and the women in a special way. According to ancient history, the people of Israel were divided into twelve tribes, each with its own special laws. So the women also had to stand specially in the assemblies, as the Jews still usually do. But with the. But by the word "special" he means here, as it is now said, that each one will carry his own cross for himself. Christ has borne his, which is splendidly borne in the monstrance, but that is nothing. Christ does not say, Take up my cross and follow me, but take up your cross etc. [Luc. 9, 23Z
The monasteries also have crosses, but it is nothing. In the first place, that they are chosen by themselves. Secondly, that they are carried by the others as one and the same 1). Thus, the Barefoot bear St. Francis' cross, but no one wants to wear his own in particular. The Benedictines wear St. Benedict's cross, because they martyred themselves with the very works and rules that St. Benedict martyred himself with, self-chosen and imitated. There is no complaining in particular; it is monkey business. But everyone flees his own cross, and no one wants to carry it. Yes, for this reason they choose suffering and crosses, so that they may not carry their own cross; they crawl into the monasteries, and have rest and good days, leave the other people in toil and work; nevertheless, they want to be holier with it than all the others. But they will see it well.
1) This "as one" has been given by the Latin translator by: tanHuaru oooveoisottzZ ei8.