At that time the house of David and the citizens of Jerusalem will have a free open fountain against sin and uncleanness.
1. all this is said to confirm the previous speeches about the new Jerusalem and Christianity, therefore he also speaks here about the washing and bathing of the priests in the old testament, and holds it against the new testament, where there will be another washing and bathing. As if he should say: In the Old Testament the priests had for themselves the hand basin and the washing basin, where they washed themselves when they went into the tabernacle of the testimony [2 Mos. 40, 30.31.]. But in the New Testament, in Christ's kingdom, not only for the priests, but for the whole house of David, yes, for all the citizens of Jerusalem, that is, for all kinds of Christians, both great and small, a bath and washing shall be prepared. For it shall be an open fountain, open to every man for bathing and washing; not shut up with the court, as the priests' laver was in the old law. In addition it shall not be such a bath, since one must carry water into a barrel, which passes away and is temporal, and always another is brought in; thereby also is meant that such old bath work should cease with the time and become different. But here shall be a spring, which always springs of itself and is fresh, and eternally gives water enough, which never stops.
(2) Although this fountain might be rightly and finely understood of baptism, in which the Spirit is given and all sins are washed away; but for the sake of the quarrelsome mobs, who think nothing of baptism and ridicule everything that is pointed to baptism, we also let it go, and stick to the fact that Christ speaks of a fountain of living water, which the evangelist himself interprets as the Spirit, which those who believe in him should receive. This well is now open to all Christians and washes away two kinds of filth, sin and impurity.
3. there are two kinds of sin in us: one that we do ourselves; the other is the original sin, which is born in us.
Hebrew calls impurity. And is the uncleanness, since Moses in the third book Cap. 12, 4. 5. blames the women and children in the six weeks after the birth etc. So now the text wants to say this much: The ancient priests washed hands and feet externally in their hand basin, but now it is to be such a washing, as not hands and feet, but all sin and uncleanness is washed away, that although one would sin, and still have much of Adam and Heva's remaining evil inclination about him, yet he shall become clean; for it is a daily, public, free washing, that is, an eternal forgiveness of sins, which is open to all sinners and unclean ones forever, as we say in faith: "I believe a forgiveness of sins"; and 1 John. 2, 2: "Christ is the propitiation for our sin, and not for our sin only, but also for the whole world" etc.
In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of idols from the face of the earth, and they shall be remembered no more.
Yes, of course, where the right doctrine arises, how sins are forgiven without merit, through this open spring, and how one is justified before God from the same forgiveness of sins through grace, then not only all idolatry (which, of course, is conceived solely to acquire piety) must cease, but also all other doctrines that want to bring us there by works, where this open spring alone leads us. For until now idols may have been put out of the eyes, but not out of the heart. But what is it to break off idols outwardly, and to set up many idols inwardly in the heart? as the false teachers do, as here also follows:
For this I will also drive the diviners and the unclean spirits from the face of the earth.
(5) These are the same kind of spirits that are unclean and unholy, because they teach their own dreams and conceits contrary to the Holy Spirit, even though they do not have external idols.
as the Pharisees and Sadducees were almost holy, and had no idols outwardly, but yet were false and unclean spirits, preaching their own doctrine, and setting up idols in the heart. With these words, that he calls unclean spirits, he indicates (as is his way) the old priesthood office and makes it spiritual. For the ancient priests had much to do with unclean people, as the books of Moses teach. Such uncleanness he interprets here as unclean spirits, that is, teachers who teach uncleanly and praise works without grace. For I know of no other prophet who spoke of unclean spirits except this one alone.
V. 3. so that if anyone continues to prophesy, his father and mother who begat him will say to him, "You must die, for you speak falsely in the name of the Lord.
That is, the Christians will be able to judge all spiritual things, not only the priests, as in the Old Testament, therefore also father and mother will not look at their own child, but condemn and banish it, where it will prophesy further than it should. For prophesying is called here, as the false prophets prophesy; as the following text shows, that he speaks falsely etc. And the sum is: With the Christians one will hold above the pure doctrine, no one will be considered, he is as close as he wants to be. For false doctrine and rot must be to test the others, but they will not be obliged.
And so his father and mother will stab him when he knows.
That is, not with iron weapons, but with the word of God. For it will be a spiritual, friendly pricking, as is done by father and mother to their child. Just as St. Paul pricks the Galatians and Corinthians, and punishes their error with God's word.
V. 4 For it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall stand with shame in their visions, 'when they prophesy of it.
8. this is the spiritual pricking, namely, putting them to shame, and their prophecy.
punish them, because they shall not stand with it. The spirit and the word should hover above in Christianity, so that no heresy arises, however nearly it stirs.
And shall put on no more hard garments, that they may deceive.
9. the prophets wore sackcloth, that is, coarse, simple clothes, Isa. 20, 2: "Show your sackcloth" etc. But the false prophets used both the speech and gesture, and all the manner of the true prophets, in hypocrisy, to deceive the people. Such will be no more with the Christians. For it is not asked whether one wears gray or red, whether he looks sour or sweet, but whether he teaches rightly. The word is the judge here, not the appearance of the person; indeed, the more he presents himself holy with vestments and clothing, the more he is suspect. One does not believe the cap or the plate, but only the word.
V. 5 But shall say, I am no prophet, but a husbandman: for I have ministered unto men from my youth.
(10) That is, if he wants to remain in the church, he will accept such punishments, and will let himself be instructed, and let his prophesying stand, and say: It is also true, what do I want to do with prophesying, and to be wiser than other Christians? For I am a peasant, that is, a wicked man, like the others, and have served men from my youth. All this is said: Although Christians can all prophesy and teach, 1 Cor. 14:31, they will not exalt themselves one above the other and act disorderly, or create mobs and heresy, but one will humbly yield to the other, and each will consider himself the least and the worst. For it shall be fatherly and kindly with punishments, and childlike and hearty with obeying, if they will otherwise remain in the church. If not, they are let go.
But if they say to him, What are these wounds in your hands? What are these wounds in thy hands? he shall say, Thus am I smitten in the house of them that love me.
(11) That is, he will be patient when he is so punished, and will not be angry about it, nor will he oppose it. Why should I not suffer it gladly (he says), if they mean it so well and cordially with me? They are kind blows; 1) they are better than the flattery of the enemy. See how friendly it is among Christians when someone errs or stumbles and is not stiff-necked, as St. Paul also teaches the Galatians, Gal. 6:1: "Brethren, if anyone is hurried with a fault, teach him with a gentle spirit.
V. 7 Sword, arise upon my shepherd, and upon the man that is beside me, saith the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered, and I will turn my hand to the little ones.
(12) How does this rhyme with one another, that he says here of the king Christ how he is to suffer? Answer: He has now said how Christians will be humble among themselves, and gladly let themselves be beaten and punished where they err and sin, which they do for Christ's service. For He Himself also gave Himself to be beaten, without any blame, also for this reason, that Christ's kingdom should not be regarded as worldly; for it is to be a very evil kingdom in the sight of the world, as Paul says in 1 Cor. 1:23: "We preach Christ crucified, an offense to the Jews and a foolishness to the Gentiles." For even the disciples themselves were offended at Him [Matth. 13, 57.], as Christ says Matth. 26, 31. and says: "You will all be offended at Me this night. For it is written: I will strike the shepherd" etc.
(13) Therefore the opinion is, O sword, open up; this is the power of darkness (as Christ calls it). For Pilate and the Jews had the sword and regiment in the land, but still they could do nothing until God imposed [it], as Christ also confessed before Pilate [John 19:11], "You would have no power over me." Thus He hereby gives leave and power to the sword over Christ, and also comforts us that no harm can come to us unless He permits and imposes it.
1) In Latin: avaautinrn ptaAne.
14. he calls Christ his shepherd, and the man next to him, qui apud me, vel juxta me est. This I understand, that Christ is the right one shepherd in Christianity, and at the same time with the Father in eternity, as John says: "The Son in the bosom of the Father" [Joh. 1, 18.]. But whoever wants to, may also understand it in this way, that God was always with him and with him to do great signs and wonders, until the hour of his suffering came.
(15) But as at that time the disciples were vexed and scattered at the suffering of Christ, so it will be to the end of the world. For Christ must still be slain, and always suffer the sword in his spiritual body, which 2) is Christendom, and is always much vexed, for it is a kingdom of vexation. But still he turns to the little ones, just as he says above [Cap. 11, 11.) he also says about the wretched sheep, that they pay attention to his word. So also here: if everything that is great, high, learned, holy, powerful and rich among the Jews is offended at him, yet the lowly, poor, miserable sinners and disciples stick to him, and he also accepts them and turns to them.
V. 8 And it shall come to pass, that in the land (saith the Lord) two parts shall be cut off, and perish: but the third part which remaineth, I will burn with fire, and will purify it as silver is purified, and sweep it as gold is swept.
(16) The two parts are just the large part of those who are angry, one part of which is deterred by the cross and persecution, so that they are cut off, and the other part is seduced by unclean spirits and false teachers, so that they perish. But the third part remains firm in the pure word, and both are purified and swept away by persecution and temptation of the spirits. These are the righteous, though they are few. For the cross drives out many, but false teaching even more, therefore they are called two parts. But the third that persevereth shall be saved, as follows:
2) Erlanger: welchs.
V. 9. Then they will call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, It is my people; and they will say, Lord my God.
(17) For they shall be pure and upright in the faith, without all hypocrisy. They know how to preach the name of the Lord. (For this is called in Hebrew the name of the Lord.
call). For they do not preach their own name, like the heretics and hypocrites, therefore they are also His people, and have Him as their God, that is, all that God is and has, for they are His children and heirs. So this text proclaims the cross and sorrow that arises in Christ and His people. Blessed is he who endures to the end [Matth. 10, 22].