The last two chapters, as I have said, deal with the final destruction of the entire kingdom and the priesthood. 2) The previous chapter actually contains the destruction of the kingdom, this last one actually has the downfall of the priesthood in mind, as we will see in the vision.
V. 1. strike the knob so that the posts quake. 3)
This face contains that the pommel is to be struck; by this striking the posts will crack. This is in summa:
2) The following sentence reads in D.: Therefore, someone may, if he wants, divide in such a way that the preceding chapter actually refers to the destruction of the kingdom, this last one actually to the downfall of the priesthood.
3) Only so far D. has the cue, while our template continues: et seeuit (vel seidit) eos in cupite vrnnes (vei ornniurn) et retiquurn eorurn ete.
I will break the priesthood and take it away completely along with the kingdom and everything that is left of the people. After the kingdom and the priesthood have been destroyed, the people will wander around the whole world. They will have no permanent dwelling place where they can stay; they will always have no permanent place, which he indicates by the shaking of the posts. [4) When the knob is struck, that is, when the head is taken away, as he says here, that is, when the kingdom and the priesthood are completely gone. 5) This figure of speech is everywhere in the prophets,
4) Added by us.
5) D. leaves this sentence and puts instead as a new keyword (as we think, incorrectly): "Their avarice shall come upon their heads" (^varitia in espits ornniurn).
as in the 68th Psalm, v. 22: "God will bruise the head of his enemies, along with the skull of their hair, who continue in their sin." The same is in the fourth chapter of Habakkuk, v. 13: "Thou shalt bruise the head of the house of the wicked, and shalt strip the foundation even to the neck." All this means in sum that the kingdom and the priesthood shall be taken from them, as also Christ says, Matth. 21, 43. For what are the Jews who are still alive today but a miserable trunk without a head? For they are miserably scattered over the whole world, having no fixed abode and no kingdom and priesthood 2c. And this hitting the knob 4) he interprets himself, since he immediately adds:
For their avarice shall come upon their heads (Scidit eos in capite). 2)
"He hath broken them in the head," that is, he will take away the kingdom and the priesthood. But the shaking or the moving of the posts he lays out quite abundantly with many words, in what follows: "I will slay their descendants with the sword, that none shall escape, nor any escape."
V. 2. And if they immediately buried themselves in hell 2c.
This is to be understood as an assumed case (potentialiter), as we also use to speak in the same way. It indicates that they will not be safe anywhere, wherever they may flee, just as Moses threatened them in the most terrifying way, Deut. 28, 66. f.: "That your life will float before you. Night and day you will fear, and dei-
1) Here D. continues so: "and the quaking or the movement of the posts he lays out very richly in what follows." Then he puts as a keyword: "Novissirrm (that is, their descendants) I will strangle with the sword, that none shall escape, nor some escape. And even if they are buried in hell." The following passage he leaves out, and then adds the interpretation of v. 2.
2) To understand the following interpretation it should be noted that Luther here takes the word Zt^3 in the meaning: to smash, to break (seinäo), while later, in our Bible translation, he has given it by "their avarice," from ^3, the unjust gain, as does the Vulgate.
You will not be sure of your life. In the morning you will say: Oh, that I might live to see the evening" 2c. We see the same here in all the pieces.
V. 4. I will keep my eyes upon them for disaster.
That is, I will diligently watch over them to do them harm, to destroy them, not to do them good. Hereby he gives the reason why they will not be able to escape, namely because, he says, they have the Lord against them, the almighty God and the creator of all creatures, whom no one can deceive, whom no one can escape, before whose glory all creatures must tremble. Therefore, they cannot escape his wrath. And so he holds out to them the divine power and majesty, since he says:
V. 5. for the LORD of hosts is such: when he touches a land 2c.
As if he wanted to say: In vain you hope that you will escape.
V. 6. He founds his tabernacle (fasciculum suum) on the earth.
It is the same word which is translated 1 Sam. 10, 10. thus: "Behold, there came to meet him a heap (cuneus) of prophets." Also in Genesis it is translated by the word fasciculus, as 2 Mos. 12, 22.: "Tunket 3) a bunch Ysopen." Some want that the connection (colligantiam) of the elements is meant by this, but I like Jerome's opinion better; as if he wanted to say: The Lord dwells and sojourns in heaven, and yet he has his Hansen, his people, that is, his church on earth, which he protects. For he has established it most firmly, so that the devil cannot overpower it. 4) But if someone
3) In D.: iun^its instead of:
4) Instead of the last sentence, D. has: Although I do not disapprove of this view, it seems to me that it would be more appropriate to take "heaven" as in the Gospel for the church and the kingdom of Christ, so that the opinion would be: The Lord arranges his palace in heaven, that is, he reigns in the church through the Gospel and free grace, in the most extensive and free way. But the "earth" is, as it were, a bundle or a kind of prison, in which he is kept as in a bundle.
wants to follow a different opinion, he may do so for all I care.
V. 7. Are you children of Israel not like the Moors to me?
1) The prophet anticipates an objection and answers her question implicitly, as we have also abundantly spoken of this matter in the fifth chapter above, when he says [v. 14.]: "So shall the LORD God of hosts be with you, as ye boast." Therefore the summa of this whole passage is: there is no respect of person with God, as if he wanted to say: it is nothing that you boast that you are the people of God, that the LORD has chosen you for his own 2) before all the peoples of the earth, as it is written in Moses [2 Mos. 19, 5], because you do not keep the covenant of the LORD, you shall be taken out of the land, and everyone who has sinned shall be guilty of the LORD, whether he be an Israelite or an Egyptian. It will not do you any good to protect your wickedness with the promises of God that have been given to you. They do not belong to you, since you do not believe the word of God, but are godless. So also Peter says Apost. 10, 34. f.: "Now I know with truth that God does not look at the person, but at all people, whoever fears Him and does right is pleasing to Him. As if he wanted to say: He looks at those who fear him and keep his word, but the despisers he corrupts, whoever they may be, whether Jews or Egyptians or Moors. 3)
The first and greatest, the preservation of the church through the word; the other, the preservation of the worldly regime through laws and punishments. For in both, the power of God is demonstrated to the highest degree.
1) The beginning of this passage reads with D.: Some take this passage in such a way that this is as it were a refutation, which answers to the thoughts of the Jews: why then they should be rejected, since they have nevertheless so many promises, so that the opinion is: it will profit you nothing that you are Jews, because it is no respect of the person 2c.
2) D.: populum instead of: peeulium in the manuscript.
3) D. f: But I will not follow this opinion. Because it seems the prophet threatens them the ruin by the example of other nations: as I by
V. 8. Behold, the eyes of the LORD look upon a sinful kingdom.
Here we see quite clearly that the Lord transfers the kingdoms from one to the other, and arouses one nation against the other, 4) that it makes itself tributary to the same, and someone else overthrows the kingdom and seizes it. Thus he let the extremely powerful Roman Empire perish, and crude peoples, who completely despised the Romans, gained the upper hand through the victory. He does the same with all kingdoms that he wants to destroy, as he says here: "The eyes of the Lord look upon a sinful kingdom", as if he wanted to say, whichever kingdom it may be; as he himself tells here the examples of the change of the kingdoms, of the Egyptians, the Philistines and the Syrians from Kir. For it is not right, as we have widely said above in the first chapter [v. 5.], [instead of Kir^ Cyrene is read.
Though I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.
This is what we talked about above in the third and fourth chapters of the others that have been preserved. For the prophets have this custom, that after the threat they also add a consolation, for the sake of the godly. So the opinion is: even though the whole kingdom, the whole priesthood will perish, I will still preserve a remnant for myself, so that they will not all perish, 5) as Isaiah also says [Is. 10, 22. Rom. 9, 27.]: "If the number of the children of Israel would be like the sand on the sea, the rest will be saved."
V. 9. But behold, I will command, and cause the house of Israel to be sifted 6) among all the nations.
I have driven out the Canaanites from you, the Syrians from the Assyrians, the Philistines from Caphtor, and many other neighboring nations from the Moors because of their sins. So will I also drive you out by the Romans for your sins.
4) The rest of this sentence is missing from D.
5) D. f: there will be some few who believe the gospel and will be saved.
6) In the Vulgate: oonoutiam; in our original: llutars kaeiam - rütteln lassen. The Zwickau manuscript erroneously offers "intui-s, which both the Erlangen and dre Weimarsche have recorded there.
This is the clear interpretation of all the preceding. I, he says, will command; since I will it, it must be done; I will disturb the whole house of Israel. 1)
I will have it sifted (nutare) among all the Gentiles.
It indicates [nutare] a movement, 2) as it was, according to Scripture, on Cain, and how some people have quivering heads at times. It is the same thing that Hosea says, Cap. 9, 3) 17: "They must go astray among the Gentiles." He explains by a very hard simile how he will shake Israel, namely like this:
And the grains shall not fall to the ground.
Lyra says, it is here a Hebrew way of speaking, so that the opinion is: It shall not fall to the prophets also One word in vain, which should not be fulfilled, by following the passage 1 Sam. 3, 19: "There fell none among all his words to the earth." But this does not please me, but according to my opinion this seems to be the opinion, as if he wanted to say: I will make the house of Israel so sift and tremble, 4) that not even one grain shall fall to the earth, that is, that no one can escape this movement, no one will fall out of the sieve; no one will be completely delivered, who has come into this my sieve. We see this also today with the Jews. Now I have no better up-
1) This entire section is missing from D.
2) From here to the end of the passage, D. has only the words: "as it takes place when grain is purified with a sieve." The rest D. has omitted probably because in Luther's interpretations about the first book of Moses it is expressly testified that "the quaking of Cain" is not found in the Scriptures. Compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. I, 374, § 231 and Vol. Ill, 120, s 44.
3) In our template: eap. 10.
4) Here D. continues in such a way: that nevertheless the little grains, that is, the good ones are preserved, and only the dust, that is, the godless and bad Jews fall to the earth and perish. For I explain the word which means a little stone (lapillum) by "little grain." And this is a very appropriate and comforting sense, that although God seems to expect common danger for the good and the wicked, He nevertheless takes care of the godly, preserves and protects them. So far, the disturbance of all Israel has been spoken of, now follows 2c.
version than this. Up to now the objection of the prophet lasted, which was raised against the fact that all Israel should be disturbed. Now follows a glorious passage of the kingdom of Christ, who will restore the despised kingdom of David and lead Israel back into eternal security, namely spiritually through the preaching of the gospel of faith 5) 2c.
V.11. In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down.
This passage is cited in Acts Cap. 15, 16. The summa of it is: After the kingdom and the priesthood have been destroyed, I will gather and rebuild the tabernacle of David, which was in ruins, 6) and there will come into it people from all the Gentiles who will believe, even though they are not of the house of David. This passage, as I have said, is actually to be understood before the kingdom of Christ. By "the tabernacle of David" understand the people of David themselves, the descendants of David, "the 7) tribe of David", as also Isaiah Cap. 11, 1. on this opinion says: "There shall arise a rod from the tribe of Jesse", that is, the kingdom of David, over which the Messiah was to rule, 8) had been completely despised and had almost fallen away and had ceased when Christ came. Barely the lowest yeast was left, it was as it were a stifled stem; it did not blossom, it had fallen away, it was broken; but when Christ came, it was revived: it blossomed the dead root, and brought forth the most beautiful blossoms and fruits; everything is renewed and restored, all fractures are healed, and everything has become exceedingly beautiful. It is an extraordinarily sweet and beautiful prophecy that he said: out of your completely despised tribe of Judah, which was almost completely destroyed, he will build a glorious church of the elect, full of grace and full of the Holy Spirit, 9) which is made glorious by the Spirit. Penn he speaks of the splendor of the Spirit, in which-
5) D.: of grace.
6) D. instead of: "which has decayed": which has become miserably wavering and has, as it were, decayed,
7) In our template: "dem".
8) D.: But he calls it a root, because it was quite despised 2c.
9) The following words of this sentence are missing in D.
chem also the whole kingdom of David was ruled, because it had princes who were full of the Holy Spirit 2c.
V. 12: That they might possess the remnant of Edom.
That is, not only the Jews will be in this tabernacle, but also the rest of Edom and all the Gentiles who will believe the gospel. 1) A wonderful, lovely prophecy. In Hebrew everything is said far more beautifully.
V. 13: That one will till and reap at the same time.
This is a wonderful transformation in this kingdom, that the harvest will immediately follow the plowing; so great, he says, will be the speed, so quickly will he establish and renew this kingdom, that every man will be amazed that plowing and harvesting will be done at the same time. He indicates the exceedingly fast course of the word of the gospel among the Gentiles, as if he wanted to say: so fast will the word of God progress among the Gentiles, that they will at the same time be converted from sins and bear fruit, believing at the same time with the Jews, who have long since been tilled and taught. The same is seen in Joel Cap. 2 - "The mountains" are the apostles and proclaimers of the word.
V. 14: For I will turn the prison of my people Israel.
1) D. t: But notice, as he has only the remnant of no people in this kingdom, so also only the remnant of Edom and the Gentiles accept the gospel. For the greatest part of the Gentiles either despises the gospel or persecutes it, as the word of Christ states Matth. 11, 5.): "The poor have the gospel preached to them"; likewise [Ps. 74, 21.j: "The poor and miserable praise your name."
He is talking about spiritual repatriation and conversion, because he threatened above that he would deliver them all to prison. By this repatriation, all those who believed the gospel when Christ came were brought back and placed in the tabernacle of David by faith, in which is the highest security, peace and joy of conscience; those who are in it bear abundant fruit. From then on they will not be taken away for eternity, since they are fortified by faith and by the Holy Spirit given to them from heaven. Moses always commanded to do, and it was not done; therefore the promises were made to them in vain. But because here the Lord himself promises that he will do it, that he will bring back, that he will plant, therefore it will be firm and certain, 3) they will not be snatched away 2c.
End. Praise be to Christ. 1525.
2) D. t: decayed and therefore despised.
3) D. s with omission of the last words: But here many things are signified. First, which would be the firstfruits of the church, namely, the rest of Jacob, that is, the apostles. Secondly, what a glorious spread this kingdom would have, namely that the Gentiles would be converted to the faith through the apostles. The divine mercy is therefore gloriously praised to us, that we Gentiles, who are deserted and desolate cities, even (as it is said in Luc. 14, 23. We who are in the fields outside the cities, without law, without worship, without good works, full of sins, worthy of eternal death, will also be cultivated by the word of grace, so that we will become lovely and lovely vineyards and gardens in the sight of God and the angels, from which other gardens will be planted and prepared as from fertile plants, so that the glory and the kingdom of God will also be spread and increase through us. Therefore, we should thank God for His inexhaustible goodness and love towards us, and ask Him that we may be cultivated in truth in such a way that we please God as lovely gardens, and that people may enjoy our fruits and be awakened to godliness through us. Amen. End.