The content is the same as that of the previous chapter, except that here he describes the devastation in different words and with different images. He begins with thanksgiving in the person of those who are left from the devastation.
V. i. Your taking from the old (cogitationes antiquas).
(2) "Miracles" and "foreknowledge" are the promises and prophecies that happened to the fathers of the future kingdom of Christ and of redemption from death and sin.
Therefore, he rejoices that they have been so abundantly filled through Christ, after the gospel has been preached and the Holy Spirit has been given.
is that we now know where the heart should look and what it should believe.
V. 2. for you make the city a heap of stones (Quia posuisti civitatem in tumultum).
3 This is the other part of the thanksgiving, because of the damage done [to the obdurate Jerusalem. There seems to have been an oversight here on the part of the scribe [in the Vulgate] in that he wrote tumultum for the word cumulum. For it must be given thus: Posuisti civitatem in cumulum seu acervum lapidum, "for you make the city a heap of stones."
The solid city.
4 Thus he calls Jerusalem because of the presumption on the temple, on the law, and on the service of God.
The Strangers Palace.
5 He calls them "strangers" because of unbelief. Thus Pliny says, lib. 5, cap. 14, Jerusalem was the most famous of all the cities in the Orient. The Jews must be very blinded and stubborn who do not heed such a clear text.
V. 3. Therefore honor you.
(6) Hitherto a small and stiff-necked people worshipped thee in the corner of the land of Judah; in their place thou shalt have a great and mighty people, all the Gentiles who honor thee.
7 And this passage must be noted, because it clearly says that the worship of the New Testament does not consist in sacrifices, not in the edification of churches, not in masses, but in the praise and fear of God, because among the Gentiles the sacrifice of praise will be offered, and God will be feared, so that hypocrisy is excluded. For the fear of God is the right worship of God, and does not stand in garments or other outward splendor, but depends on the heart.
For thou art the strength of the lowly, the strength of the poor in tribulation.
8.o ) He calls the people [v. 3.] "a mighty nation" in regard to the number and the multitude of them; but in regard to their disposition, and their heart, and their position in life (fortunam), they are "few".
(9) Now this is a lovely description of Christ, what kind of God He is and what kind of people or kingdom He has, as He describes Himself, Matt. 11:28: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. That his kingdom is a kingdom for the poor, who are to be comforted, for the afflicted and the despised in the world, whom the world calls heretics and puts under ban, who, because they are burdened with the hatred of the world, also feel sin and an evil conscience. About such
o) Instead of §§8-12, the 1532 edition brings only the following: "Come to me, all you who labor"; "He has sent me to preach the gospel to the poor" etc., are excellent consolations.
Christ is a king of people, as he says elsewhere (Luc. 4, 18.]: "He sent me to preach the gospel to the poor." He is a king of the poor, to whom the poor and the weary can approach with confidence, because he says that he alone is their king. On the other hand, those who are powerful, rich, holy, and unaware of sin, this poor king is frightening to such people, as he says in Ps. 2:10 ff: "Let yourselves therefore be instructed, O kings" etc.
A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat.
(10) You are the confidence of those who are tossed to and fro by storms and tempests, that is, who suffer persecution for the sake of the Word of God, who are pressed by sin and their own flesh and Satan. In all this danger we have no other refuge than Christ. If we run to Him, we have a sure refuge against all attacks of all evils. Thus he says Matth. 7, 24. 25. full of the wise man who builds his house on a rock.
When the tyrants rage (spiritus enim robustorum).
This must be connected with the next preceding words: "You are a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the spirit (that is, the raging) of the tyrants (add: "breaks in" or "rages against them"), like a storm against a wall. This is an apt image. In the tribulation and thunderstorm we cannot judge that help and salvation are so near. For we judge according to the sensation that is set in sadness and unrest by the present trouble, and does not see the future salvation. Here, indeed, we feel that we are a weak fence that cannot withstand the raging torrent that rushes in with impetuosity. Thus, this image presents the condition of a Christian and believer who is in tribulation.
12. so I am, as it were, a weak fence, which is set against the pope and the emperor, who are, as it were, the riverbed of the elbe.
These would sweep us away in an instant if Christ allowed them to. For they are a hundred times stronger and more powerful than we are. They know this, and that is why they rely on their power, strength and attacks against us. Christians, on the other hand, know that they are powerless. How is it, then, that they can do nothing, and harm neither with their power, nor with their strength, nor with their attacks, since they alone urge and desire it? Certainly, if you consult reason, it will soon despair and say that he who is superior in strength and power will have the upper hand. But Isaiah says the opposite, namely, that the poor man has an insurmountable strength beside him and a safe refuge against all storms, because he looks with certain faith to Christ and says: You are my strength. This confidence then overcomes all the power and authority of the world and Satan. Therefore, one must learn that salvation and help are closest when they seem to be farthest away.
V. 5. sicut aestus in siti. p)
13 Translate thus: "You humble the stranger's impetuosity, like the heat in an arid place. The heat in the shadow of the cloud will spoil the vine of the tyrants." He calls "shadow of the cloud" (umbram nubis) what we call in German "Mehlthau", namely the harmful dew that falls during the day, by which the seeds are burned, and the leaves on trees and vines wither and perish. He thus implies that the tyrants would perish by themselves. Thus the synagogue and the whole Jewish people, thus the rule of the Romans has been eradicated. But the church overcame through suffering, and continues to this day; not that she took up arms against her persecutors, but she allowed herself to be killed, and through her destruction she overcame.
14. since god stopped the adversaries
p) These words are interpreted in the 1532 edition like this: The Christep will conquer, not by resisting, but by suffering. For he says that the Lord himself will dry them up. This drying up happens when he ceases to bless. - Then follows 16.
and took away from them the people who were sent to administer the commonwealths (for when these are gone, the kingdoms must necessarily fall, however powerful they may be), it means that the tyrants will be dried up by the heat, if he does not give fertile rain, but the shadow of the cloud, "a harmful flour dew". This is how Italy and Hungary have been spoiled in our time, and it seems that Germany will be the same. And no community has ever perished through lack of goods or forces, but through lack of wise men and lack of fertile rain. And Christians overcome by commanding the matter to him who judges rightly.
15 But it is emphatically said that he calls them a vine of the strong (palmitem fortium), because they blossom in such a way that they give the greatest hope of future fruit. But what happens? When they are least careful of all, they perish by heat and flour. For the wicked their plots fail; because they are very sure and bloodthirsty, they do not bring their days to the half [Ps. 55:24]. Thus we see now that our adversaries flourish, and make the certain hope that they will destroy us; but it shall come to pass that they themselves shall perish, but we shall remain. God will drop a dusting of flour into their vineyards. So this is our comfort, that they will not get where they are thinking with their plots; indeed, they will not even reach half of their thoughts, but will perish in the midst of their plots. The text will not deceive us. The same will happen to the Turk and all the enemies of the Church of Christ.
V. 6 And the Lord of hosts shall make a fat banquet in this mountain for all the people.
16) Of the slaughter of the wicked he says, "The Lord will make a feast in this mountain," that is, he will gather all the people to Jerusalem; there he will cause them to be slaughtered by the Romans. "The fat" are the rich; for the marrow signifies all that is very tender. Thus "the marrow of the wheat" means as much as the best wheat.
From wine in which there is no yeast.
17 [Instead of Vindemiae defaecatae in the Vulgate] translate: faecium expressarum [of pressed out yeasts], that is, he will thus destroy them, so that not even the yeasts will remain.
V. 7. 8. and he will put away the covering on this mountain (Et devorabitur in monte isto facies singulorum involutorum).
18. so translate instead of: Et praecipitabit [etc, in the Vulgate].
19 That is, he will destroy the covering with which all are covered. But he calls "the covering" (faciem involutorum) death and sin, with which all men are covered. For death is, as it were, a covering before God, with which the whole world is covered. This covering will be taken away by the godly on Mount Zion, that is, in the Church. For this is the fruit and effect of the gospel, that it quickeneth the dead, and taketh away death. Thus says the prophet: "The godless Jews will be slain, but the faithful will be preserved, though they are covered with many evils.
20. for Christ has overcome death, that it has no right over believers. Thus he says in Hosea Cap. 13, 14: "Death, I will be thy death; hell, I will be thy pestilence." For with Christians there is a continual devouring of death, and the kingdom of Christ is nothing other than a continual devouring of death and hell. For just as the pestilence is continually devouring the powers of the body, so Christ is continually devouring death and sin in His own. But this happens when we believe the word. For as much as the knowledge of the word and of Christ increases, so much life increases; but as life increases, so death and sin decrease.
21 But he expressly adds that it takes place "on this mountain", that is, in the church and in this bodily life. For justification and eternal life begins in this life and is completed after the death of this flesh. Thus Paul says [Rom. 8, 24.]: "We are blessed, but in hope," but he calls it an outward
Appearance (kaeiom) to indicate that it will be easy for him to destroy death.
And the Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces.
(22) Christians are afflicted with endless tribulations, which are as it were covers with which death wraps us, and so that it keeps us. But he says, "The Lord will remove these covers.
And will lift up the reproach of his people.
23. for there is nothing more despised than Christians. For they are always as a curse of the world, and a sweep-offering of all men, as Paul says [1 Cor. 4:13.],q ) and the world believes that by them heaven and earth are defiled and stained; but if they were taken out of the way, they would be cleansed and atoned for. For this is the meaning of the Greek word \χα&άρματά\. Thus Christ says
Ps. 22:7: "I am a worm and not a man." This is therefore the name of a Christian, let him suffer this outwardly from men, or inwardly from the devil and his conscience. Where these covers are not there, namely death, sin and shame, the ministry of Christ will be in vain. This, therefore, is an excellent description of Christ, that he is such a king, who swallows up sins, death, imprisonment, and shame, and whatever other such covers there are.
V. 9. At that time it will be said, "Behold, this is our God.
This is the glory of the Christians and the only worship of the New Testament, which he distinguishes from the old worship, which consisted of many sacrifices. But the worship of the New Testament is believing, trusting, hoping in God for the sake of Christ and through Him. Now these words are of great emphasis. For no one believes but he who is in the cross and tribulation. And these alone bring the sacrifice of praise to God, now that they are freed from distress and feel the benefits of God.
From here to the end of the paragraph, the 1532 edition has only the words: This covering Christ will also take away.
V. 10. The hand of the Lord rests on this mountain.
The power and authority of God will remain with the church because He saves it and makes it joyful. But at the time when she is in tribulation, the opposite is in view. For it seems as if she is oppressed by the hand of the devil.
But Moab will be crushed under him.
26. this is an interchange of words (metonymia,). "Moab" is set for the un
believing synagogue that does not convert. This will be "crushed," that is, it will be the most despised, it will be trampled underfoot all over the world.
V. 11. 13. And he will spread out his hands in the midst of them.
(27) As a swimmer presses the waters, so the Lord will press and persecute the Jews, and they shall turn whithersoever they will. For he hereby indicates that after they have lost their worship and their kingdom, they will be scattered throughout the world.