1 The two following chapters are understood by different people in different ways. Most of the commentators refer them to the last day. I leave others to their opinion, but hold that the prophet is speaking of the final desolation of the synagogue, when the kingdom and priesthood of this people will be transferred from the church established by the apostles. For since in the preceding chapter he makes glorious promises of the tabernacle, which was to be firm and eternal, and of the impregnable walls of Jeru
salem, the unbelieving Jews were puffed up about it, and defied it extraordinarily, and surely despised Christ with his apostles, who taught and warned them. Therefore Christ also threatens: "The kingdom [of God] will be taken from you and given to the Gentiles who bring forth its fruits [Matth. 21, 43]. And the prophet prophesies here with somewhat dark words that they would be destroyed to the ground by the Romans for the sake of this presumption. But at the same time the destruction of the Hei-
This includes those who were not satisfied with the destruction of the synagogue, but also raged against the apostles and the saints.
(2) Perhaps this connection with the foregoing seems somewhat harsh. But we see that the prophets generally have a way of reaching over from the present kingdom to the future kingdom of Christ, partly to comfort the godly, partly to frighten the godless, who, puffed up by the great promises, were surely presumptuous. This is also punished by John Matth. 3, 9: "Do not think that you will say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'" 2c.
V. 1. Come near, you Gentiles.
This is a general reminder, which concerns first the Jews, then also the Gentiles. But he makes such a splendid preface because he speaks against the presumptuous and the secure. You will hear terrible things, he says, the Lord will draw his sword.
V. 2. army (militia).
4 This word occurs frequently in the prophets. It does not mean war alone, but it is a general name for all human activities. Thus the religion of the Jews is called militia.
He will banish them.
5. He speaks first of the Jews, who were devastated by the Romans.
V. 3. 4. and will rot all the host of heaven.
6 Thus he calls the religion of the Jews, because they had a divine service, which was established by God. The other peoples' worship, religion and doings were only an earthly army (militia), because they did not have the Word, just as the papacy is today. And this passage moves me to take it from the transmission and change of religion, which never happened before, that the whole religion, with all the sacrifices and worship of this heavenly people, decayed,
and that the services instituted by God should not help, since it did not want to hear the Gospel, to which all human activity should give way.
And heaven will be wrapped up like a letter.
This indicates that the practice of religion will perish. The heavens will be rolled up as they are spread out, that is, the priesthood, which is now in strong use and in great dignities, will be abolished altogether, and it will then no longer be needed. We see this today with the Jews.
As a leaf withers on the vine. 1)
(8) These words are clear, so that it is easy to understand which people he is talking about, namely, the very best and holiest, whose fathers bore grapes and the sweetest fruit. For this people had the greatest men, and yet their descendants perish because of their unbelief.
V. 5. for my sword is drunk in heaven.
9) "In heaven", that is, in the synagogue where God is served, where the holy fathers flourished before. Accordingly, the opinion is: the sword of the Romans will abolish the synagogue, and at the same time destroy Edom. For we read in history that the Edomites came to the aid of the Jews with almost the third part of their warriors. But they were defeated by the Romans at the same time as the Jews. Others prefer to take Edom as a confusion of names, that "heaven" means the priesthood and the church regiment, but "Edom" means the worldly regiment.
V. 6: The Lord's sword is full of blood and thick with fat.
010 This signifies a very great slaughter of the nobles and great men of the people, when the Levites and priests were.
For the LORD is holding a great slaughter at Bozrah.
Bozrah is a very famous city of Arabia in Idumea. But I hold that "Edom" must be taken for Judea, and "Bozra" for Jerusalem by confusion of the names. And for this purpose the allegorical mind serves. "Bozrah" means a fortress. Therefore he aims with this name at the presumption of this people, which relied on the kingdom, and at the priesthood, which was appointed by God. "Edom" means something red and bloody, and refers to the raging of the Jews; just as it is said elsewhere [Proverbs 1:16, Isaiah 59:7, Romans 3:15]: "Their feet are quick to shed blood" 2c.
V. 7: The unicorns will have to come down with them.
He calls the high priests who were at that time "unicorns". These will perish at the same time as the Edomites. "Oxen" are the powerful ones.
V. 8. The year of retribution.
13. God wants to avenge Zion, that is, the church, which has not been struck out of its kind and has not become an Edom and Bozrah, but which is the true Zion that suffered persecution from Edom and Bozrah.
V. 9. 10. Then their streams will turn to pitch.
14. before they were a river of God, as it is written in the Psalms [Ps. 46, 5. 65, 10.). But "then their streams will be turned into pitch". They will burn in themselves like pitch, with hatred and envy against Christ and the Christians. Therefore we see today the quite diabolical envy and hatred of the Jews against us, with which they can do no harm. For they are given over to ungodly opinions, from which nothing but a stench of ungodliness and blasphemy rises. This is how the prophet describes how the synagogue will be after its destruction.
That no one will go through it for eternity.
15. there will be a wasteland and nothing but desolation.
V. 11. but bitterns and hedgehogs shall dwell there; night owls and ravens shall dwell there.
(16) They are wild and solitary birds, by which he indicates that the people are forsaken. But he looks mainly at their teachers, who do not make the consciences happy, but rather frighten them with their singing and teaching. Thus, today the papacy has as teachers in theology swamp birds (ibides = ibises), ravens, night owls and birds of ill fortune, who do nothing with their teaching but lead people away from Christ and leave them in loneliness, that is, in constant doubt and despair, teaching nothing thorough of Christ's benefits.
Den. With this delicate image he indicates that it should never be rebuilt. They have a measuring line and a plumb line, as if they wanted to rebuild. They dream of an empire and restoration of the previous state. But this guideline is a guideline of desolation, and their plumb line is a plumb line of vanity, that is, they will not achieve anything with their actions, they will never make up for this fall of their kingdom and priesthood.
V. 12: That their lords should be called lords without a country, and all their princes should come to an end.
18 In the Vulgate: Nobiles ejus non erunt ibi,) in the Hebrew it reads somewhat differently, namely, that they will only be lords according to the title. For he ridicules the hope of the Jews, which they made of the restoration of the kingdom, and the promises of which they boast, namely, that they would again be installed in the kingdom. He says, "You will have the empty name of the kingdom; in fact, you will not be any happier.
V. 13-15. And shall be a dwelling place for dragons, and pasture for ostriches.
19 He describes their teachers whose voices are ominous and never comforting.
') Besides, here the grammarians have a lot of trouble with the meaning of the words, which designate things, which are no longer in use; just as almost in all languages there is a great obscurity in the words, which designate things. What the Latin translation has given daemonia and onocentaurum, the Hebrews call XXX and XXX of which one can read above the 13th chapter, v. 21.
21 ff], can look up. Some take XXX for what we call "marten", and XXX for vulture, Pilosus, I believe, is a satyr or a faun. Lamia is called in German a "Kobold" or "Schretlein", 1) spirits that wander about in houses, and let themselves be used for the service of men. But these are, as I said, uncertain things.
(20) By this, as I have said, he means the ungodly teachers who deceive and rob souls and bring them to ruin, who are subject to all errors, as we also see today in our enthusiasts, that once Christ and the true Word are lost, there is no end to error and nonsense. First they began to dispute about Holy Baptism, calling it a dog's bath; then they also disputed about the Sacrament. Now they have spread several opinions also in this doctrine. Others again put the doctrine of free will on the track. These are all goblins and
1) Here in the edition of 1532 the following is inserted: But this is to be taken at all from all who do not have the word. These have such teachers.
1) Cf. Walch, St. Louiser Ausg, Vol. Ill, 1150, where they are called "Wichtlein" or "Hehltäpplein".
Night owls. The same happened to the Jewish people and to us, since we learned Averrhoes and Aristotle in the schools instead of Christ and Paul, and Thomas and Scotus followed them.
(21) Therefore, this passage is to be taken in a general way, full of all those who have fallen away from the integrity of the word. Therefore, we should give thanks to God that we have been freed from these monsters, and we should watch that we remain true to the Word. He who has once fallen away from it always falls from one error into another, as we see in all the Jews and heretics.
V. 16: Search now in the book of the Lord.
You did not want to believe God when he threatened, now you learn from experience that he is true. For you will find that all these calamities were foretold to you in the book of the Lord, Deut. 28:15 ff.
What the Latin translator has given: Alter alterum non quaesivit, has this opinion: There is no lack of all that has been predicted there, but everything will be fulfilled in you.
V. 17. He gives the lot over them.
24. The wicked have their lot measured out, which they will not be able to change. They did not want to accept the word, therefore they will receive the deserved reward for believing the lies. They did not want to hear Christ, therefore they will have to hear Satan. That is their lot.