VIII A promise that Jerusalem shall be restored, ver. 1-8. That the whole church shall be established and increased, ver. 9-23.

Verse 2. Jealousy - With great care that she should not, as formerly, sin against my love, and her own welfare, and with a great desire to do her good, and to rescue her from her enemies. Fury - With heat of anger against her enemies.

Verse 3. Shall be called a city of truth - Her citizens shall love the truth and speak it, shall worship me in truth of heart, as well as in the true manner prescribed to them.

Verse 4. Old men - Formerly war, or famine or pestilence, and wasting diseases, cut off men and women before they came to old age.

Verse 6. marvelous - These things may seem strange to this people.

7. The east-country - Persia and Media, which lay east from Jerusalem, and were now masters of Babylon.

Verse 8. In truth and in righteousness - This signifies both God's part, and their part; on God's part truth, on their's righteousness, obedience to God's righteous law.

Verse 9. The prophets - Haggai and Zechariah.

Verse 10. Before these days - For eighteen years together. No hire - No profit by the labour of man or beast, no sowing or planting. Affliction - Distress, and want, through the barrenness, which attended all their labour.

Verse 11. I will not be - That is, I will not deal with them as in former days.

Verse 14. I repented not - I did not fail to do it.

Verse 15. So - So with like steadiness of mind I have purposed to do well to you.

Verse 16. Judgment of truth - True judgment. Peace - That may restore, and settle peace among you. Gates - The places of judicature, where the Judges sat.

Verse 19. Thus saith the Lord - This verse is a final decision of the case: provided they do these things required, ver. 16, 17, then shall the fasting cease, and turn into joyful feasts. The fourth month - Wherein the city was taken by the Babylonians. The fifth - In which the temple was burnt. The seventh - Wherein Gedaliah was killed. The tenth - On the tenth day whereof the king of Babylon's army sat down before the city.

Verse 20. People - Multitudes.

Verse 21. I will go also - The invited, shall with as much zeal embrace the motion, as others made it.

Verse 22. In Jerusalem - Literally understood, you have the first fruits of them mentioned, Acts ii, 10-12. Mystically, Jerusalem is the church of Christ. To pray - To perform all gospel-worship.