John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin [is] for him ? etc.] No, there must be a snare set, or a bird can never be taken in it; and that is done, not by chance, but with the design of the fowler; yea, with the knowledge and will of God himself, ( Matthew 10:29); the design of this is to show, that no judgment or affliction comes upon a people, or they into one, by chance, or without the appointment of God; they are his nets and snares, which he on purpose spreads and sets for persons, to take them in; and unless he did do so, they would not fall into any; (see Job 5:6,7 23:14 Ezekiel 12:13); shall [one] take up a snare from the earth ; the Targum adds, out of its time: and have taken nothing at all ? when men set a snare to catch anything, do they take it up before anything is caught? they do not; they let it stand till something is ensnared in it, and so their end answered, and then they take it up, and not before. And thus when God denounces or brings a judgment, or an affliction, upon a people, does he remove it before the end is answered by it? he does not; if the end is to bring men to a sense of sin, and humiliation for it; or to bring near to God who have been wandering from him; or to try their graces, or take away their sin; when such an end is answered, then, and not till then, is the snare taken up, or the affliction removed; tilt such an end is brought about, the distress is continued, or the threatening of it; and of this Israel is hereby assured.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - The distinguishing favours of God to us, if they do not restrain from sin, shall not exempt from punishment. They could not expect communio with God, unless they first sought peace with him. Where there is no friendship, there can be no fellowship. God and man cannot wal together, except they are agreed. Unless we seek his glory, we cannot walk with him. Let us not presume on outward privileges, withou special, sanctifying grace. The threatenings of the word and providenc of God against the sin of man are certain, and certainly show that the judgments of God are at hand. Nor will God remove the affliction he ha sent, till it has done its work. The evil of sin is from ourselves, it is our own doing; but the evil of trouble is from God, and is his doing, whoever are the instruments. This should engage us patiently to bear public troubles, and to study to answer God's meaning in them. The whole of the passage shows that natural evil, or troubles, and no moral evil, or sin, is here meant. The warning given to a careles world will increase its condemnation another day. Oh the amazin stupidity of an unbelieving world, that will not be wrought upon by the terrors of the Lord, and that despise his mercies!
Original Hebrew התפל5307 צפור6833 על5921 פח6341 הארץ776 ומוקשׁ4170 אין369 לה היעלה5927 פח6341 מן4480 האדמה127 ולכוד3920 לא3808 ילכוד׃3920
