John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. Thus hath the Lord showed unto me , etc.] Another vision after this manner: and, behold, the Lord God called to contend by fire ; gave out that he would have a controversy with his people Israel, and proclaimed the time when he would try the cause with them, and that by fire: or he called his family, as Jarchi; that is, his angels, as Kimchi, to cause fire to descend upon Israel, as upon Sodom and Gomorrah; so other Rabbins Kimchi mentions: or, as he interprets it, the scorching heat of the sun, like fire that restrained the rain, dried up the plants, and lessened the waters of the river, and so brought on a general drought, and in consequence famine: or rather a foreign army, involving them in war, burning their cities and towns; (see Amos 1:4,7,10,12,14); and it devoured the great deep ; it seemed, as if it did; as the fire from heaven, in Elijah’s time, licked up the water in the trench, ( 1 Kings 18:38); so this, coming at God’s command, seemed to dry up the whole ocean; by which may be meant the multitude of people, nations, and kingdoms, subdued by the Assyrians; (see Revelation 17:15); and did eat up a part ; a part of a field, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra; of the king’s field, ( Amos 7:1); as Kimchi; showing, as he observes, that the reigning king was a bad king, and that this was for his sin: or rather a part of the land of Israel; and so refers, as is generally thought, to Tiglathpileser’s invasion of the land, who carried captive a part of it, ( Kings 15:29).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - God bears long, but he will not bear always with a provoking people The remembrance of the mercies we formerly received, like the produc of the earth of the former growth, should make us submissive to the will of God, when we meet with disappointments in the latter growth The Lord has many ways of humbling a sinful nation. Whatever trouble we are under, we should be most earnest with God for the forgiveness of sin. Sin will soon make a great people small. What will become of Israel, if the hand that should raise him be stretched out against him See the power of prayer. See what a blessing praying people are to land. See how ready, how swift God is to show mercy; how he waits to be gracious. Israel was a wall, a strong wall, which God himself reared a a defence to his sanctuary. The Lord now seems to stand upon this wall He measures it; it appears to be a bowing, bulging wall. Thus God woul bring the people of Israel to the trial, would discover their wickedness; and the time will come, when those who have been spare often, shall be spared no longer. But the Lord still calls Israel his people. The repeated prayer and success of the prophet should lead u to seek the Saviour.
Original Hebrew כה3541 הראני7200 אדני136 יהוה3069 והנה2009 קרא7121 לרב7378 באשׁ784 אדני136 יהוה3069 ותאכל398 את853 תהום8415 רבה7227 ואכלה398 את853 החלק׃2506
