John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate , etc.] Such as the ten tribes of Israel, who descended from Isaac, built at Beersheba, in imitation of Isaac, and pleading his example; who worshipped there, though not idols, as they, but the true God; and in commemoration of his being bound upon an altar on Mount Moriah: but these, as the Septuagint version renders it, were “high places of laughter”, ridiculous in the eyes of the Lord, despised by him, and so should be made desolate: and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste ; the temples built for the calves at Daniel and Bethel, and other places: and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword ; or, as the Targum, “I will raise up against the house of Jeroboam those that slay with the sword;” this was fulfilled by Shallum, who conspired against Zachariah the son of Jeroboam, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, which put an end to the family of Jeroboam, ( 2 Kings 15:10).
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 ונשׁמו8074 במות1116 ישׂחק3446 ומקדשׁי4720 ישׂראל3478 יחרבו2717 וקמתי6965 על5921 בית1004 ירבעם3379 בחרב׃2719
