John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. Thus saith the Lord of hosts , etc.] This prophecy, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, respects time to come; the days of the Messiah, in the war of Gog and Magog, when they shall come up against Jerusalem, and the Lord shall pour out his great wrath upon them; and it seems right to interpret it, not only literally of Jerusalem, but spiritually of the church in Gospel times: I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy ; the Arabic version reads, “for Jerusalem, and for Zion”; as in ( Zechariah 1:14), (see Gill on “ Zechariah 1:14”): and I was jealous for her with great fury : that is, against her enemies; the Babylonians and Chaldeans now, and the antichristian powers in Gospel times. The Targum paraphrases it, “against the people that provoked her to jealousy”; the past tense is put for the future, as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - The sins of Zion were her worst enemies. God will take away her sins and then no other enemies shall hurt her. Those who profess religio must adorn their profession by godliness and honesty. When become city of truth and a mountain of holiness, Jerusalem is peaceable an prosperous. Verses #(4, 5), beautifully describe a state of grea outward peace, attended with plenty, temperance, and contentment. The scattered Israelites shall be brought together from all parts. God wil never leave nor forsake them in a way of mercy, for this he ha promised them; and they shall never leave nor forsake him in a way of duty, as they have promised him. These promises were partly fulfille in the Jewish church, betwixt the captivity and the time of Christ' coming; and they had fuller accomplishment in the gospel church; but the full import must be as to the future times of the Christian church or the future restoration of the Jews. With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible; so far are God's thoughts and way above ours. In the present low state of vital godliness, we can hardl conceive that so complete a change can be made; but a change thu extensive and glorious, can be brought to pass by the almighty power of the new-creating Spirit, in less time than he was pleased to employ in creating the world. Let the hands of all who labour in the cause of the gospel be strong, serving the Lord in true holiness, assured that their labour shall not be in vain.
Original Hebrew כה3541 אמר559 יהוה3068 צבאות6635 קנאתי7065 לציון6726 קנאה7068 גדולה1419 וחמה2534 גדולה1419 קנאתי׃7065
