Month: July 2021

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

4 to him who alone does great wonders,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

7 to him who made the great lights,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

8 the sun to rule over the day,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

11 and brought Israel out from among them,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

John Gill

With a strong hand and an outstretched arm—Exerting his power in a very open manner, and continuing it till he had effected the work; bringing his people out of Egypt, which is always ascribed to his great strength and mighty power (Exo 13:3, 9; 15:6, 16; 32:11). The redemption of the mystical Israel of God is by a mighty Redeemer, the Lord of hosts; who has redeemed them out of the hands of their enemies, that were stronger than they, and too strong for them: the conversion of them is by the power of the grace of God, even by the exceeding greatness of his power, and yet both acts of grace and mercy;

For his steadfast love endures forever—It was mercy put the Lord on stretching out his arm, and showing the strength of his right hand, in delivering Israel out of Egypt; and in his love and in his pity he redeemed them (Isa 63:9). It is owing to the tender mercies of our God, and is a performing the mercy promised to the fathers, that Christ, the dawn from on high, was sent to visit and redeem us (Luk 1:68, 72, 78); and the regeneration, quickening, and conversion of sinners, are acts of mercy as well as of power (Eph 2:4-5; 1Pe 1:3).

13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

17 to him who struck down great kings,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

18 and killed mighty kings,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

20 and Og, king of Bashan,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

21 and gave their land as a heritage,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

22 a heritage to Israel his servant,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

Rashi

Who remembered us in our low estate—In Egypt, he remembered us.

24 and rescued us from our foes,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

25 he who gives food to all flesh,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Berakhot 4b:19

Rather, if you suggest that this particular chapter is recited because it contains praise for God’s provision of sustenance to all of creation: “You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Psa 145:16), then let him recite the great hymn (Psa 136), in which numerous praises are written, including: “Who provides food to all flesh, whose kindness endures forever” (Psa 136:25).

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,

for his steadfast love endures forever. PSA 136:1-26

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1JN 4:16

8 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!

The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Sukkah 49b:12

And Rabbi Elazar said: Anyone who performs charity and justice is considered as though he filled the whole world in its entirety with kindness, as it is stated: “He loves charity and justice; the earth is full of the kindness of the Lord” (Psa 33:5). Lest you say that anyone who comes to leap and perform an act of kindness may simply leap and do so without scrutiny, the verse states: “How precious is your kindness, O God” (Psa 36:8). It is a precious and rare occurrence to perform an act of kindness properly. One might have thought that even a God-fearing individual does not always encounter the opportunity to perform acts of kindness. Therefore, the verse states: “But the kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him” (Psa 103:17).

9 They feast on the abundance of your house,

and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

10 For with you is the fountain of life;

in your light do we see light. PSA 36:8-10

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

John Gill

The Lord is merciful and gracious—So he made himself known to Moses (Exo 34:6), and so David found him to be, and therefore calls upon his soul to bless his name. God is “merciful” in the most tender and affectionate manner; he has bowels of mercy, which yearn towards his people, as those of a tender parent to its child, as the word signifies; his mercy is free, without any motive or merit in men to engage it; he delights in showing it; he constantly bestows it; it is the source of all good things; it is communicated through Christ; all mercies temporal and spiritual come by him; and this lays a foundation for faith and hope: and he is gracious, as appears in the eternal choice of his people to salvation; in providing a Savior and a ransom for them; in giving all grace and the blessings of it to them in his Son; in giving him for them, and all things to them with him; in justifying them by his righteousness; in pardoning their sins for his sake; in taking them into his family; in regenerating, calling, preserving, and saving them:

Slow to anger—Or “longsuffering”; even to wicked men, to the vessels of wrath, to the old world, yea, to Jezebel, to whom he gave space to repent; which longsuffering being abused and despised, is an aggravation of condemnation: but rather here it intends God’s longsuffering to his people, as before conversion, waiting till the time comes that he is gracious to them; and after conversion, notwithstanding their backslidings and revoltings; and this longsuffering is their salvation:

And abounding in steadfast love—Large and abundant in it, as appears by the various instances of it, and ways and methods in which he shows it; in election, in the covenant, in redemption, in regeneration, in pardon and eternal life; and by the abundance of it which he bestows on every one of his people; and by the vast numbers which do partake of it.

9 He will not always chide,

nor will he keep his anger forever.

10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation. LUK 1:50

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

13 As a father shows compassion to his children,

so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. PSA 103:8-13

John Gill

As a father shows compassion to his children—When in any affliction, disorder, or distress: the Lord stands in the relation of a Father to his people; they are his children by adopting grace, through the covenant of grace with them; by a sovereign act of his own will he puts them among the children, predestinates them to the adoption of children; and sends his Son to redeem them, that they might receive it, and his Spirit to bear witness to their spirits, that they are his children; and towards these he has all the affections of a tender parent.

So the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him—Not with a servile fear, which is unsuitable to the relation of children; but with reverence and godly fear, with a fear of him and his goodness, and on account of that; a filial fear, such a reverence as children should have of a father: and this character belongs to all the saints of all nations, Jews or Gentiles; and seems to be here given an purpose to include all; and that the divine pity and compassion might not be thought to be restrained to any particular nation. And, as the fruit of his tender mercy, he looks upon his children in their lost estate, and brings them out of it; he succours them under all their temptations; he sympathizes with them under all their afflictions: being full of compassion, he forgives their iniquities; and in the most tender manner receives them when they have backslidden, and heals their backslidings. The Targum in the king of Spain’s Bible is,

“so the Word of the Lord pities,”

&c. See Heb 4:15.

20 My soul continually remembers it

and is bowed down within me.

21 But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope:

John Gill

This I call to mind—Not affliction and misery, but the Lord’s remembrance of his people; what he had been used to do, and would do again; and particularly what follows, the abundant mercy of God, and his great faithfulness; these things the prophet fetched back to his mind; and revolved them in his heart; says he,

And therefore I have hope—This revived his hope, which he was ready to say was perished from the Lord, and there was no foundation for it; but now he saw there was, and therefore took heart, and encouraged himself in the grace and mercy of God.

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

Rashi

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases—And the entire section until (v. 39): “Why should a living man complain? Etc.”

His mercies never come to an end—For we have not ended like Num 17:28: “Are we then altogether given to perish?” It is because of the steadfast love of the Lord that we have not ended, that we have not perished because of our iniquities.

23 they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness. LAM 3:20-23

John Gill

They are new every morning—That is, the tender mercies or compassions of God are, which prove that they fail not; there are instances of them every day, not only in a temporal, but in a spiritual sense; they are ever new, always fresh and vigorous, constant and perpetual; such are the love, grace, and mercy of God, though of old, yet daily renewed in the manifestations thereof; and which make a morning of spiritual light, joy, and comfort; and whenever it is morning with the saints, they have new discoveries of the love of God to them; and these indeed are a bright morning to them, a morning without clouds;

Great is your faithfulness—Some render it “your faith concerning you”; this is a great grace, it is the gift of God, the operation of his Spirit, and to exercise it is a great thing; to this purpose is Jarchi’s note,

“great is your promise, and a great thing it is to believe in you, that it shall be performed, and that you will observe or keep what you have promised to us”;

but the attribute of God’s faithfulness is rather meant; which is another reason why the people of God are not consumed, since that never fails; God is faithful to himself, and cannot deny himself; he is faithful to his counsels and purposes, which shall be truly accomplished; and to his covenant and promises, which shall be fulfilled; and to his Son, the surety and Savior of his people.

10 For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

John Gill

For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon—These seventy years are not to be reckoned from the last captivity under Zedekiah; nor from the precise present time; nor from the first of Jeconiah’s captivity; but the fourth year of Jehoiakim, and the first of Nebuchadnezzar, when he first came up against Jerusalem; see Jer 25:1-2, 11;

I will visit you—In a way of mercy, by stirring up Cyrus king of Persia to grant them their liberty:

And I will fulfill towards you my promise and bring you back to this place—Meaning the promise of return from their captivity to their own land; which was a good word of promise, a promise of good things; which was good news to them, and of which there was no doubt of its performance, since God is faithful who has promised, and is able also to perform. It was from hence, and Jer 25:11, 19; that Daniel learned the time of the captivity, and the return from it (Dan 9:2).

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. JER 29:10-14

1 A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.

2 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up

and have not let my foes rejoice over me.

John Gill

I will extol you, O Lord—Or “lift you up on high.” The Lord is high in his name, he is the Most High; and in his nature, there is none besides him, nor like to him; and in place, he dwells in the high and Holy Place; he is above all, angels and men; he is above all gods; he is the King of kings, and Lord of lords; he cannot be higher than he is: to extol him, therefore, is to declare him to be what he is; to exalt him in high praises of him, which the psalmist determined to do, for the following reasons;

For you have drawn me up—Or “out”; from the pit of nature; the low estate of unregeneracy; the pit wherein is no water: the horrible pit, the mire and clay of sin and misery, in which all men, while unconverted, are; and out of which they cannot lift themselves, being without strength, yea, dead in sin: this is God’s work; he takes out of this pit, he draws out of it by his efficacious grace; he raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill; and this is an instance of his grace and mercy, and requires a new song of praise: or this may regard some great fall by sin, from which he was restored, through the grace and power of God; or deliverance from great troubles, compared to waters, out of which he was drawn (Psa 18:17); and was lifted up above his enemies; and agrees very well with his being brought to his palace and throne again, upon the defeat of Absalom;

And have not let my foes rejoice over me—As Satan does over unregenerate sinners, when he possesses their hearts, and keeps the house and goods in peace; and as the men of the world do over fallen saints, when forsaken by the Lord, and afflicted by him, and are under the frowns of his providence; but the conspirators against David were not suffered to succeed and rejoice over him, which they otherwise would have done; and for this he praises the Lord.

3 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,

and you have healed me.

4 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;

you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

5 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,

and give thanks to his holy name.

6 For his anger is but for a moment,

and his favor is for a lifetime.

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

Avodah Zarah 4b:6

The Gemara further discusses this matter: And how long does his indignation last? It lasts a moment. And how long is a moment? Ameimar, and some say Ravina, said: It lasts as long as it takes to say the word moment. The Gemara asks: And from where do we derive that God’s anger lasts for only a moment? As it is written: “His anger is but for a moment, and his favor, for a lifetime” (Psa 30:6). And if you wish, say instead that it is derived from here: “Hide yourself for a brief moment, until the anger has passed by” (Isa 26:20), meaning that God’s anger passes in a mere moment.

Rashi

For . . . for a moment—For his anger is but for a short moment.

His favor is for a lifetime, there is long life in appeasing and placating him.

Sanhedrin 105b:7

That is what Balaam said to Balak: “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn, whom God has not condemned?” (Num 23:8). Since God did not become angry, Balaam was unable to curse the Jewish people. It is written: “And God is angry every day” (Psa 7:12). And how long is the duration of his anger? It is one moment, as it is stated: “For his anger endures but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime” (Psa 30:6).

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. MAT 5:4

7 As for me, I said in my prosperity,

“I shall never be moved.”

8 By your favor, O Lord,

you made my mountain stand strong;

you hid your face;

I was dismayed.

9 To you, O Lord, I cry,

and to the Lord I plead for mercy:

10 “What profit is there in my death,

if I go down to the pit?

Will the dust praise you?

Will it tell of your faithfulness?

11 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!

O Lord, be my helper!”

12 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

13 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! PSA 30:1-13

10 Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again

11 the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord:

“Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,

for the Lord is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!”

For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.

Berakhot 6b:33

Rabbi Abbahu said: The reward for causing a groom to rejoice is the same as if one had offered a thanks-offering in the temple, for as it is stated later in the previously cited verse from Jeremiah: “Those who bring a thanks-offering to the house of the Lord.”

And Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said: The reward for causing a groom to rejoice is the same as if one rebuilt one of Jerusalem’s ruins, as it is stated later in the same verse: “For I will restore the fortunes of the land as it was in the beginning.”

12 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks.

13 In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the Lord. JER 33:10-13

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

They shall go after the Lord;

he will roar like a lion;

when he roars,

his children shall come trembling from the west . . . HOS 11:10

John Gill

They shall go after the Lord—That is, after the Messiah, who is Jehovah our righteousness; that Jehovah the Jews pierced, and now shall mourn at the sight of, being converted to him; for these are the chosen of God among that people, who in the latter day shall partake of the grace and favour before expressed, in consequence of which they shall be set a seeking the Lord their God, and David their king; and, finding him, shall follow after him, as sheep go after their shepherd, being led by him into green pastures; as subjects follow their prince, obeying his commands and orders; as soldiers march after their leader and commander, so these after Christ, the great captain of their salvation, part of whose armies they will make: they will walk under the influence of his grace, having life, strength, guidance, and direction, from him, which walking implies; they will walk not after the flesh, as they now do, but after the Spirit of Christ, taking him for their guide, by whom they will be led into all truth, as it is in Jesus; they will walk in his ways, in all the paths of faith and holiness, truth and righteousness; in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, according to his word. The Targum is,

“they shall go after the worship of the Lord”;

He will roar like a lion—The Lord Christ they walk after; who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Israelites shall now follow after; receiving, embracing, and confessing him the true Messiah. So the Targum,

“and his Word shall be as a lion that roars”;

Christ, the essential Word of God: and so Jarchi, according to Lyra, interprets it of the Messiah to come; who is compared to a lion for his strength and courage, and for the fierceness of his wrath against his enemies; and his voice, in his word, is like the roaring of a lion, exceeding loud, and reaching far, even the uttermost parts of the earth; as it did in the first times of the gospel, and will in the last; and which the Jews particularly, in each of the parts of the world, will hear, and Gentiles also, and be affected with it; for it will be also very strong, powerful, and efficacious; which is another reason of its being compared to a lion roaring; see Joe 4:16; Rev 10:2;

He roars, his children shall come trembling from the west—The children of Israel, the children of God, his adopted ones, whom he has predestinated to the adoption of children; these, through the first impressions of Christ’s voice or word upon them, shall startle, and be set a trembling, and be astonished, as Saul was, when called and converted; as it is reported of the lion, that, when it roars, other beasts are so terrified that they are quite stunned and amazed, and are not able to stir; but though the first sound of the voice of Christ may have some effect upon the Jews, yet this will not cause them to tremble at him so as to flee from him, but to cause them to flee to him: for the phrase is expressive of motion towards him, and to their own land, as appears from Hos 11:11; when filled with a sense of his majesty and grace, they shall approach him with a holy awe of him, with fear and trembling: or “come with honour”; agreeably to 1Sa 16:4; having high, honourable, and grand sentiments and apprehensions of him; so that this trembling, at least, issues in a godly and filial fear and reverence of him, suitable to their character as children. The phrase, “from the west,” or “from the sea,” meaning the Mediterranean sea, which lay west of Judea, and is often used for the west, may signify the western or European part of the world, where the Jews for the most part are, and from whence they will be gathered. The Targum is,

“for he roars, and the captives shall be gathered from the west.”

9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1PE 5:8-10

You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;

you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. EXO 15:13

Rashi

You have led—Heb. נֵהַלְךְתָּ, an expression of leading. Onkelos, however, translated it in the sense of bearing and carrying, but he was not particular to translate according to the Hebrew expression (i.e., to translate literally).

But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. GEN 19:16

Rashi

But he lingered in order to save his property.

Seized—One of these was commissioned to rescue him whilst his fellow was to overthrow Sodom; that is why it is stated (v. 17) “and one said, ‘Escape . . . ,’ ” and it is not stated “and they said” (Bereishit Rabbah 50:11).

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. JOH 6:44

19 . . . you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go.

John Gill

You in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness—Where no supply could be had, if he had cast them off, see Neh 9:17,

The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day—Which, if it had, they would have been scorched by the heat of the sun:

Nor the pillar of fire by night to show them light, and the way by which they should go—Or otherwise they would have lost their way, and not have known which way to have gone.

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,

2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea . . . 1CO 10:1-2

20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.

“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. EXO 17:6

Bava Metzia 86b:13

With regard to Abraham, the verse states: “And he stood by them under the tree while they ate” (Gen 18:8), and in reference to God, the verse states: “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it” (Exo 17:6). In the case of Abraham it is written: “And Abraham went with them to set them on their way” (Gen 18:16), and the verse states: “And the Lord went before them by day” (Exo 13:21).

21 Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. NEH 9:19-21

John Gill

Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing—As not for food, so neither for garments, as follows:

Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell—Of which see Deu 8:4.

And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. ACT 13:18

John Gill

And for about forty years—From their coming out of Egypt, to their entrance into the land of Canaan:

He put up with them in the wilderness—Which were very perverse and provoking; as their murmuring for water, their rebellion against Moses and Aaron, their idolatry and the ill report brought on the good land by their spies; and yet the Lord fed them, and led them, and kept them as the apple of his eye: some think the true reading is, “he bore,” or “fed them,” as a nurse bears and feeds her children; and so the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions render it, “he nourished them”; rained manna, and gave them quails from heaven, and furnished a table for them in the wilderness: and indeed, though there were instances of God’s patience and forbearance with them, yet certain it is, that as he was tempted and proved by them, so he was grieved with them during the forty years in the wilderness; and often let fall his vengeance upon them, by cutting off great numbers of them; and even the carcasses of all that generation that came out of Egypt fell in the wilderness; nor did any of them enter into the land of Cannan, but Joshua and Caleb.

4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

teach me your paths.

Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people. EXO 33:13

Rashi

Now therefore—If it is true that I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, i.e., what reward you give to those who find favor in your sight.

That I may know you in order to find favor in your sight means, that I may know by this the nature of the reward you bestow, since I have found favor in your sight. The explanation of “in order to find favor” accordingly is: in order that I may find out how great is the reward attendant on this finding favor.

Consider too that this nation is your people so that you should not say (Exo 32:10), “in order that I may make a great nation of you,” whilst these (the whole people) you will abandon! Consider that they are your nation from of old, and if you reject them, surely I cannot rely upon it that those who are born of me will endure—rather let me know through this people the reward that is to be paid me. Although our Rabbis expounded on this in Tractate Berakhot 7a but I come to explain the verses in a manner fitting to them and in their context.

5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all the day long. PSA 25:4-5

It is written in the Prophets, “And they will all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me . . . JOH 6:45

John Gill

It is written in the Prophets—In the book of the Prophets, as the Ethiopic version renders it: the Jews divided the books of the Old Testament into three parts, the Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa; now in that division which was called the Prophets, are the following words: or in one of the prophets, namely, in Isa 54:13; so the Syriac version reads, “in the prophet”; though some think reference is had to more prophets, and more passages than one, as besides the above mentioned (Jer 31:33; Mic 4:2);

And they will all be taught by God—By his Spirit to know themselves, and Jesus Christ; that is, all that are ordained to eternal life; all that are given to Christ, and are chosen in him; all the children of Zion, and who are the children of God; these are all, sooner or later, in a special manner, taught of God: and which does not intend mere external instructions, and objective teachings by the ministry of the word, for many are so taught, who never come to Christ; but special teachings, such as are attended with the energy of divine grace, and the power of the Spirit of God, who guides into all truth, savingly and spiritually: for this is to be understood of their being taught in the gospel of Christ, and not in the law, as the Targum paraphrases it,

“all your children shall learn in the law of the Lord.”

And that this prophecy refers to gospel times, is clear from the citation and application of the first verse of it, to the church in the times of the apostles (Gal 4:27). The Jews themselves acknowledge the prophecy belongs to the times of the Messiah, to which they expressly apply the words in Isa 54:5, “your Maker is your husband.” And one of their modern commentators allows, that this very passage, “all your children shall be taught by God,” refers, “to the time to come”; that is, to the times of the Messiah: in this citation, those words, “your children,” are left out, to show that the words are not to be restrained to the people of the Jews, as they might seem by that clause, and to whom the Jews would limit them: for so they say,

“they are truly taught of God from whom prophecy comes, which does not to all the world, but to Israel only, of whom it is written, ‘and all your children are taught by God.’ ”

But our Lord, by these words, instructs us, and would have us observe, that all that the Father has given him, whether Jews or Gentiles, of whom he had been speaking in the preceding verses, should be taught of God; and so taught, as to be drawn and brought to him, and believe in him, and have everlasting life: wherefore he infers from hence, that every man, whether a Jew or a Gentile, that is taught of God, will come to him in a spiritual way, and trust in him for eternal life and happiness, as follows:

Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—Everyone who has heard the voice of the Father’s love, grace, and mercy in the gospel, and has learned of him the way of peace, life, and salvation by Christ, under the influence of his grace, comes to Christ; being encouraged by the declarations and promises of grace he has heard and learned, and ventures his soul on Christ, and commits it to him; trusting and relying on his person, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, for justification, pardon, atonement, acceptance with God, and eternal life.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ROM 8:14

John Gill

For all who are led by the Spirit of God—Not by the spirit of the world, or of the devil, or by their own spirits: the act of leading ascribed to the Spirit is either in allusion to the leading of blind persons, or such who are in the dark; or rather to the leading of children and teaching them to go; which supposes life in those that are led, and some degree of strength, though a good deal of weakness; and is a display of powerful and efficacious grace, and is always for their good: the Spirit of God leads them from sin, and from a dependence on their own righteousness, in paths they formerly knew not, and in which they should go, in the paths of faith and truth, of righteousness and holiness, and in a right, though sometimes a rough way; he leads them to the person, blood, and righteousness of Christ, and to the fulness of grace in him; into the presence of God, to the house and ordinances of God; into the truths of the gospel, from one degree of grace to another, and at last to glory; which he does gradually, by little and little he leads them to see the iniquity of their hearts and natures, to lay hold on Christ and salvation by him, into the doctrines of grace, and the love and favour of God, and proportionally to the strength he gives: now such persons,

Are sons of God—Not in so high a sense as Christ is; nor in so low a sense as Adam was, and angels are; much less in such sense as wicked magistrates be; nor merely as professors of religion in common; but by adoption, not national, such as that of the Jews, but special; and which has some agreement with civil adoption, it being of persons to an inheritance, which they have no legal right unto, and it is done freely: though there is a difference between the one and the other; for in divine adoption there is no need on the adopter’s side; nor no worth on the side of the adopted; proper qualifications are conveyed to them for the enjoyment of the inheritance, and which is enjoyed, the father and firstborn being living, and is an inheritance which vastly exceeds all others: now this blessing of being the sons of God, is owing not to ourselves, nor to our earthly parents, but to God; to the Father, who predestinated to it, and fixed it in the covenant of grace; to Christ, it is by him, as the Son of God, it is through him, as the mediator, and it is for him, it is for his glory; and also to the Spirit of God, who manifests it, works faith to receive it, witnesses to it, and seals up to the full enjoyment of it. This favour is an instance of surprising grace, exceeds other blessings, makes the saints honorourable, is attended with many privileges, and lasts for ever: such who are in this relation to God, ought to ascribe it to his grace, to require him with thankfulness, and a becoming conversation, to be followers of him, and to love, honour, and obey him.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. ROM 12:16

6 In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths. PRO 3:5-6

Avot D’Rabbi Natan 17:7

Let all your actions be for the sake of heaven. Meaning, for the sake of the law, as it says (Pro 3:6), “In all your ways acknowledge God, and he will straighten out your paths.”

Berakhot 63a:13

Bar Kappara taught: Which is a brief passage upon which all fundamental principles of the law are dependent? “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Pro 3:6). Rava said: One must apply this principle even to acts of transgression, as even then one must adhere to God and refrain from sinning excessively.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

You will say in that day:

“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,

for though you were angry with me,

your anger turned away,

that you might comfort me.” ISA 12:1

Rashi

You will say when you see the nations being sentenced to disgrace and abhorrence.

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me and you exiled me, and my exile atoned for me, and now, amends have been made for my iniquity. Your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. Jonathan renders: I will confess before you, O Lord, that I sinned before you, and, therefore, you were angry with me, and were it not for your mercy, I would not be worthy to have your anger turn away and comfort me, and behold, your anger has turned away from me.

TRUST WORTHY God’s Remnant: God is our ultimate deliverer and comforter

In the end, we will see that all things come together for God’s greater purposes, which transcend our lifetime and our own problems. Isaiah’s prophecy assured the Israelites that he would leave a remnant and they would ultimately thank the Lord for turning away his anger and giving them comfort. As we undergo challenges in life, we can thank God for his sovereignty and love that molds our character and draws us close, put our trust in him, and be assured of his deliverance and comfort. How have you experienced the comfort of God even as you go through challenges?

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. MAT 5:4

5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 2CO 1:3-5

1 To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

2 God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

3 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

4 though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

5 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

6 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

7 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

8 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

9 Come, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

10 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

John Gill

He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth—As at the birth of Christ, the Prince of Peace, in the times of Augustus Caesar, when there was a general peace in the world, though it did not last long; and in the times of Constantine, signified by silence in heaven for half an hour (Rev 8:1); when for a while there was a cessation from wars and persecution; and as will be in the latter day, and which is here chiefly designed; when nations shall learn war no more, and Christ’s kingdom will take place; of which and its peace there shall be no end (Psa 72:7; Isa 2:4; 9:5-6). The consideration of which may serve to relieve distressed minds under terrible apprehensions of present troubles and public calamities;

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire—Or “carts” or “wagons,” in which, as Aben Ezra observes, arms and provision were carried for the use of soldiers; the Targum renders it “round shields”: and the destroying of all these military weapons and carriages is a token of peace, and of war’s being caused to cease, there being no more use for them; with this compare Eze 39:8-9. It was usual to burn the arms of enemies taken in war.

11 “Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

12 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. PSA 46:1-12

50 This is my comfort in my affliction,

that your promise gives me life.

9 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,

and at night his song is with me,

a prayer to the God of my life.

Rashi

By day the Lord commands his steadfast love—May the light of the redemption come, and may the Lord command his steadfast love to us.

And at night—In the darkness of the exile and the troubles.

His song is with me—Heb. שירה. May his resting place be in our midst. שּׁירה is an expression of camping, as we translate (2Sa 17:26): “And Israel encamped,” וּשְּׁרָא. I learned this from the Great Masorah, which associates this word with (1Ki 5:12): “And his songs (שירו) were 1,005,” in the “aleph-beth” of two words with different meanings (homonyms). This taught me that this is not an expression of song, but the Midrash Aggadah does interpret it as an expression of song, interpreting in this manner: Israel says to the Holy One, blessed be he: “We remember what you did for us in Egypt. You commanded us one commandment by day on the eve of the Passover, and we observed it, and at night, you redeemed us and we sang a hymn before you. But now we keep many commandments, yet you do not redeem us. Because of this, I will say to God, my Rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me?’ ”

12 Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation and my God. PSA 42:9, 12

76 Let your steadfast love comfort me

according to your promise to your servant. PSA 119:50, 76

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. JOH 14:16-17

John Gill

Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive—These words explain who is meant by the Helper, “even the Spirit of truth”; the true Spirit of God, the dictator of the Scriptures of truth, who leads men into the truths of the gospel, confirms them in them, and gives boldness and freedom to own, and confess them before men:

Whom the world cannot receive—The men of the world, who are as they came into the world, carnal and natural men, can neither receive the Spirit nor the things of the Spirit, the truths and doctrines of the gospel; they can neither receive them into their understandings, nor into their affections; and indeed, because they cannot understand them, therefore they do not love them, but despise and hate them:

Because it neither sees him nor knows him—The world, and the men of it, can neither see him with their bodily eyes, because he is a “spirit”; nor know him with their understandings, because he is the “Spirit of truth,” which they are ignorant of, for want of a spiritual discerning.

You know him—As a spirit of illumination, regeneration, and conversion:

For he dwells with you—He is an inhabitant in your hearts, he has taken up his residence in you as his temples:

And will be in you—As a Helper, when I am gone from you; and as a Spirit of truth to guide you into all truth, to stand by you, and assist you in preaching it, and to enable you to bear a faithful and glorious testimony for it.

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. HEB 4:14-16

. . . and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.” LEV 16:2

John Gill

And the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother”—Who was the high priest; and what is here said to him was binding on all high priests in succession from him:

Not to come at any time into the Holy Place—Or “holiness,” which was holiness itself, or the Most Holy Place, as distinguished from that which was sometimes called the Holy Place, where stood the incense altar, the showbread table, and the lampstand, into which Aaron went every day, morning and evening, to do the service there enjoined him; but into the holy of holies here described, as appears by the after description of it, he might not go at all times, or every day, or when he pleased, only once a year, on the Day of Atonement; though, according to the Jewish writers, he went in four times on that day, first to offer incense, a second time to sprinkle the blood of the bullock, a third time to sprinkle the blood of the goat, and a fourth time to fetch out the censer; and if he entered a fifth time, he was worthy of death. Some have observed, that this respected Aaron only, and not Moses; that though Aaron might not go in when he pleased, and only at a time fixed, yet Moses might at any time, and consult the Lord upon the mercy seat, see Exo 25:22. Pausanias makes mention of several heathen temples which were opened but once a year, as the temples of Hades Dindymene, and Eurymone, and particularly the temple of Minerva, into which only a priest entered once a year; which perhaps was in imitation of the Jewish high priest:

Inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark—This is a description of the Holy Place, into which the high priest might not go at any time, or at pleasure; it was inside the veil that divided between the Holy Place, and the Most Holy, where stood the mercy seat, which was a lid or covering to the ark, at the two ends of which were the cherubim, the seat of the divine Majesty; which was a type of heaven for its holiness, being the habitation of the holy God, Father, Son, and Spirit, and of holy angels, and holy men, and where only holy services are performed; and for its invisibility, where dwells the invisible God, where Christ in our nature is at present unseen by us, and the glories of which are not as yet to be beheld; only faith, hope, and love, enter inside the veil, and have to do with unseen objects there; and also for what are in it, as the ark and mercy seat, types of Christ, through whom mercy is communicated in a way of justice, he being the propitiation and the fulfilling end of the law for righteousness. And this caution was given to Aaron,

So that he may not die—By appearing in the presence of God without his leave and order:

For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat—This one would think should be a reason why he should not die, when he came into the Most Holy Place, because there was the mercy seat, and Jehovah on it: and besides the cloud of incense on it, he went in with, for so many understand by the cloud, the cloud of incense: thus Aben Ezra says, the sense is, that he should not enter but with incense, which would make a cloud, and so the glory not be seen, lest he should die: and Jarchi observes, that the Midrash, or the more mystical and subtle sense is, he shall not go in but with the cloud of incense on the Day of Atonement; but the more simple meaning, or plain sense of the words is, as the same writer notes, that whereas he did continually appear there in the pillar of cloud; and because his glorious Majesty is revealed there, he is cautioned not to use himself to go in, i.e. at any time; with which agrees the Targum of Jonathan,

“for in my cloud the glory of my divine Majesty, shall be revealed over the mercy seat.”

And this being the case, such a glory being there, though wrapped up in a cloud and thick darkness, it was dangerous to enter but by divine order.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” REV 21:3-4

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness . . . PSA 45:7

John Gill

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever—This verse and Psa 45:8 are cited in Heb 1:8-9; and applied to the Son of God, the second Person in the Trinity; and therefore are not an apostrophe to the Father, as some have said; nor will they bear to be rendered, “your throne is the throne of God,” or “your throne is God”; or be supplied thus, “God shall establish your throne.” But they are spoken of the Son of God, who is truly and properly God, the true God and eternal life; as appears by the names by which he is called, as Jehovah, and the like; by his having all divine perfections in him; by the works which he has wrought, and by the worship which is given to him; and to whom dominion is ascribed, of which the throne is an emblem (Gen 41:40). And this his government is either general, over angels, good and bad, and over men, even wicked men, and over the greatest among men, the kings of the earth; or special, over his own church and people, and which is exercised by his Spirit and grace in them; by his word and ordinances among them; and which will be in a glorious manner in the latter day; and in heaven, though not in the same manner as now, and that to all eternity: for to this government duration for ever and ever is attributed; Christ will have no successor, he will die no more; nor can his government be subverted or taken out of his hands, or he be removed from his throne by any of his enemies, or by all of them; and though his kingdom will be delivered up to the Father, it will not cease, it is an everlasting one;

The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness—Meaning either the gospel, which is the golden scepter of mercy and grace, stretched out and held forth for the encouragement of sensible sinners; and is a scepter of righteousness, as it directs to the righteousness of Christ for justification, and encourages works of righteousness to be done by men: or rather the righteous administration of Christ’s government is meant, the scepter being an emblem of dominion and government (Gen 49:10; Num 24:17).

Rashi

Your throne, O God—Your throne, O prince and God, shall exist forever and ever, as the matter that is stated (Exo 7:1): “I have made you a judge to Pharaoh.” And why? Because “a scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness,” that your judgments are true, and you are fit to govern.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

John Gill

He was in the beginning with God—This is a repetition of what is before said, and is made to show the importance of the truths before delivered; namely, the eternity of Christ, his distinct personality, and proper deity; and that the phrase, in the beginning, is to be joined to each of the above sentences; and so proves, not only his eternal existence, but his eternal existence with the Father, and also his eternal deity; and is also made to carry on the thread of the discourse, concerning the Word, and not God the Father; and to express, not only his co-existence in nature, but his co-operation in the works of creation next mentioned.

3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. JOH 1:1-3, 14

You are the most handsome of the sons of men;

grace is poured upon your lips;

therefore God has blessed you forever. PSA 45:3

John Gill

You are the most handsome of the sons of men—Here begins the psalm, and this is an address to the King Messiah, the subject of it, commending him for his beauty and majesty; which is not to be understood of his divine beauty or his glory, as the only begotten of the Father, in which he is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person; for this admits of no comparison, nor is the beauty of angels and men to be mentioned with it; but of the beauty of his human nature, both in body and soul, which being the immediate produce of the Holy Spirit, and without sin, and full of wisdom, grace, and holiness, must transcend that of any or all the sons of Adam. They are all deformed by sin; and whatever spiritual beauty there is in any of them, they have it from Christ; they are goodly through his majesty the outward beauty of men is vain and deceitful, and soon perishes; but Christ is ever the same, and he esteemed of by all that know him, as exceeding precious, altogether lovely, and transcendently excellent and glorious. The Hebrew word here used is doubled in its radicals, which denotes the exceeding great fairness and beauty of Christ, especially as mediator, and as full of grace and truth. It follows,

Grace is poured upon your lips—By which is meant the matter of his speech, or the gospel preached by him; these words of grace, as Kimchi on the text expresses himself; or gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth (Luk 4:22). The gospel of the grace of God was given him to preach; it was put into his mouth, and that in great abundance; it was given at sundry times and in various manners, and by piecemeal, to the prophets before him; but it was poured into his lips, and he was abundantly qualified for preaching it, by having the Spirit without measure given him; and so was poured out in a graceful manner, with great authority, and as never man before him spoke, in doctrines of grace, gracious invitations, precious promises, excellent prayers, and even words of eternal life; see Son 5:13;

Therefore God has blessed you forever—Or, “because God has blessed you forever”; in his human nature, with the grace of union to the Son of God, and with all the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God; and as mediator, with all spiritual blessings, with grace and glory for his people. Hence all his majesty, grace, and gracefulness.

Rashi

You are the most handsome of the sons of men who engage in the work of transitory life. Why? Because grace is poured upon your lips to instruct according to the halachah. הוּצַק means “poured,” as (Exo 38:27): “to cast (לצקת)”; (Gen 28:18), “and poured (ויצק) oil.”

Therefore . . . blessed you as it is stated (below 29:11): “May the Lord give strength to his people!” And what is their reward? “May the Lord bless his people with peace!”

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel

(which means, God with us). MAT 1:23

5 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Tractate Derekh Eretz Zuta, Section on Peace 11

R. Joshua said: Great is peace, for the name of the Holy One, blessed be he, is called “peace,” as it is stated, And he called it, The Lord Is Peace (Jdg 6:24). R. Ḥiyya b. Abba said: Hence it can be deduced that a person may not extend a greeting of peace to his fellow in a place of filth, because it is stated, And Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. Now if an altar which does not eat, drink or smell and was erected only to make an atonement for the sins of Israel is called “peace,” he who loves peace and pursues peace, who welcomes people with the greeting of peace and responds with peace, and who maintains peace between Israel and their Father in heaven, how much more so! R. Jose the Galilean said: Even the name of the Messiah is called “peace,” as it is stated, And his name shall be called . . . Prince of Peace.

6 Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. ISA 9:5-6

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

John Gill

Have this mind among yourselves—The Arabic version renders it, “let that humility be perceived in you.” The apostle proposes Christ as the great pattern and exemplar of humility; and instances in his assumption of human nature, and in his subjection to all that meanness, and death itself, even the death of the cross in it; and which he mentions with this view, to engage the saints to lowliness of mind, in imitation of him; to show forth the same temper and disposition of mind in their practice,

Which also was in Christ Jesus—Or as the Syriac version, “think the same thing as Jesus Christ”; let the same condescending spirit and humble deportment appear in you as in him. This mind, affection, and conduct of Christ, may refer both to his early affection to his people, the love he bore to them from everlasting, the resolution and determination of his mind in consequence of it; and his agreement with his Father to take upon him their nature in the fulness of time, and to do his will, by obeying, suffering, and dying in their room and stead; and also the open exhibition and execution of all this in time, when he appeared in human nature, poor, mean, and abject; condescending to the lowest offices, and behaving in the most meek and humble manner, throughout the whole of his life, to the moment of his death.

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. PHP 2:5-8

. . . his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. DEU 21:23

John Gill

His body shall not remain all night on the tree—Which is to be understood of any and everyone that was hanged, and not of the rebellious son only; of whom Josephus says, that he was to be stoned by the multitude without the city, and having remained a whole day for a spectacle to all, was to be buried at night; and indeed such a person was not to remain hanging on the tree any part of the night, but to be taken down at sun setting; so the Targum of Jonathan,

“you shall bury him at sun setting”;

so says Maimonides, they hang a man near the setting of the sun and loose him immediately, and if he continues they transgress a negative precept, “his body shall not remain” yea, according to him and to the Mishnah, and which agrees with the practice of the Jews to this day, not only those that were put to death by the Sanhedrin, but whoever suffered his dead to remain unburied a night transgressed a negative command, unless he kept him for his honour, to get for him a coffin and shroud:

But you shall bury him in the same day—By all means, if possible; malefactors were not buried in the sepulchre of their fathers, but there were two burying places provided by the Sanhedrin, one for those that were stoned and burnt, and another for those that were killed with the sword and strangled; and even the instruments of their death were to be buried also, as Maimonides relates, the tree on which he is hanged is buried with him, that there may be no remembrance of the evil, and they say, this is the tree on which such an one was hanged; and so the stone with which he is stoned, and the sword with which he is killed, and the napkin with which he is strangled, all are buried in the place where he is put to death, but not in the grave itself:

For a hanged man is cursed by God—Plainly appears to be so, having committed some foul sin which has brought the curse of God upon him, and which being hanged on a tree was a plain proof and declaration of; and therefore having hereby suffered the rigour of the law, the curse of it, his body was ordered to be taken down; for the words are not a reason of his being hanged, but a reason why being hanged, and so openly accursed, he should not remain hanging, but be taken down and buried: the meaning is not, as Onkelos gives it, that

“because he sinned before the Lord he is hanged,”

and particularly was guilty of blasphemy; which is given as the reason of his being hanged, and as the sense of this passage; on the mention of which it is said,

“it is as if he should say, why is he hanged? because he cursed God, and the name of God was found profaned”:

but though this, or any other capital crime, may be allowed to be the reason of the man’s being hanged, and so apparently accursed; yet this is not the reason of his being loosed from thence, but his having bore the curse and satisfied the law: and hence this is applied to Christ by the apostle, in Gal 3:13 showing, that his hanging on the tree was an indication and proof of his being made sin and a curse for his people, or that he bore the curse of the law for their sins, and that the taking of him down from the tree, and burying him, signified the removing the curse from him and his people for whom he suffered; or that thereby he redeemed them from the curse of the law, as the apostle expresses it:

You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance—Which is another reason for taking down the body from the tree and burying it, lest the land of Canaan, which the Lord had given them for an inheritance, and which was typical of the undefiled inheritance (1Pe 1:4), should be polluted, both in a natural sense, through the putrefaction and corruption, and the disagreeable smell of a dead body, and in a ceremonial sense, as every carcass was defiling, if a person but entered where it was; and therefore a dead body was not to be left hanging openly in the air, and rotting there.