Bible Commentaries

And in that day ^a seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only ^b let us be called by thy name, to take away our ^c reproach.

(a) When God will executes this vengeance there will not be one man found to be the head to many women, and they contrary to womanly shamefacedness will seek men, and offer themselves under any condition.

(b) He our husband and let us be called your wives.

(c) For so they thought it to be without a head and husband.

In that day shall the ^d branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth [shall be] the pride and glory of them that have escaped of Israel.

(d) He comforts the Church in this desolation which will spring up like a bud signifying that God's graces should be as plentiful toward the faithful as though they sprang out of the earth, as in (Isaiah 45:8). Some by the bud of the Lord mean Christ.

And it shall come to pass, [that he that is] left in Zion, and [he that] remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, [even] every one that is ^e written among the living in Jerusalem:

(e) He alludes to the book of life, of which read (Exodus 32:32) meaning God's secret counsel, in which his elect are predestinated to life everlasting.

When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the ^f blood of Jerusalem from the midst of it by the spirit of ^g judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

(f) That is, the cruelty, extortion, malice and all wickedness.

(g) When things will be addressed that were amiss.

And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, ^h a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the ⁱ glory [shall be] a defence.

(h) He alludes to the pillar of the cloud, (Exodus 13:21), meaning that God's favour and protection should appear in every place.

(i) The faithful are called the glory of God because his image and tokens of his grace shine in them.

And there shall be a tabernacle for a shade in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm ^k and from rain.

(k) God promises to be the defence of his Church against all troubles and dangers.