3. Here begins a series of threatenings of vengeance against six other
states, followed by one against Judah, and ending with one against
Israel, with whom the rest of the prophecy is occupied. The eight
predictions are in symmetrical stanzas, each prefaced by "Thus saith the
Lord." Beginning with the sin of others, which Israel would be ready
enough to recognize, he proceeds to bring home to Israel her own guilt.
Israel must not think hereafter, because she sees others visited
similarly to herself, that such judgments are matters of chance; nay,
they are divinely foreseen and foreordered, and are confirmations of the
truth that God will not clear the guilty. If God spares not the nations
that know not the truth, how much less Israel that sins wilfully
(Lu 12:47, 48;
Jas 4:17)!
for three transgressions . . . and for four--If Damascus had only
sinned once or twice, I would have spared them, but since, after having
been so often pardoned, they still persevere so continually, I will
no longer "turn away" their punishment. The Hebrew is simply, "I
will not reverse it," namely, the sentence of punishment which
follows; the negative expression implies more than it expresses; that
is, "I will most surely execute it"; God's fulfilment of His threats
being more awful than human language can express. "Three and four"
imply sin multiplied on sin (compare
Ex 20:5;
Pr 30:15, 18, 21;
"six and seven,"
Job 5:19;
"once and twice,"
Job 33:14;
"twice and thrice," Margin; "oftentimes," English Version,
Job 33:29;
"seven and also eight,"
Ec 11:2).
There may be also a reference to seven, the product of
three and four added; seven expressing the full
completion of the measure of their guilt
(Le 26:18, 21, 24;
compare
Mt 23:32).
threshed--the very term used of the Syrian king Hazael's oppression
of Israel under Jehu and Jehoahaz
(2Ki 10:32, 33; 13:7).
The victims were thrown before the threshing sledges, the teeth of
which tore their bodies. So David to Ammon
(2Sa 12:31;
compare
Isa 28:27).
JFB.
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