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Mic_7:14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily [in] the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed [in] Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
Ver. 14. Feed thy people with thy rod] Rule them with thy sceptre, or feed them with thy pedum pastorale, thy shepherd’s rod, or staff, Psa_23:4. This, say some, is the speech of God the Father to God the Son, or (as others), of God to the ministers and pastors, charging them to take heed to his flock, and to feed his Church; but it seems rather to be a prayer of the Christian Church (seeing the ruin of the Jewish synagogue) that Christ (the chief shepherd) would do all good offices for his poor people, feeding them with his rod, that is, with his word and Spirit, guiding them with his eye, Psa_32:8, leading them in the way everlasting, Psa_139:24, lest, seduced by their own lusts, or other men’s evil lives, they should any way miscarry.
The flock of thine heritage] Those poor of the flock, Zec_11:7, that hear his voice and follow him, Joh_10:3-5; Joh_10:27, being holy, harmless, tractable, sociable, patient, profitable as sheep; which have wool for raiment, skin for parchment, flesh for meat, guts for music. Such shall go in and out, and find pasture, Joh_10:9, pasture that will breed life, and life in more abundance; see Psa_23:1-6, David’s pastoral, where he assureth himself, as a sheep of Christ’s heritage, that he shall have all things needful for life and godliness; and so may every poor Christian, grounding his faith upon the covenant, Eze_34:25; Eze_34:28.
Which dwell solitarily in the wood] Sleepeth in the woods, Eze_34:25, where they meet with many a brush; yea, many a bruise, Eze_34:28; where they walk in dark and dangerous paths, even in the valley of the shadow of death, Psa_23:4, of the darkest side of death, of death in its most horrid and hideous representations. Feed them, therefore; fence them with thine omnipotent arm, bear them in thy bosom, see to their safety.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead] Not bite upon the bare ground, but feed pleasantly, plentifully; feed among the lilies, frequent also the foddering places, turn to the under-shepherds, the ministers, and so return to the Arch-shepherd and Bishop of their souls, following the Lamb wheresoever he goeth; who will teach them many things, and that out of deepest compassion, Mar_6:34, who will also show them great and mighty things, that they knew not, Jer_33:3.
As in the days of old] As thou wast with the Church of the Old Testament, so be not wanting to that of the New; but feed them according to the integrity of thine heart, and guide them by the skilfulness of thine hands, Psa_78:72. Pull them out of the lion’s mouth, seek them up when lost, tend them, handle them, heal them, wash them, drive them as they can go, bearing the lambs in thy bosom, Isa_40:11. Do for them as thou hast ever done for thy people in former ages. "So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will show forth thy praise to all generations," Psa_79:13.