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Zep_3:13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make [them] afraid.
Ver. 13. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity] Sanctity and security are here promised to all the citizens of the Church. Being justified by Christ they shall do righteousness and truth: there shall no way of wickedness be found in them, Psa_139:24, they shall be kept from foul flagitious practices, neither shall they wallow or allow themselves in any known sin unrepented of. Their spot, if any, shall be the spot of God’s children, Deu_32:5, involuntary and avoidable informity, such as there is a pardon of course for; only they must sue it out by praying daily, Forgive us our trespasses.
Nor speak lies] For that is a foul fault, and rarely found in a saint, Isa_63:8. For he said, "Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour." It was wont to be as current an argument, Christianus est, non mentietur, He is a Christian, he will not lie, as afterwards it was, Hic est frater, ergo mendax, This is a friar, and therefore a liar. Sophronius testifieth of Chrysostom, nunquam eum mentitum fuisse, that he was never heard to tell a lie. Whereas of Pilate Hegesippus telleth us, that he was vir nequam et parvi faciens mendacium, a naughty man, and one that made little conscience of a lie. It may seem so indeed by that scornful question of his, "What is truth?" Joh_18:38.
Neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth] Their pure lip, Zep_3:9, is not used to the language of hell, their spirit without guile, Psa_32:2, produceth speech without deceit; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, Mat_12:34. {See Trapp on "Mat_12:34"}
For they shall feed and lie down] Shall have all that heart can wish or need require; plenty, safety, security.
And none shall make them afraid] So as to make them do iniquity or speak lies; as very good men when frightened have dared to do; witness Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, but especially David, deeply guilty of this sin, 1Sa_21:2; 1Sa_21:8; 1Sa_27:8; 1Sa_27:10, In the sense of which sin he prayeth, "Remove from me the way of lying," Psa_119:29; we also should pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from that evil one," the father of lies. And having the shepherd of Israel to feed us and tend us, we should not fear, Psa_23:2-3, but choosing rather to die than to lie, to suffer than to shift, commit the keeping of our souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator, 1Pe_4:19.