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But he afterwards adds, Come shall shepherds, etc. ; that is, there is no ground for the Jews to deceive themselves, because God has hitherto spared them, and restrained the assaults of enemies; for now shall come shepherds. He keeps to the same metaphor; “ “ says, “ shepherds, “ with their flocks; that is, come shall leaders of armies with their forces. But I have already reminded you, that the Prophet here has a regard to the city where he had been born, and adopts a pastoral language. Come then shall shepherds with their flocks; fix shall they their tents, and feed shall each in his place, he means that the whole of Jerusalem would be so much in the power of enemies, that each one would freely choose his own part or his own portion; for when there is any fear, then the shepherds gather their flocks, that they may assist one another; but when everything is in their own power, they move here and there as they please. This free acting then intimates, that the Jews would have no strength, and would be helped by no aid; but that the shepherds would surround the whole city and besiege it: every one, he says, would be in his own place. (164) It follows —
(164) There is evidently a ו or a י wanted before the second verb in this verse. The Septuagint and the Syriac read with ו, and the Targum with י. The same is the case with the third verb, רעו; but there are two MSS. which have the ו here, with which the Septuagint, the Syriac, and the Targum agree. Then the version would be, —
To her shall come shepherds and their flocks, And pitch by her their tents around, And they shall feed, every one in his border.
“ pitch against her” seems improper: the proposition על means by or near, as well as against. And יד does not mean properly place, but side or border. It is indeed rendered place often in our version. See Num_2:17; Deu_23:12; Isa_56:5; and in Isa_57:8, “” The ancient versions differ; the word seems not to have been understood. It is rendered by the Septuagint, “ his hand;” by the Vulgate, “ under his hand;” and by the Targum, “ neighbor.” — Ed