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Judgment upon the Land of Hadrach
v. 1. The burden of the word, the sentence of judgment, of the Lord in the land of Hadrach, a term which seems to apply to the entire Medo-Persian empire, as the world-power opposed to the people of God, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof, the Syrian capital being the place on which the burden of the Lord's wrath rests; when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the Lord, both the people outside of Israel, and Israel itself, being directed to the Lord at this evidence of His anger, when He goes about to establish a more equitable proportion between His people and the heathen.
v. 2. And Hamath also shall border thereby, or, "Hamath," the district bounding Palestine on the north, "which borders thereon," this, together with Damascus, representing Syria; Tyrus and Zidon, the cities of Phenicia, though it be very wise, or, "because their inhabitants were wise in their own conceit," multiplying wealth and power and trusting in them.
v. 3. And Tyrus did build herself a stronghold, the city proper being on an island surrounded by a double sea-wall, which made it practically impregnable in those days, and heaped up silver as the dust and fine gold as the mire of the streets, for the commerce of Tyre had made her immensely wealthy.
v. 4. Behold, the Lord will cast her out, seizing her through the agency of some earthly conqueror, in this case Alexander, and He will smite her power in the sea, as represented by her army and her navy; and she shall be devoured with fire, so that everything on which her inhabitants depended was consumed and exterminated.
v. 5. Ashkelon shall see It, namely, the punishment descending upon Tyrus, and fear; Gaza also shall see It and be very sorrowful, be exceedingly troubled, and Ekron, for her expectation shall be ashamed, her hope, that in which she trusted, being taken from her; and the king shall perish from Gaza, the ruler being removed entirely, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited, its citizens being killed or dragged into captivity.
v. 6. And a bastard, or mongrel, one of blemished birth, shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistlnes, four of whose city-states are mentioned here, as representative of the entire country.
v. 7. And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, the term describing an idolater who is engaged in eating the flesh of his sacrifice, and his abominations from between his teeth, striking him down while he is engaged in his idolatrous behavior; but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, a few of the heathen being gained for the true religion, and he shall be as a governor In Judah, like the prince of one of the tribes, and Ekron as a Jebusite, for as the Jebusites were amalgamated with the children of Judah, so these heathen, and others, would be joined to the true Church.
v. 8. And I will encamp about Mine house, not merely the Temple, but the renewed people, as representative of the Church which was to be established, because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth, enemies marching to and fro, looking for an opportunity to attack; and no oppressor shall pass through them any more, no enemy daring to disturb the Lord's people, His holy Church; for now have I seen with Mine eyes, He was exercising His providential control and the power of His mercy. Thus the Lord reigns in the midst of His enemies, over-throwing those who refuse to submit, but always gaining some also for His adherents.