Commentary on Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah and Nahum John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
kingdom to David. Flourish then shall the kingdom of David for ever. But this has not been the case; for when the people returned from exile, Zerobabel, it is true, and also many others, obtained kingly power; yet what was it but precarious? They became even tributaries to the kings of the Persian and of the Medes. It then follows, that the kingdom of Israel never flourished, nor had there existed among the people anything but a limited power; we must, therefore, necessarily come to Christ and his kingdom.
We hence see that the words of the Prophet cannot be otherwise understood than of Christ. It follows ---
Amos 9:12
12. That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this. 71
12. Ut possideant reliquias Edom et omnes gentes, super quas (alii vertunt, super quos) invocatum est nomen meum, dicit Jehova hoc faciens.
By these words the Prophet shows that the kingdom under Christ would be more renowned and larger than it had ever been under David. Since then the kingdom had been greatest in dignity, and wealth, and power, in the age of David, the Prophet here says, that its borders would be enlarged; for then he says, Possess shall the Israelites the remnant of Edom He speaks here in common of the Israelites and of the Jews, as before, at the beginning of the last chapter, he threatened both. But we now apprehend what he means, --- that Edom shall come under the yoke.
And it is sufÏciently evident why he mentions here especially the Idumeans, and that is because they had been most inveterate enemies; and vicinity gave them greater opportunity for doing harm. As then the Idumeans harassed the miserable
Jews, and gave them no respite, this is the reason why the Prophet says that they would come under the power of his elect people. He afterwards adds, that all nations would come also to the Jews. He speaks first of the Idumeans, but he also adds all other nations. I cannot finish today.
Prayer.
Grant, Almighty God, that as we see everywhere so many evident tokens of thy displeasure, and more grievous ones are impeding, if we indeed duly consider how grievously we have provoked thy wrath, and how wickedly also the whole world at this day rages against thee and at the same time abuses thy many and excellent benefits, --- O grant, that we may ever remember thy covenant and entertain a perpetual confidence in thy only-begotten Son, that whenever it may please thee to sift us, thou mayest keep us in safety, until we come, not into any earthly storehouse but into thy celestial kingdom, where we may become partakers of that glory which thy Son has obtained for us, who has once for all redeemed us that we may ever remain under his guardianship and protection. Amen.
Lecture Sixty-ninth
}זאת{, עשהwho will do these things.'' It appears that {}זאתis a pronoun which is plural as well as singular: and the Welsh hyn is exactly the same; it will admit thing or things to be added to it --- y peth hyn---y pethan hyn When it is put by itself, hyn it conveys the idea of one particular thing, or of several things, according to the context. The relative pronoun, ,{}אשרwho, whom, is of the same character; it is both singular and plural, as whom also is in the English language, and sawl in Welsh. {}עשה is considered a participle, and the participle in Hebrew may often be rendered as a personal noun, and in this instance the doer. It is the {ὁ} {ποιων} of the Greek. But if the verbal form be retained, the auxiliary verb must be in the same tense with the leading verb in the context, ``who will do these things.''---Ed.