Commentary on Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah and Nahum John Calvin
JOHN CALVIN
worms immediately leap out, for they think that they are going to be taken; so also, when any one moves the ground, the reptiles come forth, and tremblingly run away in all directions.'' And the Prophet says that, in like manner, the enemies of the Church, when the Lord shall arise for its help, shall be smitten with so much fear, that they shall in every direction run away. And this comparison ought to be carefully noticed, that is, when the Prophet compares powerful nations well exercised in wars, who before were audaciously raging, and were swollen with great pride --- when he compares them to worms and reptiles of the ground, and also to serpents: he did this to show, that there will be nothing to hinder God from laying prostrate every exalted thing in the world, as soon as it shall please him to aid his Church.
And hence the Prophet adds, On account of Jehovah our God they shall treed, and they shall fear because of thee Here the Prophet shows, that the faithful ought not to distrust on account of their own weakness, but, on the contrary, to remember the infinite power of God. It is indeed right that the children of God should begin with difÏdence, --- sensible that they are nothing, and that all their strength is nothing; but they ought not to stop at their own weakness, but, on the contrary, to rise up to the contemplation of God's power, that they may not doubt but that, when his power shall appear, their enemies shall be soon scattered. This is the reason why the Prophet here mentions the name of God, and then turns to address God himself.
Tremble then shall they at Jehovah our God, that is, on account of Jehovah our God; and then Fear shall they because of thee. 276 It now follows ---
Micah 7:18
18. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
18. Quis Deus sicut tu, tollens iniquitatem, et transiens super scelus, erga reliquias haereditatis suae? Non retinebit in perpetuum iram suam (alii vertunt, non roboravit; nam {}חזקhoc interdum significat; sed potius hic vertendum est, non retinebit;) quia placet ei clementia (vel, diligit misericordiam.) 277
The Prophet here exclaims that God ought to be glorified especially for this --
276Dathius renders these two lines differently, "Jovam Deum nostrum timebunt eumque reverebuntur — Jehovah our God they shall fear, and him will they reverence." But this is neither consistent with the passage, nor with the form in which the words appear. {{פחדis not commonly, if ever, a transitive verb, and to dread, or to be afraid, and not to fear, is its usual meaning: and ,{}יראwhen it means the fear of reverence, is generally construed without a preposition, and with {}אתbefore Jehovah. The literal rendering is no doubt that which is given by Calvin. The distich is capable of being rendered in Welsh exactly as in Hebrew, in the same form and with the same prepositions; and, when thus rendered, the meaning is what is give here, --- Oherwydd Jehova ein Duw ur arswydant, --- Ac ovnant rhagddot To fear because of thee, and to fear thee, are two distinct things. You will have the first form in Joshua 10:8; 11:6; and the second in Deuteronomy 31:12. The first refers to the fear of the Canaanites, the dread of their power; the second, to the fear of Jehovah. --- Ed.
277Cocceius calls this verse the doxology of the Church. Jerome renders the first words, — Quis Deus similis tui? Which is literally the original, {{כמוך---{}אל-{}מיWhat God like thee? That is, Jehovah, mentioned in the preceding verse. {Τις} {Θεος} {ωσπερ} {συ}; Sept. Thinking that the verse will admit of somewhat different arrangement, and of a more literal rendering, I give the following, --- What God is like thee? Taking away iniquity, and passing over transgression! --- Against the remnant of his heritage, He retaineth not for ever his anger, For a lover of mercy is He. There is a transition after the second line from the second to the third person; hence I make here the division. Besides, the construction of the third with the second has ever been found awkward by all the critics; but its construction with the fourth verse is perfectly natural. {`` }נשאtaking away,'' or removing, conveys the idea of a burden being lifted up and removed. ``Passing over'' seems to allude to the angel passing over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. ``Iniquity,'' ,{}עוןis guilt and inward depravity; and ``Transgression,'' ,{}פשעis an overt act of sin, an outward violation of the law. ``A lover,'' ;{}חפףthe Septuagint renders it, {θελητης} {ελεους} --- the wisher of mercy; which is too weak, for the word means delight. It may be rendered, ``For one who delights in mercy is He.'' The Targum reads, Amat enim benefacere --- for he loves to do good. --- Ed.