Hos 2:18, Mic 4:3, Zec 9:10, Luk 2:14 | JFB | STEP | 18. for them-- for their benefit. covenant ... with the beasts-- not to hurt them ( ). They shall fulfil the original law of their creation by becoming subject to man, when man fulfils the law of his being by being subject to God. To be realized fully in millennial times ( ). break the bow ... out of the earth-- rather, "out of the land"; that is, I will break and remove war out of the earth ( ); and "out of the land" of Israel first ( ; , ; , ). lie down-- A reclining posture is the usual one with Orientals when not in action. safely-- ( ).

‏ Hosea 2:18

18. for them--for their benefit.

covenant ... with the beasts--not to hurt them (Job 5:23). They shall fulfil the original law of their creation by becoming subject to man, when man fulfils the law of his being by being subject to God. To be realized fully in millennial times (Is 11:6-9).

break the bow ... out of the earth--rather, "out of the land"; that is, I will break and remove war out of the earth (Psa 46:9); and "out of the land" of Israel first (Is 2:4; Eze 39:9, 10; Zec 9:9, 10).

lie down--A reclining posture is the usual one with Orientals when not in action.

safely--(Jr 23:6).

‏ Micah 4:3

CHAPTER 4 Mi 4:1-13. Transition to the Glory, Peace, Kingdom, and Victory of Zion.

1-3. Almost identical with Is 2:2-4.

the mountain of the house of the Lord--which just before (Mi 3:12) had been doomed to be a wild forest height. Under Messiah, its elevation is to be not that of situation, but of moral dignity, as the seat of God's universal empire.

people shall flow into it--In Isaiah it is "all nations": a more universal prophecy.

‏ Zechariah 9:10

10. (Is 2:4; Ho 2:18; Mi 5:10).

Ephraim ... Jerusalem--the ten tribes, and Judah and Benjamin; both alike to be restored hereafter.

speak peace--command it authoritatively.

dominion ... from sea ... river ... ends of ... earth--fulfilling Ge 15:18; Ex 23:31; and Psa 72:8. "Sea ... sea," are the Red Sea and Mediterranean. The "river" is the Euphrates. Jerusalem and the Holy Land, extended to the limits promised to Abraham, are to be the center of His future dominion; whence it will extend to the remotest parts of the earth.

‏ Luke 2:14

14. Glory, &c.--brief but transporting hymn--not only in articulate human speech, for our benefit, but in tunable measure, in the form of a Hebrew parallelism of two complete clauses, and a third one only amplifying the second, and so without a connecting "and." The "glory to God," which the new-born "Saviour" was to bring, is the first note of this sublime hymn: to this answers, in the second clause, the "peace on earth," of which He was to be "the Prince" (Is 9:6)--probably sung responsively by the celestial choir; while quickly follows the glad echo of this note, probably by a third detachment of the angelic choristers--"good will to men." "They say not, glory to God in heaven, where angels are, but, using a rare expression, "in the highest [heavens]," whither angels aspire not," (He 1:3, 4) [Bengel]. "Peace" with God is the grand necessity of a fallen world. To bring in this, and all other peace in its train, was the prime errand of the Saviour to this earth, and, along with it, Heaven's whole "good will to men"--the divine complacency on a new footing--descends to rest upon men, as upon the Son Himself, in whom God is "well-pleased." (Mt 3:17, the same word as here.)