O gate: the gate is put either,
1. Metaphorically, for the people passing through the gates, or for the magistrates and others who used to meet in the gate for judgment, or upon other occasions; or,
2. Synecdochically, for the city, as gates are commonly put, as Jeremiah 22:19, and as it is explained in the next words. O city: city is here put collectively for their cities, of which see 1 Samuel 6:17. Dissolved, Heb. melted; which may be understood either,
1. Of the fainting of their spirits and courage, as Exodus 15:15 Joshua 2:9,24, &c.; or,
2. Of the dissolution of their state. From the north; either,
1. From Judea; which lay northward from some part of the Philistines land. But in truth Judea lay more east than north from Palestine, and therefore the Philistines are said to be on the west, Isaiah 11:14, and never, so far as I remember, on the north. Or,
2. From Chaldea. as may be gathered,
1. From the Scripture use of this phrase, which generally designs that country, as Jeremiah 1:14,15 Jeremiah 6:1,22, &c.
2. From Jer 47, where destruction is threatened to the Philistines from the north, Isaiah 14:2, which all understand of the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar. And whereas it is speciously objected, That this suits not with the next verse, which speaks of Zion's safety at the time of this destruction of the Philistines, whereas Zion and the land and people of Judah were destroyed together with the Philistines by Nebuchadnezzar; I humbly conceive it may be answered, that that verse is added to express the far differing condition of God's people and of the Philistines in the events of that Babylonian war; and that whereas the Philistines should be irrecoverably and eternally destroyed thereby, and no remnant of them should be left, as was said, Isaiah 14:30, God's people, though they should be sorely scourged, and carried into captivity, yet they should be strangely preserved, and after some years delivered, and restored to their own land and temple; whereby it would appear that Zion stood upon a sure foundation, and, albeit it was grievously shaken, yet it could not be utterly and finally overthrown. A smoke; a grievous judgment and calamity, which is oft signified by smoke, as Genesis 15:17 Deuteronomy 29:20 Joel 2:30, either because smoke is generally accompanied with fire, or because it causeth a great darkness in the air; for afflictions are frequently described under the names of fire and darkness. In his appointed times: when God's appointed time shall come for the execution of this judgment, not one person of all that numerous army, which is signified by the smoke last mentioned, shall retire and desert his colours, or lag behind the rest; but they shall march with great unanimity and alacrity, and none of them shall withdraw his hand till the work be finished, till the Philistines be utterly destroyed.