Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:
Ver. 11. For three transgressions of Edom, &c.] i.e. of the Edomites, the Rabbis understand the Romans, those false brethren the Pope's bloodhounds. See the parallel made by Dr Taylor, in his sermon called the Romish Edomite.
Because he did pursue his brother with the sword] First, when he drove him from house and home for fear of his life, which he threatened to take from him, Genesis 27:41,45; and afterwards came against him (returning homewards) with four hundred cut-throats at his heels, Genesis 32:6; Genesis 32:8, "to smite the mother with the children," Genesis 32:11. Next, in his posterity, those sworn swordsmen of the devil; that denied God's Israel passage in the wilderness, coming out against him with much people, and with a strong hand, Numbers 20:20, to his great discouragement, Numbers 21:4. And ever after bore him an aching tooth, and waited him a shrewd turn; joining with the enemy, and taking all advantages of mischief. See 2Ch 28:17 Psalms 137:7 Obadiah 1:10,11. Malice is commonly hereditary, and runs in the blood; and (as we use to say of runner) the older it is, the stronger.
And did cast off all pity] Heb. corrupted his compassions, forgot his brotherhood, banished natural affection out of his bosom, and put off all humanity. The Rabbis tell us, that out of the profaneness of his spirit Esau put away his circumcision, by drawing up again the foreskin with a surgeon's instrument. Whether this were so or not, I have not to say; but that he corrupted his compassions (if any ever he had), violated the law of nature, and abolished the love of a brother, the "brotherly covenant," this text assureth us; even all the affections, duties, and respects of blood and nature by which he was bound. His grandfather Abraham could say to his nephew Lot, "Let there be no difference between thee and me; for we are brethren," Genesis 13:8. This one consideration was retentive enough, cooler sufficient to his choler; it was even as the Angel that stayed his hand when the blow was coming, Genesis 22:12. It should have been so with Edom; good blood would not have belied itself; but he had lost his brotherly bowels, and even put off manhood; he had wiped out all stirrings of good nature, as a man wipeth a dish, "wiping it and turning it upside down," 2 Kings 21:18, as the Scripture speaketh in another case: or as when a man emptieth wine out of a cup, the sides are yet moist; but when it is rinsed and wiped, there remains not the least taste or tincture.
And his anger did tear perpetually] i.e. He in his anger did tear, as a beast of prey, and rage without intermission. The enemies of the Church do so still: such is their implacable hatred against God and his truth; they "eat up God's people as they eat bread," Psalms 14:4, yea, they tread down and tear in pieces, as if there were none to deliver. At the town of Barre, in France, when it was taken by the Papists, all kinds of cruelty was used, saith Mr Fox: children were cut up, and the guts of some of them and hearts pulled out, which in rage they tare and gnawed with their teeth. The Italians likewise which served the king there did, for hatred of religion, break forth into such fury, that they did rip up a living child, and took his liver being as yet red-hot, and eat it as meat. Erasmus tells of an Augustine friar, who openly in the pulpit at Antwerp, wished that Luther were there, that he might bite out his throat with his teeth. And Friar Brusierd, in a conference with Bilney, brake out into these angry words: But that I believe and know that God and all his saints will take revengement everlasting on thee, I would surely with these nails of mine be thy death. Pray therefore with David, "Deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove" to these destroyers. "Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel," Psalms 74:19 Genesis 49:7 .
And kept his wrath for ever] Though himself was mortal, yet his wrath might seem to be immortal; as was Hannibal's against the Romans, and our Edward I's against the Scots; against whom being about to march, he adjured his son and nobles, that, if he died in his journey into Scotland, they should carry his corpse with them about Scotland, and not allow it to be interred till they had absolutely subdued the country. Anger may rush into a wise man's bosom, but should not rest there (Aug. eph \\\\\\87. Ecc 7:9); for it corrupteth the heart, as vinegar doth the vessel wherein it long continueth. Of the Athenians it was said, that their anger was αειμνηστος, everlasting; but that was but small to their condemnation. Thou shalt neither revenge nor remember ill turns, Leviticus 19:18, where servare is put for servare iram; to keep, for to keep one's anger; to show that there is nothing that a man is more ready to keep, as being a vindictive creature. Aristotle saith (but absurdly) that it is more manly to be revenged than to be reconciled; and this the world calleth manhood, but indeed it is doghood rather. The manlier any man is, the milder and more merciful, as David, 2 Samuel 1:12. And Julius Caesar, when he had Pompey's head presented to him wept, and said, Non mihi placet vindicta sed victoria, I seek not revenge but victory. And the apostle purposely disgraceth revenge of injury by a word that signifieth disgrace, loss of victory, or impotence of mind. ηττημα , 1Co 6:7 Thunder, hail, tempest, neither trouble nor hurt celestial bodies; no more doth anger great minds. Edom was short spirited, soon kindled and not easily appeased; his wrath kept no bounds, as the word here used importeth; his coals were coals of juniper, fierce and long lasting; his fire not elementary, but culinary; nourished by low and unworthy considerations; a fruit of the flesh, and such as excludes out of heaven, Galatians 5:20,21. It was not the passion but the habit of hatred which St James calleth the devil, James 4:7, and St Paul counselleth men not to give place to that devil; and for that end, not to let the sun go down upon their wrath, Ephesians 4:26. See Ezekiel 25:5, where Edom is charged with a perpetual hatred, and therefore threatened with blood and desolation, as here.