The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.
Ver. 8. The Lord God hath sworn by himself] Heb. by his soul, which is himself; since whatsoever is in God is God. So Amo 5:2 Gen 22:16 Hebrews 6:16,17. Or, He hath sworn by his soul, that is, Serie et ex animo, Seriously and heartily. Among the heathens ex animi sui sententia was instead of an oath.
Saith the Lord God of hosts] Who hath power enough in his hand to perform what he hath so solemnly assured.
I abhor the excellency (or, the pomp and pride) of Jacob] So Basil, speaking of the Western Church, Odi fastum istius Ecclesiae, saith he, I hate their pride. This he elsewhere calleth οφρυν δυτικην, the Western brow, from the forehead, that seat of pride and arrogance, which at length occasioned that lamentable separation of the Eastern or Greek Church from communion with the Latin; the other four patriarchs dividing themselves from the bishop of Rome. Pride is an odious evil; fitly compared by one to a great swelling in the body, which unfits it for any good service; and is apt to putrify, and break, and run with loathsome and foul matter; so doth pride disable the soul from doing duty, and at last breaks forth into odious deeds, abominable to God and man. There are those who by excellence or glory here understand their glorious temple and other privileges, wherein they so much gloried, see Psalms 47:5; but Mercer thinks it rather meant of the ten tribes than of the two, whose crown of pride is elsewhere taxed, Isa 28:1 Hosea 7:10. "The pride of Israel testifieth to his face," it breaketh out in his forehead, as a great master pock.
Therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein] Heb. with the fulness thereof; both persons and things are all forfeited, and shall be seized by the enemy; be the city of Samaria never so rich a Cargazon, so full a magazine of men and means, I will shut them up (so the word signifieth), after a strait siege, into the enemies' hand, who shall make a spoil of them.