They have moved me to jealousy with [that which is] not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with [those which are] not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
Ver. 21. And I will move them to jealousy.] Thus God delights to retaliate and proportion jealousy to jealousy, provocation to provocation; so frowardness to frowardness, Psa 18:26 contrariety to contrariety. Deuteronomy 28:18 ; Deuteronomy 28:21 , &c.
With a foolish nation.] With the conversion of the Gentiles, Rom 10:19 which the good Jews could not easily yield to at first. Act 11:2-3 And the rest could never endure to hear of it. See 1 Thessalonians 2:15,16. At this day they solemnly curse the Christians thrice a day in their synagogues, with a Maledic, Domine, Nazarais. They have a saying in their Talmud, Optimus qui inter gentes est, dignus cui caput conteratur tanquam serpenti; The best among the Gentiles is worthy to have his head broke as the serpent had. Yea, they think they may kill any idolater. Therefore Tacitus saith of them, There was Misericordia in promptu apud suos, sed contra omnes alios hostile odium, mercy enough toward their own, but against all others they bare a deadly hatred.