And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
Ver. 12. Shall grow all trees for meat.] Arbores esibiles; these are Cρηστοι, useful Christians, such as whose lips are feeding, and their tongues trees of life. Proverbs 11:30 ; Pro 15:4 See Trapp on " Pro 11:30 " See Trapp on " Pro 15:4 "
Whose leaf shall not fade.] They will not fail to make a bold and wise profession of the truth. See on Psa 1:3 Jeremiah 17:8 .
Neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed.] But as the lemon tree, which ever and anon sendeth new fruits as soon as the former are fallen down with ripeness. Or as the Egyptian fig tree, which yieldeth fruit seven times a year, saith Solinus, and if you pull off one fig, another groweth up presently in the place thereof.
Because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary.] Hence their so great fruitfulness, viz., from the divine influence, Hos 14:8 the Word and Spirit going together. Isa 59:21 Hence it is that the saints are "neither barren nor unfruitful." 2Pe 1:8
And the leaf thereof for medicine.] God's people, by their holy profession of religion, do much good to many souls, as did various of the martyrs and confessors. Lucianus, an ancient martyr, persuaded many Gentries to the Christian faith by his grave countenance and modest disposition, insomuch that Maximinus, that persecuting emperor, dared not look him in the face, for fear he should turn Christian. And so Beda a telleth us of one Alban, who, receiving a poor persecuted Christian into his house, and seeing his holy devotion and sweet carriage, was so much affected with the same, as that he became an earnest professor of the faith, and in the end a glorious martyr for the faith. The like is recorded of Bradford, Bucer, and others.
a Hist. Ang., lib. i. cap. 7.