I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took [him] away in my wrath.
Ver. 11. I gave thee a king in mine anger] As once before he gave them quails to choke them. A king, that is, all those kings they had since they fell off from the house of David. These were God's gifts, but giftless gifts (αδωρα δωρα και ουκ ονησιμα), which he cast upon them in his anger, for a punishment both of the sins of David's house, and likewise of the people's rebellion. It was ab irate potius quam ab exorato Deo. Take him (saith he, since you will needs have him) with all that shall follow after. The hypocrite shall reign, that the people may be ensnared, Job 34:30. "Set thou a wicked man over him" (saith the psalmist), "and let Satan stand at his right hand," Psalms 109:6; see Daniel 8:23. Saul was a hypocrite, Jeroboam a wicked man; so were all his successors in that throne. Leviticus 26:17, it is written as a heavy curse of God, If you still trespass against me, I will set princes over you that shall hate you, mischievous, odious princes; odious to God, malignant to the people.
And took him away in my wrath] Heb. In mine immoderate wrath, that passed the bounds. This is spoken of God after the manner of men; for he cannot exceed or over do; "fury is not in him," Isaiah 27:4; but here he threateneth to take away king and kingdom together: as he did Hoshea, by the Assyrian that carried them all captive. Observe here, that better a bad magistrate than none, for this latter is the fruit of God's utter indignation. Those Anabaptists that from this text inferred that no Christian can with a good conscience take upon him kingly dignity should have observed, that as an evil king is reckoned as a plague to a people, so a good king is to be held a special blessing to them.