For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, [yet] a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
Ver. 22. Yet a remnant of them shall return,] i.e., Shall be saved from Sennacherib, but especially from Satan, that old man slayer. Romans 9:27 ; Romans 9:29 ; Rom 11:5 The greater part of the Jews were then cut off by the Assyrians; and so they are spiritually still by the evil spirits which hold them in their hardness of heart, and hinder them from embracing the Christian faith. But this befalleth them by God's holy decree Rom 9:27-28 and just judgment.
The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness,] i.e., The utter destruction of this perverse people, both temporal and spiritual, Rom 9:27 for the generality of them, is not to be accounted cruelty, but overflowing righteousness. For God could not in justice but thus rigorously deal with them; and then for his promise sake to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, reserving a "remnant," show favour to them again.