I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
Ver. 6. I will send him … I will give him a charge.] Non patefacta quidem voluntate, sed arcana providentia, I will stir him up by a secret providence, which, being nothing else but the carrying on of the divine decree, is that helm that turneth about the whole ship of the universe.
Against an hypocritical nation.] Pretenders only to religion, see Isa 9:17 qui toti ex hypocrisi sunt conflati, such as are wholly made up of hypocrisy: God was near in their mouth, and far from their reins. Jer 12:2 Nemo tam prope proculque Deo. Mat 15:8 Hot meteors they are. saith one, shooting, yet showing like stars; shaming goodness by seeming good; Virtutis stragulam pudefaciunt, as Diogenes said to Antipater, who, being vicious, wore a white cloak, the ensign of innocence. These are little better than devils wrapped up in Samuel's mantle; odious therefore to God, whom they would cozen of heaven, if they could tell how.
And against the people of my wrath.] Who are therefore the worse, and shall fare the worse, because they ought to have been better. Indignation and wrath shall he upon the Jew first, because of his privileges, and then upon the Gentile. Rom 2:9
To take the spoil, and to take the prey.] As had been foretold in Maher-shalal-hash-baz's name. Isa 8:1
And to tread them down like mire in the streets.] To make mortar of them, as we use to say: Gens simulatrix tota terrena, Is trodden under foot as unsavoury salt, which is not good enough for the dunghill.