Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit [shall be] a fiery flying serpent.
Ver. 29. Rejoice not thou, whole Palestine.] That is, the Philistines, quos Iudaei animis armisque sibi infestissimos habuere. These were as bad neighbours to the Jews as the Dunkirkers now are to us. Uzziah had subdued them, 2Ch 26:6 but Ahaz had been much damnified and despoiled by them, 2Ch 28:18 and in the beginning of Hezekiah's reign they thought to have overrun all the country. Here therefore God's decree concerning them is published, for the comfort of his poor people, and it is this: Philistaeis non iabilandum sed eiulandum. Philistines must not be overjoyed, but rather "weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon them."
Because the rod of him that smote thee is broken.] Because Uzziah is dead, and Ahaz hath had ill success against you through his own sinfulness and sluggishness; do not you thereupon take boldness to set up your crest, and think all is your own.
For out of the serpent's root.] Out of Uzziah's issue,
Shall come forth a cockatrice.] Or, Basilisk, which is said to kill with his looks only; and hereby is meant Hezekiah, as also by the "fiery flying serpent," for thus he is called both for his fierceness and for his swiftness, two very commendable properties of a commander. Julius Caesar was in omnia praeceps, in all head first, very fierce, and with it notably nimble, witness his Veni, vidi, vici, I no sooner came, but overcame. The Hebrews from this text have a proverb, "Out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice," a i.e., one woe is passed, but behold a worse at hand.
a De radice colubri egredietur regulus, i.e., Afflictissimi, inter pauperes praecipui ac primi, atque adeo tolerandis calamitatibus nati.