Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
Ver. 20. Come, my people.] Thus God lovingly bespeaketh his, as leading them by the hand to a hiding place of his providing. So he shut up Noah in the ark, secured Lot in Zoar, hid Jeremiah and Baruch when sought for to the slaughter, bade Daniel to go away and rest before those great troubles foretold. Dan 12:13 Augustine and Paraeus died a little before Hippo and Heidelberg were taken, so did Luther before the bloody wars of Germany. For Mr Brightman a pursuivant was sent a day or two after he was buried. a The burying place is not unfitly called κοιμητηριον, a resting room to the saints; the grave a "bed"; Isa 57:2 the bier that carrieth men to it, Matteh, i.e., a pallet. 2Sa 3:31 Lyra and others by "chambers" here understand the graves, compare Rev 6:11 Joh 16:33 those chambers of rest, and beds of down, to the bodies of the saints until the last day. There are those who by "chambers" will have meant the closets of God's providence and protection, such as Pella was to the primitive Christians. Hitherto the saints are exhorted to retire till the storm be over, the enemy gone, the destroying angel passed over, as Exo 12:12 possessing their souls in patience.
As it were for a little moment.] Heb., A little of a moment. Nubecula est, cito transibit, as Athanasius said when persecuted by Julian, This storm will soon blow over, this indignation doth not transire, but pertransire, pass, but pass apace. b
a Life of King James, by Wilson.
b Sozom., lib. xv. cap. 5.