They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all [other], and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
Ver. 24. They are exalted for a little while] Or, they are exalted, but within a little while they are not. This former part of the verse needeth no exposition, saith an expositor. And as for the latter,
They are taken away as all others, they are cut off as the tops of the ears of corn] It may be understood that the like violence wherewith tyrants shall be cut off, by which they have cut off other mighty and great men; Velut farrisspicae succiduntur (Trem. ex Varr.), as Thrasibulus, king of the Milesians, by striking off with his staff certain ears of corn, and Tarquin, king of the Romans, by doing the like to certain poppies in his garden, signified their minds to have various chief men beheaded; which was accordingly accomplished. So Mithridates, king of Pontus, by one letter caused the death of eighty thousand Romans, trading throughout Asia (Val. Max.). Now God loveth to retaliate, as hath been said before. See it exemplified in Adonibezek, Agag, Haman, and others.