At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
Ver. 22. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh] viz. By the force of thy faith, which (like perfect love) casteth out sinful fear; as grounding upon God's infallible promises, and knowing that all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies, Psalms 25:10. All the passages of his providence are to such not only mercy, but truth; they come to them in a way of a promise, as bound to them by covenant; and hence their holy courage lifteth them up so far above dangers and fears, that they even laugh at them, as Leviathan laugheth at the shaking of the spear, Job 41:29. They famish famine, and destroy destruction itself; like as Christ Jesus, the Captain of their salvation, swallowed up death in victory; and as many of the martyrs baffled it, deriding their tormentors.
Neither shall thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth] i.e. Wild beasts, that devour men and cattle, as lions, bears, boars, wolves, &c., whereunto we may add those cannibals, man-eating persecutors, who eat up God's people as they eat bread, Psalms 14:4. Such lycanthropi, or beasts in the shape of men, Paul fought with at Ephesus, and God had delivered him out of the mouth of that lion Nero, 2 Timothy 4:17, who yet afterwards martyred him. But the viper at Malta did him no harm; no more did the lions Daniel; neither would they meddle with some of the primitive martyrs, cast before them to be devoured.