And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
Ver. 4. And destroyed the increase of the earth.] A stratagem that was afterwards also used by Halyattes against the Milesians, a and is still by the great Turk, that scourge of Christendom and waster of the world.
Till thou come unto Gaza,] i.e., The whole length of the land: for Gaza was a city of the Philistines, bounding the land of Israel southward.
And left no sustenance for Israel.] None, to speak of: they became like a sweeping rain that leaveth no food, Pro 28:3 living on the spoil as long as it lasted, or as they listed. This was a sad case, but nothing so sad as theirs that suffer a famine of the word, as do at this day the Africans, Grecians, those seven churches of Asia, and many others, once famous and flourishing.
a Herod., lib. i.