There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.
Ver. 15. There shall the fire devour thee] There, that is, in thy strongholds, where thou thinkest thyself most safe. These shall be to thee pro carcere et pistrino, for a prison, or little ease; when the fire of God's wrath shall kindle upon thee the fire of war shall consume thee. See Amo 1:4 Joel 1:19; Joel 2:3; Joe 2:30 Amos 7:4. See Trapp on " Amo 1:4 " See Trapp on " Joe 1:19 " See Trapp on " Joe 2:3 " See Trapp on " Joe 2:30 " See Trapp on " Amo 7:4 " Evil shall hunt the violent man to destroy him, Psalms 140:11, neither must he think to be safe anywhere from Divine vengeance, Amo 9:2-3 Psa 139:7-10 Obadiah 1:4; which will not suffer them to live, as those Barbarians could tell, Acts 28:4. The heathens called Nemesis, or Vengeance, Aδραστεια, to show that no guilty person could shun it. Shuffle he may for a season from side to side, as Balaam's ass did, to avoid the angel's sword, Numbers 22:27, but at length lay down under it, and so condemned her master's madness, 2 Peter 2:16. Running into God is the only best way to escape him; as to close and get in with him that would strike you doth avoid the blow.
The sword shall cut thee off] Est haec vehemens plane comminatio, saith Gualther. This is truly a very vehement threat. See how thick it falls, like hail shot upon them, that they can hardly take breath; and all too little to work upon their hard hearts, which could not repent. These uncounselable Ninevites were like the smith's dog; whom neither the hammers above him nor the sparks of fire falling round about him can awake. Like leviathan, they esteemed iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. Darts were counted by them as stubble, they laughed at the shaking of the spear, Job 41:27; Job 41:29. It is proper to God's people to tremble at his word, to stand in awe of his judgments, while they yet hang in the threatenings. Wicked men laugh when they should fear; and say in their hearts when God threateneth them, as Frederick II, Emperor of Germany, was wont to say openly, in the greatest threatening of his enemies, Minarum strepitus, Asinorum crepitus. The noise of theatenings, the rustlings of asses.
It shall eat thee up as the cankerworm] Which useth to make quick despatch and clean work, see Joel 1:1,20; Joel 2:1,32, to shear all before it.
Make thyself many] Heb. weighty with multitude; so that the axletree of the earth may seem to groan under thy grandeur and massiness. Do this thou, O King of Nineveh (for the Hebrew verb here is masculine). Do the like thou, O city of Nineveh.
Make thyself many as the locusts] Which hath its name in Hebrew from multitude; because, as that legion in the Gospel, they are many: and here the Hebrew verb is feminine. Ministers must lay about them on all hands; and be ready to turn themselves, as it were, into all shapes and fashions, both of speech and spirit, to bring people to the knowledge of God and his will, of themselves and their duties.