O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude [of the wicked]: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
Ver. 19. O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove] Turturillae tuae, that groaneth unto thee; being not more innocent, chaste, mild, simple, and sociable, than weak, shiftless, and unable to defend herself from those beasts of prey. Turtur minimus censetur in columbarum genere (Arist.). Optatus observeth, that no fowl is more preyed upon by hawks, kites, &c., than the dove. Columbea mas et foemina dormiunt et pascuntur eodem in loco (Arist. Hist. Anim. lib. 8, c. 3); yet are there still more doves than hawks or kites for all that. So the Church increaseth, notwithstanding all persecutors, Patitur et non rapit (Kimchi).
Unto the multitude] Or, to the beast, the wild company. The same word is put here also immediately for the congregation or lively flock of Christ.