Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
Ver. 17. Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities] Here are four "yets" in this one verse, and all very gracious ones; to break their hard hearts, and to raise their faith in his promised mercies. For it is as if God should say, Though I was sore displeased with your fathers, and ye are risen up in their rooms a very race of rebels, so that I have had indignation against you full seventy years, Zechariah 1:12, yet I do you to know, and by my prophet I proclaim, with great earnestness and evidence of truth, that I do yet own you my cities, so that ye are not discovenanted, and will yet prosper you (so that it shall no more be said, This is Zion whom no man careth for, Jeremiah 30:17; for you shall have plentiful increase of men, cattle, and all manner of fruits of the earth, as Zec 2:4), yea, you shall have a fulness of all things, not only repletive, but diffusive, not only of abundance, but of redundance too; your cup shall overflow into the lesser vessals of others.
My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad] Diffundentur, diffiuent nut effluent. You shall have not for necessity only, but for lawful delight and honest affluence.
And the Lord shall yet comfort Zion] sc. With spiritual comforts, taking her into his winecellar, Cant. ii., yea, into the wilderness, and there speaking to her heart, Hosea 2:13 .
And shall yet choose Jerusalem] That is, settle her in the sound assurance of her election and adoption, whereof those outward blessings are both fruits and pledges. Hence David doubts not to conclude his spiritual good estate and hopes of eternal happiness frown his external enjoyments, Psalms 23:5,6 "Thou preparest a table before me, thou anointest mine head, my cup runneth over." Hence he infers, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." In all that is here said we may see that Scripture fully made good, Jeremiah 51:5 "Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel." And herein God dealt with his people according to his prerogative, and not according to his ordinary course. When the cursed Canaanites had filled their land from corner to corner with their uncleaunesses they were devoted to destruction, Ezra 9:11. When the Edomites grew insolent and ripe for ruin they were called the border of wickedness, and the people against whom the Lord had indignation for ever, Malachi 1:4. See Trapp on " Mal 1:4 "