And they shall be as mighty [men], which tread down [their enemies] in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD [is] with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.
Ver. 5. And they shall be as mighty men] Or, as giants, as Gabriels, they shall be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, they shall do worthily in Ephratas, and be famous in Bethlehem, Ruth 4:11 "their bow shall abide in strength, and the arms of their hands be made strong, by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob: from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel," Genesis 49:24. If it could be said of Mithridates, a mere atheist, that he never wanted any courage nor counsel; how much more of God's warriors, such as Judas Maccabeus, especially Messiah, the Prince, who treads down his enemies as the mire of the streets, setting his feet in their necks and making them to be found liars unto him, that is, to yield him at least a forced and feigned subjection.
And they shall fight because the Lord is with them] This is enough to make them fight up to the knees in blood, that they have God to stand by them; not only as a spectator, or Agonotheta (though that is somewhat; dogs and other baser creatures will fight lustily when their masters are by, and do set them on), but as a Captain of the Lord's hosts, as Christ is called, and a coadjutor, a champion, man of war, Exodus 15:3. Yea, he alone is whole army of men, he is Van and Rear both Isaiah 52:12. The shields of the earth belong to him, the militia of the world is his, Psalms 47:9, he hath magnleh cheloth and matteh cheloth as the Rabbis well observe, armies both above and beneath, as his horse and foot to fight for his people.
And the riders on horses shall be confounded] As they were in the conquest of Canaan, where the enemies had horses and chariots, when the Israelites had neither, as Origen observeth and as they were all in David's wars, and the rest of the victorious kings of Israel, who, according to the law, Deuteronomy 17:16, made no use of horses (but said, A horse is but a vain thing for battle, &c. God takes no delight in the strength of a horse), and ever fought on foot with singular success. So did the Maccabees, Zisca, and after him the Bohemians, the English in France at the battle of Spurs (so the battle of Terwin was called in Henry VIII's time, from the French fleeing away to save their lives).