And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
To give us a nail in his holy place. Edifices in ancient times, and in Eastern countries, were much more simple in construction than ours. Nor were they furnished with that variety of accommodation and furniture within of which ours can boast. Hence, one essential requisite was to fix spikes, or large pins, in the walls on which to hang moveables and utensils of common use. These immense nails were fastened in the walls of the apartment in the process of building, and placed in parts which were strong and durable (cf. Isaiah 22:23; Ezekiel 15:3; Zechariah 10:4).
That our God may lighten our eyes - i:e., invigorate us, as the phrase is used to signify, 1 Samuel 14:27-29.