Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us ... - Yahweh of Sabaoth; i:e., God of the angelic and starry hosts (Psalms 59:5; Psalms 147:4; Psalms 148:2). The latter were objects of idolatry, called hence Sabaism (2 Kings 17:16). God is above even them (1 Chronicles 16:26). 'The groves' were symbols of these starry hosts: it was their worships of Sabaoth, instead of the Lord of Sabaoth, which had caused the present desolation (2 Chronicles 24:18). It needed no less a power than His to preserve even.
A very small remnant. Condescending grace for the elect's sake, since He has no need of us, seeing that He has countless hosts to serve Him.
We should have been (treated judicially) as Sodom. We, as a State, are become like Sodom in morals (as Isaiah 1:10 expressly declares). It is well for us that God has not dealt with us judicially, as He did with Sodom, according to our condition morally.