And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
And shall not God - not like that unprincipled man, but the infinitely righteous "Judge of all the earth," And shall not God - not like that unprincipled man, but the infinitely righteous "Judge of all the earth,"
Avenge - redeem from oppression, his own elect-who are not like this poor widow in the eye of that selfish wretch, the objects of indifference and contempt, but dear to Him as the apple of the eye (Zechariah 2:8).
Which cry day and night unto him - whose every cry enters into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth (James 5:4); and how much more their incessant and persevering cries,
Though he bear long with them? х kai (G2532) makrothumoon (G3114), or, according to the preferable reading, makrothumei (G3114) ep' (G1909) autois (G846)]. This rendering is apt to perplex the English reader, to whose ear it fails to convey the obvious sense. The same expression is used in James 5:7 - "The farmer waitheth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it" х makrothumoon (G3114) ep' (G1909) autoo (G846)]. So we should, render it here, 'though he bear long for them,' or 'on their account;' that is, with their oppressors. It is not with His own elect that God has to bear in the case here supposed, but with those that oppress them. And the meaning is, that although He tolerates these oppressions for a long time, He will at length interpose in behalf of His own elect.