But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
But when the king (the Great God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ), heard thereof.
[Tregelles, with not sufficient warrant, as we think, omits the word akousas (G191). Tischendorf retains it.] He was wroth - at the affront put both on His Son, and on Himself who had deigned to invite them.
And he sent forth his armies. The Romans are here called God's armies, just as the Assyrian is called "the rod of His anger" (Isaiah 10:5), as being the executors of His judicial vengeance.
And destroyed those murderers - and in what vast numbers did they do it!
And burned up their city. Ah! Jerusalem, once "the city of the Great King" (Psalms 48:2), and even up almost to this time (Matthew 5:35); but now it is "their city" - just as our Lord, a day or two after this, said of the temple, where God had so long dwelt, "Behold your house is left unto you desolate" (Matthew 23:38)! Compare Luke 19:43-44.