Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing.
Pass ye away - literally, 'Pass thou (feminine) away for yourselves, thou inhabitress of Saphir' - i:e., thou shalt go into captivity.
Inhabitant of Saphir - a village amidst the hills of Judah, between Eleutheropolis and Ascalon, called so from х Shaapiyr (H8208)] the Hebrew word for beauty. Though thy name be beauty, which heretofore was thy characteristic, thou shall have thy "shame" made "naked." Pusey translates, 'in nakedness and shame.' This city shall be dismantled of its walls, which are the garments, as it were, of cities; its citizens also shall be hurried into captivity, with their persons exposed (Isaiah 47:3; Ezekiel 16:37; Hosea 2:10).
The inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth. Its inhabitants did not come forth to console the people of Bethezel in their mourning, because the calamity was universal-none was exempt from it (cf. Jeremiah 6:25, "Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way: for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side"). Zaanan х Tsa'ªnaan (H6630)] is the same as Zenan, in Judah, in the Shephelah or seacoast plain (Joshua 15:37), meaning the place flocks. The form of the name used is made like the Hebrew for 'came forth' х yaatsaa' (H3318)]. Though in name seeming to imply that thou dost come forth, thou 'camest not forth.' In the mourning of Bethezel - perhaps Azal, near Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:5, "Ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains: for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal"). It means a house on the side х 'eetsel (H681)], or near, margin. Though so near, as its name implies, to Zaanan, Bethezel received no succour or sympathy from Zaanan. Grotius takes it from the Hebrew, to lay apart х 'aatsal (H680)]. Instead of being Bethel - i:e., the house of God-it has become by its idolatry Bethezel - i:e., the house of separation from God. Thus this clause will be joined to the following in this sense: 'He (the inhabitant of Zion being meant by Zaanan) shall hear (literally, receive) the mourning on your part. O Bethezel (1: e., Bethel), but shall stand by himself' - i:e., attend to its own concerns, without stirring a step to save you. But here it is the towns of Judah, not Israel, that are the object of judgments.
He shall receive of you his standing - "he," i:e., the foe; "his standing," i:e., his sustenance (Piscator). Or, 'he shall be caused a delay by you Zaanan.' He shall be brought to a stand for a time in besieging you; hence, it is said just before, "Zaanan came not forth" - i:e., shut herself up within her walls to withstand a siege. But it was only for a time. She, too, fell, like Bethezel before her (Vatablus). Maurer construes thus: 'The inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth; the mourning of Bethezel takes away from you her shelter' (its stay-literally, standing). (Pusey, after the Vulgate and Syriac.) Though Bethezel be at your side (i:e., near), according to her name, yet as she also mourns under the oppression of the foe, she cannot give you shelter, or be at your side as a helper (as her name might lead you to expect), if you come forth and be intercepted by him from returning to Zaanan. I prefer the English version, with Vatablus' explanation.