And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.
And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. The covenant made with the whole nation is to hold good no more, except to the elect remnant. This is the force of the clause, not as Maurer, etc., translate, 'that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the nations' (not to hurt my elect people, Hosea 2:18). But the Hebrew is the term for the elect people х ha`amiym (H5971)], not that for the Gentile nations ( gowyim (H1471)). The Hebrew plural expresses the great numbers of the Israelite people formerly (1 Kings 4:20). So in Judges 5:14. The article is in the Hebrew, referring to Judah and Israel already spoken of, 'that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the or those peoples.' His cutting asunder the staff "Beauty" implies the setting aside of the outward symbols of the Jews' distinguishing excellency above the Gentiles (note, Zechariah 11:7), as God's own people.