And he said, This [is] wickedness
A representation of wicked men, who are wickedness itself, as their inward part is, ( Psalms 5:9 ) and particularly of the wicked one, the man of sin and son of perdition, the Roman antichrist and apocalyptic beast; who, though he is called by this title, "his Holiness", his true and proper name is "wickedness"; (o anomov) , that wicked lawless one, ( 2 Thessalonians 2:8 ) yea, wickedness itself, being extremely wicked, a sink of sin and of all abominations, ( Revelation 17:5 ) ( 18:2 ) . And he cast it into the midst of the ephah;
that is, wickedness; that it might be kept within bounds, and not exceed its measure to be filled up: this seems to denote some restraint on sinners, that they may not be able to go all the lengths they would; and some rebuke upon them, that they might not lift up their heads with impunity; and some check upon them, and their furious rage towards the people of God; and also the putting of an utter end to sin and sinners, and particularly the followers of antichrist; see ( Psalms 104:35 ) . And he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof;
either upon the mouth of the woman, or of the ephah; and, be it which it will, it was done to keep the woman within the ephah, and press her down there; and intends the judgments of God upon sinners; and shows that there is no escaping divine vengeance; that it falls heavy where it lights, and sinks to the lowest hell; and that it will continue, being laid on by the firm, unchangeable, and irrevocable decree of God. Cocceius understands this of the Saracens and Turks, and the barbarous nations, being cast into the Roman empire, to restrain the antichristian tyranny; but it seems better to apply it to the utter destruction of antichrist, signified by a millstone cast into the sea and sunk there, never to rise more; see ( Revelation 18:21 ) and with it compare ( Exodus 15:10 ) .