The meek also shall increase [their] joy in the
Lord
The "meek", lowly, and humble, are such who are made sensible of
sin, and become humble under a sense of it; who see the
insufficiency of their own righteousness, and submit to the
righteousness of Christ; who attribute all they have, and are, to
the free grace of God, and quietly submit to every dispensation
of Providence; who are not easily provoked by men, but bear much
and long without reviling; who envy not those that are above them
in gifts and grace, nor despise those that are below them, and
think the worst of themselves, and the best of others; now these
have joy in the Lord, in the Word of the Lord, as the Targum, in
the Lord Jesus Christ; in the greatness and glory of his person
as Jehovah, and so able to save to the uttermost; in him as the
Lord their righteousness; in his blood and sacrifice, for the
pardon and expiation of their sins; in his fulness as theirs, to
supply their wants; in his salvation, being so great, so full, so
free, and suitable to them: and whereas their joy may be
interrupted through the corruptions of their hearts, the
temptations of Satan, and divine desertions, they "shall add"
F1 joy in the Lord, as in the original;
they shall repeat it, it shall come again, it shall be restored
unto them, and they shall afresh exercise it, and "increase" in
it, as we render it; for spiritual joy may be increased by the
discoveries of the love of God; by fresh views of Christ, through
an increase of knowledge of him, and faith in him; by means of
meditation and prayer, and by reading and hearing the word:
and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of
Israel;
or, "the poorest of men" F2, who were so in a literal sense; for
such were the persons, both among Jews and Gentiles, who in the
first times of the Gospel were brought to the knowledge of
Christ, and faith in him, ( Matthew 11:4
) ( 1
Corinthians 1:26 1
Corinthians 1:27 ) or such who are "poor in spirit"; not only
spiritually poor, but who are sensible of their spiritual
poverty, and apply to Christ for the true riches of grace: the
words may be rendered, "Adam's poor"; such who are impoverished
by Adam's fall, and are sensible of it; these, perceiving durable
riches and righteousness, even unsearchable riches, in Christ,
rejoice in him, "the Holy One of Israel"; who is holy in himself,
the sanctifier of others, and is made satisfaction to all his
people. The Targum is,
``in the word of the Holy One of Israel.''This joy is not carnal, but spiritual; it is the fruit of the Spirit of God, and is called joy in the Holy Ghost; as it also is the joy of faith, which goes along with it, is through it, and increases as that does; it is peculiar to believers, unknown to the world, and is unspeakable, and full of glory: and such kind of rejoicing, and an increase of it, are what belong to Gospel times.
F1 (wkoyw) "et addent", V. L. Pagninus: Montanus,
F2 (Mda ynwyba) "mendici hominum", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; "egentissimi hominum", Junius & Tremellius.
