For the terrible one is brought to nought
Who before was so to the people of God; meaning not Sennacherib
king of Assyria, but some formidable enemy or enemies under the
Gospel dispensation; as the Scribes and Pharisees, and the Jewish
sanhedrim; who were "violent" {c}, as it may be rendered, violent
persecutors of the followers of Christ, the meek and poor before
described; who were brought to nought, and their power ceased at
the destruction of Jerusalem; and the Roman emperor, with all
subordinate rulers and governors in the empire, who harassed the
Christians in a terrible manner, but were at last brought to
nought by Constantine, and their persecution ceased; and the
Romish antichrist, who has been so terrible, that none could or
dared oppose him; he in a little time will be brought to nought,
and cease to be. The Septuagint version renders it, "the wicked
one faileth"; and uses the same word F4, by which antichrist is
described, ( 2
Thessalonians 2:8 ) also Satan, that terrible enemy of the
saints, shall be brought to nought; first bound for a thousand
years; and afterwards, being loosed, shall be taken again, and
cast into the lake of fire; all which will be matter of joy to
the meek and lowly:
and the scorner is consumed;
the same as before, only represented under a different character;
the Jew, that mocked at Christ, because of his meanness, and that
of his followers, that scoffed at his doctrines and miracles; and
the Gentile, that derided his cross, and the preaching of it; and
antichrist, whose mouth is full of blasphemies against God, and
his tabernacle, and them that dwell in it:
and all that watch for iniquity are cut off;
that cannot sleep unless they commit it, and seek for and take
all opportunities of doing it; or watch for iniquity in others,
in Christ, and the professors of his religion; or for anything
they could call so, that they might have something to accuse them
of, and charge them with, and a pretence to proceed against them
in colour of law and justice: which has been the practice of
Jews, Pagans, and Papists.
F3 (Uyre) "violentus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius.
F4 (anomov)