At the noise of the tumult the people fled
The Vulgate Latin Version renders it, "at the voice of the
angel"; and Jerom reports it as the opinion of the Jews, that it
was Gabriel; and many interpret the words either of the noise the
angel made in the air, or was made in the Assyrian camp, when the
angel descended, and smote such a vast number of them, at which
the remnant, being frightened, fled, ( 2 Kings
19:35 2 Kings
19:36 ) but either this is to be understood as expressing
what had been done in time past, and therefore the church took
encouragement that it might and would be so again; or as a
continuance of her prayer, thus, "at the noise of the tumult", or
multitude F20, "let the people flee" F21; or as
a prediction, "they shall flee" F23; that is, at the noise of
the multitude of saints, the faithful, called, and chosen armies
of heaven, that follow Christ on white horses, and clothed in
white; when he shall go forth to battle with the kings of the
earth, beast, and false prophet, let the people under them flee,
or they shall flee, and not be able to stand before so puissant a
General, and so powerful an army; see ( Revelation
17:14 ) ( 19:14 ) :
at the lifting up of thyself, the nations were
scattered;
so it has been in times past, when the Lord has lifted up
himself, and appeared on behalf of his people, and has exerted
himself, and displayed his power; and so it will be again; or so
let it be: "let the nations be scattered"; the antichristian
nations, as they will be, when the Lord shall lift up his hand,
and pour out the vials of his wrath upon them.