When thou passest through the waters; I will be with
thee
The Targum and Jarchi apply this to the Israelites' passage
through the waters of the Red sea, as a thing past; and Kimchi to
Sennacherib's army, compared to the waters of a river strong and
many, ( Isaiah
8:7 Isaiah
8:8 ) . Jerom says, that the Jewish writers by "waters" would
have the Egyptians understood; by the "rivers", the Babylonians;
by "fire", the Macedonians; and by the "flame", the Romans; which
is not amiss; but rather the afflictions of God's people in
general are meant by waters, as by rivers also, in the next
clause: and through the rivers, they shall not overflow
thee;
because of the variety and multitude of them, as persecutions
from men, those proud waves that go over them; the temptations of
Satan, that enemy who comes in like a flood, and various others;
and because of the rapidity and force of them, and their
overflowing and overwhelming nature: now there are paths through
which the people of God pass: their way lies through them to
eternal glory; and though they are of some continuance, yet have
an end, as paths have; and having a good guide, and sufficient
strength given them, they wade through them safely; for they do
not and shall not "overflow" them, so as to cause their faith
utterly to fail, or to separate them from the love of God, or so
as to destroy them; for though they come nigh them, and upon
them, and may greatly affect and distress them, yet shall not
hurt them, but turn to their advantage; for their God is with
them, to sympathize with them, to comfort and revive them, to
teach and instruct them by their afflictions, and to sanctify
them to them, as well as to support and bear them up under them,
and to deliver out of them: when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burnt: neither
shall the flame kindle upon thee;
afflictions are compared to fire and flames, because very
grievous and troublesome to the flesh; and because of the
apprehensions of God's wrath in them sometimes; and because of
their trying nature; grace is tried by them as gold and silver in
the fire; but yet the saints are not consumed by them, they lose
nothing but their dross; their principles and profession are
tried, and they are supported through all; which has been
abundantly verified in the martyrs of Jesus; see ( Psalms 66:12
) ( Zechariah 13:9 ) .