Verily thou art a God that hideth thyself
Who hid himself from the Gentile world for some hundreds of
years, who had no knowledge of the true God, lived without him in
the world, and whose times of ignorance God overlooked, and
suffered them to walk in their own ways; though now he would make
himself known by his Gospel sent among them, and blessed for the
conversion of them. He is also a God that hides himself from his
own people at times, withdraws his gracious presence, and
withholds the communication of his love and grace. These seem to
be the words of the prophet, speaking his own experience, and
that of other saints: or rather of the church, upon the access of
the Gentiles to her, declaring what the Lord had been to them in
former times; but now had showed himself to them in a way of
grace and mercy. Some render it "thou art the hidden God"
F26; invisible in his nature;
incomprehensible in his essence; not to be found out to
perfection, nor to be traced in his providential dispensations;
his judgments are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out. It
may be applied to Christ in his state of humiliation; for though
he was God manifest in the flesh, yet the glory of his deity was
seen but by a few, being hid in the coarse veil of humanity; he
appearing in the form of a servant, who was in the form of God,
and equal to him; and to him the following words agree: O
God of Israel, the Saviour;
for he is God over all, and the God of his spiritual Israel in an
especial manner; and the Saviour of them from sin, wrath,
condemnation, and death, by his obedience, sufferings, and death;
or if it is to be understood of God the Father, who is the God of
Israel, he is the Saviour of them by his Son.