For the moth shall eat them up like a garment
Either these reproaches, or the persons that reproach; as a
garment is eaten by the moth, secretly, slowly, surely, and at
last completely, so that it becomes utterly good for nothing; so
secret, gradual, sure and certain, complete and perfect, will be
the ruin and destruction of the enemies of Christ and his people:
and the worm shall eat them like wool;
or as a woollen garment, which is most liable to be motheaten;
for the moth and worm are much the same, as Kimchi and Ben Melech
observe; who say, that in the Arabic tongue the moth is called by
a name much of the same sound with this word in the text; and the
sense is, that as a woollen garment is eaten and consumed by
vermin, so wicked men will be destroyed by the vengeance of the
Lord upon them; for the moth and worm design both the judgments
of God upon them in this world, and his wrath in the other, where
the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched: but my
righteousness shall be for ever;
to justify his people and secure them from wrath and ruin:
and my salvation from generation to generation;
it will abide through the endless ages of eternity, and be the
portion of the saints for ever, of which they are now heirs; is
nearer than when they first believed, and is ready to be
revealed, and will be everlastingly enjoyed by them, firm against
all the accusations and charges of men and devils: or, "shall not
fail" F15, as the Septuagint; its virtue to
justify will always continue; it will answer for the saints in a
time to come, even at the last judgment. The Targum is, it
``shall not tarry;''being near to be wrought out and revealed, ( Isaiah 51:5 ) .