And the sons of strangers shall build up thy
walls
The sons of the people; or Gentiles, as the Targum; who were
strangers from the covenants of promise, and aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel; strangers to God and Christ, and the
Spirit of Christ, and to the Gospel, and all that is good; yet
the sons of these, being in great numbers converted everywhere,
will be useful in building up the church of God, in
strengthening, protecting, and defending it; these are the same
with those afar off, that shall come and build in the temple of
the Lord, ( Zechariah
6:15 ) , such there have been among the Gentiles in all ages,
more or less, since the times of the apostles, who have been
instruments of the edification of the church, and of the defence
of its doctrines and ordinances; and more there will be in the
latter day: and their kings shall minister unto
thee;
that is, the kings of the Gentiles, as Constantine, and some
other truly Christian kings and emperors, have done, though their
numbers have been very small as yet; but, when this prophecy is
fulfilled, it will be a general case; kings everywhere will be
nursing fathers, and queens nursing mothers to the church, will
serve the interest of it, and promote it to the uttermost of
their power; see ( Isaiah 49:23
) ( Psalms
72:10 Psalms 72:11
) : for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I
had mercy on
thee;
for the Jews' rejection of the Messiah, for their contempt of his
Gospel, and persecution of his apostles and ministers, wrath came
upon them to the uttermost, upon their city, temple, and nation,
to the destruction of them, and which is still upon them; and
though blindness is happened unto them, and they are shut up in
unbelief, yet there is a time when the Lord will have mercy on
them, call and convert them, and return their captivity; see (
Romans
11:25 Romans 11:26
Romans
11:31 Romans 11:32
) ( Jeremiah
30:18 ) .