Nevertheless, the dimness [shall] not [be] such as [was]
in
her vexation
The words may be rendered, "for there shall be no weariness to
him that straitens" or "afflicts" them F6; so
Jarchi, who interprets it of the king of Assyria; but it is
better to understand it of Titus Vespasian, who would not be
weary of, but indefatigable in carrying on the siege of
Jerusalem, and in distressing the Jews in all parts: or thus,
"for there shall be no fleeing from him that is oppressed in it"
F7; either that is besieged in
Jerusalem, or distressed in Judea; and so the words are a reason
of the former distress, and a continuation and amplification of
it; though many interpreters think they are to be understood by
way of comfort, and as a mitigation of it, which is the sense of
our version: when at first he lightly afflicted the land of
Zebulun and the land
of Naphtali;
either by Pul king of Assyria, in the reign of Menahem king of
Israel, ( 2 Kings
15:19 2 Kings
15:20 ) or rather by Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, in the
reign of Pekah king of Israel, since by him Galilee, and all the
land of Naphtali, were carried captive, ( 2 Kings
15:29 ) which at the time of this prophecy was past, and was
but a light affliction in comparison of what followed: and
afterwards did more grievously afflict [her]:
by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, in the reign of Hoshea king of
Israel, who took Samaria, and carried Israel or the ten tribes
into captivity, from whence they returned not; and yet it is
suggested, that the tribulation and distress that should come
upon the Jews by the Romans should be greater than the heaviest
of these; there should be no fleeing, no escape, no, not of any,
as at those times mentioned, but wrath should come upon them to
the uttermost, and particularly in the places following: by
the way of the sea;
which some understand of the Mediterranean sea, and of that part
of the land of Israel which lay next it; but it seems rather to
design the sea of Tiberias or Galilee, as Jarchi rightly
interprets it: beyond Jordan;
a part of the land of Israel so called, known by the name of
Peraea; (See Gill on Matthew
4:25): in Galilee of the nations;
which was inhabited not only by Jews, but by persons of other
nations, and therefore so called; now these places suffered much
in the wars between the Jews and the Romans, by skirmishes,
sieges, robberies, plunders as appears from the history of
Josephus. Some interpreters understand all this, as before
observed, as an alleviation of those times of trouble, as if it
would be less than in former times; but it is certain that it was
to be, and was, greater than ever was known, ( Matthew
24:21 Matthew
24:22 ) it is true, indeed, it may be considered as an
alleviation of it, and as affording some comfort in a view of it,
that in those very parts where there should be so much distress
and misery, the Messiah, previous to it, would appear, and honour
it with his presence, who is afterwards spoken of, and so, in
connection with the following words, these may be rendered thus;
as by De Dieu, "but obscurity shall not be brought to it" (the
land) "to which distress is brought; as at the first time he
caused reproach towards the land of Zebulun, and towards the land
of Naphtali, so in the last" (time) "he will give glory by the
way of the sea, beyond Jordan, on the border of the nations": and
if it be asked what that glory should be, the answer is, "the
people that walked in darkness", &c. and so the sense may be,
that whereas the inhabitants of Zebulun and Naphtali, and all
Galilee, were lightly esteemed of, being mean and illiterate, not
famous for any arts or sciences, and having no prophet among
them, should, in the days of the Messiah, be highly honoured, and
made glorious by his presence, ministry, and miracles among them
F8. See ( Matthew
14:13-15 ) , where it is quoted, and applied to Christ's
being in those parts.