Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning
hooks
into spears
Let not only soldiers, and such as have been trained up in
military discipline, appear in the field on this occasion; but
let husbandmen and vinedressers leave their fields and vineyards,
and turn their instruments of husbandry and vinedressing into
weapons of war; let them not plead want of armour, but convert
these to such uses: on the contrary, when this battle will be
over, swords shall be beaten into ploughshares, and spears into
pruning hooks, ( Isaiah 2:4 ) ; let
the weak say, I [am] strong;
such as are weak, through sickness, or old age, let them not
plead their weakness to excuse them from engaging in this war;
but let them make the best of themselves, and say they are strong
and healthy, and fit for it, and enter in it with all courage and
bravery: this is said either ironically to the enemies of God's
people, suggesting that all hands would be wanted, and should be
employed, weak and strong, and all little enough; when they had
made the utmost effort they could, it would be in vain: or else
they are seriously spoken to the people of God, that none of them
should excuse themselves, or be discouraged because of their
weakness from engaging in this last and more battle; but take
heart, and be of good courage, and quit themselves like men, and
be strong, since they might be sure of victory beforehand. The
Apostle Paul refers to this text in ( 2
Corinthians 12:10 ) ; and applies it to spiritual weakness
and strength; and indeed the weakest believer, that is so in
faith and] knowledge, may say he is strong, in comparison of what
he once was, and others are; strong, not in himself, but in
Christ, and the power of his might, and in the grace that is in
him; nor should he excuse himself from fighting the Lord's
battles, against sin, Satan, and the world, and false teachers;
or from doing the Lord's work, any service he calls him to; or
from bearing the cross he lays on him on account of his weakness;
nor should he: be discouraged by it from those things; but let
him strengthen himself, as Aben Ezra interprets it, take heart,
and be of good courage.