Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul
also
Meaning either the sword, "or spear of scandal", as the Arabic
version renders it; so the calumny, and reproach of the tongues
of men, is compared to a sharp sword, ( Psalms 57:4 ) and such
the virgin might meet with on account of her conception in art
unmarried state, which might greatly wound her soul; or else the
sorrows she met with on account of her son: as he was a man of
sorrows, so was she a woman of sorrows, from his cradle to his
cross; and his sorrows, like so many darts, or javelins,
rebounded from him to her, and pierced her soul through; as when
Herod sought his life, ( Matthew 2:13
Matthew
2:14 ) when she had lost him for a whole day, ( Luke 2:48 ) and when he
was frequently exposed to danger among the spiteful and malicious
Jews; but never more than when she stood at his cross, and saw
him, in his agonies, extended on the tree, bleeding, gasping, and
dying, ( John
19:25 ) . Some think this refers to martyrdom, which she was
to suffer by the sword, of which the Scripture is silent,
Epiphanius, an ancient writer, seems to hint at it F14.
That the thoughts of many hearts may be
revealed;
that is, all this offence was to be taken at Christ, and he to be
spoken against; and all these afflictions, reproaches, and
persecutions, he and his were to endure for this end; that the
secret thoughts of men might be discovered, and they be known to
be what they were, whether hypocrites, or good men, foes or
friends of Christ: so on the one hand, what were the Scribes and
Pharisees, who talked of a Messiah, and pretended to
righteousness and holiness, and yet when the Messiah came,
rejected him, and so all such who followed Christ with worldly
views, and expected a temporal kingdom, but left him when they
found it otherwise, and Judas, one of his disciples; and, on the
other hand, who were sincere and hearty? as the rest of his
disciples, Joseph of Arimathea, and others, who abode by him,
notwithstanding the cross; and the same use have all
persecutions, errors, and heresies, the opposition and
contradiction of men in every shape now, and the same end is
answered; wicked men, and hypocrites, are known to be what they
are; and good men are made manifest; and what each think of
Christ and his Gospel, is discovered hereby; see ( 1
Corinthians 11:19 ) .