Thus saith the Lord, refrain thy voice from weeping, and
thine eyes from tears
Though sorrow on such an occasion may be lawfully indulged, yet it ought to be moderated; and attention should be given to those things which may serve to relieve under it, and especially when they come from the Lord himself; then a stop is to be put to the mournful voice, and wet eyes are to be dried up: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord;
in bearing these children, and bringing them into the world, and expressing such an affectionate and tender concern for them; signifying, that the trouble of bearing and bringing them into the world, and nursing them the time they did live, should not, as it might seem, be fruitless, and to answer no end; but it should be seen hereafter, that all this was not in vain; nor should they think it so; but that they have an ample recompense of all their sorrow and trouble: and they shall come again from the land of the enemy;
meaning either Joseph, and Mary, and Jesus; who, by the warning of an angel, went into Egypt, the land of the enemy, where the Jewish fathers were once evilly entreated, just before this barbarity was committed; where they stayed till all danger was over, and then returned; see ( Matthew 2:13-21 ) ; compared with ( Hosea 11:1 ) ; or rather the murdered children, who, in the resurrection morn, shall return from the grave, the land of that "last enemy", death, which shall be destroyed, ( 1 Corinthians 15:26 ) ; and so Rachel, and the Jewish mothers she represents, are comforted with the hopes of a better resurrection; see ( Hebrews 11:35 ) ( 1 Thessalonians 4:13 1 Thessalonians 4:14 ) .