By the blessing of the upright the city is
exalted
That is, either by the blessings with which they are blessed; and
these are either temporal or spiritual: when good men are blessed
with temporal blessings, the place where they live is the better
it; and especially the poor, for they do not eat their morsel
alone; and where there are many of these, and in prosperous
circumstances, it is the exaltation and glory of a city taken in
a literal sense; and which is the more blessed for their sakes,
as well as they themselves are a blessing to it: and as the
upright are blessed with spiritual blessings, with blessings
indeed, with the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God; when they
are fruitful and flourishing in grace, the city or church of God
is in an exalted state: or rather this is to be understood of the
blessings with which the upright bless others; and may be
interpreted of the blessed deeds or good works which they do, and
which are profitable to men; or of their blessed counsel and
advice which they give on emergent occasions, and which proves
salutary, and for the good of the city; or rather for their
blessed prayers which they put up for the peace and prosperity of
it, and which succeed. So by the blessing of the Gospel of
Christ, or by the blessed doctrines of his apostles, those
upright and sincere ministers of the word, the city of the living
God was greatly exalted in their times; as it also was in the
times of Constantine, and at the reformation; and this now is a
reason why the city rejoices at its going well with the
righteous, whether in temporals or spirituals. So Aben Ezra
thinks the words have a connection with the former; but it
is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked;
by the corrupt communication which proceeds out of their months;
by their obscene and filthy talk the inhabitants of a place are
corrupted; evil communications corrupt good manners; by their
swearing and cursing, their oaths and imprecations, by their
lying and perjury, they bring the judgments of God upon a city,
to the overthrow of it. So by false doctrines, as the faith of
particular persons is subverted, so whole cities, or visible
congregated churches, have been corrupted and destroyed, as with
the Arian heresy and others.