Righteousness exalteth a nation
Administered by the government, and exercised by subjects towards
one another; doing justice between man and man: this exalts a
nation, as it did the people of Israel, while practised among
them; this sets a people above their neighbours, and high in the
esteem of God and men; and is attended with privileges and
blessings, which make a nation great and honourable. Some
understand this of aims deeds, or beneficence to the poor; which,
both in the Hebrew and Greek languages, is called righteousness;
(See Gill on Matthew
6:1). It may be put for the whole of true religion, which
is an honour to a nation, where it obtains; and is what makes the
holy nation, and peculiar people, so truly illustrious; and
particularly the righteousness of Christ makes such who are
interested in it really great and noble, and promotes and exalts
them to heaven and happiness; but sin [is] a reproach to
any people;
where vice reigns, iniquity abounds, profaneness, impiety, and
immorality of all sorts prevail, a people become mean and
despicable; they fall into poverty and contempt; are neither able
to defend themselves, nor help their neighbours, and so are
despised by them. The word rendered "reproach" most commonly
signifies "mercy" or goodness; and some render it, "and the mercy
of a people is a sin offering" F16; or as one: or it is so "to
the nations"; it is as good as a sacrifice for sin, of which the
word is sometimes used, or better, more acceptable to God, "who
will have mercy, and not sacrifice", ( Matthew 9:13
) ; even beneficence and kindness to the poor, the same with
righteousness, as before. I think it may be as well rendered,
"the piety" or religion "of the nations is sin" F17; it
being idolatry, as Aben Ezra observes: such is the religion of
the antichristian nations, who worship idols of gold and silver;
and though they may afflict themselves, as Gersom remarks of the
idolatrous nations, with fasting and penance, with whippings and
scourgings; yet it is nothing else but sin, will worship, and
superstition.