To deliver their soul from death
Not a corporeal death, for the soul dies not, and is never in any
danger of death; and should life, or the whole man, be intended
here, yet those that fear the Lord, and hope in his mercy, are
not exempted and secured from a corporeal death, but die as other
men; though sometimes indeed they are remarkably preserved from
death, and even in a time of general calamity; but a spiritual
death is meant, which, while in a state of nature, they are
under; but, being quickened at conversion, they live spiritually,
and are preserved from dying any more in this sense; and also
from an eternal death, which shall never harm them, nor have any
power over them;
and to keep them alive in famine;
not corporeal, though the Lord does give meat to them that fear
him, and sometimes in a miraculous way provides for them; as by
sending ravens to feed them, and by increasing the cruse of oil;
see ( Isaiah
41:17 Isaiah 41:18
) ; but spiritual, a famine of hearing the word of the Lord; the
Lord prepares a place for his church and people in the
wilderness, where they are privately nourished with the word and
ordinances, and their souls kept alive, ( Revelation
12:6 Revelation
12:14 ) .