[1] As the pall of darkness is drawn over the world, the fair
face of nature fades from the sight; every object becomes
indistinct, or is wholly obscured, and all that can cheer
the sight or direct the steps of man vanishes. So the
gradual accumulation of religious errors, thickening with
every age, banished the knowledge of God and His truth from
the understandings of men, till all that was sublime in
speculation, cheering to the heart, supporting to the
hopes, or directive to the actions of men, passed away from
the soul, and left the intellectual world like that of
nature when deprived of light. The heaven of the soul was
hung with blackness, and "their foolish heart was
darkened."--_Watson._
[2] Alexander and several other modern scholars read: _"Thou
hast enlarged the nation, Thou hast increased its joy,"_
understanding the Prophet to mean that the true Israel had
been increased by the calling of the Gentiles, and that
this increase had been a cause of great gladness.
[3] If the Prophet speaks of the Jewish people, he declares a
fact remarkably striking. One of the blessings promised to
their founder, Abraham, was, that his seed should be
multiplied as the stars of heaven and the sands of the
sea-shore. But that which was designed as a blessing, and
is described as such in the promise, was made a curse by
the wickedness of the Jews. For what end, in the former
periods of their history, did they multiply, but to furnish
food for captives, slaughter, and oppression? In later
times, they have multiplied, and spread themselves over the
world; but their joy has not been increased. Degraded in
character, and despised by the nations where they sojourn,
without a country, a temple, or a sacrifice, they bear,
like Cain, the marks of God's curse, are vagabonds in the
earth, preserved to warn us of the just severity of God.
There is nothing, however, in the connection to induce us
to suppose that the Prophet particularly contemplated the
Jewish nation. The same thing must be affirmed of every
nation that abandons itself to wickedness. When nations are
multiplied, their political strength is increased; and
happiness would be multiplied too, were it not for sin. But
in wicked nations the "joy is not increased." This negative
expression signifies the misery is increased. God has not
added His blessing; and there is no joy.--_Watson._
[4] The weakness and insignificance of the instruments used in
breaking the rod and yoke of the oppressor is sufficiently
marked by the allusion to the destruction of the host of
Midian by Gideon and his three hundred men. The family of
Gideon was poor in Manasseh, and he was the least of his
father's house; the number of men assigned him was
contemptible; their weapons were no better than an earthen
pitcher, a torch, and a trumpet; the men who dreamed of
Gideon dreamed of him under the image of a barley-cake. All
this meanness was adopted that the deliverance of Israel
might appear to be the work of God; and this is the manner
in which He has ever wrought in the revival and spread of
godliness in the world. Who were the instruments of
spreading true religion in the Apostolic age, we know; they
were the despised fishermen of Galilee. Feeble and
unpromising instruments have also been employed in
subsequent revivals; and for the conformity of the present
missionary system of this model we augur will be of future
success.--_Watson._