The word for 'strength' here means a stronghold or fortified place,
which serves as an asylum or refuge. There may be some mingling of an
allusion to the fugitive's taking hold of the horns of the altar, and
so being safe from the vengeance of his pursuers. If we may take this
double metaphor as implied in the text, it vividly illustrates the
essence of the faith which brings us into peace with God. That faith is
the flight of the soul to God, and, in another aspect, it is the
clinging of the soul to Him. How much more these two metaphors tell of
the real nature of faith than many a theological treatise! They speak
of the urgency of the peril from which it seeks deliverance. A fugitive
with the hot breath of the avenger of blood panting behind him, and
almost feeling the spear-point in his back, would not let the grass
grow under his feet. They speak of the energetic clutch of faith, as
that of the man gripping the horns of the altar. They suggest that
faith is something much more vital than intellectual assent or
credence, namely, an act of the whole man realising his need and
casting himself on God.
And they set in clear light what is the connection between faith and
salvation. It is not the hand that grasps the altar that secures
safety, but the altar itself. It is not the flight to the fortress, but
the massive walls themselves, which keeps those who hunt after the
fugitive at bay. It is not my faith, but the God on whom my faith
fastens, that brings peace to my conscience.