How beautiful, &c.— While the Son of God manifested himself in the flesh to his people, the prophet, immediately rapt into ecstacy, beholds first the evangelists, chosen by the Lord throughout Judaea; then the apostles, and their contemporaries, departing by the Lord's command from Jerusalem; announcing throughout the whole world, by the preaching of the Gospel, the good tidings of salvation prepared for all people without distinction, and inviting them to a participation of this salvation. It is impossible to apply these words to any other than the first preachers of the Gospel, without wresting them in the strongest manner possible: Ευαγγελιον, the Gospel, is, literally, good tidings. See Luke 2:10. Vitringa renders the eighth verse, The voice of the watchmen; they lift up the voice; together do they sing; or they sing in concert. For men shall see with both eyes, when the Lord shall have restored Zion. Vitringa supposes that the watchmen here mean the prophets, who answer to, or sing in concert with the evangelists; for between these there is the utmost harmony; so that what the prophets have foretold as to be fulfilled, the evangelists relate as fulfilled. Believers therefore, in the voice of the evangelists, acknowledge the words of the prophet.

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