Amid all these dangers, Israel is promised, under Divine protection, a certain immunity.

Because of the army. — This is the meaning of the word as pointed in the Hebrew text, but some, altering the vocalisation, would render it “as a garrison;” and others, as LXX., “a column.”

Him that passeth... returneth. — Pusey refers these words directly to “Alexander, who passed by with his army on the way to Egypt, and returned, having founded Alexandria,” but this appears to us to be too special an application of an expression which occurs in a general sense in Zechariah 7:14; Exodus 32:27; Ezekiel 35:7. The promise, however, was undoubtedly fulfilled when Alexander entered Jerusalem, prostrated himself before the high priest, and treated the Jews with peculiar favour.

Oppressor. — The same word that is used in Zechariah 10:4. (Comp. Isaiah 3:12; Isaiah 60:17.)

Have I seen. — Compare Exodus 3:7. In the estimation of the man of little faith, God only sees when He actively interferes.

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