And the coast shall be - Or probably, "It shall be a portion for the remnant of the house of Judah." He uses the word, employed in the first assignment of the land to Israel ; and of the whole people as belonging to God, "Jacob is the 'lot' of His inheritance" Deuteronomy 32:9. "The tract of the sea," which, with the rest, was assigned to Israel, which, for its unfaithfulness, was seldom, even in part, possessed, and at this time, was wholly forfeited, should be a portion for the mere "remnant" which should be brought back. David used the word in his psalm of thanksgiving, when he had brought the ark to the city of David, how God had "confirmed the covenant to Israel, saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance" 1 Chronicles 16:18; Psalm 105:11; and Asaph, "He cast out the he athen before them and divided to them an inheritance by line" Psalm 78:55. It is the reversal of the doom threatened by Micah, "Thou shalt have none, that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord" Micah 2:5. The word is revived by Ezekiel in his ideal division of the land to the restored people Ezekiel 47:13. "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance" Romans 11:29. The promise, which had slumbered during Israel's faithlesshess, should be renewed to its old extent. : "There is no prescription against the Church." The boat threatens to sink; it is tossed, half-submerged, by the waves; but its Lord "rebukes the wind and the sea; wind and sea obey Him, and there is a great calm" Matthew 8:26-27.

For the remnant of the house of Juda - Yet, who save He in whose hand are human wills, could now foresee that Judah should, like the ten tribes, rebel, be carried captive, and yet, though like and worse than Israel in its sin Jeremiah 3:8-11; Ezekiel 16:48-52; Ezekiel 23:11, should, unlike Israel, be restored? The re-building of Jerusalem was, their enemies pleaded, contrary to sound policy Ezra 4:12-16 : the plea was for the time accepted, for the rebellions of Jerusalem were recorded in the chronicles of Babylon Ezra 4:19-22. Yet the falling short of the complete restoration depended on their own wills. God turned again their captivity; but they only, "whose spirit God stirred," willed to return. The temporal restoration was the picture of the spiritual. They who returned had to give up lands and possessions in Babylonia, and a remnant only chose the land of promise at such cost. Babylonia was as attractive as Egypt formerly.

In the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening - One city is named for all. "They shall lie down," he says, continuing the image from their flocks, as Isaiah, in a like passage, "The first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety" Isaiah 4:1-629:59:00

The true Judah shall overspread the world; but it too shall only be a remnant; these shall, in safety, "go in and out and find pasture" John 10:9. "In the evening" of the world they shall find their rest, for then also in the time of antichrist, the Church shall be but a remnant still. "For the Lord their God shall visit them," for He is the Good Shepherd, who came to seek the one sheep which was lost and who says of Himself, "I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick" Ezekiel 34:16; and who in the end will more completely "turn away their captivity," bring His banished to their everlasting home, the Paradise from which they have been exiled, and separate forever the sheep from the goats who now oppress and scatter them abroad Ezekiel 17-19.

The coast shall be for the remnant - Several devastations fell on the Philistines. Gaza was ruined by the army of Alexander the Great, and the Maccabees finally accomplished all that was predicted by the prophets against this invariably wicked people. They lost their polity, and were at last obliged to receive circumcision.

And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah,.... The same tract of land become so desolate through the Chaldeans, should in future time, when those that remained of the Jews were returned from their captivity in Babylon, be inhabited by them. This was fulfilled in the times of the Maccabees, when the cities of Palestine, being rebuilt, were subdued by the Jews, and fell into their hands; and it is plain that in the times of the apostles those places were inhabited by the Jews, as Gaza, Ashdod, and others, Acts 8:26 and perhaps will, have a further accomplishment in the latter day, when they shall be converted and return to their own land:

they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; either the shepherds shall feed their flocks here, and cause them to lie down in the evening on the very spot of ground where the houses of Ashkelon stood. This place is very properly represented as on the sea coast; for so it was; Philo (s) says, who some time dwelt there, that it was a city of Syria by the sea: or rather the remnant of Israel shall feed and dwell here, and lie down in safety; and this was made good in a spiritual sense, when the apostles of Christ preached the Gospel in those parts, and were the instruments of converting many; and there they fed them with the word and ordinances, and caused them to lie down in green pastures, in great ease and security:

for the Lord their God shall visit them: in a way of grace and mercy, bringing them out of Babylon into their own land, and enlarging their borders there; and especially by raising up Christ, the horn of salvation, for them; and by sending his Gospel to them, and making it effectual to their conversion and salvation:

and turn away their captivity; in a literal sense from Babylon; and in a spiritual sense from sin, Satan, and the law; and may have a further respect to their present captivity in both senses.

(s) Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 8. p. 398.

And the coast shall be for the {e} remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

(e) He shows why God would destroy their enemies, because their country would be a resting place for his Church.

2:7 The coast - The sea - coast, the land of the Philistines. The remnant - That survive the captivity. Shall feed - Their flocks. In the houses - In places where these formerly stood. They - Both shepherds and flocks. Shall visit - In mercy.

for the LORD: or, when, etc

Margin remnant

See Scofield Note: "Jer 15:21".

7. remnant of . Judah-those of the Jews who shall be left after the coming calamity, and who shall return from exile.

feed thereupon-namely, in the pastures of that seacoast region (Zep 2:6).

visit-in mercy (Ex 4:31).

2:4-15 Those are really in a woful condition who have the word of the Lord against them, for no word of his shall fall to the ground. God will restore his people to their rights, though long kept from them. It has been the common lot of God's people, in all ages, to be reproached and reviled. God shall be worshipped, not only by all Israel, and the strangers who join them, but by the heathen. Remote nations must be reckoned with for the wrongs done to God's people. The sufferings of the insolent and haughty in prosperity, are unpitied and unlamented. But all the desolations of flourishing nations will make way for the overturning Satan's kingdom. Let us improve our advantages, and expect the performance of every promise, praying that our Father's name may be hallowed every where, over all the earth.