Verse 36
And upon them that are left alive of you ,.... In the land of Judea, or rather scattered about among the nations, suggesting that these would be comparatively few:
I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies ; or "a softness" F25 מרך "mollitiem", Montanus, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius. ; so that they should be effeminate, pusillanimous, and cowardly, have nothing of a manly spirit and courage in them; but be mean spirited and faint hearted, as the Jews are noted to be at this day, as Bishop Patrick observes; who also adds,"it being scarce ever heard, that a Jew listed himself for a soldier, or engaged in the defence of his country where he lives:"
and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them ; either the sound of a leaf that falls from the tree, as the Targum of Jonathan, or which the wind beats one against another, as Jarchi, which makes some little noise; even this should terrify them, taking it to be the noise of some enemy near at hand, just ready to fall on them; such poor faint hearted creatures should they be:
and they shall flee as fleeing from the sword ; as if there were an army of soldiers with their swords drawn pursuing them:
and they shall fall when none pursueth ; fall upon the ground, and into a fit, and drop down as if dead, as if they had been really wounded with a sword and slain, see Proverbs 28:1 .
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