15 Behold, they may gather together, but not by me: whoever shall gather together against you shall fall because of you.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Behold, he who assembleth shall assemble. The general import is, that, although many rise up for the purpose of overwhelming the Church, yet all their efforts and attacks shall fail; and he appears to promise God's assistance not only against external foes, but against foes that are domestic and internal. Many "assemble" in the bosom of the Church, as if they wished to join themselves to her, but afterwards carry on internal war. These words are commonly translated, "By gathering he shall gather himself against thee," and are generally understood to relate to all the enemies of the Church of every kind. That interpretation is most generally approved; nor do I object to it, provided that it be acknowledged to include the fraud, and ambush, and treachery by which the Church is attacked. Yet I have no doubt that here the meaning is the same as in Psalm 2:1, namely, the conspiracies and insurrections of the Gentiles against Christ and the Church of God; for not a single nation only, but various nations rise up against, her. It is probable, however, that here he expressly joins together domestic foes and those who from without had penetrated even into her bosom; for he says, In thee, Against thee, that is, "They shall attack thee within, in the midst of thee." In a word, he shows that the Church will not enjoy such peace as not to be attacked by many adversaries. But it may be thought that these statements are contradictory; for he formerly said that she would be far from terror and oppression, and now he says that there shall be conspiracies within her bosom. I reply, the Prophet instantly added this, that believers might not promise to themselves a state of peace in the world, as if they had no annoyance to suffer from wicked men and hypocrites. The defense of the Church against oppression and slander shall be of such a kind as not to preserve her from carrying on uninterrupted war with enemies; for Satan will raise up against her every day new attacks, so that she can never be at rest. These words may therefore be regarded as a correction of the preceding statement, in order that believers may always carry their weapons of war, and may not promise to themselves repose. Without me. A promise is added, that the Lord will nevertheless preserve them in the midst of dangers. Without God signifies "in vain" or "unsuccessfully;" for he means that the attacks of wicked men, though they do their utmost [1] shall utterly fail. They rush forward with blind fury, but it is the Lord's hand alone that gives prosperity. He alludes to what was formerly said, (Isaiah 41:25) that the Babylonians should come, under God's guidance, to destroy Judea. At that time the people were ruined, because they had God for their enemy; but now, because "without God," that is, without his guidance, the enemies shall attack her, they shall be ashamed and turn back. This is more fully expressed by what immediately follows -- He who shall assemble in thee shall fall against thee. That is, "All that he shall attempt against thee shall fall back on his own head. Though the whole world rise up against thee, it shall be crushed by its own weight." The phrase, in thee, deserves notice; for when the Lord drives our enemies to a distance, we are confident, but if they come near us, we fall into despair. Therefore he says, "Although they penetrate even into thy bowels, the Lord will destroy them, and will deliver thee."
1 - "Encore qu'ils facent du pis qu'ils pourrent." "Though they do the worst that they can."
Behold, they shall surely gather together - The idea in this verse is, that the enemies of the people of God would indeed form alliances and compacts against them, but it would not be under the divine direction, and they would not be able to prevail against the church. The word rendered here 'gather together' (גור gûr) means properly 'to turn aside from the way'; then to sojourn for a time; then to assemble against anyone. It seems here to refer to the gathering together of hostile forces to form an alliance, or to wage war. Great variety, however, has prevailed in the interpretation of the passage, but this seems to be the sense of it. Jerome renders it, 'Lo, a foreigner shall come who was not with me, the stranger shall hereafter be joined to thee,' and seems to understand it of the proselytes that should be made. This sense is found expressly in the Septuagint, 'Lo, proselytes shall come to thee through me, and they shall sojourn with thee, and fly to thee' The Chaldee renders it, 'Lo, the captivity of thy people shall be surely gathered unto thee, and in the end the kings of the people which were assembled to afflict thee, O Jerusalem, shall fall in the midst of thee.' But the above seems to be the correct sense. Alliances would be formed; compacts would be entered into; leagues would be made by the enemies of the people of God, and they would be assembled to destroy the church. This has often been done. Formidable confederations have been entered into for the purpose, and deep-laid plans have been devised to destroy the friends of the Most High. See Psalm 2:2 : 'The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed.' No small part of history is a record of the combinations and alliances which have been entered into for the purpose of driving the true religion from the world.
But not by me - Not under my direction, or by my command.
Shall fall for thy sake - Hebrew, עליך ‛âlaı̂yk - 'Shall fall unto thee.' Lowth, 'Shall come over to thy side.' The phrase seems to mean that they should 'fall to them,' that is, that they should lay aside their opposition, break up their alliances against the church, and come over to it. In proof of this interpretation, Rosenmuller appeals to the following places: 1-Chronicles 12:19-20; 2-Chronicles 15:9; Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 39:9. The passage, therefore, looks to the future conversion of the enemies of the church to the true faith. It has, doubtless, been partially fulfilled in the conversion of nations that have been leagued against the gospel of the Redeemer. There was a striking fulfillment in the times that succeeded the persecutions of Christians in the Roman empire. After all the power of the empire had been enlisted in ten successive persecutions to destroy the church, the very empire that had thus opposed the church was converted to the Christian faith. In a still more signal manner will this be fulfilled when all the powers of the earth now leagued against the gospel shall be brought under the influences of the true religion.
Shall fall for thy sake "Shall come over to thy side" - For יפול yippol, twenty-eight MSS. (eight ancient) have יפל yipal, in its more common form. For the meaning of the word in this place, see Jeremiah 37:13.
Behold, they shall surely assemble, [but] not by (n) me: whoever shall assemble (o) against thee shall fall for thy sake.
(n) And therefore will not prevail.
(o) Meaning, the domestic enemies of the Church, as are the hypocrites.
Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me,.... Not by the Lord, by his command or order to do his will, and execute his pleasure, which sometimes was the case, as in Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, and others; but so it shall not be, when the enemies of Christ and his people gather together against them in the latter day; this will be by the means of three unclean spirits like frogs that will come out of the mouth of the dragon, beast, and false prophet; even spirits of devils, Popish priests, and Jesuits, who will instigate, stir up, and get together the antichristian kings of the earth to the battle of almighty God, Revelation 16:14. Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, interpret them of Gog and Magog:
whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake; because of the love that I bear to thee, they shall not succeed, or do thee any hurt, but shall perish; or, "shall fall to thee" (c); so far from doing thee any hurt, they shall come over to thee, and be on thy side; be joined to thee, as the Vulgate Latin version; that is, the remnant that shall escape, and be converted, and give glory to God, Revelation 11:13 or rather, "shall fall before thee" (d), in thy sight; or, as the Targum, in the midst of thee; which remarkably paraphrases the words thus,
"at the end the kings of the nations, which are gathered together to afflict thee, O Jerusalem, shall fall in the midst of thee;''
for the kings of the earth that shall be gathered together against Christ and his church shall fall in battle before them, and their flesh shall become meat for the fowls of the heaven; the beast and false prophet, in company with them, will be taken and cast alive into the lake of fire, and the remnant be slain with the sword of Christ, Revelation 19:17.
(c) "ad te cadet", Cocceius. (d) "Cotam te cadet", Grotius, Gataker.
gather together, &c.--that is, If it should happen that enemies "gather together" against thee (Psalm 2:2), they will not have been sent by Me (compare Hosea 8:4) as instruments of My wrath (nay, it will be with My disapproval); for "whosoever shall gather together," &c. (Psalm 59:3).
fall for thy sake--rather, "shall come over to thy side" [LOWTH]. Literally, "fall to thee" (Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 39:9). To be fully fulfilled to Jerusalem hereafter (Zac 14:16).
Behold - It is true some will combine and make an attempt against thee. But - Without any such commission from me, as Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar had.
*More commentary available at chapter level.