men could be saved, if all the members of one nation could be saved.
There is no word of Scripture in favour of it, except the [Greek: pas]
in Paul, which must just be interpreted and qualified by the contrast
to the _small_ [Greek: ekloge], while there are opposed to it a number
of declarations of Scripture,--especially all those passages of the
prophets where, to the remnant, to the escaped ones of Israel only,
salvation is promised. And, besides the Word of God, there are opposed
to it His deeds also,--especially the great typical prefiguration of
things spiritual by things external at the deliverance of the people
from Egypt, when the _remnant_ only came to Canaan, while the bodies of
thousands fell in the wilderness; and no less at the deliverance from
Babylon, when by far the greatest number preferred the temporary
delight in sin to delight in the Lord in His land.

Ver. 4. "_And I raise shepherds over them, and they feed them; and they
shall fear no more, nor be terrified, neither be lost, saith the
Lord._"

Even here, the reference to 2 Sam. vii. 12, and to the name of
Jehoiakim, is manifest, although, in the subsequent verse, it appears
still more distinctly, compare p. 401. This reference also is a proof
in favour of this prophecy's having been written under Jehoiakim. The
reference was, at that time, easily understood by every one; even the
slightest allusion was sufficient. This reference farther shows that
_Venema_, and several others who preceded him in this view, are wrong
in here thinking of the Maccabees. These are here quite out of the
question, inasmuch as they were not descended from David. Besides the
contrast between the people's apostacy and God's covenant-faithfulness,
the Prophet evidently has still another in view, viz., that between the
apostacy of the Davidic house, and God's faithfulness in the fulfilment
of the promise given to David. The single apostate members of this
family are destroyed, although, appropriating to themselves the
promise, they, in their names, promise deliverance and salvation to [Pg
411] themselves. But from the family itself, God's grace cannot depart;
just because Jehovah is God, a true Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin must rise
out of it. It thus appears that the Maccabees are here as little
referred to as Ezra and Nehemiah, of whom _Grotius_ thinks. Much
stronger ground is there for thinking of Zerubbabel, for his appearance
had really some reference to the promise to Da