that He stands under the protection of divine
omnipotence, so that the expression: "Whom I uphold," in chap. xlii. 1,
is parallel. The _shadow_ is the ordinary figure of protection. The
figure of the sword is dropped in the second clause, and hence the
objection, that a drawn sword does not require any protection, is out
of place. This will [Pg 234] appear from a comparison of chap. li. 16:
"And I put my words in thy mouth, and I cover thee with the shadow of
mine hand," where the sword is not mentioned at all, and the shadow
belongs simply to the person. The quiver which keeps the arrow is
likewise a natural image of divine protection. The two accessory
clauses do not suit, if the first and third clauses are referred to the
_rhetorical endowment_ of the Servant of God; _that does not flow from
the source of the protecting omnipotence of God_. These accessory
clauses rather suggest the idea that, by the comparison of the _mouth_
with the sharp sword, of the _whole person_ with the sharpened arrow,
there is indicated _the absolutely conquering power which, under the
protection of omnipotence, adheres to the word and person of the
Servant of God_, so that He will easily put down everything which
opposes,--equivalent to: _He has endowed me with His omnipotence, so
that my word produces destructive effects, and puts down all
opposition, just as does His word_; so that there would be a parallel
in chap. xi. 4, where the word of the Servant of God likewise appears
as being borne by omnipotence: "He smiteth the earth with the rod of
His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He slayeth the wicked." To
the same result we are led also by a comparison of chap. li. 16, where
the word of the Lord, which is put into the mouth of the Servant of
God, is so living and powerful, so borne by omnipotence, that thereby
the heavens are planted, and the foundations of the earth are laid. But
of special importance are those passages of Revelation which refer to
the verse under consideration. In chap. i. 16, the sharp two-edged
sword does not by any means represent the power of the discourse
piercing the heart for salvation; but rather the destructive power of
the word which is borne by omnipotence. It designates the almighty
punitive power of Christ directed against his enemies. "By the
circumstance, that the sword goes out of the mouth of Christ, that
destructive power is attributed to His mere word, He appears as
partaking of divine omnipote