Version is right in its rendering, though it may be doubtful whether its
margin is not better than its text, since not only are 'boot' and
'booted' as probable renderings of the doubtful words as 'armour' and
'armed man,' but the picture of the warrior striding into battle with
his heavy boots is more graphic than the more generalised description in
the Revised Version's text. In any case, the whole accoutrements of the
oppressor are heaped into a pile and set on fire; and, as they blaze up,
the freed slaves exult in their liberty. The blood-drenched cloaks have
been stripped from the corpses and tossed on the heap, and, saturated as
they are, they burn. So complete is the victory that even the weapons of
the conquered are destroyed. Our conquering King has been manifested,
that He might annihilate the powers by which evil holds us bound. His
victory is not by halves. 'He taketh from him all his armour wherein he
trusted.'

II. Now we are ready to ask, And who is to do all this? The guarantee
for its accomplishment is the person of the conquering Messiah. The
hopes of Israel did not, and those of the world do not, rest on
tendencies, principles, laws of progress, advance of civilisation, or
the like abstractions or impersonalities, but on a living Person, in
whom all principles which make for righteousness and blessedness for
individuals and communities are incarnated, and whose vital action works
perpetually in mankind.

In this prophecy the prophet is plainly speaking greater things than he
knew. We do not get to the meaning if we only ask ourselves what did he
understand by his words, or what did his hearers gather from them? They
and he would gather the certainty of the coming of Messiah with wondrous
attributes of power and divine gifts, by whose reign light, gladness,
liberty would belong to the oppressed nation. But the depth of the