(_erets_) brings the two clauses descriptive of the punitive acts into
parallelism, and is probably to be preferred. The same pillar was light
to Israel and darkness to the Egyptians. Christ is the savour of life
unto life and of death unto death. But what is His instrument of
destruction? 'The rod of His mouth' or 'the breath of His lips.' And who
is He whose bare word thus has power to kill and make alive? Is not this
a divine prerogative? and does it not belong in the fullest sense to Him
whose voice rebuked fevers, storms, and demons, and pierced the dull,
cold ear of death? Further, righteousness, the absolute conformity of
character and act to the standard in the will of God, and faithfulness,
the inflexible constancy, which makes a character consistent with
itself, and so reliable, are represented by a striking figure as being
twined together to make the girdle, which holds the vestments in place,
and girds up the whole frame for effort. This righteous King 'shall not
fail nor be discouraged.' He is to be reckoned on to the uttermost, or,
as the New Testament puts it, He is 'the faithful and true witness.'
This is the strong Son of God, who gathered all His powers together to
run with patience the race set before Him, and to whom all may turn with
the confidence that He is faithful 'as a Son over His own house,' and
will inviolably keep the promise of His word and of His past acts.

We pass from the picture of the character and rule of the King over men
to that fair vision of Paradise regained, which celebrates the universal
restoration of peace between man and the animals. The picture is not to
be taken as a mere allegory, as if 'lions' and 'wolves' and 'snakes'
meant bad men; but it falls into line with other hints in Scripture,
which trace the hostility between man and the lower creatures to sin,
and shadow a future when 'the beasts of the field shall be at peace with
thee.' The psalm which sings of man's dominion over the creatures is to
be one day fulfilled; and the Epistle to the Hebrews teaches that it is