subject-matter, and adds no feature, merely for the sake of giving
vividness to the picture. We cannot for a moment suppose, as _Jerome_
and others do, that the female child denotes a more degraded
generation. For why, then, is the third again a male child? The
supposition proceeds from the altogether unfounded notion that the
three children denote different generations. The reason must, on the
contrary, be sought for in the name. _Schmid_ says: "It seems to have
reference to the weakness of the sex. For the female sex [Pg 210] finds
greater sympathy than the male." The verb [Hebrew: rHM] does not denote
any kind of love, but only the love of him who is high to him who is
low, of the strong to the weak; and hence the LXX., whom Peter follows
in 1 Pet. ii. 10 ([Greek: ouk eleemene]), render the word more
accurately than Paul, in Rom. ix. 25 ([Greek: ouk egapemene]). Hence it
is never used of man's love to God, but only of the love of God to
man,--of His mercy. The only passage which seems to contradict this,
Ps. xviii. 2, is not to the purpose, as, there, the _Kal_ is used. But
the female sex, being weaker, stands in greater need of the compassion
of men, than does the male. Is. ix. 16. The female child places the
neediness and helplessness of the people in more striking contrast with
the refusal of help from Him who alone can bestow it. The [Hebrew:
rHmh] is either _Participle_ in _Pual_ which has cast off the [Hebrew:
m], or the 3d fem. _Pret. in pause_; thus _Cocceius_, who explains it
by: "She has not obtained mercy." It is in favour of the latter view,
that according to _Ewald_, Sec. 310 b, [Hebrew: la] does not often stand
before a _Participle_. The words, "_I will not continue_," refer to the
former great manifestations of divine mercy, and especially the last
under Jeroboam, which the people still, at that time, enjoyed; compare
2 Kings xiii. 23: "And the Lord was gracious unto them, and had _mercy_
upon them, and turned towards them because of His covenant with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast
them from His presence." Upon this contrast, also, rests the mild
expression, "I will not have mercy,"--an expression which, in virtue of
this contrast, becomes stronger than any other. Several interpreters
here lay peculiar stress upon the circumstance, that "the _house_ of
Israel" is spoken of. This, the kingdom of Israel, they say, as an
independent state, is given over to everlasting d