to give rest to Israel." In Rev. xii.
6, 14, the wilderness likewise designates the state of trial and
temptation.--[Hebrew: dbr el-lb], properly "to speak over the heart,"
because the words fall down upon the heart, signifies an affectionate
and consolatory address; compare Gen. xxxiv. 3 ("And he loved the
damsel, and spoke over the heart of the damsel"), l. 21; Is. xl. 2.
Here they signify that the wife is comforted after she had been so
deeply cast down by the consciousness of her former unfaithfulness,
and by the experience of its bitter consequences. The view of those who
would here think only of the comforting words of the prophets is much
too limited,--although these words are, of course, included. We must
chiefly think of the _sermo realis_ of the Lord, of all the proofs of
affectionate and tender love, whereby He gives rest to the weary and
heavy-laden, and brings it about, that those who were formerly
unfaithful, but who now suffer themselves to be led by Him out of the
spiritual bondage into the spiritual wilderness, can now put confidence
in Him; just as, formerly. He comforted Israel in the wilderness, in
the waste and desolate land, in the land of drought and of the shadow
of death (Jer. ii. 6), and affectionately cared for all their wants, in
order that they might know that He is the Lord their God, Deut. xxix.
4, 5.

Ver. 17. "_And I give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of
Achor_ (trouble) _for a door of hope; and she answers thither as in the
days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of Egypt._"

The same faithful love which led into the wilderness, now leads into
Canaan also; and the entrance into the promised land is immediately
followed by the possession of all its gifts and blessings, which now
legitimately belong to the _faithful_ wife (_her_ vineyards), whilst,
formerly, they were taken from the unfaithful wife by the giver, ver.
14. [Hebrew: ntN] with [Hebrew: l] of the person, always means "to give
to some one." Hence _Simson_ is wrong in giving the explanation: "And I
make her of it, viz., the wilderness, her vineyards;" for the valley of
Achor was not situated in the wilderness, but in Canaan; compare Is.
lxv. 10. The signification "to give" is here suited to the second
member of the verse also. The valley of Achor is given to her in its
quality as a valley of hope. The _vineyards_ are mentioned with
reference to ver. 14, where the devastation of the vine is [Pg