ntion of the name of other gods, neither shall it be heard out of thy
mouth." The special expression of the idea must, as a matter of course,
be referred back to this idea itself, viz., the abhorrence of the
former sin and, hence, such a mention cannot here be spoken of as,
like that in the passage before us, has no reference to that sin.

Ver. 20. "_And I make a covenant for them in that day with the beasts
of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping
things of the earth; and bow, and sword, and war I break out of the
land, and make them to dwell in safety._"

[Pg 268]

On the expression, "I make a covenant," _Manger_ remarks, "The
cause is here put for the effect, in order to inspire with greater
security." For the benefit of Israel, God makes a covenant with the
beasts, _i.e._, He imposes upon them obligations not to injure them.
The phrase [Hebrew: krt brit] is frequently used of a transaction
betwixt two parties, whereby an obligation is imposed upon only one of
the parties, without the assumption of any obligation by the other. A
somewhat different turn is given to the image in Job v. 23, where, by
the mediation of God, the beasts themselves enter into a covenant with
Job after his restoration. [Hebrew: rmw] never means "worm," but always
"what moves and creeps," both small and great, as, in Ps. civ. 25, is
subjoined by way of explanation. The three classes stand in the same
order in Gen. ix. 2. The normal order there established, "And the fear
of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast," etc., returns,
after the removal of the disturbance which has been produced by sin.
Upon the words, "I break," etc., _Manger_ makes the very pertinent
remark: "It is an emphatic and expressive brevity, according to which
breaking out of the land all instruments of war, and war itself, means
that He will break them and remove them out of the land." It is
self-evident that "war" can here, as little as anywhere else, mean
"weapons of war." The prophet, as it appears, had in view the passage
Lev. xxvi. 3 ff.: "If ye will walk in My statutes, and keep My
commandments and do them, I will give you your rains in due season, and
the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall
yield their fruit.... And I give peace in the land, and you dwell, and
there is none who makes you afraid; and I destroy the wild beasts out
of the land, and the sword shall not enter into your land." It is
so mu