Zephaniah 3:12

When the Chaldeans carried away the Jews into captivity they left of the poor of the land for vine-dressers and husbandmen, a type and figure of God's distinguished remnant, whom he sets apart for himself. They are afflicted and poor, low in the world; such God has chosen, James ii. The poor are evangelized, low in their own eyes, afflicted for sin, poor in spirit.

I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people,....

afflicted . . . they shall trust in . . . Lord--the blessed effect of sanctified affliction on the Jewish remnant. Entire trust in the Lord cannot be, except where all cause for boasting is taken away (Isa 14:32;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens

An afflicted and poor people - In such a state will the Jews be found when they shall hear the universal call, and believe in Christ Jesus. Indeed, this is the general state of the Jews in the present day; except a Jew that are called Jews, who are very rich; and who believe just as much in the God of Jacob, as they do in Jesus Christ.

I will also leave - (Over, as a remnant, it is still the same heavy prophecy, that a remnant only ‘shall be saved’) “an afflicted and poor people.” priests, (except that ‘great company who were obedient to the faith’) Act 6:7, scribes, lawyers, Pharisees, Sadducees were taken away; and there remained “the people of the land” , the “unlearned and ignorant” Act 4:13, “the weak things of the world and the things despised” 1Co 1:27-28 who bore the very title of their Master, “the poor and needy; poor in Spirit” Psa 41:1; poor also in outward things, since “they who had lands, sold them and they had all things common” Act 2:44-45; Act 4:32, Act 4:35. They were afflicted above measure outwardly in the (Act 8:1; Act 9:2, Act 9:13-14; Act 12:1-2; Act 13:50; Act 14:5, Act 14:22; 22; etc. Rom 8:17, Rom 8:35-36; Rom 12:14; 1Co 9:19; 2Co 1:8-9; 2Co 12:10; 2Th 1:4; 2Ti 3:11-12; Heb 10:32-34; Jas 2:6-7; 1Pe 1:6-7; 1Pe 4:13; Rev 1:9; Rev 6:9 etc.) persecutions, “reproaches, spoiling of” their “goods,” stripes, deaths, which they endured for Christ’s sake. They knew too their own poverty, Rup: “knowing themselves to be sinners, and that they were justified only by faith in Jesus Christ.” When the rest were cast out “of the midst of her,” these should be left “in the midst of her” (the words stand in contrast with one another) in the bosom of the Church. “And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.” “As they looked to be justified only in the Name of Christ,” and (Dionysius) “trusted in the grace and power of God alone, not in any power or wisdom or eloquence or riches of this world, they converted the world to a faith above nature.” Cyril: “Conformed in this too to Christ. Who for our sakes became poor and almost neglected both His divine glory and the supereminence of His nature, to subject Himself to the condition of a servant. […]