19.
Who is blinde, but my servant?] i. e. Who is so spiritually blinde and unbe∣lieving as my servant? The particle But is to be taken here for the Note of compa∣rison, As.
These two Verses, viz. v. 19, 20. are spoken in the person of God; therefore these words [Saith the Lord] may be here understood: q. d. Who is blinde, saith the Lord, but my servant? &c.
By his servant he meaneth his servant Jacob; that is, the children of Jacob, the Jews, which were in the Babylonish capti∣vity.
Because the Prophet called the Jews by the name of deaf and blinde, lest he may seem to call them so, which had not de∣served so to be called, he here justifies his calling them after that manner.
Or deaf, as my Messenger that I sent?] i. e. Or, who is so spiritually deaf and un∣believing as my Messenger, which I have sent to instruct my servant Jacob?
Blindness and deafness signifie here one and the same thing (as I said, v. 18.) that is, unbelief.
By the Messenger is meant the Priest and the Levite, who were Gods ordinary Messen∣gers to his people, appointed by his Law to teach them. See Malac. 2.7. Now if Gods Priests and Levites were blinde and deaf, then must the people needs be blinde which were instructed by them.
As he that is perfect,] i. e. As he which ought to be perfect, or hath promised and covenanted to be perfect, and is perfect by profession.
The Jews are called perfect here, not because they were so indeed, but because they ought to have been so, and were so by profession, and might have been so, if they had made good use of the means of perfection which God gave them. So Saint Paul calls the Corinthians unleavened, not be∣cause they were unleavened in their Man∣ners, but because they were unleavened by profession: 1 Cor. 5.7.
And blinde as the Lords servant?] q. d. And blinde, I say, as the Lords servant. He repeats here what he said in the beginning of the Verse, and by it aug∣ments these mens fault in not belie∣ving.