(15) A time of health . . .--Better, healing, or, following another etymology, a time of quietness, and behold alarm. "Peace," in the first clause, is used in its wider sense as including all forms of good.

Verse 15. - Health; rather, healing. Another rendering is tranquility (same sense as in Ecclesiastes 10:4). Trouble; rather, terror.

8:14-22 At length they begin to see the hand of God lifted up. And when God appears against us, every thing that is against us appears formidable. As salvation only can be found in the Lord, so the present moment should be seized. Is there no medicine proper for a sick and dying kingdom? Is there no skilful, faithful hand to apply the medicine? Yes, God is able to help and to heal them. If sinners die of their wounds, their blood is upon their own heads. The blood of Christ is balm in Gilead, his Spirit is the Physician there, all-sufficient; so that the people may be healed, but will not. Thus men die unpardoned and unchanged, for they will not come to Christ to be saved.We looked for peace,.... Outward prosperity, affluence of temporal blessings, peace with enemies, and safety from them, which the false prophets had given them reason to expect; or which last they concluded and hoped for, from their being in the defenced cities:

but no good came; they were disappointed in their expectation; the good that was promised them, and they looked for, never came, but all the reverse:

and for a time of health; or, of healing (l); the political wounds of the commonwealth of Israel:

and behold trouble! or "terror" (m); at the approach of the enemy, described in the following verses. The Targum is,

"a time of pardon of offences, and, lo, a punishment of sins.''

Healing, in Scripture, signifies pardon of sin; see Psalm 41:4.

(l) "medelae, vel sanationis", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Schmidt. (m) "terror", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Schmdit.