18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though {d} he bear long with them?
(d) Though he seems slow in avenging the harm done to his own.
18:7 Shall not God avenge his own elect? If an unjust, hard-hearted judge can be moved by the persistent prayers of a widow, will not the tender, loving, good Father hear the cries of his children?
Though he bear long with them. Rather, as in the Revised Version, He is long-suffering over them. He is long-suffering for them for their own good, and long-suffering towards their enemies in order that they may have opportunity to repent.
18:7 And shall not God - The most just Judge, vindicate his own elect - Preserve the Christians from all their adversaries, and in particular save them out of the general destruction, and avenge them of the Jews? Though he bear long with them - Though he does not immediately put an end, either to the wrongs of the wicked, or the sufferings of good men.
18:1-8 All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is taught. The widow's earnestness prevailed even with the unjust judge: she might fear lest it should set him more against her; but our earnest prayer is pleasing to our God. Even to the end there will still be ground for the same complaint of weakness of faith.
