like so many hungry Lions that Nation should be that God would bring upon them and with what dreadful fury and rage and hideous clamours they shall fall upon the Jews as particularly when they came to joyn battel with them or to undertake the storming of any place and with what unresistable violence they should seize upon and carry away both the people and wealth of the Kingdom no body either doing or being able to resist them But see the Notes also Psal 74.4 and Job 4.10 Ver. 30. And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea c. That is they shall break in upon them with a noise like that of the roaring Sea when in a storm it beats upon a Ship or when over-bearing the banks it breaks in and over-flows the land and carries all before it like a mighty deluge and if one look unto the land behold darkness and sorrow or distress that is saith some Expositors if one of this savage Nation shall but look towards them the very terror of his countenance shall over-whelm them with the darkness of extream dread and fear and threaten no less than the bringing of the whole land under most extream misery and sorrow But indeed this is far more generally understood by Expositors of the Inhabitants of the land and if one look to the land behold darkness c. that is so miserable shall be the condition of the whole land by reason of the irruption of so potent and cruel an enemy that if any of the people did look towards any part of the land as it were to view and consider the sad condition whereinto they were brought they should see nothing but darkness over-spreading the whole Country which way soever they should look round about them they should no where discover the least likelihood of help there should not be any light of hope and comfort to be seen And because in the first words of the Verse it was said that the enemy should rear against them like the roaring of the sea therefore some conceive that in these words and if one look to the land c. there is an allusion to a Ship in a great storm at Sea from whence the Mariners look to the land as wishing themselves there but see no hope of escape thereby and to the Heavens of which there was mention indeed in the following words but there is no appearance of the least clearing in the sky But I see not but that without any such allusion the following words and the light is darkened in the Heavens thereof that is in the Heavens over the land of Judea may be added to imply that even from thence they should have no hope of help or comfort but all should be darkness there as well as on the land whithersoever they looked upward or downward they should find themselves in a sad and hopeless condition Or else the meaning may be that if any light of hope did appear raising in them any expectation of help and deliverance that should end in nothing but misery and so should only prove a vexation to them or that their misery should be so great that they should take no comfort in the light of Heaven no more than if it were overspread with darkness yea it should be irksome and displeasing to them And indeed this must I conceive be intended if we read this last clause as it is in the Margin of our Bibles And when it is light it shall be dark in the destructions thereof But see the Note Job 18.6 That affliction and sorrow are termed darkness in the Scripture and prosperity and joy and comfort light is apparent in many places See the Notes 2 Sam. 22.29 Job 18.18 Psa 112.4 and Esth 8.16 CHAP. VI. VERSE 1. IN the year that King Uzziah died c. It is not expresly said whether Isaiah saw this Vision immediately before Uzziah died or presently after his death But yet it seems most probable that it was immediately after the death of Uzziah and that this In the year that King Uzziah died is all one as if he said In the very beginning of the reign of Jothan the son of Uzziah presently after the death of his Father Uzziah 1. Because the death of Uzziah seems purposely to be mentioned to note that it was upon that great change that was made by this Kings death that God did now again confirm the Prophet Isaiah in his Prophetical Office The coming in of new Kings doth many times cause great changes and commotions in Kingdoms and therefore to encourage the Prophet against any fears caused by this change the Lord was pleased by this Vision to confirm him again in his Prophetical Office And 2. Because the Prophet seems all along to divide his Prophecy according to the Reigns of the Kings in whose days he prophecied In chap. 11. he names Uzziah as the first of the Kings under whom he prophesied and accordingly it may be probably thought that from thence unto this place we have had the sum of his Prophecies in the reign of Uzziah Then 2. he tells us the Vision he saw and the charge which God gave him in the year that King Uzziah died that is in the very beginning of the reign of Jotham the son of Uzziah who upon the death of Uzziah succeeded him in the throne Again 3. Chap. 7.1 He begins his Prophecy under the Reign of Ahaz the son of Jotham And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham the son of Uzziah c. And then 4. in chap. 14.28 he adds his Prophecies under Hezekiah the son of Ahaz using the same expression he uses here In the year that King Ahaz died was this burden But may some say If the Prophet intended to shew that this Vision was seen after the death of Uzziah why did he not rather say that it was in that reign or in the beginning of the reign of Jotham I answer Because if he had expressed it so it would have been questionable whether it had been in the beginning of Jothams reign when he reigned together with his father and as his Viceroy during all the time of his leprosie or in the beginning of his reign when he came to be King in his own right after the death of his father Uzziah for which see the Notes 2 King 15.5 32. Indeed because we have here a relation of Isaiahs call to his Prophetical Office and because he speaks here of his seeing the Lord ver 5. as a thing he had not been acquainted with therefore there are some that think that this was his first Vision and should therefore have been placed in the beginning of his Prophecy But 1. it is most improbable that he should begin to Prophecy in the year that Uzziah died concerning whom it is noted that he did write the acts of Uzziah first and last 2 Chron. 26.22 2ly Because the Prophet was here enjoined to
and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust As for the last words and his rest shall be glorious some understand this of Christs death and burial to wit how ignominious soever his death should be to him in the sight of the world yet he should be then and thereby exceedinlgy glorified according to that which he said when he was preparing himself to dye Joh. 17.1 Father the hour is come glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee And indeed it cannot be denied but that this Rest of his was glorious first because he then overcame all the powers of darkness and 2ly because his name was then highly honoured by the great and wonderful things that were done at his Death and the eclipsing of the Sun c. and especially by his Resurrection honoured with the apparition of Angels and many miraculous passages and by his triumphant Ascension into Heaven and 3ly because of the great Glory given him by the Chuch for that great work of their Redemption But yet I do rather conceive that the meaning of these words in this place is either that the Rest and Peace of his Church would be very glorious or else that his Church the place where he had determined to settle his perpetual residence according to that Psal 132.13 14. The Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation this is my Rest for ever c. and that Matth. 28.20 Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world and the people upon whom he had setled his love and favour should be very glorious to wit in regard of the glorious signs and effects of his presence amongst them in the abundant knowledge and eminent holiness that should be wrought in them by his word and Spirit and in the great and wonderful things that should be done amongst them for their deliverance and safegard And herein there seems to be an Allusion to that which is often formerly said That the Tabernacle and Temple was filled with the Glory of God See Exod. 40.34 35. Lev. 9.23 and 1 King 8.11 And see also the Note before Chap. 4.2 4. Ver. 11. And it shall come to pass in that day c. In the foregoing verse the Prophet foretold the Conversion of the Gentiles here now he adds that at the same time the Jews should also be converted And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time c. Some understand the first deliverance here intimated to be that of the Israelites out of Egypt and the second here promised to be that of the Jews out of Babylon But because the Jews that were delivered out of Babylon were for the generality only of the two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin and here the Prophet speaks of the deliverance of his people of all the Tribes from all parts of the World and that too in the days of the Messiah that ensign that should be lifted up whereof he had spoken in the foregoing verse I rather think that this is meant of their deliverance by Christ from the spiritual Bondage of Satan Sin Death and Hell to wit that as the Lord did once before with an out stretched arm deliver the Israelites out of Egypt by the Ministry of Moses so he would the second time with great zeal again set himself to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left that is to bring home to himself by Christ those of his ancient people the Jews which shall there remain undestroyed amongst the Gentiles as being still mindful of the Covenant he had formerly made with them And this was partly accomplished in those many thousands of Jews Act. 21.20 though but a remnant in comparison of the whole body of the Nation that were by Christ and his Apostles won to embrace the Faith of the Gospel and shall be more fully performed when the main body of the residue of that Nation shall in the last days be brought in to Christ of which the Apostle speaks clearly Rom. 11.25 26. And indeed because the Prophet doth in this place first foretel the gathering in of the Gentiles to Christ in the foregoing verse and then doth here after that add this concerning the bringing in of the Jews therefore many learned Divines have thought that it is that last Conversion of the Jews that is here principally intended by the Prophet As for the places here mentioned from which the believing Jews should be gathered from Assyria and from Egypt and from Buthros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the Islands of the Sea it is hard clearly to determine what all these Countrys are It may suffice us to know that upon the grievous miseries that were brought upon this people first by the Assyrians and afterward by the Babylonians many of them did of their own accord leave the Land of Judea and flee into Egypt of which Pathros seems to have been one particular Province Jer. 44.1 15. See Jer. 43.57 and 44.27 28. and so likewise into other Countrys and that many of them that were carried away Captives by the Assyrians and Babylonians might by them be sold to other Nations and so be dispersed all the world over And evident it is in Scripture that all those Countrys that bordered upon the Sea and were divided from them by the Sea were by the Jews usually called the Islands of the Sea Jer. 47.4 See also the Note Gen. 10.5 Ver. 12. And he shall set up an ensign for the Nations c. See the Note before ver 10. But this I conceive is a farther Explanation of what was said in the foregoing verse concerning the Conversion of the Jews and therefore by saying that the Lord should set up the ensign of the Gospel for the Nations either the Prophet intended that the Jews should be gathered in hereby to the Church from the Nations amongst whom they were dispersed or else that the Nations should hereby be summoned to bring in the Jews unto Christ or at least that the Jews should be converted by the preaching of the Gospel together with other Nations for that the Prophet doth principally here speak of the Conversion of the Jews And therefore by saying that the Lord should set up the ensign of the Gospel for the Nations either the Prophet intended that the Jews should be gathered in hereby to the Church from the Nations amongst whom they were dispersed or else that the Nations hereby should be summoned to bring the Jews unto Christ or at least that the Jews should be converted by the preaching of the Gospel together with other Nations for that the Prophet doth principally here speak of the Conversion of the Jews is evident by the following words and shall assemble the out-casts of Israel See the Note Psal 147.2 and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of
accommodations for their Journey as Cyrus had commanded See the Note Ezra 1.4 and see also Neh. 2.7.9 And the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord see the Note Exod. 15.17 for servants and handmaids that is many of these people shall become servants to the Jews when they are setled in their own Land And this some understand of those Proselites or Strangers that had joyned themselves to the Jews either that they should be as serviceable to the Jews as any servants could be or else that in process of time some of them or their children should be sold to them for servants which was indeed agreeable to God's Law concerning Servants Levit. 25.44 45 46. And others again understand it of the Babylonians who being vanquished by the Medes and Persians should be sold by them to the Jews for slaves or by reason of their penury should voluntarily yield themselves up to be their servants Whereupon it follows And they shall take them captives whose captives they were and they shall rule over their oppressors that is those Nations should be servants to the Jews to whom the Jews had formerly been in bondage which some also extend to the Jews vanquishing and bringing into bondage those Nations after their return out of Babylon in the days of the Maccabees as had before lorded over them But now most Expositors understand all this spiritually as well they may of the conversion of the Gentiles by the Ministry of the Jews in the days of the Gospel to wit that the Jews should by the Preaching of the Gospel bring those Nations under the yoke of Christ to whom they had formerly been captives and hereupon the Gentiles should shew great respect to them as owning them to be God's first-born people and should submit themselves to the word of the Gospel and should be subservient to the believing Jews in labouring to establish Christ's Kingdom in the world and in gathering in his Elect to his Church So that the Dominion here promised to the Jews over the Gentiles is not a Temporal Dominion but a Spiritual their ruling over them in the Lord. See 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. Lâ—ke 22.25 26. 2 Cor. 1.24 and 1 Pet. 5.3 Ver. 3. And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow c. That is when thou shalt be delivered from thy Captivity in Babylon and from all the griefs and fears and sore miseries thou there enduredst Ver. 4. That thou shalt take up this Proverb c. or taunting speech See the Note Numb 21.27 against the King of Babylon to wit Belshazzar the last of the Babylonian Monarchs together with whom that State fell and say How hath the Oppressor ceased the golden City ceased That is the City that was so full of Gold and was so confident in her excessive wealth And therefore set forth by a head of Gold Dan. 2.32 38. and by a golden cup Jer. 51.7 Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lords hand It is spoken by way of deriding Babels pride and confidence as if it had been said How is it possible that this cruel Tyrant and his golden Monarchy should be thus ruined in one night and so by that means the poor people of God be delivered from their bondage That which we render the golden city some translate the exactress of gold that is the City that drained all the gold from other Nations But our Translation I conceive is the best However observable it is that the word in the Original seems to be Syriack the language then used amongst the Chaldeans Dan. 2.4 and so the Prophet mocks the Chaldees with a word taken from the Chaldean tongue Ver. 5. The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked and the Scepter of the Rulers See the Notes Chap. 9.4 and 10.5 This is in answer to the foregoing question vers 4. as if the Prophet had said Wonder not at the sudden destruction of Babel It is the Lord that hath done it by way of taking vengeance on them for their horrid wickedness and oppression Ver. 6. He who smote the people in wrath c. To wit Not in a way of Justice but of Rage and Fury with a continul stroak that is immoderately and implacably and with extreme cruelty He never thought he had laid on load enough neither was there any pacifying his wrath And therefore the Prophet adds that the like should be done to him He that ruled the Nation in anger is persecuted and none hindereth that is he shall be destroyed inevitably and irreparably he shall not be able to defend himself and for others they shall not be able neither shall they have any mind to do it Ver. 7. The whole earth is at rest and quiet c. That is the Inhabitants of the world that could never be quiet for this proud City They break forth into singing to wit for the downfal of this great oppressing Empire Ver. 8. Yea the Fir-trees rejoice at thee c. Some understand this Figuratively of those States and Princes that had been oppressed formerly by the Babylonians See the Note Chap. 2.13 But it is better understood literally that it should be a joy as it were to the trees of the Forest that the Babylonian was destroyed because he had wont to make such havock in felling down the Fir-trees and as it follows the cedars of Lebanon that were so far from him partly to make passages for his Armies and partly for the building of his Houses and Ships and for the raising of his Bulwarks and other uses in his Wars whereas now the Babylonian being hewed down they should stand quietly in their places without any molestation Since thou art laid down say they no feller is come up against us And indeed it may well be that this is spoken with reference to that which had been said before Chap. 2.13 concerning the great havock that should be made by the Babylonian in the forest of Israel Ver. 9. Hell from beneath c. Or rather the grave from beneath because this agrees best with that which followeth ver 11. Thy pomp is brought down to the grave the worm is spread under thee and the worms cover thee Having related how all the inhabitants of the earth yea even the senseless creatures the trees should rejoyce at the down-fall of the Babylonian Monarch the Prophet now proceeds to shew in a like poetical strain that not only the living but the dead also from beneath should rejoice at his ruin and death and insult over him To which end he speaks here of Hell or the grave as under the person of some great Prince or King having the dead under his dominion and command Hell or the grave from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy comming whereby seems to be meant either 1. That this Prince of the lower Regions was moved with fear to wit at the report of the coming
I conceive to the vain things they vented when they did at any time undertake to teach the People even their own Dreams and not any thing which God had given them in charge However upon these men we must know the blame is particularly laid not because the People were not also extreamly wicked but because the neglect of their Duty was a main cause of the wickedness of the People Ver. 11. Yea they are greedy Dogs which can never have enough c. This may be added as another of their Sins to wit their insatiable Covetousness or else as a reason of that which was said before of them namely That they were blinded with Covetousness and they are Shepherds that cannot understand that is they know not how to order their Flocks aright see the foregoing Note they all look to their own way that is say some they all give up themselves to do every Man of them what they list or rather they are all for themselves minding only their own affairs and profit every one for his gain from his Quarter that is every one from the place of his abode even all the City over from one end to the other Ver. 12. Come ye say they I will fetch Wine and we will fill our selves with strong Drink c. This is another Sin wherewith their Watch-men before mentioned are here charged to wit Their Rioting and Drunkenness And they are brought in here enticing to and encouraging one another in this Sin and perhaps the People too to imply their obstinacy and security herein Come ye say they I will fetch Wine c. as if they had said Let Men say what they will and come what will of it we will thus take our Pleasure And so likewise in the following words and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant which do clearly hold forth a bold and desperate resolution of running on in this their excess day after day though they may also imply a scornful contempt of the threatnings of Gods Prophets as if they had said Come let us drink stoutly and fear nothing if it be well with us to day it shall be as well with us to morrow and it may be better CHAP. LVII VERSE 1. THE Righteous perisheth c. That is They dye it is spoken according to that which is outwardly seen in the Death of Men and no Man layeth it to Heart that is no man minds it or is troubled at it though it be an usual sign of some approaching Judgment when those that are the Pillars to support a Church are taken away and merciful men or Godly Men for the Word in the Original signifieth both are taken away to wit by a natural or a violent Death for some think it is spoken with respect to the Righteous that were cut off by Manassah see the Note 2 Kings 21.16 none considering that the Righteous is taken away from the Evil to come to wit as Husbandmen make speed to House their Corn when they see storms coming So it was with Josiah 2 Kings 22.20 This therefore is another wickedness wherewith he chargeth not their Watch-men only as before in the close of the foregoing Chapter but the whole People in general namely That whereas many it seems of the Faithful Servants of God were at that time taken away they regarded not this warning which God gave them of those dreadful Judgments that were coming apace upon them But withall there is comfort hinted for the despised Righteous Ver. 2. He shall enter into Peace c. That is into the rest and peace of Heavenly Glory where they shall be with God perfectly freed from all the troubles of the World It may indeed be read as in the Margin He shall go in peace and then the meaning may be that they should go out of the World with quiet and peaceable Consciences and before those evil and troublesome times came of which he had spoken in the foregoing Verse they shall rest in their Beds that is in their Graves for as Death is called a sleep so the Graves are termed Beds wherein dead men lye asleep until the general Resurrection when they shall all awake and rise again their Souls being departed into Heavenly rest their Bodies shall rest quietly in their Graves see the Note Job 3.13 each one walking in his own uprightness or before him as it is in the Margin The meaning is that thus it shall be with every one that serves God sincerely see the Note Gen. 17.1 Ver. 3. But c. Having in the foregoing Verses touched upon the happiness of the Righteous that were by Death taken away from approaching Judgments here he turns his Speech to the wicked Wretches of that Generation that rejoiced in their Death rather than grieved for it and triumphed in their surviving of them and condemns and threatens them But draw near hither ye Sons of the Sorceress the Seed of ye Adulterer and of the Where as if he should have said Thus shall it be with my Righteous Servants that are cut off from amongst you but as for you the prophane Crew that survive them and applaud your selves herein draw near and hear your doom And he calls them Sons of the Sorceress with respect to Jerusalem their Mother that was much addicted to those wicked Arts and the Seed of the Adulterer and the Whore because the Inhabitants of that City were also much given to those Sins of uncleanness but especially to that Sin of Idolatry which is often in the Scripture tearmed Spiritual Adultery and Fornication see the Notes Chap. 1.21 and 2 Kings 9.22 And thus these tearms implyed that they were a Wicked and Idolatrous Generation descended from Wicked and Idolatrous Parents both by Fathers and Mothers side and especially that they were no more in Truth the Seed of Israel or Children of God than the Children which a Wife hath by an Adulterer are her Husbands Children Ver. 4. Against whom do ye sport your selves c. As if he had said When you make your selves merry with flouting and jeering at the reproof and threatnings of my Prophets consider well of it it is not poor mortal Men against whom you sport your selves but the immortal and mighty God of Heaven and Earth whose Servants they are and whose Word it is which they Preach to you see 2 Chron. 36.16 Luke 10.16 1 Thes 4.8 for that this is here intended is evident by the following words against whom make ye a wide Mouth to wit in a way of derision see the Notes Job 16.10 and Psal 22.7 and draw out the Tongue which was another gesture used of old by way of mocking as we see by that of Persius Nec linguae quartum sitiat canis Appela tantum Are ye not Children of Transgression That is say some born of Wicked Rebellious Parents as was said before Children of the Adulterer and the Whore or rather Children that are transgressors as Children of Iniquity Hos 10.9
thou now or thou shalt be now in a joyful prosperous and glorious condition For the Light is come and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee That is the Night of thine Adversity being at an end the Day of thy Prosperity begins to dawn and the Lord is beginning to shew forth his Glory as the Sun doth where it riseth in delivering thee out of thy Captivity to settle thee again in thine own Land or to make thee renowned and glorious But indeed the expression here used seems to allude to those Times when the Glory of the Lord used to appear upon the Tabernacle and in the Temple But now under this Type the great bliss of the Primitive Church of Christ is here principally intended in regard whereof the Church of the Jews is here stirred up to arise and shine or to be enlightened as it is in the Margin namely with respect to that Spiritual Happiness and Glory whereto she should be raised from an estate of Sin and Misery under the Messiah which is set forth in the following words for the Light is come or as it is in the Margin thy Light cometh and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee that is Christ Joh. 8.12 long since promised to them and in whom they had in many respects a special Interest Or the Gospel which was to succeed in the stead of the abrogated Law called the light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ 2 Cor. 4.4 Or that blessed and joyful estate whereto the Church of the Jews was then advanced Ver. 2. For behold the Darkness shall cover the Earth and gross Darkness the People c To wit you the whilst enjoying great and marvellous light as it followes in the next words But the Lord shall arise upon thee and his Glory shall be seen upon thee And this is added the better to set forth the greatness of their approaching happiness that whilst other Nations should be overwhelmed with thick darkness as the Egyptians were in Egypt they should be as the Israelites that were in Goshen that had Light in their Dwellings Now though this in the Type was accomplished when the Jews were in a lightsome comfortable condition at their deliverance out of Babylon the Lord then appearing graciously amongst them and shining favourably upon them and causing his Glory to be clearly discovered upon them in that their wonderful deliverance whilst the Babylonians and other Neighbour Nations were under the dismal darkness of sore tribulations being subdued and wasted by Cyrus who set them free Yet questioneless it is principally meant of the happiness of the Church of the Jews when Christ should come to them above all the Nations of the World besides in that whilst this Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 should arise and shine upon them and dispel all the Darkness of their blindness and misery by the light of the Gospel whilst all the World besides should lye in darkness and the shadow of Death Ver. 3. And the Gentiles shall come to thy Light c. In the Type this may be meant of the great respect that should be shewn to the Jews in their wondrous and glorious return out of Babylon by Forreign Nations and Kings See the Notes Chap. 49.6 7. But with respect of the Antitype it is principally doubtless meant of the Conversion of the Gentiles and their being enlightened by the Gospel first Preached amongst the Jews see the Note Chap. 2.3 Even these Nations should be so far from being Enemies to the Jews as formerly they had been that they should joyn themselves to them and profess the same Faith and be one People with them and Kings to the brightness of thy rising that is Heathen Kings shall come in to thee because of the brightness that shall rise upon thee or because of thy brightness when thou shalt arise in great Glory from a low condition see the Note Chap. 49.23 Ver. 4. Lift up thine Eyes round about and see all they gather themselves together they come to thee c. This is spoken to set forth as by way of admiration the Multitude of the Gentiles mentioned in the foregoing Verse that should from all Countries round about come flocking in and joyn themselves to the Primitive Church of the Jews see the Notes Chap. 2.3 and 14.1 and 43.5 but especially Chap. 49.22 though they were of several Nations and formerly at great enmity amongst themselves yet should come in willingly together and joyn themselves to be one Church with the Christian Jews Some I know understand this of the Jews flocking home from all Countries whither they had fled or were carried Captives But if this should be intended in the Type yet certainly it is chiefly meant of the Conversion of the Gentiles as the relation the words have to the foregoing Verse doth clearly shew And so I understand also the following words Thy Sons shall come from far and thy Daughters shall be nursed at thy side that is carried in thine Arms and Bosom namely that the Children of the Gentiles should be brought into the Church of Christ as their Mother Ver. 5. Then thou shalt see c. That is thou shalt feed thine Eyes with this pleasing sight of the Multitude of the Gentiles that shall come in to thee it is spoken with reference to that in the foregoing Verse Lift up thine Eyes round about and see and flow together that is flock together to behold such a joyful sight and thine Heart shall fear to wit with admiration at the unexpectedness of the thing done and the consideration of the High and Glorious Estate whereto God had suddenly raised them especially by the access of the Gentiles And indeed wonderful and unexpected joys do usually work a kind of fear and trembling of Heart in Men see Gen. 45.26 27. Whence is that they shall fear and tremble for all the Goodness and for all the Prosperity that I procure unto it Jer. 33.9 And therefore are these here joyned together and thine Heart shall fear and be inlarged to wit with joy See the Note Psal 119.32 And indeed though the believing Jews did at first grudge at the admitting of the Gentiles into the Church before they understood the will of God herein yet afterward they did greatly rejoice in it see Acts 10.45 and 11.18 Because the abundance of the Sea c. It is in the Margin because the noise of the Sea shall be turned toward thee that is a Multitude of People shall come in like a Sea upon thee But reading it as it is in our Bibles Because the abundance of the Sea shall be Converted unto thee the meaning is that the Church of the Christian Jews should be affected as is before said because such Multitudes of Forreign Nations should embrace their Religion and be kindly affected to them whom they hated before bountifully imparting of their Riches for the service of Christ and his Church and People The Forces of the Gentiles shall come
and after to his eldest Son at Edmunton Being at Hadly in the Sickness-year some of his late Neighbours of Faiths Parish gave him a Visit and bewailing that their Minister had left them he readily profered to come and preach among them if they could procure liberty for him which they something confidently promised themselves but could by no means prevail When the Oxford or Five-mile-Act came forth he seemed troubled to leave London where he had been above Forty years a Minister but upon prayer and serious consideration of the terms required he could not satisfie his mind and came to a resolution of patient bearing what might befall him after which he was much unconcerned using Luther's Expression I shall have a place either under Heaven or in Heaven In the Country he spent most of his time in compleating these Annotations He had gone as far as the third Chapter of Jeremiah when the Providence of God called him from his labour to his eternal rest His distemper was the Stone in the Kidneys of which bitter cup he had often tasted by divers sharp fits with voiding several Stones His first fit was at Cambridge whither he went to take order for Printing the Annotations on the Pentateuch his last fit surpriz'd him in his Study as he reach'd down a Book from a Shelf with which straining himself a Stone in his Kidney was dis-lodged and at the entrance into the Vritory gave him great and sharp pains for Three or Four hours but then it stopt and the violence of the pain went over and could never by all the means were used be brought again I well remember when I came to see him he told me he was in the condition of a travailing woman whose pain was gone from her and putting his finger to the place said haeret lateris lethalis arundo and so indeed it proved After about a weeks use of means in the Country he went to London to his loving friend Mr. Thomas Major who then lived in Milkstreet and did succeed his Father in a most loving and hearty respect to him who had been to them both a loving and faithful Friend and Pastor When he entred his house he said to him I am come now not to preach to you but die with you He entertained his Friends to the last with such undisturbed discourse that they hardly believed him so ill as indeed he was The day before his decease he walked about the Room and discoursed with several Christian Friends who came to pay him their last Respects in outward appearance as if he ailed nothing but reckoning himself a dying Man and declaring the same to them When he perceived any weeping for him he would smilingly say They were fools to weep to see an old man die When his Wife asked him if he were willing to leave her he said he would not leave her for all the World but she could not expect but that after so long striving for a Crown he should be willing to receiveâ— All his friends observed a serene composed temper of Spirit in him during his illness He much perswaded them to practise what he had taught them assuring them they were the Truths of God To some he expressed much satisfaction in his Spirit as to his Non-Conformity professing he had many times asked God forgiveness on his knees for his former errors and mistakes in those things He continued in London about a Week in the use of means from which the Lord was pleased to withhold his blessing The night in which he died he called for his Children which were then in the house and told them he was dying and bid them see if their Mother were awake he desired to see her but would not have her awakened for fear of frighting her for he thought he should live till she waked she coming soon to him he spake chearfully to her thanking her for all her former kindness shewed them how wet and cold his Stomach was saying it was an up-hill way it is hard work to die but did not much bemoan himself He found Death creeping on him by degrees and could tell those about him Now this leg is dead and then the other Having a Cordial offered him he put it by and smiling said he would have no revivings now tho before he had never refused any Medicine Soon after he said Lord deliver deliver me for I cannot bear this and the Lord heard and answered his prayer for immediately he gasped out his last breath and was dead before one could go cross the Room He departed in the morning of the Lords day about Four of the Clock Aug. 5. just that day month before the dreadful Fire of London whereby he was taken from the sight of that evil which would have been a very great affliction to him in regard of the very many Friends and Acquaintance he had in the City the weight of whose sufferings would have lain very much upon his heart he being known to be of a very tender and compassionate Spirit towards his Friends in any of their sufferings which he did on all occasions express not only in words but in free and liberal assistance In a word He was a faithful and painful Pastor a plain-hearted cordial compassionate Friend a tender and affectionate Husband a most loving and careful Father full of natural affection and very indulgent to his Children in every thing but what was evil and there strict and severe a great lover and promoter of peace and holiness and so generally well spoken of by all tho of different Judgments and Opinions that a stranger once told him smiling That he feared he was not good because every body spake well of him and indeed he was of so inoffensive a converse in the World that unless in the discharge of his Ministerial duty where he was obliged to reprove sin and sinners he was hugely careful to give no man occasion to be angry with him and would rather suffer a great wrong than but seem to do any Thus have I given thee Christian Reader a small rude draught of the Author of these Annotations my ever honoured and most endeared Father All that remains is to recommend thee in the perusal of them to the blessing of God and beg thy hearty prayers to our Heavenly Father for him who is Tottenham High-Cross April 26. 1682. Thine in all Christian Service to his power JOHN JACKSON Books to be sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside A Hundred select Sermons on several Texts by Tho. Horton D. D. Sermons on Four select Psalms viz. 4th 42 51 63. by Tho. Horton D. D. Mr. Baxter's Christian Directory Sermons on the whole Epistle of Saint Paul to the Colossians by Mr. J. Daille translated into English by F. S. with Dr. Tho. Goodwins and Dr. John Owen's Epistles Recommendatory An Exposition of Christs Temptation on Mat. 4. and Peter's Sermon to Cornelius and circumspect walking By Dr. Tho. Taylor A
child as if the Prophet had said Before the child that is now newly born or is shortly to be born shall grow up to years of discretion both these Kings that have now combined against thee shall be destroyed Now to prove that these words the child may be understood indefinitely of any child they alledg another place Chap. 3.5 where the Prophet useth the like indefinite expression The child shall be have himself proudly against the ancient And because it may justly seem strange that the Prophet having spoken in the foregoing verses of the conception and birth and education of Christ and of the last with the very words here used that he should eat butter and honey that he may know to refuse the evil and chuse the good and yet should now presently speak of any child in general now newly born or shortly to be born and that under the same expression For before the child shall know to refuse the evil and chuse the good the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings To this they answer that having in the foregoing verses grounded the hope of their promised deliverance from Rezin and Pekah upon a promise of the supernatural conception and birth and education of their Messiah that was to spring from that Royal family of David which these Kings sought to destroy he now sheweth the time when they should be delivered to wit very shortly before the child now newly born should grow up to have any use of his reason and understanding Again others yea indeed the most of our late and best Expositors understand this not of any child in general but of some particular child there present or whose mother was present and the most pitch upon Shear-jashab mentioned before ver 3. And so they say that whereas in the foregoing verses the Prophet had spoken of the conception and birth of the Lord Christ the Messiah here now he adds that sign which was before tendered to Ahaz to assure them of their present deliverance from the Invasion of Rezin or Pekah Because say they Ahaz might think that they might haply be all destroyed before the birth of this Immanuel which was now given them as a sign of their approaching deliverance To prevent this objection of his the Prophet assures him that they should be so far from preventing the birth of this their Messiah the Saviour of his Church long after to be bore by cutting off the house and family of David the stock from whence he was to spring that before the child that was now newly born suppose Shear-jashab that was there before him or any other should attain to any years of discretion both these Kings that were now combined to cut off the House of David should be destroyed to wit within three or four years Which indeed came to pass accordingly for Rezin was slain by the Assyrians that came to help Ahaz 2 King 16.9 and Pekah was slain not long after by Hoshea as is evident because Pekah began his reign the two and fiftieth the last year of Uzziah or Azariah and reigned but twenty years 2 King 15.27 and considering that sixteen of these twenty years he reigned together with Jotham the Son of Uzziah it must needs be that he was slain about the fourth year of Ahaz the Son of Jotham So that if Shear-jashab were at this time one or two years old it must needs be that Rezin and Pekah were slain before he attained any great ability of discerning between good and evil And the same may be said of any other new-born child or shortly to be born that should be here particularly intended But indeed 1. Because it may well be thought that if the Prophet had spoken this of Shear-jashab or any other particular child he would have said Before this child shall know to refuse the evil and chuse the good c. And 2ly because the words do so clearly seem to have respect to that child already spoken of in the two foregoing verses and more especially to that v. 16. Butter and honey shall he eat that he may know to refuse the evil and chuse the good I cannot but think that this also is to be understood of the Lord Christ the Son of the Virgin as well as the two foregoing verses The great objection against this is how the Prophet could intend this to comfort Ahaz against his fears concerning Rezin and Pekah if his meaning had been that before Christ that was to be conceived and born so many hundred years after should be able to discern between good and evil the land which he abhorred should be forsaken of both her Kings But to this three answers are given first which indeed seems to me of all most improbable that the Prophet doth not speak this of the death of Rezin and Pekah but of the death of one Obodas King of Damascus and of Herod King of Samaria which was not long after the birth of Christ Secondly that the drift of the Prophet is not to shew how suddenly but how certainly Rezin and Pekah should be destroyed As fully resolved as they were to destroy the House of David from whence the promised Messiah the true Immanuel was to spring before this his miraculous conception and birth and education both these Kings should be destroyed And thirdly That the meaning is only this that within as short a space of time as should be between the birth of this Immanuel the child Jesus and his being grown up to the usual years of discretion both these Kings that were now preparing to make war against Ahaz should be cut off and destroyed This I find mentioned by the Dutch Annotations and it seems to me the most satisfying answer Ver. 17. The Lord shall bring upon thee and upon thy people c. See the Notes Exod. 32.7 And upon thy fathers house that is the Royal family of David and especially his own posterity days that have not come from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah that is such sad and evil times as never befell the Kingdom of Judah since the first revolt of the Ten Tribes from them in the days of Rehoboam which is mentioned here as the saddest blow that ever was given to the Kingdom of Judah as being indeed a most deadly wound to that people and that which was the original cause of all their following wars and miseries Even the King of Assyria as if he should have said And these evil days shall come upon you by the King of Assyria by whom thou hopest to defend thy self against these two Kings that are combined against thee which I conceive is meant of the successive Invasions of the Kings of Assyria first Tiglath-pileser who sorely distressed Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.20 2ly Sennacherib who invaded the land of Judah in the days of Hezekiah and brought them into great straits 2 King 19.3 3ly Ezar-haddon whose Captains took Manasseh and carried him away into captivity 2 Chron. 33.11 But
cannot be for it is clear that the Babylonian was broken by the Medes and Persians in Babylon and not in Gods land and upon his mountains as it is here said the Assyrian should be Rather therefore this which is here said concerning the Assyrian is inserted both to confirm again that which he had before foretold concerning the ruin of Sennacherib and his Army Chap. 10.33 34 and likewise that hereby that which he had now also foretold concerning the ruin of the Babylonians might be the more readily believed this being all one as if he had said As I will now shortly destroy Sennacherib the Assyrian when he shall invade you so will I in time to come destroy the Babylonian too as I have now told you And this your first deliverance from the Assyrian shall be a sign to you of your future deliverance from the Babylonian Yea some Expositors conceive that the foregoing Prophecy concerning the destruction of the Babylonian was delivered by Isaiah after the destruction of Sennacherib and then indeed the destruction of Sennacherib the Assyrian could be here mentioned only to assure them that as he had already destroyed the Assyrian and delivered them from his yoke so he would also destroy the Babylonian as he had now foretold and would deliver them from their bondage under him or that as he had begun to destroy the Assyrians under Sennacherib so he would quite destroy them when they were under the command of the Babylonian and that Empire should also be ruined as the Prophet had now foretold And this they judg the more probable because in the days of Ahaz there was yet no cause of fearing the Babylonian But this is altogether uncertain and for this see the following Note ver 29. Ver. 26. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth c. That is this which I have now foretold is that which shall come upon that great Babylonian Empire that shall have the whole earth in a manner under their command and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations to wit the nations that are in subjection to Babylon See the Note Chap. 13.11 And this therefore seems to be added to assure Gods people of the truth of that which had been now foretold concerning the ruin of the Babylonian Empire however incredible it might seem to them Though the Babylonian had never so many Nations under his command yet that should not hinder his ruine But yet there are some I know that hold that this is spoken with relation to that which was said in the foregoing verse concerning the Assyrian This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth c. that is this which I have purposed and decreed concerning the Assyrian I have also purposed concerning Babylon or this which I have determined concerning the Assyrian I purpose also to do to all Nations that shall attempt to destroy my people And this indeed hath much probability in it Ver. 28. In the year that King Ahaz died was this burden That is say some the foregoing Prophecy against Babylon See the Notes chap. 13.1 and 2 King 9.25 But the most of Expositors understand hereby the following Prophecy against Palestine and that this concerning the time when this Prophecy was delivered to wit In the year that King Ahaz died is purposely inserted to imply the occasion of this Prophecy which was the exceeding triumphing of the Philistines upon the death of Ahaz as is clearly hinted in the following verse or else because here the Prophecies begin under Hezekiah the Son of Ahaz For which see the Note chap. 6.1 Ver. 29. Rejoice not thou whole Palestina because the rod of him that smote thee is broken c. By Palestina is meant that part of the land of Canaan that was inhabited by the Philistines called elsewhere Philistia Psal 60.8 Now because Uzziah King of Judah or rather the state of Judah under Uzziah had in his days sorely smitten this Land and People of the Philistines 2 Chron. 26.6 concerning which see the Note 2 Kin. 15.3 and because this rod of him that smote them that is the power of the state of Judah was very much broken weakned and brought down in the days of his wicked grand-child Ahaz when both the Philistines and divers other Nations had mightily subdued them and made great havock in their land 2 Chron. 28.17 18 19. concerning which see the Note 2 King 16.7 and the Philistines might hope it was utterly in a manner ruined and broken when Ahaz was dead for then there was no longer any fear lest he by the help of his confederate the Assyrian should seek to be revenged on those Nations that had invaded his land and of Hezekiah his Son who was young and tender there was no great fear therefore it is most probable that this people of the Philistines did indeed mightily rejoyce and triumph all the land over when they heard Ahaz was dead as being fully perswaded that now they should quite swallow up the Kingdom of Judah and hereupon it is that the Prophet speaks this as in a way of deriding the jollity of the Philistines Rejoice not thou Palestina because the rod of him that smote thee is broken as if he should have said Alas thy jollity will be soon turned into bitter mourning by reason of thy miseries even all thy land over For out of the Serpents root shall come forth a Cockatrice or an adder That is out of the stock of Uzziah who did bite or sting thee as a Serpent I will raise up Hezekiah the Son of his Grandchild Ahaz who shall be a sorer plague to thee than ever Uzziah was even by how much a Cockatrice is worse than a Serpent yea he shall be worse to thee than so which is expressed in the following words And his fruit shall be a fiery flying Serpent concerning which see the Note Numb 21.6 And indeed Hezekiah did mightily prevail against the Philistines see the Note 2 King 18.8 And it may well be too that his speed in subduing the Philistines is implied by terming him a fiery flying Serpent And not only Hezekiah but also the state of Judah under Hezekiah may be the Cockatrice and fiery flying Serpent here intended Ver. 30. And the first-born of the poor shall feed and the needy shall lie down in safety c. That is The people of God the Jews that were under Ahaz brought to extreme poverty even to be the poorest of all poor people see the Note Job 18.13 by his exactions and the manifold miseries wherewith the land was involved through his wickedness shall under Hezekiah enjoy great peace and shall live in great plenty of all things in their own Country and not be made a prey to their enemies as they formerly were See the Note Chap. 5.17 and Psal 23.2 And thus he that shall be a Cockatrice and a fiery flying Serpent to you O Philistines shall be as a
here speaks foretelling that after all these ruins and calamities from this people or of this people there should be a present brought unto the Lord of Hosts at Zion The meaning whereof is either that many of the Ethiopians should by the Jews that lived amongst them be brought to embrace their Faith and Religion even before the coming of Christ into the world and so should bring Gifts to the Temple at Jerusalem and worship the true God there as the Ethiopian Eunuch did Act. 8.27 Or else that in the days of the Gospel they should embrace the Christian Faith and so should be brought in as a present to God joyning themselves to the Church of Christ whereof Zion was a Type the first fruits whereof we find accomplished in the conversion of that noble Ethiopian before-mentioned And thus this Prophecy seems to be the same with that Zeph. 3.10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my Suppliants even the daughter of my dispersed shall bring mine offering See also the Notes Psal 68.31 and 72.10 CHAP. XIX VERSE 1. THE burden of Egypt c. See the Notes Chap. 13.1 and 2 King 2.25 Because the Egyptians joyned with the Ethiopians against the Assyrian by way of aiding the Jews therefore the Prophet having in the foregoing Chapter foretold the ruin of the Ethiopians here he also prophecieth against the Egyptians their Associates and that still to shew the Jews their folly in relying so much upon these Nations Behold he speaketh as of a thing that was presently to come to pass and he speaks of God as of a King that with his Troops of Horse breaks in upon an enemies Country the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt As for this expression of his riding upon a swift cloud for which see also the Notes 2 Sam. 22.11 12. Psal 68.3 and 104.3 It is to imply that he should break in upon Egypt like a violent Storm suddenly speedily and irresistibly For how could their walls and bulwarks keep out him that from the clouds would break in upon them Nor is it improbable which some think that this expression of a stormy Cloud is the rather used also because in Egypt where they have no rain Zach. 14.18 Clouds were very unusual and so the more dreadful All which is doubtless meant of the Assyrians invading Egypt under Sennacherib and some say the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar with Armies that should overshadow the land like a cloud And the Idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence c. That is Their Vanity shall be discovered in that they shall not be able to help the people See the Note Exod. 12.12 Or they shall be broken down and dashed in pieces and carried away by the Conquerors into Captivity as our Prophet speaks Chap. 46.1 2. Yea and the meaning may be too that the Devils that were worshipped in those Idols should tremble at the great discovery of God's indignation against them And the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it That is The courage and strength of the Inhabitants of the Land shall fail even where they might think themselves surest and safest See the Notes Josh 7.5 and Psal 22.14 Ver. 2. And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians c. That is I will order it so that they shall break out into Civil War amongst themselves And they shall fight every one against his brother and every one against his neighbour See the Notes before Chap. 9.19 20. City against City and Kingdom against Kingdom where by Kingdoms are meant the several Provinces whereinto Egypt was divided Now this some say was accomplished when after the death of Sethon Civil Wars arising amongst them Egypt was divided into twelve Kingdoms and then afterwards upon new dissentions Psammitichus one of their new Kings being cast out by the rest by the help of his Friends and the aid of foreign Forces which he called in he vanquished his enemies and brought all Egypt under his sole dominion For this they say was about the end of Hezekiah's or the beginning of Manasseh's reign But now others think that this is meant of those Tumults and Dissentions that arose in Egypt when the Assyrians had vanquished that huge Army of the Ethiopians and Egyptians their Associates which Tirrakah King of Ethiopia had led out against them for say they the Assyrians by the advantage of this Victory being likely to invade and subdue Egypt the Egyptians hereupon fell into intestine Combustions among themselves some of them standing for the submitting of themselves to the dominion of the Assyrian King and others opposing this with all their power But indeed what the cause was of the Civil Wars here threatned is altogether uncertain Ver. 3. And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof c That is say â—ome the Egyptians shall become as dead men void of life Or say others their strength or courage within them shall fail them But I rather take the meaning to be that their understanding and wisdom should fail them for the failing of their courage was spoken of before vers 1. and see also the Note Prov. 15.13 And hereto agrees that which followeth And I will destroy the counsel thereof that is I will bereave them of all ability to advise what should be done for the securing of themselves or their State they shall be in their astonishment like so many fools or mad-men not knowing which way to turn themselves See the Notes Job 5.17 20 24. Or All their consultations shall come to nothing And indeed the more observable that is which is here threatned because the Egyptians in those times were highly conceited of themselves for their great Learning and Wisdom and were indeed for these things mightily admired throughout the world That which is translated in our Bibles And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof is in the Hebrew And the spirit of Egypt shall be emptied in the midst thereof as if the Prophet had said All their Wit and Understanding shall be drained out And herein there may be an Allusion to their folly in draining away the waters of the river Nilus whereof some think the Prophet speaks afterward ver 5 6. And they shall seek to the Idols c To wit by praying to them See the Note before Chap. 15.2 Or by asking counsel at the Oracles they had there according to that which followeth And to the Charmers and to them that have Familiar Spirits and to the Wizzards For which see the Note Chap. 8.19 And this is added as a clear evidence how void of wisdom and counsel they should be in that not knowing what to do they should thus run from one vain means to another as men that were indeed at their wits end Ver. 4. And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel Lord c. It is in the Hebrew Lords which therefore many understand of those twelve Lords that
after the death of Sethon divided the Kingdom of Egypt into twelve petty Kingdoms and did each of them in their several Dominions by causeless huge Taxes and their civil Broils amongst themselves mightily oppress the people And accordingly the next clause And a fierce King shall rule over them they understand of Psammitichus who at last subdued them all and tyrannized cruelly over the whole Land of which see the Note before ver 2. But now many again understand both the one and the other of foreign Kings that often vanquished the Egyptians and made slaves of them and sometimes subdued the Land Thus some think the Assyrian to be the cruel Lord and the fierce King here intended according to that which is said in the following Chapter ver 4. So shall the King of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners and others think it is meant of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon who amongst other Nations did at last subdue and cruelly waste the whole Land of Egypt according to that which we find often foretold by the Prophets as in Jer. 46.26 where God saith of the Egyptians I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar c. And Ezek. 29.19 Behold I will give the Land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar King of Babylon c. And indeed we may the rather think that this is here intended because the expression here used in the Hebrew seems to imply a total and perfect subduing of Egypt which was effected by Nebuchadrezzar And the Egyptians will I shut up into the hand of a cruel Lord That is I will give them up so absolutley into his power that he shall mightily oppress them and they shall be no way able to shake off his yoke or to rescue themselves out of their bondage Yea some hold that all the several evils before-mentioned that came upon the Egyptians may be here included For say they the drift of this Prophecy being to shew the Folly of the Jews in relying so much upon Egypt which they did even to the reign of the Sons of Josiah the Prophet doth accordingly foretel what a succession of sad times were coming upon Egypt wherein they should not be able to secure themselves and much less to help the Jews Ver. 5. And the waters shall fail from the Sea c. By the Sea here some understand the River Nilus because the Hebrews call all great waters Seas and so they make it the same with that which followeth And the river that is Nilus see the Note Chap. 11.15 shall be wasted and dried up But others again understand it as the words do plainly seem to import the first clause of the sinking or failing of the waters of the Sea and the second of the drying up of the waters of Nilus But what was the failing of the waters of the Sea and Nilus that is here threatned I answer 1. It may be understood to be only Figuratively and Hyperbolically spoken Because say some the Egyptians thought the Sea and Nilus such a sure defence unto their Country that there was no fear of their being invaded by foreign Enemies therefore by the expression here used the Prophet would imply that these should be no defence to them but that the Assyrians or Chaldeans should break in upon them as easily as if the waters of the Sea and the river Nilus were dried up Or say others because the wealth and plenty of Egypt did much depend upon their Traffique by Sea and upon the overflowings of Nilus which instead of rain watered their grounds and by such slimy stuff as it brought down with it made the Soyl exceeding fruitful Therefore by this expression the Prophet intimates that partly by their Civil Wars and partly by the invasion of Foreign Enemies Egypt should be brought into as poor and forlorn and miserable a condition as if the wateâ—s should fail from the Sea and the river Nilus should be wasted and dried up see the Note 2 King 19.24 But 2. it may be understood Literally as namely either 1. of a great drought that God should bring upon Egypt whereby and that especially by the low ebb that should be in the river Nilus there should be a sore Dearth and Famine all over the land Or 2. of that great check that was given to the overflowing of Nilus and the manifold detriment which thereby redounded to the whole land when those twelve Kings of Egypt mentioned in the foregoing verse drained the river in several places and by several channels for the more conveniency of their building those two huge Pyramids and a Labyrinth not far from them which were in after-times for their bigness and workmanship the wonder of the world and some say too for the making of that vast Lake called the Lake of Moeris or Meroe all which they did merely to satisfie their own Lust and Ambition mightily thereby oppressing the people whom they imployed in these stupendious works and impoverishing the land in many regards by weakning the river so that it could not overflow the Country as it had formerly done And this indeed suits well with the description given us in the following verses of the manifold mischiefs which Egypt underwent by the failing of their waters Ver. 6. And they shall turn the rivers far away c. That is The seven streams of Nilus see the Note Chap. 11.15 Or rather the brooks or water-courses drawn from thence It is spoken of those that by draining the river had been the cause of the failing of the waters mentioned in the foregoing verse And this expression of turning the rivers far away as if they minded them not seems to imply their slighting and disregarding the common good of the land in the overflowings of Nilus And the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up That is The brooks or rivers drawn out of Nilus which were a great defence to Egypt or which were purposely drawn out for the environing and defending many of their Cities and strong Holds or the brooks which were defended or kept in with strong banks The meaning is that the brooks of Nilus should be dried up where they were widest and deepest and where the river ran with the strongest stream The reeds and flags shall wither to wit for want of moisture And these are the rather mentioned because the Egyptians did many ways make great use of them for of these they made darts mats for their beds weeles for their fishing baskets and many such things yea their boats and barks See the Note before Chap. 18.1 Ver. 7. The Paper-reeds by the brooks by the mouth of the brooks c. By Paper-reeds here are meant reeds of whose rind or skin they made Paper which was a great commodity in Egypt in those days and by the mouth of the brooks is meant the bank or brink of the brooks where these canes or reeds used to grow For it seems not so probable which
from a vehement indignation against sin and contrition for sin it seems to be approved and commanded Mic. 1.16 Make thee bald and poll thee for thy delicate children enlarge thy baldness as the eagle for they are gone into captivity from thee Ver. 13. And behold joy and gladness staying Oxen and killing Sheep eating flesh and drinking wine c. That is instead of fasting and mourning they give up themselves wholly to jollity and feasting Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die as if they had said The life of man is short and is many times gone on a sudden we may perhaps die to morrow and therefore let us be merry and take comfort in what we have whilst we may Or rather thus The Prophet tells us that we have not long to live an enemy will suddenly break in upon us that will destroy us all let us therefore be jovial whilst we may and while we are yet alive let us make a merry day of it Thus they scoffed at the threatnings of Gods Prophets And because the not believing of that which God hath revealed to us concerning the Resurrection of the Dead doth work in men the same prophane security the Apostle applieth these words to them 1 Cor. 15.32 Ver. 14. And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts c. See the Note Chap. 5.9 Shureâ—y this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die c. as if he had said God hath in my hearing pronounced this doom against you that his judgments shall follow you all your days till at last you are cut off by Death But see also the Note 1 Sam. 3.14 in these words Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die The Prophet seems to upbraid them with that scornful speech of theirs Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die Ver. 15. Thus saith the Lord God of hosts Go get thee unto this Treasurer even unto Shebna which is over the house This is a Prophecy against a particular person delivered as it seems at the same time with that which went before concerning the state of Judea or Jerusalem in general And because amongst the Nobles that were sent out by Hezekiah to treat with Sennacherib's Captains 2 Kin. 18.18 we find one Shebna mentioned and likewise Eliakim the Son of Hilkiah of one the Prophet speaks afterward ver 20. therefore most Expositors do hold that these were that Shebna and Eliakim that were Hezekiahs great Officers and that accordingly the foregoing Prophecy some part of it at least if not all must be understood of the havock made in Judea and the straits whereunto Jerusalem was brought by Sennacheribs Army And indeed they that understand the foregoing Prophecy of the taking and sacking Jerusalem by the Chaldeans have nothing to answer to this Objection but that either 1. to gain the greater credit to that which the Prophet had foretold that was so long after to come to pass here he foretels that which within a few years after should be accomplished Or else 2ly That this Shebna and Eliakim of whom the Prophet here speaks were two other of the same name that lived in Jerusalem a little before the time of the Babylonians invading Judea which is altogether improbable But if the Prophet speaks here may some say of a Shebna and Eliakim that were in Hezekiahs Court why is it said here that Shebna was Treasurer and over the house that is Comptroller or Lord High Steward of the King house whereas in that 2 Kin. 18.18 it is said That Eliakim the Son of Hilkiah was over the houshold and Shebna is only called the Scribe or Secretary To which may be answered either that this Shebna against whom the Prophet here prophecieth was not the same Shebna that is mentioned 2 King 18.18 as is there noted Or else rather that though Shebna was Treasurer and over the house when Isaiah was appointed to denounce the following Judgment against him yet before that time that Sennacheribs Army came against Jerusalem he had been by Hezekiah upon some fair pretence removed from the place of being over the house and put into a place of less Dignity to wit that of being the Scribe or Secretary and Eliakim advanced to that place of being Lord Steward of the Kings house and that this was the beginning of Shebna's fall However evident it is that he was a rotten-hearted man altogether unworthy of that great place he held advanced perhaps thereto by Ahaz and not therefore at first to be removed by Hezekiah for that which is mentioned in the following verse of his proud providing such a stately Sepulcher for himself after he was dead shewed him to be one of those that minded not the threatnings of Gods Prophets but went on in his ways securely when the Land the City and the whole people were like to be brought into a very sad Condition And therefore I conceive these words Go get thee unto this Treasurer were spoken in a way of contempt and indignation as if the Lord had said Go get thee to this wicked wretch this Treasurer c. Ver. 16. What hast thou here c That is as some would have it What hast thou to do here This place of Honour is no way fit for such a one as thou art Or What hast thou here and whom hast thou here That is What possession of Inheritance or what Kindred or Allies hast thou here in the Land of Israel that thou hast hewed thee out a Sepulcher here to wit in Jerusalem or in the Land of Judea as he that heweth him out a Sepulcher on high that is a lofty Sepulcher or a Sepulcher in some conspicuous and eminent place and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock that is That buildeth himself some strong and stately Palace that shall abide for many Generations as being built upon a rock or that heweth him out a gallant Tomb in a rock the house or habitation wherein he must dwell when he is dead that it may remain as a Monument of his Greatness amongst his Posterity for many Ages He was it seems a Foreigner at least a man of mean and obscure parentage come up of nothing which may seem the more probable because in that 2 Kin. 18.18 where the three Princes are named whom Hezekiah sent out to parley with the Assyrian Captains the other two have their parentage mentioned but of Shebna it is only said that he was the Scribe and so by this sharp expostulation he is taxed 1. for his exceeding pride and arrogancy not in that he provided a Sepulcher for his dead body before-hand See Matth. 27.60 but in that being such a one as he was he should provide such a Magnificent and Princely Monument for his dead Corps as if he had been of great birth and ancient descent And 2ly for his fond and presumptuous confidence that he should certainly live and die in Jerusalem
from the blasphemous Aspersions of the Assyrian and for my Servant Davids sake that is For the love I bear to his seed for his sake and that I may make good the promise I made to him and not because the inhabitants of Jerusalem have deserved any such favour at mine hands But see the Note 2 King 19.34 Ver. 36. Then the Angel of the Lord c. In 2 King 19.35 it is And it came to pass that night which makes it more than probable that this was done the very night after the foregoing promise made Hezekiah concerning the Destruction of Sennacheribs Army and the deliverance of Jerusalem that the Angel of the Lord went out to wit from Heaven or from the Lord as it is said 2 Chron. 32.21 That the Lord sent an Angel and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand See the Note 2 King 19.35 Why this was done in the night we may easily conceive namely that this Judgment might come upon them the more suddenly and with greater terror and so likewise why it was done by an Angel to wit that they might clearly see that it was by the immediate Sword of God for the horrible contempt they had cast upon him for which see the Note Chap. 31.8 A more difficult question is Where the camp of the Assyrians was when the Angel made this slaughter amongst them Now though concerning this we may upon clear grounds determine 1. That it was in the land of Judah according to that Chap. 14.25 I will break the Assyrian in my land and upon my mountains tread him under foot for which see the Note there And 2ly That Sennacherib had not then besieged Jerusalem for above ver 33. it is expresly said That he should never do that yet in what particular place he lay encamped with his Army I find no where expressed Some think it was at Libnah where Rabshakeh found him ver 8. when he went back to him from Jerusalem And again others hold that it was at Nob a Town not far from Jerusalem which I judge the more probable because Chap. 10.32 where our Prophet seems to describe the manner of Sennacheribs marching from one place to another when he went up against Jerusalem Nob is mentioned as the last place where he pitched his Camp and from thence it is said That he shaked his hand against Mount Zion as by way of threatning that he would now presently be with her See the Note in that place So that I say it is most probable that whilst Sennacherib made a stand there that he might put all things in a readiness for the siege of Jerusalem there it was that his Army was miraculously destroyed by an Angel Only withal it is most likely too which others say That this slaughter was made not only in Sennacheribs Camp wherever it was but also amongst those forces which Rabshakeh had from the first left to block up Jerusalem And accordingly of both places that must be understood which followeth and when they arose early in the morning that is The Inhabitants of Jerusalem that looked every moment for the coming of Sennacherib or rather those few of the Assyrians that God would have escape the sword of the Angel and behold they were all that is Their whole Army in a manner dead corpses that is Not sick and dying but stark dead By what manner of death they were destroyed it is no where expressed only some places elsewhere in this Prophecy seem to import That a mighty and terrible tempest fell upon the Camp of the Assyrians at that time when this Havock was made amongst them for which see the Note Chap. 30.30 Ver. 37. So Sennacherib King of Assyria departed and went and returned and dwelt at Niniveh That is He with those few that were not slain by the Angel fled away home into their own Country And thus God was pleased to order it by his providence that he should escape and not fall by the Sword of the Angel 1. That he might to his greater confusion see the dreadful power of the God of Israel whom he had despised and blasphemed clearly discovered in that strange and horrid Judgment which he found executed upon his Army 2ly That he might to his exceeding vexation flee back in so disgraceful a manner the very way that he came See the Note before ver 34. And 3ly that he might be reserved to a death far sadder in many respects than that of his being slain by the Angel as is related in the following verse As for Nineveh that was at present the chief City of Assyria See Gen. 10.11 that strong hold whereunto the Prophet had before foretold he should flee See the Notes Chap. 31.8 9. Ver. 38. And it came to pass as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god that Adramelech and Sharezer his Sons smote him with the Sword c. As the Prophet Isaiah had before foretold it should be ver 7. And some conclude from the Apochryphal Book of Tobit Chap. 1.21 That it was not above five and fifty days after the Destruction of his Army in Judea that this was done However just it was with God that he that had blasphemed the true God should find his Idol-god unable to defend him and they escaped into the land of Armenia and Esarhaddon his Son reigned in his stead who is also called Asnappar Ezra 4.10 and Tobit 1.21 Sarchedonus and by other Writers as some conceive Sardanapalus in whose days ten years after Sennacheribs death the Chaldeans overcame the Assyrians by Merodach their King CHAP. XXXVIII VERSE 1. IN those days was Hezekiah sick unto death c. See the Notes 2 King 20.1 Because ver 6. there is a promise made of delivering the City Jerusalem from the King of Assyria therefore many learned men think that Hezekiahs sickness was before the ruin that fell upon Sennacherib and his Army But the series of the History is clear and how that promise ver 6. must be understood See the Note 2 King 20.6 Ver. 2. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed unto the Lord. To wit As still trusting in the goodness and fatherly love of God to him notwithstanding he had heard so severe a Sentence so absolutely pronounced against him from the Lord. But see the Note 2 King 38.2 Ver. 3. And said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight c. As if he had said And therefore do not cut off my life in the midst of my days That this was that which by these words of his he intended to beg of God is evident because in that promise that is afterward made to him ver 5. of lengthning out his days God is said to grant him that which he had prayed for And therefore we may well think that the reason why he did
not go on and express this in his Prayer was because he was not able to speak any longer for weeping as it is immediately added in the Text and Hezekiah wept sore And so what he could not or perhaps was afraid to ask in words because it was contrary to what God had said should be his tears spake and God heard them But see the Note 2 King 20.3 Ver. 4. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah saying To wit as it is expressed in the Book of Kings afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court so near was the sick bed of this good King to the Throne of God in Heaven even his sighs and groans God heard and was presently careful to have him comforted with a promise of longer life and that for the better strengthning of his faith by the same Messenger that had made known to him the Sentence of Death that God had pronounced against him But see the Note 2 King 20.4 Ver. 5. Go and say to Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father c. By these words he makes known to Hezekiah that he was mindful of the Covenant he had made with David concerning his continuing of the Kingdom of Judah to his Posterity I have heard thy Prayers I have seen thy tears behold I will add to thy days fifteen years that is To the days thou hast already lived In 2 King there is another particular inserted in the promise here made to wit That on the third day he should go up to the House of the Lord. But for this and the following verse see the Notes 2. King 20.6 Ver. 7. And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord c. In 2 King 20.8 It is said that Hezekiah desired a sign of the Prophet Isaiah to assure him that this which he had promised him should certainly be which the Prophet hath likewise noted in the close of this Chapter and that hereupon God by the Prophet made him this promise of a sign for which see the Note there Ver. 8. Behold I will bring again the shadow of the Degrees which is gone down in the Sun-dial of Ahaz ten degrees backward c. In 2 King 20.9 10. it is said that when Hezekiah desired a sign of Isaiah for the strengthning of his faith the Prophet tendered to him two different signs leaving him to his choice which of them he would take namely That the shadow on the Sun-dial should either go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees and that when Hezekiah answered That it was a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees and desired rather that the shadow might return backward ten degrees for all which see the Notes in that place hereupon this promise was made him of bringing back the shadow ten degrees the accomplishment whereof is related in the next words so the Sun returned ten degrees by which degrees it was gone down to wit after the Prophet had prayed that it might be so for this is expresly inserted 2 King 20.11 And Isaiah the Prophet cried unto the Lord and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward c. for all which see the Notes there Yet withal this also is here observable that those words so the same returned ten degrees may well induce us to think that the miracle now wrought was not as some would have it in the going back of the shadow in the Dial of Ahaz whilst the Sun kept on its course but in the retrograde motion of the Sun it self And indeed how else could they in Babylon take notice of this Wonder See the Note 2 King 20.12 And beside the Analogy between the sign and the thing signified depends much upon this Princes are in their Kingdoms as the Sun in the World The bringing back therefore of the Sun when it was hasting to its setting and the lengthning of the day thereby beyond its natural time was most fit to signifie that after the same manner how impossible it might seem considering the desperateness of his disease and the Sentence of Death by God himself pronounced against him Hezekiah should be brought back from the Grave whither he was posting and his life be lengthned out beyond expectation Ver. 9. The writing of Hezekiah King of Judah when he had been sick and was recovered of his sickness That is The Song of Thanksgiving which he composed and committed to writing even as his Father David used to do intending to leave it to posterity as a Monument of his own fainting heart in the time of Gods mercy in recovering him out of his sickness and his hearty thankfulness for it Ver. 10. I said in the cutting off of my days c. That is When I perceived partly by the violence of my sickness but especially by the sentence of death which the Prophet had pronounced against me that God was now hewing me down in great displeasure I began to think within my self or I concluded fully within my self as I lay upon my sick bed I shall go to the gates of the grave that is I am now a dead man See the Note Psal 9.13 I am deprived of the residue of my years that is the years I might have lived by the ordinary course of nature Thus in the first place he acknowledgeth his own weakness and the terrors wherewith he was surprized when he saw himself likely to be cut off by an untimely death in the flower of his age the reasons whereof see before in the Note 2 Kin. 20.3 the more hereby to magnifie the mercy of God to him in his recovery Ver. 11. I said c. See the foregoing Note I shall not see the Lord to wit in his Temple See the Notes Psal 27.4 and 42.2 even the Lord it is twice repeated to set forth how vehemently he was afflicted herewith in the land of the living see the Note Psal 27.13 And indeed his particular expressing of this when he desired a sign of his recovery ver 22. What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord doth plainly show that this was one main thing that troubled him when he lay under the terrors of Death I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the World that is I shall no longer live amongst the Children of men here in this World Or as I shall no more behold God in his Ordinances so I shall also be cut off from the Communion of the Church of the living and so I shall not do that good to the people of God that were under my charge that I desired to do Ver. 12. Mine age is departed c. The time of my life and abode here in this World is at an end and gone and is removed from me as a Shepherds tent who use not to stay long in a place but to remove their tents from one place to another See the Note Job 27.18 I have cut off like a Weaver my life
the rulers used as if he had been the basest of Servants or Slaves Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship that is even the great Kings of the Earth shall at last own thee that wert so despised and abhorr'd to be the Lords annointed and shall stoop to thy Scepter and Soveragnty because of the Lord that is faithful and the holy one of Israel that is the Lord of his faithfulness bringing this about to make good his promise made concerning thee and these Princes being convinced hereof upon this very account submitting themselves to thee and he shall choose thee that is I will choose thee that hast been despised of man to rule over the great Princes of the World But the meaning is this that God would make it evidently appear that he had chosen him to be the Messiah Thus I say these words are certainly to be understood concerning Christ yet withal we must know that many learned Expositors do understand this of Christ and the Primitive Church the Body of Christ jointly together And indeed it may well be said of the Church of Christ that she was despised of Man and abhorred of Nations and a Servant of Rulers or of the Jewish Nation particularly so that they looked upon them as the scum and the off-scowring of all things and made nothing of killing them and yet withal that afterwards even their Kings did honour her and submit to her and that upon the account of her Interest in Christ in whom God hath faithfully made good his promises to her Ver. 8. Thus saith the Lord c. The same having been expressed twice before verse 5. and 7. we may well conceive that it is with respect to the greatness and the strangness of the Mysteries now delivered by the Prophet that this is the third time here repeated And it is doubtless God the Father speaks here again to Christ Thus saith the Lord in an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of Salvation have I helped thee and that happily with relation to that which David had long before spoken of himself as a type of Christ My prayer is unto thee O Lord in an acceptable time Psal 69.13 So that the meaning is clearly this that when the set time should come which God of his own free grace had appointed for the accomplishment of the work of mans Redemption by the death of Christ he would then hear his Prayers and Intercession for his people for these words may well comprehend both his Prayers upon Earth such as that John 17. and his intercession in Heaven and that in the execution of that whereto God appointed him he shall be sure of support and assistance from him see the Notes Chap. 42 1-6 and because by the preaching of the Gospel this great work of Mans redemption by Christ was made known and the doing of this in the time determined by God of his free grace for the salvation of his Redeemed ones and that even amongst the Gentiles was a part of the Office of Christ as Mediator even this acceptable time must needs here be comprehended And therefore we see the Apostle doth expresly apply this Prophecy thereto 2 Cor. 6.2 For he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of Salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation As for the following words they also must be accordingly understood and give thee for a covenant of the People that is to be the Mediator of the Covenant of grace betwixt God and his People see the Note Chap. 42.6 and to make good by thee all the deliverances which by covenants are to be wrought for my People whether Corporal as the deliverance out of Babylon or spiritual from the Bondage of Sin and Satan whereof that other out of the Babylonian Bondage was a shadow and type and so likewise the last clause of the verse to establish or raise up the earth and to cause to inherit the desolate heritages for as this is spoken with relation to the type the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon by the establishing or raising up the Earth must needs be meant the setling of the state of the Land of Judah again or the restoring of it to its former flourishing condition and by causing to inherit the desolate heritages is surely meant the Peoples re-edifying and then their re-posessing of their old inheritances which in the time of their captivity had lain waste and desolate But as it hath respect to mans deliverance by Christ that which is intended thereby is the restitution and establishing of the Church by him which was sunk very low in the Jewish Church by bringing in the Gentiles to be added to the Church that God had given to Christ as his inheritance by raising up and restoring to life earthly dead men according to the Prophecy of Simeons concerning Christ Luk. 2.34 Behold this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel by chearing poor sinners oppressed with the bondage and burden of Sin by restoring them to their Heavenly inheritance which they had forfeited lost by their defection from God Ver. 9. That thou mayest say to the Prisoners go forth to them that are in darkness shew your selves c. that is come forth into the light this is still spoken to Christ and as in the type it is meant of the deliverance of the captivtated Jews out of Babylon see the Note Chap. 45.13 so principally in the antitype it is meant of Christs setting free his redeemed ones by preaching of the Gospel the Gentiles especially from that spiritual Bondage and blindness under which they lay by nature see the Note Chap. 42.7 and so likewise the following words they shall feed in the ways and their pastures shall be in all high places under the similitude of a flock of Sheep for whom the Shepherd is wont to provide good pastures and that are wont as they are removed from one place to another to graze on the Road-ways as they go There is a promise made 1. concerning those that were to return out of Babylon both that they should be plentifully provided for by the ways they went of all things necessary and likewise that their Country that had lain long untilled and desolate should every where be abundantly fruitful at their return even in those places that are usually barren And 2. concerning Christs redeemed ones that they should plentifully enjoy the means of Grace at all times and at all places See the Notes Chap. 41.17 18. Ver. 10. They shall not hunger or thirst c. Here the Promise in the last clause of the foregoing Verse is further set forth and that still under the same Metaphor of a Shepherd's providing for his Flock see the Notes Chap. 40.11 and 41.17 18. and 48.21 And here again as in the place last cited there is an allusion to the
the word which we Translate Prison some understand the restraint under which he was held after they had apprehended him yea including his imprisonment in the Grave where his dead Body was sealed up and watched by a guard of Souldiers And some add too those bonds of anguish and anxiety that were upon the Soul of our Saviour from the apprehension of Gods wrath when in his Agony he sweat drops of Blood Luke 22.44 and when upon the Cross he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 And then by Judgment they understand as is before said the Judgment that was pronounced against him and executed upon him And thus they make the meaning of this first branch of the Verse to be this That he was taken from all his sufferings rising again triumphantly out of the Grave and then ascending up into Heavenly Glory But 2. Others understand it only of what he suffered from his Enemies namely that the intent thereof is to shew either that after they had him under restraint and had pronounced sentence of Judgment against him he was taken away by death and some think too that in the expression here used there is relation to his being taken up to the Cross according to a like expression used else-where Joh. 12.32 or else the violence and precipitancy of their proceedings against him to wit that after they had him once under restraint they presently carried him away to the Judgment Seat and when Pilate had pronounced Judgment against him immediately without any delay they hurried him away to Execution so that as it is clear in the Evangelists all was done in a violent hurry they apprehended him but over night and he was condemned and executed the very next day And indeed because the Prophet both before and after these words speaks of his sufferings this last Exposition I judge the best But then for the following words and who shall declare his generation It is confessed that most of the ancient Writers have understood it either of the generation of Christ of God the Father from all Eternity as he was the only begotten Son of God See the Notes Psal 2.7 and Prov. 8.24 or of his Conception and Birth as man of the Virgin Mary without the knowledge of man And indeed both these are wonderful Mysteries which no man is able to comprehend or express But why in this place they should be mentioned it is hard to conceive And therefore the most of our later Expositors do understand it otherwise and that three several ways For 1. Some by his generation do understand the duration or continuance of his Life and Kingdom as indeed the word is sometimes taken Chap. 13.20 Having said in the foregoing words say some that he was from his sufferings taken up into Heavenly Glory he adds here expressing it by way of admiration that after that the continuance of his Age his Life and Kingdom would be uncountable even unto all Eternity it should not be with him as with them who being delivered from Death do yet afterwards dye again because Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more Death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6.9 Yea and some extend this also to the Life everlasting of his Church and People which indeed agreeth well with that which follows ver 10. He shall see his Seed he shall prolong his days Or say others Having in the foregoing words spoken of his being taken away by Death here he adds as in opposition thereto but who shall declare his generation as if he had said Though he lived so short a time and was cut off in the flower of his age yet who can count his age who shall live and reign even unto Eternity 2. Others by his generation understand the Men of that generation wherein he lived and so make the meaning of the words to be this who shall declare his generation that is who is able to set forth the monstrous impiety and wickedness of that generation of men that could deal thus with the Lord of Glory that came to save them And 3. Others by his generation understand his Spiritual Seed or Issue as the word is taken Psal 22.30 And this too is conceived to be added as in opposition to the foregoing branch thus Though he shall be taken away by Death yet oh what an innumerable generation shall spring from him In an ordinary way when a man is slain there is an end put to the enlarging of his Posterity but it shall not be so with him no man shall be able to count the Spiritual generation that shall spring up to him after his Death to wit of those that shall believe in him which is that is said afterwards ver 10. He shall see his Seed c. And then for the last Clause for he was cut off it is the very same word that is used concerning the death of the Messiah Dan. 9.26 from the Land of the Living See the Note Psal 27.13 for the transgression of my People was he stricken therein a reason is given why he should not be quite destroyed by Death but should be taken up into Heavenly glory for as is said before so some understand the first words of this Verse and should live and see his Seed or Generation unto Eternity namely because he should not dye for any wickedness of his own but in obedience to his Father and that to bear the punishment due to the Sins of Gods People that is the Sins of Gods Elect People say some See 2 Tim. 2.10 Or the Jews amongst others that put him to death And thus the Prophet might call them his People Though indeed because of those words for the transgression of my People many Expositors hold that these last words are spoken in the Person of God the Father Ver. 9. And he made his Grave with the wicked and with the rich in his Death c. It is in the Hebrew in his Deaths because of his many grievous sufferings which were as so many Deaths to him as the Apostle said of himself that he was in Deaths oft 2 Cor. 11.23 Not only because he was often in danger of Death but also because his Afflictions and Sufferings were as sore and bitter as Death it self There are many Expositions given of these words which seem to me extreamly forced and some which our Translation can by no means admit I will only mention those that may consist with our Translation and which have some appearance of probability in them 1. Some understand it of the just vengeance which befell the Jews for their Crucifying of Christ when they were destroyed by the Romans to wit that God the Father or Christ would bring that wicked People even the greatest and richest of them who are particularly mentioned because such being puffed up with their greatness and riches are usually most boldly wicked and oppressive of others to be as harshly and cruelly dealt with by others
as they had dealt with Christ that he would bring them to Death and to the Grave as they had brought Christ 2. Others understand it of the efficacy of Christs Death and Burial namely that thereby many wicked men yea many of the great and rich ones amongst them most unlikely to yield should be crucified with him and buried with him to wit Spiritually and so be made new Creatures and be brought to be obedient to the will of his Father or which is all one in effect that they should be brought to be with him and own him though Crucified and Buried as their Lord and as his People to submit to his Scepter and Government Again 3. Some understand it only of his Sufferings but in a several way For 1. Some take it thus That God the Father gave Christ over into the hands of the wicked Jews and the Gentiles even the great ones of those times such as were Caiaphas and Herod and Pontius Pilate that so they might dispose of him how they pleased both in regard of his Death and Burial which agreeth with that of our Saviour Matth. 26.45 Behold the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of Sinners or for so some would have it that He that is the Jewish People gave him up into the hands of the wicked Gentiles Pilate and the Roman Souldiers that they should Crucifie and bury him as they pleased But 2. Others understand it thus that he should be cut off by an untimely Death as a wicked man and accordingly should be Executed amongst other Malefactors in Mount Calvary the ordinary place where such kind of Varlets used to be Executed and Buried according to that which followeth in this Chapter ver 12. And he was numbred with the Transgressours but yet withall the providence of God so disposing of it he should be buried in the Sepulchre of a rich man as Joseph of Arimathea is expresly called Matth. 27.57 the Evangelist thereby pointing as some think to the accomplishment of this Prophecy And this last seems to me the most probable Exposition of this place As for that which follows because he had done no violence neither was any deceit in his Mouth or as it is cited 1 Pet. 2.22 neither was guile found in his Mouth which seems to have special respect to the unquestionable truth of his Doctrine it is given as a reason of that which went before and therefore must be understood according to the several Expositions of the foregoing words as either 1. That God would bring destruction upon those that crucified Christ because they had dealt so cruelly with an innocent man that had never done any thing blame-worthy either in word or deed Or 2. That his Death should be efficacious for the Conversion of wicked Men yea even the greatest and richest of them because he should not dye for any guilt that was in him but as a spotless Lamb that suffered for the Salvation of others Or 3. That God would not suffer him to be buried amongst those notorious Malefactors in that common place appointed for their burial in or about Mount Calvary but provided that he should be honourably laid in a new Sepulchre which a rich and honourable person had provided for himself because he was such a new man indeed as the World had never seen a man that had never sinned neither in word nor deed Ver. 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief c. That is Though there was no fault in him yet it was the will of God that he should suffer sorely to wit because he was to suffer for poor Sinners See the Note before ver 5. when thou shalt make his Soul an offering for Sin that is when thou O God shalt bring it to that that his Soul that is his Life or himself shall be offered up as a propitiatory Sacrifice for sinful men Or as it is in the Margin when his Soul shall make an offering for Sin that is when Christ shall willingly even with all his Soul offer up himself as a Sacrifice for his People to wit in his Death See Gal. 3.13 and 2 Cor. 5.21 he shall see his Seed that is his Spiritual Progeny See the Notes Chap. 9.6 Multitudes of Believers that shall be begotten again by his Word and Spirit It is as if he had said that his Death should not hinder his having a numerous Seed because he should rise from the dead and so should live and see his Seed yea it should be so far from hindering it that it should be the cause of it because reconciliation being made by his Death he shall thereby purchase them to himself which our Saviour intended in that Joh. 12.24 Except a Corn of Wheat fall into the ground and dye it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much Fruit and likewise because it was not till after his Death and Ascension into Heaven that his Spirit was to be so abundantly poured forth both upon those that were to preach the Gospel and upon those to whom it was Preached Joh. 7.39 he shall prolong his days See the Note above ver 8. It is spoken with respect to his reigning long over his Church upon Earth till all his Enemies were subdued and after that together with his Church Eternally in Heaven and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand that is that which it was the Lords good will and pleasure should be done by him to wit the Redemption and Salvation of Men and that which should make way thereto the bringing in of Men to believe in Christ by the spreading of the Gospel through all Nations See Joh. 4.34 and 6.39 Ver. 11. He shall see of the travel of his Soul c. That is He shall for a long time together with much content and delight see and enjoy See the Notes Job 7.7 and Psal 34.12 the effect and fruit of all the toilsome and wearisome pains that he had taken and pains and sorrows he had endured and that especially in his Soul by reason of the pressures of Divine Wrath that lay upon him and put him into a bloody sweat And by this fruit of the travel of his Soul is meant that which in the foregoing Verse was called the prospering of the pleasure of the Lord in his hand as namely the gathering of multitudes of Gods Elect People from amongst the Gentiles together with that transcendency of Glory whereunto himself shall be exalted after his Sufferings and Labours See Phil. 2.8 9. and Luke 24.26 and the Eternal Salvation of all his redeemed ones and shall be satisfied to wit with full content and delight as having obtained that which he earnestly thirsted after and accounting it an abundant recompence for all his Labours and Sufferings even as a Husband-man is satisfied when after all his toil he comes to reap a plenteous Harvest and as a Woman is satisfied when after all her pains in travel she sees
plotted the Death of Naboth 1 King 21.19 Or 2. That there was much strife and debate amongst them upon their solemn Fast-days For say they they used when they met on those days to be often quarrelling and brawling one with another at least they were wont to take advantage of the Rest enjoined on those days to look over their debt-Books and Bonds and Mortgages and to prepare for and promote what they could the prosecuting of their Law-suits against their debtors Yea and there is a Learned Expositor that holds that it being their Custom on those days to sit in Judgment against Offenders that hereby God might be pacified towards them the greatest matter they usually there did was to complain of their Debtors and to procure some Judiciary Sentence against them And so for the following words and to smite with the Fist of wickedness some conceive it is meant of their quarrelling and fighting on those days at least of Masters beating and abusing their Servants or of the imperious and contemptuous carriage of their great ones towards the mean sort in beating and striking them or of Mens passionate falling upon their Debtors and laying violent hands upon them as if they would force them to pay that which they were not able to pay according to that which is said in the Parable of the Servant whose Lord had forgiven him a great debt and he afterwards meeting with one of his fellow-Servants which ought him an hundred pence laid hands on him and took him by the Throat saying Pay me that thou owest Matth. 18.28 But to me it seems no way probable that they either did or are charged with doing these things on their fast-days Questionless all that is here intended is that even after their Fasting and Praying they went on in their ways of cruelty and unmercifulness to their poor Brethren their Fasts were followed with strife and debate as if that had been the very end of their fasting And herein consists the absurdity of their dealing with God that whilst they sought in this manner to beg mercy of God they should be at the same time so cruel to their Brethren Ye shall not fast as ye do this day to make your voice to be heard on high that is say some ye are not to fast as now adays ye do with such brawling and loud out-cries as make the Air aloft to ring of them or as are like to mount up to Heaven and draw down vengeance upon you Or as others would have it you must not fast as now ye do weeping and howling aloud by way of ostentation or as hoping that hereby alone you keep a fast as God requires But far more probably I conceive others hold that God doth here inform them that if they desired to have the voice of their Prayers heard on high that is by God in Heaven they must fast in another manner than they did in those times There must not be such strife and debate such contention and oppression amongst them as there was if they desired by their fastings to prevail with God Ver. 5. Is it such a Fast that I have chosen a day for a Man to afflict his Soul c. See the Note Lev. 16.29 is it to bow down his head as a bullrush which being broken and bruised will hang down with its own weight and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him to wit as they used to do in times of solemn Humiliation and fasting as it is said of Ahab 1 King 21.27 that he fasted and lay in sackcloth see also Esth 4.3 and Job 2.8 The meaning is that the humbling of themselves thus out-wardly if they did not withall repent of and forsake their sins was not the Fast which God enjoined approved and delighted in wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable day to the Lord As if he had said you cannot in reason think so but rather that the Lord will abhor it Ver. 6. Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness c. By these bands of wickedness some understand the combination of Judges or others for the oppression of the poorer sort But rather hereby is meant whatever it was wherewith the poor were straitned and pinched by the rich as their obligations and conveyances either unjustly obtained or cruelly prosecuted even against those that were notable to pay yea and the bringing such into Bondage or casting them into Prison may be herein also included of all which God requires here they should be released And to the same effect is the Rest here added to undo the heavy burdens to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoke For though in requiring that the oppressed or afflicted should go free he seems to have special respect to the freeing of their debtors from restraint either in Prison or elsewhere they not daring to stir abroad for fear of Arrests and to the setting of their Servants at liberty at the times enjoined by Gods Law for their manumission yet it may be meant more generally of freeing them from all the vexations and oppressions under which they were crushed And by the yoke may be meant all the heavy pressures they groaned under The meaning is that they must leave off their extortions and oppressions and so likewise all other their sins if they would fast as God required they should do Ver. 7. Is it not to deal thy Bread to the Hungry c. See the Notes Eccles 11.1 and Prov. 22.9 and that thou bring the poor that are cast out or afflicted to thy house to wit voluntarily even before it was desired of thee when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own Flesh that is thy Brethren of thine own Stock or Nation see the Note Judg. 9.2 or any that are Men as thou art see the Note Neh. 5.5 Ver. 8. Then shall thy light c. As if he had said do this and you will find that there will be no cause for you to complain as it is above ver 3. wâ—refore have we fasted and thou seest not c. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning that is thy sad and afflicted estate shall be certainly and suddenly changed into a joyful and prosperous condition even when there seemed to be no likelihood of any such thing which likewise shall grow brighter and brighter as the morning light doth see the Note Esth 8.16 and thine health shall spring forth speedily that is thou shalt be presently cured of thy miseries and shalt get new Vigor as the Plants do when the Spring is come but see the Notes also Chap. 6.10 and 57.18 and thy Righteousness shall go before thee that is this thy just and merciful dealing shall do that which thine Hypocritical fasting did not do it shall declare thee to be sincerely Righteous and make thy Righteousness to appear conspicuously before God and Man Or thy
which are rendred in our Bibles The brook of the willows may be translated as it is in the Margin The valley of the Arabians therefore the meaning may be either that the Arabians should carry away the spoil of the Moabites Country either as serving under the Assyrians or Babylonians or as afterwards entring the land to pillage and carry away what the Assyrians or Babylonians had left or else that the Assyrians and Babylonians should carry away the prey they had gotten from the Moabites to the valley of the Arabians their Confederates there to be kept a while by them intending afterwards to convey them from thence into their own Countrey But however clear it is that this is mentioned as one cause of the great outcry in the land of Moab of which the Prophet is here speaking Ver. 8. For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab c. That is Because of these grievous miseries that shall come upon the Moabites there shall be a dreadful outcry amongst them all the land over both of them that are slain and of them that flee from the enemy The howling thereof unto Eglaim and the howling thereof unto Beer-elim that is the howling of this cry shall reach unto these places See the Notes Numb 21.16 Ver. 9. For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood c. To wit with the blood of the slaughtered Moabites So that this is also added as a reason of that great out-cry before spoken of that should be in the land Whether Dimon be the name of a River or of a City is altogether uncertain for we find it no where else mentioned However it seems that there was in this place some greater slaughter made amongst the people than in any other part of the land either because they here stood out longest in the defence of some place against the enemy or for some reason that is not expressed And some think that Dimon is the same City that was before ver 2. called Dibon the name being changed and of Dimon called Dibon which signifieth bloody upon that occasion Yea and very many learned Expositors hold that there is an Allusion in these words to the Story in 2 King 3.20 21 23. concerning a stream of water that came running down from the land of Edem into the Wilderness where there was an Army of three Kings that were going against the Moabites which appeared to the Moabites to be blood and were afterward indeed died red with their blood as if the Prophet would have said That as then the stream was onee before died with blood so it should be again Whereas to me it seems more than probable that the waters mentioned in that place were miraculously sent of God for the refreshing of those Armies and were not the waters of a River that did constantly run thorow that Wilderness And therefore for those following words For I will bring more it is in the Original additions upon Dimon I do not think the meaning of that is that whereas those waters were made red with blood at that time when those three Kings slew the Moabites now there should be more blood there because the slaughter of the Moabites by the Babylonians should be far greater than that formerly was by those three Kings The meaning of those words rather is either 1. That God would add streams of blood to the waters of Dimon which running into it from several places should make the river rise and swell more and more Or 2. that God would bring more and greater vengeance upon Dimon than upon other parts of the land the slaughter should be greater there and so more blood should be shed there than in any other place besides Or 3. that God would bring more evils upon Dimon than what he had hitherto spoken of concerning the spoiling of their pastures and the plundering of their goods ver 6 7. even this here mentioned the shedding of their blood in so great abundance yea say some more than that here mentioned to wit that after the miseries brought upon them by the Assyrians the Babylonians should also in process of time utterly destroy them Or 4. That to the judgment here threatned that the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood he would add yet more to wit the judgment set forth in the following words Lions upon him that escapeth of Moab and upon the remnant of the land which though some understand of men fierce and savage as Lions as namely the Babylonian or the Assyrian who though he was only as a Bear to other parts of Moab yet he would be as a Lion to Dimon Yet I rather think it is to be understood literally to wit that those Moabites that had escaped the Sword and were left in the land should be slain by Lions and other wild beasts to wit either in the wilderness whither they should flee to escape the Sword or in their own land which lying desolate Lions should breed in it as it was with the Colonies in Samaria 2 King 17.25 CHAP. XVI VERSE 1. SEnd ye the Lamb to the Ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness unto the mount of the daughter of Zion There are only two Expositions of this place which can consist with our Translation The first is that by the Lamb here is meant a Sacrifice of Atonement which the Moabites are here stirred up to send to the Temple at Jerusalem Only there is this difference amongst those that do thus conceive of the Lamb to be sent 1. That some think the Prophet doth here seriously advise the Moabites to send Lambs and other such like cattel to be offered up in Sacrifice to God the Ruler of the whole world at the Temple at Jerusalem there to pacifie God's displeasure against them And 2. that others take it to be Ironically spoken and by way of insulting over the Moabites as if he had said You that had wont to despise and blaspheme the God of Israel now that you see your selves in such desperate danger now that you are so miserably destroyed you had best send your Sacrifices to the Ruler of the world at the Temple in Mount Zion But alas if you had a mind to do so it is now you see too late But then the 2. is that by the Lamb which the Moabites are here advised to send to the Ruler of the land is meant the Tribute which they were wont to pay to the King of Judah Because it is evident that the Moabites were subdued by David and became Tributaries to him See the Notes 2 Sam. 8.2 And it is most probable that the Tribute agreed upon was that which is mentioned 2. King 3.4 An hundred thousand Lambs with an hundred thousand Rams with the wool which it seems they paid duly to the Kings of Israel after that Kingdom was divided from the Kingdom of Judah till after the death of Ahab when they refused to pay their Tribute any longer either to
Ahaziah or Joram his Son See the Notes 2 King 1.1 and 35. Therefore it is thought the Moabites are here advised to pay their wonted Tribute again to the King of Judah Send ye the Lamb that is the Tribute which you formerly paid of Lambs and other cattel to the Ruler of the Land that is to the King of Judah to whom of right you are Vassals ever since David subdued you From Sela some chief City in the South-borders of the Land of Moab which was afterwards taken by Amaziah King of Judah and called Joktheel See the Note 2 King 14.7 To the wilderness that is the wilderness of Jordan in the North-border Unto the mount of the daughter of Zion that is to Jerusalem See the Note Chap. 1.8 Which is all one therefore as if he had said Let all the people all the Land over gather up this Tribute and send it But indeed many Expositors understand this as spoken in a way of derision as if the Prophet had said You had best to prevent the ruin that from Judah will be brought upon you to send the old Tribute again you had wont to pay to Hezekiah the Ruler of the land and it is like in your straits you will think of doing so but alas it will do no good that will not then keep off the destruction which will certainly come upon you Ver. 2. For it shall be that as a wandring bird cast out of the nest or as a nest forsaken so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon A river in the utmost borders of the land of Moab Numb 21.13 The meaning therefore seems to be that as a wandring bird driven out of her nest or as a brood of young birds forsaken of their damme or cast out of their nest do fly up and down not having any body to protect them not knowing whither to go or where to take up their rest so the daughters of Moab that is the Inhabitants of the Towns of Moab or the Moabitish women see Chap. 3.16 17. and Luk. 13.34 even they as well as the men shall flee away out of their Country and wander up and down in desart places not knowing where to settle themselves Or they shall be carried away captives into Assyria over the River Arnon But now we must know that this may be taken as spoken only conditionally to wit that thus it should be with the Moabites if they did not hearken to the advice given them in the foregoing verse But others that understand that which is said in the foregoing verse as spoken Ironically do accordingly understand this as added to shew why there would be no thinking to send a Lamb either by way of pacifying God's anger by Sacrifices or by way of procuring their Peace by paying their former Tribute because instead of that they should flee in great dread from the Sword of the Enemy or should be carried away by the Enemy into Captivity as easily as a bird is driven out of her nest Ver. 3. Take counsel c. That is say some Expositors Consult together how you may escape the destruction that is coming upon you And they that do understand these first words thus do accordingly hold that in the next words the Prophet tells them what would be the best course they could take if they desired to prevent their approaching ruin namely to be courteous and kind to the out-casts of God's people in their distress Execute Judgment make thy shadow as the night c. But I rather conceive that these first words do intend the same thing with those that follow after Take counsel that is Consider with your selves and consult together to wit how you may any way protect and relieve and procure the good of my people in their affliction and distress Execute judgment that is Do that for them which in all Justice and Equity you ought to do be not injurious to my people in their distresses as you have formerly been but shew them that compassion which is due to a people in such misery Make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noon-day that is when my people are driven out of their Country and flee to you to shelter them from their enemies let them be concealed and hidden by you that even at Noon-day they may be as if they were covered with the darkness or shadow of the night when no body can see them or find them out or rather let the harbour and entertainment they find amongst you be as a safe and sweet refuge and refreshment against the noon-day heat of the Assyrians breaking in upon them even as the pillar of the cloud to which haply this Expression doth allude was a covert to the Israelites against the heat of the Sun as they travelled through the VVilderness to Canaan hide the out-casts bewray not him that wandereth that is Hide those that being driven out of their own Land wander up and down amongst you to seek for some place of shelter and do not deliver them up into the hands of their enemies But now all this is understood by many as spoken Ironically Take counsel execute Judgment c. as if he had said Now when the enemy is broken in upon you it may be you will wish you had done what it was indeed your duty to have done to Gods poor people when they were persecuted and pursued by their enemies But alas it is now too late you had wont to reject them and to deal cruelly with them at such times and now you will meet with the same hard measure Ver. 4. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee Moab c. That is those of my people that are driven out of the land which I had given them and that I own still as my people though I have at present in just displeasure against them cast them out for their sins Be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler as if he should have said As at the first bringing of my people out of Egypt you did discover your spleen against them See the Notes Deut. 23.4 so you have done ever since being still ready to side with their enemies that have prevailed against them and to deal hardly with them in their distress but beware do not so still but rather let them have a hiding-place amongst you to shelter them from the rage of their enemies to wit the Assyrians as most Expositors do here conceive But now the drift of all this is only to shew what in all reason the Moabites ought to have done and as some think to insult over their destruction because they had not done so for the Extortioner is at an end the spoiler ceaseth the oppressors are consumed out of the land that is the Land of Judea shall be quite freed from the enemy that came to spoil and oppress her which I say most Expositors understand of the quick dispatch that God made of Sennacherib and his army
he had said it would have been indeed a great glory to me had I been the means of converting Israel according to that which the Apostle saith of those that were converted by him 1 Thes 2.20 ye are our glory and joy and when God seems to curse the labours of his Servants by making them ineffectual for the good of a People it is some kind of a dishonour to those his Servants but yet though Israel be obstinate and will not be gathered in by me according to that of our Saviour Math. 23.37 How often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a hen gathereth her Chickens and ye would not yet will God highly esteem of me and of my labour in my Ministry yea and some think that under those words yet shall I be glorious that glory may also be comprehended where with God honoured him by his resurrection and the glory that followed thereupon and by the bringing in of the Gentiles upon the preaching of the Gospel amongst them and my God shall be my strength to wit 1. to support and comfort me against the ingratitude and incredulity of the people to whom I am sent 2. To defend me from the rage of mine enemies And 3. to inable me for the whole work that shall be impos'd on me Ver. 6. And he said c. That is God said as before verse 5. It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my Servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob that is say some that understand it of the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon to raise up the Commonwealth of Israel that is ruin'd and broken down and to set them up again in their former State in their own Countrey Or as others say that understand it of their spiritual conversion to raise up the Church of Israel that by their apostatising from God is in a manner broken to pieces and to make them again a holy people to the Lord their God and to restore the preserved or the desolations of Israel that is say some to restore that little remnant that is left in Babylon whom God hath hitherto preserved in the midst of those great desolations that have been made amongst them and to bring them home again to their own Land Or as others to bring home to God that little remnant of his elect whom God had in all ages preserved for himself with special care even as the apple of his own eye I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my Salvation unto the end of the Earth that is say they that understand the foregoing words of the Prophets foretelling the destruction of Babylon and deliverance of his People this mercy of the deliverance of my people shall not be the only effect of the ruine of Babylon even to many of the remote nations of the Gentiles shall it bring great joy because even they shall thereby be delivered from that fear and Bondage they had formerly been in But this exposition is nothing so clear as that which most follow concerning Christs enlightning the Gentiles by the preaching of the Gospel to them see the Notes Chap. 9.1 2. and 4.26 for to this Paul and Barnabas applied these words Act. 13.46 47. where they told the Jews that because of the rejecting the Gospel they would turn to the Gentiles and gave this reason for it For so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the Earth And accordingly I conceive the words of the Prophet may be understood as if he had said though it be a great matter that thou shouldest convert the Jews and so raise up the tribes of Jacob which implies that some even amongst them should be converted by Christ yet this is but a light and a small matter in comparison of that which thou shalt do for by thee the Gentiles shall be enlightened and be brought in to be one Church together with the Jews and partake of the same common Salvation together with them Ver. 7. Thus saith the Lord the redeemer of Israel c. to wit that hath often redeemed them out of many dangers and distresses and his holy one see the Note Chap. 1.4 to him whom man despiseth c. or as it is in the Margin to him that is despised in Soul that is that is apprehensive in his own Soul how exceedingly he is scorned and despised according to the complaint of the Jews in Babylon of whom some understand this place Psal 123.4 Our Soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at case and with the contempt of the proud But the great question is Of whom and to whom this is spoken Some understand it of the Prophet Isaiah to him whom man despiseth to him whom the nation abhorreth a servant of Rulers and that say they because he was despised and abhorred by the generality of the Nation of the Jews and used like some poor contemptible Servant by their Princes and Rulers and that out of their rage against him for his bold and sharp reproving their sins And indeed I see not why this might not be spoken with respect to him as he was a type of Christ the greatest difficulty is in applying the following words to him Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship But even that might be spoken with respect to that reverent esteem they should have of him and the honour they should do him when they should see many things come to pass exactly as he had foretold them as it was particularly in the case of Sennacharib Again others understand it of the Jews in Babylon whose deliverance they say the Prophet here foretels who were used there indeed as a most despicable and abominable people and were perfect slaves to their great Lords and accordingly they also understand the following words Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship to wit that Kings should take notice of the wonder of their deliverance and upon the account thereof should afford them much respect and honour which they say was accomplished in the great respect they had from Cyrus Darius and others after their return out of Babylon because of the Lord that is faithful and the holy one of Israel and he shall choose thee because they should see the promises that God had made to them faithfully performed the Lord thereby owning them and appearing for them as his peculiar people But questionless it is Christ that is here principally intended to him whom man despiseth that is whom every man in a manner despiseth as it is said afterward again of Christ Chap. 53.3 He is despised and rejected of men See the Notes also Psal 22.6 7. to him whom the Nation abhorreth to wit the Nation of the Jews as was most evident in their bitter prosecuting of Christ at his death to a Servant of rulers that is Christ whom