by onely upon occasion of that word Immanuel and of the Objection which might be raised from thence With a strong hand i. e. With a strong that is a loud and very audible voyce so that I could not be deceived in what he spake but must needs take good notice thereof The Scripture speaking often of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attributes to him the parts and members of man's body as if he he were a man And here they attribute to him A Hand by which is meant the Voyce by a Metonymie of the cause Object But you will Object that the tongue not the hand is the cause of the voyce as being the instrument of speaking Answ The hand being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the chief instrument of the body is often put to signifie any other instrument thereof And in particular we find it often put for the mouth or tongue as Lev. 10. v. 11. Where we read thus That ye may teach the Children of Israel the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses And Numb 15.23 Where we read thus All that the Lord hath commanded you by the hand of Moses And Numb 16.40 Where we read thus As the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses And instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this People saying i. e. And instructed me that I should not do as this People doth saying c. This People The People here meant are the Jewes which refused the waters of Siloah because they went softly See v. 6. These were Traytors at this time to their King for because he was weak they did cast in their mind how they might revolt to Rezin and Pekah Kings of Syria and Israel which were joyned together for the destruction of Ahaz and the Kingdome of Judah And the way which they walked in was Treason and Rebellion in meditating a revolt from their own King to the Kings of Syria and Israel All which they did notwithstanding the Promise of God that he would be their Hâ—lper and defend them against those two Kings and so they feared those two Kings more than God 12. Say ye not a confederacy to all them to whom this People shall say a confederacy q. d. Go not about to make a confederacie or a conspiracie against your King with all those with whom they would make a confederacie or conspiracie The order of the words is this q d. Say ye not Let there be a confederacie between uâ— to all them to whom this People will say Let there be a confederacie between us A confederacie Here is a word left to be understood namely Let there be q. d. Let there be a confederacie between us The confederacie which he meaneth was a confederacie to depose Ahaz King of Judah and bring his Kingdome into the hands of Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel who had at this time joyned their forces against Judah To all them These words signifie all those men with whom those Traitors would make a Confederacie or Conspiracie against their King and they were partly their fellow Subjects whom they would draw into the same conspiracie with themselves partly and chiefly Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel and their Subjects Neither fear ye their fear i. e. Neither be afraid of them of whom they are afraid The word fear is to be taken here Objective for the thing feared as it is taken elsewhere as Gen. Chap. 31. v. 42 53 c. They which these men feared were Rezin and Pekah who had joyned their forces and combined together against Judah and Hierusalem and therefore to curry favour with them and to provide for their own safety they did desire at least to maintaine intelligence with them to betray the Kingdome of Judah into their hands and did perswade and labour their fellow subjects to do the like Neither be afraid As though they Viz. Rezin and Pekah could subdue Judah 13. Sanctifie the Lord of Host himselfe i. e. Feare ye the Lord of Hosts and him onely Fear not Rezin and Pekah Then we sanctifie God when we do that which we ought to do to him and no other For to sanctifie is to separate a thing from others by way of excellencie or to acknowledge a thing to be so separate by our words and actions Himselfe This word carrieth an Emphasis with it q. d. Fear him and sanctifie him fear not these Let him be your fear and let him be your dread These words fear and dread are to be taken here Objective for the thing or party to be feared and dreaded as v. 12. q. d. Fear him onely There was reason why they should fear God if they went on with their confederacie for God had threatned in that case to bring upon them the King of Assyria c. vers 7. and what he had threatned he was able to bring to passe 14. And he shall be for a sanctuary q. d. And he shall be to you as a place of refuge where ye shall be safe from all danger i. e. He shall be your protector and defender A Sanctuary A Sanctuary properly signifieth an Holy Place separated or set apart for Gods worship And therefore the Tabernacle was called a Sanctuary Exod. 25. vers 8. And so was the Temple Psal 78. v. 69. But here a Sanctuary is taken Metaphorically for a Protector or Defender Because in many cases they which fled to a Sanctuary or Holy place were thereby protected and freed from the hands of Violence So that none whatsoever they were could without a great offence touch them or lay violent hands upon them so long as they were there Hence it was that Adoniah when he feared King Salomon caught hold of the hornes of the Altar which was before the Tabernacle 2 Chron. 1. v. 5. 1 King 2. vers 29. And that this was the Practise also long before we may learn out of Exod. 21. vers 14. And to this Practice and custome doth David allude when he saith In the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me Psal 27.5 But as for the Originall of this practice I do not remember that it is any where written that God appointed the Sanctuary to be a place of refuge for any sort of men as he did appoint certaine Cities to be Cities of refuge for the man-slayer Deut. 19. v. 2. and Josh 20.2 Wherefore I conceive that it was the reverence which men bore to that place that began and continued this Practice of flying to the Sanctuary and being safe there For even among the Heathens their Temple and Altars were places of Refuge for this we read in Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wild beast hath the Rock for his refuge but servants the Altars of the gods But for a stone of stumbling and for a Rock of offence to both houses of Israel q. d. But he shall bring evill upon both the Houses or Tribes of
the middest of the land q. d. And these three shall be blessed yea even a blessing in the middest of the land an Ellipsis A blessing when the Abstract blessing is put for the Concrete blessed after the manner as it is here put and used it signifieth exceeding blessed In the middest of the land The middest of the Land is put Periphrastically for the Land And by the Land is understood the Earth in generall Or the Land in which each of these three the Assyrians Egyptians and the Israelites dwelt in particular 25. Whom the Lord of Hosts shall blesse saying c. He gives a reason here why he said that they should be a blessing which reason is because God should blesse them saying c. Saying blessed be Egypt c. Dei benedicere est benefacere Who God saith is blessed is blessed and happy indeed made happy and blessed by God's word Aegypt my people Aegypt is put here for the Aegyptians whom God calleth his People because at this time many Aegyptians did worship God truely See verse 18 19 20. c. And Assyria the work of my hands By Assyria he meaneth the Inhabitants of Assyria by a Metonymie And these he calleth the works of his hands because he had made them so great a nation as they were And Israel mine inheritance By Israel are meant the Children of Israel which God calleth His Inheritance because he took them to be a Peculiar people to himself Deut. 14. vers 2. ISAIAH CHAP. XX. IN the yeare that Tartan came unto Ashdod c. Tartan was one of Sennacheribs Captaines 2 Kings 18.17 Ashdod was a Towne or Citie of the Philistines in which Dagon had a Temple 1 Sam. 5.1 By the comming of Tartan unto Ashdod is meant his comming to besiege Ashdod whom Sennacherib his Master sent thither for that purpose At this time Ashdod as it is probable was under the Power of Hezekiah King of Judah 2 Kings 18.8 to which Tribe it did of right belong Josh 15.47 When Sargon King of Assyria When Sennacherib King of Assyria for the Kings of Assyria were wont to have many names Sent him Supple Against it to besiege it 2. At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the Sonne of Aâ—os saying Note that these words are suspended here and taken up againe in the third verse For what the Lord spake by Isaiah the Sonne of Amos is not here set downe but it is set downe in the third verse after those words And the Lord said Go and loose the Sackcloth from off thy loines Note here that thâ—se words God spoke not by Isaiah but to Isaiah and upon occasion of those words which he spoke to Isaiah and Isaiah's doing according to them He spoke by Isaiah to the men of Judah and Jerusalem that which followeth in the next verse So that those words namely At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the Sonne of Amos saying are suspended as I said untill the third verse And here ye must understand these or the like words For the Lord had said to Isaiah q. d. For the Lord had said to Isaiah Go and loose the Sackcloth from off thy loines Loose the Sackcloth from off thy loines He speakes thus not because they wore this Sackcloth only about their loines for their whole Garment was of Sackcloth but because this Garment of Sackcloth being a loose Garment was girded about them with a Girdle which they wore upon their loines The Sackcloth This Sackcloth was made of Camels haire or the like Sackcloth doth often signifie in Scripture a mourning Garment and so some take it to signifie in this place saying that Isaiah mourned at this time because of the Miserie and Captivitie of the ten Tribes of Israel which were carried away by Salmanezer but others thinke that it signifies such a garment as the Prophets did usually wear For Prophets were wont to weare Sackcloth which was made of haire Zach. 13.4 Such a one did Elias weare 2 Kings 1.8 And such a one did John Baptist weare Matth. 3.4 Naked It is not to be thought that the Prophet walked about starke naked but onely that he walked without his Sackcloth though he wore a lower Garment or a Shirt The Prophet therefore was naked only secundum quid and when he saith that he was naked he useth a Synecdoche Integri putting naked which properly signifieth to be destitute of all Clothes for being without some certaine Clothes this same word is used after the same manner 1 Sam. 19.24 By this His walking naked and bare-foot the Prophet might well signifie the Captivitie of the Egyptians and Ethiopians for Captives used to be stript of their uppermost Garments by the Conquerors and left in their poor under Clothes yea and they were often taken away too and worse were given they to weare 3. And the Lord said Here the Prophet resumeth those words viz. At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the Sonne of Amos saying c. verse 2. q. d. But as I said At that time spake the Lord by Isaiah the Sonne of Amos saying Like as my Servant Isaiah c. This is that which the Lord spake at the time aforesaid by Isaiah the Sonne of Amos. For a signe and a wonder upon Egypt and Ethiopia i. e. For a Signe of what shall come upon the Egyptians and the Ethiopians A wonder This word Wonder is here of the same signification with the word Signe 4. So i. e. According to that signe and in the same habit and fashion viz. naked and bare-foot yea in a farre worse fashion and habit So shall the King of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners and the Ethiopians Captives The King of Assyria here spoken of was Esarhaddon who was Vice-Roy or Deputy-King in his father Sennacheribs absence and ruled in Assyria as King while Sennacherib was waging warre against the Jewes in the Land of Judah Or we may take this King for Sennacherib himself for that a King may be said to do which he doth by his Deputies or Ministers The Ethopians which he here speaks of were they which marched along with Tirakah their King against Assyria 2 Kings 19.9 And the Egyptians were they which joyned themselves with the Ethiopians in that expedition Even with their buttocks uncovered i. e. Even with short Garments that shall not be long enough to cover their buttocks and privie members To the shame of Egypt To have the buttocks and privie parts naked and uncovered causeth shame in any people which have any thing of civilitie in them What is here spoken of Egypt or the Egyptians may be understood also of Ethiopia or the Ethiopians 5. And they shall be afraid i. e. Those Jewes which trusted in the Ethiopians and Egyptians for help against Sennacherib King of Assyria shall be afraid Supple of Sennacherib and his Armie He puts here an Antecedent without a Relative as though he pointed at them of whom he spoke and he speakes especially
22. And they shall look unto the earth To wit for succour from other men or Nations being their King cannot succour them And behold trouble and darknesse q.d. But whether they look up to heaven to God or downwards to the earth to men They shall find no aid or relief but they shall see trouble and darknesse on every side For God will be angry with them from above and their enemies shall possesse all things and keep all things from them in the earth beneath c. And is put here for But. Darknesse i. e. Calamity and Misery A Metaphor Dimnesse of anguish i. e. Sore vexing and tormenting Misery or Calamity Note that it is usuall with the Hebrewes to put a Substantive of the Genitive Case for an Adjective Wherefore when he saith Dimnesse of anguish it is as if he had said Sore vexing and tormenting dimnesse i. e. Sore vexing and torminting misery or calamity Note that both Darknesse and Dimnesse do signifie here the same thing Viz. Misery or Calamity For the Hebrewes do usually put words which signifie darkness to signifie all kind of Misery or â—alamity See Cap. 5. v 30. Note also that this word Dimnesse doth not signifie lesse in this place than the word Darknesse doth But is put here for Darknesse and with these words Of anguish added to it It signifieth more than the word Darknesse signifieth by it self For the Prophet useth a Gradation here q. d. Behold trouble and darknesse yea dimnesse or darknesse of anguish q. d. Behold trouble and Miserie yea sore vexing and tormenting trouble and misery And they shall be driven into darknesse Viz. As wild beasts are driven into a net or Toile which they cannot escape Into darknesse The word Darknesse signifieth otherwise here than it did in the former sentence Nor is it wonder being that Metaphoricall words signifie variously in the former sentence therefore the word Darknesse signified Miserie but here it signifieth a state or condition of mind in which a man knoweth not what to do or what course or counsel to take being even at his wits ends And that by a Metaphor drawn from bodily darknesse For as in such a case we cannot see to do any thing with our bodily eyes so in this case we cannot see with the eyes of our mind what to do ISAIAH CHAP. IX NEverthelesse the dimnesse shall not be such c. This dependeth upon the former Chapter and containeth a mitigation of the great calamity affliction which was there threatned against the men of Judah For in the last Verse of that Chapter he said that there should be in Judah dimnesse of anguish and here he saith That Neverthelesse the dimnesse shall not be such as was in her vexation c. The dimnesse shall not be such as was in her vexation i. e. The Misery and Calamity which shall befall the Land of Judah shall not be so great as the Misery and Calamity which shall befall the Land of Israel in the time of Her vexation As was in her vexation i. e. As shall be in the time of the Vexation of the Land of Israel He puts a Relative here without an Antecedent as the Hebrews use often pointing as it were to the Land of Israel when he saith Her vexation And he puts a Preterperfect for a Future tense When this time of Vexation was the next words shew When at first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Nepthali i. e. When he shall lightly afflict the Land of Zebulun and the Land of Nepthali The Land of Zebulun and the Land of Nepthali were parts of Galilee Zebulun of the lower Galilee and Nepthali of the upper Galilee and are here put by a Synecdoche to signifie all Galilee consisting of the upper and lower which Galilee was a part and but a part of the land of Israel or of the Kingdome of the ten Tribes This lighter affliction which is here prophesied of was that which was made by Tiglah-Pilesser who came against the King of Israel and grievously afflicted that part of the Land of Israel which was called Galilee 2 King 15. v. 29. And this part of the affliction of the Land of Israel here spoken of seemeth to have been wrought by Tiglah-Pilesser when Ahaz hired him to come up and save him out of the hand of the King of Syria and the King of Israel 2 Kings 16.7 And afterwards did more grievously afflict her i. e. And shall afterwards more grievously afflict the Land of Israel He useth a Preterperfect or Preterimperfect tense for a Future By the way of the Sea By the way of the Sea is meant the Tract or Region of Land which borders upon the Sea And by the Sea is meant the Sea of Tyberias which is also called the Lake of Gennasaret Beyond Jordan i. e. Near to Jordan For so is this praeposition observed to signifie John 1.28 and elsewhere in relation to the Hebrew Jordan was the chiefest and most noted river of all the Land of Canaan It arose neer unto Mount Libanus which was in the utmost parts of the Land of Israel where were two fountaines or springs one called Jor the other Dan which after a little space joyned their waters and made and named the River Jordan This river ran into the Sea of Tyberias and then breaking out of that Sea ran along with a greater streame while it fell into the dead Sea In Galilee of the Nations By Galilee of the Nations some take the Vpper some the Lower Galilee and both give their particular reasons why the Galilee which they mean should distinctively be called Galilee of the Nations But I rather take Galilee of the Nations for all Galilee conteining the Vpper and Lower Galilee together And Galilee so taken is called Galilee of the Nations not as by a Note of distinction but as by a note of declaration as if he should say in Galilee which is so populous and frequented and inhabited with men of divers Countries and Nations Galilee was frequented and inhabited by men of other Countries and Nations because it was a rich and fertile Countrey and convenient for merchandise because of the convenience of the Seas and the Rivers for Galilee reached from the Sea of Tiberias to the Mediterranean Sea so that it invited many forreign Merchants and Strangers thither And the Prophet seemeth to mention this populousnesse of Galilee here that he might make the desolation more grievous which should be begun by Tiglah-Pileser and should be finished therein by Salmaneser For note that this latter affliction was wrought by Salmanâ—ser of which you may read 2 King 17. v. 5. Note here that this affliction and desolation which Salmaneser made by the way of the Sea and beyond Jordan in Galilee of the Nations must be understood by a Synecdoche of the affliction and desolation of all the Land of Israel for Salmaneser made a desolation in all the Land and carried all away captive though it
the Aethiopian would speak so religiously of Gods providence Or to speak as Heathens use to speak which the Fates or Destiny have appointed to destruction This he speakes as I said because of the great opportunity which he had got to goe against Assyria whilst Sennacherib and all his men of warre were abroad as though heaven had given him this opportunity for no other end than that he should destroy Assyria Note that this meted out is used here Metaphorically for appointed to destruction By a Metaphor from Artehitects who when they are to pull down part of a building they mete or measure with a line or rule so much as they are to pull down As for the Phrase you may read the like 2 Sam. 8.2 And trodden down i. e. And subdued or vanquished He alludes to the manner of Conquerours who were wont to tread upon the necks of those which they have vanquished Or to straw upon the Dunghill or dirt in the streets which is trodden of every foot And note that he useth here a Preterperfect tense for a Future because he made himself as sure to destroy them and vanquish them as if he had done it already Whose land the Rivers have spoiled Assyria lay low a great part of it and was washed as with other so with those great and violent Rivers Tigris and Euphrates which washed away much ground from Assyria and did it much hurt certainely by its overflowings and breaking downe the banks thereof which were made by the labour and industry of men to preserve their ground and Cityes from the violence of the waters And it is probable that at this time some great hurt and desolation was made in Assyria by the inundation of the Rivers there that makes him to call it a Land which the Rivers had spoiled Note that the Embassage or Message it self which was given to these Messengers is not here expressed but left to be understood And the circumstances of the Place shew that the Substance of the Embassage was to denounce warre in the name of Tirakah King of Aethiopia against Assyria 3. All ye Inhabitants of the world c. These are the words of the Prophet in his own Person exhorting the world to observe what the event will be of the Ethiopians boasting and great confidence See ye when he lifteth up an Ensigne on the Mountaines i. e. When Tirakah King of Aethiopia lifteth up an Ensigne upon the Mountaines for his Souldiers to come together into a body that they may march into Assyria then observe what the event will be When he bloweth a Trumpet hear ye This is a Repetition of the former-words Perhaps he refers the lifting up of an Ensigne to the Foot And the blowing a Trumpet to the Horse forces 4. For so the Lord said unto me i. e. For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me I will take my rest q. d. I will tarry at home and take my ease I will not goe with Tirakah King of Aethiopia and his Army to Assyria This Rest is a Rest secundum quid And the Prophet brings in God speaking here as a man And I will consider in my dwelling place Supple What the Assyrians doe there against that and against my People which dwell before me By Gods dwelling place understand Hierusalem where God dwelt in the Temple which was his house At this time Sennacherib King of Assyria had sent his Lieutenants to besiedge or block up Hierusalem intending himself to follow with the rest of his Army when he had cleared all other places therefore the Lord saith I will consider in my dwelling place Like a clear heate upon the hearbs and like a Cloud of dew in the heat of harvest q. d. To which dwelling place of mine and the People which dwell there before me I will be a comfort and refreshing against the Assyrians A clear heat upon the hearbs is comfortable to the hearbs and refresheth them after a great and cold raine And a mist or a dewie Cloud refresheth the harvest man as he is labouring in the field in a hot harvest day hence a clear heat upon hearbs Supple after a great raine and a Cloud of dew in the heat of harvest are put Metaphorically for a comfort and refreshing A Cloud of dew i. e. A dewie Cloud A Substantive of the Genitive case is put here for an Adjective Note here that when the Prophet saith that God said He would take his rest and would not goe along with Tirakah King of Aethiopia in that long expedition against Assyria He prophesieth that Tirakah shall be beaten by the Assyrians and his Army destroyed For they prosper not with whom God will not goe along And when he saith that God said he would be to Hierusalem like a clear heat upon hearbs and like a Cloud of dew in the heat of harvest He prophesieth that Sennacherib and his Army which warred against Hierusalem should be overthrown by the hand of God 5. For afore the harvest i. e. But yet afore the harvest For is put here for But or But yet Afore the harvest i. e. Before the great hopes which Tirakah King of Aehiopia hath of destroying Assyria be accomplished The harvest literally taken signifies here the ripe Grapes or fruit of the Vine q. d. But before the Grapes are full ripe and fit to be gathered But Allegorically it signifieth the accomplishment of Tirakahs hopes Note that this and the next verse consisteth altogether of Allegories where Tirakah King of Aethiopia is likened to a Vine his Army to the spriggs and branches of that Vine the hopes which he had of subduing and destroying Assyria to the perfect budd ' and flower of the Vine The full accomplishment of his hopes to the harvest or ripe fruit of the Vine The Assyrian to a Gardner which useth to cut down the sprigs and branches of his Vines yea and the Vines themselves to when he sees good c. When the budd is perfect i. e. When the bud of the Vine is perfect that is when it is full and ready to blow into a flower that is when Tirakah's hopes are at the heigth By this bud is meant Allegorically the great hopes which Tirakah the King of Aethiopia had of subdueing and destroying Assyria which hopes grew after the advantage he took of Sennacherib's absence from the greatnesse of his own Army for from thence these his hopes sprange as the bud and the grapes spring from the branch of the Vine c. And the sowre Grape is ripening in the flower Grapes when they are young and small are sowre hence he saith sowre grapes for grapes which are young And grapes when they are first in the flower are grapes onely in potentia though they begin actually to knot in the flower and to encrease in the flower as the flower doth decrease By sowre grapes in the flower are meant the aforesaid hopes of Tirakah King of Aethiopia And the ripening of these grapes signifieth his endeavours
him Or of corrupt Judges who had taken a bribe of his Enemies to condemn him whose wickedness was the greater that they would be corrupted to do such a piece of injustice for a small matter How these men were consumed we told Vers 14. 22. Therefore thus saith the Lord c. This relates to the 17 18 19 20 and 21 Verses as an inference deduced from thence q. d. And because Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forrest and because the deaf upon that shall hear the words of the Book c. Therefore thus saith the Lord who redeemed Abraham concerning the House of Jacob c. Who redeemed Abraham God redeemed Abraham out of Vr of the Caldees from Idolatry Genes 12.1 and he redeemed him out of danger in Egypt Genes 12.20 and he redeemed him out of the like danger in Gerar Gen. 20.9 And Abraham is mentioned as redeemed here because as the Lord redeemed him so for his sake would he redeem his posterity at this time Concerning the house of Jacob i. e. Concerning Jacob and his children the Jews For the Father is part yea the chief part of the house Jacob shall not now be ashamed i. e. Being that the Lord will turn Lebanon into a fruitful field and the fruitful field into a forrest so that the deaf shall hear the words of the Book c. when this cometh to pass Jacob shall not now be ashamed though he hath been ashamed heretofore The Prophet useth a Prosopopoeia here whereby he brings in Jacob as though he were alive though he were dead long before Jacob shall not now be ashamed Supple For the disobedience and infidelity and unbelief of his children For they which would not believe the Vision mentioned vers 14. shall be all consumed and all they which watch for iniquity shall be cut off but the meek shall survive and all they that have erred shall return into the right way The misdemeanor of the son is the shame of the Parents in allusion to which he here saith Jacob shall not now be ashamed Nor shall his face now wax pale Supple For fear q. d. Neither shall he now be afraid as he hath been lest his children should be utterly destroyed by the Assyrians through the wrath of God so that they be no more a people for the Assyrian is brought to nought vers 20. 23. When he seeth his children the work of mine hands i. e. When he seeth his children whom I have delivered out of the hands of the Assyrians A deliverance out of eminent and unavoydable danger of death is as it were a new Creation therefore doth the Lord call the Jews the work of his hands because he delivered them from the Assyrians In the midst of him i. e. In the midst of the Land which I gave him Gen. 28.13 Jacob himself is put here by a Metonymy for the Land which God gave Jacob as Moab is put for the Land of Moab Jerem. 40.11 Note that in the midst of the Land is put by an Hebrew redundancy for in the Land They shall sanctifie my Name q. d. They to wit his children shall sanctifie and praise my Name for their deliverance out of the hands of the Assyrians And if they shall sanctifie his Name He shall see them sanctifying it and so shall not be afraid for them but rejoyce rather My Name i. e. Me. An Hebraism And shall fear the God of Israel i. e. And they shall fear to offend the God of Israel and shall serve him and worship him And if they shall fear the God of Israel Jacob shall see that they fear him and so he shall not be ashamed for their sakes 24. They also that erred in spirit i. e. They also that erred in judgment and opinion thinking that Jerusalem would not have been delivered out of the hands of the Assyrians and that the Assyrians would not have been destroyed as they were He speaks of such that erred rather out of weakness and by being ignorantly misled then out of pride and malice as those scorners did mentioned vers 20. Shall come to understanding i. e. Shall experimentally know that what the Prophet prophecyed concerning the deliverance of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Assyrians was true They that murmured It is probable that many otherwise none of the worst when they were distressed and found some hardship in the siege of Jerusalem did murmur against Isaiah who prophecyed of the deliverance of Jerusalem and did what he could to hold up their drooping spirits with that hope Shall learn doctrine i. e. Shall learn the Instruction of the Lord which shall teach them not to murmur any more at his Prophets in whatsoever case they are ISAIAH CHAP. XXX WO to the rebellious children i. e. When the report was first spred abroad of Sennacheribs intent to march out of Assyria with an huge Army the Jews which lived out of Jerusalem in other parts of the Land of Judah and many also which lived in Jerusalem were distracted and in doubt what to do to preserve themselves Some thought it best to comply with the Assyrians and to practise with them for the surrender or giving up of the whole Land into their hands Others thought it best to call in the Egyptians to their ayd And this did they both in so foul a manner as that the one scrupled not to profess the Religion of the Assyrians and the other of the Egyptians to save their lives Onely King Hezekiah and some few with him chose rather to trust in the promises of God which he had promised by Isaiah then to do as the others did Against those which thought it best to call in the ayd of the Egyptians and endeavored to bring them into help them doth the Prophet here inveigh To the rebellious children It is rebellion in man to do any thing against the Will of God as these men did by distrusting God and trusting in the arm of flesh See cap. 1.20 That take counsel Supple How to save themselves from the fury of Sennacherib and the Assyrians But not of me q. d. But not of my Prophets whose counsel is my counsel That cover with a covering but not of my Spirit Note that the word Spirit is a word of many significations with the Hebrews but among the many significations which it hath any act of the Will or Understanding is called the spirit And any quality or ability of doing is called the spirit so that the spirit may here signifie counsel and advice or it may signifie power and protection And the meaning of this place may be this q. d. And which cover themselves with a covering but not of my advising or to which I advised them Or the meaning of this place may be this q. d. And which cover themselves with a covering but not with the covering of my power and protection that is which get themselves ayd to defend
the pool See Cap. 7. vers 3. 3. Then came forth to him Eliakim While Rabshakeh stood at the Conduit of the upper pool he called to the King 2 King 18.18 that is He sent to King Hezekiah that he might treat with him but Hezekiah fearing to commit his person to him or otherwise to expose it to danger went not out himself to treat with him but sent these three Eliakim Joah and Shebna Eliakim Helkiahs son which was over the House Supple Of the King that is which was Steward of the Kings House One Shebna was formerly Steward of the Kings house but this Eliakim came in his room as Isaiah prophecyed Cap. 22. vers 20. And Shebna the Scribe i. e. The Kings Secretary The Office of a Scribe or Secretary you may read in part Esth 3.12 This Shebna was not he which was formerly Steward of the Kings house and Eliakims predecessor but another though of the same name The Recorder What was the Office of this Recorder it is doubtful I conceive it to have been to keep the Records and compile the Chronicles of the most noted things which happened For such Officers Kings had about them and such Records were kept and Chronicles compiled as we may see Esth 6.1 2. 4. Say ye now to Hezekiah thus saith the great King the King of Assyria Observe here the pride of Sennacherib or Rabshakeh or both in that Sennacherib is set out here with his greatest Title but they vouchsafe Hezekiah no Title at all The great King It was the manner of Kings which are proud and of great power to arrogate to themselves great Titles as Sennacherib did here the Title of The great King What confidence is this in which thou trustest The word confidence is to be taken here not for the Act as it is most commonly taken but for the Object or thing in which we confide or trust 5. I say sayst thou but they are but vain words I have counsel and strength for war q. d. Perhaps thou wilt say That thâ—u hast Forces enough to wage war with me and thou hast wisdom to manage those thy Forces but if thou sayst so thy saying will prove but words there is no such matter for thou hast not Forces enough to war with me nor counsel and wisdom if thou hadst Forces These two things counsel and strength are the chiefest requisites for the happy managing of a War for one without the other availeth nothing For though thou hâ—st never so great Forces yet if thou hast not wisdom to manage them they can stand thee in no stead and if thou hast wisdom to manage an Army yet if thou hast no sufficient Army to manage thy wisdom will avail thee little Now on whom dost thou trust Supple For strength That thou rebellâ—st against me i. e. That thou standest out thus against me He calls this standing out of Hezekiahs against him rebellion because the Kings of Judah were Tributaries to the Kings of Assyria 2 King 18.14 For there Hezekiah saith He had â—ffended against Sennacherib by not paying him his Tribute which he would not have said if the Kings of Judah had not been wont to pay Tribute to the Kings of Assyria Because Hezekiah might say that he had counsel and strength for War sufficient to bear him up against Sennacherib and therefore he would not yield to him Rabshakeh goeth about here to shew that Hezekiah deceives himself that when he had made Hezekiah bâ—lieve that he was in an error he might better perswade him to submit to Sennacherib 6. Lo thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed on Egypt q. d. Lo thou trustest in Egypt for strength for war which is but as a staff made of a broken reed and therefore a poor staff to rely upon and to trust in Rabshakeh that he might shew that Hezekiah deceived himself in saying that he hath strength for war thus argues q. d. If thou hast strength for war it is either Foreign strength or Domestique strength strength which thou expectest from others or strength which thou hast of thine own But thou hast neither Foreign strength or Domestique strength neither strength for war which thou canst expect from others neither strength for war of thine own therefore thy words are but vain words when thou sayst I have strength for War Rabshakeh to make his Minor good thus argues All Foreign strength is either Humane or Divine But thou hast neither humane strength for War nor yet divine in which thou canst trust Therefore thou hast no Foreign strength for War in which thou mayst trust The Minor of this Syllogism he endevors to prove partly in this partly in the following Verse And for that part of the Minor Proposition of the first Syllogism which said He had not strength for Wâ—r of his own he strives to make good in the eight and ninth Verses In the staff of this broken reed i. e. In this staff which is made of a broken reed This Genitive is Genitivus Materiae On Egypt q. d. Even on Egypt Rabshakeh takes it here for granted that if Hezekiah did expect help from any Foreign people he did expect it from the Egyptians For as the case stood there was no other people that would send him ayd Besides many of the men of Judah though without Hezekiahs privity had sent into Egypt for strength Cap. 30 31. which Sennacherib hearing of might think that it was done by Hezekiah and that Hezekiah had sent thither for supplies Whereon if a man lean it will go into his hand and pierce it On which staff made of a reed if a man lean it will run into his hand and pierce it A reed though it be used for a staff yet if a man leans upon it with his whole body it will deceive him and give him a fall much more if it be a broken reed Moreover being it is a broken reed and so sharp and splintry it will run into the hand of him which leans upon it with his body his hand being between his body and the reed and next upon the top thereof In the choyce of his similitude he alludes to the reeds which grew plentifully on the banks of Nilus that great River of Egypt So is Pharaoh King of Egypt to all that trust in him q. d. For as a broken reed whereon a man leans will fail him and will go into his hand who leans upon it and pierce it So will Pharaoh King of Egypt do to all that trust in him For he is weak like a reed and therefore will fail them and unfaithful and perfidious and so will hurt them He will get their Treasures which are the sinews of War and not profit them Cap. 30.6 and by so doing will he be a cut to them 7. But if thou sayst We trust in the Lord our God Supple For strength for War q. d. But if thou sayst to me We trust not in Egypt nor in any humane power for
c. Therefore I will divide him a portion c. I will divide him a portion with the great i. e. I will divide him a portion with the Babylonians which are great in power For when the Babylonians have overcome Judah and Jerusalem and taken the spoyls thereof they shall give Jeremy a portion of the spoyls and of the Land which they have taken And he shall divide the spoyl with the strong This is a repetition of the former sentence Because he hath poured out his Soul unto death i. e. Because he did not fear death but did willingly hazard his life in preaching the Word which I gave him to preach and in performing the work in which I employed him See Jerem. 26. vers 13 14 15. And he was numbered with the transgressors i. e. And because he was accounted as a Malefactor for doing my work and preaching my Word and was imprisoned and used as a Malefactor And he bare the sin of many And because he bore the sin of many Jeremy may be said to bear the sin of many either because he brought them to repentance and so bore that is took away their sin of which see vers 11. Or because he suffered many grievous things at the hands of the Iews through their hatred and malice towards him of which see vers 5. And in this last sence the sin of many is taken for the hard usage and punishment which they did inflict upon Ieremy through their sin that is through their hatred and malice which they bore against him by a Metonymie And this last Sense seemeth most agreeable to this place And made intercession for the transgressours i. e. And because he made intercession and prayed to God to have mercy upon them who did persecute and imprison him VERSE 2. For he shall grow up before him Having interpreted this Chapter from the second verse hitherto in the first meaner sense I returne to the Second verse to interpret this Chapter from thence to the end in the second and more sublime sense For he shall grow up i. e. Now the Messiah called the Servant of the Lord Cap. 52.13 shall grow up Before him i. e. In his Service As a tender Plant and as a root out of a dry ground i. e. As a tender Plant and as a root which springeth out of dry ground For as a plant or root which springeth out of a dry ground doth not thrive so well as that which groweth out of a fertile soile neither is so luxuriant but is small and slender and skragged So Christ shall not be in regard of worldly riches any great man neither shall he abound with worldly wealth So farre was Christ from having any abundance of worldly riches as that he had not of his own where to lay his head Matth. 8.20 By saying that he shall grow up as a tender plant he intimateth that the Messiah should be imployed in the Lords worke in his tender yeares and so he was Luke 2.46 He hath no forme and comelinesse and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him This some would have to be understood of Christ all the time of his mortality And they which do so do and must apply it to the outward condition and estate of Christ in respect of wealth and honour and worldly pompe For they cannot apply it to the feature and form and beauty of his body For it is generally received that Christ was a man of a goodly countenance and frame of body and to him do many apply that of the Psalmist according to the letter Thou art fairer than the Children of men grace is powred into thy lips c. Psal 45.2 Others would have this to be understood of Christ only in his latter dayes and dayes of his suffering in which dayes though Christ was naturally beautiful of a lively countenance his beauty was much marrâ—d and his countenance dâ—formed by the spittings buffettings wounds and griefs which he susteined 3. He is despised and rejected of men i. e. He shall be despised and rejected of men He useth a Praeterperfect Tâ—nse for a Future after a Prophetique manner to shew the certainty of what he speaks of Christ was sufficiently despised when they said of him in contempt This fellow Mat. 12.24 and 26.61 And when they called him Glutton Wine-bibber A friend of Pvblicanes and Siners Matth. 11.19 And when they said he was a Samaritane and had a Divell Iohn 8.48 And when they put a Crowne of Thornes upon his head and a robe upon his back and a Reed in his hand and bowed the knee before him and mockt him saying Haile King of the Jewes Matth. 27.29 c. And rejected of men To omit how often Christ preached unto the people and was not heard and how often he would have gathered Jerusalem as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings but she would not Matth. 23.37 Then was he rejected to the full when they asked Barabbas and refused Jesus Matth. 27. v. 17.20 A man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefes Then was Christ truly a man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefe when he was wounded with Thornes bâ—ffeted and spit upon and forced to carry his own Crosse and at last was crucified as a Malefactor Matth. Cap. 26.27 And we hid as it weâ—e our faces from him Supple Oâ—t of our hard hearts as not affording him any pitty Or out of disdaine as not vouchsafing to give him a kinde look This is spoken in the person of those Jewes and others whose heart God had touched with the sight and hearing of Christs sufferings and which did afterwards believe in him See Luke 23. v. 47.48 4. Surely he hath borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes q. d. He hath borne many griefes and carried many sorrowes especially on the Crosse But surely those griefes and these sorrowes which he hath borne and which he hath carried are our griefes and our sorrowes that is are griefes and sorrowes which he susteined for us and for our sins See 1 Pet. 2.24 By Griefes and Sorrowes are meant Metonymiâ—e the Torments and punishments which Christ suffered which torments and punishments caused griefes and sorrows and those torments and punishments they call theirs beca se Chriâ—t suffâ—red them for their sins St. Matthew applyeth this passage of the Prophet to Christs delivering those which were vexed with Divells and healing all those which were sick Matth 8. v. 16 17. As though the Prophet had foretold these things of Christ in these wordes But how can St. Matthew say that these words are to be understood of Christs casting out Divells and healing those which were sicke when as they are to be understood of Christs sufferings Ans What Christ suffered he suffered for this end that he might take away our sinnes and all the miseries which are come upon us by reason of our sins such as is the power of the Devill over us sicknesse diseases death
out of the Babylonish captivity to their own homes again As the Doves to their windows By windows understand here the windows or lover-holes of the Dove-houses or Pigeon-houses by which the Doves or Pigeons go in or out of their houses to wit the Pigeon-houses or Dove-houses 9. Surely the Isles shall wait for me and the ships of Tarshish first to bring thy sons from far i. e. Surely the Inhabitants of the Isles and the Merchants of Tarshish shall wait upon me as servants upon their Master that they may bring thy sons to me at my command The Isles By the Isles he meaneth the Inhabitants of the Isles that is of the sea-coasts by a Metonymy The ships of Tarshish By the ships of Tarshish he meaneth the Merchants of Tarshish who traffique by sea in ships What Tarshish was see cap. 2.16 First i. e. Before they do any other thing or take any voyage either for themselves or any other To bring thy sons from far i. e. To bring thy sons O Zion from those far Countries into which they were fled or were carryed when the Babylonians invaded Judea Thy sons He makes Zion here as a Mother and the Jews as her sons Their silver and their gold with them i. e. And to bring their silver and their gold with them This may be understood either of the silver and gold of the Merchants which they should bring with them to traffique within Jerusalem as vers 6. or of the silver and gold of the Jews which either they had gained by their labor or carryed with them when they fled for fear of the Babylonians or which had been given them by the benevolence of others for their Gods sake as Ezra 1.6 Note that these ships of Tarshish might have been employed to bring the Jews to Jerusalem not onely from Tarshish but from any other part of the World besides Vnto the Name of the Lord thy God That is To the dwelling place of the Lord thy God Note here that by the Name of the Lord God is meant the Lord God himself by a Metonymy Then by the Lord is meant the dwelling place of the Lord by another Metonymy as Vcalegon in the Poet is put for the house or dwelling place of Vcalegon Jam proximus ardet Vcalegon Virgil. Aenead lib. 2. Then by the dwelling place of the Lord is meant Jerusalem see Psa 76.2 To the holy One of Israel i. e. To the dwelling place of God who is the holy One of Israel This is a repetition of the former sentence Note here the Enallage of the person and how God speaketh of himself in the third person Because he hath glorified thee i. e. Because he hath honored thee and will honor thee in the sight of all the Nations 10. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls i. e. And strangers shall build up thy walls The sons of strangers are put for strangers by an Hebraism And those he calls strangers which were not Israelites born The walls of Jerusalem were beat down by the Babylonians 2 Chron. 36.19 and they were built up again after the Babylonish captivity by the favor and liberality of Cyrus Darius Hystaspis and Artaxerxes Ezra cap. 6 7. and by the hands of many Proselytes And their Kings shall minister unto thee i. e. And the Kings of strangers shall minister unto thee those things which are necessary for that worke Supple Of building up thy Walls For in my wrath I smote thee i. e. For I smote thee because I was angry with thee for thy sinnes Then he smote her when he gave her over into the hands of the Babylonians 11. Therefore thy gates shall be opened continually i. e. Moreover thy gates shall stand open continually Therefore for Moreover That men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles i. e. That the Armies of the Gentiles may be brought to thee as Captives in chaines He sheweth here the reason or end why the gates of Jerusalem should stand open continually night and day to wit that the captives which they took in warre should be brought thither And by saying that the gates shall stand open continually day and night he intimates the frequent victories which the Jewes should have and their often conquests over the Gentiles And that their Kings may be brought supple To thee as captives in linkes of Iron Note that what is here said of Sion in the first sence is to be understood of the Church of Christ in the second and sublime sense of which Sion was here a Type Revel 21.15 12. That will not serve thee i. e. That will not doe offices of civillity and kindenesse to thee but rather injure thee and wrong thee and give thee just cause to make warre upon them And when thou doest so make warre upon them will not submit to pay Tribute to thee and doe other conditions which thou shalt require of them Note that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to serve signifieth sometimes to doe offices of civillity and kindenesse to another as Cap. 19. v. 23. So that he that will not doe offices of civillity and kindenesse to another may be said to deny to serve him Yea to deny to serve a man may sometimes signifie to injure and wrong a man by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Note further that to pay tribute and to performe other conditions which a potent Prince or People exacteth of another Prince or People doth usually fall under the name of service And tributaries are frequently called servants so that not to serve may signifie also not to pay tribute and not to submit to such conditions as a more powerfull Prince or People shall exact See 2 Sam. 10.9 1 Kings 4.21 2 Kings 18.7 Shall perish Supple From being a Nation or Kingdome of it selfe and living under its owne Lawes for thou shalt subdue it and bring it into captivity to thy selfe Yea those Nations Supple That will not serve thee Shall be utterly wasted Supple By thy sword Josephus writes of the victory of the Jewes over the Tyrians and those of Ptolemais as also of their victory over the Ammonites and Gileadites lib. 12. Antiq. Cap. 16. He writes also of the subversion of Pella by the Jewes lib. 13. Antiq. Cap. 23. In the book of Macchabees also we read of the victories of the Jewes by Judas Macchabaeus 1 Macchab. Cap. 5. c. All which tend to the fulfilling of this Prophecy 13. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee By the glory of Lebanon is meant the Cedar which is the tallest and stateliest of all Trees and it is called the glory of Lebanon because it brought a great deale of renoune to Lebanon which bore it and upon which it grew and made it famous Per metonymiam efficientis Lebanon was an high hill scituate on the North side of the Land of Canaan which brought forth as other godly Trees so especially the Cedar hence the Cedar of Lebanon went for a kinde of proverbe 2
among the Gentiles i. e. And such shall be the prosperity of their children as that the Gentiles shall take notice of them for the pâ—osperity and happiness which they shall enjoy above other people That they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed q. d. Whereas the Lord blessed the seed of Abraham Gen. 26.4 all that see them shall know that they are the seed of Abraham whom the Lord blessed 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord i. e. I will greatly rejoyce because of the goodness of the Lord towards me This is spoken in the person of Zion by a Prosopopoeia for Zion hearing these great things which the Prophet speaketh of and believing them breaketh out into joy and gladness saying I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord. In the Lord i. e. Because of the goodness of the Lord towards me in my children In is put here for For or Because of and is a sign of the Object and the Lord is put here for the goodness of the Lord per Metonymiam efficientis He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation i. e. For he hath redeemed me out of the Babylonish captivity He compareth the Redemption or Salvation by which they were saved or delivered out of the Babylonish captivity to a garment therefore he calls it the garment of Salvation He puts a preterperfect tense for a future He hath covered me with the robes of righteousness This is a repetition of the former sentence for by righteousness he meaneth salvation of which more in the following Verse As a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments i. e. As a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments on the day of his marriage on which day he is at the finest 11. So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth Supple In me or for me This is spoken still in the person of Zion who takes that which is done to her children the Jews as done also to her self Righteousness By righteousness he meaneth salvation that salvation by which the Lord redeemed Zion and her children out of the hands of the cruel Babylonians and this salvation he calleth righteousness per Metonymiam efficientis because God gave it to the Jews which were righteous as a reward of their righteousness as also because God gave it to the Jews according to his promise so that it was an effect of Gods righteousness that is of his fidelity or faithfulness in keeping promise Praise By praise he meaneth also salvation and redemption even the salvation and redemption of Sion and her children and that per Metonymiam effectus because that Salvation and Redemption bring forth praise to God for they which are saved and redeemed will praise God for his Salvation and Redemption Before all Nations i. e. In the sight of all Nations ISAIAH CHAP. LXII FOr Zions sake I will not hold my peace i. e. For the love which I bare to Zion I will not hold my peace but call upon God day and night to save Zion out of the hands of the Babylonians The Prophet speaks this as though the Jews were even then in captivity and neer to be delivered and as though he himself did see them in distress bodily And what he saith he would do here certainly many of the godly men and the Prophets which lived in the time of the captivity did do For Jerusalems sake I will not rest This is a repetition of the former sentence I will not rest Supple From calling upon God to hasten the salvation of Zion Vntil the righteousness thereof i. e. Until the salvation thereof that is of Zion By righteousness is meant salvation See cap. 51.11 Go forth as brightness i. e. Go forth as a light which dispelleth the darkness As brightness i. e. As a light He putteth brightness for light that is for a body which giveth light and shineth clearly per Metonymiam adjuncti He compareth the salvation of the Jews to a bright shining body because as such a body giveth light so would this salvation bring joy and prosperity with it which the Scripture doth often resemble to light and call by the name of light And the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth This is a repetition of the former sentence For the Lamp that burneth shineth 2. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness i. e. For the Gentiles shall see the salvation which God shall work for thee And is put here for For and righteousness for salvation as Vers 1. Thy glory i. e. The glorious estate with which God will bless thee He calleth the glorious estate which God would give her her glory per Metonymiam adjuncti The Prophet useth an Apostrophe here to Zion whom he speaks to as to a woman Thou shalt be called by a new name What this new name is by which Zion should be called we shall read vers 4. Which the mouth of the Lord shall name i. e. Which the Lord shall give unto thee The mouth of the Lord is put here by a Synecdoche for the Lord himself The name which the Lord shall give her shall consist rather in reality then in words for Gods word are operative and turn to deeds 3. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord i. e. Thou shalt also be as a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord that is Thou shalt also be precious in the eyes of the Lord. The Note of similitude As is here left to be understood and a substantive of the Genitive case viz. of glory is put for the Adjective glorious A crown is a rich and precious ornament of a King therefore he saith she shall be as a crown of glory or as a glorious crown to shew the happy and glorious estate which she shall attain to and how precious she should be And he saith In the hand of the Lord to shew that the Lord should delight in her and have a continual eye upon her For it is a sign that we delight in and take pleasure in a thing when we love to have it in our eyes and to look upon it And a royal Diadem in the hand of our God i. e. And as a royal Diadem in the hand of our God This is a repetition of the former sentence A Diadem was an Ornament or Crowne which Kings used to weare upon their heades It was made commonly of purple silke and beset with pearles and jewells and pretious stones 4. Thou shalt no more be termed forsaken i. e. Thou shalt be no more forsaken Note that to be termed or to be called so or so signifieth with the Hebrewes to be so and so for by being so or so they may be called so or so Sion was forsaken when God who was her husband left her for her whoredomes and had no pleasure in her Neither shall thy Land be termed any more desolate By the Land of Sion is here meant the Land of Judah whereof Sion or Jerusalem was the head The
beasts and why he saith that he is not delighted in the bloud of Bullocks or of Lambs and Hee Goats When as the Rams and Bullocks and Lambs and Goats were cattell of the Heard and of the Flock which God appointed for his Sacrifice Lev. 1.2 And when as he appointed the fatt for the Altar Lev. 3.3 4 5. c. And the blood to be offered to him Lev. 17. ver 10 11. A. The reason why God abhorred these things and loathed them was not because they were nought in themselves but because they were wicked which offered them to God Hence it was that though God did accept of the Sacrifices of the just yet the Sacrifice of the wicked was abomination to him Prov. 15.8 For Sacrifice was of that nature as that God accepted not man for the Sacrifice at any time but onely the Sacrifice for the man 12. When ye come to appear before me Supple with your Sacrifices Who hath required this at your hand Because it is certaine that God commanded his people to appear before him with Sacrifices as Exod. 23.17 c. This place cannot be so understood as if God did simply forbid there appearing before him with Sacrifices It must therefore be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with some restriction not as though God blamed them because they appeared before him with Sacrifices but because they appeared before him with Sacrifices when their hands were full of bloud Vers 15. When ye come to appear before me To appeare before God is to go into the Courts of Gods house which were before the Sanctuary of the temple where because God sate upon the mercy seat as we may read Exod. 25.22 and Numb 7.89 therefore were they which came into the Coutrs of the Temple said to appear before God Who hath required this at your hands i. e. Who hath required this of you The hands which are the chief instrument of mans actions are put here per Synecdochen partis for the whole man To tread my Courts These words may be governed of the Relative This by Apposition or else we may repeate those words againe Viz. Who hath required this at your hands q. d. Who hath required this at your hand to tread my Courts By treading his Courts he meanes there appearing before him But when he saith to tread my Courts it is intimated that God received no good by their appearing before him for it was neither honour nor profit that He got by it but that He suffered losse rather for they wore out his Courts with their treading My Courts i. e. The Courts of my Temple Before the Temple or house of God the Priests had a Court to stand and do their service in 2 Chron. 4.9 And the People had another Court where they stood for to worship God Therefore by saying My Courts He reprehends both Priests and People 13. Bring no more vaine oblations He doth not absolutely forbid them here to bring any more oblations but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit while they were as they were that is while they were such abominable sinners While they are such he calls their oblations vaine because they faile of the end for which they intend them For they intend therewith to honour worship God But God is not honoured or worshipped by the Sacrifices and oblations of wicked men Incense is abomination to me i. e. Incense is abominable to me I abhorre it and detest it as a thing abominable Abomination is put here for abominable an Abstract for a Concrâ—te per Metonymiam adjuncti God did not abhorre and detest Incense simply as it appeareth Exod. 30.7 and Lev. 2. Vers 1 2. but onely as it was offered by the hands of wicked men The new Moones The Hebrews did use Lunar Moneths which they computed or measured from one New Moon to another And by the New Moones are here meant the first dayes of every month viz. the dayes in which the Moon changed by a Metonymie Note that although the New Moon or first day of the Moneth is not reckoned amongst those feasts in which all servile work was forbidden Lev. 23. yet this we read of it elsewhere First That it had its peculiar Sacrifices appointed for it Numb 28.11 Secondly That it had a peculiar solemnity of blowing the Trumpet over its Sacrifices Numb 10.10 Thirdly that on that day the People repaired to the Prophets or other Ministers of God to be instructed by them 2 Kings Cap. 4. Vers 23. Fourthly that there were Assemblies on that day for Gods worship Isaiah 66. Vers 23. Fiftly That they kept religious feasts that day 1 Sam. 20 5 6. Sixtly That it was not lawfull to buy or sell on that day Amos 8.5 And Sabbaths The Sabbaths of the Jewes were some weekly as Exod. 20.10 Lev 23.3 Some yearely which were kept but once every year as Lev. 23. vers 32. c. The calling of Assemblies i. e. The meeting and assembling together on the New Moons and the Sabbaths to hear the word of God and to worship him See 2 Kings 4.23 and Isaiah 66.23 The calling of Assemblies is put here for the meeting together in Assemblies The Antecedent for the Consequent Note that these words the calling of Assemblies are governed of the former word by Apposition And they doe shew and explain what those former words mean Namely meeting in Assemblies on those dayes to hear the Word of God and to worship him It is iniquity q.d. This calling of Assemblies or meeting together though to hear Gods Word and to worship him is sinful Iniquity is put here for sinfull an Abstract for a Concrete Therefore was this meeting in Assemblies sinful because they were wicked men which were there assembled Note that here is the cause why God could not endure their meetings viz. because they were sinfull as being performed by wicked men who lived in their sins without repentance Even the solemn meetings q. d. I say that even your solemn meetings wherein yee meet together to hear Gods Word and worship Him on the New Moones and Sabbath dayes is sinful and evil 14. Your New Moones and your appointed Feasts c He repeateth here what he said in the former verse to shew his greater dislike and detestation of it And what He called Sabbaths there He calls appointed Feasts here Because the Sabbaths were Feasts appointed of God Levit 23. Yet he calls them Their New Moones and Their appointed Feasts in respect of Their manner of coming to them and solemnizing of them which was with wicked hands and wicked hearts which God detested My soul hateth i. e. I hate The Prophet speaketh here of â—od 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of a man And puts the Soul which is but a part for the whole man I am weary to bear them i. e. They are troublesome and grievous to me and I can endure them no longer therefore will I ease my self of them by destroying you He useth a Metaphor from a
Porter whose burden is grievous and troublesome to him when he stands too long under it and is thereby wearied 15. And when yee spread forth your hands i. e. And when yee pray to me either in those Assemblies and meetings mentioned v. 13. or at any other times He puts the spreading forth of the hands for praying a gesture which was wont to be used in prayer Exod. 9.33 1 King 8.22 38. Ezra 9.5 Job 11.13 and Psalm 88.9 for the act of praying it self I will hide mine eyes from you i. e. I will not regard your prayers nor gâ—ant your desire He speaks of God here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alludes to the manner of men where when one man hath injured another and he that suffered the wrong is resolved not to forgive the wrong which he suffered he will not look upon him that did the wrong when he beggeth pardon but turneth away from him that he may not be moved by his humble demeanour to forgive him I will not hear Here he speakes of God againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and alludeth to the manner of men who go away and will not hear the requests which they are resolved not to grant least they be moved to grant them when they hear them Your hands are full of bloud i. e Your hands are besmeared with the bloud of those whom you have murthered q. d. Ye are guilty of murder Bloud is put here Metonymice for Murder and that againe is put Hyperbolice for Injustice and cruelty in oppressing the poor Note that the Prophet speakes here particularly of Judges and Lawyers Though what he speakes particularly of them is proportionably to be understood of all other sorts of men For if Judges and Lawyers be nought it is not to be expected that other sorts of men should be good Their countenance and example is enough to corrupt a whole City yea a whole Kingdome O my people they that lead thee cause thee to erre saith our Prophet Chap. 3.12 And St. Paul proves the ungodliness of all men by the ungodlâ—nesse of the chiefest Rom. Chap. 1. Vers 18 19 c. Note that these words Your hands are full of bloud containe the cause why God would hide his eyes when they did spread forth their hands And why he would not hear when they did make their prayers to him for God heareth not sinners John 9.31 Psal 66.18 16. Wash ye make ye clean Viz. From this bloud He speakes of spirituall washing the soul from sin by repentance under the Metaphor of bodily washing the body from bloud or any other filth by water Cease to do evill Supple To your neighbours 17. Learn to do well i. e. Accustome your selves to do well to your neighbour We learn to do well by custome and frequent practice Or he may say Learn to do well because they were ignorant of that lesson viz. the lesson of doing well Seek judgement Judgement is taken here for the justice and uprightnesse of a cause q. d. Ye Judges and Lawyers for to such He syeaketh when a cause is brought to you seek diligently on which side the Right lyeth and be for that The Prophet doth explain here that generall Praecepts Learn to do well by four Particular Praecepts Seek Judgement Relieve the Oppressed Judge the Fatherless Pl ad for the Widdows Relieve the Oppressed i. e. If any unjust Sentence hath been given against a Man whereby â—e is oppres'd recal that Sentence and correct it and so relieve the oppressed Or if any poor man is oppressed by one that is mighty and flyeth to the Law for relief direct Him and help Him against His oppressour Judge the Fatherlesse i. e. Give the â—atherlesse an hearing and defer not to give sentence in this cause which depends before you This is spoken to the Judges and is therefore spoken because the Fatherless when He hath a cause ready for hearing cannot get a hearing but is put off to his vexation that the causes of great and rich ones may be sped Plead for the Widdow i. e. Take in hand the cause of the Widdow and plead it for her though you can expect no reward of her for your paines This is spoken to Advocates or Counsellors God hath alwaies an especiall care of the Fatherlesse and the Widow because they are for the most part destitute of friends and most apt to be oppressed and wronged 18 Come let us reason togethâ—r saith the Lord Because God charged this people with sin ano threatened them with judgements in the former part of the Chapter and they thought they were not guilty of the sinnes which were laid to their charge nor deserved the judgements which were threatned against them He inviteth them here in a friendly manner to plead their cause with him that he may hear what they can say for themselves And that they may hear what he can say for himself And in conclusion when he had convinced them of sin and prooved them worthy of punishment that they may know that he is more prone to shew mercy than to punish he tells them that for all that yet if they will repent Though their sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow c. But note That neither the Subject of their Reasoning nor yet the Arguments on either side are here set down but they are left to be understood Onely it is set down in brief upon what tearmes God and they parted after this reasoning which were these That if they would repent them of their sinnes Though their sinnes were as Scarlet they should be as white as snow And though they were as red as Crimson they should be as white as wooll Let us reason together i. e. Let us bring Arguments and Reasons I for my self and ye for your selves that it may appear whether what I have done or threatned to you I have done without cause or no. Though your sinnes be as Scarlet q. d. Though we have pleaded together and I have convinced you and proved you guilty of the sinnes wherewith I have charged you and worthy of the punishments which I have threatned against you yet if you repent you Though your sinnes be as scarlet They shall be as white as wooll Though your sins be as scarlet i. e. Though your sinnes be as scarlet for rednesse that is though your sins be never so hainous It is not the substance but the colour of scarlet to which the Prophet here alludes And therefore would he expresse the hainousnesse of sinne under the Metaphor of a red colour because red is the colour of bloud and he alludes here to the bloud of which he said their hands were full Vers 15. They shall be as white as snow q. d They shall be perfectly forgiven and ye shall be to me as if ye had never sinned As Red and Black may be the Emblems of sin so may White be of righteousnes They shall be as wooll i. e. They shall be as white as
company And thus might their Judges be called Companions of Theeves because they did take away other mens goods as Theeves did For the spoile of the poor was in their houses Chap. 7. Vers 14. Againe by Theeves may be meant not onely Theeves but all kind of evill doers whatsoever by a Synecdoche And these Judges may be called Companions of Theeves and of evill doers because Theeves and evill doers resorted to them to bribe them that they might be acquitted in Judgement when they were appealed for their villany And they themselves did privily resort to theeves and evill doers againe that they might make the better bargaine with them and sell their absolution at the dearer rate And thus Theeves being often in their company and they againe often in the company of Theeves might be called the Companions of Theeves Or thirdly They might be called the Companions of Theeves because their companions presuming of their favour and connivance became no better than Theeves in their Actions by defrauding and oppressing and taking from other men Every one Supple Of them Loveth gifts and followeth after rewards By which gifts and rewards they are corrupted and drawn to do injustice See Ex. 18.21 and 23.8 They judge not the Fatherlesse i. e. They will not give the Fatherlesse a day of hearing nor judge their cause when it depends before them But delay it and put it off from Time to Time and day to day because they have no friends to make to them nor gifts to give them See Verse 17. Neither doth the cause of the widdow come unto them q. d. And the câ—use of the widdow is kept off and cannot come unto them to be heard for the causes of great men He speakes of the widdowes cause as of a Person by a Prosopopoâ—ia And puts an Indicative for a Potâ—ntial Mood for the Hebrewes have no Potential Mood 24 The mighty one of Israel i. e The God of Israel which excelleth in strength might and power I will ease me of mine adversaries i. e. I will ease me of these rebellious Princes and Judges which are now a trouble to me and anger me He calls these rebellious Princes and Judges his Adversaries because they refuse to keep his Commandements And the carnall mind is enmity against God Rom. 8. Vers 7. But how will God ease himself of these his Adversaries Answ By cutting them off or destroying them out of the City For note that this is spoken of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and revenge useth to ease yea to be sweet to the mind of an angry man And avenge me of mine enemies This Particle And may be taken for a Note of Explication here and declare how God will ease himself of his Adversaries to wit by Avenging himself of them 25. And I will turn my hand upon thee i. e. For I will take thee in hand O Hierusalem And is put here for For a Copulative for a Causall Note that because we must turn our hand to a thing before we can take that thing in hand Hence by putting the Antecedent for the Consequent turning the hand to a thing is put for taking a thing in hand Or I will turne my hand upon thee signifieth I will afflict thee or punish thee and that from the End for which He will turn his hand upon her And purely purge away thy drosse i. e. And clean purge away the drosse Or purge away thy drosse from thee so as that thy silver shall be pure silver What is meant by dr sse See Vers 22. And take away all thy Tinn Tinn and Dresse signifie here one and the same thing viz Vnrighteousnesse Yet Tinn seemeth to signifie Vnrighteousnâ—ssâ— as it is vailed with a mask of Righteousnesse For Tinn sheweth like silver though it be not silver The Lord did purge away the Drâ—sse and take aâ—ay the Tinn that is the Vnrighteousnessâ— â—hich was in Hierusalâ—m either by destâ—oying the Unrighteous Judges or amendâ—ng them The Question will here be how and when God did ease himself of these his adversâ—ries and avenge himself of these his enemies and purge away the drâ—sse c. Answ He did it in thâ— dayes of Hezekiah and by the hands of Hezekiah who as he reformed the Temple of God when he came to the Crowne 2 Kings 18.4 So did he no doubt reform the Common-wealth also and did accordi g to that saying of his Father David I will early destroy all the wickâ—d of the Land that I may cut off all the wicked doers from the City of the Lord Psal 101.8 Hezekiah therefore did cut off these wicked Judges either by the sword which was a naturall death or by banishment which was a civill death And they being banished and turned out of Hierusalem were taken and destroyed by the hands of the Assyrians under Sennacharib when they came against Judah and Hierulem See Notes Cap 22. Vers 18. 26. And I will restore thy Judgeâ— as at the first i. e. I will make thy Judges such as the were heretofore in the dayes of David Salomon Asa and Jehoshaphat Note here that it is not the Prophets meaning that all thâ—se Judges which were corrupt should become good for most of them were incorrigible and so destroyed But his meaning is that many of them should amend their faults and in the places of those which would not amend others which were just and righteous should be put â—or although these last were several Persons or individua distinct from those into whose places they were put Yet he speaketh of them as if they were the same men because they did succeed one another in the same place of judicature As in the beginning i. e. As heretofore An Hyperbole Thou shalt be called the City of Righteousnesse i. e. Thou shalt be a righteous City The Prophet useth the word to be called for to be For it is not the Prophets meaning that this shall be the proper name of Hierusalem Viz. the righteous City But that Hierusalem should be a righteous City and men may truly so call it The like manner of speech he useth Cap 7.14 and Cap. 9. Vers 6. c. The City of Righteousnesse i. e. the Righteous City or City wherein Justice is truely administred He puts a Substantive of the Genitive case for an Adjective The faithfull City See Vers 21. 27. Zion shall be redeemed with judgement q. d. When the Assyrians shall come under Sennacharib against Judah and Hierusalem Hierusalem shall be redeemed out of their hands because of the Judgement and Righteous Justice which shall be administred in her Zion i. e. Hierusalem See vers 8. And her Converts i e. And such of her Judges and Princes which were Unrighteous but shall turne from their unrighteous dealing With Righteousnesse i. e. For their Righteousnesse What is meant by Judgement and Righteousnesse See Vers 21. 28. And the destruction of the Transgressors and of the sinners shall be together i. e. But the Judges which have
c. He sheweth here yet more wilde grapes i. e. yet more sinnes of the house of Israel and men of Judah And here he taxeth them for their Luxury and Joviality That continue Supple At their pots or drinking Till wine inflame them i. e. Till wine doth over-heat their braines and make them like mad men or their bodies and stir them up to lust so that they are not ashamed to do any thing be it never so vile 12. And the Harpe and the Viol are in their feasts q. d. And who have the Harpe and the Viol i. e. who have their Musick in their feasts But they regard not the workes of the Lord. But they regard not the calamities and miseries which have partly befallen them and partly hang over their heads and are threatned against them All calamities and afflictions may be called the workes of the Lord. For shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it saith Amos. Amos Chap. 3. v. 6. Neither consider the operation of his hands This is a Repetition of the former sentence 13. Therefore my people c. By the People of the Lord understand the Jewes which he calleth the house of Israel and men of Judah v. 7. Are gone into Captivity i. e. Shall goe into Captivity He puts a Praeterperfect tense here for a Future because of the certaintie of what he speaketh This was fullfilled partly by Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel 2 Chron. 28. v. 5 8. And partly by Sennacherib King of Assyria For no doubt but Sennacherib as he had opportunity sent many Jewes which he took in warre Captive into Assyria before the Angel destroyed his Army Because they have no knowledge i. e. Because they have no regard Supple of the workes of the Lord nor consideration Supple of the operation of his hands c. Because we must know a thing before we can regard it or consider it hence doth he put knowledge for regard or consideration by a Metonymie And their honourable men are famished i. e. And their honourable men shall be famished and die for hunger This is a punishment answering to their feasting And their multitude i. e. And their Common-People Dried up with thirst i. e. Shall perish through thirst This is a punishment answering to their drinking The meaning of this place is that all sorts of men high and low rich and poor should die with hunger and thirst in Captivity 14. Therefore Hell hath enlarged her self i. e. Because my people have no knowledge therefore shall Hell enlarge her paunch c. He amplifieth here the punishment of the sin which he mentioned in the former verse Hell By hell is meant the grave the receptacle of dead bodies which he speakes of here by a Metaphor as of a ravenous beast and make it to enlarge her paunch as though it were too narrow before to receive so many as should die because of their sinne Her self i. e. Her paunch He puts the whole for a part per Metonymiam integri And opened her mouth without measure i. e. And shall open her mouth or gape without measure to swallow down the carcases of those which have no knowledge He putteth here a Praeterperfect for a Future tense And their glory i. e. The Glory of my People He putteth Glory here for Glorious men that is for the honorable and noble of the people By a Metonymie And their multitude i. e. And their commonalty or common sort of people And their pompe i e. And they which follow and are delighted with the pompe of the world whether they are noble or men of common sort A Metonymie And he that rejoyceth Supple in feasting drinking and musick as v. 11 12. whether he be a noble or a common man Shall descend into it i. e. Shall go down into it that is into hell that is into the grave and there rot Though he spoke of the Grave as of a ravenous beast in the former part of the Verse yet he speaketh of it here as of an hole or pit as it is indeed 15. And the meane man shall be brought down q. d. And the man of mean power shall be brought low And the mighty man shall be humbled And the man of great might and power shall be brought down And the eyes of the lofty q. d. And the men of lofty eyes that is the proud men all of them whether they be noble or ignoble mean or mighty in power shall be humbled Why men of lofty eyes signifie proud men see cap. 2 v. 11. 16. But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgement q. d. For so notable shall the judgement be which the Lord of Hosts will execute upon them as that he shall be praised and magnified for it in every place and men shall speak of it all abroad to his praise But the Lord of Hosts i. e. For the Lord of Hosts But is put here for For And the Lord is called here by the name of the Lord of Hosts to shew his power that he was able thus to punish this People and also to intimate that he would do it by an hoste or hostes Shall be exalted i. e. Shall be praised and magnified In judgement i. e. For judgement to wit the judgement which he will execute upon these men for their wickednesse In is put here for For. And God that is holy i. e. And God who is Peerlesse in all his Attributes and namely in his justice which he sheweth in punishing the wicked Note here that to be holy signifieth in generall to be separated from others by way of excellency and to be set in a state of singularity above them And the holynesse of God is nothing else but his superlative Eminencie whereby he is exalted above all and divided from all other Eminencies whâ—â—soever Shall be sanctified in righteousnesse i. e. Shaâ—â— be exalted for his Justice which he will shew in punishing these wicked men for their wickednesse Note that to sanctifie signifieth in generall to separate or set apart And then is God said to be sanctified when he is advanced above other things and exalted in praises In righteousnesse i. e. For his righteousnesse that is for his Justice Supple which he will shew in punishing these wicked men In is put here for For as before And by righteousnesse is meant the Justice of God 17. Then shall the Lambes i. e. When those sinners which he made mention of before shall be brought down and destroyed Then shall the Lambes c. The Lambes By the Lambes he meaneth the meek and poor and the innocent of the Land which were oppressed by those wicked ones and made their prey Shall feed after their manner i. e. Shall live in the land and enjoy the fruites thereof freely and quietly as they did before these oppressors did oppresse them and disturbe them The waste places of the fat ones By the fat Ones are meant those covetous and voluptuous rich
the Land by an Hebraisme for in the Land 24. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Hosts c. This relateth to the 20. and 21. verse where the Prophet saith that a Remnant shall return For because a Remnant shall return he comforteth the Inhabitants of Sion and wisheth them not to be afraid of Sennacherib King of Assyria and his forces q. d Being therefore that a Remnant shall returne thus saith the Lord God of Hosts O my people that dwellest in Sion be not afraid of the Assyrians c. But you will say what comfort is it to the Inhabitants of Sion more than to any other that a Remnant shall return Answ If a remnant shall returne a remnant shall be saved to return and that remnant which was saved were they which were in Hierusalem at this time For they and they onely of all the Land were safe from Sennacherib That dwellest in Sion i. e. That dwellest in Hierusalem Sion is put here by a Synecdoche for Hierusalem Be not afraid of the Assyrian i. e. Though Sennacherib the Assyrian doth besiege thee and vex thee yet be not afraid of him He shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his staffe against thee after the manner of Aegypt i. e. He shall vex thee and oppresse thee indeed with Taxes and Tributes and with a siege as the Aegyptians did thy fore-fathers By the Rod and the Staffe is meant in generall any kind of Oppression and Vexotion by a Metonymie and a Synecdoche And by Aegypt is meant by a Metonymie the Aegyptians the people of Aegypt Yet Note that the Prophets meaning is not that Sennacherib vexed them and oppressed them after the same special manner as the Aegyptians vexed and oppressed their fore-fathers but onely after the same manner in generall For yet a little while i. e. But after a little while For for But as it is often in the old Testament The indignation Supple which I conceive against you and for which I have sent the Assyrians to vex you And mine anger Supple towards you In their destruction i. e. In that destruction of the Assyrians which vex and oppresse you The sence is q. d. After a little while I will be appeased with you and my fury shall breake out against them and destroy them which vex you 26. And the Lord of Hosts i. e. For the Lord of Hosts And for For. Note here the Enallage of the person from the first to the third Shall stir up a scourge for him i. e. Shall raise up a scourge for the Assyrians to whip them out of thy Land Note here the Enallage of the Number which hath been charged thrice in these three last verses By this scourge he meaneth Metaphorically the Angel which scourged yea destroyed fourscore and five thousand of the Army of the Assyrians 2 Kings 19. c. upon the seeing and hearing of which the rest which escaped took their heels and fled According to the slaughter of Midian q. d. Yea he shall slay him according to the slaughter of Midian i. e. Yea he shall make a slaughter among them like to the slaughter which he made among the Midianites of which see Judges Chap. 7. v. 22. Midian the Father of the Midianites is put here by a Metonymie for the Midianites themselves The slaughter of the Assyrians and the Midianites were alike in these respects First that as the hand of God was seen in the slaughter of the Midianites so it was in the slaughter of the Assyrians Secondly that as the Midianites were slaine without losse of any of the Israelites so were the Assyrians without any losse of the men of Judah and Hierusalem Thirdly that as the whole Army of the Midianites was over-thrown so was the whole Army of the Assyrians Fourthly that as the Midianites were overthrown on a suddaine when their thoughts were at the highest so were the Assyrians At the Rock Oreb The Rock Oreb was scituate in the Tribe of Ephraim and was called the Rock Oreb because Oreb one of the Princes of the Midianites was slaine there Judges 7. v. 25. And as his Rod was upon the Sea i. e. And as he smote the Red Sea with his rod by the hand of Moses and made it return to his strength and over-flow the Aegyptians in the middest thereof when they were pursueing after the Israelites thorow it Exod. 14. v. 26 27. So shall he lift it up Supple Against the Assyrians and overthrow them After the manner of Aegypt i. e. As he did lift it up against the Aegyptians at the Red Sea and over-threw them Aegypt is taken here for the Aegyptians the Countrey for the Men thereof Note that after the manner of Aegypt signifieth otherwise here than it did vers 24. For there of Aegypt was Genitivus Efficientis here it is Genitivus Patientis Note that though the Assryrians were overthrown and destroyed but one way yet the Prophet describes it many wayes in allusion to many overthrowes and destructions which God hath wrought upon the enemies of Israel For the Hebrews use to expresse like things by like and one victory and destruction and desolation by another as was observed Cap. 4.5 Sometimes by this sometimes by that 26. That his burthen i. e. That the Burden which Sennacherib layes upon your shoulders And his yoak i. e. And the yoak which he hath put upon your neck By Sennacherib's burden and yoak he meaneth the Tributes Taxes Siedge and other vexations with which he vexed the Jewes and especially the men of Hierusalem which vexations were to them as heavy as a burden is to the shoulder of the Porter or to the back of the Beast and as grievous as the yoak to the neck of the Heifer The affliction with which the Aegyptians afflicted the Israelites in Aegypt is also likened to a yoak Levit. 26. v. 13. And to a burden Exod. 1.11 and 66. and Psal 81. v. 6. To which happily the Prophet here alludes From off thy shoulder He useth an Apostrophe to the people of Judah Because of the annointing i. e. Because of the King namely King Hezekiah whom the Lord will favour and for whose sake he will doe this The annointing is put here for the annointed an Abstract for a Concrete per Metonymiam adjuncti And by the annointing or annointed he meaneth the King and it commeth so to signifie because the King of Israel and Judah were wont to be annointed with oyle at their taking upon them the kingly office 28. He is come to Aiah i. e. Sennacherib is come to Aiah Here is a Relative without an Antecedent yet the Antecedent is easie to be understood Aiah was the Region in which Ai stood Josh 8. It was in the Tribe of Benjamin neer Bethel and Bethaven What the Prophet speakes here he speakes in the Person of a Messenger or Scout which was sent to learn Sennacharibs motion who brings word thereof to the King which sent him The Prophet hereby describeth the marches
of Sennacherib wherewith he should march toward Hierusalem to besiedge it or rather to strengthen the siedge thereof that he might thereby set forth the danger into which the Inhabitants of Hierusalem should come and afterwards shew what a deliverance they should have in being delivered from him He is passed to Migron Of Migron we read 1 Sam. 14.2 That was also in the Tribe of Benjamin in the uttermost parts of the Territories of Gibeah This is spoken in the person of another Messenger or Scout At Michmash he hath laid up his carriages Supple That he might march with the more speed Michmash was a City in the Tribe of Ephraim in the uttermost parts thereof neer the Tribe of Benjamin This is spoken in the person of another Messenger or Scout 29. They are gone over the passage By This Passage is meant that Passage which was called the passage of Michmash of which you may read 1 Sam. 13.23 and 14. v. 4 5. Note the Enallage here of the number he speakes in the Plurall number here whereas he spoke in the Singular before because Sennacherib marched with a great part of his Army in this march of his They have taken up their lodging at Geba i. e They intend to quarter at Geba this night Geba was in the Tribe of Benjamim not farre from Ramah as the next words shew Ramah is afraid i e. The Inhabitants of Ramah are afraid Supple because of the approach of Sennacherib and the forces which he had with him Ramah was a City of Benjamin Josh 18. v. 25. Gibeah of Saul is fled i. e. The Inhabitants of Gibeah of Saul are fled for fear of Sennacherib Gibeah was seated in the Tribe of Benjamin and was called Gibeah of Saul because Saul who was the first King of Israel dwelt there Of this you may read 1 Sam. Cap. 11. v. 4. 30. Lift up thy voyce O Daughter of Gallim q. d. Cry aloud for sorrow and grief O ye Inhabitants of Gallim because the Assyrians are come so near you O Daughter of Gallim i. e. O City of Gallim The Hebrews call their Cityes by the name of Daughters See Chap. 1. v. 8 The Prophet puts here the Cityes themselves for the Inhabitants of the Cityes per Metonymiam Subjecti or Continentis Cause it to be heard i. e. Cause thy voyce to be heard in mourning and lamentation This is spoken not to Gallim but to Anathoth It is a Relative without an Antecedent but the Antecedent may be understood from the former words Vnto Laish Some think that this Laish was a Citty in the Tribe of Benjamin But others take it for that Laish which was in the Tribe of Dan and which was the utmost City one of them of the Land of Canaan Northward of which Judg. 18. So that by bidding them cry and cause their voyce to be heard to Laish he bids them cry exceeding loud O poor Anathoth This City was in the Tribe of Benjamin and was the City of the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 1.1 He calls it poor Anathoth out of pitty pittying the case thereof because of the Assyrians approach towards it 31. Madmenah is removed i. e. The Inhabitants of Madmenah have left their City for fear of Sennacherib Madmenah was a City of Benjamin The Inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to fly Supple For fear of the Assyrians Gebim was a City of Benjamin 32. As yet he shall remaine at Nob that day q d. Yet for all this his speed which he makes to come to Hierusalem he shall not come to Hierusalem he shall come no farther than Nob there he shall remaine and there he shall be that day Supple in which he shall march from Geba in which he lodged v. 20. These words are somewhat defective and have an Ellepsis in them which I have made up Note that whereas the Prophet spoke in the four former verses in the person of Messengers and Scouts here he speakes in his own person and prophesieth of the speedy destruction of Sennacherib's Army which shall be before Sennacherib can get himself to Hierusalem to trench against it As yet i. e. Yet for all this He. That is Sennacherib Nob. This Nob was a City of the Priests 1 Sam. 22.19 And it was in the Tribe of Benjamin That day He meaneth the day in which Sennacherib removed from Geba where he lodged v. 29. He shall shake his hand against the Mount of the daughter of Sion the hill of Hierusalem i. e. When he is come to Nob from whence he may see Hierusalem he shall shake his hand against Hierusalem and threaten it But he shall not come to Hierusalem to cast up any Bankes or raise up a Fort against it Note here that it is most probable that though Hierusalem was besiedged by Sennacherib's Army yet Sennacherib was not there himself in person though he was comming thither but that Rabshake or some other great Officer of Sennacherib's had the chief command of the siedge till Sennacherib himself should come For it is said of Sennacherib himself Cap. 37. v. 33. and 2 Kings 19.32 That he should not come against Hierusalem with Shields nor cast a Bank against it He shall shake his hand i. e. He shall if he will shake his hand Shake his hand i. e. Threaten They which threatâ—n a man doe usually hold up their hand and shake it against him whom they threaten Hence to shake the hand is put here for to threaten by a Metonyâ—ie Against the Mount of the Daughter of Sion i. e. Against Mount Sion whereon the City of David was built 1 Kings 8.1 and whereon were strong holds 2 Sam. cap. 5. v. 7. The Daughter of Sion is as much to say as the City of Sion See Chap. 1. v. 8. The hill of Hierusalem i. e. Mount Sion which was within the walls of Hierusalem This is a Repetition of the former words 33. Behold i. e. But behold Shall lop the bough He puts bough here Collective for boughs By the Boughes he meaneth the Souldiers of Sennacherib's Army For here he compareth Sennacherib and his Army to a Tree whereof Sennacherib is the Body on which the Boughes depend and the Souldiers are the Boughes of that Body Yet note that some take the Bough here simply and singularly for some eminent bough and think that Rabshake was meant thereby of whom we read Cap. 36. and 37. who Commanded in chief at this time in which the siedge was layd against Hierusalem With terrour i. e. After a terrible manner And the high ones of stature i. e. And the Tall trees By which are Metaphorically meant the Captaines and chief Officers of Sennacherib's Army See v. 18. In the former words he likened Sennacherib to a Tree and the Souldiers of his Army to the boughes of that tree The Captaines and chief-Officers to the upper and the common Souldiers to the lowâ—r boughs But here he likeneth Sennacherib's Armie to a forrest as he doth also v. 18. And his Captaines and
said in the eleventh Chapter Thou shalt say i e. Thou which art delivered and thou which art brought home againe to thine own Countrey for to such the Prophet makes this Apostrophe shallt say I will praise thee Supple For thy great mercies shewed to me Though thou wast angry with me Supple When thou diddest afflict me or carry me away or make me fly into a strange Land for fear of the Assyrians 2. God is my salvation i. e. God is my Saviour which saveth me from destruction Salvation is put here per Metonymiam effecti for a Saviour I will trust Supple In him And not be afraid Supple Of the Assyrians or any other man for what they can do unto me Is my strengh i. e. Doth strengthen me and make me able to withstand whatsoever any man can do to me He saith he is my strength for he doth strengthen me per Metonymiam effecti And my Song i. e. And the subject of my Song His meaning is that he is his Deliverer For when God delivered any of his People out of any great affliction they were wont to make and to sing Songs in praise of God and their delivery He is become my Salvation i. e. He is become my Saviour 3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Sâ—lvation q. d. And because God is become my Salvation All ye that trust in him be assured and confident of his Salvation in your distresse For he will abundantly save you and ye shall receive salvation from him in a plenitfull manner In this Epiphonema he encourageth by this example those that trust in the Lord not to break off their trust but still to trust in him for he will save them at length which trust in him Shall ye i. e. Ye which trust in God and rely on him For to such doth the Singer here make an Apostrophe in this his Song Note that he puts a Relative here without an Antecedent a thing usuall with the Hebrewes With joy shall ye draw water out of the wels of Salvation In this Metaphor he compares God our Saviour to a Well And the Salvation which he bestowes upon his servants to the waters of that well The wells of Salvation He saith Wells in the Plural for the Well in the Singular Number because God is as many wells unexhaustible 4. And in that day i. e. Moreover in that day The day which he meaneth is the same with that which he mentioned Verse 1. And he puts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And for Moreover Shall ye say Hee changeth his number here for in ver 1. he said Thou shalt say and here he saith Ye shall say though he speakes to the same The Prophet useth often the like Enallage Call upon his Name i. e. Call upon him The Hebrews often put the name of God per Metonymiam adjuncti for God himself To call upon God is put here for to give thankes to God for we call upon God aswell when we give thankes to him as when we aske any thing at his hands Matt. 11.25 Dan. 2.23 1 Chron. 29.13 Note here that they which are mindfull of the goodnesse which God hath shewed unto them and are glad thereof think their own thankes and praises not sufficient for so good a God And therefore they invite others to praise God also in their behalf Declare his doings among the People i. e. Declare among the heathen as occasion shall serve what wonderfull things he hath done for us that the heathen may take notice of them Make mention that his name is exalted q. d. Tell abroad that he hath done marvelous matters for which he is exalted of us Jewes He saith his name is exalted for he is exalted putting his name for him as a little before He saith he is exalted for he hath done marvelous matters for which he is exalted per Metonymiam adjuncti For he that doth marvelous matters is exalted and praised for his doing and gets himself renowne thereby 5. This is knowne i. e. This that he hath done excellent things for us is known In all the earth An Hyperbole 6. Cry out and Shout Supple For joy Thou Inhabitant of Sion Sion was a Hill within Hierusalem and here it is taken for all Hierusalem by a Synechdoche Hierusalem I say which the Lord preserved from Sennacherib's fury and therefore is here particularly called upon to cry out and shout for joy For great is the holy One of Israel i. e. For the Lord is great and hath shewed himself great by what he hath done for thee The holy one of Israel i. e. God even the God which Israel worshipeth In the middest of thee i. e. Which dwelleth with thee or in thee The Hebrews use often to say The middest of thee for Thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God may be said to dwell in Sion not onely because of his especiall manifestation of himself in his Temple there but also because he was at hand with his people of Hierusalem and ready at all times to them See Psal 46.5 ISAIAH CHAP. XIII THE burthen of Babylon The grievous misery and affliction which shall befal Babylon Or the Vision of that greivous misery and affliction which shall befal Babylon Note that this word Burthen is here put Metaphorically by the Prophet for a great and heavy misery and â—ffliction which affliction and misery he calleth a burden because it is grievous to him whom it doth befall as an heavy burthen is to him that beares it yea it is put for the Vision of that grievous misery and affliction By a Metaphoricall Metonymie Isaiah the sonne of Amos. See Chap. 1. v. 1. Saw Supple In a trance Note that this verse is as it were a Title of the whole Chapter Josephus in the tenth book of his Antiquities Chapter 3. tells us that the Empire of the Assyrians was broken in pieces by the Medes in the dayes of Hezekiah not long after the destruction of Sennacherib's Army before Hierusalem And surely at the same time was this Prophesie fullfilled against Babylon for Babylon according to this Prophesie was to be destroyed by the Medes v. 17. And Babylon was at this time belonging to the King of Assyria 2 Kings 17.24 And being it was a Royall City of the Assyrians it was like to be set upon by the Medes if it did not yeeld to them the sooner and to suffer deeply if it were taken by storme and it is most probable that it yeelded not but was taken by storme and so suffered deeply almost to an utter ruine at this time as we shall shew v. 20. Add to this that there was no long time to be between the manifestation of this Prophesie and the fullfilling thereof as appeares verse 22. Therefore it is most likely that this Prophesie was fullfilled at this time we now speak off to wit when the Medes broke the Assyrian Empire as Josephus tells 2. Lift ye up a Banner These words are spoken
sence with the former words 26. This is the purpose which is purposed upon the whole earth He puts the whole earth by a Metomymie for all the Nations and Inhabitants of the earth And by all the Nations or Inhabitants of the earth he meaneth those of all Nations which were in Sennacherib's Armie for Sennacherib's Armie consisted of almost all kind of Nations in the known world by an Hyperbole or Synechdoche The sence of this place is this q. d. This is the purpose which is purposed by the Lord upon all the Nations and Inhabitants of the earth which shall serve Sennacherib in his Armie against Judah and Hierusalem to wit to break them The Prophet speaketh this in his own person repeating in other words what God had said v. 25. and attesting of it And this is the hand which is stretched out upon all Nations i. e And this is the Judgement or Punishment which shall be inflicted and is ready to fall upon all Nations He puts the hand here for the judgement or punishment executed with the hand per Metonymiam efficientis And speakes here of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and alludes to a man which stretcheth out his hand to strike who then threatneth and resolveth and is ready to strike when his hand is stretched out Or when he saith this is the hand which is stretched out upon all Nations He may point as it were at Gods hand as though he saw it stretched out upon all Nations which stretching out of Gods hand upon all Nations did sufficiently shew what he purposed against them Vpon all the Naâ—ions i. e. Upon all those men of severall Nations which were in Sennacherib's Army 27. For the Lord of Hosts hath purposed c. Between this and the former verse we must understand these or the like words And this shall come to passe which God hath purposâ—d and he shall smite them upon whom his hand is stretched out q. d. And this shall come to passe which God hath purposed and he shall smite them upon whom his hand is stretched out for the Lord of Host hath purposed c. Hath purposed Supple To break the whole earth that is all the men of the earth which shall serve Sennacherib in his Army against Judah and Hierusalem And who can disanull it i. e. And who can disanull his purpose And his hand is stretched out Supple To smite all the men of all the Nations which shall serve Sennacherib against Judah and Hierusalem And who shall turne it backe Suple That he should not smite him 28. In the year that King Ahaz died was this burden Ahaz was the Father of Hezekiah who succeeded Ahaz in the Kingdome That therefore which is here spoken was delivered either a little before Hezekiah came to the Crown or when he was newly crowned Note that this Verse is to be referred not to that which went before but to that which followeth after This burden He meaneth the burden of Palestina of which he is about to speake What a burden signifieth in this place learne from the like Chap. 13. v. 1. 29 Rejoyce not thou whole Palestina Vzziah the Grandfather of Ahaz and great Grandfather of Hezekiah was a great scourge of the Philistines and exceedingly prevailed against them 2 Chron. 26.6 At whose death the Philistines did generally rejoyce throughout all Palestina because such a scourge was taken away from them In allusion therefore to this generall joy of the Philistines throughout all Palestina at the death of Vzziah the Prophet saith Rejoyce not thou whole Palestina Palestina He puts Palestina here by a Metonymie for the Philistines the Inhabitants of Palestina Because the rod of him that smote thee is broken i. e. At this that the Rod of Vzziah who smote thee and mightily afflicted thee is broken By the rod of Vzziah is meant Metaphorically the power of Vzziah which he used against the Philistines which rod was then broken when Vzziah died For out of the Serpents root shall come forth a Cockatrice By the Serpent is here meant Metaphorically Vzziah because as a Serpent stingeth so did Vzziah sting the Philistines By the Cockatrice is meant Hezekiah because the Cockatrice is a more dangerous Serpent and stingeth worse than that which he here calls by the generall name of a Serpent And Hezekiah was a more dangerous enemy and afflicted the Philistines more than Vzziah had done 2 King 18.8 Out of the Serpents root In these words he alludeth to a shoot or branch which shooteth or springeth out of the root of a tree or plant And his fruit i. e. Yea the Serpents fruit q. d. Yea Hezekiah which is the great grand-child of Vzziah of whom I speak under the Metaphor of a Serpent c. And is put here for Yea. Shall be a fiery flying Serpent He likeneth Hezekiah here to a fiery flying Serpent because as a fiery flying Serpent is more hurtfull than an ordinary Serpent yea than a Cockatrice so was Hezekiah farre more hurtfull unto the Philistines than Vzziah was The fiery flying Serpent commeth suddainly upon a man and cannot easily be avoided because he flies and when he cometh he stingeth deadly because he is a fiery Serpent These kind of Serpents were called fiery Serpents not because they were of a fiery nature but by reason of the effects which they produced which was that by their biting or stinging they did so inflame him whom they bit or stung as that he was thereby as hot as fire as we use to speak This Sentence is a Repetition of the former and both of them seem to be Proverbs used by the Hebrews when they would signifie that a worse or a more terrible man shall succeede a better or lesse terrible 30. And the first-born of the Poor i. e. And they which are in an exceeding poor and low condition He meanes hereby the men of Judah which were brought very low in the daies of Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.5 c. When he saith the first-born of the poor for him that is in an extream poor and low condition he useth a Catachresticall Metaphor For because the first-born Sonne excelleth all his Fathers Children in wealth and other priviledges of his birth-right therefore doth he call them which are the poorest in condition of all men the first-born of the poor as excelling and surpassing all which are poore and miserable in poverty and misery Shall feed Supple in safety under him i. e. shall live quietly and peaceably without fear under Hezekiah In the word feed there is a Metaphor drawn from Cattle which are kept in safety while they feed from wolves and other ravenous beasts by the Shepheard And the needy This is a Repetition of those words And the first-borne of the poor Shall lye down in safety These are for sence the same with those words shall feed and in these also there is a Metaphor taken from Cattle which lie down and couch safely from ravenous beasts by the custody of
of bringing his hopes to passe He shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks and take away and cut down the branches By this He is meant Allegorically Esarhaddon the Sonne or the Lieutenant of Sennacherib King of Assyria who made head against Tirakah King of Aethiopia when he invaded Assyria whom he here compareth to a Gardner And a Relative is put here without an Antecedent By the Sprigs are meant the mean men and Common Souldiers of Tirakah's Army By the Branches the great men and Commanders and Officers thereof 6. They shall be left together i. e. And they both sprigs and branches shall be left all of them c. Together i. e. All of them as Chap. 1. v. 28. They shall be left together unto the foules of the Mountaines and to the Beast of the earth For what end they shall be left to them the next wordes signifie And the fowles shall summer upon them Birds use to feed upon the sprigs and branches of trees that therefore which he saith here is this that the Birds shall find meat for themselves upon the sprigs and branches of this Vine when they shall be cut down all the summer following And all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them Beasts use to browse upon the sprigs and branches of trees especially in Winter when grasse is short That therefore which he saith here is this that the beasts of Assyria shall brouse and feed upon the sprigs and branches of this Vine all the Winter And the meaning of these two Phrases is this that the Carkases of the Aethiopians shall be meat for the foules of the Mountaines and the beasts of the field a Summer and a Winter that is a whole year Where note that the Assyrians did cast out the Aethiopians which they had slaine and would not give them a buriall In that time i. e. Yet in that time He meaneth the time in which the aforesaid things should be done in Assyria that is in which the Army of Tirakah should be destroyed in Assyria in the absence of Sennacherib by the Assyrians Shall the present be brought unto the Lord of Hosts of a people scattered and peeled c. q. d. The Assyrians which are abroad with Sennacerib warring against Hierusalem shall be overthrown and part of their spoiles shall be brought by the men of Judah and Hierusalem as a Present to the Lord of Hosts He alludes here to the gift or present which was wont to be offered to the Lord out of the Spoiles and Prey which was taken in warre of which read Numb 31.28 and 2 Sam. 8.11 Of a people scattered and peeled That is of the Assyrians See v. 2. The Prophet here repeateth all those contumelious words which Tirakah King of Aethiopia used in the description of the Assyrians v. 2. approving them as true but yet such as might be better used by others than by the Aethiopians Therefore he repeates them with a kind of Sarcasme deriding thereby Tirakah and Aethiopia who first used them A Nation meted out These words are governed of those from a people terrible by Apposition Meted out i. e. Appointed by God himself to destruction Whose land the Rivers have spoiled See v. 2. To the place of the name of the Lord of Hosts i. e. To the Temple of God which is his place The name of the Lord is put here Periphrastically or Metonymically for the Lord himself Or To the place of the Name of the Lord of Host may signifie To the place which is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts which place is his Temple and is called the Temple of the Lord of Hosts The Mount Sion This is governed of the former words by Apposition Mount Sion was a Mount in Hierusalem upon which the Temple of God was built and may here be put for the Temple it self by a Metonymie ISAIAH CHAP. XIX THE Burden See Chap. 13.1 The Lord rideth upon a swift Cloud i e. The Lord will ride upon a swift Cloud as upon an Horse That is The Lord will come with spred into Egypt And the Idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence i. e. And the Idols of Egypt shall be moved with fear and trembling to see him come He speakes of Idols though they be but stocks and stones as of men by a Metaphor or Prosopopoeia And the heart of Egypt i. e. And the heart of the Egyptians Egypt is put by a Metonymie for the Egyptians the Inhabitants of Egypt The heart of Egypt shall melt See the meaning and reason of this Phrase Chap. 13. v. 7. In the middst of it i. e. In it or them A Periphrasis of the Hebrews 2. And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians i. e. I will set the Egyptians at variance and at fighting one with the other The prophet speakes here in the Person of God This Prophesie relates near unto the same times to which the former Prophesies did For Sethon the Priest of Vulcan King of Egypt was Contemporary with Sennacherib King of Assyria for Sennacherib waged warre against Sethon After the death of Sethon Egypt was divided under twelve Kings whereof Psammitichus was one which Psammitichus the other eleven expelled and banished into the Marshes of Egypt but he at length got a power of men and made warre against all the other eleven Kings and overcame them and slew them and so came to rule all Aegypt over which he ruled Lordly at first that he might be feared as many Conquerours use to do and that he might suppresse them which had a hand in his banishment though the latter part of his Raigne was with much Clemency And Kingdome against Kingdome He speakes this by Anticipation for as yet Egypt was in one Kingdome 3. And the spirit of Egypt shall faile i. e. And the judgement or counsell of the Egyptians shall faile By the Spirit is meant here sound judgement or counsell For the Hebrewes among many significations which they have of this word spirit any habit or quality of the mind they call by the name of Spirit By Aegypt is meant the Aegyptians by a Metonymie In the midst thereof See v. 1. And thâ—y shall seek to Idols Supple For Counsell and direction in these their streights The Devils were wont to be in the Idols of the Heathen and give Answers to those that came to aske counsell of the Idols Hence Saint Paul speaking of Sacrificing to Idols saith that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice to Idols they sacrifice to Devills 1 Cor. 10.20 And to the charmers and to them which have familiar spirits and to wizzards Happily by these he meaneth the Priests and Mystae of the Idols But see Chap. 8. verse 19. 4. And the Egypians will I give over into the hand of a cruell Lord. By this Lord is meant Psammitichus who when he was in subduing the eleven Kings and their Party Lorded it with cruelty though when he had quitted all he Raigned mildly
of those Jewes which dwelt out of Jerusaem for they were alwayes most distrustfull of God and sought for help from the Arme of Man They were no doubt afraid of Sennacherib and his Armie before this but now their fear was much encreased And ashamed of Ethiopia i. e. And ashamed that they relyed upon the Ethiopians for help Note that these words of Ethiopia relate not to those words shall be afraid but onely to these shall be ashamed When we expect and hope for great matters from any and come short of our hope and expectation we wax ashamed Ethiopia their expectation i. e. Ethiopia from which they expected aide against Sennacherib and his Armie He puts expectation for them from whom they expected aide The Act of the Object by a Metonymy It is likely that the unbeleeving and distrusting Jewes when they heard of Sennacheribs expedition against Judah sent to Ethiopia for aide aswell as to Egypt Or that when they heard that Tirakah King of Ethiopia came up to warre against Assyria Cap. 37.2 They expected that his making warre against the Assyrians would prove their peace and Sennacheribs overthrow And of Egypt their glory i. e. And of the Egyptians of whose friendship and aide they gloried or boasted He puts glory here for the object in which they gloried That the unbeleeving or distrusting Jews sent for aide to Egypt against the Assyrians See Cap. 30. and 31. 6. And the Inhabitant of this Isle i. e. And the Inhabitants of this City viz. Jerusalem The Inhabitants of Jerusalem did at this time put more confidence in God and build more upon his promises then the other Jewes did The Inhabitant He puts the Inhabitant Collective for the Inhabitants Of this Isle i. e. Of this Citie to wit Jerusalem An Isle or Island as it is most commonly taken signifies a piece of land environed on every side with water yet the Hebrews do call not onely such lands Islands but even such also as lie upon the sea-coasts though they are part of the Continent yea they call any Countrey in general an Isle or Island as Cap. 41. v. 1 5. c. though it be not neer to any Seas or Waters And that becaâ—se as Isles or Islands are severed from the Continent by waters so is every particular Countrey and Land severed from other Lands and Countries by the peculiar Laws and Customes which it hath and not onely Countries and Lands but a single house also which stands alone dis-joyned and separated from other houses and hath an emptie space of ground about it on every side whereon no building stands is called Insula that is an Isle or an Island because such a house is like an Island which stands in the sea or in some lake and is encompassed with waters and by them severed from other parts of the earth And if for this reason a lone house may be called an Isle or Island much more may a Citie But another reason there is for which Jerusalem may be called an Isle here to wit because God was to it at this time a place of broad rivers and streames Cap. 33. verse 21. And did encompasse it so that none could approach to it on any side because of those rivers and streames and that which is so encompassed with rivers and streames may well be called an Isle Shall say Supple In derision of them which trusted in Egypt and Ethiopia In that day Supple In which the King of Assyria shall lead away the Egyptians and the Ethiopians Captives and in which they which are mentioned in the former verse shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and Egypt their glory Such is our expectation What the Inhabitants of Jerusalem which trusted in God more then in man say here they say in the person of those which trusted in man more then in God by a Mimesis that they might the more deride them Such is our expectatiâ—n i. e. Such are they become from whom we expâ—cted aide viz. Prisoners and Captives c. Whither we flee for help i. e. To which or to whom we flee for hâ—lp at this time To be delivered i. e. For this end that we may be delivered out of the hands of the Assyrians And how shall we escape i. e. And how shall we escape the hand of the King of Assyria when as the Ethiopians and Egyptians which were stronger then we and on whom we relied could not escape it We have interpreted this speech as spoken sarcotically and in derision yet it may be interpreted also as spoken in grief and in earnest for though God promised to defend Jerusalem at this time and many godly men which were in Jerusalem did beleeve that promise and relye upon it yet there were many ungodly men also in Jerusalem at this time Cap. 22.13 which did not beleeve the promise of God but relied more upon the help of man such as were the Egyptians and the Ethiopians and of these may this place be understood as spoken by them There be that by the Inhabitant of this Isle understand those Jewes which were in Ashdod who were besieged at this time by the Assyrians and there is some probabilitie for this their opinion because the Prophet makes special mention of the Assyrians fighting against Ashdod verse 1. And they which dwelt in Ashdod might be called the Inhabitants of the Isle as the word Isle signifieth the Sea-coast for Ashdod stood on the sea-coast and the inhabitant of this Isle because the Prophet might point as it were at Ashdod when he said This Isle ISAIAH CHAP. XXI THe burden of the desert of the Sea i. e. The heavie calamitie and affliction which shall befall those people which dwell in the Wilderness which is by the Red sea as it was revealed to me by a vision He puts the desert for the people which dwelt in the Desert by a Metonymy and by the Sea he means the red Sea by a Synechdoche By the desert of the sea therefore are meant the Edomites which dwelt in the Desert or Wilderness of Sur or Etham which was neer to the Red sea As whirlewindes in the South passe thorow i. e. As whirlewindes which arise in the South passe thorow the Wilderness from the one end thereof to another He speaks of the South in respect of Judah where he lived where were great Deserts and Wildernesses without wood or tree to break or hinder the force of the winde there therefore a high and great winde must needs be speedie and rush with a mighty force where there was nothing to hinder or break the force thereof So it cometh i. e. So an heavie calamitie or destruction or declaration shall come upon those which dwell in the desert of the sea it shall come speedily and with a mighty force From the Desert By the Desert here he meaneth not the Wilderness of Shur or the Wilderness of Etham which were by the Red sea as he did in the first words of
put their Shields or Bucklers when they had no use of them and out of which they took them when they made use thereof 7. And it shall come to passe that thy choicest vallies shall be full of Charets c. i. e. And it shall come to passe that thy Suburbs and thy Vallies which are without thy walls shall be full of the Charets of the Assyrians O Jerusalem Here the Prophet speaks again to Jerusalem in his own person and fore-tells the doome which shall befall her by Sennacherib And note that the Prophet did here interrupt Jerusalem before she could give a full answer to the doubts or questions which he moved to her in the first second and third verses and upon occasion of those words And Elam bare the Quiver with Charets of men and with horsemen c. Foretold that the Assyrians should bring the like misery upon her under Sennacherib as they and their complices the Medes and Elamites had done upon the Kingdom of Israel under Salmaneser At the gate i. e. At thy gates A Singular for a Plural number He seemeth to have pointed to the gates of Jerusalem when he said The gate shewing thereby what gate he meant 8. And he discovered the covering of Judah i. e. And Sennacherib King of Assyria shall demolish and beat down the fenced Cities of Judah See this fulfilled 2 Chron. 32.1 And 2 Kings cap. 18. vers 13. He puts here a Relative without an Antecedent and a Praeterperfect or Praeterimperfect tense for a Future The covering of Judah By the covering may be meant any wall or fort or fortification or place of defence whereby men defended themselves from their enemies in the time of War and that by a Metaphor from a covering which is spread over any thing to keep it safe from dust and soile and any thing which may marre it And to discover the covering signifieth properly to take away the covering from off the thing which is therewith covered and metaphorically to beat down any wall or fort or fortification or place of defence which metaphoricall signification is the signification of this place But being that by the covering may be meant any wall or fort or fortification or place of defence what is that which is called the covering of Judah Answer By the covering of Judah is meant the walls and fortifications of the fenced Cities of Judah which were broken down and laid waste by Sennacherib 2 Kin. 18.13 The covering therefore is put for the coverings a singular for a plural number The discovering of the covering of Judah that is The beating down and taking of the fenced Cities of Judah did neerly concern Jerusalem wherefore Jerusalem when Sennacherib began to encamp against them and to take them began to look and provide for her self as it is here prophesied 2 Chron. 32. vers 2 3. c. And thou didst look in that day to the Armour of the house of the Forrest i. e. And at that time when Sennacherib shall begin to discover the coverings of Judah that is To fight against the fenced Cities of Judah and to take them thou wilt look to the Armour which thou hast laid up in thy Armorie or Magazin of Arms to see that it be in good plight and in a readiness that thou maist use it to defend thy self He puts a Praeterimperfect tense for a Future Of the house of the Forrest i. e. Of the house of the Forrest of Lebanon This house of the Forrest of Lebanon was the Armorie of the Kings of Judah and it was scituate in Jerusalem 1 Kings 7.2 Here were the golden Targets and Shields kept which Solomon made 1 Kings 10.17 And hence were those Targets Shields taken by Shishak King of Egypt when he came up against Jerusalem 1 Kings 14. vers 25.26 It was called the house of the Forrest of Lebanon either from that house which some affirm from 2 Chron. 8.6 Solomon built in the Forrest of Lebanon for the same use as this was built viz. to be an Armorie or Magazine or because of the great number of Cedar-pillars and great store of Cedar-wood which were used about that house which Cedars and Wood vvere brought from Lebanon which was famous for Cedars which pillars were so many and store of Wood so great as that the whole Forrest of Lebanon seemed to have been cut down to make pillars and yeeld materials for that house See 1 Kings 7.2 Or it might be called the house of the Forrest of Lebanon because it was pleasantly seated and planted about with trees and groves Eccles 2. v. 4.5.6 which were no lesse pleasant then the Forrest of Lebanon it self for it is not unusuall for a like place to give denomination to a like Wherefore as all Universities were called Academies from that famous place of Learning in or neer to Athens called the Academie so might every pleasant grove or place of trees be called Lebanon from that renowned Forrest of Lebanon and this house because it stood among such trees might be called the house of the Forrest of Lebanon 9. Ye have seen also the breaches of the City of David that they are many q. d. Ye will also view the City of David to see what reparations it wanteth and ye shall finde that the breaches thereof are many and that it wanteth much repaire Of the City of David The fort or strong hold which was built upon Mount Sion in Jerusalem which the Iebusites hold and which David won from them was called the City of David 2 Sam. 5.7.9 In this Fort or strong Hold there were many breaches and ruinous places which came by the neglect which long peace bringeth with it And ye gathered together the water of the lower poole i. e. And ye will gather together the waters of the lower poole into hollow places and ditches which ye shall make for that end They gathered together these waters that they might have plenty of waters neer at hand wherewith to temper the mortar which they should use in building and repairing the breaches of the City of David and for such other ends as the waters of the old poole were gathered for of which verse 10. 10. And ye have numbred the houses of Jerusalem i. e. And ye will make choice of a certain number of houses in Jerusalem as many as will serve your turn that you may pull them down and have the materialls thereof wherewith to repaire the City of David It was a case of necessity which made them to pull down houses for the materials therof because the materials thereof were neer at hand and ready fitted in a manner for the building which they could not have elsewhere in so short a time the Assyrian being in the Land when the counsell of the King of Hezekiah advised him to repair the City of David 2 Chron. 32.2 3. Of Jerusalem Jerusalem seemeth to be opposed here to the City of David and therefore to be taken for the lower Citie of
made account that as the Assyrians had vanquished all places that they fought against so they would vanquish Jerusalem therefore they thought to rejoyce whilst they might and to recompence the shortness of their life with the fill they intended to take in pleasure 14. And it was revealed Therefore it was revealed And for Therefore It was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts q. d. This which followeth was spoken by the Lord of Hosts in my hearing saying The Prophet speaks here in his own person This iniquity That is this iniquity which is mentioned v. 11 12 13. Shall not be purged from you i. e. Shall not be forgiven you He alludes to the legal purgations for expiation of offences Till ye dye That is so long as ye live for plagues shall follow you after plagues and miserie after miserie and cross after cross to your dying day It may be objected against what is here said that the Prophet saith that the Inhabitants of Jerusalem which shall be in Jerusalem when Sennacheribs Army besiegeth it shall be forgiven their iniquities Cap. 33.24 How therefore doth he here say That their iniquities shall not be purged from them For answer to this see notes on cap. 33.24 15. Thus saith the Lord God of Hosts Supple to me Isaiah Here beginneth a new Sermon or at least a new matter Vnto this Treasurer i. e. Unto this man which is the Treasurer of the Kings Treasure Even to Shebna This Shebna was not that Shebna of which we read Cap. 36.22 but another though of the same name Which is over the house Supple Of the King to govern and rule all the Kings family It is believed that the reason why the Lord denounced that which is here written against Shebna was because Shebna distrusting the providence of God and his Word concerning Judah when Salmaneser was depopulating and destroying the Ten Tribes thought it best for the men of Judah to send to Salmaneser and to render themselves to him lest otherwise he should come and destroy them as he had done the men of the Kingdom of Israel and to this he would have perswaded the men of Judah and Jerusalem 16. What hast thou here i. e. What Land of inheritance hast thou here No stranger which was not of the seed of Jacob could by right inherit or possess any of that Land which was given to the sons of Jacob. And whom hast thou here i. e. And whom hast thou here of kin to thee q. d. Thou hast no inheritance here nor hast thou any kinred here for thou art a stranger as Doeg was 1 Sam. 21.7 therefore thou shouldst not have made thee such a magnificent sepulcher here as thou hast made It seemeth that Shebna being of great honor in the Kings Court in his life-time was desirous of a glorious and magnificent Monument in or neer to Jerusalem after his death but knowing that the wills of the dead are not so punctually performed as they intended would make himself such a Monument while he himself was living a Monument too too glorious and magnificent for him considering what he was by birth a stranger and a stranger of base parentage as is thought though his wit and natural parts raised him That thou hast hewed thee out a sepulcher here i. e. That thou hast caused so magnificent and glorious a sepulcher to be hewn out for thee here out of a Rock in such an eminent place Here i. e. In or about Jerusalem the chief City of the Land As he that heweth himself a sepulcher on high i. e. As a King or some great man of the Land who causeth his sepulcher to be hewn out of some eminent rock And that graveth c. This is a repetition of the former sentence and from these two sentences I guess that among the men of Judah ordinary men had their sepulchers ordinarily on the plain ground but the Kings and Nobles and great men had their sepulchers in eminent rocks and places That graveth i. e. That heweth or cutteth out or causeth to be hewed or cut out An habitation i. e. A sepulcher For a sepulcher is as an house or place of habitation to the dead For himself Supple To dwell in when he is dead In a rock Whereof there were many in Judah 17. Behold the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity q. d. It seemeth by thy hewing out for thy self such a sepulcher in or neer to Jerusalem that thou believest that as thou livest here so thou shalt dye here but behold the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity he will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large Country and there shalt thou dye With a mighty captivity So that thou shalt not escape out of their hands which carry thee away captive And will surely cover thee i. e. And then he will clothe thee with a witness To cover signifieth here to clothe Shebna was at this time adorned with a robe of honor a robe befitting the chiefest man in the Kings Court vers 21. A long robe which happily had a long train appendant to it in which Shebna did pride himself and with which he was puffed up above all that were in the Kings Court. The sence therefore is q. d. Thou art now clothed with a robe of honor and a long robe with a train appendant to it which makes thee proud and high-minded but then when the Lord shall carry thee away captive he shall clothe thee with a witness for he shall clothe thee as captives are clothed that is with base and ragged garments and garments of disgrace garments which shall scarce cover thy buttocks and that shall pull down thy proud and haughty minde But yet it may be that it is not this robe which the Prophet jerks at but some mantle or covering which Shebna out of his pride and stateliness might use which might be gorgeous and as rich as could be bought or made for the matter of it and unusual and altogether affected for the fashion of it These words And will surely cover thee are to be read as it were with a parenthesis and were occasioned by that word captivity going next before them For captives used to wear clothes so short as would scarce cover their buttocks See cap. 20.4 18. He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large Country q. d. As a ball is tossed to and fro in play and is easily struck or banded afar off so shalt thou be tossed to and fro and shalt be carryed away afar off into a large Country Captives are tossed to and fro from one place to another and delivered from one hand to another as the Army marches or as their Convoy are employed in service now one way now another Violently i. e. This signifieth that they shall drive Shebna before them perhaps with knocks and blows as hard-hearted Soldiers drive their prisoners which draw back or are
exhorting the men of Jerusalem to bear the siege of Jerusalem patiently thus bespeaks them Come my people enter thou into thy Chambers and shut the doors about thee hide thy self as it were a little while until the indignation be overpast Cap. 26.20 11. There is a crying for wine in the streets i. There shall be heard in the streets a crying and lamenting for want of wine This cry might come from within the houses though it were heard without in the streets Wine was the ordinary drink of the Hebrews as it is now of many people wherefore being that the Assyrians had spilt all their Wine they must needs cry for want of drink All joy is darkened i. e. All joy shall be turned into mourning The Prophet speaks here of joy as of light which is taken away by darkness and indeed joy is often resembled to light and call'd by the name of light in the Scriptures And the gate i. e. And the Gates of the City A singular for a plural number In the gates of the City their Courts of Justice and publique Assemblies were wont to be held therefore he mentioneth these particularly 13. When thus it shall be i. e. q. d. Yet when thus it shall be In the midst of the Land i. e. In the Land viz. of Israel In the midst of the Land is put for in the Land by an Hebrew Periphrasis Among the people Supple Of the ten Tribes There shall be as the shaking of an Olive tree and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done i. e. There shall be a few of the many thousands of Israel left See cap. 17.6 14. They shall lift up their voyce i. e. Those Jews which live by the sea-coast upon the borders of the Land of Israel shall lift up their voyce by way of rejoycing He seemeth to point at the men of Judah which lived by the sea-coast upon the borders of the Land of Israel when he saith They shall lift up their voyce and so to tell whom he meaneth For the Majesty of the Lord i. e. Because of the Lord that is because of the goodness of the Lord which he will shew at this time towards them in delivering them from the hand of Salmaneser when he shall destroy the ten Tribes The Majesty of the Lord is put here for the Lord himself as when we say of a King the Kings Majesty for the King himself And the Lord is put here for the goodness and mercy of the Lord per Metonymiam Subjecti They shall cry aloud from the Sea He meaneth by these the Jews which lived in Joppa and other places nigh the sea side towards the Land of Israel And he mâ—ntioneth their joy more particularly then he doth the joy of any other of the people of the Jews though all the Jews were delivered at this time because they were nigher the danger then any other of that people were as lying next to the Land of Israel which Salmaneser destroyed and were as is very probable much oppressed with the free quarter of Salmaneseâ—'s Army by Land and forced with the rest of the maritime Towns to provide him a Navy to fight against Tyre by Sea For when Salmaneser had destroyed the Land of Israel he made War against Tyre and put the Maritime Towns to furnish him with a Fleet of ships and to provide for it and afterwards blockt up Tyre five years as we read in Joseph lib. 9. Antiquit. cap. 14. In which time all Maritime Towns suffered no doubt much by the Assyrians 15. Wherefore glorifie ye the Lord in the fires c. I take that which we read in this Verse to be the song which these men sung which song beginneth abruptly as passionate songs and sayings often do whether they proceed from joy or any other passion If it were entire it might be this The Lord hath delivered us from the Assyrians wherefore glorifie ye the Lord in the fires even the Name of the Lord God of Israel ye that dwell in the Isles of the Sea In the fires That is In the fires of understanding and of zeal q. d. Glorifie ye the Lord with understanding as understanding what the Lord hath done for you and with ardency of spirit and true zeal as giving him praise for what he hath done for you not lightly and for fashion sake but feelingly and heartily Note that the Preposition In among the Hebrews serveth in the place of almost all other Prepositions whatsoever and here it may be put for With. Note also that fire by reason of its light may signifie knowledge and understanding and by reason of its heat may signifie zeal and fervency or ardency of spirit by a Metaphor And he may say fires in the plural number not fire in the singular to signifie these two things understanding and zeal Even the Name of the Lord God of Isrâ—el i. e. Even the Lord God of Israel Note that the word Name is here redundant by an Hebrew Elegancy Or that the Name is put for the thing it self whose name it is In the Isles of the Sea i. e. In Joppa and the sea-coasts where ye live and let your songs and exclamations of joy be heard from thence Note that the Hâ—brews call not onely those Lands which are environed and compassed about with the Sea Isles or Islandâ— but also those parts of the Continent which lie neer to the Sea 16. From the utmost part of the Earth have we heard songs i. e. We who live in Jerusalem shall hear songs of rejoycing from the utmost part of our Land By the Earth he meaneth the Land of Judah by a Synecdoche The songs which he meaneth were to be songs of rejoycing because of their deliverance from Salmaneser such as that was vers 15. Even glory to the righteous i. e. Even songs containing the glory of God the righteous One Glory may here signifie any attribute of God which makes him glorious and here it signifies his mercy and goodness to wit his mercy and goodness which he shewed to the Jews and especially those which lived about Joppa in delivering them from Salmaneser per Metonymiam Adjuncti It is also further put for songs which contain or speak of that mercy and goodness of God and the praises thereof per Metonymiam Subjecti To the righteous i. e. To the praise of the righteous One that is to the praise of God By the righteous or righteous One is meant God who as he is called the holy One 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so mâ—y he be called the righteous One He is called the righteous One because of his faithfulness at this time in preserving his people the Jews or because of his goodness at this time to them for righteousness is taken sometimes for goodness even in this sence as when Joseph was said to be a righteous or a just man Matth. 1. vers 19. Note that a song to the righteous signifieth a song sung in the praise of
a repetition of the former sentence He will swallow up i. e. He will destroy or take away A metaphor taken from such beasts as swallow down their prey without chewing through greediness which is consumed in their stomack Death i e. Sorrow and grief Death is put here per metonymiam effecti for sorrow and grief for the sorrow of the world worketh death 2 Cor. 7.10 This is a Repetition of the former sentence Or by Death may be understood the danger of death in which all people were in while the Assyrian was in his full power Or by Death may be meant that violent Death whereby the Assyrians destroyed the men of Judah and all other people of which he speaks here as of a person and enemy by a Prosopopoeia In victorie i. e. By victory he meaneth the victory which the Lord had over the Assyrians 2 Kings 19.35 for because the Assyrians made all the Neighbour people sorry through their continuall oppressions it must needs take away the sorrow of those people and glad their hearts to hear of the victory obtained over the Assyrians Or by victory may be meant the victory not over the Assyrians but over Death of which as I said he speaks here as of a person and an enemy by a Prosopopoeia And will wipe away tears from all faces i. e. The Lord will take away that grief from all people which the Assyrians had caused This is a Repetition of the former words Tears Tears are put Per metonymiam effecti for grief or sorrow which causeth teares Note here that St. Paul useth these words He w ll swallow up death in victory to prove the Râ—esurrection of the just to a life immortall 1 Cor. 15.54 And St. John useth these words the Lord God shall wipe away tears from all faces to shew the pure joy which the Saints shall enjoy in the Kingdom of Heaven Rev. 7.17 21.4 And so may they well signifie in a second and sublime sence and in a second or sublime sence the feast spoken of here verse 6. may signifie also all those spirituall blessings and benefits which the Saints receive by Christ for as the affliction of the Jews signifies mans misery by sin and the deliverance of the Jews from their affliction signifieth our Redemption by Christ so may those temporall joyes and blessings which the Jews enjoy at any time after their deliverance out of their affliction tipifie the joys and blessings of the Saints whom Christ hath redeemed from their sins after that their redemption And therefore while the Prophet speaks of the temporall joyes and blessings of the Jews he may so temper his speech as that by the same words he may signifie also the joyes and blessings of the Saints which they receive by Christ And the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the Earth q.d. And though now all people do rebuke and reproach the Jews the people of God in all places yet then they shall rebuke them and reproach them no more For when they shall hear what their God hath done to the Assyrians their enemies for their sake they shall be afraid to rebuke them and reproach them as heretofore they have done 9. And it shall be said Supple by the men of Judah and Jerusalem In that day Supple in which God shall destroy the Army of the Assyrians by his Angel and so take away the grief of all people c. We have waited for him Supple till he came to deliver us He speaks here of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or we have waited for him that is we have waited for his salvation We will or shall be glad and rejoyce in his salvation This is a repetition of those former words he will save us Because salvation causeth joy and gladness therefore to say that they shall be glad and rejoyce in the salvation of the Lord is as much to say as the Lord will save them per metonymiam effecti In his salvation i. e. Because of his salvation This Praeposition In among the Hebrews serves for almost all other Praepositions and here it is put for for or because of His salvation i. e. The salvation which he will bring us It is therefore called his salvation because he is the Authour of it Or by his salvation may bemeant his saving power 10. In this Mountain i. e. In the Mount Sion Shal the hand of the Lord rest Shall the Lord rest and abide so that he will not be far from us in the time of need but will be ready at hand to help us at all occasions He puts the hand here for the whole man by a Synecdoche and therefore the hand rather then any other parts because we hold our weapons in our hands whereby we offend and defend He speaks of God as of a man per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Moab shall be troden down i. e. And he shall tread down the Moabites Moab is put here per Metonymiam Efficientis for the Moabites or the childrâ—n of Moab which were at this time the Enemies of Judah and as it seemeth had lately vexed them and took spoyls from them 11. And he shall spread forth his hands in the midâ—t of them q. d. And he shall run into the thickest Troops and Companies of the Moabites as they are in battel and when he is there he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them that he may reach the further and beat all them down that come within his reach on either hand Note here the Enallage of the number for he speaks here of the Moabites in the plural number whereas he spoke of Moab before in the ninth Verse in the singular number Note also that he speaks of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of a man As he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands And such a one spreadeth forth his hands to the uttermost And he shall bring down their pride i. e. And he shall knock down their pride c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pride of those which were slain was brought down with themselves the pride of them which survived was pulled down by their conquest and overthrow Together with the spoyls of their hands i. e. Together with the spoyls which they have taken from us which hath made them proud and lofty It seems from hence that the Moabites had vexed the men of Judah and had had the better of them at some time or other or at least that they had made some incursions into their Land and carryed away some spoyls uncontrolled Note that this is the end and effect of Gods spreading forth his hands for by that he brought down the pride of the Moabites with the spoyls of their hands 12. And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls i. e. And the strong and high bulwarks which are built upon the walls of thy Cities O Moab to defend them He puts fortress for fortresses a singular for a plural
metaphoricall and do signifie that the Jewes which were in Jerusalem should be speedily freed from the danger in which they were and from the siege with which they were begirt and should be at liberty to go whither they would So that these words do signifie under a metaphor the same as those words signifie plainly Thou hast removed it farre into all the ends of the earth vers 15. He speaks of the Jews here under the metaphor of dead men because they were accounted no better then dead men and men appointed to be slain by the sword of the Assyrian 15. Enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee Shut thy doors and keep thee close a little He alludes to the manner of those which are besieged who were wont to shut up their doors and keep within during the siege as having no joy to walk abroad but chusing rather to weep and lament at home in their chambers and in their closets as also thinking by this to avoid the violence and fury of Souldiers that might chance to rush in upon them unawares See Cap. 24.10 That which is here spoken is spoken in the person of the Prophet who by occasion of Gods words mentioned in the two former verses exhorts the people of Jerusalem to bear the siege and oppression of the Assyrians patiently because they should last but a little time Vntill the indignation i. e. Untill the indignation and anger of God towards thee Cap. 10.25 21. The Lord cometh out of his place i. e. The Lord will come straight-way out of his place By the place of the Lord may be meant heaven or by the place of the Lord may be meant the Mercy-seat which was between the Cherubins in the Sanctum Sanctorum for there was the Lord wont to sit 1 Sam. 4.4 Psal 80.1 and 99.1 He speaks here of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of a man The Inhabitants of the earth i. e. The Assyrians He calls the Assyrians the Inhabitants of the earth here as he called them the Inhabitants of the world v. 18. The earth also shall disclose her blood i. e. For the earth also c. q. d. for even the earth also shall disclose the blood of the Jewes which the Inhabitants of the earth that is the Assyrians have shed and she hath drunk up that God may revenge it This seems to contain a reason why God would punish the Inhabitants of the earth The earth also q. d. For not onely those Jewes themselves which survive shall complain how many of their brethren have bin slain by the Assyrians and cry for vengance against them but the earth also shall disclose her blood c. And shall no more cover her slain i. e. And shall no longer cover and so conceal the slain which are buried in her but shall lay open the bodies of those Jews which the Assyrians have slain to the eyes of God and reveale them and call for vengeance upon the Assyrians for killing them He speaks of the earth as of a man or woman which is indued with reason by a Metaphor or Prosopopoeia and of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though the slaughter of the Jews which the Assyrians made who in this were Gods rod was just in respect of God who punished them for their sins yet it was not so in regard of the Assyrians who waged war upon the Jewes for they did it out of ambition and tyranny See cap. 10.7 c. ISAIAH CHAP. XXVII IN that day i. e. At that time in which the Assyrians shall make war upon Judea and besiege Jerusalem A Relative is put here without an Antecedent Leviathan Leviathan signifieth a Whale Psal 104.26 but allegorically it signifieth a Tyrant or great King which oppresseth and devoureth lesser Kings and people as the Whale doth lesser fish In particular Leviathan doth allegorically signifie in this place Sennacherib King of Assyria that great Tyrant and Hunter of men whom God punished when he destroyed his Army by the Ministry of an Angel and him himself by Adramelech and Sharezer his sons 2 King 19.35 36 37. The piercing serpent A serpent is a name which the Hebrews use as well of fishes as of those creatures which we call commonly serpents for as serpents creep and glide along on the ground so do fishes in the waters See Gen. 1.20 in the margin there A Whale is called a piercing serpent or a piercing fish because of his great sharp teeth which pierce when he biteth Sennacherib is called metaphorically the piercing serpent because of his cruelty That crooked serpent The Whale is no more crooked then other fish yea as straight as any he is crooked onely while he swimmeth and bendeth his tail or hinder part of his body to and fro The Prophet considereth the Whale in that posture here and by his crookedness signifieth allegorically the fraud and treachery of Sennacherib who was not straight and upright in his dealings but very treacherous and fraudulent And he shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea i. e. Yea he shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea He puts And for Yea. A Dragon is one of the greatest kindes of Land-serpents that are and is a name which we use onely of that kinde of Serpents which lives on the Land never of any Serpent which lives in the waters Whereas therefore we read here of the Dragon in the Sea it seems to be a borrowed name and given to the Whale being one of the greatest sort of fishes which are in the Sea by a Metaphor from the Dragon which is one of the greatest kinde of Serpents which are on the Land So that the Dragon here signifieth the same as Leviathan did before that is a Whale and both of them by an Allegory signifie Sennacherib King of Assyria which ruled among many people as the Whale lives among many waters in the Sea This Leviathan this Dragon even Sennacherib King of Assyria did the Lord punish when he destroyed his Army and made him himself to fly to his strong hold 2 Kings cap. 27. vers 35 36. And then slew him by the hands of his sons Adramelech and Sharezer who smote him as he was worshipping in the house of his God Nisroch 2 King 27. vers 37. In the Sea By the Sea may be meant metaphorically the many people among which Sennacherib lived and over which he ruled 2. Sing ye unto her i. e. Sing ye to her praise or to her comfort He speaks of Jerusalem here though he nameth her not A vineyard of red wine q. d. There is a vineyard of red wine Here begins the Song A vineyard of grapes which yield red wine was the best kinde of vineyard for the Scripture commends wine for the redness of it Genes 49.12 Prov. 23. v. 31. And Jerusalem was to be commended at this time for the Faith and Patience which the righteous Nation which was therein shewed This is spoken
men which here he speakes of though it might seem glorious yet should quickly decay with all its glory Which are on the head of the fat vallies c. These words relate to those viz. Wo to the Drunkards of Ephraim and are words of limitation and restriâ—tion limiting and restringing what he said in generall of the Ten Tribes to those which lived in Samaria For by those which are on the head of the fat vallies he meaneth those which lived in Samaria By the head of the fat vallies he meaneth Samaria which was scituate on a Mountain or Hill beneath which were most fruitfull vallies abounding with Vineyards and Olive-yards A mountain or high hill may be said to be the head of the vallies which are about it for where the earth riseth up into a mountain it is said to lift up its head and if the mountain be a head it must be the head of such parts of the earth as are below it and such are vallies In the word head he seemeth to have an allusion to the Crown of Pride which he spoke of which was wore on the head by which Crown also he meant the Drunkards of Ephraim Of those which are overcome with wine Of those which are daily drunk with wine This is the common interpretation of these words by which he doth obliquely tax other of the Ten Tribes then those which dwelt in Samaria for their drunkenness But what if we should interpret them which are overcome with wine of such as had so much wine in the grape as they could not make Surely such may be said to be overcome with wine for we have more work then we can do we say that we have more work then we can overcome and that our work hath overcome us and this interpretation will very well agree with this place and will shew the fatness and fruitfulness of these vallies in that they bring forth more grapes then the husband-man is able to press and make wine of 2. Behold the Lord hath a mighty and a strong one q. d. The Lord hath in store a mighty and a strong one By this strong and mighty one understand Salmaneser who with his strong and mighty Army besieged Samaria three years and took it and carried Israel away captive into Assyria 2 Kings 17. v. 5 6. Which as a tempest of haile and a destroying storme Supple Which breaks down the trees and smiteth the plants and destroyeth the corn of the field As a flood of mighty waters overflowing Supple And drowning al the grounds about it the cattle which are therein destroying the corn and fruits of the earth and carrying all things before it Shall cast down to the earth Supple The crown of Pride the Drunkards of Ephraim With the hand i. e. With meer power and might The hand is often put for power and might by a Metonymy 3. The Crown of Pride the Drunkards of Ephraim See v. 1. Shall be troden under feet As straw is troden for the dunghill Cap. 25.10 by Salmaneser King of Assyria 4. And the glorious beauty i. e. And that gay and glorious Crown mentioned v. 1. He puts the glorious beauty per Metonymiam Adjuncti for the glorious beautiful Crown by which he means the drunkards of Ephraim which wore that Crown See notes vers 1. Which is on the head of the fat valley See notes ver 1. He puts valley for vallies a Singular for a Plural number Here it appears that when he saith the head of the valleyes he saith head in allusion to the Crown which is wore on the head as we observed v. 1. Shall be a fading flower i. e. Shall prove as a fading flower indeed As the hasty fruit before the summer i. e. It shall be as the rath-ripe fruit which is ripe before the summer Such fruit as this is early ripe or ripe before the summer is much desired and greedily eaten Which when he that looketh upon it seeth it while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up i. e. Which when he which looketh upon it seeth to be ripe layeth not up to spend hereafter but eateth it presently while it is in his hand The meaning is that as a man which hath early fruit which he seeth to be ripe layes it not up but eats it presently So should Salmaneser consume and destroy the Drunkards of Ephraim and the Crown of Pride presently and make no delay therein 5. In that day Supple In which the Lord shall destroy the Ten Tribes of Israel by Salmaneser for the whole Ten Tribes shall be destroyed with the Drunkards of Ephraim The Lord shall be for a Crown of glory and for a Diadem of beauty i. e. The Lord shall give a glorious Crown and a beautiful Diadem to the residue of his people that is he shall make the residue of his people honorable and glorious as if they were all Kings He saith a Crown of glory for a glorious Crown and Diadem of beauty for a beautifull Diadem and puts a Substantive of the Genitive Case for an Adjective The Crown which he here speaks of was not such a Crown as he spoke of vers 1. for that was a Crown of Flowers this is a Crown of Gold that was such as Drunkards wore at their drinkings this is such as Kings use to wear at the day of their Coronation and he opposeth this Crown to that though he doth in some way allude to it A Diadem A Diadem was a kinde of Crown which Kings used to wear upon their heads made of purple-silk and beset with pearles and jewels Vnto the residue of his people i. e. To the other two Tribes namely the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin which Salmaneser touched not 6. And for a spirit of judgement to him that sitteth in judgement And he will give the spirit of judgement to him which sitteth in judgement The spirit of judgement By judgement is here meant the practicall knowledge of the law by which he that is a Judge may know how and be willing to judge aright And as for the word spirit among many significations which it hath among the Hebrews it signifieth sometimes the habit of the mind which is a spirit per Metonymiam Subjecti and here it signifieth an habit of the minde To him that sitteth in judgement i. e. To Hezekiah King of Judah whose Office it is to sit in judgement and judge between man and man and cause and cause as being King And for strength i. e. And he will give strength To them that turn the battle to the gate i. e. To the men of Judah who have turned or shall turn the battle to the gates of cities of their enemies That is who have made or shall make their enemies to fly before them and have pursued or shall pursue them to their own Cities and there besiege them That turn i. e. That have turned or shall turn What Judah did in this kinde by Hezekiah See 2 Kings 18.
the Assyrian He calls this a grounded staff because it was struck deep into the Assyrian and there stuck and removed not till it had consumed him as things which are well grounded lie deep in the Earth and are not easie to be pulled up Which the Lord shall lay upon him i. e. With which the Lord shall smite him Vpon him i. e. Upon the Assyrian It shall be with Tabrets and Harps i. e. It shall be entertained with Tabrets and Harps that is with a great deal of joy and rejoycing For every one will be glad to hear of the destruction of the Assyrians which oppressed them and all people beside And in battels of shaking will he fight with it i. e. For he will fight with the host of the Assyrians and slay them as he did the Midianites And for For. The Prophet compares this slaughter of the Assyrians to the slaughter of the Midianites Cap. 9.4 and 10.26 because as the Midianites were all overcome and slain without the loss of blood on the Israelites part so were the Assyrians all overcome and slain without any loss of blood on the Jews part Which makes me to think that the Prophet doth allude here also to that fight or battel in which the Midianites were overcome and slain Judg. 7.19 c. And that fight or battel in which the Midianites were overcome might be called a battel of shaking from some gesture which the Israelites used at that time for the Midianites were put to flight not by the sword or any kinde of weapons of the Israelites but by the Israelites breaking of pitchers holding lamps in their left hand blowing the Trumpets which they had in their right hand and crying The sword of the Lord and of Gideon Judg. 7.20 21 c. Now though it be not written in the story that when they cryed The sword of the Lord and of Gideon they shook their lamps and their Trumpets which they had in their hands yet it is more then probable that they held them not still but shook them both and waved them over their heads or some other way in confidence of the victory from which motion or shaking of the Trumpets and Lamps this battel might be called The battel of shaking This battel might be also called The battel of shaking for the great fear and trembling wherewith the Midianites were possessed for though the Midianites and their associates were like grashoppers for multitude and their Camels were without number Judg. 7.12 yet were they so terrified by three hundred men of the Israelites as that the whole host ran and cryed and fled Judg. 7.21 With it i. e. With the Army or Host or great multitude of the Assyrians He puts a Relative here without a formal Antecedent 33. Tophet Tophet was a place neer Jerusalem in the valley of the son of Hinnom 2 King 23.10 where the Idolaters were wont to offer their children by fire to Moloch and it was called Tophet from Toph which signifieth a Drum because they were wont to beat Drums while their children were burning in the fire to drown the lamentable noise and cry which they made Here did a great body of the Assyrians encamp when they besieged Jerusalem and here were many of them slain and all or most buried as it is probable Is ordained i. e. Is appointed or prepared Of old i. e. Already or some time since The Hebrew rendred word for word is From yesterday Yea for the King it is prepared i. e. Yea it is prepared for Sennacherib King of Assyria that is for his Host or for his Army for that which is prepared for the household or Army of a King is said to be prepared for the King himself by a Metonymy Or the King may be put Collativè for the Kings that is for the Captains of Senacheribs Army for they were most Kings and by the Kings and Captains may be meant all that were under their command too by a Syllepsis But by whom was Tophet prepared and how and for what end Answer It was prepared by Hezekiah King of Judah and it was prepared by removing thence the Image of Moloch and the Altar and other Instruments of Idolatry which were there by which more roome was made and by which it was able to receive and contain more men then before it was and it was prepared for this end and purpose that the Assyrians which besieged Jerusalem might there encamp and might there be slain a great part of them and might there all or most that were slain about Jerusalem which were one hundred fourscore and five thousand have roome enough to be buried in For the understanding of which note that Hezekiah King of Judah when he came first to the Crown removed the high places brake down the Images cut down the Groves and destroyed all the instruments of Idolatry 2 Kings 18.4 Now a noted place of Idolatry was Tophet 2 Kings 23.10 this therefore Hezekiah purged and broke down the Idols and the Altars and all other the Instruments of Idolatry which were set up and used there and caused them to be carryed thence and destroyed whereby there was more roome and more of Sennacheribs men encamped there then otherwise could have done and so more were slain there by the Angel and more roome there was to bury those which were slain by the Angel in that place by reason therefore of this the Prophet saith that Tophet was prepared for the King that is for the Army and Captains of the King the King of Assyria and this he saith not because Hezekiah had this in his minde when he purged Tophet but because it happened out as pat as if he had purged it and made roome in it for that purpose The like kind of phrase to this we read Matth. 26. v. 12. where our Saviour saith that the woman which poured ointment there upon his body did it for his burial not because the woman had any such intent but because she did it as opportunely for his burial as if she had intended it for that end He hath made it deep and large i. e. Hezekiah hath made therein very much room by removing the Idols and Altars and other instruments of Idolatry out of it Here is a Relative without an Antecedent He alludes here to the making of a pit or grave wherein dead bodies are buried when he saith He hath made it deep and large And therefore doth he seem to make this allusion because the Assyrians which were slain by the Angel were all or most buried in Tophet as is probable Or else he alludeth here to the making of a prison or dungeon under ground And therefore may he allude to that because that place was as a prison to the Assyrians which pitched their Camp there out of which place they could no more escape then a prisoner out of a prison or dungeon because God had determined that they should not escape thence till he had destroyed them The pile thereof
to be spoken of vers 5. but Eliakim and Shebna and Joah did here interrupt him and their interrupting him put him into a passion which made him forget what he had in hand 11. Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh Speak I pray thee unto thy servants in the Syrian language for we understand it and speak not to us in the Jews language in the ears of the people that are on the wall Eliakim and Shebna and Joah would not have Rabshakeh to speak so as that the people might understand what they said doing therein as wise Embassadors For it is the duty of Embassadors as much as in them lieth to see to it that what they have in Command or what they have in Treaty be not divulged to the people before it be made known to the King and he be pleased to divulge it For many things are better kept close from the people then imparted to them Speak unto thy servants in the Syrian language They mention the Syrian language rather then any other because it was Rabshakehs native language In the ears of the people which are on the wall These people were set on the wall to defend it who being vulgar Jews understood whatsoever was spoken in the Jews language but not what was spoken in any other tongue 12. To thy Master and to thee Supple Onely Rabshakeh directs his speech to one of those three Eliakim Shebna or Joah which spoke to him entreating him to speak in the Syriac language For they three did not all speak together for that would be confusion but one was the mouth of the rest yet all are said to speak in the former Verse because what one spoke was the sence of all Hath he not sent me to the men which sit upon the wall Supple Also See 2 Chron. 32.9 That they may eat their own dung and drink their own piss with you That is That they may know that they shall be forced to eat their own dung and drink their own piss with you Supple If they harken not to the great King the King of Assyria He saith That they may eat their own dung and drink their own piss for That they may know that they shall eat their own dung and drink their own piss per Metonymiam Subjecti By eating their own dung and drinking their own piss he signifieth by an Hyperbole such a famine caused by the siege which Sennacherib would continue about Jerusalem as that they should be glad to eat and drink the vilest and most stinking things that can be thought of 13. Then Rabshakeh stood and cryed So far was Rabshakeh from harkening to the just desires of Hezekiahs Embassadors as that he spake the louder in the Jews language and shewed more indignation and insolency then before 14. Hear ye c. He speaks to those which sat upon the wall Thus saith the King i. e. Thus saith Sennacherib the King of Assyria by me to you Let not Hezekiah deceive you Supple By telling you that ye shall be delivered from the Assyrians 16. Harken not to Hezekiah q. d. Harken not I say to Hezekiah but harken rather to the King of Assyria Make an agreement with me by a Present q. d. Make an agreement with me to surrender up your City and your selves into my hands and to become my Subjects and confirm this your agreement and surrender of your selves with a Present Or thus Come and bring me a Present in token that you have agreed to surrender your City into my hands and to acknowledge me for your King To bring or carry Presents was a thing most usual among the Eastern people and among other ends which they had in so doing one was this To acknowledge that they were willingly subject and did take him for their King to whom they did carry or bring their Presents and this among many other places may be proved by these two or three following as Psal 72.8 9 10 11. where we read He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the Earth They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him and his Enemies shall lick the dust the Kings of Tarshish and of the Islands shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts Where we have these phrases signifying all one and the same thing He shall have dominion They shall bow down before him and lick the dust They shall bring presents and offer gifts to him And 2 Chron. 17.5 where we read that the Lord established the Kingdom in the hands of Jehoshaphat and all Judah brought Presents to him where by their bringing Presents to him they did acknowledge that they took Jehoshaphat for their King So 1 Sam. 10.27 We read thus But the children of Belial said How shall this man save us And they despised him and brought him no Presents Whence we may easily gather that they which accepted of Saul for their King brought him Presents and by that did manifest themselves that they did own him for their King but the children of Belial would not carry him any Presents and so did shew thereby that they did despise him and would not that he should reign over them When therefore it is said here in the person of Sennacherib Make an Agreement with me by a Present there is an allusion to that end which thâ—y had in bringing or carrying Presents who therefore did carry them or bring them that they might acknowledge him for their King and themselves his subjects to whom they did carry them or bring them And come out to me Supple And bring me your Present and do homage and fealty to me as to your King and give me possession of your City These seem to be reasons why he would have them to come out unto him That they which surrendred up their City were wont to come out of it and for these ends see 2 King 24.12 and Jer. 38.17 18. This speech of Rabshakeh to the people was popular and apt to stir them up to sedition for it did put the power in them to consult and agree of publique affairs without the Kings leave if not against his will And eat ye every one of his vine q. d. And then will I break up my siege and you may eat every one of his vine c. Eat ye c. This is vox concedentis non imperantis the voyce not of command but of giving leave and permitting q.d. Then shall ye eat freely c. The waters of his own cistern In Judea there were many pits and cisterns made to keep rain-water in which they made use of for necessary uses being Judea was a great part of it a mountainous and so a dry place 17. Vntil I come and take you away It was the manner of the Kings of Assyria and other Eastern Kings when they did subdue any people to carry them away from their Native Country into some other Land for fear
that when they were return home they whom they had subdued should rebel again and be no longer subject to them 19. Of Hamah and Arphad What Hamah and Arphad were see Cap. 10.9 Of Sepharvaim Some take Sepharvaim to have been a City of Syria neer the Sea others to have been a City seated upon the River Euphrates And have they Supple Which are the Gods of Samaria Here is a Relative put without an Antecedent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 20. That the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand i. e. That any one should say that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand 21. But they held their peace i. e. But the people which sat upon the wall to whom Rabshakeh directed this speech held their peace See 2 King 18.36 The Kings commandment was saying Answer him not Hezekiah being a more wise King foresaw that the Assyrian being proud by his own nature and more proud by reason of his Victories would carry himself proudly and insolently therefore he commanded the people which sat upon the walls if they should hear Rabshakeh speak proudly to them not to answer him a word lest they should by their Answer the more exasperate him if it were rough or terrifie the rest of the people if their Answer should savor of fear Again by enjoyning them silence Rabshakeh could not so well practise with them or know their mindes who would have done any thing to gain the City at this time 22. With their clothes rent The rending of their clothes was a sign of grief and sorrow among the Hebrews as Gen. 37.34 and 2 Sam. 1.11 Job 2.11 and particularly a sign of grief and sorrow together with an holy indignation for the blasphemy which they heard as Matth. 26.65 Acts 14.14 The reason of the rending their clothes for such occasions was to signifie thereby that their Soul was rent for very grief These men rent their clothes here both because of the blasphemies with which they heard Rabshakeh blaspheme God and also for sorrow and grief that they were like to make no peace with the Assyrians Cap. 33.7 ISAIAH CHAP. XXXVII HE rent his clothes To wit Because of Rabshakehs blasphemy which was related to him and for grief of what was like to happen by the breaking off of the Treaty by the Assyrians if the Lord did not avert it And went into the House of the Lord. i. e. Into the Temple there to call upon God for his ayd in this time of trouble 2. And he sent Eliakim c. unto Isaiah the son of Amos For what end Hezekiah sent to Isaiah we may gather from the fourth Verse he sent to him to pray for the remnant of the men of Judah which were left after the desolation which the Assyrians had made and he sent to him rather then to any other because he knew his holiness of life and that the gift of Prophecy was in him and that he had in fore-time delivered to him that the Lord would preserve Jerusalem from the Assyrians 3. This day is a day of trouble i. e. This time is a time of trouble a time of trouble because of the destruction of so many Cities of Judah and because of the siege and vexation of Jerusalem And of rebuke i. e. And a time of reproach in which we are reproached For Rabshakeh doth bitterly reproach and taunt both me the King of Judah and my people As for Rabshakehs reproach of the King see Cap. 36.14 15 16 18. This word Rebuke though it often signifies a reproving or chiding after a friendly manner yet here it is taken for reproaching and taunting in a spiteful way And of blasphemy i. e. And a day or time of blasphemy for Rabshakeh blasphemeth the living God Of Rabshakehs blasphemy see Cap. 26.15 20. For the children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth Before these words understand those Lift up thy prayer for us For I conceive that the Prophet useth a Brachylogy and that these words Lift up thy prayer for us are to be understood from the following Verse for otherwise it will not be easie to finde on what this sentence doth depend except we take For for And or for Moreover The children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth This is a Proverbial kinde of speech used when men are in extream danger or anguish and have no humane help to bring them out of it And it is taken from a woman in travel when the childe is come to the birth that is to the strait and narrow neck of the womb at what time she is in her greatest pain and the greatest danger and the womans strength then fails her so that she cannot bring her childe forth into the world that she might be eased of her pains and freed from her danger 4. Will hear the words of Rabshakeh i. e. Will take notice of the words of Rabshakeh And will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard i. e. And will punish Rabshakeh and his Master who sent him for those their words which the Lord thy God hath heard and taken notice of To reprove or rebuke when it is spoken of God is taken most often for to punish as 1 Chron. 12.17 Psal 6.1 And to reprove words is to reprove or punish a man for his words as to punish sin is to punish a man for his sin Wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left Supple That God would punish the Assyrians and spare them For the remnant that is left By the remnant that is left he meaneth those men of Judah and Jerusalem which were left after that havock of men which Sennacherib and his Army had made in the Land of Judah 6. Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard wherewith the servants of the King of Assyria have blasphemed me q. d. Though Rabshakeh and his company did by the command of their Master blasphemously say cap. 36. verse 15 20. That I could not deliver you out of the hand of their Master the King of Assyria yet be not thou afraid by reason of these words for I will deliver you 7. Behold I will send a blast upon him q. d. I will send a blast of wind upon him which shall blow him out of this Land as the Dust or Chaff is blown before the wind This phrase shews how easily God could rid the Land of Sennacherib and his Forces And it is Metaphorically to be understood And what is meant by the Metaphor is explained in the next words And he shall heare a Rumour i. e. For he shall heare a rumour The rumour which he heard and which turned him into his owne Land was the rumour of the destruction of 185000 of his Army in one night For note that though Sennacherib himselfe was upon a speedy march with that part of his Army which was with him towards Hierusalem to put in execution all
and danger of Sennacherib and must not see the delivery of it Secondly because he had no Sonne as yet to succeed him in his Throne And it might be a cause of sorrow to him to think that the Promise made to David and Solomon 1 Kings 8.25 should not appertain to him and his posterity yea it is inbred by Nature even in good men to grieve to think that they should dye Childlesse and that their Inheritance should come to strangers See an example of this in Abraham Gen. 15.2 Adde to this that Hezekiah knew that the Messiah was to arise out of the seed of David therefore if he should live to have issue he might hope that the Messias might arise out of that from which hope he should be cut off by dying at this time Thirdly he might imagine that they which had ascribed the calamities of his times to him because he brake downe the Altars and the Images c. might be more bold to ascribe it to him if he should now dye and others would be more prone to believe them as if his sinne in this had hastened his death Fiftly He might think that God did intend to cut him off in displeasure which could not be but grievous to him to think of because the Prophet came as Gods Herald to threaten him with death And for this reason perhaps among the rest he doth here mention how he had walked before God in truth c. 5. Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy Father David is said to be the Father of Hezekiah because Hezekiah descended from David though after many Generations Matth. 1. v. 6 9. And the Lord in sending to Hezekiah the promise of Recovery stiles himselfe the God of David his Father that Hezekiah might know that he was mindful of the promise which he the Lord made to David 1 Kings 2.4 which Hezekiah did tacitely minde him of in his prayers v. 3. I have seen thy tears i. e. I have taken speciall notice of thy tears and am moved to compassion by them I will adde unto thy dayes fifteen yeares i. e. I will adde to the dayes which thou hast already lived fifteen yeares 6. And I will deliver thee and this City out of the hands of the King of Assyria It appeares from hence that this sicknesse befell Hezekiah while Jerusalem was besieged by Sennacherib's Army And if yee would know a reason why then it was not recorded amongst those things which were done in that time cap. 37. the reason is plaine viz. Because that so briefe an History should not be interrupted with passages which concerned it not Note here that either Hezekiah prayed for the deliverance of Jerusalem from the pressure of Sennacherib's Army as well as for the continuance of his own life Or that such is the goodness of our gracious God as that he gives more to his then they ask for 8. Behold I will bring c. q.d. Behold I the Lord will bring c. I will bring again the shadow of the degrees which is gone downe in the Sunne-Diall of Ahaz ten Degrees backward By the Sun-Diall of Ahaz is meant the Sun-Dial which Ahaz the Father of Hezekiah made or caused to be made in one of the Courts of the Royal Pallace By the Degrees which were in the Diall are meant the lines which were cut or painted in that Diall wherewith the halfe houres were marked So that while the shadow passed from one of these Lines or Degrees to the Line or Degree next to it was half an hour And while it passed on from that Line or Degree to the next was another half hour c. By the Shadow of the degrees is meant the shadow which the Gnomon or hand of the Sunne-Diall casteth when the Sun shineth upon the Diall which shadow as the Sun goeth forward from East to West ordinarily goeth from one degree to another that is from one Line in the Diall to another and so sheweth how the day passeth and is therefore called The shadow of Degrees The going backward of this shadow ten Degrees was when the shadow went backward ten of these Lines which was caused by the miraculous going back of the Sun from the West towards the East For I conceive that the Sun it selfe went back at this time And so much I gather from 2 Chron. 32.31 And Ecclus. 48.23 So the Sunne returned ten Degrees By the Sunne is meant the shadow of Degrees which is caused by the Sun Per Metonymiam efficientis By which Degrees it was gone downe The Shadow is said to goe downe by Degrees when it passeth from Lines which signifie more early so Lines signifying later times in the day which is caused by the going of the Sun from the East towards the West 10. In the cutting off of my dayes i. e. When the Lord was about to cut off my dayes and to take away my life When he saith In the cutting off of my dayes he alludes to the manner of Weavers who when they have made an end of their Webbe cut it off from the Thrum I shall go to the gates of the grave i. e. I shall dye Metonymia Effecti For they which dye are carried to the grave there to be buried Note that the Sepulchres of the dead especially among the Jews had their doores and their gates which were made fast for their Sepulchers were hollow places either cut out of rocks or arched with brick or stone or the like as appeareth by the Sepulcher of Christ which was cut out of a rock Mat. 27.60 and into which John and Peter entred John 20. v. 6 8. and into which those three women which brought their spices went in Luke 24.3 as appeareth also by the Tombes out of which the two possessed with Devils came Mat. 8.28 and in which they dwelt Mar. 5.3 Hence cometh the phrase of the gates of the grave and the gates of death c. I am deprived of the residue of my years The age of man is threescore years and ten saith the Psalmist Psal 90.10 to this doth Hezekiah seem here to allude and as many years of threescore and ten as he had not lived he calls the residue of his years Or by the residue of years he meaneth that time which he might have lived after this by the course of nature had it not bin for this violent sicknesse 11. I shall not see the Lord i. e. I shall not visit the Temple of the Lord. He puts the Lord for the Temple of the Lord by a Metonymy In the Land of the Living i. e. On the earth which is the land and place of the Living I shall behold man no more i. e. I shall never see any man again With the Inhabitants of the world As they doe which live and dwell in the world 12. Mine age is departed i. e. That part of the threescore years and ten which I have not yet lived is departed from me See notes vers 10. for he
alwayes Phil. 4.4 and which the Psalmist useth I le sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being Psal 104.33 I le call upon him as long as I live Psal 116.2 which kinde of phrases contain a Hyperbole and signifie onely frequent and often acts In the bitternesse of my soul i. e. Because of the grief of my soul which grief I have conceived from that that I have offended so gracious a God as the Lord is Note that Tò In is put here for Tò Because of for the Hebrews use this Preposition In instead of many other Prepositions Note also that bitterness is put here by a Metaphor and Metonymy of the cause joyned together for griefe because bitter things are grievous to the taster 16. By these things men live i. e. By such things as these are which thou hast done for me and promised to me many men which are never so dangerously sick and nigh unto death recover their health again and live Note here that the Hebrews have no Potentiall Mood but use an Indicative for a Potentiall and so an Indicative is here taken for a Potentiall men live for men may live and by men are understood men in any dangerous condition of life Per Synecdochen Generis And in all these things is the life of my spirit By all these things which thou hast done for me and promised me shall I certainly be revived and live who was neer unto death and therefore afflicted with grief and sorrow He puts my spirit for me a part for the whole man by a Synecdoche and a Present for a Future Tense By all these things he means the visitation whereby God did visite him in mercy by his Prophet the promise which God made to him of adding fifteen years to his dayes vers 5. the promise of delivering Jerusalem from the hand of the King of Assyria v. 6. God giving him a sign to confirme what he promised v. 7 2. His apointing a plaister of figs for his recovery v. 21. c. So wilt thou recover me q. d. As thou hast said so wilt thou recover me from my sickness 17. Behold for peace I had great bitternesse i. e. Behold for health I had a great sicknesse He puts peace for health and peace may signifie health per Synecdochen Generis for after the Hebrew manner of speaking peace signifies all prosperity and all good things under which health is contained Again peace may signifie health because in health the humors of the body rage not neither do they so disquiet a man as they do in sickness and there is a great harmony and concord between the elements and the qualities of the body in health which is not in sicknesse And he puts bitternesse for sicknesse by a Metaphor because as bitternesse is grievous to the pallat so is sicknesse to the whole body To my soul i. e. To me A part is put here for the wholeman by a Synecdoche Delivered it i. e. Delivered my soul that is delivered me From the pit of my corruption i. e. From the grave in which the dead bodies corrupt and putrifie For thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy back i. e. For thou hast forgiven me all my sinnes In these words there is contained an elegan◠Metaphor for because we cannot see those things which are behind our backs he saith thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy back for thou beholdest not my sinnes and those sinnes which God seeth not nor beholdes he is said to pardon See Psal 51.9 Note that in the Scripture phrase God is said to forgive a man his sinnes when he takes away any punishment from him which he either feareth or suffereth by reason of his sinnes And here because he took away that grievous sicknesse which he had inflicted upon Hezekiah for his sins he is said to cast all his sins behind his back or to forgive him all his sins See Notes Cap. 33.24 18. For the grave cannot praise thee i. e. For the dead which lye in the grave cannot praise thee He puts the grave for the dead which lye in the grave per Metonymiam Subjecti or Continentis These words shew the end or finall cause why God did forgive Hezekiah his sinnes and deliver his soul from the pit q. d. And therefore didst thou cast all my sinnes behind thy back and deliver my soul from the pit of corruption that I might praise thee for they which are dead cannot praise thee c. Death cannot celebrate thee i. e. The dead cannot celebrate thee He puts death for the dead per Metonymiam Adjuncti They that go down to the pit i. e. The dead which are carried to the grave and there buried Cannot hope for thy truth q. d. Cannot so much as hope for thy truth much lesse can they declare it and praise thee for it The truth of God is to be taken here for the goodnesse and mercy of God shewn to men But the goodnesse and mercy of God in relation to some former promise and to be performed according to that promise Hence we read goodness and truth and mercy often joyned together as Gen. 24.27 and 32.10 and Psal 115.1 why could not they which went down to the pit hope for the Lords truth Answer Because all their thoughts perished Psal 146.4 The living the living he shall praise thee q. d. But the living the living both can and shall praise thee Supple For this thy mercy which thou hast shewed me Note that this Particle He is redundant here as it is often elsewherr and that by an Hebraisme The father to the children shall make known thy truth q. d. Fathers shall make known unto their children the goodnesse and mercy which thou hast shewed to me and shall praise thee for it Thy truth i. e. Thy mercy and goodnesse which thou hast shewn to me in restoring me to my health I said that the truth of God is taken for the mercy and goodness of God but the mercy and goodnesse of God as it is shewed in relation to some former promise v. 18. To what promise therefore doth this relate Answer It relateth to that v. 5. I will adde unto thy dayes fifteen years or it may relate to that promise which God made to David 1 Kings 2.4 For by this mercy of God whereby Hezekiah was redeemed from the grave came Hezekiah to have a Son who succeeded Him in the Thron according to the promise of God made to David 20. The Lord was ready to save me q. d. When I was sick unto death the Lord was ready to save me We will sing i. e. I and my people or I and the fathers and their children v. 19. will sing My songs i. e. The songs which I have made or shall make in the praise of the Lord for his goodnesse and mercy shewed to me In the house of the Lord. i. e. In the Temple 21. For Isaiah
had said let them take a lump of figs I conceive that these words are to be referred to those The Lord was ready to save me as containing a reason why Hezekiah was so confident as to say when he was in most extremity of his sicknesse The Lord is ready to save me q. d. And therefore was Hezekiah so confident when he was most sick as to say The Lord is ready to save me because Isaiah had said let them take a lump of figges and lay it for a plaister upon the boile Let them taks a lump of figs and lay it for a plaister upon the boile Some conjecture from hence that the specificall disease with which Hezekiah laboured at this time was the plague and that the boile here mentioned was the plague-sore or plague-swelling This plaister of figs though some thinke that it had no naturall power for this cure others that is was hurtfull by nature to this boile and that therefore it was the greater miracle that healed it was certainly proper and convenient for this boile yet was there a miracle in it in that it cured the boile more speedily than it could doe by nature Though this plaister be called a plaister of figs yet might it consist of other ingredients as well as figs though figs gave the denomination to the plaister And he shall recover i. e. And Hezekiah shall recover from his sicknesse 22. Hezekiah also had said Supple When Isaiah had told him that the Lord would heal him and that on the third day he should go up to the house of the Lord 2 Kings 20.5 What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord This question Hezekiah asked 2 Kings 20.8 and the sign given him was that the shadow should go back ten degrees in the Diall of Ahaz v. 8. and 2 Kings 20. v. 9 10.11 After these words to wit Hezekiah also had said what is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord We must understand these or the like words and he received this sign of the Lord That the shadow should go ten degrees backward by which it had gone down in the Diall of Ahaz Note that this is no other reason why Hezekiah was so confident as to say The Lord was ready to save me vers 20. ISAIAH CHAP. XXXIX AT that time It was not presently upon Hezekiahs recovery that Merodach-Baladan sent to Hezekiah but a good while after though upon occasion of his recovery wherefore the time here mentioned is not to be strictly taken but with some latitude yet at what time he sent is not very certain for this Relative is often put without an Antecedent Merodach-Baladan the Son of Baladan King of Babylon Who and what this Merodach-Baladan was is much controverted I assent to him who takes him to have been a Mede for the Medes did occupy the Kingdom of Babylon after Esarhaddon Sennacheribs son according to the Prophesies which went concerning the change of that Kingdom Cap. 13.17 and 21.9 though the Medes were afterwards driven out by Nebopolassar the Chaldean the Father of Nabuchodonozer This Merodach was deified for his good deserts Sent letters and a present to Hezekiah It seemeth from hence and from other places that it was an usuall thing between Kings and Princes though they differed in religion to use offices of humanity and to send greeting one to another and to signifie their joy in the prosperity and their griefe in the adversity one of another David did so at the death of Nahash the King of the Ammonites for he sent to Hanun the Son of Nahash to comfort him by the hand of his Servants for his Father 2 Sam. 10.2 And Toi King of Hamath sent Joram his Son with presents to King David to salute him and blesse him when he had sought against Hadadezer and smitten him 2 Sam. 8. v. 9 10. Sent letters The letters here mentioned were not onely gratulatory to joy Hezekiah of his recoverie but the King of Babylon did also enquire by them concerning the miracle of the Suns going back Cap. 38.8 as you may learn 2 Chron. 32.31 And a present This present he sent to joy Hezekiah of his recovery It was usual with Princes when they sent friendly one to another to send gifts and presents and not letters or messages onely for love is better expressed by gifts and presents then by bare words For he heard that he had been sick and recovered Supple Miraculously 2. And Hezekiah was glad of them i. e. And Hezekiah was glad of the letter and of the presents and of the comming of the Ambassadors and therefore was he glad of them because by them he was honored after such a manner of so great a King as also because he thought that Judea would be the safer now because of so great a kings friendship And shewed them i. e. And shewed the Ambassadors of Merodach-Baladan Here is a Relative without an Antecedent And shewed them the house of his precious things c. How rich Hezekiah was and how he abounded in wealth and treasure See 2 Chron. 32.27 But when Hezekiah was brought so poore by Sennacherib as that he was fain to give him all the Silver that was found in the House of the Lord and in the Treasures of the Kings house 2 Kings 18.15 to pay the sum that he laid upon him How came Hezekiah to be so rich in so short time Answ Besides other meanes by which the Lord might enrich Hezekiah Hezekiah was enriched by the spoile of the Assyrians which the Angel slew Cap. 37.36 and by the gifts and presents which were brought to him from all parts 2 Chron. 32.23 That which Hezekiah did here in shewing the Ambassadors of the King of Babylon all his precious things savoured of Vain-glory. And seldome it is that even the best of men can use the temporall blessings of God as they ought And it was not onely vain-glory in Hezekiah thus to doe but want of judgement too for it is dangerous for a Prince to shew his Riches to strangers For this onely thing hath often allured the Barbarous Nations to invade the Roman Empire 3. What said these men And from whence came they unto thee Isaiah asketh these questions that he might take occasion by Hezekiah's Answer to shew Hezekiah his folly Hezekiah said They are come from a far Countrey to me even from Babylon The Prophet asked two Questions But here is mentioned an Answer onely to the last of them And some say that Hezekiah gave answer onely to the last and therefore blames him as though he had omitted that which concerned the glory of God and boasted of that which did make for his owne Renowne But this Interpretation may seem to be too harsh against Hezekiah yet it is written that in the business of the Ambassadours of the Princes of Babylon who sent to him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the Land God left him to
Cap. 4.5 And see Cap. 52. v. 12. where he saith to the Jews The Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rearward For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it i. e. For the Lord hath spoken it who cannot lye and therefore what he hath spoken shall come to pass The Prophet speaks of the Lord as of a man by a Prosopopoeia and puts the mouth which is but part for the whole man by a Synecdoche 3. The voyce of him that cryeth in the wilderness What is meant by these words as they are taken in the first sence and as they concern the Redemption of the Jews out of Babylon ye have heard Now in the second and more sublime sence by the voyce of him that cryeth in the wilderness the Holy Ghost meaneth John the Baptist Mat. 3.3 For as the Cryer here cryeth to the people to prepare the way of the Lord so did John the Baptist cry to the people of his time to repent and so to prepare a way for the coming of the Lord Christ And as the voyce of this Cryer was heard in the wilderness which lay between Babylon and Judea so was the voyce of John heard in a wilderness too to wit the wilderness of Judea Matt. 3.1 Where note that as by the captivity of the Jews in Babylon is signified our spiritual captivity and misery under sin and Satan so by the deliverance of the Jews out of that their captivity is signified our spiritual Redemption by Christ Jesus In the Prophecy therefore of the deliverance of the Jews out of the captivity of Babylon there be many passages which as in a first sence they concern things which appertain to the deliverance of the Jews so in a second sence they concern things which appertain to the Redemption which was wrought by Christ Jesus 6. The voyce said Cry i. e. A voyce said to me Cry And he said what shall I cry i. e. And I said what shall I cry The Prophet speaks of himself here in a third person The like may you read of one speaking of himself in the third person cap. 21. vers 12. All flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field i. e. And the voyce said unto me cry and say with a loud voyce thus All flesh that is all men which are made of flesh are as the grass and all their glory and goodliness is as the flower of the field The Note of similitude is here left to be understood 7. The grass withereth and the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it As when a red burning wind bloweth upon the grass or upon the flower the grass withereth and the flower fadeth because thereof Even so for the Apodosis is left to be understood when God is angry with all or any kinde of flesh that is when he is angry with any men whatsoever they are he can easily consume them even with the breath of his nostrils and they shall perish By the Spirit of God is meant the wind which he brings out of his treasures when he would have it blow Psal 13.7 and yet not any wind but that which the Country-man calls a red wind which bliteth Trees and Herbs and Flowers Surely the people is grass q. d. Surely therefore the people that thou art afraid of even the people of the Babylonians are as grass 8. But the Word of our God shall stand for ever q. d. But the Word of our God shall never fail And therefore the Word whereby he hath spoken comfort to you and promised you deliverance out of the Babylonish captivity shall stand firm and come to pass maugre the Babylonians You may gather by what hath been said what coherence these three last Verses had with the former The coherence is this In the five first Verses the Prophet prophecyeth to the Jews Deliverance out of the Babylonish captivity but the Jews being at this time sore oppressed and seeing themselves weak and the Babylonians strong and mighty in power were like to give but little credence to the Prophets words and despair of ever being delivered That therefore they might lift up their heads and hope for deliverance according to the Word of God and might not fear the strength and mighty power of the Babylonians the Lord did for their sakes by way of prevention shew the Prophet a Vision in which the voyce of the Lord bids the Prophet to tell his Country-men that all flesh and the Babylonians as well as others were as grass therefore they need not fear them or any other men 9. O Sion that bringest good tydings i. e. O Jerusalem that bringest good tydings to the other Cities of Judah c. This seems to begin a new Sermon Sion is taken here for Jerusalem a part for the whole And he speaks to the material Jerusalem as if she were a person indeed as he doth often elsewhere by a Prosopopoeia The good tydings which Sion here brings are mentioned in the tenth and eleventh Verses Get thee up into the high mountain Supple and there proclaim the good tydings which thou bringest that they may be the Father-head O Jerusalem that bringest good tydings c. This is a repetition of the former sentence with which repetition the Prophet is much delighted Say unto the Cities of Judah i. e. Say unto other the Cities of Judah He speaks here of the Cities of Judah as of women by a Prosopopoeia as he did of Sion or Jerusalem Behold your God i. e. Behold your God cometh unto you See Vers 3. 10. Behold the Lord will come with a strong hand Behold the Lord himself will come with a strong hand against the Babylonians who hold us captive and will deliver us out of their hands And his arm shall rule i. e. And he shall now rule He shall rule over us as a King over his Subjects though till now the Babylonians have had dominion over us And he shall rule over the Babylonians as a Lord over his Vassals and a Conqueror over his Enemies though hitherto they have reigned as Conquerors and Lords themselves He speaks here of God as of man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and puts a part to wit the arm for the whole man by a Synecdoche the arm I say wherein the strength of man is most seen For him These words are redundant by an Hebrew elegancy Behold his reward is with him Supple To reward all such of his people as have waited for him And his work i. e. And his reward Work is put here for the reward of a work by a Metonymy And this is a repetition of the former sentence Is before him i. e. Is in a readiness See Cap. 62.11 11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd q. d. He shall bring his people out of Babylon into their own Cities And while he bringeth them he shall be to them as a shepherd is to
setting judgment in the Earth See the like phrase Cap. 7.6 And the Isles shall wait for his Law q. d. And when he hath made known my judgments the inhabitants of the Isles shall look for the fulfilling and accomplishment of these my judgments In such credit shall my servant be By Isles the Hebrews mean not onely those places which are environed with the Sea but those also which are neer to the Sea and to great Rivers and Waters as was said cap. 41. v. 1. Yea every particular Land may be called an Isle as we shewed cap. 20.6 But by Isles here are meant not the Isles themselves but the inhabitants of the Isles by a Metonymy His Law The word Law is sometimes taken in a large sence for any Word of God whatsoever See Notes cap. 1.10 And here it is taken first for the judgments of God denounced then by a Metonymy for the fulfilling or accomplishment of those judgments This testimony from the beginning of the Chapter hitherto the Lord gave of the Prophet that his words might finde the better entertainment with them that should hear him while he lived or read his Writings after his death 5. Thus saith the Lord Thus say I the Lord Supple To my servant Isaiah The Lord speaketh here of himself in the third person And stretched them out Supple Like the curtains of a Tent or Tabernacle to dwell in See cap. 40. v. 22. He that spreadeth forth the Earth and that which cometh out of it i. e. I that made the Earth and all things that spring out of it The Prophet alludeth here to the spreading forth of a sheet or some other cloth or to the spreading forth of a garment which was folded up before see Heb. 1.12 And he alludeth to this while he speaketh of Gods making the Earth and all that cometh out thereof Because when God made the Earth and that which cometh out thereof he made them quanta that is he gave them quantity and extension so soon as ever he gave them their substantial Being And spirit to them that walk therein i. e. And Breath to every living creature Spirit is taken here for Breath Therein i. e. Thereon The Lord doth here magnifie his power First That he might the more encourage his Prophet in the execution of that business on which he sets him Secondly That all men may be the better perswaded of the event of what he foretels Thirdly That he might shew himself to be greater then the gods of the Heathen who worshipped Idols 6. I the Lord have called thee i. e. I the Lord have called thee O Isaiah my servant to do the work which I have appointed for thee to do In righteousness i. e. In good-will towards thee or in that wise that thou shalt see my goodness towards thee whilest thou art doing that work to which I have called thee Righteousness is put here for goodness as it is also cap. 41.10 I will hold thine hand i. e. I will preserve thee Supple Until thou hast done all my work Concerning the reason of this phrase see cap. 41.10 And give thee for a Covenant of the people These words must needs be figuratively that is Metonymically understood The meaning therefore of these words is this q.d. I will give thee to be a Remembrancer of my people the Jews that thou mayst put them in minde of the Covenant which they their fathers made with me and they have broken and to be a means to them to renew their Covenant again For a light of the Gentiles i. e. And for a light to the Gentiles Tò And is here to be understood Isaiah was a light to the Gentiles in that he shewed them the vanity of the Idols which they worshipped and taught them that there was but one God who created Heaven and Earth And this he doth in many places of this Book of his Prophecy 7. To open the blinde eyes i. e. To instruct those which are ignorant yea very ignorant ignorant of the Vanity of Idols and ignorant of the Unity of the Godhead c. By eyes he meaneth the eyes of the understanding which are blinde through ignorance Note that these words To open the blind eyes relate to those words which went immediately before viz. For a light to the Gentiles To bring out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house i. e. And to bring my people the Jews which are in captivity in Babylon out of that their captivity Tò And is here to be understood Note that these words To bring the prisoners from the prisons and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house relate to those words of the sixth Verse I will give thee for a Covenant of the people The Prophet speaks here of the captivity of the Jews as of an Imprisonment and compares the Land of their captivity to a prison both because they could no more get out thence then a prisoner can get out of a prison as also because it was as irksom to them as a prison is to a prisoner Yea it may be that many of them were shut up in houses and there kept to hard work as in prisons The Prophet is therefore said to bring the prisoners out of prison that is the Jews out of their captivity because he did by his admonitions bring the Jews to think of the Covenant which they had broken and the sins which they had committed and bewail them and amend their lives and renew their Covenant with God which moved God to free them and deliver them out of captivity and bring them to their own Land again But you will say that Isaiah was dead before the Jews were carryed captive into Babylon which was a long time before their delivery thence How then could he so admonish them as that they should repent them of their sins and amend their lives and renew their Covenant with God by his Admonitions and so move God to deliver them Ans Though Isaiah were dead yet might he be said to admonish them because of his Writings which he directed to them by a Prophetique Spirit So Moses though he was dead many years before was said to command the Jews which lived in our Saviours time Mark 10.3 And so the Jews called themselves Moses's Disciples Joh. 9.28 And them that sit in darkness out of the prison house Though darkness be oftentimes put figuratively for misery and affliction yet I conceive that the Prophet alludeth here to prisons which use to be dark having but few windows and those small ones too that the walls of the prison might be the stronger and especially to Dungeons which are under ground Note that this is but a repetition of the former sentence 8. I am the Lord q. d. I am the Lord the onely God which created Heaven and Earth who am of my self but give Being to all things c. That is my Name i. e. That is the Name
them to Baal and other â—trange gods With thy sacrifices Supple Of the greaâ—er Cattel as Bullocks c. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering i. e. I have not been so highly esteemed of thee as that thou hast troubled thy selâ— or burdened thy self with offerings for me The Cause here mentioned is the final Cause that is the Cause for whose or which sake we do any thing The offering here spoken of is such an offering as is called the meat-offering Levit. 2. v. 1. And to serve signifieth to trouble or to burden a mans self because servitude is troublesom or burdensom to all Nor wearyed thee with incense i. e. Neither hast thou wearyed thy self for my sake in bringing Incense unto me Incense or frankincense was wont to be put upon the meat-offering Lev. 2.1 24. Thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with mony This kinde of sweet Cane grew in Arabia and being burned yielded a sweet smell This sweet Cane or sweet Calamus was an ingredient which went to the composition of the holy Oyl mentioned Exod. 30. v. 23. But besides the use which was of sweet Cane in the composition of that Oyl it is conceived that the Jews were wont to use sweet Cane and to burn it for a perfume to the honor of God and that they gather as from other places so from Jer. 6.20 And to this they think that the Prophet alludeth here Neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices Whatsoever the sacrifice was the fat thereof was to be burned to the Lord Lev. 3.16 Neither hast thou filled me i. e. Neither hast thou delighted me This filling is properly the filling of a mans self with wine or strong drink which because it is delightful to the drinker it signifieth here delight and to be filled therewith signifieth to be therewith delighted Note that what this people are here accused of for not doing to the Lord is intimated that they did to Idols and strange gods But thou hast made me to serve with thy sins i. e. But thou hast troubled me and burdened me with thy sins To serve See Vers 23. to which this place answereth Thou hast wearyed me with thine iniquities See cap. 1.14 Note that this latter part of the Verse alludeth to the latter part of Vers 23. by way of opposition 25. I even I am he q. d. Yet nevertheless I even I am he Which blotteth out thy transgressions i. e. Which seeing thy repentance will forget and forgive all thy sins This phrase is Metaphorical and taken from a Creditor which being satisfied by his Debtor blotteth out his Debt out of his Debt-book By which Metaphor sins and transgressions are also called debts Mat. 6. vers 12. For mine own sake i. e. Not for thy merits but for my mercies sake And will not remember thy sins To wit So as to persist to punish thee for them but they shall be in that regard as if they were blotted out of my remembrance 26. Put me in remembrance q. d. But thou dost object and say against what I said vers 22 23 24. That thou hast called upon me and that thou hast brought me the small cattel of thy burnt-offerings and that thou hast honored me with thy sacrifices and that thou hast served me with thine offerings and thine incense and that thou hast bought sweet Cane for me with thy mony Put me therefore in remembrance when thou didst any of these things Note that the Prophet aymeth especially at those Jews which lived in the days of Manasseh King of Judah of whom read 2 King 21.9 Let us plead together q. d. And whereas I said that thou hast made me to serve with thy sins and that thou hast wearyed me with thine iniquities Vers 25. And thou sayst that thou didst never make me to serve with thy sins nor weary me with thine iniquities but hast been always observant of me and therefore I gave thee over into the Babylonians hands undeservedly come let us plead together Let us plead together i. e. Let us argue the case in open Court and do thou bring Arguments to prove that thou wast always observant of me and that I gave thee into the hands of the Babylonians undeservedly And I will bring Arguments to prove that thou hast made me to serve with thy sins and wearyed me with thine iniquities so that thou wast deservedly given over into the Babylonians hands Declare thou i. e. Lay open thy case and bring proofs of thine innocency and of this that thou hast suffered captivity undeservedly The term here used is a Law-term That thou mayst be justified i. e. That thou mayst be pronounced just in this controversie and that thou hast the better Cause This is also a Law-term used of him for whom the cause is judged Note here that these men had nothing to say for themselves but stood mute wherefore the Lord declares his Cause in the next Verse that he might be justified in this his dealing with these men 27. Thy first Father hath sinned i. e. Thy King hath sinned c. By this King is meant especially Manasseh the son of Hezekiah King of Judah for whose sins Judah was given into the hands of the Babylonians Jer. 15.4 Of Manasses sins you may read 2 Kings cap. 21. A King is often called Father yea every Ruler may be called a Father see cap. 22.21 And because a King is the chiefest among Rulers he may be called the first Father that is first in place and dignity before all other Rulers For a thing may be called first not onely in regard of time but also in regard of place and dignity And thy Teachers i. e. The Priests and Levites and Prophets Have transgressed against me i. e. Have sinned against God And if their King and their Teachers have sinned against God surely the common people who are led by the example of their Kings and Teachers have not been righteous 28. I have profaned the Princes of the Sanctuary God is said to have profaned the Princes of the Sanctuary because he took away the hedge of his protection from them and the rest of his people by which he separated them from the Nations and layd them open to be spoyled by the Babylonians In this sence is the word to profane taken Psal 89.39 and to pollute Isai 47.6 and Lament 2.2 For understanding of which words know that to profane and pollute are opposed to to sanctifie and that to be profaned and polluted are opposed to to be holy If we rightly therefore understand the notion of the words sanctifie and holy we may understand the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pollute and to profane To sanctifie therefore signifieth onely to separate by way of preheminence and excellency or dignity and to be holy signifieth to be so separated When therefore God hath a peculiar care of a people and doth separate and put a difference between them and others by
his care and protection of them above others he may be said to sanctifie them and they which are thus separated may be said to be sanctified and holy See Notes cap. 4.3 As God therefore may be said to sanctifie a people when he separates them and puts a difference between them and others by his care and protection So when he deprives them of the care and protection which once he afforded them he may be said to profane them or pollute them The Princes of the Sanctuary By the Princes of the Sanctuary understand the chief Priests which ministred in the Temple and ordered things concerning the worship of God there who were called the Princes of the Sanctuary because they had inferior Priests and Levites and Nethinims to serve and attend them in their high Calling And given Jacob to the curse i. e. And have given the children of Jacob the Jews to destruction By Jacob understand the Jews the children of Jacob by a Metonymy And the curse here spoken of is such a curse whereby the thing accursed or the the thing given to the curse was to be destroyed as Josh 6.17 How Jacob that is how many of the Jews which were the children of Jacob were killed and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and his servants see 2 King 25. v. 7 21 c. And Israel i. e. And the Jews the children of Jacob who also was called Israel To reproaches i. e. To the reproach of their Enemies who in their captivity taunted them jeered them and reproached them ISAIAH CHAP. XLIV YEt now hear O Jacob c. This is to be continued with the former Chapter And the sence is q. d. But although I have profaned the Princes of the Sanctuary and have given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproach because of their sins yet now seeing your repentance Hear O Jacob my servant O Jacob my servant By Jacob he meaneth the Jews which were the children of Jacob the same also he meaneth by Israel 2. That made thee and formed thee from the womb i. e. That made thee a people from the first time that thou wast a people He speaks not of the making and forming of any one particular man which is made and formed in his mothers womb but of the making of a company of men into a people or Body politique yet he aliudes to the making and framing of a man in the womb of his mother Which will help thee Supple In all thy misery and distress Fear not Supple The Babylonians and their gods though thou art a Captive and hardly used in the Land of thy captivity For I will deliver thee and they shall not be able to hinder me See vers 8. And thou Jesurun This name Jesurun is taken out of Deut. 32. vers 15. where Moses gives it to the people of Israel and it signifieth right And it is therefore given to that people because God called them to lead a right or upright life and conversation Yet some think it to be an Hebrew diminutive of the Hebrew word Israel and to signifie as much as Little Israel as though the Lord had called his people here by a diminutive name as Fathers use to call their little children 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty The four sentences contained in this Verse signifie all one and the same thing namely That though the Jews were at this time in a poor decayed estate yet God would so bless them as that they should be delivered out of it and should revive and flourish again As the dry and thirsty ground though it be unpleasant and ill-favored to see to while it is so yet being watered it is hereby refreshed and recovereth its greenness and is clothed again with its former lustre I will pour water c. by water is meant rain the plenty whereof is signified by the word pour Vpon him i. e. Upon every Jew He speaketh of a Jew here as of a ground Metaphorically Vpon him that is thirsty i. e. Upon him that is as a thirsty Land that is upon him that is in misery and wants comfort Note that the thirstiness here mentioned is not the thirstiness of a man which is hot and dry and desireth drink to quench his thirst but the dryness of the ground for a dry ground is also called a thirsty ground Cap. 35.7 And to such a ground is the Jew in the depth of his misery and captivity here compared And floods upon the dry ground This is a repetition of the former sentence I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed i. e. I will greatly bless thy children By the Spirit of God is here meant Gods blessing as may appear by the following words which are but a repetition of these And the blessing of God is called the Spirit of God by a Metonymy because it proceedeth from the Spirit of God or from God who is a Spirit By seed are meant here children per Metonymiam Materiae 4. And they shall spring up as among the grass i. e. They shall spring up as young Trees or Plants among the grass which have moysture enough to nourish them and make them flourish 5. One shall say I am the Lords c. q. d. Such blessings will I pour upon them as that they shall confess that I am their God and that they are my servants because of the care I have of them and the favors that I shew to them though now they say My way is bid from the Lord my judgment is passed over from my God as Cap. 40. v. 27. I am the Lords Supple Servant And therefore shall call himself the Lords servant because he shall be sensible of the care which God hath of him and the blessing which he bestoweth upon him and shall in way of recompence resolve to serve the Lord so long as he shall live Another shall call himself by the name of Jacob And therefore shall he call himself by the name of Jacob because he shall see that the Lord hath as great respect to him as he had to Jacob and because he shall resolve to serve the Lord for the blessings which the Lord hath bestowed upon him as Jacob vowed to serve the Lord and did accordingly Gen. 28.21 Another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord Supple That he is his servant and will serve him And sirname himself by the name of Israel Israel is the name of Jacob and it was given to him because of the power which he had with God and prevailed with him Gen. 32.28 For the same reason as one named himself by the name of Jacob in the former part of this Verse doth another sirname himself by the name of Israel in this latter part And for the same reason as one said I am the Lords for the same reason doth the other subscribe with his hand unto the Lord. 6. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel That the Jews might the more firmly believe what the Lord had
to wit light and darkness peace and evil It may be asked Why the Lord doth here mention this That he is the Author of prosperity and adversity c. Ans He doth it that that which he promiseth in the next following Verse may be received with the greater credit and that it may be known that he is able to do what there he promiseth 8. Drop down ye Heavens from above What the Lord would have the Heavens to drop down is mentioned in the words following to wit Righteousness By the Heavens are meant the Skies Under this commâ—nd which he gives to the Heavens and to the Skies there lieth a divine promise for what the Lord commands the Heavens and the Skies to do that he will bring to pass himself Let the Skies pour down Righteousness q. d. Yea let the Skies pour down Righteousness And is put here for Yea and in the word pour down there is an emphasis And thâ—se words seem to be a correction of the former By this the Lord sheweth the abundance of righteousness which he would send which he compareth here to rain in abundance Righteousness By righteousness is meant the deliverance and salvatiâ—n whereby the Jews were delivered and saved out of the hands of the Babylonians and other the blessings which he bestowed upon them after their delivery and salvation And this deliverance and salvation and these blessings thâ— Lord calls righteousness per Metonymiam Efficientis because they were an effect of his righteâ—usness that is of his fidelity or faithfulness in keeping promise for God had promised to deliver the Jews and to save them out of the hands of the Babylonians and to bless them exceedingly Again This deliverance and salvation and these blessings might also be called righteousness because they were an effect of the righteousness that is of the justice of God for it was a righteous and just thing with God to comfort his people and to deliver them and to bless them and to destroy their Enemies when they had received at his hands double for all their sins as Cap. 40. vers 1 2. See 2 Thess cap. 1. vers 6 7. Note that when he saith Let the Skies pour down righteousness he compareth righteousness to the rain And though righteouâ—ness be the fruit which should spring out of the Earth by this rain yet he calls this rain by the name of righteousness because righteousness was produced thereby So we usually say of a sweet showre that it raineth grass because it causeth the grass to grow out of the ground in great abundance But you will say What is then meant by the Heavens or the Skies and their rain and what is meant by the Earth Ans Similitudes and Metaphors must not be racked and every part examined but enough it is if we understand the whole meaning by the whole but yet by the Heavens and by the Eâ—rth Cyruâ— may be understood here who delivered the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity and enriched them greatly and gave them many priviledges and by the rain may be mâ—â—nt those means which Cyrus usâ—d fâ—r this purpose Let the Earth open i. e. And let the Earth open to receive what the Skieâ— pour down This Conjunction And is here to be understood And let them bring forth Salvation i. e. And let the Skies and the Earth togethâ—r bring forth salvation as the Earth and the Heavens by their showres bring forth grass By salvation understand here meerly the delivery of the Jews out of tâ—e hands of the Babylonians by Cyrus And let righteousness spring up together i. e. And let righteousness spring up by their concourse that is by the concourse of the Heavens and of the Earth together with it that is together with salvation That rigâ—teousness and salvation may not signifie the same thing in this place I conceive that righteousness is to be taken here in a more strict signification then it was taken before in this Verse and that here it signifieth onely those blessings which the Lord bestowed upon tâ—e Jews by Cyrus after he had delivered them or saved them out of the hands of the Babylonians whereas in the former part of the Verse it signified both that salvation or deliverance and those blessings too I the Lord have created it i. e. I the Lord have appointed it to bâ— so or I the Lord will create that is I will bring it to pass or I will have it so In this last sence a preterperfect is put for a futâ—re tense 9. Wo unto hiâ— that striveth with his Maker This is spoken to the unbelieving and murmuâ—ing Jew For the unbelieving and murmuring Jew hearing God say Drop down ye Heavenâ— and let the Skies pour down righâ—â—ousâ—â—ss might out of an unbelieving heart murmur against God and say to him Thou sayst Drop down ye Heavens from above c. but thou art not able to make the Heavens drop down or the Skies to pour down righteousness as thou sayst Wherefore the Lord doth by way of prevention first reprove those men for their sauciness and murmuring against him in Vers 9 10. and then in vers 11. he assureth them that are believing of his power and love to them and that he can and will deliver them and save them and bless them as he said Vers 8. Vnto him that striveth with his Maker i. e. Wo to him that speaketh against God to his face even against God which made him for God will rebuke him for it This strife is a strife of words Let the potsheard strive with the potsheard of the Earth q. d. Let one potsheard strive with another and let it not strive with the Potter and let one man strive with another and not with God who made him Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it What makest thou i. e. Shall the Clay contemn the Potter and say to him in contempt What makest thou If he should say so to the Potter the Potter would break it presently in pieces What makest thou This is spoke with contempt as though the Potter could not make an handsom pot q. d. What goest thou about to make dost thou go about to make a neat or handsom pot that 's past thy skill Or thy wâ—rk Or shall thy work O Pâ—tter say of thee He useth an Apostrophe here to the Potter He hath no hands Supple Able or cunning enough to make an handsom vessel When he saith He hath no hands he doth not say absolutely that he hath no hands but relatively that is he hath not hands fit or cunning enough to make an handsom vessel 10. Wo to him that saith to his Father What begettest thou q. d. Wo to him that being born lame or blinde or deformed saith to his Father What begettest thou Thou hast begotten a lame or blinde or deformed childe but thou canst not beget a well-favored and perfect childe Or to the Woman Supple Which brought him forth that is to his Mother What hast thou
brought forth q. d. Thou hast brought forth a lame or blinde or deaf or deformed childe but thou canst not bring forth a childe which is of perfect limbs and senses and which is well-favored Whosoever shall say this to his Father or his Mother Wo be to him for certainly the Lord will judge him for this his repining and irreverent speech against his Parents And if they shall not escape judgement which thus repine and murmur and shew themselves thus irreverent against their Parents much lesse shall they escape which doe irreverently repine and murmur against God 11. Thus saith the Lord c. The Lord having in the two former verses reprehended the murmuring Jew for repining and striving against him doth here assure the meek and believing Jew of his love to his people and his ability to deliver them and blesse them confirming what he said vers 8. And his maker i. e. And the maker of Israel The Lord is said to be the maker of Israel because he made Israel that is the children of Israel to be a People yea a peculiar people to himself But he speaks here of them as of a single person and alludeth to a Potter making a vessel Ask me of things to come concerning my sons i. e. Ask me how mercifully and well I will deal with the children of Israel which are my sons in time to come though now they be captives My sons The Lord called the children of Israel his sons because he delt with them as a father doth with his sons And concerning the work of my hands command ye me This is a repetition of the former sentence Concerning the work of my hands Whom he called his sons in the former Verse he calls the work of his hands here even the children of Israel and he calls them the work of his hands in allusion to a Potter because he was their Maker that is because it was he which made them a people Command ye me Supple To tell you what I intend to do with or for the work of my hands This is like that speech of Moses to Pharaoh Exod. 8.9 Glory over me c. though it be from a more worthy person And God speaks of himself as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12. I have made the Earth c. Between this and the former Verse something is left to be understood that the sence may be this viz. And what I shall tell you concerning my sons and the work of my hands I shall be able to bring to pass for that you may not doubt of my power know that I have made the Earth c. What therefore is too hard for me I with my hands have stretched out the Heavens i. e. I even I made the Heavens with my hands Where note that the Heavens were not first made and afterwards stretched out like a curtain but their substance and expansion were created both at once When he saith my hands he speaks of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and alludes to a work-man who doth what he doth by the skill and strength of his hands And all their host have I commanded i. e. And all the Stars of the Heavens have I created By the host of the Heavens he meaneth the Sun and Moon and Stars which he calleth an host because of their number and order in which regard they are like to an Host or Army He saith I commanded them for I created them for he commanded and they were created Psal 148.5 He said Let there be lights in the firmament of the Heaven c. and it was so Gen. 1.14 15 16 By this also he may signifie the command and power which he hath over the Host of Heaven for when he calls unto them they stand up together cap. 48.13 13. I have raised him up in righteousness i. e. I will raise up Cyrus according to my word and my promise A preterperfect tense is put here for a future Him That is Cyrus A Relative is put here without an Antecedent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In righteousness i. e. For my righteousness sake In is put here for For And by righteousness is meant that righteousness which is observed in keeping promise which is commonly called fidelity and truth Note here that when God bad his people to ask him what he would do concerning his sons and the work of his hands in time to come vers 11. that it is to be supposed that his people did ask him that question and upon their asking he gives them an answer here saying I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness and I will direct all his ways he shall build my City c. I will direct all his ways i. e. I will direct him in all his ways They cannot go amiss or have any other then good success in their ways whom God directeth He shall build my City i. e. He shall build Jerusalem which the Caldees have burnt down Cyrus is said to have built Jerusalem because he furnished the Jews with power and necessaries to build it My City Jerusalem is called the City of God because he chose it for the place of his worship Psal 132.13 And he shall let go my Captives i. e. And when he hath overcome Babylon he shall let go those children of Israel which are my sons which were there in captivity Not for price nor reward q. d. And though he let them go he shall ask no ransom of them but shall let them go freely 14. Thus saith the Lord the labor of Egypt c. In the former Verse the Lord said that Cyrus would let his captives go not for price nor for reward therefore here the Lord saith that because Cyrus would let his Captives go not for price or reward that he the Lord would reward him for this his magnificence to his captives for the Lord is never behind-hand with them that serve him The labor of Egypt i. e. Those riches which the Egyptians have got by their labor And the merchandize of Aethiopia i. e. And the wealth which the Aethiopians have got by their merchandize And of the Sabeans men of stature i. e. And the wealth of the Sabeans though they be men of a great stature and therefore lusty and strong and like to preserve their own Shall come over unto thee i. e. Shall come from being theirs to be thine And they shall be thine i. e. And the Aegyptians Aethiopians and Sabeans themselves shall be thine They shall come after thee in chains they shall come over q. d. Yea the Aegyptians and Aethiopians and Sabeans themselves shall submit themselves to thee and yield to thy mercy They shall come after thee Entreating thy mercy or entreating thee to accept of them for thy people In chains shall they come over i. e. They shall come to thee with chains on their hands or necks or feet as Captives to shew their humble submission to thee In chains They that were
taken Captives in War were wont to have chains put upon them either for their more safe custody or for a sign of servitude And to this the Prophet doth here allude These men here spoken of came with chains upon them to Cyrus as Benhadads Messengers came to Ahab King of Israel with ropes upon their heads the more to shew their submission and the more to encline the King to pity 1 Kings cap. 20. vers 32. Shall they come over These words signifie a voluntary yielding and submission to one part by leaving and deserting another Xenophon writes of Cyrus that he did not onely conquer many people by force but that many people did voluntarily and of their own accord come in and surrender themselves unto him They shall fall down unto thee i. e. They shall adore thee as their Prince by casting themselves down before thee to the ground This manner of Adoration was ancient among the people of the East yet Arrianus writeth that Cyrus was the first of the Persians who was thus adored They shall make supplication unto thee i. e. They shall make their humble request unto thee for thy favor toward them Surely God is in thee i. e. Sure God is with thee and assisteth thee in all thy expeditions and enterprizes And there is none else there is no God i. e. And there is none other God but he which is with thee and assisteth thee For as for the gods which other people trust in they are not gods for they cannot deliver their people out of thine hands 15. Verily thou art a God which hidest thy self O God of Israel the Saviour i. e. O God of Israel thou which savest thy people Israel out of the hands of the Babylonians by Cyrus thou art a God which we Aegyptians and Aethiopians and Sabeans knew not of before this time neither do we yet perfectly know thee This is an Apostrophe of the Aegyptians and Aethiopians and Sabeans to God who came to have some knowledg of the God of Israel partly by this Prophecy partly by the Proclamation which Cyrus made Ezra 1.2 16. They shall be ashamed and confounded all of them i. e. The Babylonians or Caldeans which hold my people captive shall be ashamed and confounded all of them They which gloryed in their power and thought themselves invincible are mightily ashamed and confounded when they are overcome He saith Therefore they shall be ashamed and confounded all of them because they shall be overcome by Cyrus notwithstanding their great strength By they he meaneth the Babylonians or Caldeans where he puts a Relative without an Antecedent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Note that these words have their immediate connexion with the thirteenth Verse and that which is contained in the fourteenth and fifteenth verses was brought in by the By to shew how bountifully the Lord would deal with Cyrus for his noble dealing with his people They shall go to confusion together which are makers of Idols i. e. The Babylonians which are makers and worshippers of Idols shall be ashamed and confounded all of them for they shall be overcome by Cyrus and their Idols shall not help them Together i. e. All of them See cap. 1. vers 28. Which are makers of Idols By makers of Idols understand not onely who made them but those also which worshipped them by a Syllepsis And he calleth the Babylonians makers of Idols in opposition to Israel who worshipped the true God 17. But Israel By Israel understand the Jews which were captives to the Babylonians who were the children of Israel that is of Jacob and who worshipped the Lord onely Shall be saved Out of the hands of the Babylonians and enjoy freedom and peace In the Lord i. e. By the power and goodness of the Lord. With an everlasting salvation That is often called Everlasting by an Hyperbole which is onely of long durance though it shall have an end So Circumcision is called an Everlasting Covenant Gen. 17.13 And the Priest-hood of Aaron is called an Everlasting Priest-hood Exod. 40.15 Ye shal not be ashamed and confounded world without end i. e. Yee shall be redeemed out of Captivity and when yee are once redeemed yee shall not be carried away Captives any more Because Captivity causeth shame therefore he saith Yee shall not be ashamed and confounded for yee shall not be carried into Captivity or come into your enemies hands any more He useth an Apostrophe here to the Jewes 18. He hath established it i. e. The Lord hath made the Land of Judah stable and sure By It understand the Land of Judah in particular where there is a Relative without an expresse Antecedent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Note here that the third person is put for the first by an Enallage for the Lord speaketh here of himself◠He created it not in vaine i. e. The Lord did not creat it for no end but for a good end and purpose But for what end and purpose did the Lord creat it Ans He did creat it that it might be inhabited He formed it to be inhabited i. e. The Lord formed the Land of Judah that it might be inhabited And it shall be inhabited by them to whom he gave it to wit by the Children of Judah which shall return out of Captivity to dwell there I am the Lord And therefore am able to doe this i. e. to save Israel with an everlasting salvation as it is verse 17. and to establish the Land of Judah and make it to be inhabited as it is in this verse And there is none else i. e. And there is no God else and therefore none able to hinder me from what I will doe 19. I have not spoken in secret in a darke place of the earth q. d. I am not like the gods of the Heathen which yet are not gods but devills who speake that they might not seem to be dumbe but yet they speake in remote places and darke Dens and Caves of the Earth that they might not be understood But what I speake either to or concerning my people I speake openly and plainly I said not to the seed of Jacob seeke yee me in vaino i. e. When I made choyce of the children of Jacob to serve me I did not say that they should serve me for nought but I promised them great rewards for serving me Such as the gods of the Heathen could not give to their servants To the seed of Jacob i. e. To the children of Israel Seed is put here for Children Per Metonymiam materiae Seeke yee me i. e. Serve me and worship me I the Lord speake righteousnesse q. d. When I promise rewards to my servant◠and say that I will doe such and such things for them I doe not tell a lye as the Gods of the Heathen doe but speake that which is true for I doe what I speake Righteousnesse By righteousnesse is here meant Truth I declare things that are right This is a Repetition of the
with him To these therefore doth the Lord speak here averring that he would make it good which he had spoken concerning the Delivery of his people though they would not be induced to believe it Ye stout-hearted i. e. Ye whose hearts are so stout as that they will not submit to the truth of Gods Promise to believe it To believe is a kinde of submitting and captivating the understanding 2 Cor. 10. vers 5. That are far from Righteousness i. e. Which are far from performing your promise and therefore ye think that I am as false as your selves By righteousness is here meant fidelity or faithfulness in keeping promise The Jews the children of Israel did often promise to obey the Lord and to keep his Commandments as Deut. 5.27 28. Psal 78.34 2 King 23.3 But they did not do according to their promise but sinned against the Lord therefore he calls them here men far from righteousness 13. I bring neer my righteousness i. e. The time is neer at hand in which I will fulfil the promise which I have made of redeeming my people out of captivity By righteousness is here meant the things promised and performed according to promise the performance whereof is from the righteousness that is from the truth and fidelity of the promise per Metonymiam Efficientis of which he here speaketh as of things then existent and subsistent but onely afar off And my salvation i. e. And the Salvation which I will work for my people which are in captivity at Babylon I will place salvation in Sion i. e. I will make Sion a place of safety where my people shall dwell safe when I have brought them out of Captivity By Sion is meant Jerusalem He speaks of salvation as of a corporeal and visible thing or as of a person set to guard or protect a place by a Metaphor or Prosopopoeia For Israel i. e. For the Jews sake or for the good of the Jews which are the children of Israel My glory The Jews are here called Gods glory per Metonymiam Materiae because the Lord would get himself great glory by saving and delivering them out of captivity ISAIAH CHAP. XLVII COme down and sit in the dust O Virgin Daughter of Babylon By the Daughter of Babylon is here meant the City of Babylon of which kinde of phrase see Cap. 1. Vers 8. He speaks here to the City of Babylon yea the material City as to a woman yea as to a Queen by a Prosopopoeia and prophecyeth here of the overthrow thereof And he speaks of it as of a Queen because the Babylonians had the Empire at this time Come down From thy Throne or Chair of State Sit in the dust To sit in the dust or on the ground is a posture of those which are in misery and sorrow Sit on the ground This is a repetition of those words sit in the dust The Imperative mood here is put for a Future tense q. d. Thou shalt come down and sit in the dust O Virgin Daughter of Babylon thou shalt sit on the ground There is no Throne O Daughter of the Caldeans i. e. There is no Throne or Chair of State to wit for thee to sit on O Babylon for Cyrus hath taken it away O Daughter of the Caldeans Babylon was seated in Caldea and therefore is called the Daughter of the Caldeans after the Hebrew manner of speaking who call a City a Daughter See cap. 1.8 For thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate i. e. For thou shalt not be any more tender and dainty but shalt now be used to much hardness Be called tender and delicate i. e. Be tender and delicate for the Hebrews use to be called very often for simply to be Note that these words For thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate relate not to those that go immediately before viz. to those There is no throne O Daughter of the Caldeans but to those Sit in the dust O Virgin Daughter of Babylon sit on the ground 2. Take the milstones and grinde meal q. d. Prepare thy self for servile works such as Conquerors put their slaves and captives to To grinde corn was wont to be the work of slaves and of the baser sort of servants not of such as were tender and delicate See Exod. 11.5 Take the milstones i. e. Take hold of the mill The milstones are put here for the whole mill by a Synecdoche Vncover thy locks that is Cast away thy Diadem and precious covering which thou wearest upon thy curled locks and go bare-headed with thine hair about thine ears q. d. Thou hast now a Diadem upon thine head and a precious covering for thy locks but thy Diadem and thy precious covering shall be pull'd off from thy head by the Persian Soldiers and thou shalt go bare-headed with thine hair about thine ears Make bare the leg i. e. Take off the ornaments of thy legs q. d. The Persian Soldiers shall pillage thee of thy stockens and of the ornaments of thy legs so that thou shalt have neither shooe nor stocken to wear but shalt go bare-legged Vncover the thigh i. e. Lay aside your long-trained Robes and put on Coats which will not reach to thy knees q. d. The Persian Soldiers shall take away thy Robes and long Gowns and shall give thee a poor short Coat in stead thereof In these expressions he alludes to the manner of Soldiers which if they take an Enemy well apparelled do pillage him and strip him thereof and give him poor vile garments or none at all in stead thereof So that these phrases Vncover thy locks make bare the legs uncover the thigh are passively to be understood though they be actively expressed Pass over the Rivers i. e. Go through thick and thin yea through Rivers and waters too if need be q. d. You would not adventure to set the sole of your foot to the ground for fear of wet heretofore but now you shall be made to wade through rivers and waters They that lead away captives into captivity when they come to waters stay not for the going of their captives one by one over a bridg but force them through the rivers on foot like so many beasts while they themselves go over the bridg or ride through the river on horseback 3. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered This is a repetition or explication of those words Vncover thy locks make bare thy legs uncover thy thighs q. d. Thy naked body shall be seen for want of clothing Yea thy shame shall be seen Yea which is yet more thy privy members shall be seen for want of clothes to cover them I will take vengeance Supple On thee as a God The Prophet speaks this in the person of God And will not meet thee as a man i. e. And in taking of vengeance I will not meet with thee as a man which is but weak flesh whose force may be resisted but as a God who is a Spirit and
generis For every one that maketh mention of a mans name doth not call him though every one which calleth him by name maketh mention of his name Note that Gods calling of him by name sheweth that he was in high favour with God and that he had a great office in his house See Cap. 45.3 Note that the Prophet doth very much magnifie himselfe for the favour which he had with God from this to verse 8. And this he doth first that by shewing the glory of the Type he might set forth the greater glory of the Antitype Secondly that the message which he is sent about might the more willingly and believingly be received and embraced 2. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp Sword The Lord made the Prophets mouth as a sharpe sword by putting his word into his mouth or because of his word which proceeded out of his mouth For the word of God is as a Sword Ephes 6.17 Yea sharper then any two edged Sword Heb. 4.12 The word oâ— God is likened to a Sword First because it pierceth the very heart Examples whereof yee have Act. 2.37 and 7.54 Secondly because it separateth between vertue and vice by teaching what is good and what is evill Thirdly because it cutteth off sinne by the threats which are therein contained against sinners and by the promises which are thereby made to those which forsake sinne Fourthly because it cuts off errour and heresy by teaching the truth In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me i. e. He will preserve me and keepe me safe from those that persecute me Supple that they shall not destroy me untill I have finished the whole work which I have to doe The Prophet alludeth to a man which when he would keep a thing safe while he hath it in his hand closeth his hand and so keepeth it which he doth as it were hide it therein By the shadow therefore of the hand he meaneth the hollow of the hand which being closed becommeth darke as a shadow He that can span the heavens with his hand Cap. 48.23 And measure the waters in the hollow thereof Cap. 40.22 He can hide the Prophet in his hand with ease Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted said Stephen to the Jewes Act. 7.52 It is but needfull therefore that God should hide this his Prophet in the shadow of his hand to preserve him while he hath finished the worke about which he hath sent him And he made me a polished shaft i. e. And he made me as a polished Arrow whose feathers are trimmed that it may flye the better and whose head is scoured that it may pierce the deeper As the mouth of the Prophet was likened to a sharpe Sword a little before So is he himselfe here likened to a polished shaft or Arrow and that for the same reason to wit because of the word of God which was given him in charge which word as it was compared to a Sword before so it is here compared to an Arrow because as an Arrow pierceth the heart So doth the word of God And as an Arrow killeth and destroyeth So doth the word of God kill and destroy sinne and errour If there be any difference here between the meaning of the Sword and the Arrow it consisteth in this that the mouth of the Prophet is called a Sword because of the word which he had to speake to the Jewes who were neere to him for a Sword is a weapon that is used against those that are nigh at hand And he is called a Shaft or an Arrow because of the word which he had to speake to the Gentiles who were remote from him for a Shaft or an Arrow is a weapon which is used at a distance In his Quiver hath he hid me i. e. He will hide me from those which persecute me and keepe me safe from their fury This phrase is the same with that viz In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me But the Metaphor is taken here from an Arrow which men keep in a Quiver that it may not be broken nor the feathers thereof marred 3. O Israel i. e. O thou Son of Israel Metonymia efficientis The Lord called Isaiah Israel or the Son of Israel indeed because he was a true sonne of Israel indeed like unto Israel his Father in obedience In whom I will be glorified i. e. By whom I will be glorified In is put here for By. This denoteth the end why the Lord hid his servant Isaiah and preserved him But how did God intend to be glorified by Isaiah Ans The Lord intended by the Ministry of Isaiah to bring the Jewes againe to him by repentance which had gone away from him by their sin verse 5. And this bringing of them back to the Lord was for the glory of God For God glorified himselfe by delivering them out of Babylon upon their repentance which he would not have done if they had not repented Againe by the Ministry of Isaiah many Heathens were convinced of their Idolatry and turned to the Lord as the only true God and worshipped him onely and so glorified him 4. I have laboured in vaine q. d. Lord dost thou thinke to be glorified by my Ministry That is not likely for I have hitherto laboured in vaine and there is little turning to thee though I have laboured what I can Yet surely my judgement is with the Lord Yet surely and this is my comfort the Lord is my Judge who will Judge me not according to the event of my labour but according to the Labour which I have taken And my worke i. e. And the reward of my worke Metonymia efficientis With my God And if his reward was with God God would not keep it from him but would give him his reward in due time according to his worke 5. And now saith the Lord q.d. And even now after I have spent so much labour in vaine though the Jewes have not profited by my Ministery yet the Lord saith c. This sheweth that God accepteth the labour of the workeman though his labour be in vaine That formed me from the wombe to be his servant i. e. That called me from the wombe to be his servant c. See verse 1. There is a Metaphor in that word formed borrowed from a Potter To bring Jacob againe to him i. e. To bring the Jewes which were the children of Jacob to him againe by repentance which had gone away from him by their sinnes Though Israel be not gathered Supple To me by thy Ministery i. e. Though the Jewes the children of Israel repent not nor returne to me the Lord thorow thy Ministery c. They which turne to the Lord by repentance are gathered together and come to him for salvation as Chickens are gathered to the Hen and come to her for warmth Matth. 23.37 Hence not to be gathered is put here for not to turne by repentance Yet it may be that
Land of thy destruction for thy Land which is destroyed putting a Substantive of the Genitive Case for an Adjective or a Participle after the Hebrew manner Even now i. e. So soon as ever they to wit thy children which gather themselves together to come to thee shall be come to thee And they that swallowed thee up i. e. And the Babylonians which destroyed thee and now dwell in thee c. See verse 17. He saith swallowed thee up for destroyed thee by a Metaphor from a Lion or Beare or some such ravenous Beast or other which is wont to swallow downe his prey And they that swallowed thee up shall be farre away Read these words as with a Parenthesis 20. Thy children which thou shalt have i. e. These words have their immediate connexion with the formost words of verse 19. viz. with those Thy wast and thy desolate places and the Land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants And are for sense the same with them The children which thou shalt have Supple Even now He speakes as though the Jewes which were in Captivity in Babylon and dispersed elsewhere were even now comming to Sion or Hierusalem their mother After thou hast lost the other Supple Which thou hadst before the Babylonians besieged thee who slew some and carried others of thy children away Captive and made others to flye into forraigne Lands Shall say againe in thine eares i. e. Shall say againe to thee or in thine hearing Againe This relates to such time or times before the Babylonish Captivity in which Hierusalem was very populous so that many of the people thereof were faine to dwell in other Cities and Villages of Judah For they which did so did in effect say The place is too straight for mee The place is too straight for me i. e. The place wherein we dwell is too little for us we must seeke us a dwelling elsewhere For me i. e. For us For here is an Enallage of the number The Singular being put for the Plurall Give place to me that I may dwell q.d. Give me a place elsewhere that I may have a place to dwell in 21. Then shalt thou say in thine heart i. e. Then when thy children shal come to thee and they shall be straightned for want of roome to dwell in thee thou shalt wonder to see that they are so many and shalt say within thy selfe Who hath begotten me these i. e. By whom have I these so many children Seeing I have lost my children Supple Which I had Shee lost her children when the Babylonians slew many of them made many to flye away for feare of their lives and carried the rest away Captive into Babylon And am desolate i. e. And am without an husband The Lord was her husband and had married her but had put her away Cap. 50.1 So that shee was at this time desolate and without an husband A Captive and removing to and fro And shee which is a captive removing to and fro hath but little propension to the procreation of children A Captive Supple to the Babylonians Removing to and fro Conquerours use to hurry their Captives from place to place and City to City at their pleasures and seldome suffer them to abide long in one place Ob. It may be here objected that Sion being a City could not remove from place to place to and fro Ans What is said in this Chapter of Sion and attributâ—d to her is spoken of her and attributed to her by a Prosopopoeia by which figure shee may be made aswell to remove from place to place to and fro as to speake But what is spoken of Sion in this Chapter and attributed to her is spoken of her and attributed to her to set forth the condition of the Jewes as it was at that time as I said before And who hath brought up these And who hath nourished and brought up all these Behold I was left alone Supple without children and none of them all were with me therefore I could not nourish them and bring them up These where they had been q. d. Where have all these been wheresoever they have been they have not been with me so that I could not bring them up 22. Thus saith the Lord God behold I wil lift up mine hand to the Gentiles q. d. Moreover thus saith the Lord God Behold c. In the 18 19 20 verses the Lord assured Sion that her children should come to her to comfort her Here that he may yet further comfort her and shew her how mindfull he was of her she sheweth the manner how they shall come to her and how happy she shall be when she hath received them I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles i. e. I will call the Gentiles to me He alludeth to one man beckning to another with his hand to come to him And set up my Standard to the people i. e. And I will gather the people or Nations together For what end he will call the Gentiles to him and gather the Nations together he sheweth in the next following words This phrase is the same for sense with that which went immediately before but he alludes herein to a Captaine which sets up his Standard for his souldiers to come together and to be in a readinesse for what march or service he shall appoint them And they shall bring thy sonnes in their armes i. e. and they shall bring thy sonnes to thee in their armes as nurses use to carry their little ones And thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders i. e. And they shall carry thy daughters to thee upon their shoulders Supple on soft beds or pallate as they which are weak were wont to be carried Mark 2.3 The meaning is that the Gentiles shall carefully provide and accommodate the Jewes with all things necessary and convenient for their return from Babylon and other parts of the world to their own Land How this was fulfilled in part read Ezra 1. 23. And Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers i. e. And after thy sonnes and daughters are brought to thee Kings and Queens shall be as carefull to provide and shew kindnesse to thee as nursing fathers and nursing mothers are to their Foster-children Kings shall be their nursing fathers This was fulfilled in Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes whose good deeds to the Jewes are mentioned in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah and Assuerus of whom we read Esther 8.7 c. And Alexander the Great and his successors and especially Demetrius whom Josephus writeth of All which were exceeding good to the Jewes and to Hierusalem and to the Temple and gave them many gifts and priviledges And thâ—ir Queens thy nursing mothers This was fulfilled in the Queenes of some of those forementioned Kings and particularly in Ester as may be seen in the book which beareth her name They shall bown down to thee with their face towards the
was there none to answer me q.d. Wherefore did no man receive me when I came to you And when I called to you wherefore did no man answer me The Prophet seemeth to allude to one mans coming to another mans house where there was no body at home to entertain him or to answer when he called and knocked The Lord sent his servants the Prophets to the Jews so soon as they were carryed away captive to exhort them and stir them up to repentance that he might have mercy upon them and deliver them from that captivity and misery upon their repentance into which they had brought themselves by their sins Bâ—t when the Prophets came to them in the Lords Name for this purpose they would not receive them nor would they answer or harken when they called upon them to hear the Word of the Lord. Note here that that which was done to the Prophets of the Lord the Lord takes as done to himself and what they did in his Name he interprets as done by himself according to that of our Saviour to his Disciples He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me Matth. 10.40 This for the explication of these words Now for the connexion Note that these words are spoken in answer to a tacite Objection of the Jews which were in captivity for vvhereas the Lord had said that he vvould deliver them though they were captives and a prey out of the hands of the terrible and mighty Cap. 49.25 and in answer to a former Objection of theirs had told them That they had sold themselves for their sins and that their mother was put away for their transgressions vers 1. They might object and say Be it so that we had sold our selves for our sins and that our mother was put away for our transgressions yet being thou sayst that thou wilt deliver us out of the hands of the mighty and the terrible which oppress us thou wouldst have delivered us long ago if thou hadst been able to deliver us For what else was the reason why thou didst not deliver us long since To this he answers That the reason why he did not deliver them long since was because he came unto them and none of them would receive him and he called to them and none would answer him And until they had received him and answered him and repented and amended their lives he would not deliver them The reason was not because he wanted power and ability to deliver them for he had power and ability to deliver them as he sheweth in the next words Note that the Lord answers this their Objection in an interrogatory manner to make it more tart for their obstinate and pervicacious spirits Is my hand shortened at all that I cannot redeem q. d. Is my power less then it hath been that you should think that I cannot redeem you and that you should say that this is the reason why I did not deliver you before this to wit because I was not able My hand i. e. My power or my strength The hand is put here per Metonymiam signi or subjecti for power and strength because the power and strength of a man is known by his hand and arm The connexion of these words with the former is apparent by what I have already said upon this Verse and it is this q. d. The reason why I redeemed you not long ago was because ye received me not when I came unto you and ye answered me not when I called you It was not because I was not able as ye surmize to deliver you for am I not able to deliver Is my hand shortened that it cannot redeem c. Behold at my rebuke I dâ—y up the Sea q. d. Behold at my rebuke I can dry up the Sea i. e. Behold if I do but chide the Sea the Sea will be dryed up Note that he puts here an Indicative for a Potential mood for the Hebrews have no Potential The Prophet alludeth to that which is written Psal 106. v. 9. He rebuked the red Sea also and it was dryed vp Where the Psalmist speaketh of that which the Lord did to the red Sea when he brought the children of Israel out of Egypt Exod. 14.16 c. This and what followeth are Arguments by which the Lord proveth the greatness of his power I make the Rivers a Wilderness i. e. I can make the Rivers as dry as a Wilderness He alludeth here to the Lords making a way through the River Jordan Josh 3. vers 13. Their fish stinketh because there is no water and dyeth for thirst i. e. So that the fish of Rivers shall dye with thirst for want of water and stink being dead Here is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these words 3. I clothe the Heavens with blackness q. d. I can cover the face of the Heavens with black clouds and make great darkness upon the Earth And I will make sackcloth their covering i. e. I can can cover them with clouds as it were with sackcloth Sackcloth was wont to be made of hair Rev. 6.12 yea of black hair as this and the like expressions prove This is a repetition of the former phrase and in them the Prophâ—t alludeth to the great darkness which the Lord caused in Egypt Exod. 10.21 4. The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned The Prophet speaketh this of himself and he might truly speak it for his language is most pure and eloquent and his expressions admirable upon every occasion I take this to be the beginning of a new Sermon That I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary i. e. To him that is weary Supple with afflictions For afflictions are as a burden and will in time weary the stoutest man A word of Comfort handsomly delivered is seasonable to him which is weary with afflictions He wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear i. e. And he instructeth me every morning morning after morning He wakeneth i. e. The Lord wakeneth What the Lord wakeneth the Prophet doth not here tell but suspendeth it while he resumeth the word again but he wakeneth his ear He wakeneth mine ear i. e. He wakeneth me The ear is but a part put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche and therefore the ear rather then any other part because the Lord did awaken the Prophet with his voyce by calling to him and the voyce is received by the ear as being the Object of the sense of Hearing To hear Supple His Instructions and his Will As the learned i. e. As Masters which are learned Supple do that is As Masters that are learned use to waken their Scholars in a morning that they may rise and come to School to learn what he intends to teach them By this we may understand what frequent Revelations the Prophet had and that the Lord came to him in the morning to acquaint
by a Synecdoche for the Lord a part for the whole man for the Lord speaks here of himself as of a man by a Prosopopoeia ISAIAH CHAP. LIX BEhold the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save This may well cohere with the former Chapter For many incredulous Jews among the Babylonish captives considering that the Babylonians were mighty and powerful could not believe for all the Lords Promises that the Lord was able to deliver them out of their hands Such therefore might here say For all the Lords Promises the Lord is not able to deliver us out of the hands of the Babylonians for if he were able to deliver us why hath he not delivered us when we have called and cryed so often to him This Objection the Prophet here prevents saying Behold the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save The Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save q. d. The Lord hath often saved his people out of the hands of their Enemies as out of the hands of the Egyptians and Midianites and Assyrians and since that time his hand is not shortened nor is his power abated that he cannot save therefore surely he is as able to save you now as he was then Note that the hand is often put for power and strength for a mans strength is seen by the strength of his hand and his arm Neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear i. e. Neither is he deaf or his ear stopped that he cannot hear The Prophet prevents another Objection here For they might say If it be so that the Lord can save us yet surely it is so that he is deaf and cannot hear us For certainly if he could save us he would if he could but hear the cries which we make to him This Objection I say the Prophet doth here prevent saying Neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear 2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God i. e. But your iniquities have stood and made as it were a wall of separation between you and your God and have kept your cries and your prayers while ye have prayed for deliverance out of Babylon from coming to his ears Your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear i. e. Your sins have stood and do stand as a curtain or as a wall rather between him and you and have hid his presence from you so that he cannot hear your prayers because your voyce cannot enter through that curtain or wall to wit your sins into his presence His face Take the face here first for the whole head in which are all the senses of man and Hearing as well as Seeing then take it for the whole man by a Synecdoche That he will not hear i. e. That he cannot hear Note that this Particle will signifieth not any resolved act of the will but is onely a sign of the tense and is to be interpreted Potentially The Prophet speaks here of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by what he hath said he hath shewed that it is not by reason of any defect in God that he doth not deliver them or hear their prayers but the fault is in themselves by reason of their sins 3. For your hands are defiled with blood Blood may be taken here for murther or it may be taken onely for oppression used in Courts of Justice as Cap. 1.15 Because they might say that they are not guilty of such sins as might separate between them and their God and hide his face from them the Prophet prevents this their exception and accuseth them with their particular sins Your lips have spoken lyes i. e. You have born false witness against your neighbor and have wronged the poor with false accusations Your tongue hath uttered perverseness i. e. Ye have spoken all manner of wicked words and have used your tongue to all manner of evil practices Perverseness is taken here for wicked words and such words as a righteous man and a man which loved justice would not speak per Metonymiam Adjuncti In general that is called perverseness which is contrary to the Law of God and which is thereby forbidden and perverse words in general are naughty evil words such as God prohibiteth 4. None calleth for justice i. e. Whereas justice should finde friends every where none calleth upon the Judge in her behalf He speaks of justice as of a person by a Prosopopoeia Note that the Prophet speaketh here to the Jews as if they were even â—hen captives in Babylon Quest But how could these men or any of them be accused for not calling for justice and not pleading for truth in the time of their captivity whereas in the time of their captivity they had no Courts or Judges among them Ans It is not to be granted that the Jews had no Courts or Judges amongst them during the time of their captivity but it is rather to be presumed from this and other places that the Jews had power to judge of Jews and had authority and jurisdiction among themselves and that by the leave of the Babylonish Kings under whom they lived Nor any pleadeth for truth He speaks of truth here as he did of justice before as of a person by a Prosopopoeia They trust in vanity i. e. They trust in this That they are able by their wit and by their tongue to put a shew of justice and righteousness upon an unjust and unrighteous cause which confidence of theirs shall prove but a vain thing in the end This confidence of theirs that they could put a shew of justice upon an unjust cause he calleth vanity per Metonymiam Adjuncti that is a vain thing because it would prove vain and as an empty thing and a thing of nothing in the end and would not be able to justifie them against Gods proceedings when he should call them to account Speak lyes i. e. They speak that which they know to be false the Judges in their sentences which they give and the Advocates and Counsellors in the arguments which they bring in their pleadings They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity i. e. They devise mischievous devices and what they devise they put in execution This speech is Allegorical alluding to a womans conception and bringing forth 5. They hatch Cockatrice eggs i. e. They foment mischievous and villanous plots and devices and bring them into act A Cockatrice is a venomous kinde of Serpent and as she her self is such are her eggs venomous By the Cockatrice eggs therefore may be meant mischief and villany or mischievous and villainous plots and devices This seemeth to be a Proverb or proverbial kind of sentence And weave the spiders web i. e. And weave a web for the same end as the Spider weaveth her web For as the Spider weaveth her web to catch the smaller flies so do they lay their plots to take the poorer sort of people and
of others To know signifieth here to know with approbation and the Indicative is put for the Potential mood Note here that Saint Paul maketh use of the seventh and part of the eighth Verse of this Chapter in the 15 16 and 17 Verses of the third Chapter to the Romans But you may ask To what purpose St. Paul maketh use of these places there Ans He maketh use of these places there not alone but with other the like places to shew that all men have sinned some after this manner and some after that For whereas he had said out of the Psalms that there is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one he addeth out of other Psalms and this place of our Prophet Their throat is an open sepulcher with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in their ways and the way of peace they have not known As if he should say The throat of some is as an open sepulcher others have used deceit with their tongues others carry the poyson of Asps under their lips the mouth of others is full of cursing and bitterness the feet of others are swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in the way of others and the way of peace they have not known For note that neither St. Paul there nor our Prophet here doth mean that all these vices and sins were in all and singular men but that some were in some and others in others yet so as that all had sinned and gone out of the way and that there was none righteous no not one But how can Paul prove from these and the like particular places as these are That all have sinned Ans Because these and the like places speak of the sins of such as had the best means to make them good For thus Paul argueth q. d. If they which had the best means to make them good have proved so extream bad it is not credible that they were good who had not means to be good in the least degree answerable to theirs Saint Pauls Argument therefore from these and the like places is Argumentum a minus credibili ad magis credibile 9. Therefore is judgment far from us neither doth juâ—tice overtake us q. d. Because we have done these things and there is no judgment in our goings therefore is judgment far from us neither doth justice overtake us Note that this is spoken in the person of the captive Jews but of such of them as were not of the wicked crue who excuse not but accuse themselves and judge themselves worthy to suffer what God hath layd upon them Note also that the word judgment is otherwise to be taken here then it was vers 8. and that judgment and justice signifie here both one and the same thing and that that which is called judgment and justice here is called judgment and salvation vers 11. By judgment and justice therefore is meant salvation and deliverance out of the hands of the Babylonians But how cometh judgment and justice to signifie salvation and deliverance Ans By a Metonymy of the cause for if the Jews had observed judgment and justice God who had delivered them over into the Babylonians hands for their injustice would have sent them salvation and deliverance again as a reward for that their judgment and justice Therefore as works are sometimes put for a reward of works as cap. 40.10 and 60.11 So is judgment and justice put for the reward of judgment and justice which as I said had been in particular to these men their deliverance and salvation out of captivity For of this it is said Behold his reward is with him and his work before him Cap. 40.10 and cap. 60.11 We wait for light but behold obscurity i. e. We look for prosperity but behold we are still kept in adversity For brightness but we walk in darkness i. e. We look for redemption but we are held still in captivity and misery Note that the Hebrews by light and brightness do often signifie any happy and joyful estate and by night and darkness and obscurity any kinde of misery or miserable estate whatsoever 10. We grope for the wall like the blinde i. e. We feel for salvation and grope after it as the blinde man feeleth for and gropeth after the wall For as the blinde man gropeth after the wall and cannot meet with it so do we grope after salvation but cannot finde it This is a Proverb and it is well here used for well might those Jews be compared to blinde men groping after the wall for they felt after salvation as blinde men do after the wall for they went but blindly to work because they believed not the Prophets but thought to obtain salvation in that sinful estate in which they were in by their hypocrital fasts and outward observances either not knowing that God would not save them so long as they were in that estate in which they were in or else not knowing what and how sinful their estate and condition was Moreover as the wall brings ease and rest to a weary man so would salvation have brought ease and rest to these Jews And we grope as if we had no eyes q. d. Yea I say we grope as if we were stark blinde And is put for Yea. We stumble at noon-day as in the night i. e. We are exceeding blinde and which way soever we go we hurt our selves as he which stumbleth at a stone in the night and falleth and comes to hurt He must needs be exceeding blinde which cannot see his way in the day and that time of the day which is the lightest which is at noon when the Sun is at the highest and which seeth no more then if it were midnight These Jews were as it were in the light yea the light of the noon-day when the Prophets did preach unto them the Word of the Lord and tell them what they should do to be delivered out of captivity for the Word of the Lord is a shining light but they were blinde in that they did not believe that Word nor were attentive thereunto and came to hurt in that they followed not the Word of the Lord but their own fond conceits for Redemption whereby they provoked the Lord to add to their afflictions and to keep them yet faster in captivity We are in desolate places as dead men i. e. We are in the Land of our captivity as dead men are in their graves or in their sepulchers for as dead men have no eyes no more have we for we want the eye of Faith to see and behold the Promises of God and other parts of his Word and as
in these words we have in hand and cap. 63.5 an allusion to a King arming himself for a Battel that he might war against his Enemies in the behalf of his Subjects whom they have wronged So that I conceive that the words in hand must be interpreted some such way as followeth His arm brought salvation to him q. d. He hath brought salvation out of his armory and made use of it He speaks of salvation here as of a piece of armor wherewith a Soldier is armed If you ask what piece of armor it is which he alludeth to the next Verse will tell you where he calls it the helmet of salvation Note that the arm which is but a part is put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche Object But you will say that the Hebrew being translated word for word is not His arm brought salvation to him but His arm hath saved him Ans Be it so yet there may be the same meaning and the same allusion in these words as was in the former For the meaning of these words His arm hath saved him may be this He hath made himself safe that is He hath armed himself supple with salvation For armor is a safeguard to the body which is therewith armed And his righteousness it sustained him Rather And his righteousness doth sustain him q. d. And his righteousness armeth him that is is upon him as a piece of armor to preserve him If you ask what piece of armor he alludes to the next verse will tell you that it is a brestplate But note that in these words It sustained him or It sustaineth him there is a Metaphor borrowed from a staff which a man hath in his hand whereby he is sustained or upheld while he leaneth upon it but we must transfer this Metaphor to the having on or being armed with a brest-plate For as a staff which a man hath in his hand doth preserve him and keep him from falling so doth the brestplate which a man hath on him or with which he is armed preserve him and keep him from wounds Such kinde of mingling or confounding or transferring Metaphors our Prophet often useth Note that the Pronoune It is here redundant by an Hebraisme What is meant by Righteousnesse here See in the next verse following 17. For he put on righteousnesse as a brest-plate Better For he hath put on righteousnesse as a breast-plate A breast-plate is a piece of ormour which defendeth the heart and the vitall parts to a breast-plate therefore doth he liken righteousnesse that is the justnesse of the cause of warre because there is no greater comfort to the heart of a man nor any thing that can give him greater assurance or on which he may more rely for safety and preservation in the Battle than this that he knoweth that his cause of taking up armes is just By righteousnesse therefore I understand the just cause which the Lord had in taking up armes or making Warre upon his enemies the Babylonians the justnesse of whose cause you may read Cap. 47. v. 6. c. An helmet of salvation upon his head i. e. And salvation as an helmet upon his head An Helmet is a piece of armour which is to guard and defend the head wherein the braines lye which are the Mint of the Animall spirits which being wounded death presently followeth Nothing can yeild more safety than salvation it selfe for where salvation is there can be no hurt otherwise salvation were not salvation Therefore the Lord saith that he will appoint Hierusalem salvation for walls Cap. 26.1 And therefore doth the Lord take salvation here for his own Helmets Note that this salvation which the Lord here takes is to protect himselfe not to save his people For salvation is here as an Helmet and an Helmet is for the safety onely of him which weareth it and therefore the Lord is said to put on an Helmet of salvation to shew that he is invincible and can receive no hurt By this that the Prophet saith that the Lord hath put on righteousnesse as a breast-plate and salvation as an Helmet upon his head we may learne that God is a just God and therefore draweth not out his sword against a man to punish him without a cause and that he is invincible and therefore is not afraid to set upon the most potent enemies so that all men have just reason to stand in awe of him St. Paul Ephes 6. v. 14 17. describing the whole armour of a Christian seemeth to allude to this place And he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing i. e. And he hath put on garments made of vengeance for his clothing Vengeance is to be taken here for a desire of executing vengeance upon his enemies And he was clad with zeale as with a cloake i. e. And he is clad c. By zeale may be meant the zeale and love which he bore to his owne honour which honour of his had been given to Idols even the Idols of the Babylonians if he had suffered the Babylonians alwayes to oppresse his own people And the zeal and love which he bore to his owne people whom the Babylonians did make to houle Cap. 52.5 And the zeal and indignation for zeal intimates as well indignation as love which he bore towards the Babylonians for his own honour's and his peoples sake Besides their garments of ordinary wearing in times of peace most of the most ancient people of the world had their garments extraordinary which they wore upon their armour in time of Warre of which you may read Alex ab Alexand Genial Dier lib. 1 Cap. 20. c. And not to ordinary garments worne in time of peace but to these warlike garments doth our Prophet seem to allude when he saith And he put on garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as with a cloake 18. According to their deeds accordingly will he repay fury to his adversaries i. e. He will recompence his adversaries who have without mercy oppressed his people he will recompence them I say with such effects of his fury as they have deserved Fury Fury is put here for miseries and calamities and other the effects of Gods fury and wrath Per metonymiam efficientis His adversaries He meaneth the Babylonians whom therefore God calleth his adversaries because they did most cruelly oppresse and shew no mercy at all to his people when they were in Captivity Recompence to his enemies By Recompence is meant that which they have deserved that is the like cruell usage as they had used towards the Jewes And this is a Repetition of the former sentence To the Islands he will repay recompence By Islands understand the Inhabitants of the Islands by a Metonymie and by these Islands understand Mesopotamia and other Islands which were neer to Tigris and Euphrates For Mesopotamia was an Iland or Islands made by those two Rivers Tigris and Euphrates But the Hebrewes call not onely that
giver of light such light as shall farre exceed the light of the Sun and of the Moon and that an everlasting light too Light is taken here for the giver of light Per metonymiam efficientis by which figure the Sun is also called a light as a little before so also Gen. 1.16 The Lord is called the everlasting light because he is a light that is a Sun which never goeth downe See Psal 84.11 Whereas the Lord is here said to be a light or giver of light By light understand prosperity And thy God thy glory This is a repetition of the Sentence going immediately before and what he called light there he calleth glory here For light is a glorious thing God therefore is said here to be Sions glory Per metonymiam efficientis Because he gave glory that is light that is prosperity to Sion which light that is which prosperity might be called glory Per metonymiam adjuncti because it was glorious and Sions glory Per metonymiam efficientis because it rendred Sion glorious The Lord is said in this sense to give glory Psal 84.11 Note here that St. John in his revelation Cap. 21. v. 23. alludeth to this verse of our Prophet but he doth not only allude to it as to words which he may turne to his purpose but he alludes to it also as to a place principally intended to set out the glorious state of Christs Church And indeed so these words are intended in the second and sublime sense For though in the first sense they speake only of the prosperity which the Jewes should have after their captivity in Babylon Yet in the second and sublime sense they speake the glory and Blisse which Christs Church should receive after her delivery from sinne and ignorance and the power of the Devill For those temporall and bodily blessings which God bestowed upon the Jewes after their captivity were a Type of those spirituall and eternall blessings which God would give unto Christs Church after their delivery from sinne and ignorance and the power of the Devill And these words being understood of that blisse which the Church of Christ shall enjoy in Heaven may be understood as they said without any figure for in Heaven the Sunne shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light c. 20. Thy Sun shall no more goe downe Thy Sun shall no more goe downe as the Sun in the firmament useth to goe downe and set daily Sions Sun went downe when God withdrew his favour from her and delivered her into the hands of the Babylonians to be afflicted and oppressed by them But it rose againe when he delivered them again out of the hands of the Babylonians by Cyrus and vouchsafed her his favour Neither shall thy Moon withdraw it selfe Neither shall thy Moon set any more as the Moon in the firmament useth to set when it goeth under the earth For the Lord shall be thine everlasting light i. e. For the Lord shall be thy Sun and thy Moon which shall be above thine Horizon and shine upon thee everlastingly without intermission By light understand here the Sun and the Moon which are called lights because they give light as Genes 1.16 But the Lord is called Sions Sun and Moon onely by a Metaphor because he gave light that is prosperity and joy day and night to Sion as the Sun imparts his light by day and the Moon imparts her light by night to the Inhabitants of the Earth And the dayes of the mourning shall be ended He speaks of that mourning which the Babylonians caused by their oppression and hard usage of her in her captivity By this we may understand what he meant by light to wit prosperity and joy 21. Thy people also shall be all righteous i. e. Most of thy children which shall returne out of Babylon and come and dwell in thee shall be righteous All is put here for the greater part not for All without exception The greatest part of those which returned to Sion out of captivity were righteous and good men though the most part of those which went into captivity were wicked because the Sword and the Famine and diseases had consumed the greatest part of the wicked and many of them which remained alive returned not but remained still in Babylon Cap. 57. v. 20 21. See the like Cap. 1.25 See also Cap. 4.4 Note here that in these words thy people also shall be all righteous the Verbe shall be is supplyed by the Interpreter so that the words of themselves are these thy people all righteous which may be as if he should say thy people to wit all the righteous so that the meaning of this plurall may be this q. d. Thy people that is to say all the righteous shall inherit the Land for ever c. They shall inherit the Land for ever i. e. And they shall inherit the Land of Judah for a long time The Branch of my planting q. d. Even the branch of my planting c. This is governed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they to wit Thy people by Apposition And he calleth the people of Sion here the branch of his planting by Anticipation But the branch of his planting hee calls them because hee would though he had not as yet plant them in their own land and cause them there to take root downwards and beare fruit upwards as he speaks Chap. 37.31 The work of my hands This also is governed of the former words by Apposition God calls the people of Sion the work of his hands because he would bring them out of their miserable thraldome and give them great prosperity and joy yea because he would plant them as a young slip or Tree in their own land and there cause them to flourish That I may be glorified Supple for that which I will doe to them that is to thy people A little one shall become a thousand i. e. And so I will blesse them as that a little Family in or among thy people shall grow into a thousand families And a small one a strange Nation i. e. And a small familie shall become a mighty Nation This is a repetition of the former sentence I the Lord will hasten it in his time i. e. I the Lord will make hast to accomplish this which I have said that it may be fulfilled in the due time that I have appointed for it His time i. e. My time or the time that I have appointed for it Here is an Enallage of the person where the Lord on a sudden speaks of himselfe in the third person See the like Chap. 51.15 ISAIAH CHAP. LXI THe Spirit of the Lord is upon me i. e. By the Spirit of the Lord is meant that Spirit of prophecie which is the gift of God q.d. The Lord God hath endued me with the gift of Prophecie c. Note that among the
many significations which this word Spirit hath in the Hebrew language it signifieth any quality of the mind whether it be permanent or whether it be transeunt And if the quality be good and given of God as this of Prophecie is it is called the Spirit of the Lord. And such a quality as it may be called a Spirit per Metonymiam subjecti because it is received in the soule which is a spirit so it may be called a spirit per Metonymiam efficientis because it is given of God who is a Spirit This the Prophet speakes in his own person of himselfe Yet in this he was an eminent Type of Christ of whom in the second and sublime sence these words also are to be understood See Luke 4.18 Because the Lord hath annointed me to preach good tydings i. e. because the Lord hath designed and separated me to preach good tidings c. He alludeth to that ceremonie of the Law whereby they which were designed and separated me to the office of a Prophet were designed and separated thereunto by the Ceremony of Anoynting See 1 Kings 19.16 By the same Ceremony of Anoynting were they separated to the Office of a Priest Exod. 29.21 And by the same were they separated also to the Office of a King 1 Sam. 16. v. 12 13. 2 Sam. 2.4 1 King 1.45 2 Kings 9.3 To preach good tydings to the meek The meeke to which Isaiah was to preach good tydings were those of the captive Jewes which were meek in heart and humble in Spirit and the good tidings which he came to preach was the good tidings of their delivery out of Babylon by Cyrus These good tidings did Isaiah preach to them by his Writings though he himself dyed before the captivity Note here that as these good tydings in their first sence do signifie the tydings of the delivery of the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity by Cyrus So in the second and sublime sence they signifie the good tydings of mans salvation whereby he is saved from the captivity of sin and of the Devil by Christ of which latter that former was a type He hath sent me to binde up the broken-hearted i. e. He hath sent me to comfort the sorrowful heart by my Prophecies This is a repetition of the former sentence and the Prophet useth here a Metaphor taken from a leg or an arm of a man which is broken which while the Chyrurgeon healeth he swadleth and bindeth up after he hath set the bone He hath sent me c. These words shew what these words mean viz. He hath anointed me To proclaim liberty to the captives i. e. To declare to the Jews which are captive in Babylon that they shall be delivered out of that their captivity And the opening of the prison to them that are bound i. e. And the enlarging of them which lie in prison bound in chains This is for sence the same with the foregoing words Note that the Jews which were carryed captive into Babylon were not chained and put up in prison as great Malefactors were wont therefore that which is here spoken is to be taken metaphorically For because the Jews could not go out of those Cities and places at large which were assigned them in their captivity therefore doth he by a metaphor call them prisoners and the places of their captivity prisons 2. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord i. e. He hath sent me to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord For these words are either to be referred to them to wit He hath sent me or they are to be repeated here To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord Supple To the Jews which are in captivity that is to proclaim that the time in which the Lord will redeem is at hand The acceptable year i. e. The year or time in which the Lord is well pleased and in which he will dispense his favors and shew his magnificence by giving gifts as a King unto his people and by delivering those which had offended out of prison This speech is metaphorical but concerning the Metaphor see Cap. 49.8 And the day of vengeance of our God i. e. And the time in which the Lord will pour out his vengeance upon his Enemies that is upon the Babylonians which have held his people in an hard captivity One and the same time may be an acceptable time and yet a day of vengeance an acceptable time in respect of the Kings subjects and a day of vengeance in respect of his Enemies whom he may put to death having taken them captive on that solemn day and the more to celebrate the day and the more to shew his love and care to his people To comfort all that mourn i. e. To comfort all that mourn by reason of their hard usage in Babylon if they mourn likewise for their sins 3. To appoint to them that mourn in Zion i. e. To tell that the Lord will appoint to them that mourn among the people of the Jews which are in Babylon Note that the Prophet suspends this sentence till the next words and there perfects it That mourn See Vers 2. In Zion i. e. Among the people of the Jews supple which are in Babylon Zion is often put by a Prosopopoeia as a woman yea as the mother of the Jews and it is put here by a Metonymy for the Jews themselves To give unto them beauty for ashes Here the Prophet doth perfect the sentence which he left imperfect and in suspence in the former words so that those words and these together are thus to be read or construed q. d. To tell that the Lord will appoint to them that mourn in Zion that is that he will give to them beauty for ashes c. Beauty Beauty is put here per Metonymiam Adjuncti for beautiful garments such as they were wont to wear in times of joy For ashes By ashes is here meant sackcloth basked in ashes such as they were wont to wear in times of mourning for in times of mourning they were wont to put on sackcloth and sit in ashes Or by beauty may be meant the beauty of the face which they were wont to wash and make as beautiful as they could in times of solemn joy and by ashes are meant the ashes which stuck upon the face and made it ill-favoâ—ed in the time of sorrow and mourning and publique calamities for at such times they were not onely wont to sit in ashes but to sprinkle ashes upon their heads If you ask how the Prophet did appoint or give to them which mourn in Zion beauty for ashes I answer He did it by prophecying to them that God would give them beauty in stead of ashes as Jeremy is said to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant Cities because he foretold and prophecyed that they should be rooted out and pulled down and destroyed and thrown down and builded and
Land of Sion or the Land of Judah was desolate when the Babylonians destroyed many of the Inhabitants and caused others to flye for feare into forraigne countries and carried away the rest captive into Babylon But thou shalt be called Hephzibah i. e. Thou shalt be called my delight is in her Hephzibah by interpretation signifieth my delight is in her which name being given her by God himselfe v. 2. signifieth that God should take delight in her and rejoyce over her and note that this name Hephzibah was given her in opposition to that that she was termed Forsaken For whereas God forsook her because he had no delight in her now he will delight in her againe And thy land Beulah Beulah signifieth by interpretation married therefore should the Land of Sion or the Land of Judah be called Beulah that is married because her Sons should marry her v. 5. Note that this name Beulah is given to the Land of Sion or the Land of Judah in opposition to that that she was termed desolate for being that her Sons should marry her Land it is intimated that there should be a kinde of indissoluble knot between them as is between a man and his wife and that her children should alwayes dwell with her Land as an husband dwelleth with his wife For the Lord delighteth in thee This is the reason why Sion should be called Hephzibah And thy Land shall be married i. e. And thy Land shall be married to wit to thy children the Jewes This conteineth the reason why Sion should be called Beulah So shall thy sonnes marry thee i. e. So shall thy sonnes marry thy Land Supple And when they have married it they shall alwayes live in it or with it as an husband liveth with his wife they shall not depart from it as they have done of late by meanes of the Babylonians who scattered some of them abroad and carried others captive into Babylon By Thee that is by Sion is meant the Land of Sion that is the Land of Judah by a Metonymie as will appeare vers 4. Note that these words As a young man marrieth a Virgin so shall thy sonnes marry thee relate to those words of the fifth verse And thy Land shall be married as a demonstration thereof As the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride i. e. As the Bridegroom rejoyceth because of the Bride and taketh joy in her So shall thy God rejoyce over thee i. e. So shall thy God take joy in thee Supple and therefore he shall take thee to himselfe againe and not forsake thee as he hath done 6. I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem i. e I have given thee Priests and Levites Note that this phrase is Allegoricall alluding to watchmen watching upon the walls of a City for the safety of that City For the Priests and Levites are often called by a Metaphor watchmen because they are set over Gods people for the safety and welfare of their soules as the watchmen of a City are set over the walls of a City for the safety thereof And therefore because the Priests and Levites are called watchmen by a Metaphor he alludes to those watchmen from whom the Metaphor is taken when he saith I have set watchmen on thy walls O Jerusalem whereby is meant nothing else but this I have given to thee spirituall watchmen O Jerusalem and I have given them to thee for thy spirituall safety The duty of the spirituall watchmen is to labour and promote the safety of that people over which he is set which he doth partly by advertizing them of their sinnes when he seeth them in danger thereof partly by praying to God for them They shall never hold their peace day nor night i. e. They shall pray unto me without ceasing that I would save thee and deliver thee out of the hands of the Babylonians Note that though the Prophâ—t did allude to the watchmen of a City when he said I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem yet in this passage he doth not allude to them but speaks onely of the spirituall watchmen For it is usuall with the Prophet to confound that which is Metaphoricall and that which is not Metaphoricall together What is spoken from the beginning of this verse hitherto is spoken in the person of God who when he intends to doe a thing doth often set and appoint men himselfe to intreat him to doe it See Genes 20.7 Job Cap. 42.8 Yee that make mention of the Lord keep not silence q. d. Being it is so that God hath set you upon the walls of Jerusalem and hath said that yee shall never hold your peace day nor night keep not silâ—nce O yee Priests and Levites but call upon him without ceasing day and night c. Thsi the Prophet speakes in his owne person Yee that make mention of the Lord i. e. Yee Priests and Levites which are the Servants of the Lord as Psal 134. v. 1. He describeth the Priests and Levites by this that they make mention of the Lord because they were the servants of the Lord servants set apart in a peculiar manner for his service for to make mention of one in the Hebrew phrase is to be his servant of whom he maketh mention See Cap. 26.13 7. And give him no rest i. e. And give the Lord no rest by your continuall calling upon him Till he establish Supple Jerusalem in a firme state of prosperity A Praise i. e. Most praiseable or praise worthy scilicet by reason of his blessings to her A Substanttve abstract is put here for an Adjective of the Superlative degree Congrete as Cap 60. v. 15. Or Praise is put here by a Metonymium for the matter or subject of praise q.d. Such a one as may praise him her selfe and as others may praise him also for his exceeding goodnesse shewed to her by redeeming her out of the Babylonish captivity and setting her in perfect peace and prosperity In the Earth i. e. In sight of all the people of the Earth 8. The Lord hath sworne by his right hand and by the arme of his strength saying surely I will no more c The Prophet tells the Priests and Levites whom he called upon in the former verses to call upon God continually in the behalfe of Jerusaleâ— that the Lord had sworne to Jerusalem to be good to her and this he doth to make them more confident and faithfull in their prayers that they might not doubt of the issue thereof The Lord sweareth here by his right hand because that is an Emblem of Fidelity and by his Arme because that is the Emblem of power to signifie that he is able to doe what he sweareth and will therefore fafthfully performe it And God when he sweareth sweareth alwayes by himselfe because he hath no greater to sweare by Heb 6.13 By the arme of his strenght i. e. By his strong arme I will no more give thy corne to be meaet to thine
enemies q.d. Although I have heretofore given the meat which thou hast taken paines for to the Assyrians and to the Babylonians and other thine enemies yet now I will doe so no more The sonnes of the stranger shall ntt drink of thy wine for which thou hair laboured i. e. Strangers such as the Assyrians and the Babylonians are shall not take away thy wine which thou hast laboured for by force and drinke wtthout thee 9. But they that have gathered tt shall eate it i. e. But they that have been at the cost or at the paines to sow the corne and to reape it and to gather it into the Barne shall eate it Haâ—e gathered it By gathering the corn into the Barne understand by a Syllepsis all other costs and paines necessary for the having of corne It i. e. The corne v. 8. Shall eare it Supple In the courts of the Lords house to wit the Temple See Deut. 14. v. 23. But note that the Tithe onely of the corne c. was to be eaten before the Lord in the court of his house but their eating of the Tithe there according to the Lords command was as it were an earnest that they should peaceably eate the whole harvest at their own places And praise the Lord Supple For his bounty and goodnesse in giving them corne to eate They that have brought it together i. e. They that have brought the wine together into their cellars and store-houses out of their severall Vineyards c. It That is the wine v. 8. Shall drink it in the courts of my holinesse i. e. Shall drinke it in my courts as I have commanded Deut. 14.23 In the courts of my holinesse i. e. In my courts Gods holinesse is put here Per metonymiam adjuncti for God himselfe so that in the courts of my holinesse is q.d. In the courts of me that is in my courts 10. Goe thorow goe thorow the gates q.d. Make hast make hast and goe yee into your own Land O yee Jewes which have been held here in Babylon captives This is spoken in the person of Cyrus or some from Cyrus to the Jewes which were in captivity and signifieth to them that they might goe out of their captivity so soon as they would Prepare yee the way of the people i. e. Prepare yee the way of the Jewes by which they are to passe from Babylon to Judea that their way may be without let or hinderance This is spoken to the way-makers or those which were set to see to it that the wayes were good See Cap. 40. v. 3. This sudden turning from persons to persons is done as if the Jewes were even then hastening to depart out of Babylon to their own home by which is signified the certainty of their returne Cast up cast up the highway See Cap. 57.14 Gather up tho stones Supple Out of the way in which they must goe that they may no way trouble or hinder them in their way Lift up a standard for the people This is spoken to other persons then before And the sense is q.d. call the Jewes together from the severall places of their captivity that they may goe together to their own Land He alludeth to the manner of Souldiers for whom when they were to meet together a standard was set up for them to meet at 11. Behold the Lord hath proclaimed untâ— the end of the world supple saying i. e. Behold the Lord hath sent out his proclamation into all even into the uttermost parts of the world saying The proclamation here mentioned may relate to that proclamation which Cyrus made 2 Chron. Cap. 36. v. 22.23 For what Cyrus did by motion from the Lord the Lord himselfe may be said to doe Say yee to the daughter of Sion i. e. Say yee to Sion By the daughter of Sion is meant Sion that is Jerusalem As Cap. 1.8 And he speakes to Sion as to a woman by a Prosopopoeia And the sense of those words say yee to the daughter of Sion is q.d. Let the daughter of Sion know for these words say yee are to be taken indefinitely This and what followeth is the substance of the proclamation which the Lord proclaimed Behold thy salvation commeth i. e. Behold thy Saviour commeth even he which will save thee out of the hands of the Babylonians Salvation is put here for Saviour Per Metonymiam effectus The Saviour here meant is the Lord who saved the Jewes out of the hands of the Babylonians by Cyrus Behold his reward is with him i. e. Behold he hath brought with him the reward with which he will reward those Jewes which are meek and mourne and have not departed from him but have put their trust in him in the midst of their affliction which they suffered in captivity See Cap. 40.10 And his worke before him i. e. And his reward is in a readinesse This is a repetition of the former sentence By worke is meant the reward due to the work pe Metonymiam efficientis When he saith his worke or his reward is before him It may be that the Prophet alludeth to some such games as the Apostle alludeth to 1 Cor. 9.24 Where they that came to be Judges of the victory had the garland which was to be given to the victor carried before them to the Stadium or place of exercise and when they were there they had it lying before them ready to bestow upon him who deserved it best And they shall call them the holy people i. e. And they to wit the Jewes which are now in captivity shall be called the holy people They shall call them is put here for they shall be called The holy people i. e. The people whom God hath severed from all the people of the earth and preferred above them all by his blessings See Cap. 4.3 The redeemed of the Lord i. e. The people whom the Lord redeemed out of the hands of the Babylonians And thou shalt be called sought out i. e. And thou O Sion or O Jerusalem shall be sought out What it is for one to be called so or so See verse 4. Sought out i. e. Shee which was lost like a lost sheep but now is sought out and found againe See Ezek. Cap. 34.16 A City not forsaken See vers 4. ISAIAH CHAP. LXIII WHo is this that commeth from Edom The Lord appearing to Isaiah in a vision like a man of warre comming from Edom Isaiah asketh him who he is who receiveth his answer to this and other questions which he maketh in this and the verses following By this vision is signified the victory which the Jewes should have over the Edomites their enemies which victory was atchieved by the Jewes under Judas Machabaeus of which you may reade 1 Mach. 5.3 The Edomites were a people which did alwayes rejoyce at the afflictions and miseries of the Iewes Psal 137.7 Therefore it was very materiall for the Iewes to be acquainted with this victory which they should have over the
them Num. 21.6 and did afterwards when he brought them into the land which he promised to their fathers often raise up enemies against them as the Philistines and the Ammonites and the Moabites and Midianites and Syrians c. 11. Then he remembred the daies of old yet he remembred what he did in favour of hiâ— people in the daies of old that he might shew them favour still Then for yet Moses and his people i. e. He remembred what he did for his people by Moses by whoÌ„ he brought them out of Egypt and did so great favours for them in former times Moses i. e. He remembred Moses viz. that he used him as an instrument to do his people good And his people q. d. And he remembred his people viz. That he had done great things for them by the hand of Moses Saying where is he that brought them out of the sea q.d. Saying where is he that divided the Râ—d Sea and brought his people safe through it hath he forgotten his people or forsaken them for whom he did so great things Note here that this is the speech of God arguing with himselfe and stirring up himselfe to pitty his people and to doe for them as he had done formerly for his names sake And God speaks to himselfe of himselfe though he saith where is he c. With the Shepheard of his Flock i. e. with or by the hand of Moses who was as the shepheard of his flock With is put here for by and is a signe of the instrument and Moses is likened to a Shepherd and the children of Israel whom Moses brought out of Egypt to a flock of sheep See Psal 77.20 Where is he that put his holy Spirit within him i. e. Where is that God which put his holy Spirit in Moses for the good of his people By the holy Spirit is meant all those gifts which God gave to Moses to enable him to be a Conductor and Protector of his people as the gift of Prophecy and of Wisdom and of Courage and of Fortitude c. For all the qualities of the Soul the Hebrews call by the name of the spirit and those qualities which the Lord giveth the Spirit of the Lord. 12. That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm That is Which led them like sheep by the hand of Moses Psal 77.20 working many miracles for them by his power With his glorious arm These words signifie the miracles which God did for his people under Moses as the dividing of the Sea c. which miracles he wrought by his glorious arm that is by his power which made him glorious in which work God was the principal Cause and Moses his Instrument Dividing the waters before them i. e. Dividing the waters of the red Sea before them that they might pass through the same to the Land which he had given them See Exod. 14.21 To make himself an everlasting Name i. e. By which he got himself everlasting honor and glory 13. That led them through the deep as an horse in the wilderness i. e. That led them through the red Sea by dividing the waters thereof and drying it by an East-wind Exod. 14.21 as easily and as firmly as an horse goeth or runneth up and down in the hard and dry wilderness That they should not stumble i. e. So that they did not so much as stumble To stumble signifieth by a Metaphor to come to harm as cap. 8.15 But it may be here properly taken for he that goes in muddy places such as is the bottom of the Sea cannot ordinarily make haste but he will stumble in pulling out one foot after another out of the mud But though the channel of the Sea was deep and the Sea were but newly divided for the people of Israel to pass through it yet did God so provide for his people that the mud caused them not to stumble 14. As a beast goeth down into the valley i. e. As a beast which is heavy laden goeth down a steep hill into the valley for he goeth easily and warily and with a great deal of care and circumspection that he fall not The Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest i. e. So did the Lord lead his people to their rest for he led them easily and warily with a great deal of care and circumspection that they should not be over-travelled and fall down by the way through weariness Deut. 8.4 and that they should not come to any other hurt Note that this is spoken in the person of a Jew for whom the Prophet composed this prayer where the Jew attesteth what the Lord said before and beareth witness to it as to the truth and encourageth himself from thence to ask of the Lord the like favors for himself and his brethren in their captivity in Babylon as he the Lord vouchsafed that his people in the days of old The Spirit of the Lord i. e. The Lord. By the Spirit of the Lord is here meant the goodness of the Lord for he speaks of God here as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And all the qualities and passions of a mans Soul the Hebrews call the spirit By the spirit therefore of the Lord is here meant as I said the goodness of the Lord and the spirit or goodness of the Lord is put per Metonymiam adjuncti for the Lord himself Caused him to rest i. e. Led his people to their rest that is to the Land of Canaan which is called their rest Psal 95.11 and Deut. 12.9 because it was the end and period of all their travels The Lord is said to cause his people to rest because he did lead them through the red Sea and through the wilderness to the place of their rest that is to the Land of Canaan And so doth Jeremy also use this phrase Jerem. 31.2 Him That is Israel his people as appeareth by the following sentence So didst thou lead thy people i. e. As a beast goeth down into the valley so I say didst thou lead thy people to their rest The Prophet maketh his Apostrophe here to God in the person of the people of the Jews and repeateth what he said in the words before To make thy self a glorious Name i. e. So that thou didst purchase to thy self great glory and renown by bringing thy people in the Land of Canaan as thou didst 15. Look down from Heaven q. d. Look down therefore from Heaven upon us thy people which are now in captivity as thou didst look upon our Fathers in the days of old Look down from Heaven Supple With the eyes of mercy Behold Supple Us thy people which are in captivity From the habitation of thy holiness i. e. From thy holy habitation A substantive of the Genitive case is put here for an Adjective Heaven is called Gods habitation or dwelling place because God doth there manifest himself in greater glory then in any part of the world
besides And of thy glory i. e. And from the habitation of thy glory that is from thy glorious habitation He saith of glory for glorious as he said of holiness for holy Or else both holiness and glory may be put here per Metonymiam adjuncti for God himself q. d. From the habitation of thee that is from thine habitation who art holy and glorious Where is thy zeal i. e. Where is that love which thou hast heretofore shewed to us thy people in the days of our forefathers Zeal is oftentimes put for love but ardent love And thy strength i. e. And where is thy strength which thou hast heretofore shewed in delivery of us thy people out of the hands of our Enemies And the sounding of thy bowels and thy mercies towards me q. d. And where are those sighs and those groans towards me which thy pity and compassion was wont to move toward the sons of Israel This is also spoken in the person of a Jew The sounding of the bowels I take to be sighs and groans proceeding from the bowel◠that is proceeding from pity and compassion For the bowels being deemed the seat and subject of pity and compassion are often taken by a Metonymy for pity and compassion it self Ingemuit miserans graviter saith the Poet Virgil. lib. 10. Aenead vers 823. He out of pity sighed or groaned grievously Are they restrained i. e. Are thy zeal and thy strength and the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies restrained and kept in that they should not shew themselves towards me 16. Doubtless thou art our Father q. d. Surely thou livest and art still our Father and therefore wilt take notice of us as of thy children and of the miserable condition in which we are Though Abraham be ignorant of us i. e. Though Abraham who was our Father according to the flesh is now dead and therefore neither knoweth us nor our condition And Israel acknowledge us not i. e. And though Israel who was also our Father according to the flesh is now dead and therefore acknowledgeth us not though we were his sons Why was Abraham ignorant of them and why did not Israel acknowledge them at this time Ans Because Abraham and Israel were both dead at this time and so all their thoughts perished Psal 146.4 Thou O Lord art our Father i. e. Thou O Lord I say livest and art our Father Our Redeemer The people of the Jews calleth the Lord their Redeemer because he had redeemed them at all times out of the hands of their Enemies Thy Name is from everlasting i. e. Thou art from everlasting and so being from everlasting shalt be to everlasting for that which hath no beginning shall have no ending By this he preferred God as a Father before Abraham and before Jacob For though Abraham and Jacob were both their Fathers yet they were mortal and both dead and so had no longer any knowledge and care of them as a Father had of his children But God is everlasting and dyeth not and so can always both take notice and have a care of them which are his Thy Name i. e. Thou See Cap. 30. vers 27. He putteth the Lord in minde that he is their Father and Redeemer thereby to move him more vehemently to compassion 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to err from thy ways i. e. O Lord why hast thou suffered us so long to be oppressed by the Babylonians and by that means hast made us to err from thy Commandments Note that if the rod of the wicked lieth long upon the righteous it maketh them to put forth their hands to iniquity Psa 125.3 Hence it is that he saith here O Lord why hast thou made us to err from thy ways for Why hast thou so long oppressed us or suffered us to be oppressed per Metonymiam Effectus From thy ways i. e. From thy Commandments in which thou hast appointed us to walk And hardened our heart from thy Fear q. d. And why hast thou hardened our heart so as that we fear thee not God is said to harden their hearts so as he was said to make them err from his ways that is by prolonging their misery and captivity in Babylon Return i. e. Return unto us in mercy and deliver us out of our captivity and misery now after the time that thou hast been angry with us Anger oftentimes maketh one man to depart from another who returneth again when his anger is over and his wrath appeased In allusion therefore to such a one doth he say here Return speaking of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For thy servants sake i. e. For our sake who are thy servants lest if thou return not unto us we be utterly consumed The tribes of thine inheritance i. e. The Tribes to whom thou gavest the Land of Canaan which is thine inheritance to dwell in These words are governed of the former by Apposition and those which he called the Lords servants there he calls the Tribes of the Lords inheritance here for the people of the Lord were divided into Tribes Exod. 28.21 Though the people of Israel were sometimes called the Lords inheritance because the Lord chose them for himself to be his own as a mans inheritance is his own yet here the Land of Canaan which God gave them to dwell in and not the people themselves is called Gods inheritance as will appear by the next Verse And the Land of Canaan might be called Gods inheritance because God reserved to himself a peculiar right in that Land Levit. 25.23 18. The people of thy Holiness have possessed it but a little while i. e. Thy people or thy holy people the Jews have possessed the Land of Canaan which is thine inheritance but a little while Supple Therefore bring us back again O Lord out of our captivity in Babylon into thine inheritance that we may possess it yet longer according to thy promise He saith that they had possessed the Land of Canaan the Lords inheritance but a little while though they had possessed it◠eight or nine hundred years because the Lord promised that they should inherit it for ever Exod. 32.13 And what is eight or nine hundred years to that which is for ever The people of thine Holiness Of thine Holiness may be put here for Of thee Gods Holiness being put for God himself per Metonymiam Adjuncti q. d. Thy people Or the substantive of the Genitive case may be put here for an Adjective as the Hebrews often put it and so the people of thine Holiness may be put for thine holy people And the Jews the children of Israel might be called Gods holy people because God took them to himself and separated them from all the people in the Earth to be his servants for Holiness is nothing else but a separation from others by way of eminency It i. e. Thine inheritance mentioned Vers 17. Our adversaries have broken down
thy Sanctuary i. e. The Babylonians which are our adversaries and which hold us in hard captivity have broken down thy holy Temple Supple Therefore destroy thou them for so doing that we may be freed out of their hands The Temple was called the Sanctuary be-of the sanctity and holiness thereof How the Babylonians trod down the Temple see 2 Chron. 36.19 19. We are thine i. e. We are thy servants and thy peculiar people Supple Therefore let not the Babylonians tyrannize over us Thou never barest rule over them i. e. Thou wast never the King and the God and the Lord of our adversaries in that special manner as thou wast ours as that thou shouldst regard them before us They were not called by thy Name i. e. They were not ever thy peculiar servants as we were so that thou shouldst have any great respect or care of them Supple Why therefore dost thou suffer them to tyrannize over us and oppress us And why dost thou suffer us to be oppressed by them And why dost thou do for them more then thou didst for us Note that to be called by ones name is to be his servant or wife or his in some relation or other as the circumstance of the place requireth by whose name he is called See Cap. 4.1 c. ISAIAH CHAP. LXIV O That thou wouldst rent the Heavens Supple To make a way through them He speaks of God as if he were a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for if a man were in Heaven and would come down from thence he must have the Heavens opened and divided some way or other that he might have passage through them before he could come down he cannot pass through them shut or undivided being solid bodies Wouldst rent This word rent imports anger and indignation in the renter as though he could not tarry till the Heavens were orderly opened but would rend them in haste aâ—d make a way through them by violence Note that this is to be continued with the former Chapter That thou wouldst come down Supple Upon the Earth That the mountains might flow down at thy presence q. d. O that thou wouldst come down in flaming fire that the mountains might melt and run down like melted wax at thy presence with the heat thereof Here is an Ellipsis of those words O that thou wouldst come down with flaming fire Note that the Scripture when it describeth God coming to take vengeance describeth him for the most part coming with fire as Psal 50.3 97.3 Deut. 32.22 2 Sam. 22.9 Joel 2.3 2 Thess 1.8 c. And so doth our Prophet tacitely here describe him when he calls upon him to come and take vengeance on the Babylonians for he tacitely calls upon him to come with fire when he would have him so to come as that the mountains might flow down at his presence as appeareth Psal 97.5 Judg. 5.5 Note secondly that the mountains being earth are not of a nature fit to be melted no not with the greatest fire The Prophet therefore when he speaketh of the melting or flowing down of the mountains useth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Metaphor with an Hyperbole 2. As when the melting fire burneth q. d. O that thou wouldst come down with fire which would burn as hot as when the fire burneth c. Note these words O that thou wouldst come with fire which would burn as hot are here to be understood Note also that by the melting fire he nameth a vehement and strong fire for such a fire is required to the melting of metals The fire causeth the waters to boyl Here also the same words are to be understood which were to be understood in the former Verse q. d. O that thou wouldst come down with fire which would burn as hot as when the fire causeth the waters to boyl Note that by the fire which causeth the waters to boyle he meaneth a strange and vehement fire as he did by the melting fire for it must be a strong fire and a vehement which maketh a great furnace of water to boyle To make thy name known to thine adversaries Here he sheweth the ends why he would have the Lord come down from Heaven and come with fire to wit that he might take vengeance of his adversaries To make thy name known to thine adversaries i. e. To make thine Adversaries know thy power Supple by feeling of it That is q.d. To punish thine Adversaries and take vengeance on them Thy Name i. e. The Name of God is put here for God himselfe as Cap. 63. v. 16. And God for the power of God To thine Adversaries By these he meaneth the Babylonians whom he calleth the adversaries of God because they destroyed his Sanctuary Cap. 63.18 And because they kept the Jewes the people of God in an hard bondage That the Nations may tremble at thy presence i. e. That other Nations also may tremble when they see how heavily thou layest thy judgements upon the Babylonians Yet by the Babylonians I mean not those onely which lived in Babylon and the Precincts thereof but all those Nations which were subject to the King of Babylon which were many which Nations onely may be here meant when he saith that the Nations may tremble at thy presence And therefore might they tremble because the hand of God would be as well upon them as upon those which dwelt in Babylon and the Precincts thereof which are called Babylonia 3. When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for What these terrible things were and when they were done is not so easie to determine but they seem to have been done upon the Egyptians when God delivered his people out of their hands though they be not recorded in holy Writ For many things were received among the Hebrews for truth which were not therein recorded as will appeare by the Prophecie of Enoch which Jude mentioneth Jude 14. which is no where recorded in the Old Testament Which we looked yet for i. e. Which thou didst for us when we little dreamed of them and which therefore were the more welcome to us But how can the Prophet say here which we lookâ—d not for when they were done many hundred yeeres before his daies Answ Indeed these things were done long before the Prophets daies for they were done in the daies of his forefathers yet because all the Jewes were of one race and one people the children speak often of their fathers as of themselves and say that they did that or saw that which their fathers onely did and saw Thou camest down Supple from Heaven in flaming fire The mountaines flowed at thy presence See vers 1. After these words understand these or the like Being therefore O Lord thou hast come down heretofore from Heaven in flaming fire so that the mountaines flowed at thy presence when we looked not for it Thou canst come down again when we intreat thee 4. For since the beginning of the world men
have not heard i. e. For no man since the beginning of the world hath ever heard or shall hear c. These words relate to that passage of the third verse viz. which we looked not for and shew that he might well say which wâ— looked not for for since the beginning of the world no man ever heard or saw what God had prepared and was ready to doe for them who wait for him Men have not heard Men have not heard nor shall hear These words contain not onely a praeterperfect Tense but the praesent and future also by a Syllepsis Nor perceived by the eare These are the same with the former words except you will say that by hearing is meant hearing from the reports of others perceiving by the eare is meant hearing immediately themselves Neither hath the eye seen i. e. Neither hath the eye of any one seen or shall see Supple before it commeth to passe Besides thee q. d. But onely thou O Lord who knowest what thou wilt doe and what thou hast prepared before it be done What he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him i. e. What thou O God hast prepared and art ready in thy good time to doe for them that wait for thee Note here the Enallage of the person for he speaketh of God in the Third person to whom he spoke just before and speaketh immediately after in the second For him i. e. For them A singular for a plurall number collective That waiteth for him i. e. Which depend upon thee or trust in thee and will not depart from thee but wait upon thee till thoâ— hast mercy upon them 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse i. e. Thou preventest him with thy blessings who rejoyceth to work righteousnesse Thou meetest him c. This is that which he saith Cap. 65.24 Before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will heare But the words are metaphoricall taken from a man meeting his friend before he comes to him An example whereof we have Luke 15.20 This sheweth that no man knoweth what God hath prepared for his untill it commeth to passe For God meetes those which are his and preventeth them with his blessings before they think of it That rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse i. e. Which rejoyceth to work Righteousnesse Here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two words to expresse one thing Those that remember thee in thy waies i. e. Even those which remember the Covenant which they have made with thee by walking in those waies which thou hast appointed for them to walk in That is by walking in thy commandements These are a repetition or amplification of these words That rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse That remember thee i. e. That remember thy Covenant or the Covenant which they have made with thee A metonymie in the word thee Bâ—hold thou art wroth q.d. But behold thou art wroth with us and shewest no kindnesse unto us though thou meetest us which rejoyce to work righteousnesse and remember thee in thy waies God shewed his wrath towards them by giving them over into the hands of the Babylonians and suffering them to remain so long in captivity as they did In those is continuance i. e. To those supple which rejoyce to work righteousnesse and which remember thee in thy waies There is continuance Supple of thy love and of their happy estate In for To. And we shall be saved q. d. And we supple which are now in the hands of our enemies shall be saved out of their hands Supple if we were such as they are That is if we did rejoyce and work righteousnesse and remember thee O Lord in thy waies as they doe This sentence is very concise and so are many more in this chapter But we are all as an unclean thing i. e. But we are not such as they are but we are all impure and defiled by reason of our iniquities As an unclean thing He alludeth to those things which the Ceremoniall law of Moses made unclean such was the cloath and the timber and the stones c. in which the Leprosie was found which things were either to be burned or cast away Levit. 13. v. 55 56 57. 14. v. 46 47. And all our righteousnesses i. e. And all our works or all our actions and doings Though all their works were sinnes yet he calls them their Righteousnesses by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because most of the Jewes accounted them themselves as well done and called them themselves Righteousnesses See the like manner of Phrase Cap. 47.12 Are as filthy rags i. e. As rags which are pulled off from mattrie soares or rags which are defiled with the menstruous bloud of a woman which the Law made unclean Or as some other rags which were fitter to be cast away or burned then to be kept or used And we all doe fade as a leafe Wherefore we do all fade away in the land of our captivity as a leafe which the winde hath blown from the Tree whereon it grew and flourished fadeth away and withereth And is put here for wherefore And our iniquities have like a wind taken us away i. e. For our iniquities have taken us away from our dwellings and habitations where we lived in prosperity and peace as a winde taketh the leafe away from the Tree whereon it flourished and have brought us into Babylon And for For. Their Iniquity is said to take them away because God suffered the Babylonians to take them away because of their iniquities 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy Name i. e. And yet there is none that calleth upon thee or prayeth unto thee in his miserable esâ—ate Note thâ— And is put here for yet and that this universall particle none is not to be universally taken here for none absolutely but for few q. d. There are but few that call upon thee Thy Name That is thee See Cap. 63.16 That stirreth up himselfe to take hold on thee q. d. There be but few that endeavour to stop thy judgements by begging pardon at thy hands This phrase is Allegoricall and alludeth to a man who is strucken down and yet he that struck him down still smites him and strikes him yet he that is strucken down lieth still along and suffereth him that struck him down to strike him still and raiseth not up himselfe to lay hold on his arm that he may strike him no more See Cap. 27.5 For thou hast hid thy face from us i. e. Though thou art angry with us See Cap. 8.17 Cap. 54.8 For is put here for though But now O Lord Supple We call upon thee we beseech thee therefore to heare us Thou art our Father Supple Therefore as a father pittieth his children so doe thou pitty us and have mercy upon us We are the clay i. e. We are the vessels which thou hast made Clay is put here per metonymiam materiae for vessels made of Clay And thou
and to whom he made great promises in Cyrus cap. 45.2 3 4 c. That was not calâ—ed by my Name i. e. That is not mine that is not mine by peculiar choyce as the Jews were Concerning this phrase see Cap. 63. vers 19. Note that Cyrus and the Persians lighting upon the Will of God here and doing it were a type of the Gentiles embracing the Gospel which is the Will of God concerning man and walking according to it And therefore the Apostle in the second and sublime sence maketh use of this Verse to shew that the believing of the Gentiles was foretold of old Rom. 10.20 2. I have spred out my hand all the day long to a rebellious people i. e. I have spred out my hand all the day long to my people the Jews which are a stubborn and a rebellious people c. In the first Verse the Lord shewed that he had heard the prayer which was made to him in the two former Chapters and that the Medes and Persians should perform his pleasure concerning the overthrow of the Babylonians and the redemption of the Jews according to that prayer But lest any one should think that he intended to redeem the wicked and irrepentant Jews he sheweth here that he had no such intent but because the greatest part of the Jews were wicked and irrepentant he would take vengeance of them to the full and destroy them yet he would redeem the better part to wit those which were sorry for their sins and were mindful of his service I have spred out my hands to a rebellious people i. e. I have invited a people to come unto me and have spred out my hands as being ready to receive them in mine arms but they would not come unto me Or thus I have preached to my people the Jews and called upon them to repent and turn from their evil ways but they would not hear Because the spreading out of the hands was a gesture which was wont to be used by those which preached to the people either to raise attention as Acts 26.1 or to move affection The spreading out of the hands may be put here for preaching All the day long q. d. Without ceasing To a rebellious people This people were that part of the Jews which would not accept of Gods invitation nor give ear when he preached to them by his Prophets but would run on still in their transgressions Note here that these rebellious Jews which would not accept of Gods invitation nor hear him when he preached unto them by his Prophets were a type of those obstinate and unbelieving Jews which would not believe the Gospel when the Gospel was preached unto them Rom. 10.21 That walketh in a way that is not good i. e. Which do that which is evil After their own thoughts i. e. That walketh after their own lusts 3. A people that provoketh me to anger Supple By their sins To my face The Lord speaks here of himself as of a man to shew their impudency in sinning and the greatness of their provocation For men are more provoked with that contumely which is done to their face then with that which is done behinde their back And they are more impudent in sin which commit sin before the face of one that looketh on then which commit it in private where they are not seen That sacrificeth in Gardens Idolaters were wont to sacrifice in Gardens and in Groves and it seemeth the Jews many of them did so sacrifice while they were captives in Babylon contrary to Gods command Deut. 12.13 14. And burneth incense upon Altars of brick This was contrary to the words of God Exod. 30. v. 1. Howsoever they sinned by burning Incense out of the Temple 4. Which remain among the graves They did remain among the graves that they might consult with evil spirits which haunt those places Or that they might use some kinde of Necromancy or other which was forbidden Deut. 18.11 And lodge in the monuments This is a repetition of the foregoing sentence For sepulchers are called monuments because of the monuments which are there erected to the memory of the dead Which eat Swines flesh Contrary to the Law Levit. 11.7 Deut. 14.8 And broth of abominable things is in their vessels i. e. And which have in their vessels broth made of the flesh of unclean beasts such as were forbidden to be eaten Levit. 11. and Deuter. 14. and therefore were abominable for a man to eat 5. Which say Supple To other men notwithstanding their own wickedness Hypocrites as they are Stand by thy self i. e. Keep off Come not neer to me Supple To pollute me with thy company These are a smoke in my nose i. e. These are a vexation to me as smoke is to the eyes or the nose of a man A fire that burneth all the day i. e. Such as kindle my wrath by their wickedness continually or such as vex me all the day long He likeneth these men to fire either because they did kindle Gods wrath against themselves as fire kindleth the wood Or else because as fire raiseth a smoke which vexeth the eyes and nose of a man so did they commit sins dayly by which they did vex the Holy One of Israel 6. It is written before me i. e. That which these men have done and do do shall not be forgotten but I will keep it in continual remembrance He alludeth to the Books of Records which Kings use to have and to read in as Eâ—th 6.1 This Particle It is a Relative without any formal Antecedent which is a thing frequent with the Hebrews Or it relateth to all the sins before mentioned without observing the number I will not keep silence Supple But will rebuke them in my fierce anger Gods rebuke goeth not with his actual afflicting and punishing and therefore though rebuke with men signifieth but words yet with God it signifieth deeds also But will recompence Supple Their iniquities as it followeth in the next verse that is I will pay them as much punishment as their sins deserve Even recompence into their bosom By the bosom is meant the lap And he alludeth to an housholder paying his laborer his wages in corn which corn the laborer takes of him in the lap of his garment and so carryeth it to his own home For in those days men went in loose garments as well as women though different in fashion 7. Your iniquities i. e. Their iniquities These words relate to the word recompence in the former Verse Note here the confusion of the persons how he confounds the second person with the third and saith Your for their iniquities The like we read cap. 1.29 And the iniquities of your fathers together i. e. And the iniquities of their fathers together A question will here presently arise How it can stand with the Justice of God to punish the iniquities of the fathers upon their children Answ God is said to punish the iniquities of the
part of the Jews which were in captivity and he speaks of himself in the third person That forget my holy mountain i. e. That forget my Temple where I was wont to be worshipped and mourn not for the destruction thereof By the holy mountain is meant Mount Sion and by that the Temple of God which was built thereon per Metonymiam Subjecti or Continentis Therefore are they said to forget the holy mountain or Temple of God because they did not remember that that was the onely place where they ought to sacrifice Deut. 12.14 15. and that that was the holy place where they ought to keep their solemn and religious Feasts to the Lord Deut. 16.13 14 15 16. and because they were not moved nor did mourn for the destruction thereof See cap. 66.10 That prepare a table for that troop i. e. That make a Feast in honor of the Stars He pointed as it were with his fingers towards the Stars when he said that troop and he calls the Stars a troop because they were many and saith that troop in contempt of them to think that they should be esteemed as gods Note that Feasts were wont to accompany all solemn sacrifices and it may be that such Feasts are here meant But Idolaters had other Feasts also in honor of their Idols which did not relate to any sacrifice as may appear Judg. 9.27 And of these kinde of Feasts may this place be understood And that furnish the drink-offering i. e. And that provide a plentiful drink-offering To that number i. e. In honor of the Stars which he calleth a number because they were many in number 12. Therefore will I number you to the sword q. d. Because ye are they that furnish the drink-offering to that number therefore will I give you all over to the sword by tale or by number to be slain by it so as that not one of you shall escape He speaks here of the sword as of a person by a Prosopopoeia Or takes the sword by a Metonymy for the Soldier that useth the sword Observe the Paranomasia here from the former Verse or the playing as I may so speak in the word number And ye shall all bow down to the slaughter q.d. And as ye did bow down to that troop and that number that is to the Stars so shall ye bow down to the slaughter either voluntarily to beg your lives at her hands or against your wills when ye shall not onely bow down but fall down flat at her feet dead in your blood He speaks of slaughter here as of a person by a Prosopopoeia Or else by the slaughter he meaneth the slayer by a Metonymy Because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not hear He giveth another reason here why he would number them to the sword and make them to bow down to the slaughter and this their sin he threateneth with another judgment vers 13. When I called Supple To you by my Prophâ—ts He alludeth to a master calling his servant when he would have him to do any thing for him Ye did not answer He alludeth to servants which if they are dutiful are at hand and ready to answer when their masters call But did evil before mine eyes i. e. But for all my calling and my speaking did evil before my face And did choose that wherein I delighted not i. e. And did choose that from which I was so far from taking delight in as that I abhorred it as being sin Here is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these words wherein I delighted not 13. My servants i. e. They which harkened to my voyce and sought me Shall eat i. e. Shall have plenty of food and that in their own Land Shall rejoyce Supple Because of the prosperity which I will give them in their own Land But ye shall be ashamed Supple Because of the vile condition which ye shall be in in the Land of your captivity 15. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen q. d. And so miserable shall ye be as that my Elect when they take an Oath and in their Oath shall wish evil unto themselves if they do not as they say they shall wish that evil unto themselves as shall befall you saying v. g. If I do not as I say let that misery befall me which befell those captive Jews which would not harken unto the voyce of the Lord in Babylon My chosen i. e. Mine Elect vers 9. For the Lord God shall slay thee i. e. For the Lord God shall slay you A singular is put here for a plural number The slaughter here spoken of was executed upon these men by the Medes and Persians under Cyrus who slew them among the Babylonians which were slain And call his servants by another name q. d. And when he hath slain you he shall call them which have harkened to his voyce by another name This other name which the Lord would give unto his servants was Amen that is truth that is stability That whereas they were now called tossed with tempest as cap. 54.11 and removing to and fro as cap. 49.21 they should be no more so called But from henceforth they should be called Truth that is stability because of the stability which they should enjoy in their own Land That Amen that is truth or stability is the name which the Lord would here give unto his servants appeareth by the following Verse Note that when the Lord gave these his servants this name he gave them also the thing signified by the name as he gave it to Jerusalem when he called her Hepzibah and as he gave it to her Land when he called it Beulah cap. 62.4 Yea rather the Lord gave these his servants that thing which might be the foundation of this name For then is the Lord said to call a man so and so when he gives them those gifts for which he might be so or so called See cap. 9.6 The meaning of this place then is this That when these men were slain he would bring those which had harkened to his voyce to a far better condition and estate then they enjoyed at the present And whereas they were tossed to and fro in the Land of their captivity he would bring them to their own Land again and there establish them in rest and quiet 16. That he that blesseth himself in the Earth shall bless himself in the God of Truth i. e. So that he that blesseth himself in the Earth shall bless himself by the God of Truth saying Bless me I pray thee O God of Truth O God of Truth have mercy upon me That blesseth himself i. e. That shall desire or pray for a blessing upon himself To bless a man is to pray God for a blessing upon him and to wish well to him To bless God is to praise God and to give him thanks for his goodness In the Earth
if they did ever return into their own Land the Land of Judah they would build the Lord an House or Temple because the Babylonians had burned down the first first Temple which Solomon built being inured to Idols and Idolatry conceived that the Lord would be contained in his House or Temple as their Idols were in their Houses or Temples Therefore the Lord saith thus unto them The Heaven is my throne the Earth is my footstool where therefore is the House that ye build unto me c. And where is the place of my rest i. e. And where shall be the place of the Temple which ye said ye would build unto me This is a repetition of the former sentence And as there so here a present is put for a future tense By Gods rest is meant the Temple of God which may be so called in allusion to that that it is called Gods rest Psal 132.8 and it is there called Gods rest in opposition to the Tabernacle of the Lord which moved up and down whereas the Temple stood firm and fixed in one place In allusion I say to that place of the Psalms Psal 132.8 may the Temple be called Gods rest and because the Temple is so called in the Psalms this people might call the Temple which they said they would build Gods Rest and the Lord in imitation of them might by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say as he doth here And where is the place of my Rest 2. For all these things hath mine hand made i. e. Moreover all these things supple which ye see have I made For is put here for Moreover and the hand which is but a part is put here by a Synecdoche for the whole man for God speaketh here of himself as of a man by a Prosopopoeia And all those things have been i. e. And all these things have continued from the Creation Supple by the supportment of my hand If the Lord made all things and sustained them ever since then cannot man make a Temple to the Lord of any thing which was not his own before then can he not make him a Temple worthy of his honor then doth not the Lord need any Temple of mans building And so their work woâ—ld not be so acceptable to the Lord as they imagined nay the Lord would not regard a Temple of their building being they were wicked men and delighted in their abominations But to this man will I look even to him that is of a poor and contrite spirit Between this and the former Verse understand these or the like words I will not therefore have any regard to you though ye do build me a Temple q. d. I will not therefore have any regard to you though ye do build me a Temple but to him onely will I look even to him that is of a poor and a contrite spirit To this man will I look Supple With a pleasing and delightful countenance That is of a poor and contrite spirit See cap. 57.15 But what he calls poor here he calls humble there for the humble man is always poor in his own conceit And trembles at my Word i. e. And trembleth at those words of threatening wherewith I threaten the transgressors of my Law and so is afraid to transgress my Law 3. He that killeth an Ox is as if he slew a man q. d. They say that when they come into their own Land that Land of Judah again and have built me a Temple there that they will serve me with their sacrifices again as they were wont But whosoever he be among them that killeth an Ox in sacrifice to me shall be to me as abominable as if he slew a man which to do is plain murder which I will not suffer to go unrevenged Note here the Enallage of the person for he speaks of them here in the third person to whom he spoke in the second Vers 1. He that sacrificeth a Lamb as if a he cut off a dogs neck A dog was accounted so unclean and base a creature among the Hebrews as that the price of a dog was not to be brought into the House of the Lord Deut. 23.18 Abominable therefore must he needs be that would cut off a dogs neck thereby to sacrifice to the Lord. He that offered an Oblation as if he offered Swines blood By the Oblation here mentioned is meant a meat-offering which was of meal either raw or dressed of which Levit. 2. To offer Swines blood for an Oblation was unlawful and so abominable two ways first as it was blood secondly as it was Swines blood for no blood was to be offered as an Oblation for Oblations were to be onely of meal wine and oyl Levit 2. And the blood of every beast which a man killed was to be poured on the ground Levit. 17.13 And as for Swine they were neither permitted in Gods publique service or mans private use Levit. 11.7 He that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol i. e. He that burneth Incense to me shall be as abominable as if he blessed an Idol That burneth Incense He alludeth to that burning of Incense or Frankincense which is mentioned Levit. 2.2 As if he blessed an Idol i. e. As if he did burn Incense and sing praises to an Idol Note that Idolaters at the time that they burned Incense to their Idols did sing hymns and songs in praise of their Idols which is called blessing their Idols and is that to which the Prophet here alludeth Yea they have chosen their own ways i. e. Because they have forsaken those ways which I commanded them and have chosen them ways of their own which they think best of to walk in such ways as are mentioned Cap. 65.3 4 5. Note that Yea is put here for Because for this containeth a reason why any of them if he killed an Ox should be as abominable as if he should slay a man And their Soul delighteth in their abominations i. e. And they delight in their abominable sins such as those are which are mentioned Cap. 65.3 4 5. 4. I also will choose their delusions and bring their fears upon them q. d. But because they have chosen their own ways I will chuse also but I will chuse their delusions And because their Soul delighteth in their abominations I will cross their delight and bring their fears upon them For understanding of these words know this that the Babylonians did promise those captive Jews which would comply with them in their wicked Religion and their abominations more favor then they would shew to others whereupon the ungodly party of the Jews fearing that they should never be delivered out of captivity and that the Babylonians would oppress them every day more and more because the Lord sent his Prophets to the Jews to tell them that he would deliver them out of Babylon as Pharaoh did the more afflict the Israelites in Egypt because Moses came with a message from God concerning their
may be called the Land of an English man in what County soever thereof he was born or what Shire thereof soever he dwels in And the strangers shall be joyned with them i. e. And the Strangers among whom they live in their Captivity being wonne by their example to worship their God and hearing of the prosperity of Hezekiah and fearing what may be the event of those troubles and warres which the Medeâ— shall bring upon Babylon and Assyria shall goe along with them into their land By Strangers are meant such as were not of the seed of Jacob and in particular here are meant those among whom they lived Captive And they i. e. And the Strangers Shall cleave to i. e. Shall stick close to To the house of Jacob. i. e. To the Children of Jacob and live with them 2. And the People shall take them and bring them to their places i. e. And the stranggers shall accompany the Children of Israel into their own land and furnish them with things necessary for their journey The People i. e. The Strangers or Gentiles among whom they lived in Captivity Shall take them and bring them This signifieth no more than if he had barely said they shall bring them Shall bring them To bring a man on his way doth not signifie onely to accompany him but also to furnish him with necessaries for his journey as you may see Tit. 3. v. 13. And the house of Israel shall possesse them in the Land of the Lord for servants and hand-maides i. e. And they shall serve the Children of Israel in the Land of the Lord and be their servants In the Land of the Lord. Judaea was called the Land of the Lord because there was the Temple and house of God and God was there worshipped Yea the whole land of Canaan might be called the Land of the Lord because God did reserve to himself a peculiar Interest in that land Levit. 25. v. 23. And them Captives whose Captives they were i. e. And the Children of Israel shall take many of the Assyrians and Babylonians Captives whereas they were before in Captivity to them Note that whereas the word Captives is here twice repeated In the first place it is to be taken Metaphorically in the other properly For the Assyrians and Babylonians are called Captives of the Children of Israel onely because they went along with the Children of Israel and left theâ—r own land to dwell with them and serve them which they did out of their own free election But the Children of Israel are called Captives of the Babylonians and Assyrians because the Babylonians and Assyrians conquered them by their sword and carried them away whether they would or no from their own to their Land there to be bondmen and bondwomen And they shall rule over their Oppressors i. e. And the Children of Israel shall rule over their Oppressors either as Masters over Servants or as Princes over Subjects Over their Oppressours i. e. Over the Babylonians and Assyrians which did oppresse them in the Land of their captivity Note here that the Children of Israel are said to take them Captive whose Captives they were and to rule over their Oppressours Not because they took those individuall men captive whose Captives they were Nor because they ruled over those individuall men which oppressed them But because they whom they are said to take captive and to rule over were of the same People and Nation as they were of to whom they were in captivity and which oppressed them 3. And it shall come to passe that in that day that the Lord shall give the rest He useth an Apostrophe here to Jacob that is to the Children of Israel even all of them which had been any way afflicted by the Assyrians and were now relieved From thy sorrow and from thy fear and from thy hard bondage c. He saith and from thy hard bondage in regard of those onely which were carried into Babylon c. For they onely were in bondage though they and all the rest of the Children of Israel were in sorrow and in fear by reason of the cruell oppressions and warrs which the King of Assyria brought upon them When Sennacherib's host was destroyed they which were in Hierusalem were delivered from their sorrow and fear But they which were in bondage were not delivered thence untill the Medes destroyed Babylon 4. Thou shalt take up this Proverb i. e. Thou shalt use this elâ—gant song or speech so some or this quipp or taunt so others Against the King of Babylon The King of Assyria is here meant by the King of Bâ—bylon for he was King of Babylon at this time 2 King 17.24 As the Emperour of Russia is sometimes called the Emperour of Russia sometimes the Gâ—eat Duke of Muscovie So was the King of Assyâ—ia called sometimes the King of Assyria sometimes the King of Babylon If it be asked why he is called here rather the King of Babylon than King of Assyria The reasons may be First because the Prophet did prophesie of the great overthrow of Babylon which as it is likely felt more of the Medes fury than any place of the Assyrian Empire besides That therefore he might more lively set out the calamity which should befall the King of Assyria he calls him the King of Babylon as if he should say The King of that Babylon whose overthrow should be as the overthrow of Sodome and Gomorrah Secondly He might be called the King of Babylon here because that it is likely that more of the Children of Israel were captive in Babylon than in any other place of the Assyrian Empire besides and more hardly and cruelly used there And there dwelt the Exactors of that Tribute which had been laid upon the Children of Israel and there was that Tribute paid in That therefore the destruction of the King of Assyria might more affectionately work upon the Children of Israel and make them more joyful having suffered so many things from Babylon he calls the King of Assyria King of Babylon By this King of Babylon is meant in particular Sennacherib as will appear by the processe of this proverbe or song And this may be the reason why Sennacherib is made the subject of this Song or Proverb more than any other King of Babylon to wit because no King of Babylon or Assyria did ever oppresse the Jewes whom this book most concerns as appeares Cap. 1.1 more than Sennacherib did Secondly Because Sennacherib was in a manner the last King of Babylon at least the last Oppressour of that Race For though after he was slaine Esar-haddon his Sonne reigned in his stead Cap. 37.38 yet his Raign was but exceeding short for he was scarce seated in the Throne when the Medes came and destroyed his Empire And the Children of Israel which were with Hezekiah scarce heard of his being King much lesse did feel the hand of his Oppression and yet there is something in this Proverb which
concerns Esar-hadhaddon and other the Children of Sennacherib v. 21. How hath the Oppressour ceased q. d. How is it come to passe that the King of Babylon who was wont to Oppresse all kind of people and make warre against them onely that he might place his own Subjects in their Land or make them his Tributaries I say how is it come to passe that this man ceaseth so suddainly from his Oppression whereas he had so mighty a power to Oppresse The golden City ceased q. d How hath the City which was enriched with gold which was extorted from all nations by way of tribute and exactions ceased so suddainly to exact her Tribute Or thus How hath the Oppressour ceased The golden City ceased i. e. How is the Oppressour perished How hath the golden City been destroyed For those things which perished and are destroyed are said to cease Supple from being whether they be men or inanimate Creatures The golden City By the golden City he meaneth Babylon which he calleth the golden City by a Mimesis because the Babylonians in their pride were wont so to call it because of the abundance of gold and riches which were therein as being the City in which the Nobles and most wealthy men dwelt Or else he calls it the golden City because that thither the Tributes were carryed and there payd which the King of Assyria exacted of the Nations round about and so it abounded with gold and silver Some perhaps may here aske how it was against Sennacherib to tell of the fall of Babylon when as Sennacherib was dead before Babylon was overthrown Answer The Prophet useth a kind of Poesie in all this Proverbe which he hath against the King of Babylon and in Poesie the dead are brought in with like affections as if they were living Againe as in the Parable of Dives and Lazarus our Saviour brings in Dives when he was in Hell taking care for his brethren and their well doing which were upon the earth Luke 16.28 So might the Prophet bring in Sennacherib when he was dead taking care for the wellfare of his Children and as touched with their losses and with their death and spoke of him as if it were grievous to him whatsoever was grievous to them This Question is the Question of one admiring and insulting Admiring at what was done and insulting over those to whom it was done 5. The Lord hath broken the staffe of the wicked i. e. The Lord hath broken the power of the Oppressours so that they cannot any more oppresse By the Oppressours are meant Sennacherib and his sonnes or Sennacherib and his ancestors or Sennacherib and his Ministers who were his Instruments to oppresse The Prophet gives an Answer here to that Question How hath the Oppressour ceased And this he amplifieth and continueth to the end of the 22. verse and then in the 23. verse he gives an answer to the other Question How is the golden City ceassed The Staffe By the Staffe he meaneth Metaphorically the Power which Sennacherib and his Sonnes and Ancestors and Ministers used to oppresse other nations For as men use a Staffe to beat Doggs or Slaves c. So did they use their power to oppresse all people Of the wicked i. e. Of the Oppressours Synechdoche generis For all Oppressours are wicked men though all wicked men are not Oppressours And the Scepter of the Rulers This is a repetition of the former words The Scepter was an Ensigne of Majesty which Kings were wont to bear Yet it was but a Stick or a Staffe though happily trimly adorned Homer Iliad α. vers 234. with this also were Kings wont to strike in their anger those with whom they were offended So did Agamemnon strike Thersites with his Scepter Hom. Iliad α. v. 265. By the breaking therefore of the Scepter may be meant the breaking of the Power and Empire of the Assyrians 6. He who smote the People in wrath with a continuall stroke i. e. He which did continually vex and oppresse the People Here he comes to speak peculiarly against Sennacherib and by his smiting he meaneth Metaphorically his Oppressing With a continuall stroke i. e. With continual strokes A Singular for a Plurall number By his continuall strokes he meaneth his continuall Oppressions He is persecuted Sennacherib was persecuted by an Angel of God by which also his Army was destroyed from Judaea to Niniveh 2 Kings 19.35 36. And when he was there he was also persecuted and slaine by his own sonnes as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his God 2 Kings 19.37 And none hindereth i. e. And none are willing to hinder this his persecution but rather rejoyce in it None hindred it because he was at last slaine by them which persecuted him The prophet â—â—â—graphically describeth the Persecution of Sennacherib as though he were then in persecution when he spoke it 7. The whole earth is at rest and is quiet q. d. Sennacherib is slaine and now that Sennacherib is slaine the whole earth is quiet from warres with which he was wont to vex it This is to be understood as if Sennacherib were but newly slaine and this spoken so soon as ever he was dead By the whole earth he meaneth the Inhabitants of the whole earth by a Metonymie and he useth here a Synechdoche integri by putting all for part onely of the Inhabitants of the earth They break forth into singing Supple For joy that Sennacherib is dead who was wont to vex them with warres or tributes or both 8. Yea the Firr trees rejoyce at thee The Prophet makes an Apostrophe here to Sennacherib and useth a most elegant Prosopopoeia or Metaphor by which he makes the trees of Lebanon to rejoyce because being that Sennacherib was dead who delighted in war they should now stand and be cut down no more to make warrelike Engines and Fortifications as before Rejoyce at thee i. e. Rejoyce to hear that thou art dead Since thou art laid down i. e. Since thou art dead He useth a Metaphor here from trees which being cut down lye along upon the ground No feller is come up against us Supple To cut us down 9. Hell from beneath is mooved for thee i. e. Hell is moved as a Town and City is moved when a great King is brought Prisoner thither and every one runs out of his house to see him I say Hell is moved to hear that thou art dead and comming thither that it might meet thee By Hell he meaneth the Graves or the lower parts of the earth in which the Graves are made The Prophet useth here the like Metaphor or Prosopopoeia as he did before in the Firr trees And moreover in this description he alludes to some great Prince taken in war and brought Captive to some Town or City there to be kept like a Prisoner For thee i. e. To meet thee as the next words explaine it or for thee i. e. At the report of thee and of thy comming It