she hath suffered in her captivity is at an end Her warfare Because warfare is full of labor and hardship therefore is warfare put here for labor and hardship And when he saith Her warfare is accomplished he seems to allude to those years in which a man might be compelled to serve in war and after which age he was free from that burthen For she hath received at the Lords hand double for all her sin Some interpret these words thus For she shall receive at the Lords hands twice as great blessings as she hath suffered punishments thereat And so blessings are here to be understood and sin is to be taken for punishment for sin as it is also taken Cap. 5.18 and a Preterperfect-tense is put for a Future This place thus expounded hath its like Cap. 61.7 But others expound these words thus q. d. For she hath suffered great punishments at the Lords hands for her sin Supple By which the Lord is now moved to pity and compassion towards her upon her repentance As a Father is moved to pity his Child whom he hath grievously chastised for his faults when he seeth him sorry for his faults Note that the word double signifieth with the Hebrews as much as great and abundant as Jer. 17.18 Bring upon them the day of evil and destroy them with double destruction And 1 Tim. 5.18 Let the Elders which rule well be counted worthy of double honor In both which places double is put for great or abundant Note also that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 punishments is to be understood in the word double This was delivered by the Prophet long before the Jews were in captivity yet it is spoken as though the Jews were even then in captivity and had been long therein Thus do Prophets speak of things to come as if they were present 3. The voyce of him that cryeth in the wilderness i. e. The voyce of the Cryer is heard in the wilderness saying or I hear the voyce of the Cryer crying in the wilderness and saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He speaks as though he heard the voyce of him that cryed and by this he sheweth the certainty and the suddenness of the Jews delivery and return out of the captivity of Babylon In the wilderness He meaneth the wilderness between Babylon and Judea Prepare ye the way of the Lord i. e. Prepare ye the way in which the Lord is to walk or march from Babylon to Judea with his people the Jews How they should prepare the way of the Lord he sheweth in the following words of this and the next Verse Make straight in the Desart a high-way for our God i. e. Make in the wilderness an high-way for our God to walk in and let it be straight Straight By straight is meant not onely that which hath no windings and turnings but also that which hath no risings and fallings but is plain and that by a Syllepsis When as the way here spoken of was for the Jews to pass out of Babylon into their own Land Why he saith it was for their God I shall tell at the fifth Verse In the Desart Between Babylon and Judea there were great Desarts and waste places to which the Prophet here alludes 4. Every valley shall be exalted i. e. Let every valley which is in the way be filled up and evened or made plain with the other groâ—nd He putteth here a Future tense for an Imperative mood And this Verse is an Exegesis of the latter part of the former Verse And every mountain and hill shall be made low i. e. Let every mountain and hill be digged down and levelled with the other ground And the crooked shall be made straight i. e. And let the crooked ways be made straight Because of great Bogs and Mires and Precipices and the like accidents in the way Many a way goeth crooked and winding to avoyd those Bogs and Mires and Precipices which would be made straight to the great advantage of the Traveller if those Bogs and Mires and Precipices were filled with stones and earth c. And to such hath the Prophet here respect 5. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed i. e. For the glorious Lord shall come out of Babylon and march openly with his people to Judea through the wilderness And is put here for For. He puts also the glory of the Lord here for the Lord himself which is glorious per Metonymiam Adjuncti And he saith shall be revealed for shall come openly as it is said The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven 2 Thess 1.7 And all flesh shall see it together i. e. And all people shall see him Supple as he passeth by He seems to allude here to the manner of men who when any great Prince is to pass by with a great company attending him in a glorious manner they gather themselves together in great multitudes and stand to see him as he passeth by Note here that what the Prophet saith in the third and fourth Verses of this Chapter is spoken in allusion to what was wont to be done for great Princes and their Retinue when they were to remove from place to place who had Harbingers and way-makers sent before to take care that the way by which they were to pass was clean and plain and even and workmen to do what they commanded them in preparing the way This whole description of preparing a way for the Lord is brought onely to signifie that the Jews in their return out of captivity from Babylon into Judea should have an easie passage thither without any stop in their way What we read of here Xerxes had done for him by his servants in after-times to the full sounding of the letter of whom Justin reports Quod montes in planum deducebat c. Convexa vallium aequabat Justin lib. 2. cap. 10. fin The Prophet saith Prepare ye the way of THE LORD and make straight an high-way for OUR GOD And he saith that the GLORY OF THE LORD shall be revealed that is That the GLORIOUS LORD shall pass gloriously from Babylon to Judea in the sight of all men But why is it that he speaks thus Ans When the Israelites were redeemed from the bondage in which they lived in Egypt the Lord himself brought them out and marched before them For the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of Cloud to lead them the way and by night in a pillar of Fire to give them light to go by day and by night Exod. 13.21 In allusion therefore to what God did then when he delivered the Israelites out of Egypt the Prophet speaks here of God when he should deliver the Jews out of Babylon as though God would in a visible and glorious manner march before them then also as he did when he brought them out of Egypt though indeed he would not For note that the Hebrews do often understand like things by like and so describe them See Notes
or Literall or Historicall or Meaner sense of the Heavens and that Metaphorically And the Heavens are said to sound out and speak the praises of God all the world over because they are seen to all the world to be so excellently made as that men may understand thereby the eternall power and God-head of him that made them But as they are spoken in the First or Literall or Historicall or Meaner sense of the Heavens Metaphorically So are they spoken of the Apostles who preached the Gospel in all the world in the Second Mysticall and Sublime sense properly Rom. 10. v. 18. And note here that Saint Paul alledgeth these words of the Psalmist in that place of the Romanes not by Accommodation onely that is not because they are words fit for his purpose without any relation to the intent of the Prophet David in that place but he alledgeth them as words intended by the Prophet David as a man inspired by the Holy Ghost to signifie that for which he there alledgeth them as he that seriously considereth the Text and Context must needs confesse But if you ask me how the Prophet David though inspired by the Holy Ghost can signifie by those words in that place the preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles throughout the world Take these my Notions such as they are in a place of much difficulty and controversie The work of Christ in the whole redemption of Man is as a new Creation and hath resemblance thereunto intended by the Holy Ghost Hence we read 1 Cor. 5. v. 1 7. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Old things are passed away behold all things are become new And Gal. 6. v. 15. In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new Creature The Psalmist therefore while he speakes of the Heavens which is the highest and lightest and chiefest part of the materiall world and the glory which they bring to God their Maker doth in a mysticall sense foretell of the Apostles and the glory which they shall bring to the Lord who gave them to be Apostles by their preaching For in the new world which Christ framed that is in the Church of Christ the Apostles are the highest and chiefest Creatures hence in the similitude of an house they are likened to the foundations which are the chiefest parts and most to be regarded in a building Ephes 2.20 And they are the lightest also for our Saviour saith to them Yee are the light of the world Matth. 5. vers 14. But to return to that from which we may seem to have digressed That which our Prophet saith of himself in the first sense Cap. 18. v. 12. I and the children which thou hast given me is said also by Christ of himself in the Second and Sublime sense Heb. 2. v. 13. But it is spoken by Isaiah otherwise than it is by Christ for it is spoken by Isaiah properly for he was the naturall father of these children which he speakes of But Christ is called the Father of these Children which he speakes of onely by a Metaphor So in these woâ—ds Isaiah 25. v. 8. He will swallow up death in victory Death as the words are considered in the First Literall Historicall and Meaner sense is to betaken Metonymically for Sorrow Or if Death be taken for that which deprives a man of life the meaning of the words is this That the Lord will destroy death that it shall kill no more But as the words are taken in the Second Mysticall and Sublime sense as they are taken 1 Cor. 15. v. 55. Death is to be taken properly for the deprivation of life And the sense of the words is That the Lord will so destroy death and triumph over it as that he will restore those which are dead to life again So Isaiah 35. v. 4. In the words which we read there to wit Then shall the lame leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing The lame and the dumb as the words are taken in the First or Literall or Historicall and Meaner sense are taken Metaphorically for those that are in such extremity of grief as that they have no desire either to talke or to walk but sit as dumb and lame men But in the Second Mysticall and Sublime sense they are taken properly for him that is lame indeed And him that is dumb indeed Matth. 11. vers 5. The Fifth and last thing that I desired to betaken notice of was this That though in many Histories â—as I may call them and Prophesies of those holy Writers there be sometimes one sometimes more sentences which signifie immediately by their words not onely some passage or passages which appertain to the First Literall Historicall or Meaner Sense But also some passage or passages which appertain to the Second Mysticall and Sublime Sense Yet it is not necessary neither is it alwayes so yea it is very seldome so that every sentence of the whole Prophesie or History as I may call it doth signifie immediately by its words those passage or passages which appertain to the Second Mysticall or Sublime sense as they doe those passages which appertain to the First or Historical or Meaner Sense Which some not observing where they have assuredly found a sentence belonging to some passage of the Sublime sense thinking therefore that the whole Context must necessarily thereunto appertain word by word have attempted to construe the Context word by word accordingly and have rack'd the words yet have they not made them speak good sense But that it is not necessary nor is it alwayes true that where one sentence is found appertaining word by word to the Second Mysticall or Sublime sense the sentences adjoyning must therefore appertain to the same sense word by word is evident by these examples following for Exod. 12. v. 46. Those words Neither shall yee break a bone thereof appertain in the Second Mysticall and Sublime sense to our Saviour Christ John 19. v. 36. But though that sentence appertaineth word by word to our Saviour Christ in the Second Mysticall and Sublime sense yet cannot the sentences preceding or following be construed of him word by word as he which readeth them must needs confesse So that sentence 2 Sam. 7.14 I will be his Father and he shall be my Sonne is spoke of our Saviour Christ in the Second Mysticall and Sublime sense Heb. 1. v. 5. Yet cannot the words following in that verse be understood of him to wit If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men So those words Isaiah 1. v. 9. Except the Lord of Hosts had left unto us a very small remnant we should have been as Sodome and we should have been like unto Gomorrah signifie in the and Second Mysticall and Sublime sense that many should perish through unbelief and that a Remnant onely should be saved according to the election
4.19 And therefore are called an host because of their multitude and order for an host or an army are not more and more orderly composed and better ranked then they are and they are called the high ones which are on high because they are placed in the Heavens which are the uppermost parts of the World The Assyrians did worship the Sun and the Moon and the Stars and made Images and representations thereof which also they worshipped and carryed about with them in their Camp and these Images or representations were destroyed when Sennacherihs Army was destroyed And because they were destroyed the host of the high ones that are on high that is the Sun and the Moon and the Stars themselves are here said to be punished So the Lord was said to execute Judgment upon all the gods of Egypt Exod. 12.12 and Numb 33.4 among which gods were the host of Heaven as may be gathered Deut. 4.19 Amos 5. v. 25 26. Acts 7. v. 43. for the gods there mentioned were such as the Israelites had seen worshipped in Egypt and learned from them And upon them is the Lord said to have executed Judgment because he flung down their Idols and Representations and broke them in pieces the same night that he brought Israel out of Egypt But some take the host of the high ones that are on high not for the Sun and Moon and Stars themselves but for the Images of the Sun Moon and Stars which the Assyrians carried with them to worship for the Gentiles called the Images of things by the names of those whose Images they were as the Image of Jupiter is called Jupiter Acts 14.13 But you will say whether by the host of the high ones that are on high are meant the Sun the Moon and the Stars or the Images or Representations onely thereof Nothing can be said properly to be punished but such as is endued with Reason But neither the host of Heaven nor their Images have any reason Therefore they cannot properly be said to be punished Ans This therefore that they are said to be punished is Metaphorical as sense and reason is Metaphorically given to Idols cap. 19.1 Or secondly this being put as a calamity of the Assyrians the Prophet may speak according to the sense and thoughts of the Assyrians Now the Assyrians which worshipped the Sun and the Moon and the host of Heaven thinking them to be gods thought that they had understanding and that as they were delighted with the Images and Representations which were made of them and with the honor and worship which was given to those their Images and Representations So they thought that they were contrarily affected and grieved when their Images and Representations were contumeliously used and disgracefully broken Note that the Prophet saith here that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high because the Assyrians worshipped them and relied on them for their good success as in all other their enterprizes so in this against Judah And the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth i. e. And the Kings of the Earth which are upon the Earth By the Kings of the Earth are meant the chief Commanders of Sennacheribs Army for they were all Kings cap. 10.8 these God punished by his Angel 2 King 19. vers 35. Note here that these two titles The high ones and the Kings of the Earth are such ambiguous titles as may belong each of them both to the Sun and Moon and Stars and also to the Kings which served Sennacherib for those Kings might be called high ones because of their high places and dignities and the Sun and the Moon and the Stars might be called the Kings of the Earth according to the conceit of the Assyrians which accounted them as gods for God is King of all the Earth Psal 47.7 To distinguish therefore the one from the other when he speaks of the Sun and the Moon and the Stars which the Assyrians accounted as gods he calls them the high ones which are on high and when he speaks of the Princes which served Sennacherib he saith the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth 22. And they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit c. i. e. And the Inhabitants of Jerusalem which is the chief City of the Land shall be gathered and shut up in Jerusalem as prisoners are gathered together and shut up in a prison or in a dungeon for so soon as they hear of the approach of Sennacheribs Army they shall run every one to his home and then as prisoners cannot go out of the prison or dungeon in which they are imprisoned so shall not they go out of Jerusalem again because of the Assyrians who shall encompass them besiege them and block them up Note that this Conjunction And doth not relate to the words which went immediately before but to the twentieth verse And when he saith They shall be gathered together c. he seemeth to point at the inhabitants of Jerusalem In the pit i. e. In the prison The pit is that part of a prison which they call the dungeon which is a deep place under ground and it is here put for the whole prison it self And shall be shut up in prison i. e. And shall be shut up as it were in prison And after many days i. e. After they have been shut up in prison that is after they have been besieged many days Shall they be visited i. e. The Lord shall visit them in favor and mercy and deliver them by sending his Angel to destroy the Assyrians which besieged them which was fulfilled 2 King 19.35 This I do conceive to be the most probable meaning of this place and that as the Prophet did prophecy against the men of Judah vers 17 18 19 20. and comfort them again with the destruction of their Enemies vers 21. So doth he here in the former part of this verse prophecy against the men of Jerusalem and in the latter end thereof and in the next Verse comfort them again The onely Objection which can be made against this exposition is That there is no mention here of the men of Jerusalem and that there is no Nominative case to these Verbs but what is in the former verse To which I answer That the Prophet might point as it were with his finger at the men of Jerusalem when he spoke of them and so he needed not to name them his pointing at them might be enough to signifie whom he meant Again as he doth often put a Relative without an Antecedent and leaves the Antecedent to be understood by the circumstances of the place so might he leave the Nominative case which should go before the Verb to be understood Examples whereof we have Cap. 9.3 and 23.5 Mark 8.22 and 4.36 c. 23. Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed By the Sun and the Moon some understand the Images of the Sun and the
shall be as if the light of seven days were put into the light of one day and should cause the light to be seven times more intense and greater then usually it is By what is here said of the light of the Sun and the Moon is meant that there should be matter of great joy and rejoycing at this time For as darkness doth both in divine and humane Writings signifie a sad state of things and great adversity So on the contrary light doth signifie a joyful face of things and great prosperity We observed also Cap. 5.30 and elsewhere that the Scriptures do make the Heaven and the Earth after a pathetical manner to sympathize with men in great Accidents as if they were sensible of and affected with what befell them Thus do they make the Heavens to keep in their light in sad Events as Cap. 5.30 and 13.10 And here it makes the Sun and Moon to shine more bright then ordinary at joyful Accidents In the day i. e. At the time That the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people i. e. That the Lord delivereth his people which shall be besieged by Sennacheribs Army in Jerusalem and distressed from all their misery and distress Note that the Prophet useth a Metaphor here taken from a Chirurgeon which bindeth up the bones of his Patient which are broken after his Art and and knits them together and so heals them The breach i. e. The broken limbs or bones He useth here Metonymiam Adjuncti a breach for limbs or bones broken By this breach or broken limbs and bones he meaneth Metaphorically the distressed estate of the Jews which were besieged in Jerusalem And the stroke of their wound i. e. And the wound which they received or which was made in their flesh by a stroke Hypallage Here he signifieth the same things by the wound made by a stroke in the flesh as he did before by the breach made in the bones to wit the distressed estate of the Jews which were besieged in Jerusalem by Sennacheribs Host 27. Behold the Name of the Lord cometh i. e. Behold the Lord cometh The Prophets puts the Name of the Lord for the Lord himself after the Hebrew manner per Metonymiam Adjuncti q. d. The Lord cometh The Prophet proves here what he said vers 25. That there shall be a great slaughter of the Assyrians and that the Towers shall fall Cometh from far i. e. Cometh on a sudden and unlooked for as they come which come from far the hour of whose coming we know not of Or He cometh from far i. e. He cometh from Heaven See cap. 26.21 What the Lord cometh for we shall see in the next Verse Burning with anger i. e. Being exceeding angry Supple with the Assyrians which besiege Jerusalem The Prophet speaks here of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and alludes to the boyling of a mans blood about the heart when he is angry whereby he is exceeding hot And the burden thereof is heavy q. d. and so heavy is his anger as that the Assyrians against whom it is kindled will not be able to bear it Or so heavy is the burden of his anger as that he is not able to bear it and therefore he will not ease himself of it by avenging himself upon the Assyrians Note here what a mixture the Prophet useth of Metaphors His lips are full of indignation i. e. He storms and rageth exceedingly He alludeth to angry men which storm and rage exceedingly in their anger His tongue is as a devouring fire This is for sence the same with the former words But because the Lord did so storm and rage against the Assyrians as that he did destroy them in his anger the Prophet saith His tongue was as a devouring fire Yet happily the Prophet may also allude to the breath which proceeds from the mouth of an angry man while he storms and rageth which is as smoke proceeding from fire 28. And his breath as an overflowing stream The breath of an angry man while he storms and rageth proceeds like smoke from his mouth and his nose yea as our Prophet saith here like a stream For as he takes in more ayr at such a time to refrigerate the heat of his heart so doth he violently send out more again by respiration while he chafeth and stormeth But the Prophet doth not onely liken his breath to a stream but to an overflowing stream that is to a stream of water which by reason of Snow or Rain overfloweth its banks and reacheth up to the middle of a mans neck whereby the whole man is welnigh drowned Shall reach He confoundeth tenses here for this should be of the same tense with the former Verbs Shall reach to the midst of the neck He likeneth the breath of the Lord in this his anger to an overflowing stream which reacheth to the midst of a mans neck because as such a stream doth drown as it were all parts of a mans body but onely his head so did the Lord in his anger destroy all the Assyrians by his Angel 2 King 19.35 Sennacherib onely which was their head and some few with him escaping 2 King 19.36 To sift the Nations with a sieve of vanity i. e. To destroy the Nations and tread them under foot And this was done by the Angel of the Lord 2 King 19.25 These words relate to those Behold the Name of the Lord cometh and shew the end of his coming q. d. The Name of the Lord cometh to sift the Nations c. This phrase is metaphorical for the understanding of which observe That when men sift corn with a sieve that which goeth through the sieve which is commonly nothing else but dust and trumpery is cast away and so cometh to be troden under foot as being unprofitable and that onely is reserved and set by which remaineth in the sieve after sifting which is the clean grain Observe secondly That when we sift corn we sift it for this end that we may sever the dust and trumpery from the good corn or grain Now if we sift the corn in a broken sieve or a wide-hole sieve so that all passeth through as well the corn and grain as the dust and trumpery we spend our labor in vain and such a sieve may be called a sieve of vanity or a vain sieve because we lose our labor in sifting in it When therefore the Prophet saith That he will sift them with a sieve of vanity his meaning is that he will sift them in such a sieve as lets all through which is put into it And because when men usually sift corn they fling away that which goeth through the sieve and falleth to the Earth and tread it under their feet hence the Prophet saith That the Lord will sift the Nations with a sieve of vanity for he will destroy them and tread them all under feet joyning two Metaphors together The Nations By this is meant Sennacheribs
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
their own conceites than by the word of God and rely more upon their own judgement than upon what the Prophets of the Lord say And so follow their own fond conceites to their own destruction In their own eyes i. e. In their own judgement or in their own opinion and conceit A Metaphor translated from the body to the soul And prudent in their own fight These repeate the former words 22. Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine q. d. Woe to them which boast of their might and of their strength which they shew not in feates of vallour and defence of their Countrey but in drinking and bearing wine And men of stâ—ength to mingle strong drink This is but a repetition of what he said To mingle strong drink is put here for to drink strong drink because the drink which was mingled was mingled for this end to wit that it might be drunk Sober men were wont to mingle water with their wine before they drunk it And some think that the Prophet alludeth to this mingling by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But as Sober men mingled wine and water together so did drunkards mingle divers strong intoxicating drinks as our Roarers doe hot waters with their wine and to this they say and that most probably that the Prophet here alludeth 23. Which justifie the wicked c. We must repeat the Woe here q. d. Woe to them which justifie the wicked To justifie the wicked is to pronounce him just in judgement and his cause good who is not just and whose cause is not good This is denounced against corrupt Judges And take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him i. e. And which doe condemn him in Judgement who is righteous and whose cause is just and good The Scripture doth often compare Righteousnesse to a Cloak a Garment a girdle and to these or one of these doth the Prophet seem here to allude when he saith And take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him The Prophet doth here taxe Judges for their unrighteousnesse and corruptnesse as he did the Drunkards for their drinking v. 22. But you will say that he taxed the Judges before for their unrighteousnesse v. 7. And he did taxe the Drunkards before for their drinking vers 11 12. How then doth he come to taxe them for these things here againe Answer because these sins of injustice and drunkennesse were most rife among this People therefore doth he use the more frequent reprehensions against them that he might the better represse them Secondly though he taxed these sinnes before yet he did not taxe them with the same circumstances as he doth here For he taxeth the oppression and unrighteousness of Judges under the Commination or threatning of a woe here which he did not do before And he taxeth the Drunkards here as glorying in their might and strength which they shewed in their drinking which he did not do before 24. Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaffe And this the fire and flame doth suddainly and utterly And turneth the Stubble and the chaffe to dust and ashes which the wind driveth up and down So their root shall be rottennesse and their blossome shall go up as dust i. e. So shall they be utterly and suddainly consumed The Prophet in this Apodosis or Application of the similitude alludeth to that which he said v. 7. The Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah his pleasant Plant. For he speakes of this people as of a Tree or Plant which is ordinarily consumed with rottennesse Their root shall be rottennesse i. e. Their root shall be rotten or rot away And if that root be rotten the stock and branches must decay He useth here an Abstract for a Concrete And their blossome shall go up as dust i. e. Their blossome being resolved into dust by reason of Putrefaction and rottennesse shall fly up into the aire by the force of the wind and so be dispersed The Prophet speaketh here Hyperbolically when he saith that they shall be thus utterly consumed and persisteth in his Metaphor Because they have cast away the Law of the Lord of hosts Contemning it as a vaine unprofitable thing and as a thing of no worth and preferring their own conceits before it 25. And he hath stretched forth his hand against them He speaketh of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and though what God did here he did by Instruments yet you see the Scripture speakes of God as though he were a man and did this thing himself See Notes in Cap. 2. v. 10. And hath smitten them i. e. And will smite them That which the Prophet here speakes of was fulfilled in the daies of Ahaz 2 Kings 16. v. 5. 2 Chron. 28. v. 6. c. Though Hierusalem was not taken in the daies of Ahaz and so the carcases of the men thereof were not torn in the middest of the streets thereof yet other Cities of Judah did not escape so but suffered that which the Prophet here speakes of And the Hills did tremble i. e. And the Hills shall tremble for feare and dread when these Judgements shall be executed The Scripture doth often speak of the heavens and the earth and the partes thereof as of sensible yea intelligible creatures and as if they were apprehensive of the great workes which are wrought therein and as if they were mooved and affected according to those workes See Notes cap. 2. v. 19. Judaea was a mountainous place in which were many Hills And their carcases The carcases of the men of Judah Were torn i. e. Shall be torn by their enemies In the middest of the streets Though not of Hierusalem yet of other Cities and Townes of Judah For all this his anger is not turned away q. d. Although the Lord shall smite his People after this grievous manner as I have said and therefore may seem now to be appeased when he hath done this yet he will not be as yet appeased But his hand is stretched out still As ready to smite them againe i. e. But he will smite his People yet more 26. And he will lift up an Ensigne i. e. For he will lift up an Ensigne And is put here for For for he sheweth here that the Lords hand is stretched out still to smite them and will smite them againe He will lift up an Ensigne to the nations i. e. He will bring the Nations together into an Army to fight against Judah By these Nations he meaneth the Assyrians and the many Nations which were in their Armies who invaded and subdued Judah under Sennacharib The Prophet alludeth here to a Captaine in warre who commandeth his Ensigne or Colours to be set up and displaied for his Souldiers to repaire to them when he would have them meet to march or to go upon any service From farre i. e. Which shall come from farre And will hisse unto them Viz.
To come against Judah By this he sheweth how easily God can do this For if he doth but hisse he saith they will come at his Hisse He speakes of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Note here that it is not the property of a Captaine to hisse to his Souldiers when he would have them come but the property rather of Masters to their Servants wherefore note againe that it is usuall with the Prophet to mingle Metaphors and begin with one and go on with another From the end of the earth i. e. To come from the end of the earth He speaketh of the earth after the manner of the vulgar who conceive the earth to be flat not Circular and so to have ends properly taken And he saith From the ends of the earth by an Hyperbole for from farre 27. None shall be weary i. e. None of them shall be weary of his journey though he cometh so farre As he commended these men for their speed in the last words of the former Verse so he commends them here for their strength Nor stumble For weaknesse or wearynesse None shall slumber nor sleep He commends them here for their watchfullnesse and vigilancie Neither shall the Girdle of their Loines be loosed nor the latchet of their shoes be broken i. e. Neither shall they put off their Armes that they may be ready to march at all times and to go upon service upon all occasions The Girdle here mentioned is that with which they girded on their Armour and that at which their swords hung He saith Nor shall the latchet of their shoes be broken For neither shall they untie their shoe-latchet because the latchet of the shoe is often broken in untying He commends their diligence and readinesse here upon all occasions Yet it is not improbable that he commendeth here the strength and good case of their Armour and defensive Armes as he commends their offensive Armes or weapons in the next verse following 28. Whose Arrows are sharp q. d. Their Arrowes are sharpe He commendeth them here for the goodnesse of their weapons with which he saith They shall be well appointed For what he saith of their Arrowes must be understood proportionably by a Synecdoche of all other their weapons And all their Bowes bent This shewes that they wanted not strings to their bows and that their bowes were not at fault or out of repaire This sheweth also their readinesse to offend and fight against the Jewes Their horses hoofes shall be counted like flint i. e. The hoofes of the horses which they shall bring with them shall be as hard as flint so that they shall not easily be foundred with long Marches and hard wayes nor need to be shod with iron shoes And their wheeles like a whirlewind i. e. And the wheeles of the Chariots which they make use of in their warres shall be as swift and as quick as a whirlewind Or by the wheeles we may by a Synechdoche understand the Chariots themselves which shall be so many as that they shall make a noise in their March like a Whirlewinde and be heard before they are seen Or thus q. d. And their Horses with which they use to draw their Chariots shall be so swift as that the Chariots which they draw shall fly like a Whirlewind The two first expositions speak the praise of the Chariots which are commendable both for their speed and agility and also for their number But the third speakes the praises of their Horses which he might commend here from their swiftnesse as he did before for the soundnesse of their feet 29. Their roaring shall be like a Lyon q. d. As a Lyon which is hunger-bit roareth after his Prey So shall the Assyrians roare when they fall upon the men of Judah By this Metaphor of a Lyon the Prophet would shew the greedinesse and the cruelty which the Assyrians would use to the men of Judah Their roaring c. He alludes here to the ancient custome of Souldiers who at the instant of their onset and joyning battle with their Enemies did use to give a shoute and cry aloude And this they did partly to encourage themselves and partly to terrifie and daunt their enemies and the louder the cry was the more effectuall it was for these ends See more in Notes Cap. 42. v. 13. This kind of cry or shouting the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Barritus They shall roare like young Lions Which are more terrible and fierce than the old Lions And lay hold of the prey c. This is spoken properly of the Lion but Metaphorically of the Assyrians and signifieth that the Assyrians shall lay hold on the men of Judah and on their goods and cattle as on their Prey And carry them away See cap. 10. v. 16. None shall deliver it Supple Out of their hands no more than they can the Prey out of the Lions pawes 30. And in that day q. d. Yea in that day Viz. In which the Assyrians shall fall upon the men of Judah And is put here for Yea. They shall roare against them like the roaring of the Sea i. e. The Assyrians shall roare against the men of Judah like the roaring of the Sea Like the roaring of the Sea The roaring of the Sea is more terrible than the roaring of the Lyon or the young Lyon and there is lesse mercy in the Sea where it prevaileth than in any of them two Observe therefore the Gradation which the Prophet useth comparing the Shoute of the Assyrians First to the roaring of a Lyon which is fierce then to the roaring of a young Lion which is fiercer then to the roaring of the Sea which is the fiercest of all And this he doth to set out the judgements of God in the more terrible manner that his Auditors or Readers may be the more affected with them Vnto the land Viz. of Judah Behold darknesse i. e. Behold calamity and misery As light is often put by the Hebrewes for Prosperity and Mirth So is Darknesse put for Adversity and Sorrow And the light is darkned c. It is usuall with the Scriptures to make the Heaven and the Earth after a Poeticall manner Sympathizing with men in great changes as if they were sensible of and affected with what befalls them Of which see Notes Vers 25. and Chap. 2. v. 19. Now because the subject here is matter of Sorrow the Prophet bringeth in the Heavens and the great Lights of the world Sympathizing with the Jewes in that Passion and shewing themselves Sorrowfull And this he maketh them to do by clothing themselves with Cloudes as it were with sackcloth and not shining so bright and cleare as usually they do or by turning their light into darknesse for darknesse best suiteth with grief and sorrow as light doth with joy and mirth when therefore he saith The light is darkned the sence is q. d Behold such sorrow grief as shall cause the very heavens over them
your troubles And in particular what will be the event and successe of Rezin and Pekah's Expedition against you Them which have Familiar spirits i. e. Them which have familiarity with devils and use the familiarity of such foul spirits to know by them hidden things and things to come Wizards i. e. Witches Conjurers Southsayers c. That peepe To wit like Chicken in the shell before they are quite hatched There were a special kind of Southsayers called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which had a devill within them which answered them which asked them any question through the belly of those men in whom he was and so spake with a small and broken voice And this his answering the Prophet may call Peeping by a Metaphor from a chicken Moreover Southsayers in generall because they could not speak certainely of the event of things which they took upon them to tell did not speak clearly and plainly what they spake as the Prophets of the Lord did but did mumble out their words to the intent that they might not be plainly understood that so they might have an evasion for what they should speak falsly when they were questioned for it And this theiâ— mumbling the Prophet may call Peeping by the same Metaphor Againe many of these kind of fellowes when they were sued unto for their advice spoke softly out of hollow places crypts vaults and remote corners so that they could be hardly heard of them which came to know their mind And this might the Prophet call Peeping also Note that these kind of fellowes pretended themselves to be the Servants or Mystae of some Idol or Deity or other And they which are here advised and perswaded to seek unto them sought to them under that notion and so by seeking to them thought that they sought to their Gods by them See Cap. 19. v. 3. And that mutter i. e. And that mumble and speak so as that they cannot be distinctly heard and understood He meaneth the same by muttering as he did by peeping and the Prophet maketh choice of these words in contempt and derision of these vaine fellowes Note here that it is not likely that they which would perswade others to seek to such fellowes would use these words which the Prophet here useth But the Prophet useth these words in derision of these fellowes that he may shew to his Auditors what they are indeed the like you may observe Chap. 30.10 Should not a People seek unto their God q.d. Should not a People which have a God seek unto their God by their servants as the Wizards c. to know from him by them what will be the end of their troubles Let us therefore seek to our God also by his servants the Wizards These words are still the words of Idolaters and by their God here they mean Baal or some other Idoll-God To whom they would entice their Brethren to seek by Wizards c. For the living to the dead i. e. Answer them with these words should we seek to those which are dead for the affaires of those which are living This is the Answer which they are advised to give to them which would have them seek to Wizards c. The dead By the dead are meant here the false Gods of Idolaters For most of the Heathen Gods and the Heathen were the Inventors and spreaders of Idolatrie were but Men once their Kings but since dead Whom some worshipped simply others as translated as they thought into the number of the starres Obj. But you will say If the Gods of the Heathen were but dead men how came the Heathen Gods to speak and give Oracles Answ Whatsoever was spoke or whatsoever Oracle was given by Idol Gods abstracting from the jugling of the Priests was given by devils to confirme men in their Idolatry and superstition 20. To the Law and to the Testimonie i. e. Seek to the Law and to the Testimomie for therein doth the Lord himself speak The Law and the Testimonie may signifie in generall any Revelation or instruction which God giveth by his Prophet as we said Vers 16. And here they signifie the whole Revelation of Rezins and Pekâ—hs expedition against Judah and Hierusalem and the Circumstances and event thereof with Gods instructions to his People not to fear them nor to make any confederacie with them or to revolt from their King to them because they should not prevail If they speak not according to this word i. e. If the Jewes which are enticed to seeâ— to them which have familiar spirits wizards give any other answer to them which entice them than what I here teach them and command them to give and think that they may seek to those which have familiar Spirits and Wizards and to Idols and the Gods of the Heathen rather than to the Roâ—l which I my self commanded to be written and in which I my self speak c. It is because there is no light in them i. e It is because they are blind and void of sound knowledge and know nothing as they ought to know Light is put here for true knowledge as Darknesse is often put for errour and ignorance 21. And they shall passe thorough it q.d. And therefore they shall passe through their own Land to escape the hands of their Enemies which ere long be shall fill it with their Armies Through it i. e. Through the Land of Judah which is their own native Land It is put here as a Relative without an Antecedent which is a thing usuall with the Hebrewes who often leave the Antecedent to be understood by the circumstances of the place and God whose words these are speakes as if he pointed at the land it self and shewed it with his finger when he said they shall pass through it Hardly bestâ—ad i. e. being sore pressed with a great deal of hardship When they shall be hungry Supple And know not where to get food to allay their hunger This misery here prophesied of seemeth to have come to passe when Sennacherib came up against Judah and Hierusalâ—m and occupied it in such manner as the Prophet speakes of Cap. 7.19 At which time though there was store of food within Hierusalem yet they which were without might have little enough Or if there were enough without they could receive but little good by it because of Sennacheribs Souldiers They shall fret themselves i. e. They shall grow angry and impatient And curse their King Because he doth not defend them or relieve them Or because they thought that it was the Kings fault that Sennacherib came up with his Army against Judah 2 King Chap. 18. vers 7 13. Their God i. e. Their Idol-God or strange God whom they worshipped And they shall curse him because he is not able to help them in this their misery And look upwards To wit towards heaven the Palace of the true God expecting aid from him seeing their Idol-God cannot help them Supple But they shall find no help
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
as weak man cannot make but sheweth it self to be the work of God by the greatnesse and inevitablenesse thereof 7. Therefore shall all hands be faint i. e. All the hands of the Babylonians shall be faint and not able to hold up a weapon against the Medes And every mans heart i. e. Every Babylonians heart Synechdoche Generis Every mans heart shall melt Supple As Ice Josh 7.5 or as melting Wax Psal 22.14 to wit for fear The heart is put here for the courage And then a mans courage is said to melt when he hath not courage enough to resist his enemy but flies away from him and stands not to him Things which melt wax soft and things which are soft cannot resist the Agents which presse upon them as hard things can And therefore because a fearfull man flies from his enemie and is not able to withstand him his heart is said to melt by a Metaphor from ice or wax which being hard in themselves grow soft being melted and so not able to resist the Agent which presseth upon them And that this is the reason of this Metaphor we may learn from Job who saith I am afraid of him for God maketh my heart soft Job 23. v. 15 16. And Caesar speaking of the Gaules saith Vt ad bella suscipienda Gallorum alacer ac promptus est animus Sic mollis ac minime resistens ad calamitates perferendas mens eorum est Caes Com lib. 3. pag. 63. As the courage of the Gaules is chearfull and ready to undertake warres So their heart is soft and of little resistance to undergoe miseries 8. Pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth q. d. Great sorrow and trouble and anxiety and vexation of mind shall lay hold upon them The pangs and sorrows and pains of a woman in travail are Metaphorically here to be understood of the sorrow and trouble and anxiety and vexation of the mind They shall be amazed one at another Supple To see themselves so timorous faint-hearted and cowardly now which use to be so valiant at other times And such shall be their amazement as that they shall not be able to counsell or encourage one another Their faces shall be as flames i. e. They shall blush for shame to see themselves so faint-hearted and cowardly so that their faces shall be as red as flames that is as red as fire with blushing Because these passions may seem incompatible to the same subject at the same time understand them of the same subjects at severall times or of severall subjects at the same time 9. Behold the day of the Lord cometh See verse 6. Cruell both with wrath and fierce anger He speaks here of a day as of an angry man By a Metaphor or Prosopopeia A day if we will speak without a Metaphor is said to be cruell for no other reason than because cruell things are done in it And though the things which were done by the Medes at this time were cruell indeed in respect of them yet in respect of God they were just To lay the Land He meaneth the Land of Babylon See verse 5. 10. For the Starres of Heaven and the Constellations thereof shall not give their light i. e. For such shall be the miseries and calamities that that day shall bring upon the men of Babylon and their Land as that the Heavens and Constellations thereof shall not give their light but they shall cloth themselves with darknesse and mourn as being affected and much moved with the miseries and calamities which shall befall Babylon and the men thereof at that time See notes Cap. 2. v. 19. and Cap. 5. v 25 30. This is to be referred to those words The day of the Lord cometh cruell both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate and is as an argument to prove the cruelty and the wrath and the anger which shall be shewed in that day The Constellations thereof A Constellation is a certain number of starres which goes to the making up of one Sign in the Heavens such as is Aries Taurus Gemini Virgo c. In his going forth i. e. At his rising When the Sun riseth it is said to goe forth as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber by a Metaphor Psal 119. v. 5. 11. And I will punish i. e. For I will punish And for For as it is often used by the Hebrews The Prophet speaks here in the Person of God The world i. e. The Land or the Sinners of Babylon Synechdoche integri hyperbolica Of the proud i. e. Of the proud Babylonians Synechdoche Generis Of the terrible i. e. Of the Babylonians who haue been a terrour to their adjoyning Neighbours And in a speciall mannen to the people of Israel 12. I will make a man more pretious than fine gold q. d. I will either cut off so many of the Babylonians with the sword of the Medes or make them flie from their own houses and land to save their lives abroad for fear of the Medes as that I will leave but very few Babylonians in the Land of Babylon so few as that a man shall be more scarce than a apiece of fine gold A man i. e. A Babylonian Synâ—chdoche generis More pretious i. e More rare or scarce for every thing which is rare and scarce is pretious Metonymia effecti Even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir This is a repetition of the former sentence Ophir was the place whither Salomon sent his shipps for gold 1 Kings 9.28 No wonder therefore if they had gold in the wedge from thence being that there were Mines of gold there Ophâ—r is thought to have been some part or other of the East Jndies 13. Therefore I will shake the heavens q. d. Therefore that I may do this or bring this to passe i. e. That I may make a man more pretious than gold even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir I will do such terrible things in the Land of Babylon as shall make the very heavens over it to tremble I will shake the heavens i. e. I will do such terrible things as shall make the heavens to shake See Notes Cap. 2.19 c. 5.25.30 and here Cap. 13.10 And the earth shall remove out of her place q. d. And the earth tremble for fear to see all those direfull things that I will do upon her yea it shall even remove out of her place for fear In the wrath i. e. At the wrath or to see the wrath of the Lord of Hosts which he will execute upon the men of Babylon Or In the wrath i. e. In the day of that wrath Of the Lord of Hosts Note here the Enallage of the person from the first to the third 14. And it shall be as the chased Roe i. e. And Babylon shall be as a Roe-deer which is chased with hounds and huntsmen for as a Roe which is so chased flies from it's
in Jerusalem For the better understanding of this place note that the destruction which the Lord threatned against those which went down to Egypt for strength the Lord brought upon those men by the Assyrians whom he brought so suddainly upon them as that their destruction is said to have come upon them suddenly at an instant vers 13. And so being suddainly surprized and unprovided they became a prey to the sword of their enemies But though the Lord intended to bring ths Assyrians against Jerusalem as wel as against other parts and Cities of Judah yet he brought them not so suddainly against her as against other Cities and places for after the Assyrians came and entred into Judah and encamped against the fenced Cities thereof the men of Jerusalem had time to take counsel and to fortifie their City and to hunble themselves and in a solemn manner to commend themselves to Gods protection and rely upon him for safety before the Assyrians pitched against her 2 Chron. cap. 32. ver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. By which means they were able to hold out against the Assyrians untill the Assyrians themselves were destroyed Therefore because the Lord brought not the Assyrians so soon against the men of Jerusalem as he did against other the men of Judah but staid untill the men of Jerusalem had exceedingly well fortified their City and had humbled themselves and in a solemn manner committed themselves to the Lords protection The Lord is said here to waite And therefore c. Note that And is put here for Yet notwithstanding for he opposeth here the condition of the faithfull in Jerusalem to the condition of those which he hitherto spoke of Will the Lord waite i. e. Will the Lord stay till ye have fortified your City and put your selves in a solemn manner under his protection before he brings the Assyrians against you To waite is put here for to stay or to tarry because they use to stay and tarry which use to waite for any one That he may be gracious unto you i. e. That he may shew favour unto you for it was Gods favour and mercy to keep off the Assyrians from the men of Jerusalem till they had fortified their City and solemnly committed themselves to the Lords protection otherwise they might have been destroyed by the Assyrians as well as other the men of Judah Will he be exalted i. e. Will he defer his punishment intended against you that is He will defer the bringing of the Assyrians against you c. This sense this place requireth for this is a repâ—tition of the former sentence but how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be exalted should come to signifie to defer a punishment is a question Some think that the Prophet alludes to a man correcting his son or his servant with a rod who stretcheth out his arm and lifteth up his whole body and standeth on tip-toe that he may fetch the greater stroke but the higher he lifteth up himself and the further he stretcheth out his arm the longer he is before he strikes from whom to be exalted or to exalt himself may be taken say they for to defer a punishment or to be long before he strikes by a Metaphor Others say thus When God is about to punish he is said to come out of his place which is heaven as cap. 26.21 and Mic. 1.3 That therefore he might punish this people he came as it were out of heaven but because he would not then punish them but spare them a little longer he returned on high into Heaven to his place again Hence to be exalted that is to return on high or to go up to Heaven signifieth they say to deferre a punishment and to spare a while Others say thus When God doth any notable thing he is said to be exalted and glorified Per Metonymiam Effecti Because he doth that for which he may justly be exalted and glorified See cap. 12.4 and cap. 26.15 Now because God was willing to shew his long-suffering and forbearance a while longer to his faithful people which must needs redound to the praise and glory of God The Prophet saith he will be exalted for he will suffer them and spare them a little longer Per Metonymiam Effecti That he may have mercy upon you i. e. That ye may not be destroyed by the Assyrians This as I said is but a repetition of the former sentence already expounded For the Lord is a God of judgment i. e. For the Lord is a God of mercy and compassion Judgment is taken here for mercy or compassion and so it is taken Jer. 10.24 where it is said O Lord correct me but in thy judgment not in thine anger c. Where judgment is opposed to anger and is taken for mercy or pitty or compassion Or judgment may be taken here for discretion and God may be called a God of judgment because he knoweth how to punish one and how another how to shew favour to some and how to deny it to others That waite for him i. e. That waite for his aide and for his mercy and deliverance and run not to Egypt for strength c. 19. For the people Supple That waite for the Lord that is for the aide and mercy of the Lord at this time He makes good that here which he said in the former verse to wit Blessed are they which waite for him and he speaks of the faithful of Jerusalem here in the third person to whom he spoke a little before in the second Shall dwell in Sion at Jerusalem i. e. Shall dwell in safety at Jerusalem Supple when the Assyrians destroy all the Land besides Shall dwell in Sion Sion was an impregnable Fort in Jerusalem as appears 2 Sam. 5. v. 6 7 c. Wherefore to dwell in Sion may proverbially signifie to dwell in safety Thou shalt weep no more Supple After a while The Prophet turneth his speech again to the people of Jerusalem which did waite for the Lord. He will be very gracious unto thee i. e. The Lord will be very gracious unto thee and shew thee a great deal of favour At the voice of thy cry i. e. When thou criest to him for help against the Assyrians When he shall hear it i. e. When he shall hear thy cry that is when thou shalt cry unto him He will answer thee For God to answer us when we cry or pray is in the Scripture phrase for God to grant our request 20. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity i. e. Wherefore though the Lord give you the bread of adversity c. And for Wherefore Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction q. d. Though the Lord suffer you to be besieged in Jerusalem by Sennacheribs Army during which time ye shall have but a little bread and a little water allowed you a is usuall in besieged Cities where every one hath his bread and his
is fire and much wood q. d. There is a pile in it and that pile is very great consisting of fire and much wood While Tophet was employed to Idolatry and Moloch was there worshipped there was a pile or piles of wood there continually provided to burn their children withall to Moloch To this pile or piles of wood doth the Prophet here allude and saith that the pile of Tophet which is prepared for the Assyrians to burn them up and consume them as the children of Idolaters were wont to be burned to Moloch and consumed is very great by which the Prophet signifies either that the Assyrians which besieged Jerusalem should be destroyed by fire which is according to the Tradition of the Hebrews or that they should be destroyed as suddenly as if it were by fire as others are of opinion So that herein is a double allusion first to the pile of wood which was wont to be provided here for the sacrificing of children secondly to the manner of the destruction of the Assyrians by the Angel which was by fire or as in as quick a manner as if it had been done by fire The breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it By this he denoteth the anger of the Lord against the Assyrians and speaketh of God as of an angry man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and alludes to the breath of an angry man which is exceeding hot and proceeds from his nostrils and from his mouth like a stream See Notes vers 28. ISAIAH CHAP. XXXI WO to them that go down to Egypt The subject of this Chapter is the same with the former See therefore notes on cap. 30.1 For help Supple Against the Assyrians under Sennacherib And stay on horses ii e. And put their confidence in horses which they hope to procure from Egypt The word stay is metaphoricall taken from a Staff which is the stay of a man which leaneth on it In Charets i. e. In warlike Charets which they likewise expect from Egypt Because they are many q. d. Which stay or trust in the number or multitude of Horses and Charets because it is great But they look not unto the Holy One of Israel Supple To ask strength of him Neither seek the Lord Supple For his counsel and advise what he would have them to do in this invasion of the Assyrians See cap. 30.1 2. Yet he also is wise q. d. Yet they might have asked counsel of the Lord and sought to him for advice for he is wise as well as they whom they make their Counsellors And will bring evil q. d. And because they have despised his wisdom in passing him by and asking counsel at others mouths he will bring evill upon these wicked men whereby they shall know that he is so wise as to know when he is neglected and that he is strong also And will not call back his words Supple By which he hath threatned to bring evill upon them He threatned a Wo against them in the former Chapter and he threatneth the like in this But will arise Supple Like a Lion Against the house of evil doers i. e. Against the family of these men which went down into Egypt for Horses and Charets and rely upon them but asked not counsel at God nor relyed on him And against the help of them that work iniquity i. e. And against the aid and auxiliary forces of these men which have committed this sin i. e. Against the Egyptians which come to help them 3. Now the Egyptians are men and not God The Prophet prevents an Objection here for sinful man might say yea but it is not so easie a thing as you speak of for the Holy One of Israel to overthrow the Egyptians which are these mens help and the force of horses which they will bring To which the Prophet answers q. d. Yea but it is an easie matter for the Lord to overthrow the Egyptians and their horses for the Egyptians are men not God and their horses flesh and not spirit Are men And therefore weak creatures yea they are but as the grass that withereth and as the flower of the field which fadeth away cap. 40.6 7. And not God For God is but One but such a One as the nations are but as the drop of a Bucket and as the small dust of the Ballance in comparison of him Cap. 40.15 And their Horses flesh And therefore weak and no better then grass cap. 40.6 And not spirit As God is who is therefore of great strength yea omnipotent because he is an uncreated Spirit When the Lord shall stretch out his hand i. e. Therefore when the Lord smiteth them He alludes to the stretching out or lifting up of the arm or hand in striking and speaks of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Both he that helpeth i. e. Both the Egyptians which help these perverse Jews against the Assyrians And he that is holpen i. e. And these perverse Jews which have help and aid from the Egyptians Shall fall down i. e. Shall be beaten down They all i. e. All the Egyptians which come to the help of these Jews and all these Jews which procured the help of the Egyptians Shall fail together Shall perisn together by the Assyrians 4. For thus hath the Lord spoken i. e. Moreover or But yet or Yet neverthelesse for one of these is the Particle For put thus hath the Lord spoken c. Is called forth against him Supple To keep him from the sheep or greater cattle which he would make his prey He will not be afraid of their voice Supple Whereby they think to fright him and scare him away The Pronoun He is redundant here after the Hebrew manner Nor abase himself Nor carry himself basely by running away Come down Supple Out of heaven or come down from between the Cherubins He speaks of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To fight Supple Against the Assyrian whose multitude shall not make him afraid For Mount Sion i. e. For Jerusalem See Cap. 1.8 And the hill thereof i. e. And the hill of Zion This is a repetition of the former words 5. As birds flying Supple Defend their young ones Flying i. e. Extending and stretching out their wings over them as they do when they fly See cap. 6. v. 2. Thus hens defend their chickens or flying that is flying against the Kite or Hawk or man which would take their young ones away thus many birds which are otherwise timerous do defend their young ones Defending also he will deliver it i. e. He will defend it and deliver it from the Assyrians And passing over i. e. And passing over it while he destroyeth all other the Cities and Villages of Judah which did distrust him and seek for help to the Egyptians He alludeth to that place of Exodus cap. 12.13 where the Lord seeing the blood upon the side-posts and the upper door-posts of the houses of the children of Israel passed over the Children
his goodness towards us Among many significations of this word spirit it is often taken of the Hebrews for any quality or passion of the minde and here it is taken for goodness or love He likeneth here the blessings of God and the works effects of his mercy and goodness to plenty of waters because of the abundance thereof when he saith the spirit shall be poured forth Vpon us viz. Jews From on high i. e. From Heaven And the Wilderness be a fruitful Field i. e. And our enemies the Assyrians which are exalted like a Wilderness be brought low like a fruitful Field or Valley which lyeth low See notes cap. 29.17 The fruitful Field be counted for a Forrest i. e. And the Jews which at this time shall be in a low condition and oppressed by their enemies the Assyrians and therefore like a fruitful Field which lyeth low be delivered from their low condition and exalted as a Forrest yea as the Forrest of Lebanon which was on high on an high hill See cap. 29.17 Be counted for a Forrest i. e. Become as a Forrest even the Forrest of Lebanon See cap. 29.17 Note that Wildernesses and Forrests are for the most part the barrenest places of the earth and therefore are scituate upon Hills and Mountains and the highest parts of the earth which are least fruitful as being furthest from springs and streams to water them however sure we are that the Wildernesses and Forrests about Judea and which were best known to the Jews were seated on Hills as the Forrest of Lebanon to which the Prophet seemeth chiefly to allude 16. Then judgement shall dwell in the Wilderness i. e. Then will God inflict his judgments or punishments upon our enemies the Assyrians and make them as it were to dwell among them Judgment is put here for judgment which produceth punishment By the Wilderness he meaneth the Forrest or Hill of Lebanon and by that the enemies of the Jews the Assyrians who were lifted up with pride and who were at this time high in power and wealth c. See v. 15. and cap. 29.17 He saith judgment shall dwell in the Wilderness to shew that it shall not be a light judgment which passeth away but such as shall continue upon them till it hath consumed them The effects of this judgment were inflicted by the Angel of God 2 Kings 19.35 And righteousness remain in the fruitful Field i. e. And the goodness and mercy of God shall shew it self to the Jews which were at this time like a fruitful field or valley which lyeth low in respect of their low condition by the effects thereof By righteousness is meant goodness and mercy to wit the goodness and mercy of God for righteousness is taken sometimes for goodness and mercy as Psal 112. v. 3 9. and 2 Cor. 9.9 10. In which sence also Joseph as called a just or righteous man Mat. 1.19 By the fruitful field is meant metaphorically the Jewes in their low condition as v. 15. The righteousness here spoken of is said to remain in the fruitful field because of the continuance of it to the Jews as judgment was said to dwell in the wilderness because of the continuance thereof among their enemies the Assyrians Note that he speaks of judgment and righteousness here as of two persons by a Metaphor or Prosopopoeia 17. And the work of righteousnes shall be peace i. e. And the effect or fruit of the aforesaid righteousness which shall remain in the fruitful field shall be peace and prosperity And the effect of righteousness c i. e. This is a repetition of the former words Assurance Viz. Of peace and prosperity For ever i. e. For a long time 18. My people See v. 13. In sure dwellings i. e. In dwellings which shall be safe 19. When it shall hail coming down on the Forrest i. e. When on the contrary the wrath of God shall come down and fall upon their enemies the Assyrians like storms of hail Hail doth often signifie by a Metaphor the wrath and anger of God and the effects thereof as cap. 28.2 and elsewhere By the Forrest are meant metaphorically the Assyrians which were the enemies of the Jews as v. 13. and cap. 27.10 c. Coming down i. e. The hail coming down with much violence And the City shall be low in a low place That is And Babylon shall be brought down to a low condition By the City is meant Babylon which was the greatest or one of the greatest Cities which were under the Assyrians and this City was brought low soon after the defeat of Sennacheribs Army before Jerusalem for soon after that it was taken by the Medes See cap. 13 Yet by Babylon we may understand here not the material City of Babylon but the Assyrians who were the Lords of Babylon and who at this time warred against Judah and perished before Jerusalem as by Kir a chief City of the Medes was meant the Medes which served under Salmaneser against Samaria cap. 22.6 20. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters that send forth thither the feet of the Oxe and the Asse q. d. O ye men of Judah ye shall also at that time be happy for ye shall sow your seeds in grounds which shall be watered and therefore very fruitful and the Corn which you sow shall yield such increase and be so rank as that ye shall be fain to send in your cattle to eat it down All waters i. e. Abundance of waters or many waters All for Many Thither Supple Where ye have sowed your seed The feet of the Ox and Asse i. e. The Ox and the Asse there to feed and eat down your over-rank Corn. He puts the feet of the Oxe and Asse by a Synechdoche for the Oxe and the Asse themselves ISAIAH CHAP. XXXIII WO to thee that spoylest This place is also to be understood of Sennacherib to whom the Prophet makes this Apostrophe That spoylest Supple The Land of Judah and all other Lands And thou wast not spoyled i. e. When thou wast not spoyled by them whom thou hast spoyled whereby thou shouldst be provoked to spoyl them again And dealest treacherously Supple With the Jews and other people See Cap. 21. vers 2. And they have not delt treacherously with thee i. e. When they with whom thou hast delt treacherously have not delt treacherously with thee whereby they should provoke thee to deal treacherously with them When thou shalt cease to spoyl i. e. When thou shalt have spoyled so much and so long time as God will suffer thee to spoyl others and the time appointed for that is come to an end c. that is as the Prophet speaks Cap. 10.12 when the Lord hath performed his whole work which he will perform by thee upon Mount Sion and on Jerusalem c. Thou shalt be spoyled Understand this of Sennacherib in respect of his Army which was destroyed by the Angel 2 King 19.35 and the spoyls thereof taken
Ans In similitudes we must not be too curious to make part to answer part but it is enough that the whole answers the whole So the ruine and destruction of the Army answers to the shipwrack of a ship though the particular parts of the Army answer not to these particular tacklings and furniture of the ship and to the Mariners which are therein Then is the prey of a great spoyl divided q. d. Thou shalt be wrecked and then when thou art wreck'd that is when thine Army is destroyed shall the prey of a great spoyl be divided among the men of Jerusalem He puts here a Relative without an Antecedent and a present for a future tense And he either passeth from the Metaphor of a ship to the custom or manner of Wars where when the Enemy is vanquished or destroyed his spoyls are taken and divided Or else alludeth to the people which dwell on the Sea-coasts who hearing of the wreck of a ship come in abundance to carry away the goods thereof which are found on the shoar The lame take the prey i. e. They which are weak and impotent shall take the prey A present is put here for a future tense He puts the lame here for those which are weak and impotent and not able to make resistance by a Metaphor And such did the Assyrians esteem the Jews to be whom they besieged in Jerusalem 2 King 18.23 yet these lame men that is these which the Assyrians esteemed so weak and unable to resist them took the prey of their great spoyls Or when he saith the lame take the prey the Prophet may signifie that the spoyl of the Assyrians Camp should be so great as that they that were nimble and lusty should not be able to make away with it but they that were lame and went but softly should come time enough to have part of the prey 24. The Inhabitant i. e. The Inhabitants Supple of Jerusalem He puts a singular for a plural number The inhabitant shall not say I am sick In besieged Cities some grievous sickness or other and such as is contagious useth to assail the Inhabitants thereof by reason that they have not that liberty of ayr and wholesomness of diet and change of rayment and abundance of necessaries as they were wont to have at other times which sickness consumeth many and rageth even after the siege is broken up That therefore which the Prophet saith is this That notwithstanding that that the Inhabitants of Jerusalem should be besieged by Sennacheribs Army yet they should not be assailed by any sickness as they which are besieged are wont to be The people that dwell therein i. e. The people which dwell in Jerusalem The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity God is said in the Scripture-phrase to forgive iniquity when he pardons the punishment which he hath begun or hath threatned to inflict for those iniquities yea he is said to forgive them when he pardoneth those punishments though he doth inflict afterwards other punishments great and grievous So we read that the Lord forgave his people though he took vengeance of their inventions Psal 99.8 So Nathan said to David The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe that is born of thee shall surely dye 2 Sam. 12.13 14. Because therefore God delivered his people from the siege of the Assyrians and saved them from all those diseases which use to accompany close sieges he is said here to forgive them their iniquity ISAIAH CHAP. XXXIV COme neer ye Nations to hear The Prophet here calls to all the Nations in the World to attend to what the Lord will do upon the Assyrians and their assistants by which we may understand that when that came to pass which the Prophet doth here prophecy of it was so wonderful as that the report thereof filled the whole World See the like Cap. 33.15 And all that is therein i. e. And all the Inhabitants thereof All things that come forth of it All Individuals which have had their Being since the Creation may be said to come forth of the World because they are or have been produced by and out of some part of the World I except not man himself though his better part be created of God 2. For the indignation of the Lord c. This Particle For sheweth that there is something worth thâ—ir attention and points at it what it is It is the indignation of the Lord upon all Nations c. Vpon all Nations i. e. Upon all the men of all those Nations which were joyned with the Assyrians against Jerusalem for Sennacherib King of Assyria had men of divers Nations in his Army Vpon all their Armies Supple Which they muster and bring against Jerusalem There were many lesser Armies raised by several people which were under the Assyrians dominions which we may gather from cap. 10.8 36.9 of which Senacherib made one exceeding great Army He hath utterly destroyed them He will utterly destroy them A Preterperfect for a Future tense He hath delivered them to slaughter i. e. He will deliver them to slaughter to be slain thereby He speaks of slaughter as of a person by a Prosopopoeia and means that slaughter which was made by the Angel 2 Kings 19.35 3. Their slain also shall be cast out Supple Into the open air to be a prey for the beasts of the field and fowls of the air And their stink shall come out of their carcasses i. e. And their carcasses shall rot and stink as they lie It appears by this that it was a good while before they which were slain by the Angel were all buried And the mountains shall be melted with their blood i. e. And so much blood of theirs shall be shed upon the mountains about Jerusalem as that it shall dissolve the very mountains and make them run down like melted wax An Hyperbole 4. And all the Host of Heaven shall be dissolved i. e. And all the Host of Heaven shall be as if they were dissolved or melted and in melting drop down The note of similitude is here left to be understood By the Host of Heaven he meaneth the Sun and Moon and Stars which he calls an Host because they are many and orderly and as obedient to God as an Army is to its General And he speaks of the Host of Heaven as of wax or as if they were made of wax by a Metaphor so that if they did melt they must needs drop down Therefore he saith that the Host of Heaven shall be as if they were dissolved and dropt down because they shall not be seen but shall be to the eye as if they were not And therefore shall they not be seen and be to the eye as if they were not because the air shall be so thick as that it shall hinder the sight thereof
and the air shall become so thick by reason of dark and thick fogs or mists or vapors arising out of the blood and putrefaction of the dead carcasses of the Assyrians An Hyperbole And the Heavens shal be rolled together as a scroll i. e. And the Heavens shall be as a scroll that is rolled together For as in a Scroll which is rolled together the words and letters which are therein written cannot be seen so in the Heavens neither the Sâ—n nor the Moon nor the Stars shall be perceived because of the darkness of the ayr intervening between the Earth and them By a Scrol he meaneth a parchment which the ancients were wont to use in stead of books which parchment was writ on but on one side and when they used it not they rolled it up as we do our Chancery rolles and Common Court rolles and so laid it by And all their Host shall fall down as the leaf falleth from the Vine and as a falling Fig from the Fig-tree This is but a repetition of those words The Host of Heaven shall be dissolved and that and this and the middle sentence signifie all one and the same thing viz. that the Heavens shall be darkened and the Host thereof the Sun and the Moon and the Stars shall not be seen The Heavens have their light by the benefit of the Sun and Moon and Stars which are therein so that if these should drop down or fall out of the Heavens the Heavens would be dark hence to signifie that the Heavens shall be dark at the time which he here speaketh of he saith that all their Host shall fall down as if he should say and the Heavens shall be as dark as if all their Host by which they have their light should fall down out of them As a falling Fig i. e. As a Fig which being either worm-eaten or blighted falls from the tree 5. For my sword c. i. e. Moreover my sword He puts For for Moreover as cap. 7.16 and speaks in the person of God My sword shall be bathed in Heaven Note that these words in Heaven are not to be referred to those which go next before them viz. be bathed for we must not think that God made this slaughter in Heaven but to those My sword and in particular to that possessive Pronoune My as it virtually containes in it a Primitive Pronoune Me or Of me q. d. My sword or the sword of me who am in heaven shall be bathed in blood c. He mentioneth here his dwelling place Viz. Heaven to shew that he is God and that he will punish the Edomites not as a man but as God Almighty See cap. 13.6 and cap. 47.3 Shall be bathed Supple In the blood of the Edomites whom I will slay By this he sheweth that he will shed abundance of blood and slay very many men Vpon Idumea This judgement befell the Edomites because they were the most bitter of all the nations against the Jews whereas they ought least of all to have bin so bitter against them being their brethren according to the flesh for the Jews were the Children of Jacob and the Edomites were the Children of Esau Jacobs Brother That which is here prophesied against Idumea was brought to passe by the Ethiopians as they marched against Assyria for they marched in an expedition against Assyria See cap. 18. By Idumea understand the Edomites which dwell in Idumea by a Metonymy Vpon the people of my curse i. e. Upon the people whom I have cursed Genitivus Adjuncti By the people of his curse he meaneth the people of Idumea or the Edomites whom he cursed at this time To judgment i. e. That I may execute my judgment upon them 6. The Sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatness i. e. The Sword of the Lord shall be filled with blood and made fat with fatness c. The Prophet speaketh here in his own person and useth a Present for a Future tense He speaks also of the Sword of the Lord as of a Lion or some other ravenous beast by a Metaphor which drinks the blood and feeds upon the flesh of other beasts as he doth also Cap. 31.8 And yâ—t he alludâ—s too to the Sacrifices and to the Altar in that he saith It shall be filled with the blood and made fat with the blood of Lambs and Goats and with the fat of the kidneys of Râ—ms For the blood of these beasts were sprinkled upon the Altar and the fat and the kidneys therâ—of were burnt upon the Altar as a burnt offering made with fire to the Lord Lev. 3.4 10.15 and on them did the Altar feed as a Lion upon his prey for which it is called Ariel that is the Lion of the Lord cap. 29.1 2. Where note as hath been often observed That the Prophet is very frequent in joyning or mingling Metaphors And with the blood of Lambs and Goats with the fat of the kidneys of Rams â— e. That is With the blood of the Lambs c. And is a Note of Explication here and is put for That is The Prophet compareth the Edomites here to Sacrifices and those kinde of Sacrifices especially in which the blood of the beasts sacrificed was to be sprinkled round about upon the Altar and the fat and the kidneys were to be burnt upon the Altars Lev. 7.4 For the Lord hath a Sacrifice in Bozra i. e. For the Lord hath a Sacrifice of many beasts to make in Bozra In Bozra Bozra was the chief City of Idumea A great slaughter in Idumea i. e. A great slaughter to make of beasts for Sacrifice in Idumea The Prophet speaks of the Lord here as of a man yea of a Levite or Priest rather And by this Metaphor he meaneth that the Lord would make a great slaughter and destruction of the Edomites 7. The Vnicorns shall come down with them By the Vnicorns which were accounted strong beasts he means Metaphorically the mighty and potent men of Idumea these he saith shall be brought down that is shall be slain with them that is with the Lambs and Goats and Rams mentioned Vers 6. which because they were of the lesser sort of Cattel do signifie here by a Metaphor the poor and meaner sort of men of the said Idumea Note here that the Vnicorns were not appointed for any kinde of Sacrifice therefore the Prophet sticks not close to one Metaphor but mingles Metaphors as even now and often before we observed And the Bullocks with the Bulls i. e. And the Bullocks shall come down that is shall be slain together with the Bulls A Bullock is little in respect of a Bull therefore by the Bullocks he meaneth metaphorically the poorer and meaner sort of people and by the Bulls the great and rich and mighty men of Idumea So that this is a repetition of the former words with which kinde of repetition the Prophet is much delighted And their Land i. e.
the Lord in his own person yet it may be understood of the Lords speaking thus to himself and stirring up himself for this work See the like cap. 63.11 Because the Lord had suffered his people to lie in captivity a long time and did not shew his power in their deliverance he might seem to be like a man asleep therefore he saith Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord Supple That thou mayst deliver thy people out of Babylon as thou hast promised Put on strength He alludeth to a mans putting on his garments when he awaketh which he did put off and lay aside when he went to sleep O arm of the Lord i. e. O powerful God He speaks of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and puts the arm which is but part for the whole man by a Synecdoche as Vers 5. As in the ancient days and in the generations of old Supple When thou didst bring the children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab i. e. Art not thou He which didst cut and hew the Egyptians to pieces It This relateth to that O thou arm of the Lord by which as I said is meant the Lord himself Rahab By Rahab is meant Egypt and by Egypt the Egyptians as Psal 87. v. 4. And Egypt was called Rahab because of her pride for Rahab signifieth one that is proud and Egypt carryed her self proudly at least towards Israel Exod. 18.11 And wounded the Dragon Supple Even to death By the Dragon he meaneth Pharaoh King of Egypt whom the Lord overthrew in the red Sea For the Prophet calls tyrants by that name See cap. 27.1 10. Art not thou it which hath dryed the Sea c. He meaneth by the Sea the red Sea which the Lord divided and through which he made a dry way for his people of Israel to pass when he brought them out of Egypt Exod. 14.21 The waters of the great deep q. d. Even the waters of the red Sea which was very deep For the ransomed to pass over i. e. For the Israelites which thou didst redeem out of Egypt from the bondage which they suffered there to pass over This is mentioned here to strengthen the faith of the people in God For if God had power to do such things heretofore he hath as much power to do the like now and to redeem his people out of Babylon now as he had to redeem them out of Egypt in times past 11. The redeemed of the Lord i. e. The Jews which are now in captivity in Babylon He calleth these Jews the redeemed of the Lord by anticipation for as yet they were not redeemed though afterwards they were Shall return Supple Out of Babylon where they are captive And come with singing unto Sion i. e. And come back with a great deal of joy to Jerusalem Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads He resembleth joy to a crown therefore he saith that it shall be upon their heads q. d. They shall be crowned with everlasting joy See cap. 35.10 And sorrow and mourning Supple Which they now suffer by reason of their captivity 12. I even I am he that comforteth you This is spoken in the person of the Lord to Zion who fearing the great power of the Babylonians could not receive that comfort from the promises of God as she should do I even I c. q. d. I the Lord who am the true and Almighty God even I am he that comforteth you c. That comforteth you i. e. That comforteth you now by my promises of your redemption and will comfort you hereafter by performing what I promise Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall dye q. d. What a fearful woman art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of the Babylonians because they are many which yet are but men and shall dye This was that which made the Lords promise of the redemption of the Jews out of Babylon so hardly to be believed to wit the strength and abundance of men which the Babylonians had and therefore the Lord would take this Objection or stumbling block away Who art thou This in the Hebrew is of the Feminine gender and therefore is spoken to Zion whom he speaks to as to a woman or a mother by a Prosopopoeia as cap. 49.14 And of the son of man which shall be made as grass i. e. And of the son of man which shall be cut down and wither as the grass This is a repetition of the former sentence The son of man Every man livinâ— as he is man himself so is he the son of a man 13. And forgettest the Lord thy Maker i. e. And art not mindf ll of the power of the Lord which made thee who because he made thee will have mercy upon thee That hath stretched out the Heavens and layd the foundations of the Earth Supple And therefore is of exceeding great power power enough to turn the Babylonians to nothing Hath stretched out the Heavens i. e. Hath made the Heavens See Cap. 45. vers 12. And layd the foundations of the Earth See cap. 55.13 And hast feared continually every day Supple Lest thou and thy children should be destroyed by hard usage and by famine Because of the fury of the oppressor i. e. Because of the fury of the Babylonian which oppresseth thee and thy children As if he were ready to destroy i. e. As if he i. e. the Babylonian thy oppressor would instantly destroy thee and thy children by hard usage and by starving And where is the fury of the oppressor i. e. And what I pray you is become of the fury of the Oppressor This is to be pronounced with contempt to vilifie the power and fury of the Babylonian when Zion feared And he speaketh as if the Babylonians were already destroyed 14. The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed q. d. Behold notwithstanding all the fury of the Oppressor the captive Exile already hasteneth that he may be loosed The captive Exile i. e. The Jew which is captive in Babylon and liveth there as an Exile or banished man Hasteneth that he may be loosed i. e. Maketh haste already that he may be loosed supple out of prison that is out of the Land of his captivity from being a captive any longer He likeneth the Land of Babylon in which the Jews were captive to a prison and alludeth thereunto as cap. 42.7 He speaketh here as though the captived Jews were even then hastening to get out of their captivity But how did they hasten that they might be loosed Ans By sending Zorobbabel to Cyrus to entreat him to let them go free And this was after Cyrus had subdued Babylon so that the Lord might well say as he did Vers 13. And wheâ—e is the fury of the Oppressor And that he should not dye in the pit i. e. And that he
up thy remembrance i. e. Behinde the doors and the posts of thine house also thou hast set up thine images to put thee in remembrance of thine Idol-gods and hast worshipped them It is observed that Jerusalem did here set up her Images in the same places where God commanded his people to write his Commandments that they might remember them to keep them Deut. 6.9 Thy remembrance He calls the images which Jerusalem did set up behinde the doors and the posts of her houses her Remembrance because she set them there to put her in remembrance of her Idol-gods suppose Saturn Jupiter and the Host of Heaven c. Or else he might call them Her Remembrance ironically because she did set them up in those places in which God commanded his people to write his Commandments that they might put them in remembrance of their duty to him so often as they saw them or read them For thou hast discovered thy self to another then to me i. e. For thou hast discovered thy privities or naked parts to others which are not thy Husbands more then to me which am thy Husband that is Thou hast suffered others to lie with thee besides my self and so hast playd the whore with them The meaning is that she had worshipped other gods besides the Lord and so had committed Idolatry with them He persists still in the Metaphor of Adultery and Fornication by which as I said is meant Idolatry Thy sel i. e. Thy nakedness or privy parts Synecdoche integri And art gone up Supple Into thy bed to lie and play the harlot with them Thou hast enlarged thy bed Supple That thou mayst receive many Lovers and Adulterers at once q.d. It is not one Idol which thou worshippest but many And made a Covenant with them i. e. And didst break that Covenant of Wedlock which thou madest with me and didst make a Covenant of Wedlock with them which yet is not Wedlock but Adultery for thou wast marryed to another man even to the Lord. He persists still in his Metaphor speaking of Idolatry as of Adultery and Fornication therefore by the Covenant here is meant in the first place that covenant or bargain which an Harlot makes with her Lover wherein she covenanteth to let him have such and such use of her body and to have of him so much or so much mony for her hire And then by this covenant is meant the covenant of Idolatry whereby the Idolater covenanteth with his Idol-gods by their Priests thus and thus to worship them These Jews made a Covenant with God in their Fathers in Mount Sinai Exod. 24.7 and here perfidiously they break that Covenant and make a new Covenant with their Idols Thou lovedst their beds wheresoever thou sawest them i. e. Yea so extraordinary was thy lust as that thou didst not stay till thy Lovers came and courted thee that they might lie with thee but thou didst rather court them and offer thy self to lie with them wheresoever thou didst meet them He persists still in his Metaphor of an Harlot and Adulterer and by this sheweth the extream sway wherewith the Jews were carryed to Idolatry 9. And thou wentest to the King with ointments And thou wentest to Moloch of thine own accord to entice him to lie with thee By the King is meant Moloch which he calls the King either because they prefered him before all other Idols or in allusion to the Hebrew word MELECH which signifieth a King Moloch was the abomination of the children of Ammon 2 King 11.7 When he saith Thou wentest to the King with ointments c. he alludeth to the manner of Whores who when they were to go to the bed of some great personage to prostitute their bodies and to play the whores with him were wont to anoint themselves with sweet ointments and perfume themselves with choyce perfumes that he might take the more pleasure in them And the literall meaning is that they went to Moloch to commit whoredome with him but the metaphoricall meaning is that they did worship Moloch sacrifice to him And by that that is said they went to the King with oyntments and encreased their perfumes is meant that they carried sweet odours to Moloch to burne before him and that they offered to him many pretious gifts for the purchasing of his favour more then they did to any other of their Idol-gods Note here that when he saith thou wentest to the Kings with oyntments he meaneth not that they worshipped Moloch in the valley of the sonne of Hinnon for that he spake of vers 5. but that they went to the Temple of Moloch in the Land of the Ammonites there to worship and sacrifice to him where his chiefe dwelling was and as it were there to allure him to come and take a dwelling among them and this they did before Manasseh set up the Image of Moloâ—h in the valley of the Towne of Hinnon and was an occasion that Manasseh did afterwards set up his Image there And did'st encrease thy perfumes q. d. And though when thou wentest into other thy lovers thou did'st use perfumes yet when thou wentest to Moloch thou didst encrease thy perfumes By this is intimated that they did worship Moloch more than any other Idol-God and had him in higher esteeme and did offer him more and richer gifts than they did to any other God And didâ—t send thy messengers afarre off For thou didst send thy messengers farre off to buy thee costly oyntments and perfumes to annoynt and perfume thy selfe as suppose into Arabia Foelix and other places where the best Spices and odours for oyntments and perfumes grew Or thus And thou didâ—t send messengers farre off q. d. And thou didst send messengers into Assyria Chaldaea and Egypt and to other farre countries to get thee lovers and sweet-hearts from thence also By which is meant that they worshipped forraigne gods and brought in the gods and Idolls of remote Nations into their owne Lands and worshipped them there And thou didst debase thy selfe even unto Hell i. e. And when thou hadst obtained the good will of thine Adulterers thou didst prostrate and cast downe thy body to them as low as hell That is thou did'st become the basest whore that ever was That is thou did'st become the most notorious Idolater in the world The Prophet doth persist still in his Metaphor of Adultery and Fornication And when he saith Thou did'st debase thy selfe he alludes to a whores casting her selfe downe and prostrating her body on the ground to the lust of her Adulterer which is called here a debasing her selfe and which is elsewhere called humbling as Deut. 21.14 Judg. 19.24 Such a one the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even unto hell i. e. Very low There is an Hyperbole in these words 10. Thou art wearied in the greatnesse of thy way i. e. Thou hast taken a great deale of paines and labour in these thy Idolatrous courses and even wearied thy selfe but all
that He was an hungred and thirsty c. Matth. 25. v. 35.40 And we read Iudg. 5.23 Of one saying curse yee bitterly the Inhabitants of Meroz because they came not to the helpe the helpe of the Lord against the mighty when they came not to the helpe of the people of the Lord. And I wondred that there was none to uphold i. e. And I wondred that there was none to helpe me He saith to uphold for to helpe by a Metaphor from a staffe which upholdeth him and so helpeth him that leaneth upon it that he falls not The Lord speaketh here of himselfe as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so he might well wonder that there was none of all the Nations that would helpe him that is as I said would helpe his people being he had been so beneficiall to them and his people had not wronged them at all but so farre were they from helping as that they would have destroyed him that is his people if they could 1 Machab. 5.2 Though God can subdue any Nation himselfe by the blast of his mouth yet he will not work miracles when he can use secondary and ordinary meanes therefore if any of the Nations would have offered their help to the subduing of Edom God would not have rejected it Therefore mine own arme brought salvation unto me See what I said in Cap. 59. v. 16 17. Mine own arme He saith his own arme in opposition to the arme of the Nations and to signifie that he had not the least help or furtherance in this his expedition from them And my Fury it upheld me q.d. And I armed my selfe with fury that is I put on courage There is nothing better to encourage a man and to make him valiant than anger and fury is the height of anger And there is no better armour to preserve a man then courage and valour for quo timoris minus est eo minus ferme e◠periculi saith Livie lib. 22. By how much the lesse feare there is by so much the lesse danger there is for the most part For the farther understanding of this phrase And my fury it upheld me see what I said on those words And his righteousnesse it susteined him Cap. 59.16 6. And I will tread downe the people in mine anger i. e. And I resolutely said I will tread downe the people of Edom in mine anger and all the people that joyne with them And make them drunke Supple with calamities and miseries It is frequent with the Hebrewes to liken calamities and miseries to a cup of wine or strong drinke and to say that he is made drunke with that cup who is sorely afflicted with those calamities and miseries See Cap. 51. v. 21 22 23. and Psal 75.8 I will bring downe their strength to the Earth i. e. I will overthrow all their strength and all their power 7. I will mention the loving kindenesses of the Lord Many make this the beginning of a new chapter howsoever certainly it is the beginning of a new matter And this part of this and the whole next chapter are a prayer composed by the Prophet to be used by a lew in his Captivity in Babylon I will mention the loving kindenesses of the Lord i. e. I will declare abroad and speake of those many great kindenesses which the Lord hath shewed to me This is that which God lookes for for his kindnesses to his people that they should acknowledge them and speake of them and so praise him for them And the praises of the Lord i. e. And the praises which are due unto the Lord. And the great goodnesses toward the house of Israel i. e. And I will mention the great goodnesse which he hath shewed towards the children of Israel 8. For he said i. e. For the Lord said concerning the house or children of Israel when he was about to bring them out of the Land of Egypt Surely they are my people i. e. Surely the house of Israel are my people whom I have chosen of all the people of the earth to serve me Deut. 7.6 Here he beginneth to praise the Lord and to mention the kindnesses of the Lord which the Lord had shewed to Israel so that the seventh verse was an Exordium to these praises of the Lord. Children that will not lie i. e. Children that will keepe the Covenant which they have made with me See Cap. 30.9 Cap. 59.13 concerning what it is to lie By this God shewed what good hope he had at first of the children of Israel And he speaks here as a man who knoweth not secret things and things to come but hopeth the best By an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So he was their Saviour i. e. So he took upon him to be their Saviour and Protectour 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted i. e. When he saw them afflicted he was grieved at it so tender was he over them Thi is spoken of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Angel of his presence saved them And he sent an Angel even an Angel of his presence to save them and he saved them from the fury of the Egyptians Exod. 14.19 c. The Angel of his presence By this he meaneth some eminent Angel which stood in the sight of God or in his presence and by consequence was a mighty Angel or an Angel of great might and power Such an Angel doth he call an Angel of Gods providenc by a Metaphor taken from the custome of Kings who admit not every common servant into their presence but their Noble and their great ones onely As 1 Kings 10.8 To which custome our Saviour also allvdeth Matth. 18.10 Where speaking of the Angels of the faithfull he saith That they see the face of their father which is in Heaven In his love and in his pitty the redeemed them Lhough the love and the pitty which he had towards them when he saw their misery in Egypt he redeemed them out of the hands of the Egyptians by his Angel And he bare them and carried them As a nurse beareth and carrieth her child in her armes or as an Eagle beareth and carrieth her young ones on her wings Exod. 19. v. 4. or Deut. 32.11 All the daies of old i. e. All the daies of their infancy 10 But they rebelled Supple against God and were disobedient to him Understand this not onely of those rebellions which we read of Exod. 15.24 16.2 Num. 14.11 21.5 c. But of those other Rebellions also which they shewed afterwards in the time of the Judges and of the Kings And vexed his holy Spirit i. e. And vexed him who is the holy one of Israel with their sins He speakes of God as of a man and puts the spirit which is but part for the whole man Therefore was he turned to be their enemy and fought against them Therefore did God shew himself their enemy and fought against them for he sent fiery Serpents amongst