attaine to the end which God hath propounded to us by holy actions as we come by the way to the place to which we would go Of the just i. e. Of the just men Supple which hide themselves in Jerusalem from the Assyrians He puts here a Singular for a Plural number by an Enallage Is uprightnesse i. e. Is upright and without hypocrisie He saith uprightnesse for upright using an Abstract for a Concrete per Metonymiam Adjuncti Thou most upright i. e. Thou O God which art the most upright Dost weigh the path of the just i. e. Dost examin the wayes or the actions of these just men and dost finde them to be truly upright Dost weigh i e. Dost examin This word is metaphoricall taken from the weighing of such merchantable Commodities as are sold by weight or from the weighing of gold in scales to know whether it be weight or no. Note that the word weight is to be taken here not onely for to examine but also to finde good upon examination by a Syllepsis The path i. e. The way that is the actions as before 8. Yea in the way of thy judgements O Lord have we waited for thee i. e. Yea when thy judgements and chastisements and afflictions brought upon us by the Assyrians have been upon us we have not fainted or started aside but have waited for thee that is for thy salvation and for thy coming to deliver us This is a great argument of true and sincere uprightnesse not to be offended because of afflictions and persecutions but to put our trust in God even when he doth chastise us and afflict us Note here the Enallage first of the number for he speaks of the just in the Plural number whereas he spoke of them in the Singular number just before then of the person for he speaks of them here in the first person making himself one of the number whereas he spoke of them there in the third Have we waited for thee i. e. For thy coming See cap. 25.9 Or for thee that is for thy help or for thy loving kindnesse The desire of our soule is to thy name i. e. The desire of our soul hath been to thee as to the object thereof that is we have heartily desired thee thy presence to help us or we have heartily desired thy loving kindness towards us A Present is here put for a Preterperfect tense To thy name i. e. To thee An Hebrew Periphrase And to the remembrance of thee i. e. And to the remembrance of those things which thou hast done for them which trust in thee and of the promises which thou hast made to us for by the remembrance of thâ—se things are we sustained in the midst of all our afflictions Of thee i. e. Of the things which thou hast done for them which trust in thee and of the promises which thou hast made to us for God may be and is often put especially in the Psalmes for his actions and his attributes by a metonymy of the cause and of the subject 9. With my soule have I desired thee i. e. And I thy servant have also with my soule desired and prayed for thy mercy and loving kindness towards us thy people In the night Supple At which time I have bin waking when others have been asleep It is probable which some say that this Song ended at the eight verse and that Isaiah himself fore-seeing by this song what God would do for the righteous and their prayers and how he would deale with the proud becomes a suiter to God for the salvation of the poor Jews from the fury of the Assyrians and for the destruction of those Assyrians their proud and deadly enemies Will I seâ—k thee i. e. I will seek thy mercy and loving-kindness and pray for it What we desire and seek for truly sincerely at Gods hands we pray to him for for that is the means appointed to us to obtaine from him for call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee saith the Lord Psal 50.15 Ask and it shall be given you saith our Saviour Mat. 7.7 Early i. e. Betimes in the morning when my spirits are fresh and before I doe any other thing yea while others are yet scarce awake For when thy judgements are in the earth Between these and the former words we must understand this or the like prayer or petition viz. Shew us therefore thy mercy and loving-kindness O Lord and take away thy judgements from us which trust in thee and poure them out upon our enemies the wicked Assyrians which fear not thy Name When thy judgements are in the earth i. e. When thy judgements are upon the Inhabitants of the earth that is upon the Assyrians Note that in is put here for on or upon and that by the earth are meant the Inhabitants of the earth by a metonymy and by the Inhabitants of the earth in generall are meant the Assyrians in particular whom he calls the Inhabitants of the world in the next words and againe in the eighteen verse The Inhabitants of the world i. e. The Assyrians See verse 18. Will learn righteousness And so by consequence will not use oppression as now they do towards us 10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked i. e. If thou sparest him that is wicked and dost suffer him to go unpunished and to escape thy judgements By the wicked in generall he meaneth the Assyrians in particular by a Synecdoche He will not learn righteousnesse i. e. He will not learn righteousnesse and so by consequence will not leave off to do evill and to oppresse In the Land of uprightnesse c. q.d. Yea though he be in a Land where uprightnesse is professed and practiseâ— such as the Land of Judah is and liveth among righteous men whose example might move him to deale righteously yet if thou dost not smite him but sparest him he will do unrightly The Laâ—d of uprightnesse i. e. The upright Land for the Hebrews put a Substantive of the Genitive Case for an Adjective And a Land is called a Land of uprightnesse or an upright Land because of the Inhabitants thereof which are upright men and professe and practise uprightnesse therein He will deale unjustly i. e. He will do wrong And will not behold the Majesty of the Lord. i. e. And will not take notice of the power of God over all men and of his justice so as to reverence and feare him and leave off to deal unjustly to do wrong for fear of him The Majesty of the Lord By the Majesty of the Lord is meant the Lord himselfe See cap. 24.14 And by the Lord himselfe is meant the power and justice of the Lord by a Metonymy Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see i. e. Yea though thou dost threaten them for their evill doings and art ready to smite them if thou dost not smite them they will take no notice of it but
his Priests and Levites his commandements and the wayes which we should walk in and according to which He will be worshipped His wayes He calls the Commandements of the Lord his wayes and his paths by a Metaphor For as while we walk in a right way or path we doe not erre but goe on without wandring to our journeys end So when we observe and keep the Commandements of God we doe not erre but goe on in the way to eternal happinesse And we will walk in his Paths i. e. We will walk in those wayes which He teacheth us or we will doe as He will have us and worship Him as He appoints us For out of Sion shall goe forth the Law i. e. For many people shall come to Hierusalem to the House of God to learn the Law of God and shall carry the knowledge of it back with them Or he speaks here of the fame of the Law putting the Law by a Metonymie for the fame thereof q. d. For out of Sion shall goe forth a Great fame and report of the Law of God which fame and report shall cause all Nations to flow to the Mountain that is to the Temple to learn that Law He speakes here of the Law or the fame of the Law as of a Person by a Prosopopoeia Sion This is that Mount which he called The Mountain of the Lords House Vers 2. And the Word of the Lord from Hierusalem This is a Repetition of the foregoing Sentence 4. And He shall judge among the Nations and shall rebuke many People q. d. He shall examine the cause of the warres and quarrels which have been between Nations and judge thereby who have been the cause of them And those People which have been the Authors of the wrong and cause of the warres and quarrels He shall rebuke sharply that they may not offend in this kind any more The meaning is that God shall make peace between those Nations and People which were at warre and enmity one with another The Phrase is Metaphoricall borrowed from the manner of ending private quarrels and contentions among Men of the same Country For when private quarrels and contentions are brought before a Magistrate the Magistrate examineth the matter and judgeth between the disagreeing parties which of them begun the quarrell and did the wrong and finding by whom the quarrel began and who was the cause thereof he rebuketh that party and reprooveth him for it and so maketh peace between them which were at odds before But yet these words And He shall judge among the Nations may be interpreted thus and that perhaps better q. d. And the Lord shall judge among the Nations and they shall willingly submit to His Judgement The meaning whereof is That the Lord shall be their God and their King and that they shall take Him for their God and their King and obey Him and fear Him accordingly The way which God is said here to judge the People is by His Law and by those which he had ordained his Ministers therein So that none are judged in this sense but they which belong to the People of God For the Ministers of God have nothing to doe to judge those which are without 1 Cor. 5. vers 12. And He shall rebuke many people It is the part of a Judge to rebuke where he findes a fault therefore to rebuke is put here for to judge And this is but a repetition of the former sentence And they shall beat their Swords into Plow-shares and their speares into pruning-hookes i. e. They shall change the weapons which they use in warre into Instruments of Husbandry which they use in peace The sense is they shall be at peace one with another per Metonymiam Effecti Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation i. e. Nation shall not fight with Nation in battle Neither shall they learn warre any more i. e. Neither shall they give their mind to war or practice it any more Because warre is learnt by practice Hence doth he say Neither shall they learn warre for neither shall they practice warre any more Any more These words doe not alwayes exclude the whole time following but sometimes some little part of the future onely and signifie for a while or for a time So we read 2 Kings 6.23 That the bands of Syria came no more into the Land of Israel And yet it followeth Vers 24. in the very next words And it came to passe after this that Benhadad King of Syria gathered all his Hoste and went up and besiedged Samaria The Hebrewes as I said Vers 2. are often Hyperbolicall in their expressions of time Now for the sense of this Verse We may understand this place not of the whole Nations but of as many of them as turned to the Lord as we said Vers 2. For though they were at enmity and warres one with another in respect of their severall Nations of which they were members heretofore Yet now being joyned together in the worship of the same God they lived and loved together as Friends and Brethren and were at peace both with themselves and with the Jewes 5. O house of Jacob. i. e. O children of Jacob See Cap. 3. vers 6. Let us walk in the light of the Lord. i. e. Let us walk in the Law of the Lord and according to the direction thereof By the Light of the Lord is meant the Law and Commandâ—ments of God For the Commandement is a Lamp and the Law is Light Prov. 6.23 The Commandement of the Lord is pure enlightning the Eyes Psal 19 8. It is a Lamp to the feet and a Light to the paths Psal 119.105 It is both the way in which we should walk and a Light to direct us in that way The Prophets here fore-seeing in the Spirit this willing Conflux of the Gentiles to Gods worship would from their example stir up the Jewes to a willing and chearfull walking in the Law of God 6. Therefore thou hast forsaken thy People the House of Jacob because c. The Prophet fore-seeing that the Jews would not take his counsel given in the former verse and walk in the light of the Lord but continue in darknesse and walk therein threatneth them with Gods Judgement against them for it and foretels what should befall them at the length q. d. Being that thy People O Lord will not walk in thy Light but walk in Darknesse therefore wilt thou forsake them c. Thus have these words their immediate coherence with the former yet if any will make this the beginning of a new Sermon I will not strive with him Thou hast forsaken i. e. Thou hast determined to forsake them Or thou wilt forsake them For the Prophets often use a Praeterfect Tense for a Future God is said to forsake his People here because he suffered their enemies the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar to spoil them and destroy them and hindered them not Thy People the House of Jacob. q. d.
men which he spoke of Vers 8.11 c. whom he might call fat Ones by a Metaphor from fat Bulls as Psalm 22. v. 12. Or fat Boares as Psal 119. v. 70. because they pampered themselves up and grew fat with their luxurious and riotous living The Lands and Possessions which these covetous and voluptuous rich men enjoyed he calls their waste places because they should be made waste and desolate by the death of them who were the Lords thereof Shall Strangers eat By Strangers he meaneth those whom he called Lambs before and he calleth them Strangers because they were not of kin to those whom he calleth fat Ones nor had right by way of descent to their Lands For a Stranger is sometime taken for one that is not of the same kin or tribe or family Eat i. e. Plant and sow and eat the fruits thereof A Syllepsis Or by eating he meaneth injoying by a Metaphor from Cattle whose enjoying of grounds is by eating and feeding upon them It is the use and practice of such men as these were to call their Lands and Housen by their own names and it is their desire to transmit them to their Seed after them But here the names of these men shall perish and Strangers shall inherit their Land 18. Woe unto them that draw iniquity with Cords of Vanity Here be more wild Grapes which the Lords Vine-yard brought forth Though most Interpreters take Iniquity here formally and by the Cords with which wicked men draw iniquity they mean the occasions of and temptations to iniquity whereby they cannot avoid the iniquity it self but draw it to them or upon them as it were with Cords Yet they seem to interpret this place most agreeable to the Context who take Iniquity by a Metonymie of the cause for Gods Judgements or Punishments for Iniquity q d. Woe to them who by their presumptuous sinning and daring words draw down Gods Judgements upon themselves as it were with Cords and Cart-ropes With Cords of vanity i e. With vain Cords He puts a Substantive of the Genitive case for an Adjective With Cords of vanity and as it were with Cart-ropes He likeneth Presumptuous sinnes and daring words against the Almighty to strong Cords and Cart-ropes because as Horses in a Teem by the meanes of strong Cords and Cart-ropes draw great loads and burthens after them and fail not So doe these kind of men by these their sinnes draw Gods Judgements after them Or because as men when strong Cords or Cart-ropes are fastened to any great Stone or piece of Timber in a house which they would pull down doe not fail to pull it down and that upon their own heads too if they take not heed So doe such men as these by these their sinnes not fail to pull down Gods Judgements upon their own heads if they avert them not by hearty and speedy repentance But why then doth he call them Cords of vanity or vain Cords Answer He calls these Sinnes Cords of vanity or vain Cords not in respect of the punishment which they should draw after them For they would not fail of that and therefore in that respect they were not vain but in respect of the end which those sinners proposed to themselves in committing these presumptuous sinnes and speaking these daring words For what was the end which these men had in committing such sinnes and using such words Surely their end was frivolous and so vain Or if they did expect any good by their doing and speaking they missed of their end and so were their sinnes vain also Yea such Cords as these were that is to say Sinnes are alwayes vain there is no good or profit in them but evill and mischief to the committers of them 19. Let him make speed and hasten his work i e. Let God make speed and hasten his Judgements which thou O Isaiah hast threatned us with we care not By his work he meaneth his Judgements i. e. The judgements of God see Notes on Vers 12. Loe the counsell of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh c. i. e. Let the Judgements or Punishments which God who is the Holy One of Israel hath decreed to send or concerning which he hath taken so long counsell and deliberation draw nigh He puts the counsell of God here for the Judgements of God concerning which he had taken counsell and deliberation by a Metonymie And this is a Repetition of the former sentence both which sentences shew how much these men contemnea the judgements which the Lord threatned The long suffering of God towards man who threatneth a great while before he striketh is greater but wicked men abusing it think that those threats are vaine which are not speedily followed with judgement and therefore they mock at them Thus do they mock and scoffe also 2 Pet. 3.4 20. Woe unto them that call evill Good and good Evill So great a power hath Custome in sinne to corrupt and deprave the judgement of men as that they which accustome themselves to sinne cannot judge of good and bad honest and dishonest Virtue and Vice aright and as they are in themselves but judge that good which is bad and that bad which is good that dishonest which is honest and that honest which is dishonest that virtue which is vice and that vice which is virtue That put That is that affirme or maintaine or hold So in the Schools that speech which is made in affirmation and maintainance of that part of a question which we hold is called A Position That put darknesse for light and light for darknesse i. e. That affirme and maintaine or hold that Darknesse is light and Light is darknesse He saith here in Metaphoricall termes what he said plainely before and by darkâ—esse he meaneth evill by light good Darknesse is put here for evill and therefore may it be so put because They which do evill love darknesse Joh. 3. vers 18 19. And because evill as it proceedeth from the darknesse of the judgement and understanding so doth it darken the same againe more and more And light is put herefor good and it may be so put First because They which do well come to the light that their deeds may be made manifest Joh. 3. vers 20. Secondly because it proceedeth from Light Viz. the Light of the understanding rightly enlightened And Thirdly because it encreaseth that Light and maketh it the brighter That put bitter for sweet sweet for bitter This is another repetition of what he said Bitter signifieth evill and so it may signifie because evill is unpleasing to God and all good men as that which is bitter is to the Taste And Sweeter signifieth good and so it may signifie because good is pleasant and delightful to good men and to God himself as honey and sweet things are to the mouth 21. Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes Supple They which are wise in their own conceites had rather rule their actions by
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.
token of his exceeding great anger as 2 Sam. Cap. 22. v. 9. When a man is angry and in a chafe his breath cometh out thicker both out of his mouth and of his nostrils and more like the smoak than at other times Wherefore the Temple being filled with smoake at this time shewed that God was at this time exceeding angry As the breath of the Lord is here likened to a smoake which filled the Temple so is it likened to an over-flowing streame Chap. 30. v. 28. 5. Then said I. i. e. I Isaiah For I am undone i. e. For I shall presently die and be cut off Because I am a man of uncleane lips i. e. Because I am a man of Sinnefull lips Sins residence is onely in the soul and the members of the body are called sinnefull onely as they are Instruments of sinne there residing The sinne of the lips which Isaiah complaineth of is thought to have been not so much in speaking what he should not as in not speaking what he should that is in not reprehending the sins of the Princes and of the People so freely as he should have done By this Sinne of his lips we may understand all other Sins of his by a Synecdoche q. d. I am uncleane every part of me not somuch as my lippes but are uncleane But the reason why he mentioneth the uncleanesse or sinne of his lipps rather than any other sinne may be because he could not occupie his lipps in the praises of God as the Seraphims did For Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a Sinnner Eccles 15. v. 9. And the Prophet was the more afflicted for his sinne because he was in the sight of Angels whose Purity and Righteousnesse called his impurity and unrighteousnesse to minde and made it appear the worse And because he was in the sight of God then when He was seated upon his Throne to judge sinners And I dwell in the midst of the People of uncleane lipps The men of Judah were men of uncleane lipps For their tongue provoked God to anger Cap. 3. v. 8. And they declared their sinns as Sodom Cap. 3. v. 9. And when they heard of Gods judgements they said presumptuously Let God make speed and hasten his work that we may see it Cap. 5 v. 19. c. But by the uncleanesse of their lipps we must understand here also all other their sin and uncleanesse by a Synecdoche But the Prophet mentioneth no more than the uncleanesse of their lipps because he mentioned no more of his own uncleanesse than that of his lipps But why doth the Prophet mention the uncleanesse of the Peoples lips that is their sinne in this place Answer Not to excuse himself and lay the fault upon them as though he had taken his sin from them by a Contagion or living among them but rather to augment his own sinne and lay their sinne upon himself as though they came to be so bad because he neglected to reprove them Or at least to augment his miserable condition in that he could have no hope of escaping the judgement of God or having it deferred being they were uncleane among whom he lived aswell as himself For whereas God hath been known to spare some wicked men for the righteous sake among whom they lived Isaiah could have no hope of this now because the People among whom he lived were polluted aswell as himself For mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts q. d. I say woe is me For mine eyes who am a man of unclean lips have seen the King the Lord of Hosts sitting upon his Throne of Judgement There was an opinion among the Jewes that whosoever saw God should surely die Judg. 13. v. 22. Which opinion sprung from those words of God to Moses There shall no man see me and live Exod. 33. v. 20. But if the meer seeing of God might make the Prophet cry Woe to me I am undone then might he much more cry so when he saw God sitting on his Throne to judge sinners he being conscious to himself of his sinnes The sense therefore of this place is this q. d. Woe is me I am undone because I am a man of unclean lipps and I dwell among a people of uncleane lipps Woe is me I say I shall not escape for I being a sinner and liveing among sinners haue seen with mine eyes the Lord of Hosts and that sitting upon a Throne to judge sinners 6. From the Altar Viz. Of burnt Offering which was before the door of the Temple 7. And he laid it upon my mouth Where he complaines of his sore there was the Plaister applyed He complained of the uncleanesse of his lipps and upon his lipps is the live-cole laid This hath touched thy lipps and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sinne purged By this iniquity and sinne he meaneth in particular the uncleanesse of his lips which he complained of v. 5. But by a Synecdoche we may understand as there all other his sinns And he speakes of this uncleanesse and iniquity as of drosse which is purged away by fire Note that the Prophets sinne was taken away or purged by the live-cole onely in a mysterie For God commanded the live-cole to be laid upon his lipps onely that it might be an outward signe of his inward grace conferred upon him And that it might be as a Seal to confirme to the Prophet that God had taken away and purged his sin A live-cole might be an apt signe or seale of purging away sinne because fire is of a purging nature The sence therefore is q. d. This hath touched thy lipps and therefore let it be a signe and a seale to thee that thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged Note that all this was done not in reality but in a vision 8. Whom shall I send Supple to the wicked and rebellious men of Judah to tell them what I have done and what sentence I have passed against them Note that God asketh this Question not because he knew not whom to send But that he might give occasion to the Prophet to shew his cheerefull obedience For God loveth cheerefullnesse in his service And who will go for us This is a repetition of the former words He should have said by the order of the Syntax And who will go for me But it is not onely usuall to put one number for another but also to joyne a Plurall number with a Singular in the same sentence although it be spoken of one and the same Person as may be seen John cap. 3. v. 11 12. Or it may be that the Prophet useth a Plurall number to signifie the Trinity of Persons as he did a Singular number before to shew the Vnity of the Godhead Or he may say Who will go for us for Who will go for me Because the Lord is brought in as a King and it is the manner of Kings to speake of themselves in the Plurall number A Question it
shaketh over it i. e. Because of the judgements of God with which he shall threaten them This Phrase is Metaphoricall and is borrowed from a man which shaketh his rod over his Child or Servant when he threatens him and makes as though he would whip him though he whips him not The judgements with which he threatned them of which they were afraid at this time was an invasion or warre to be made upon them by Sennacherib for the Egyptians when they heard that Sennacherib had invaded Judah were afraid of themselves least Sennacherib when he had subdued and destroyed Judah should invade Egypt and lay that waste also And this fear was not a causelesse fear For when our neighbours house is on fire we had need to look to our own the judgements inflicted upon our neighbours are our admonitions and threatnings to us And besides this it is likely that Sennacherib had threatned the Egyptians by word of mouth that he would fall upon them so soon as they had conquered all Judah 17. And the land of Judah shall be a terrour unto Egypt i. e. And the men of Judah shall terrifie the Egyptians and make them afraid Why the Land of Judah should be a terrour unto Egypt and how he sheweth in the latter part of this Verse Every one i e. Every Aegyptian Which maketh mention thereof i. e. Which makes mention of the land of Judah Because of the counsell of the Lord of Hosts which he hath already determined against it i. e. Because of the Counsell of the Lord of Hosts which he hath already determined and would then execute upon the land of Judah or because of those judgements which the Lord should then execute upon the land of Judah according to his determinate counsell He puts the Counsell of the Lord which he had determined to execute for the judgements and punishments which he would execute according to his counsell and determination per Metonymiam causae The judgements and punishments here spoken of were executed upon the Land of Judah by Sennacherib and his mighty hoste which the Egyptians hearing of by certain reports were afraid least that Sennacherib and his hoste when they had done with the Land of Judah would begin with Egypt and when they had once begun would make an end with it Yea likely it is that the Assyrians threatned to warre against Aegypt so soon as they had vanquished the land of Judah 18. In that day i. e. At that time Suple in which Sennacherib shall invade and oppresse the land of Judah Shall five Cityes in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan i. e. Many Cityes in the Land of Egypt shall speak the Hebrew language As upon other occasions before so when Sennacherib first invaded the Land of Judah many of the men of Judah ran away out of their own land for fear of the Assyrians and betook themselves into Aegypt Cap. 11. v. 11 15. And while they were in Egypt they lived religiously observing the Jewes religion By whose holy example many of the Egyptians were won to forsake their Idols and to cleave to the Lord of Hosts which proved happy to Egypt For by reason of this did the Lord in his mercy spare Egypt Because of these Jewes which ran thus into Egypt and those Egyptians which were converted by them and learned of them the Hebrew language doth the Prophet say That five Cityes in the Land of Egypt should speak the language of Canaan Five Cityes i. e. Many Cityes He puts a certaine number for an uncertaine Shall speak the Language of Canaan i. e. Shall speake the Language of the Hâ—brews which lived in the Land of Canaan By this is meant not onely that the Hebrewes which fled out of the Land of Judah which was part of the Land of Canaan but that some Egyptians also should speak the Languâ—ge of Canaan which they should learn of the Hebrews which fled for fear of Sennacherib into Egypt And by this we must also understand that the Hebrâ—ws and Egyptians should confesse and praise God together in those Cityes of Egypt And that the Egyptians should have knowledge of the Law of God which was written in the Hebrew tongue In a more sublime sense the Prophet prophesieth here of the calling of the Gentiles by the Gospel And swear to the Lord of Hosts Supple That they will serve him and that he shall be their God One shall be called the City of destruction Whatsoever this City was or for whatsoever reason it was so called surely this was the name thereof Viz. Ir-heres which is here interpreted the City of destruction Some and they not few render Ir-heres the City of the Sun and think that that famous City Heliopolis which signifieth the City of the Sun was the City here meant but most likely it is that the Prophet here meant some famous City of Egypt and perhaps famous for the Idolatrie there excercised And the Prophet nameth this City by name as a thing which should be strange that the Jewes should live in such a City after their own Law and openly professe the true â—od there where so much false worship and worshipping of Idols was practised and that many of the Egyptians there should serve the Lord with them 19. In that day there shall be an Altar to the Lord in the middest of the land of Egypt i. e. In that day there shall be many in the Land of Egypt which shall openly worship the Lord and serve him both Hebrewes and Egyptians The Altar which he here speakes of was not an Altar for Sacrifice for that was unlawfull but an Altar for a memoriall that they which built it did acknowledge and testifie thereby that the God of Israel was their God Nor must we think that there was any such Altar indeed built in Egypt But the Prophet alludeth to that Altar which the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half Tribe of Manasseh built for this purpose in the borders of Jordan Josh 22. v. 21 22. c. and thereby would expresse that there were such in Egypt as should publiquely worship God and give such sufficient testimonies thereof as the Reubenites and Gadites and the half Tribe of Manasses did by the Altar which they built For it is usuall with the Prophet to expresse like things by like And a Pillar in the border thereof to the Lord. These are the same for sence with the former words And the Prophet seemeth here to allude to that Pillar or that Stone which Joshua set up Josh 24. vers 26. c. 20. And it shall be for a signe and for a witnesse to the Lord of Hosts in the middst of the Land of Egypt Supple That there be many in the Land of Egypt which are addicted to the worship of God and serve him He sheweth here the end why that Altar which he mentioned in v. 19. should be erected And shewing for what end that Altar was erected he would have us
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
by the men of Jerusalem When thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously i. e. When thou shalt have delt treacherously with all thy neighboring people so long as God hath determined to suffer thee to deal treacherously with them and thou shalt then make an end of thy treachery They shall deal treacherously with thee i. e. Thou shalt be delt treacherously with Understand this of Sennacherib in respect of his own person whom his two sons treacherously slew as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god 2 King 19.37 2. O Lord be gracious unto us The Prophet useth an Apostrophe here to God and considering the great distress which Sennacherib would bring upon Judah and Jerusalem prayeth here to God for his favor and help at that time We have waited for thee i. e. We have expected and waited for thy help He puts God himself metonymically for Gods help Be thou their arm i. e. Be thou our defence to keep us and defend us Note here the Enallage of the person where he puts the third person for the first Note here also that he speaks of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that because men defend themselves with their arm the arm is put here metonymically for defence Every morning i. e. Every day when as they shall call upon thee The morning which is but part is put here for the whole day by a Synecdoche Our salvation i. e. Our Saviour Metonymia Effecti 3. At the noise of the tumult the people fled i. e. At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee The Prophet puts here a preterperfect for a future tense By the tumult he meaneth that tumult which the Angel of the Lord raised in the Camp of the Assyrians when he came to destroy them By the people he meaneth those people which served in Sennacheribs Army for in that Army there were many of many people At the lifting up of thy self i. e. When thou shalt arise as it were a â—ion from his Den or a man from his sleep to take vengeance upon the Assyrians The Nations were scattered i. e. The Nations which shall be in Sennacheribs Army shall be scattered abroad He putteth a preterperfect tense for a future as before The Prophet sheweth here wâ—at good sâ—câ—ess his prayers should have which he made in the second Verse 4. And your spoyls shall be gathered like the gathering of the Caterpiller i. e. And your spoyl O ye Assyrian shall be gathered like as the Caterpillar gathereth her food for as the Caterpillar gathereth her food from the herbs without any fear so shall the Jews gather your spoyls when the Angel of the Lord hath smitten you and not be afraid Note that though the Caterpillar be not so provident a creature as the Ant and therefore cannot be said to gather her food as the Ant doth Prov. 6.8 who gathereth her food together and layeth it up in store yet may she be said to gather her food as the creatures in general do Psal 104.28 who are said there to gather their food which God giveth them because they pick it up and eat it every one after his maâ—ner He useth an Apostrophe to the Assyrians As the running to and fro of Locusts shall he run upon them i. e. They shall run upon them as the Locusts run to and fro For as the Locusts run to and fro upon the grass and the branches of the trees upon which they feed without any fear so shall the Jews run to and fro upon your spoyls and shall take them and shall not be afraid This was fulfilled when the Angel had slain those Assyrians which besieged Jerusalem The running to and fro of the Locust is put here per Metonymiam Adjuncti for the Locusts which run to and fro Shall he i. e. Shall Israel i. e. the Jews Run upon them i. e. Upon your spoyls Note here the Enallage of the number how he passeth from a singular to a plural number 5. The Lord is exalted i. e. The Lord will be exalted i. e The Lord will do great things for which he will be worthy to be exalted See Notes Cap. 30.18 and 12.4 He useth a preterperfect for a future tense For he dwelleth on high i e. For he dwelleth in Heaven and because he dwelleth in Heaven he will do great things and things worthy of him whose dwelling is so high He hath filled Sion with judgment and righteousness i. e. He will fill Jerusalem with the noise of his judgment and righteousness Of his judgment which he will pour out upon the Assyrians which besiege Jerusalem Of his righteousness that is of his mercy and goodness which he will shew to his people which are besieged See Cap. 3â— 16 for the meaning of those words judgment and righteousness 6. And wisdom and knowledge c. For wisdom and knowledge And for For. What is meant by wisdom and what by knowledge see Cap. 11.2 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times q. d. For this will the Lord do because of thy wisdom and knowledge O Hezekiah which wisdom and knowledge of thine shall establish thy Throne and thy affairs all thy days He useth an Apostrophe here to Hezekiah and intimates that this great Salvation whereby God would save Jerusalem from the Assyrians which besieged it should be for Hezekiahs sake and that by reason of his wisdom and knowlâ—dge See the same reason of the same thing Cap. 11.1 and 10.27 and 32.1 The stability of thy times He puts stability here per Metonymiam Effâ—cti for the the cause of stability or that which will establish and make sure And he puts times here for affairs happening in those times per Metonymiam Continentis And strength of salvation i. e. And the Cause of exceeding strong Salvation to thee and thy people He saith strength of salvation for exceeding strong salvation and by it means the cause of such salvation per Metonymiam Effecti Hezekiahs wisdom and knowledge are said to be the stability of his times and the strength of his salvation because God did in mercy establish the throne of Hezekiah and prosper his affairs and save him and his people because of his wisdom and knowledge See Cap. 9.7 The fear of the Lord is his treasure i. e. The fear of the Lord which is in Hezekiah shall make Hezekiah rich and shall bring him treasures He puts treasure here for the cause of treasure or for that which brings treasure per Metonymiam Effecti Note here the Enallage of the person how he goeth from the second to the third for this also is spoken of Hezekiah Such is the goodness of God as that it pleaseth him to give gifts to men as wisdom and knowledge and fear of the Lord to Hezekiah and then to reward those men for those gifts 7. Behold their valiant ones shall cry without i. e. Behold the Messengers or Embassadors which the Citizens of
trie him 2 Chron. 32.31 Others say that Hezekiah gave an answer to both Questions but one of them is here omitted because the Prophet took an occasion onely from his last Answer to reprehend him This Answer of Hezekiah savours of vaine-glory also and was spoke out of boasting 6. Shall be carried to Babylon This was fulfilled hy Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon 2 Kings 24.13 7. Of thy Sonnes that shall issue from thee which thou shalt begâ—t shall they take away This was fulfilled 2 Kings 24.15 and 25.7 And they shall be Eunuchs in the Pallace of the King of Babylon An Eunuch signifieth properly a man which is gelt And he is so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. from the care and charge which he had of the Beds for they were wont to be employed by great Princes in their Bed-Chambers and in the care and custody of their Wives and Concubines because they were more nimble and serviceable then women and yet chaste by reason of their being gelt And because these were so near to Princes and their Wives and Concubines hence all great Officers in the Kings Court were called Eunuches though they were not gelt nor imployed in the Bed-chamber about the Kings Wives and Concubines as Eunuches were Yea any Courtier might be called an Eunuch Per Synecdochen speciei Though their Office be never so great in a forraigne Kings Court yet it is a griefe and miserie for Kings and the Children of Kings to be Servants though to Kings upon such a way as these were 8. Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken These words may signifie Hezekiah's submission to the judgement of God here denounced against him For by this kinde of speech did inferiours signifie that they submitted themselves to the sentence of their Superiours though it were bitter See 1 Kings 2. verse 38. and 42. Yet the Hebrewes doe so interpret this place as if Hezekiah had therefore said that the Word of the Lord was good Because the judgement thereby denounced was not to fall upon him in person nor in his dayes but onely to fall upon his Children in after times And indeed these words For there shall be Peace and Truth in my dayes seem much to favour this Interpretation of theirs and much more as they are recorded in the same story 2 Kings 20.19 They therefore reprehend Hezekiah here for that he seemed not to be much touched with that which should fall upon his People and upon his Children being that he himselfe was not to taste of that Cup. But if Hezekiah offended here he humbled himselfe afterward 2 Chro. cap. 32. v. 26. He said moreover q. d. And he did not onely say that the Word of the Lord was good But he did moreover shew a reason why he said It was good Thâ—re shall be peace and truth in my dayes i. e. There shall be a sure or firm peace in my days for though this judgement shall take away peace when it cometh yet it shall not come so long as I live For understanding of this sense Note first that the word Truth is to be taken here for Firmness and Assurance as to speak the Truth is taken for to be constant and firm Ephes 4.15 And that upon this ground because the Hebrew word Emeth signifieth Firmness and Assurance aswell as Truth and this word Truth must be thought to be of equall signification with its Originall Emeth Note secondly that in these words Peace and truth that is peace and assurance or peace and firmnes there is a figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and two words are used to expresse one thing Peace and Truth that is Peace and Assurance or Peace and Firmness to express a sure and firm Peace The like to which we observed cap. 4.5 in those words A smoak and a cloud by day for a smoaky Cloud by day Jer 14.13 we read this I will give you assured peace yet in the Originall there are the same words as are in this place of Isaiah to wit Sheloth Emeth There shall be peace and truth in my days It may be here asked how Hezekiah came to know that there should be peace and truth in his dayes Answ Hezekiah might easily gather it out of the Prophets words recorded in this place For the threats here are not that he but that his Sons should be taken away and made Eunuchs in the Pallace of the King of Babylon yea it may be that the Prophet told him in plain termes that the judgment which God had denounced against him at this time should not fall out in his dayes though it be not expressed but omitted for brevity sake and left to be understood out of these words for such kinde of Brachylogie is often used See cap. 32.24 In my dayes i. e. All the dayes of my life Note that the peace here promised to Hezekiah was onely a Security or Assurance that he should not be infested from Babylon during his life Therefore notwithstanding this he might have war especially an offensive war with other Nations as it is probable he had with the Philistines Cap. 11.14 ISAIAH CHAP. XL. COmfort ye comfort ye my people c. The Prophet having foretold the Captivity of the Jews wherein they were carryed captive into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuzaradan one of the Captains of Nebuchadnezzar that he might comfort the godly who were carryed into Captivity for the wickedness of other men he doth in this last part of his Book prophecy to them of their deliverance out of their Captivity which should be glorious and their flourishing estate in which they should live when they were come back into their own Land and the Security and Safety which they should live in there and the great Victories which they should atchieve c. And note that when all the blessings of God bestowed upon the Jews had in them a shadow of those blessings which we receive by Christ those blessings which Isaiah mentioneth here from this place to the end of this Prophecy do in a most eminent manner shadow forth those blessings which we receive by Christ the very words of the Prophet being so directed by God as that they do oftentimes more simply and clearly signifie those things which we enjoy by Christ then those things which Isaiah would first signifie thereby that is then the blessings which God would bestow upon the Jews by and after their deliverance from their Captivity Comfort ye comfort ye my people Comfort ye my people the Jews which are in captivity Comfort them with the joyful news of their deliverance Saith your God i. e. Saith your God ye Jews to his Prophets 2. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem q. d. Speak ye comfortable words to Jerusalem O ye my servants To Jerusalem By Jerusalem he meaneth the material City of Jerusalem which he here speaketh to as a person by a Metaphor or Prosopopeia Her warfare is accomplished i. e. Her great labor and hardship which
Porter whose burden is grievous and troublesome to him when he stands too long under it and is thereby wearied 15. And when yee spread forth your hands i. e. And when yee pray to me either in those Assemblies and meetings mentioned v. 13. or at any other times He puts the spreading forth of the hands for praying a gesture which was wont to be used in prayer Exod. 9.33 1 King 8.22 38. Ezra 9.5 Job 11.13 and Psalm 88.9 for the act of praying it self I will hide mine eyes from you i. e. I will not regard your prayers nor gâ—ant your desire He speaks of God here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alludes to the manner of men where when one man hath injured another and he that suffered the wrong is resolved not to forgive the wrong which he suffered he will not look upon him that did the wrong when he beggeth pardon but turneth away from him that he may not be moved by his humble demeanour to forgive him I will not hear Here he speakes of God againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and alludeth to the manner of men who go away and will not hear the requests which they are resolved not to grant least they be moved to grant them when they hear them Your hands are full of bloud i. e Your hands are besmeared with the bloud of those whom you have murthered q. d. Ye are guilty of murder Bloud is put here Metonymice for Murder and that againe is put Hyperbolice for Injustice and cruelty in oppressing the poor Note that the Prophet speakes here particularly of Judges and Lawyers Though what he speakes particularly of them is proportionably to be understood of all other sorts of men For if Judges and Lawyers be nought it is not to be expected that other sorts of men should be good Their countenance and example is enough to corrupt a whole City yea a whole Kingdome O my people they that lead thee cause thee to erre saith our Prophet Chap. 3.12 And St. Paul proves the ungodliness of all men by the ungodlâ—nesse of the chiefest Rom. Chap. 1. Vers 18 19 c. Note that these words Your hands are full of bloud containe the cause why God would hide his eyes when they did spread forth their hands And why he would not hear when they did make their prayers to him for God heareth not sinners John 9.31 Psal 66.18 16. Wash ye make ye clean Viz. From this bloud He speakes of spirituall washing the soul from sin by repentance under the Metaphor of bodily washing the body from bloud or any other filth by water Cease to do evill Supple To your neighbours 17. Learn to do well i. e. Accustome your selves to do well to your neighbour We learn to do well by custome and frequent practice Or he may say Learn to do well because they were ignorant of that lesson viz. the lesson of doing well Seek judgement Judgement is taken here for the justice and uprightnesse of a cause q. d. Ye Judges and Lawyers for to such He syeaketh when a cause is brought to you seek diligently on which side the Right lyeth and be for that The Prophet doth explain here that generall Praecepts Learn to do well by four Particular Praecepts Seek Judgement Relieve the Oppressed Judge the Fatherless Pl ad for the Widdows Relieve the Oppressed i. e. If any unjust Sentence hath been given against a Man whereby â—e is oppres'd recal that Sentence and correct it and so relieve the oppressed Or if any poor man is oppressed by one that is mighty and flyeth to the Law for relief direct Him and help Him against His oppressour Judge the Fatherlesse i. e. Give the â—atherlesse an hearing and defer not to give sentence in this cause which depends before you This is spoken to the Judges and is therefore spoken because the Fatherless when He hath a cause ready for hearing cannot get a hearing but is put off to his vexation that the causes of great and rich ones may be sped Plead for the Widdow i. e. Take in hand the cause of the Widdow and plead it for her though you can expect no reward of her for your paines This is spoken to Advocates or Counsellors God hath alwaies an especiall care of the Fatherlesse and the Widow because they are for the most part destitute of friends and most apt to be oppressed and wronged 18 Come let us reason togethâ—r saith the Lord Because God charged this people with sin ano threatened them with judgements in the former part of the Chapter and they thought they were not guilty of the sinnes which were laid to their charge nor deserved the judgements which were threatned against them He inviteth them here in a friendly manner to plead their cause with him that he may hear what they can say for themselves And that they may hear what he can say for himself And in conclusion when he had convinced them of sin and prooved them worthy of punishment that they may know that he is more prone to shew mercy than to punish he tells them that for all that yet if they will repent Though their sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow c. But note That neither the Subject of their Reasoning nor yet the Arguments on either side are here set down but they are left to be understood Onely it is set down in brief upon what tearmes God and they parted after this reasoning which were these That if they would repent them of their sinnes Though their sinnes were as Scarlet they should be as white as snow And though they were as red as Crimson they should be as white as wooll Let us reason together i. e. Let us bring Arguments and Reasons I for my self and ye for your selves that it may appear whether what I have done or threatned to you I have done without cause or no. Though your sinnes be as Scarlet q. d. Though we have pleaded together and I have convinced you and proved you guilty of the sinnes wherewith I have charged you and worthy of the punishments which I have threatned against you yet if you repent you Though your sinnes be as scarlet They shall be as white as wooll Though your sins be as scarlet i. e. Though your sinnes be as scarlet for rednesse that is though your sins be never so hainous It is not the substance but the colour of scarlet to which the Prophet here alludes And therefore would he expresse the hainousnesse of sinne under the Metaphor of a red colour because red is the colour of bloud and he alludes here to the bloud of which he said their hands were full Vers 15. They shall be as white as snow q. d They shall be perfectly forgiven and ye shall be to me as if ye had never sinned As Red and Black may be the Emblems of sin so may White be of righteousnes They shall be as wooll i. e. They shall be as white as
wooll A Question may be here asked How sin can be said to be white as snow or wooll when as sin is so essentially evill as that it cannot be good Answ Sinne may be here taken for the sinner per Metonymiam adjuncti that is By putting the Quality for the person in which the Quality is inherent Now though sin can never be made white that is good yet the sinner may Or we may say that this is an Allegoricall or Proverbiall kind of Phrase And such kind of Phrases are many of them to be glanced upon onely with a quick eye not too exactly to be pried into 19. If ye be willing Supple To obey me and keep my Commandements And obedient i. e. And are actually obedient to me Ye shall eat the good of the land i. e. Ye shall eat the good and pleasant fruits of the Land wherein ye dwell The enemy shall not destroy them and take them away from you Nor shall the sword destroy you and take you away from them 20. But if ye refuse Supple To obey me and keep my Commandements And rebell i. e. And be indeed disobedient to me Note that the Prophet opposeth Refusing here in this Verse To be willing to obey in the former Verse And to rebell in this Verse to to be obedient in the former Verse Ye shall be devoured with the sword Supple of Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel He speakes of the sword here Metaphorically as of a ravenous beast For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it i. e. For the Lord hath spoken it and therefore it shall come to passe For the Lord cannot lye and what he saith he is able to make good The prophet speakes here of God as of a man per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and puts the mouth which is but a part for the whole man by a Synechdoche And the mouth rather than any other part here because with the mouth we speak 21. How is the faithfull City become an Harlot How is Hierusalem which was once faithfull as a wife to her husband become now as an harlot committing adultery with her lovers The faithfullnesse here spoken of alludes to the faithfulnesse of a wife to her husband The Scriptures under the Metaphor of Adultery and Fornication do often signifie peculiarly the sin of Idolatry And under the Metaphor of an Whore or an Harlot an Idolater And so it may be here taken especially if we understand Also In the following words q. d. How is the faithfull City become an Harlot It was Also full of Judgement c. For the Prophet upbraids them with their Idolatry Vers 29. c. But as by the Metaphor of Fornication and Adultery the particular sinne of Idolatry is often understood So also may we by the same Metaphor understand disobedience and sinne against God in generall as may appear James 4.4 For the promise of obedience which the Jewes made to God either in their Forefathers as Exod. 20.19 Deut. 5.27 Or by themselves either in their Circumcision Galat. 5.3 or at any other time as 2 Chron. 15. Vers 12 15. and 2 Chron. 23.16 may be compared to the promise of a wife which she makes to to her husband at her marriage to be obedient to him and true to his bed And for this reason doth the Lord say to Sion that He is her husband Chap. 54. Vers 5. Wherefore as a Wife so long as she keepeth the promise which she made to her Husband is accounted Faithfull but if she breaketh that promise and falls in love with other men and followeth them becommeth a Whore or an Harlot So might Hierusalem be accounted Faithfull so long as she was obedient to God according to her promise But when contrary to promise she became disobedient to God and followed her own lusts she might be counted of as an Harlot and so be called by a Metaphor And thus not onely Idolatry but any other particular sinne may be called Adultery and not onely the Idolater but any other sinner be called an Adulterer And he which walketh uprightly according to his Covenant that is according to the Law of God which he promised to keep might be called Faithfull and among the rest He who executed judgement without respect of persons For which cause Sion also may be called Faithfull in this place How is the faithfull City c. This question speakes admiration and sorrow Note that this is the beginning of a new Prophesie Or a new Propheticall Sermon It was full of judgement By Judgement is meant Upright dealing in Courts of Justice and equall administration of Justice without partiality Righteousnesse lodgeth in it Righteousnesse signifieth the same as Judgement did And this is a repetition of the former sentence He speaketh of Righteousnesse as of a Person by a Prosopopocia Lodged in it i. e. Took sweet repose and rest in it To lodge in a place as it signifieth sweet repose and rest so it signifieth but a short abode and as it were but for a night But now Murderers i. e. But now unrighteous and unjust Judges who have put Righteousnesse out of her lodgings He calls Vnrighteous and unjust Judges which oppresse and wrong the poor in Judgement Murderers by an Hyperbole because they deprived the poor of their meanes which was their life and gave it away from them by their unrighteous sentence to them to whom it did not belong By reason of which many did perish not onely through griefe of mind but also through famine and hunger having no meanes left them to buy bread to sustaine nature 22. Thy silver is become drosse Under the Metaphor of silver understand Righteousnesse under the Metaphor of drosse understand Vnrighteousnesse q. d. The Righteousnesse in Judgement is turned into Vnrighteousnesse The Prophet useth an Apostrophe here to Hierusalem to whom he speaks as to a woman by a Prosopopoeia Thy Wine is mixt with water He speaks of wine so mixt with water as that it hath lost all its virtue by that mixture By Wine understand Justice By Water respect of persons or whatsoever is contrary to true Justice q.d. Thy Justice is mixed with respect of persons and is now so corrupted from that sincerity which once it had as that it is no more Justice 23. Thy Princes c. i. e. Thy Judges For Judges are Princes and Chief men in a Common-wealth per Metonymiam Generis Are Rebellious i. e. Are disobedient to the Commandements of the Lord who hath given this Commandement to Judges saying Ye shall not respect persons in Judgement But ye shall hear the small as well as the great Deut. 1.17 And Companions of Theeves They may be called Companions of other men which either did or suffered the like as other men did or suffered So saint John writing to the seven Churches in Asia called himself their Companion in Tribulation Rev. 1.9 Because he suffered like tribulation as they did though not with them or in their
sin of these men bâ—ought as a Scourge upon the Land Note also that at this time though there were many wise Princes or Rulers as appeareth by Vers 2 3. yet there were also many unwise as appeareth by this place And Women By Women he meaneth Men which were impotent and unable to bridle and oversway their lusts and affectâ—ons and which like women would lust after and affect and covet every thing they saw and would bend all their power to compasse and obtain what they had a mind to And Women rule over them Whose Rule must needs be grievous and oppressive They which lead thee i e. Thy Princes and Rulers Princes and Rulers are called the Leaders of their People by a Metaphor of a Shepheard which goeth before his Sheep and leadeth them when they goe to Pasture and back again See Numb 27. v. 17. Or Princes and Rulers may be said to lead the people because People doe for the most part follow the example of their Princes and Rulers Cause thee to erre i. e. Cause thee to sin He alludeth to that Metaphor which compareth the Law of God to a way of which see Chap. 2. v. 3. Princes and Rulers may cause their People to erre many wayes As first By commanding them to doe those things which are contrary to the Word of God Secondly By persecuting those which are good and godly and disallowing their wayes and yet tolerating the wicked and their doings Thirdly By favouring if not hiring false Prophets to prophesie happinesse to them whom God abhorreth Fourthly By perswading the People both by themselves and their Parasites that they govern in righteousnesse when they doe nothing lesse Fiftly By alluring and inducing them by their â—xample to sin as to Idolatry or the like And this last seemeth especially to be the Prophets meaning in this place The Prophet taxed the Rulers with oppression in the first part of this verse Here he sheweth them guilty of more wickednesse than that And destroy the way of thy Paths i. e. And destroy the way in which thou shouldst walk This way is the Law of God according to which we should direct our lives The Law of God is compared to a strait and narrow way Now as such a way is easily marr'd and destroyed by the continuall crosse-trampling of cattle and crosse-walking of Men so that no man can see that way to walk directly in it So is the Law of God marr'd and destroyed at least in the true sense of it by the sinnes and transgressions of Râ—lers so that they which look upon their example cannot discerne between the Commandements of God and corrupt usage of men but call evill good and good evill Hence hath Idolatry been taken for the service or worship of God and other things which have been sinnes in their own nature have been taken for matters of Indifferency 13. The Lord standeth up to plead Subaudi But. q. d. But the Lord standeth up to plead the cause of his People And standeth to judge the People Supple which are thus oppressed by their Rulers The sense of this verse is q. d. But the Lord is ready to relieve those which are oppressed and to deliver them from their Oppressors Note that to plead a mans cause is often taken for to deliver a man from oppression and wrong for so it is taken 1 Sam. 24. vers 15. and 1 Sam. 25. vers 39. and Psal 35. v 1. and Psal 43. v. 1. c. And as to plead a mans cause so to judge a man or to give Sentence in his cause is taken for to deliver a man from oppression and wrong c. For so it is taken 1 Sam. 24. v. 15. Psal 43. v. 1. and Psal 10. v. 18. And these words come thus to be taken by a Metaphor drawn from the usage and customes of Courts of Justice For because a man which is arrested and troubled upon a false action when his cause is pleaded by a good and honest Lawyer and Sentence given therein by a just Judge is relieved and delivered from further molestation and trouble in that Suite Hence to plead a mans cause and to judge him come Metaphorically to signifie or to be taken for to deliver a man any way from the oppression and wrong which he suffereth But you will object that to judge signifieth to punish and to plague For so it signifieth Heb. 13. v. 4. and Psal 9. v. 19. How then can it signifie to deliver from oppression and to relieve a man for these seem contrary Answer To judge signifieth both to relieve and deliver from oppression and wrong and also to punish and to plague and both from the same Metaphor But the diversity of the signification cometh from the diversity of men or of the causes which are judged For if a Mans cause be good and he in the mean time suffereth wrong then is he when he is judged and sentence is given in his cause relieved and delivered out of trouble But if a mans cause be naught and he hath done the wrong then when he is judged and sentence is given in his cause he is doomed to some punishment or other And hence it is that this word cometh to signifie so contrarily The Lord standeth up to plead i. e. The Lord is ready to plead or about to plead He alludeth to the Posture of a Counsellor or Advocate when he is about to plead For though He sate down before yet when He is about to plead He riseth from his Seat and standeth up and pleadeth standing He standeth to Judge What we said of a Counsellor or Advocate we say the like of a Judge when he is about to given Sentence for then he usually standeth up though he sate before 14. The Lord will enter into judgement with the Ancients of his People Judgement is taken here for the Judgement Hall or Court or Place where Causes were pleaded and judged And to enter into Judgement is like to that Phrase of the Latins In jus ambulare Note that because a Malefactour or he that hath done wrong when he is cited or brought into Court it is for this end that he might there receive the sentence of the Judge according to his desert and might be punished according to that Sentence Hence by putting the Antecedent for the Consequent to enter into Judgement with the Anciens of the People signifieth here to punish them or to have them punished for their oppression c. With the Ancients of his People i. e. With the Rulers of his People The Rulers of a People are called the Ancients thereof because they are for the most part chosen out of Ancient Men Or because they were chosen out of such at first Hence were the Senators of Rome sâ— called because they were Senes that is Ancient men which were at first chosen to that place Hence were the Lacedaemonian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so called And hence are the Prime Rulers in a City or
when he redeemed them by Cyrus out of the Babylonish Captivity Of which salvation our Prophet speaketh often from the fourth Chapter of this Prophesie to the end thereof And in the 45. Chapter and the eighth Verse he speakes of it Metaphorically as he doth here that is as of a Branch or a Plant which the Lord maketh to spring out of the Earth The branch of the Lord shall be beautifull and glorious c. q. d. The Salvation which God will work for those which escape of Jews shall bring honour and glory to them that escape and make them honourable and glorious â—n the eyes of all men How honourable and glorious the Jews were by reason of this Salvation see among other places Chap. 40. v. 5. Chap. 41. v. 10. c. Chap. 43. v. 14. Chap. 45. v. 17. Chap. 49. v. 9 23. c. Chap. 52. v. 9. Chap 54. v. 1. c. And the fruit of the Earth i. e. And the fruit which shall spring up out of the Earth This is but a repetition of the former Sentence And the fruit of the Earth signifieth the same here as the Branch of the Lord doth there Note that the fruit of the Earth is of larger extent than the fruit of Trees or Plants or Branches For not onely the friut of Trees and of Plants and of Branches but Trees and Plants and Branches themselves may be called the fruits of the Earth And comely i. e. And an Ornament For them that are escaped of Israel i. e. For those Jews which shall escape death and survive after the destruction and captivity which the Babylonians shall bring upon that People Of Israel i. e. Of the Jews to wit the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin see Chap. 1.3 3. He that is left in Sion and he that remaineth in Hierusalem By him that is left in Sion and him that remaineth in Hierusalem is meant he that remaineth alive of the Jews after the Babylonish captivity Note therefore that in Sion and in Hierusalem is as if he should say in Jacob and in Israel For as Jacob or Israel is often put for the Jewes and that per Metonymiam Efficientis Because Jacob or Israel was the Father of the Jews So is Sion or Hierusalem put for the same Jews by the same figure Because Sion or Hierusalem was the Mother of the Jewes But observe that Jacob or Israel was the true naturall Father of the Jews But Sion or Hierusalem was called their Mother onely by a Metaphor yet that she was so at least called their Mother we may learn from Chap. 49. Vers 20. and Chap. 50. Vers 1. and Gal. 4. Vers 25. But yet we may take Sion and Hierusalem here plainly without a Metaphor that the sense of these words may be this Viz. And he Supple of the Jews which is left alive Supple and shall dwell in Sion and he Supple of the Jews which remaineth Supple alive and shall dwell in Hierusalem after the Babylonish captivity shall c. For note that though many of the Jews survâ—ved after the Babylonish captivity yet the Blessings spoken of in this Chapter did appertain onely to them which returned and dwelt in Hierusalem Shall be called Holy i. e. Shall be holy For the Hebrews doe often use vocall verbes for reall and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be called for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be To be holy doth primarily and originally signifie to be separated from others by way of excellencie Hence they which excell the vulgar sort of Men in Piety and Religion are commonly called Holy and in this sense may these Men be called Holy in this place Yet because this place speakes both in the precedent and Subsequent Verses of the blessings of God to this People in keeping and preserving them I had rather take Holy here for such as God separates and sets apart from other People by his blessings to them and hedge of protection about them by which he maketh a difference between them and other People In which sence the word Holy is taken Exod. 19. Vers 5 6. where we thus read Now therefore if yee will obey my voice indeed then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all the people For all the earth is mine And ye shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation In opposition to Holinesse thus taken God is said to prophâ—ne the Princes of the Sanctuary Chap. 43. Vers 28. Every one that is written among the living in Hierusalem i. e. Every one which shall be alive after the Babylonish Captivity and shall live in Hierusalem shall be called Holy He alludeth here in this phrase to the Mustering of an Army after a Battle where the names of those which escaped in Battle are written and entered into a Muster-Roule or Muster-Book that so they m ght know what they have lost and what forces they have left 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth c. i. e. When the Lord shall have washed away the sins c. He likeneth the sin of the Soul here to the filth of the body And the taking sin away to the washing away of that filth by water But the way by which God took away the filth of sin here spoken of was by destroying the incorrigible sinner and bringing others to amendment of life both which he did by the Babylonians into whose hands he gave them The filth of the Daughter of Sion Read Chap. 3.16 To wh ch place the Prophet doth here allude The bloud Bloud is put here Metonymice for Murder by which the bloud of man is shed And that againe is put Hypâ—rbolice for Oppression See Chap. 1. Vers 15. The Prophet doth here allude to the Oppression which he spake of Chap. 3. Vers 12. c. From the midst of her i. e. From her or out of her An Hebrew Periphrase By the Spirit of judgement The Spirit of Judgement is put here Periphrastically for Judgement the word Spirit redounding by an Hebraisme By Judgement the Prophet meaneth the Calamities and Punishment which God brought upon this People by the Babylonians which kind of Calamities and Punishments are called Judgemenes because of the Justnesse of them and that by a Metaphor from those Punishments which are inflicted upon a Malefactor upon a Just Sentence or Judgement given against him And by the spirit of burning i. e. And by burning for the word Spirit redounds here as it did before He meaneth the same thing by burning here as he did by Judgement just before But he alludeth here to the manner of Goldsmiths and other the like Crafts-mens who purifie their Gold and other mettals from their drosse by Fire and Burning 5. And the Lord will create upon evey dwelling place c. The meaning of this Place is that God will protect them and keep them in all their dwellings and will be no lesse pâ—esent with them for this purpose than â—e was with their fathers when he
c. He sheweth here yet more wilde grapes i. e. yet more sinnes of the house of Israel and men of Judah And here he taxeth them for their Luxury and Joviality That continue Supple At their pots or drinking Till wine inflame them i. e. Till wine doth over-heat their braines and make them like mad men or their bodies and stir them up to lust so that they are not ashamed to do any thing be it never so vile 12. And the Harpe and the Viol are in their feasts q. d. And who have the Harpe and the Viol i. e. who have their Musick in their feasts But they regard not the workes of the Lord. But they regard not the calamities and miseries which have partly befallen them and partly hang over their heads and are threatned against them All calamities and afflictions may be called the workes of the Lord. For shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it saith Amos. Amos Chap. 3. v. 6. Neither consider the operation of his hands This is a Repetition of the former sentence 13. Therefore my people c. By the People of the Lord understand the Jewes which he calleth the house of Israel and men of Judah v. 7. Are gone into Captivity i. e. Shall goe into Captivity He puts a Praeterperfect tense here for a Future because of the certaintie of what he speaketh This was fullfilled partly by Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel 2 Chron. 28. v. 5 8. And partly by Sennacherib King of Assyria For no doubt but Sennacherib as he had opportunity sent many Jewes which he took in warre Captive into Assyria before the Angel destroyed his Army Because they have no knowledge i. e. Because they have no regard Supple of the workes of the Lord nor consideration Supple of the operation of his hands c. Because we must know a thing before we can regard it or consider it hence doth he put knowledge for regard or consideration by a Metonymie And their honourable men are famished i. e. And their honourable men shall be famished and die for hunger This is a punishment answering to their feasting And their multitude i. e. And their Common-People Dried up with thirst i. e. Shall perish through thirst This is a punishment answering to their drinking The meaning of this place is that all sorts of men high and low rich and poor should die with hunger and thirst in Captivity 14. Therefore Hell hath enlarged her self i. e. Because my people have no knowledge therefore shall Hell enlarge her paunch c. He amplifieth here the punishment of the sin which he mentioned in the former verse Hell By hell is meant the grave the receptacle of dead bodies which he speakes of here by a Metaphor as of a ravenous beast and make it to enlarge her paunch as though it were too narrow before to receive so many as should die because of their sinne Her self i. e. Her paunch He puts the whole for a part per Metonymiam integri And opened her mouth without measure i. e. And shall open her mouth or gape without measure to swallow down the carcases of those which have no knowledge He putteth here a Praeterperfect for a Future tense And their glory i. e. The Glory of my People He putteth Glory here for Glorious men that is for the honorable and noble of the people By a Metonymie And their multitude i. e. And their commonalty or common sort of people And their pompe i e. And they which follow and are delighted with the pompe of the world whether they are noble or men of common sort A Metonymie And he that rejoyceth Supple in feasting drinking and musick as v. 11 12. whether he be a noble or a common man Shall descend into it i. e. Shall go down into it that is into hell that is into the grave and there rot Though he spoke of the Grave as of a ravenous beast in the former part of the Verse yet he speaketh of it here as of an hole or pit as it is indeed 15. And the meane man shall be brought down q. d. And the man of mean power shall be brought low And the mighty man shall be humbled And the man of great might and power shall be brought down And the eyes of the lofty q. d. And the men of lofty eyes that is the proud men all of them whether they be noble or ignoble mean or mighty in power shall be humbled Why men of lofty eyes signifie proud men see cap. 2 v. 11. 16. But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgement q. d. For so notable shall the judgement be which the Lord of Hosts will execute upon them as that he shall be praised and magnified for it in every place and men shall speak of it all abroad to his praise But the Lord of Hosts i. e. For the Lord of Hosts But is put here for For And the Lord is called here by the name of the Lord of Hosts to shew his power that he was able thus to punish this People and also to intimate that he would do it by an hoste or hostes Shall be exalted i. e. Shall be praised and magnified In judgement i. e. For judgement to wit the judgement which he will execute upon these men for their wickednesse In is put here for For. And God that is holy i. e. And God who is Peerlesse in all his Attributes and namely in his justice which he sheweth in punishing the wicked Note here that to be holy signifieth in generall to be separated from others by way of excellency and to be set in a state of singularity above them And the holynesse of God is nothing else but his superlative Eminencie whereby he is exalted above all and divided from all other Eminencies whâ—â—soever Shall be sanctified in righteousnesse i. e. Shaâ—â— be exalted for his Justice which he will shew in punishing these wicked men for their wickednesse Note that to sanctifie signifieth in generall to separate or set apart And then is God said to be sanctified when he is advanced above other things and exalted in praises In righteousnesse i. e. For his righteousnesse that is for his Justice Supple which he will shew in punishing these wicked men In is put here for For as before And by righteousnesse is meant the Justice of God 17. Then shall the Lambes i. e. When those sinners which he made mention of before shall be brought down and destroyed Then shall the Lambes c. The Lambes By the Lambes he meaneth the meek and poor and the innocent of the Land which were oppressed by those wicked ones and made their prey Shall feed after their manner i. e. Shall live in the land and enjoy the fruites thereof freely and quietly as they did before these oppressors did oppresse them and disturbe them The waste places of the fat ones By the fat Ones are meant those covetous and voluptuous rich
because they might have understood and believed what they had heard but they would not and they might have understood and believed what they had seen but they would not but obstinately and willfully refused to understand and believe whereby they might have repented and been saved and therefore because heretofore they would not now they should not understand and believe This I say is the exposition which I preferre before the former In Order to which I explaine the words as followeth Make the heart of this people fat and make their cares heavie and shut their eyes least they see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their hearts and convert and believe q d. Tell this people that they willfully refused to understand and believe what they ought and might have understood and believed And that understanding and believing they might have repented and been saved I shewed before that the Heart Eares and Eyes are here Metaphorically taken for the Mind and Vnderstanding And to see hear and understand are all taken for to understand and believe Make the heart of this People fat c. i. e. Tell this People that they have made their heart fat c. i. e. Tell this people that they would not understand c. Note here that the Prophet useth a reall Verbe for a vocal when he saith Make the heart of this people fat c. For Tell this people that they have made their heart fat c. The like manner of speech we read Gen. 41. v. 13. Where Pharaoh's chief Butler speaking of Joseph to Pharaoh and telling him of Joseph's skill in interpreting Dreames saith Me he restored to mine Office for he told me that I should be restored to mine Office And him meaning Pharaoh's chief Baker He hanged For he told him that he should be hanged In like manner this we read Jer. 1. v. 10. I have this day saith the Lord to Jeremie set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdomes to roote out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant The meaning of which words is this I have set thee or appointed thee this day to Prophesie concerning the Natiâ—ns and concerning the Kingdomes and to tell that some of them shall be rooted up and pulled down and destroyed and some againe shall be built up and planted And make their eares heavie i. e. And tell this people that they have made their heart heavie To make the Eares heavy signifieth to stop the Eares so that they cannot receive the voice of him which speaketh And Eares so stopped are called heavy Eares Because that which stoppeth the Eares after this manner though it be not weighty in it self yet it is troublesome and seemeth heavy to him whose eares are stopped Or he calls heavy eares such eares as are slow and dull of hearing in allusion to heavy things which are slow of motion and hard to be moved out of their place whereas light things are quick and nimble And hence is the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth one that is heavy or dull of hearing By the Eares as I said before is here Metaphorically meant the mind or understanding and these men are said to have stopped or made heavy their eares because they would not understand and believe what was spoken Least they see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their hearts c. There be other effects of a fat heart besides not understanding and other ends why a man may stop his eares besides that that he may not hear and other ends why he may shut his eyes besides that that he may not see For he may shut his eyes to preserve them from the dust And stop his eares to defend them from the cold To shew therefore why these men made their heart fat and their eares heavy and did shut their eyes He tells us that it was for this end least they should see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their heart By which he signifieth Metaphorically that these men did wilfully refuse to understand and believe what they saw done and heard spoken by the Prophets in the name of the Lord as he willfully refuseth to hear which for this end stoppeth his eares and willfully refuseth to see which for this end shutteth his eyes and wilfully refuseth to understand who for this end maketh his heart fat That with which these men made their heart fat and stopped their eares and closed their eyes that is that which made these men so averse from understanding and bâ—lieving was the hatred which they had of the Prophets person and the delight which they had in sinne which they could not follow without remorse of conscience if they understood and believed the word of the Lord. And convert i. e. And turne themselves to the Lord from their evill wayes And be healed That is And be delivered from their afflictions and calamities whensoever they should befall them for their sinnes and from the fear of those calamities before they befell them See Jer. 6. v. 14. The judgements of God that is the afflictions and calamities which befall men for their sinnes are often compared to diseases and wounds and sores As Cap. 1. v. 6. c. 19. v. 22. c. 30. v. 26. And to these may the Prophet allude when he saith and be healed Or And be healed may signifie and have their sinnes forgiven For sinne is the Plague and Sicknesse of the Soul of which Plague and Sicknesse we are healed when our sin is forgiven But a man may object here and say Is it likely that any one would affect spirituall blindnesse and unbeliefe for this end that he might not be healed Answ It is not likely that a man would affect spirituall blindnesse and unbelief directly and chiefly for this end that he might not be healed But it is more than likely that many make it their indirect end and end by consequence For many make that their ends upon which this must needs follow For many do directly desire to enjoy the pleasures of sin without controll and for this end do hate them which tell them of the word of the Lord or denounce his judgements against them which notwithstanding they must hear and believe to before they can repent and be saved So they desire not to be healed by consequence and in the causes thereof though they do it not directly and in it self Note that what the Prophet delivereth here is not so spoke of the People of the Jewes which lived between the daies of Vzziah and the desolation which Sennacherib made in Judaea But that the Holy Ghost had a farther intent in it to wit to signifie the blindnesse and perversenesse of those Jewes also which lived in the time of our Saviour and of his Gospel as appeareth Mat. 13. v. 4. Act. 28. v. 26. For they in Isaiah's time were as it were a Type
the Army of Sennacherib was destroyed yet Hezekiah subdued many people and did prosper wheresoever he went even from the beginning of his Reign so that it might be said that his goverment and prosperity increased all the daies of his life though they were interrupted a while by Sennacherib Kinge of Assyria and what mortall happiness hath not its interruption Vpon the Throne of David Supple shall he fit as the sonne and heire of David And upon his Kingdom the kingdom is put here Metonymice for the Throne of the Kingdome and these are a repetition of the former wordes To order it i. e. To rule and governe that Kingdome of David This relative relateth to the Kingdom but not as it is taken metonymice for the Throne of the Kingdom but as it is taken for the Kingdom it selfe And to establish it with judgment and justice This judgment consisteth in punishing the wicked and this justice in remunerating and rewarding and shewing mercy to the just by which Thrones are established and Kingdomes flourish Proverbs Cap 25. vers 5. and Cap. 29. vers 14. The sence of this place is q. d. he shall sit upon the Throne of David and rule and governe his Kingdom with judgment and justice by which he shall establish the Kingdome and make the Throne to flourish From henceforth even for ever i. e. From the beginning of his Reign even to the end of his life Note that this word henceforth doth not signifie the point of time in which the Prophet spoke this no more doth the like in other places Mat. 23. vers 39. But the time in which Hezekiah should begin his Reign for this word henceforth is a Relative put without an Antecedent and the Antecedent is left to be understood by the circumstance of the place A thing usuall with the Hebrewes as we have often observed And for ever signifieth to the end of his life or so long as he liveth so David saith I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever Psal 89. vers 1. That is I will sing vnto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise to my God while I have my being Psal 104. vers 33. So I will never forget thy precepts saith he againe Psal 119. vers 93. That is I will not forget thy precepts so long as I live The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will performe this That is q. d. the ardent love which the Lord of Hosts doth bear to the good and godly among his people will performe this That is will give us so good a King and blesse him to us and will for his sake performe what I spoke of ver 4. That is will for his sake break the yoake of our burden and the staffe of our shoulder and the rod of our oppressours as in the day of Midian 8. The Lord sent a word unto Jacob. By this word he meanâ—â—h threatnings per Synechdochen generis and by Jacob. He meaneth the sons of Jacob pâ—â— Meâ—â—nymiam efficientis q. d. The Lord â—â—d threaten all the children of Jacob both those of the kingdome of Judah them of the kingdome of Jsrael that he would bring grievous plagues vpon them if they were not obedient to him and walked not according to his commandements And it hath lighted vpon Jsrael i. e. And these plagues which he threatned against all the Sonnes of Jacob are lighted upon the ten Tribes or Kingdome of Jsrael This Particle It relateth to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word q. d. And that word hath lighted upon Israel And by the word he meaneth the plagues threatened by that word Per Metonymiam Adjuncti The Prophet seemeth to allude to a stone cast or an Arrow shot into a Croud of people whereby some of the Croud are hurt though other scape This is either a new Sermon or else it relateth to the first verse of this Chapter and depend upon that 9. And all the People shall know Who he meaneth by the word people he explaineth in the next words In these words And all the people shall know c. There is a Figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where part of the speech is left to be understood the sentence being abruptly broken off in indignation and anger The sentence intire would be this And all the people shall know even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria that the Lord will be avenged of them to the full Even Ephraim By Ephraim he meaneth the ten Tribes of Jsrael See Notes cap. 7. vers 2. And the inhabitant of Samaria The inhabitant is put for the inhabitants Collective Samaria was the Metropolis or cheif City of the ten Tribes 10. The Bricks are fallen down but we will build with hewen stone i. e. Our housen which were made of bricks are beaten downe by our enemies but we care not for that we will build more sumptuous and stately housen in the roome thereof we will build housen of hewen stone The bricks By bricks he meaneth housen made of bricks per Metonymiam Materiae They say they are fallen not beaten downe to lessen and slight there punishment as though it were an effect of chance not a Punishment of God for there sinnes The Sycomors are cut downe but we will change them into Cedars By Sicomors he meaneth housen built of the wood or timber of Sycomor Trees which was a more base and common wood and by Cedars housen built of the wood of Cedar Trees which were the more pretious trees These two last sentences seem to be two proverbs and to signifie one and the same thing q. d. we men of Israel and Inhabitants of Samaria have suffered losses by our enemies but we boldly and confidently say we care not for it nor regard it a button for we will easily make up these losses and whereas they haue beaten downe our housen we will build up better in their roome It is a great provocation of Gods wrath and it doth mightily Provoke him to afflict us to the uttermost when we regard not his lesser judgments nor are humbled by them but contemne them and this is that that brings greater judgments here upon Israel 11. Therefore i. e. For supple because they say so Therefore is put here for for The Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him i. e. The Lord will set the adversaries of Rezin against Rezin and destroy him The adversaries of Rezin here meant were the Assyrians under Tiglah-Pileser of which 2 Kings 16. vers 9. But what is this to the punishment of Israel Answer Rezin and Israel were nere confederates Cap. 7 vers 1. And Israel did put much trust and confidence in the strength of this his Confederate it must therefore be a great affliction to Israel to bear that his Confederate shall be encombred with warre so that he cannot help him in time of need much more to hear that he shall be subdued and broken to pieces as here And ioyne his Enemies together
ruled by me And I have robbed their Treasures i. e. And I have got their wealth to my self And I have put down the Inhabitants i. e. And I have subdued the Inhabitants supple which did inhabit and dwell in strang places or which did inhabit the Thrones and royal Pallaces of the earth by mine own strength Like a valiant man i. e. Like a valiant man as I am And my hand hath found as a neast the riches of the people q. d. And I have taken by my might the riches of the people with as great ease as a countrey man takes young birds out of a neast He puts here the hard for the whole man by a Synechdoche and to find for to get and to take by an Hebraisme And a neast for the young birds in the neast by a Metonymie And to find for to take away that which he hath found And as one that gathereth eggs that are left c. q. d. Yea as one taketh and gathereth eggs which the Hen or Bird hath forsaken which is easier than to take Birds And is put here for Yea. Have I gathered all the earth i. e. Have I gathered and taken all the spoiles and Treasures of the earth By the earth he meaneth the spoiles and Treasures of the earth by a Metonymie And there was none that moved the wing or opened the mouth â—r peeped c. i. e. And there was none which did or durst resist me or as much as murmure against me This Phrase is Metaphoricall wherein the Prophet alludes to Birds whereof some fly with the wing at those which come near them to take away their eggs or their young ones as the Hen Some strike at them with the wing as the Pidgeon Some open the mouth and peck them Some peep onely and make a mournfull noise as small Birds 15. Shall the Axe beast it self against him that heweth therewith From the thirteenth verse hitherto the Prophet personated Sennacharib by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here he speaks either in his own Person or in the person of God Shall the Axe boast it self against him that heweth therewith This and the following sentences of this verse are proverbiall The sense whereof is as if he should say Shall they that are but Gods Instruments advance themselves against God They advance themselves against God and boast against him who attribute that to themselves which is to be attributed to him Now the strength and power and other meanes by which Sennacharib did such great things was from God not from himself Cap. 37. v. 26. Therefore this boasting of Sennacharib was an advancing and boasting of himself against God Him that shaketh it i. e. Him that useth it and saweth therewith He saith shaketh it for useth it by a Metonymie because the saw shaketh while it is used As if the rod should shake it self c As if the rod should brussle and exalt it self and lift it self up in pride or disdain A rod being small and slender at the top shaketh when it is lifted up Therefore he puts shaking it self here by a Metonymie for lifting it self up c. Against them that lift it up Supple To smite or strike naughty men therewith as though it could lift up it self for that purpose and need not another to lift it up As if the staffe Supple Wherewith Offenders are beaten Should lift it self up Supple In pride and contempt against him that used it and did strike with it and say that he himself of himself did strike or smite As if it were no wonder i. e. As if it were not a senselesse thing which cannot move it self but a man or more than a man that could strike at his pleasure 16. Therefore i. e. Because Sennacharib doth thus senslesly advance himself aginst the Lord Therefore c Among his fat ones By fat ones are meant Metaphorically the great Captains and Officers of Sennacharibs Army of whom he boasted v. 8. Leannesse By leann sse he meanes death and destruction as Psal 106. v. 15. which therefore may signifie death and destruction because the death and destruction of the body usually followeth sicknesse which consumeth the body and makes it lean Or by leannesse may be meant Metaphorically any low estate For we say of a corpulent and fat man when that any sicknesse hath wasted his fat and his flesh that it hath pulled him down And of such men as are here meant the Prophet when he speakes of such a judgement as he doth here saith That they shall be brought low Cap. 2. v. 12. He maketh choice of the word leannesse here that he might oppose it to the fatnesse of the fat ones And under his glory he shall kindle a burning i. e. He shall consume his great Army by fire By his glory he meaneth his Armie for the Hebrews call the Army and Military strength of a King his Glory because he is wont to glory of it and to confide in it and to be glorified for it of others This Army of Sennacherib he compares here to a Sacrifice which is laid upon the wood and the fire upon the Altar and so consumed A burning i. e. A fire He putteth a burning here for fire per Metonymiam adjuncti Like the burning of a fire i. e. Even a burning of fire q d. A burning even a burning of fire Note that words which commonly signifie likenesse do sometimes neverthelesse signifie Identitie As John 1.14 We behold his glory speaking of Christ the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father where that common note of similitude As signifieth an Identity for Christ was in truth the onely begotten of the Father So also 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord where the last as though it goeth commonly for a note of similitude is taken for a note of Identity For this change is truly made by the Spirit of the Lord. And as elsewhere so here this particle like or as signifieth Identity There is nothing more active than fire therefore the Prophet doth expresse the great and suddaine destruction of Sennacherib's Army in one night as if it were caused by true and real fire Yea the Hebrewes say that it was really performed by true fire See Notes Cap. 9. v. 5. 17. And the light of Israel By the light of Israel is meant the Lord the God of Israel who is called the Light of Israel here because he did enlighten them with his word or rather because he did cheere them and make them joyfull in misery by his Salvation For light with the Hebrewes signifieth joy and mirth and prosperity And at the time here prophesied of he was a light to them when he delivered them from Sennacherib's Army and consumed that Army When he saith The light of Israel he hath some allusion to the light of fire or to fire
of bringing his hopes to passe He shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks and take away and cut down the branches By this He is meant Allegorically Esarhaddon the Sonne or the Lieutenant of Sennacherib King of Assyria who made head against Tirakah King of Aethiopia when he invaded Assyria whom he here compareth to a Gardner And a Relative is put here without an Antecedent By the Sprigs are meant the mean men and Common Souldiers of Tirakah's Army By the Branches the great men and Commanders and Officers thereof 6. They shall be left together i. e. And they both sprigs and branches shall be left all of them c. Together i. e. All of them as Chap. 1. v. 28. They shall be left together unto the foules of the Mountaines and to the Beast of the earth For what end they shall be left to them the next wordes signifie And the fowles shall summer upon them Birds use to feed upon the sprigs and branches of trees that therefore which he saith here is this that the Birds shall find meat for themselves upon the sprigs and branches of this Vine when they shall be cut down all the summer following And all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them Beasts use to browse upon the sprigs and branches of trees especially in Winter when grasse is short That therefore which he saith here is this that the beasts of Assyria shall brouse and feed upon the sprigs and branches of this Vine all the Winter And the meaning of these two Phrases is this that the Carkases of the Aethiopians shall be meat for the foules of the Mountaines and the beasts of the field a Summer and a Winter that is a whole year Where note that the Assyrians did cast out the Aethiopians which they had slaine and would not give them a buriall In that time i. e. Yet in that time He meaneth the time in which the aforesaid things should be done in Assyria that is in which the Army of Tirakah should be destroyed in Assyria in the absence of Sennacherib by the Assyrians Shall the present be brought unto the Lord of Hosts of a people scattered and peeled c. q. d. The Assyrians which are abroad with Sennacerib warring against Hierusalem shall be overthrown and part of their spoiles shall be brought by the men of Judah and Hierusalem as a Present to the Lord of Hosts He alludes here to the gift or present which was wont to be offered to the Lord out of the Spoiles and Prey which was taken in warre of which read Numb 31.28 and 2 Sam. 8.11 Of a people scattered and peeled That is of the Assyrians See v. 2. The Prophet here repeateth all those contumelious words which Tirakah King of Aethiopia used in the description of the Assyrians v. 2. approving them as true but yet such as might be better used by others than by the Aethiopians Therefore he repeates them with a kind of Sarcasme deriding thereby Tirakah and Aethiopia who first used them A Nation meted out These words are governed of those from a people terrible by Apposition Meted out i. e. Appointed by God himself to destruction Whose land the Rivers have spoiled See v. 2. To the place of the name of the Lord of Hosts i. e. To the Temple of God which is his place The name of the Lord is put here Periphrastically or Metonymically for the Lord himself Or To the place of the Name of the Lord of Host may signifie To the place which is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts which place is his Temple and is called the Temple of the Lord of Hosts The Mount Sion This is governed of the former words by Apposition Mount Sion was a Mount in Hierusalem upon which the Temple of God was built and may here be put for the Temple it self by a Metonymie ISAIAH CHAP. XIX THE Burden See Chap. 13.1 The Lord rideth upon a swift Cloud i e. The Lord will ride upon a swift Cloud as upon an Horse That is The Lord will come with spred into Egypt And the Idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence i. e. And the Idols of Egypt shall be moved with fear and trembling to see him come He speakes of Idols though they be but stocks and stones as of men by a Metaphor or Prosopopoeia And the heart of Egypt i. e. And the heart of the Egyptians Egypt is put by a Metonymie for the Egyptians the Inhabitants of Egypt The heart of Egypt shall melt See the meaning and reason of this Phrase Chap. 13. v. 7. In the middst of it i. e. In it or them A Periphrasis of the Hebrews 2. And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians i. e. I will set the Egyptians at variance and at fighting one with the other The prophet speakes here in the Person of God This Prophesie relates near unto the same times to which the former Prophesies did For Sethon the Priest of Vulcan King of Egypt was Contemporary with Sennacherib King of Assyria for Sennacherib waged warre against Sethon After the death of Sethon Egypt was divided under twelve Kings whereof Psammitichus was one which Psammitichus the other eleven expelled and banished into the Marshes of Egypt but he at length got a power of men and made warre against all the other eleven Kings and overcame them and slew them and so came to rule all Aegypt over which he ruled Lordly at first that he might be feared as many Conquerours use to do and that he might suppresse them which had a hand in his banishment though the latter part of his Raigne was with much Clemency And Kingdome against Kingdome He speakes this by Anticipation for as yet Egypt was in one Kingdome 3. And the spirit of Egypt shall faile i. e. And the judgement or counsell of the Egyptians shall faile By the Spirit is meant here sound judgement or counsell For the Hebrewes among many significations which they have of this word spirit any habit or quality of the mind they call by the name of Spirit By Aegypt is meant the Aegyptians by a Metonymie In the midst thereof See v. 1. And thâ—y shall seek to Idols Supple For Counsell and direction in these their streights The Devils were wont to be in the Idols of the Heathen and give Answers to those that came to aske counsell of the Idols Hence Saint Paul speaking of Sacrificing to Idols saith that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice to Idols they sacrifice to Devills 1 Cor. 10.20 And to the charmers and to them which have familiar spirits and to wizzards Happily by these he meaneth the Priests and Mystae of the Idols But see Chap. 8. verse 19. 4. And the Egypians will I give over into the hand of a cruell Lord. By this Lord is meant Psammitichus who when he was in subduing the eleven Kings and their Party Lorded it with cruelty though when he had quitted all he Raigned mildly
into the ground The Lord speaks here of himself in the third person by an Enallage and useth the Preterperfect tense for a Future 10. O my threshing and the corne of my floor The Prophet speaks here in his own person and useth this Apostrophe to the Jewes whom he calls threshing and corn in the floor because of their divers afflictions with which they had been and were and should be afflicted by the Assyrians The word threshing is to be taken here passively for the thing threshed and by the threshing the corn in the floor he meaneth one and the same thing viz. the corn of the floore vvhich is laid on the floor to be threshed It is usual in the Scripture to call Affliction metaphorically by the name of threshing and those which are afflicted threshed See Cap. 41.15 Jer. 51.33 Mich. 4.13 And so doth the Prophet call them here But why doth he call them his threshing and the corn of his floor Answer Because they were his brethren and kinsmen of the same blood and nation and living in the same Land with him so that by saying thus it is as if he should say O my afflicted brethren or O the persecuted and oppressed men of my countrey That which I have heard of the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Supple Concerning Babylon and those which live in the Wilderness neer unto the Red Sea which are your deadly enemies and which have threshed you as the corn is threshed on the floor c. Have I declared unto you Supple For this end that you may receive comfort thereby when you hear that they which afflict you are your deadly enemies shall be themselves afflicted and destroyed 11. The burthen of Dumah i. e. The burthen of the Ismaelites which descended from Ismael by Dumah Dumah was the Son of Ismael Gen. 25.14 and is put here by a Metonymy for the Sons of Dumah which were Ismaelites He called to me out of Seir i. e. A certain Edomite of Mount Seir called to me who am an Ismaelite out of Mount Seir as I passed along thereby saying c. They which dwelt in Mount Seir were Edomites the Sons of Esau who was called Edom Gen. 36. verse 7 8 9. Mount Seir was either directly in the way from Babylon to the Land of the Ismaelites or else this Ismaelite took his way by Mount Seir homeward because he thought it the safest way That which the Prophet here tells of was shewed to him by the Lord in a vision and what he saw or was represented to him in that vision was an Ismaelite descended from Ismael by Dumah speaking as he here speaks in these two verses That therefore which is here spoken is spoken in the person of a Son of Dumah an Ismaelite who being in Babylon as a Souldier when Babylon was taken and destroyed by the Medes made an escape and hasted as for life homeward travelling night and day he took his way from Babylon to his own Countrey by Mount Seir where a certain Edomite of Mount Seir seeing him travelling thus in the night and guessing him to be a Souldier by his habit and somewhat marvelling why he travelled so late in the night and imagining that it was upon more then an ordinary occasion that he thus travelled asked him the cause of his so late travelling the Ismaelite tells him that he was a Souldier in Babylon and that Babylon was taken and destroyed by the Medes and that the Medes had sent out armies to subdue not onely Babylon but all that had any confederacy with Babylon from the River Euphrates even to the River Nilus and that he escaped and ran for his life to his own Countrey The Edomite some that were with him hearing him tell that the Medes had taken and destroyed Babylon and had sent out Armies to subdue all the confederates of Babylon from Euphrates even to Nilus would not altogether beleeve him but made as if they would go towards Babylon to enquire the truth of the Ismaelites words whereupon the Ismaelite saith unto them if ye will enquire enquire But the Edomites were not gone far but they fall into a doubt whether they should go or no which the Ismaelite perceiving calls to them to return saying Return come intimating thereby that it was true which he had told them and that all was lost they were undone To me i. e. To me who am an Ismaelite and a son of Dumah as I passed by Mount Seir homewards from Babylon where I was a Souldier and from whence I escaped when Babylon was taken and destroyed by the Medes Watchman i. e. Souldier Souldiers may be called Watchmen in an honourable way because they lie abroad in the fields and observe the motions of the enemy and watch over the City or Land which they fight for that they may preserve it What of the night i. e. Why or what is the reason that thou travellest thus in the night This phrase is curt and short and thus to be understood Note that the Particle Of is not here a note or signe of the Genitive Case but a Praeposition and answereth to the Hebrew Praefix Mem and to the Latin Praeposition De and as the Hebrew Praefix Mem doth sometimes signifie In as Job 19. vers 26. And the Latin Praeposition De doth sometimes signifie the like as when Plautus saith de die in the day and Iuvenalde nocte in the night so doth Of in this place and of the night is as much as in the night What of the night The Edomite doubteth his question here out of the great desire he had to know why this Souldier travelled so late for he guessed it to be an extraordinary occasion which made him travel so in the night and perhaps he asketh as one that had heard of the Medes expedition against Babylon and desired to know what the event thereof was and thought that this Souldier could resolve him therefore seeing the Souldier travelling so fast on his way he asketh him the question twice out of earnestness as we use to double our question in the like case 12. The Watchman said i. e. I said The Souldier speaks of himself in the third person The morning cometh and also the night q. d. The morning cometh to some and the night to others that is Some rise and some fall and in particular the Medes they rise having got a great victorie over Babylon and Babylon is fallen and we and all that were confederates with her are undone and shall fall with her The morning signifieth prosperity rising and encreasing Prosperity as I may call it in its spring the night adversity adversity after a time or state of prosperity But secondly the morning may not onely signifie prosperity but it may signifie Gods judgements also and so it signifieth Ezech. 7.7 in these words The morning is come unto Thee O Thou that dwellest in the Land Where the morning is put for judgements in allusion to that that
judgement was wont to be executed in the morning Psal 101.8 Je. 21.12 Being therefore the morning may be put for judgements and the night doth commonly signifie calamities as Micah 3.6 The sence of this place may be this judgments and calamities are come upon Babylon and they are coming upon us for note that the words of this place may be rendred out of the original word for word thus the morning and the night are come But thirdly may not the morning be taken for the East because it dawneth from the East and riseth in the East And may not the night be taken for the West because the Sun which causeth the night by its setting setteth in the West And may not the morning and the night that is the East and the West be taken for the people of the East and the people of the West If so then the sense of this place may be this The people of the East and also of the West having joyned themselves with the Medes and overthrown Babylon are coming against us And this might the souldier conceive of the Army of the Medes that it consisted of all people of the world through fear for if fame speak that Army great fear would speake it greater Quisque pavendo dat vires Famae Lucan If ye will enquire enquire ye When the Ismaelite or Souldier which came from Babylon told the Edomite and those which were with him that Babylon was destroyed by the Medes and that the Medes had sent out their Armies to conquer all which were confederates with Babylon from the River Euphrates to the River Nilus they would not beleeve it but made as if they would go towards Babylon to enquire whether it were so or no which when the Ismaelite understood he bid them in a kind of Ironicall manner go and enquire if they would saying if ye will not beleeve me but will enquire whether it be so or no what I have told you Go enquire Return When the Edomite and they that were with him had gone a little way towards Babylon as though they would have gone to enquire the truth of what the Ismaelite told them they stood at a stand as men doubting whether they should go any further or no which the Ismaelite perceiving calls to them to come back again saying Return come Come This word may be taken as a word of exhortation and he may exhort them to return lest the Medes should meet with them by the way and slay them Or he may hereby exhort the Edomites to joyn with the Ismaelites in a common defence so that they might if possible defend themselves against their common enemies seeing Babylon was destroyed and the Assyrians in whom they trusted were overcome 13. The burthen upon Arabia i. e. The burthen which shall fall or be laid upon Arabia What is meant by the burthen See verse 1. By Arabia is meant Arabia Petraea In the Forrest in Arabia shall ye lodge O ye travelling companies of Dedanim Some take Dedanim for a City of Arabia Petraea others and they the greatest part for a people called Dedanim or the Dedanites which were the children of Dedan which was the son of Jockshan the son of Abraham by Keturah Gen. 25.3 Those Dedanim or Dedanites the children of Dedan inhabited part of Arabia Petraea and are here put by a Synecdoche for all the Arabians of that Arabia And that which the Prophet here saith of them is that they shall be faine to fly away out of their Cities and dwellings and to lodge and sculke in the Forrests of Arabia deserta among the trees and woods and rocks and holes therof to hide themselves there from the fury of the Assyrians under Sennacherib who shall persecute them and destroy their Cities It is beleeved that when Sennacherib intended to march against Judah he took Arabia Petraea in his way and did first subdue that and make it desolate and that is that which Isaiah doth here prophesie of In Arabia i. e. In Arabia Deserta whither they shall flee out of Arabia Petraea to save themselves O ye travelling companies of Dedanim I conceive that he calls them travelling companies because they were given to merchandize and to travel in companies from one noted place of traffique to another as the Ismaelites and Midianites did of which we read Gen. 37. vers 25.28 Or he may call them travelling companies from this occasion that they were faine to flee away in companies and to travel through Forrests and desolate places to save their lives from the Assyrians by a prolepsis 14. The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirstie c. q. d. Ye shall be oppressed with hunger and thirst while ye flee through Arabia Deserta and be glad if the inhabitants of that land will bring you bread to eat and water to drink lest otherwise ye perish Note here the Enallage of the person and number for the Prophet changeth the person here speking of the travelling companies in the third person whereas he spoke to them in the second person just before He speaks also here as of One in the Singular Number whereas in the former verse he spoke to them as to many in the Plural Number Note also that he useth here a Praeterperfect tense for a Future The inhabitants of the land of Tema The Land of Tema was in Arabia Deserta and had its denomination from Tema the Son of Ismael which was the Son of Abraham by Agar Gen. 25.15 And by the Land of Tema is meant all Arabia Deserta by a Synecdoche The inhabitants of the Land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty they prevented with bread him that fled Note that the Prophet intends not by these words to commend the charity of the Arabians of Arabia Deserta but to set forth the misery of the Arabians of Arabia Petraea which should be such as that if it were not for the Arabians of Arabia Deserta which were a poor people in respect of them and whose countrey was barren in respect of theirs they should perish by Famine and therefore should be glad of a little bread and a little water from their hands They prevented with their bread him that fled They shall meet you with bread when ye flee from the face of the Assyrians lest otherwise ye should perish for want of food before ye could come to ask it 15. For they fled from the sword i. e. For ye shall flee from the sword of the Assyrians c. He continues still the third person but changeth the Singular number again into a Plural and useth a Praeterperfect tense for a Future as before He gives a reason here why he said Him that fled and shews withall that the travelling companies of Dedanim shall have need of bread and water because they shall be forced to flee from the sword and shall take no victuals with them to sustain them in their flight as having not time
Jerusalem for there was an upper and a lower City thereof And the houses i. e. The houses of Jerusalem which ye shall make choice of to pull down for their materials Have ye broken down i. e. Will ye break down Note that in all this place he puts a Praeterimperfect and Preterperfect tense for a Future after the Prophetique manner To fortifie the wall i. e. To repaire and fortifie the wall Supple of the City of David wherein were many breaches through the long neglect which peace causeth He puts wall for walls a singular for a plural number 11. Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old poole i. e. Ye will also make a deep trench or ditch between the two walles therein to receive the water of the old poole The reason why they gathered these waters into a ditch or trench was that they might have plenty of waters themselves when they were besieged and that they might debarre the Assyrians the besiegers of as much water as they could See 2 Chron. 32. verse 3 4. Between the two walls These two walls may happily be those which we read of 2 Kings 25.4 Of the old poole This old poole was that which is also called the upper Poole cap. 7.3 and cap. 36.2 But ye have not looked unto the maker thereof q. d. But ye will not look up unto him that is the author of that that is of Sennacheribs discovering the coverings of Judah and fighting against him Note that these words But ye have not looked to the maker thereof relate to those Thou didst look in that day to the Armour of the house of the Forrest c. and they contain an Antithesis to them as if he should say when ye shall hear that Sennacherib is come against Judah and discovereth the covering of Judah ye will look in that day to the Armour of the house of the Forrest c. But ye will not look to him which is the cause or author of Sennacheribs coming against Judah to humble your selves before him and request his help yet will look unto your weapons and fortifications that ye may strengthen your selves by them But ye will not look to the Lord to make him your strength who is able to turne Sennacherib and his Host back as being the author of their coming and to preserve you against his whole Armie Vnto the maker thereof i. e. Unto him which is the cause thereof and which made Sennacherib and his Armie to come against Judah and to discover the coverings thereof He borroweth this word Maker from a Potter and useth it here metaphorically for the cause or author of a thing Thereof That is of Sennacheribs coming into Judah and discovering the coverings thereof This sentence is the Antecedent to this Relative thereof which is not yet here formally set down but to be gathered from the eight verse That the Hebrews do often leave the Antecedent of the Relative to be understood is not unknown and here it is so left but not hard as you see to be understood The maker thereof That the Lord was the author of Sennacheribs and his Assyrians comming into the Land of Judah and fighting against the Cities thereof and discovering the coverings thereof you may see cap. 10. v. 5 6. cap. 37.26 By saying The Maker thereof The Prophet intimates that the Lord was able to preserve them from Sennacherib and his Army For if he was the author of their coming he might be the cause of their going back again That fashioned it long agoe i. e. That contrived it in his minde and decreed it long agoe v. 2. that Sennacherib and the Assyrians should invade Judah and fight against it and discover the covering thereof He alludes here in the word fashioned to a Potter fashioning his pots upon his wheel as he did to a Potter in the word maker See the like manner of Allusion or Metaphor for the same purpose Cap. 37.26 Note that what the Prophet speaks here he speaks not of all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem but of some of them for many of them were good and godly and sought the Lord and relyed upon him for preservation against the Assyrians though many were such as he here describeth and looked not to the Lord for help but trusted in their Armor and in their wals and fortifications and because there were in Jerusalem good and bad he speaks of Jerusalem sometimes as of a good and sometimes as of a wicked person as he hath occasion to speak sometimes of the good sometimes of the evill of her Inhabitants 12. And in that day i. e. And in that day in which the fore-mentioned things shall come to passe Did the Lord of Hosts call to weeping i. e. Shal the Lord of Hosts call you to weeping God called them to weeping at that time by his Prophets whom he sent opportunely to exhort them to bewaile their sins when his judgements were upon them yea when he sends his judgements upon a people he may be said to call them to weeping by his very judgement for the judgements of God are to humble us and make us sorry for our offences To baldness i. e. To shave their heads To shave the head was a sign of great sorrow and used in the dayes of publick calamity But you will say that God did forbid his people to shave their heads Levit. 19. vers 27. and Deut. 14.1 Answer God did forbid his people to shave their heads and to make themselves bald for the dead as those alledged places testifie but he did not utterly forbid them so to do in all cases for they might lawfully shave their heads and make themselves bald in the case of a common or publick calamity as appeareth Micah 1.16 And at such a time did they make themselves bald and shave off their haire because the haire is a great ornament and in time of publick calamitie they laid aside all ornaments And to girding with sackcloth i. e. And to put on sackcloth and to gird it to you with a girdle of leather or the like In the time of mourning they were wont to put on sackcloth as appeareth Psal 30.11 and 35 13. and 1 Chron. 21 16. 13. And behold i. e. But behold And for But. Slaying of Oxen Supple For Feasts Let us eat and drink i. e. And crying one to another and saying let us eat and drink that is let us be mery while we have time to live For to morrow i. e. For after a little while We shall dye Supple By the hand of the Assyrians These are the words of most desperate wicked men Note that these sinners seem not to be the same with those which he spoke of before v. 11. for though they looked not to God yet they looked to the house of their armour and to their fortifications and trusted in them against their enemie But these men trusted neither in God nor in their armoury and fortifications but
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
men which here he speakes of though it might seem glorious yet should quickly decay with all its glory Which are on the head of the fat vallies c. These words relate to those viz. Wo to the Drunkards of Ephraim and are words of limitation and restriâ—tion limiting and restringing what he said in generall of the Ten Tribes to those which lived in Samaria For by those which are on the head of the fat vallies he meaneth those which lived in Samaria By the head of the fat vallies he meaneth Samaria which was scituate on a Mountain or Hill beneath which were most fruitfull vallies abounding with Vineyards and Olive-yards A mountain or high hill may be said to be the head of the vallies which are about it for where the earth riseth up into a mountain it is said to lift up its head and if the mountain be a head it must be the head of such parts of the earth as are below it and such are vallies In the word head he seemeth to have an allusion to the Crown of Pride which he spoke of which was wore on the head by which Crown also he meant the Drunkards of Ephraim Of those which are overcome with wine Of those which are daily drunk with wine This is the common interpretation of these words by which he doth obliquely tax other of the Ten Tribes then those which dwelt in Samaria for their drunkenness But what if we should interpret them which are overcome with wine of such as had so much wine in the grape as they could not make Surely such may be said to be overcome with wine for we have more work then we can do we say that we have more work then we can overcome and that our work hath overcome us and this interpretation will very well agree with this place and will shew the fatness and fruitfulness of these vallies in that they bring forth more grapes then the husband-man is able to press and make wine of 2. Behold the Lord hath a mighty and a strong one q. d. The Lord hath in store a mighty and a strong one By this strong and mighty one understand Salmaneser who with his strong and mighty Army besieged Samaria three years and took it and carried Israel away captive into Assyria 2 Kings 17. v. 5 6. Which as a tempest of haile and a destroying storme Supple Which breaks down the trees and smiteth the plants and destroyeth the corn of the field As a flood of mighty waters overflowing Supple And drowning al the grounds about it the cattle which are therein destroying the corn and fruits of the earth and carrying all things before it Shall cast down to the earth Supple The crown of Pride the Drunkards of Ephraim With the hand i. e. With meer power and might The hand is often put for power and might by a Metonymy 3. The Crown of Pride the Drunkards of Ephraim See v. 1. Shall be troden under feet As straw is troden for the dunghill Cap. 25.10 by Salmaneser King of Assyria 4. And the glorious beauty i. e. And that gay and glorious Crown mentioned v. 1. He puts the glorious beauty per Metonymiam Adjuncti for the glorious beautiful Crown by which he means the drunkards of Ephraim which wore that Crown See notes vers 1. Which is on the head of the fat valley See notes ver 1. He puts valley for vallies a Singular for a Plural number Here it appears that when he saith the head of the valleyes he saith head in allusion to the Crown which is wore on the head as we observed v. 1. Shall be a fading flower i. e. Shall prove as a fading flower indeed As the hasty fruit before the summer i. e. It shall be as the rath-ripe fruit which is ripe before the summer Such fruit as this is early ripe or ripe before the summer is much desired and greedily eaten Which when he that looketh upon it seeth it while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up i. e. Which when he which looketh upon it seeth to be ripe layeth not up to spend hereafter but eateth it presently while it is in his hand The meaning is that as a man which hath early fruit which he seeth to be ripe layes it not up but eats it presently So should Salmaneser consume and destroy the Drunkards of Ephraim and the Crown of Pride presently and make no delay therein 5. In that day Supple In which the Lord shall destroy the Ten Tribes of Israel by Salmaneser for the whole Ten Tribes shall be destroyed with the Drunkards of Ephraim The Lord shall be for a Crown of glory and for a Diadem of beauty i. e. The Lord shall give a glorious Crown and a beautiful Diadem to the residue of his people that is he shall make the residue of his people honorable and glorious as if they were all Kings He saith a Crown of glory for a glorious Crown and Diadem of beauty for a beautifull Diadem and puts a Substantive of the Genitive Case for an Adjective The Crown which he here speaks of was not such a Crown as he spoke of vers 1. for that was a Crown of Flowers this is a Crown of Gold that was such as Drunkards wore at their drinkings this is such as Kings use to wear at the day of their Coronation and he opposeth this Crown to that though he doth in some way allude to it A Diadem A Diadem was a kinde of Crown which Kings used to wear upon their heads made of purple-silk and beset with pearles and jewels Vnto the residue of his people i. e. To the other two Tribes namely the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin which Salmaneser touched not 6. And for a spirit of judgement to him that sitteth in judgement And he will give the spirit of judgement to him which sitteth in judgement The spirit of judgement By judgement is here meant the practicall knowledge of the law by which he that is a Judge may know how and be willing to judge aright And as for the word spirit among many significations which it hath among the Hebrews it signifieth sometimes the habit of the mind which is a spirit per Metonymiam Subjecti and here it signifieth an habit of the minde To him that sitteth in judgement i. e. To Hezekiah King of Judah whose Office it is to sit in judgement and judge between man and man and cause and cause as being King And for strength i. e. And he will give strength To them that turn the battle to the gate i. e. To the men of Judah who have turned or shall turn the battle to the gates of cities of their enemies That is who have made or shall make their enemies to fly before them and have pursued or shall pursue them to their own Cities and there besiege them That turn i. e. That have turned or shall turn What Judah did in this kinde by Hezekiah See 2 Kings 18.
v. 7 8. To the gate He puts gate for gates by the Enallage of number and Gates for Cities by a Synecdoche and he meanes the Cities of their enemies It is the glory and happiness of a Land to have Justice ministred without partiality in times of peace and to have victory to attend it in times of warre and this is part of the glory which the Prophet here prophesieth of and promiseth to Judah 7. But they also have erred through wine i. e. But the residue of the people mentioned v. 5. That is the men of Judah and Benjamin also have erred through wine as well as the Drunkards of Ephraim Note that the Scripture doth often impute that to a whole people of which part onely is guilty Have erred Supple From the way of truth and so by consequence from the way of righteousness Through wine i. e. Through tippling of Wine Are out of the way Supple Of true knowledge and so by consequence of righteousness also This sentence is a repetition of the former The Priest and the Prophet have erred If the Priest and the Prophet have erred then surely many of the vulgar sort have erred with them he instanceth therefore in these The Prophet By the word Prophet we must no understand here such a one as was immediately inspired by the Lord as the word most properly and commonly is taken but we must take it in a larger signification for a Doctor or Teacher and because the Doctors or Teachers of those times were for the most part Prophets he might call all Doctors and Teachers Prophets from them These latter Prophets might erre the former could not They are swallowed up i. e. Here is something to be understood viz. Their wayes as if the words had been these they are swallowed up their wayes that is they have their wayes swallowed up or they have their wayes destroyed for that which is rendred here swallowed up is rendred destroyed cap. 9.16 The notes of which place see for the interpretation of this They which have their wayes destroyed must needs erre out of their way To have their wayes destroyed or swallowed up signifieth therefore to erre and this they are swallowed up with wine is but a repetition of that They have erred through strong drink That which is here rendred swallowed up is as I said rendred destroyed Cap. 9.16 And this word as it hath any thing in it signifying destruction is metaphorically taken from ravenous beasts vvhich swallow dovvn vvhat they destroy and vvhat they swallow dovvn is consumed in their panch Of wine i. e. Through bezling of Wine Of is put for Through They erre in vision i. e. They erre in vision or prophesie speaking that as the word or vision of the Lord which is not the word or the vision of the Lord. They stumble in judgement That is they faile and go awry in their judgement as a man faileth and goeth awry which stumbleth in the way judging and calling evil good and good evill darkness light and light darkness bitter sweet and sweet bitter as Cap. 5.20 The judgement here mentioned is commonly called in the Schooles Judicium discretionis 8. All Tables And so by consequence the Tables of the Priests and Prophets at which they did eat and drink or at which they did fit in counsel And filthiness i. e. And filthy springs proceeding from over-charging their stomacks with wine So that there is no place clean Supple From vomit and filthiness 9. Whom shall he teach knowledge and whom shall he make to understand doctrine q. d. And when the Lord shall in mercy go about to teach these Priests and Prophets knowledge by me or by any other servant of his and so bring them into the right way from which they have erred whom shall he teach knowledge and whom shall he make to understand doctrine The Prophet as he complained in the former Verses of the Priests and the Prophets erring from the Truth and stumbling so doth he here complain of their sottishness and dulness and stupidity to learn by which they should be brought into the right way of knowledge and truth again And when he saith Whom shall he teach knowledge c. he doth so complain of them as that he sheweth his grief for them and pity towards them Them which are weaned from the milk i. e. Them which are as children which are but newly weaned from the Mothers milk This is an answer to the question going immediately before Note that the Hebrews leave the Note of similitude often to be understood And drawn from the brest i. e. And those which are as Infants which are newly taken from the brest This is a repetition of the former sentence He compares these men to children newly weaned not for their Innocency or for their Humility but for their dulness and slowness to learn and understand 10. For precept must be upon precept precept upon precept i. e. For they must be taught like children by line and by leasure not much at once nor too fast because of their dulness and incapacity Precept must be upon precept i. e. They must be taught but a little at a time a lesson now and to morrow or next day or a week or a month hence another lesson Some read precept after precept and say that the Prophet alludes to a narrow-mouth'd glass or bottle into which we cannot pour much water at a time but onely a drop at once and so but drop after drop wherefore it will be a long time before the glass or bottle is full But I retain our common reading and conceive that the Prophet by saying precept upon precept alludes to one who makes up brittle ware suppose earthen pots or glasses or the like where he takes time and leasure to lay one pot or glass upon another lest in making too much haste he should break his pots or glasses And as such a one takes time to lay pot upon pot or glass upon glass so a Schoolmaster when he is to teach children takes time in teaching children lesson after lesson lest the childe should get no benefit when he is urged with a second lesson before he doth well understand or retain the first or lest he should forget his first lesson by learning a second Line upon line Understand this of the line in a book which a childe takes for a lesson and take it as a repetition of the former sentence in other words Here a little and there a little i. e. Now a little and then a little For Adverbs of of place are often put for Adverbs of time For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people i. e. Now with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people For is put here for Now. He speaks this out of indignation for here we must understand that these Priests and Prophets mocked the Prophet Isaiah when he said Precept upon precept c. For these men professing
in saying We have made lyes our refuge and under falshood have we hid our selves he speaks rather as the Truth was and as he interpreted it then as they spoke for they would not have called their specious doings lyes and falsehood Note again that it is plain from hence that many which were in Jerusalem and they chief men too because they believed not the Word of the Lord spoken by Isaiah concerning the safeguard of Jerusalem when the Assyrians should come against Judah and because they feared the power of the Assyrians and thought that Jerusalem would not be able to stand out against it betook themselves to humane policy and leaving Jerusalem thought to comply with the Assyrians and to make their peace with them who nevertheless failed in their purpose and were destroyed when as they might have been safe if they had never stirred out of Jerusalem 16. Therefore thus saith the Lord God i. e. Yet thus saith the Lord God Take Therefore for Yet and put an emphasis upon the words The Lord God for he opposeth these to those words Because or Though ye have said Vers 15. q. d. Though ye have said c. yet thus saith the Lord c. Behold I lay in Sion c. q. d. Behold I lay indeed in Jerusalem a foundation for those which believe but yet I lay judgment to the line for the wicked which believe not c. This is the sence in brief of this and the following Verse Sion i. e. Jerusalem See cap. 1.8 I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation By the foundation and stone here mentioned may be meant the Word of Promise which God made to the inhabitants of Sion that is to the inhabitants of Jerusalem that notwithstanding the threatenings of the Assyrians they should be safe For as a house which is built upon a strong foundation is safe notwithstanding the blowing of the winds and the falling of the rain and the beating of the floods because it is founded upon a strong foundation So were as many safe as were in Jerusalem and relyed upon the Word of Promise which God made notwithstanding the fury and threatenings of the Assyrians because they relyed upon the Word of God which is as a sure foundation and which endureth for ever See the like Metaphor Cap. 14.32 Yet because in the second and more sublime sence this foundation is interpreted of Christ 1 Pet. 2.6 We may interpret and perhaps with more probability this of Hezekiah who as in other things and elsewhere he is a Type of Christ so may he be in this and here And Hezekiah may be said to be layd in Sion for a foundation because he was the foundation of safety against the Assyrians to all which remained in Jerusalem For God promised to save Jerusalem and all that kept themselves within her for his sake and he might be well called the foundation of that safety of which he was so principal a Cause by a Metaphor A stone He means such a stone which used to be layd for a foundation of a building which is great and durable A tryed stone i. e. A stone tryed and found fit for such an use as to lie for a foundation A precious corner stone i. e. A corner stone or chief stone of great worth And Hezekiah might be called a precious corner stone because of his great vertues In the Hebrew dialect the corner signifieth that part of a building which by its own strength alone sustaineth and upholdeth the whole structure Hence Magistrates and Princes which are the props and upholders of the Commonwealth are called the corners Judg. 20.2 1 Sam. 14.38 Isai 19.13 The corner stone therefore in the Hebrew phrase is as much as a sure foundation-stone So that all these words A stone a tryed stone a corner stone signifie but one and the same thing A sure foundation Hezekiah might be called a sure foundation because as a sure foundation cannot easily be shaken or overthrown so Hezekiah could not be shaken in his faith by the threats of the Assyrians nor could the Assyrians with all their power overthrow him or Jerusalem which God had given him by force of Arms. He that believeth Supple That which I say or that Promise which the Lord hath made Shall not make haste Shall not need to make haste or will not make haste Supple Out of Jerusalem to run into Egypt or Pathros or Cush or Elam or into any other far Country to save himself as many which believed not did at the hearing of Sennacheribs coming against Judah with a mighty Army nor will he make haste to comply with the Assyrians and make his peace with them as many others did but will abide in Jerusalem and shall be safe there What is spoken here of Hezekiah in the first sence is spoken of our Saviour Christ in the second and more sublime sence as appears 1 Pet. 2.6 and Rom. 9.33 For as we have often observed and shall often observe the temporal deliverance of the Jews was a type of the spiritual deliverance of the Christians As therefore the temporal deliverance of the Jews was a type of the spiritual deliverance of the Christians So they which were any way the cause of the temporal deliverance of the Jews were a type of Christ our Saviour so far forth as they were the causes of that temporal deliverance And the Holy Ghost while it speaks of them doth so order the words of the Scripture as that the same words which are spoke of them may oftentimes be applyed to Christ also yea oftentimes be more properly applyed to Christ then to them 17. Judgment also will I lay to the line q. d. But yet judgment also will I lay to the line and bring desolation and destruction upon you according as I have threatened you By judgment is here meant that desolation and destruction which God brought upon the men of Judah by Sennacherib and by the line is meant the threats of that judgment which God gave out by his Prophets by whom he threatened a great desolation and destruction of all in the Land of Judah excepting those which believed and were in Jerusalem onely Now as a Carpenter frames his Work to his Line so God saith here that he would bring his judgments to pass according to those his threats And righteousness to the Plummet This is a repetition of the former sentence And as by judgment he meant the desolation and destruction which the Lord brought upon the Land of Judah by Sennacherib so also doth he mean by righteousness And that desolation and destruction he calls judgment and righteousness per Metonymiam adjuncti because it was just and right and no other then the men of Judah deserved To the Plummet By the Plummet understand the line also to which the Plummet is appendent by a Syllepsis And the hail shall sweep the refuge of lyes The sence is q. d.
And all your flattery and counterfeiting shall do you no good neither shall they save you from the Assyrians for the Assyrians shall destroy you being out of Jerusalem among other the men of Judah for all your lyes and flatteries In these last words by the hail understand the Assyrians whom he calls the hail by a Metaphor because as the hail destroys the fruits of the Earth so did the Assyrians destroy both men and cattel in the Land of Judah yea and in other Lands also When he saith The hail shall sweep away he deviates from the Metaphor of Hail with which he began and alludes to the Metaphor of a Broom By the refuge of lyes he meaneth lyes which they made as a refuge of both which see vers 15. As when the refuge is taken away to which we betake our selves in a storm we are liable and open to the injuries of the storm so were these men obnoxious to the fury of the Assyrians when their refuge of lyes was taken away Then did the Assyrians sweep away the refuge of lyes to which these men betook themselves when they did turn away their ears from their flatteries and from their tales and would hear none of them but destroyed them notwithstanding their lyes And the waters shall overflow the hiding places This is a repetition of the former sentence By the waters he means the waters of a flood and by them the Assyrians because the Assyrians did beat down all before them as do the waters of a flood By the hiding place he means the falshood and lyes in which they trusted Vers 15. which lyes and falshood of theirs he likens to a hiding place because these men did think to avoyd the fury of the Assyrians by their lyes and falshood as they which get into an hiding place think to defend themselves from the storm When he saith The waters shall overflow the hiding place he alludes to the overflowing of waters which either beats down little cottages that stand in the way or drives the inhabitants from their houses by overflowing their habitations 18. And your Covenant with death shall be disanulled q. d. And ye shall dye by the sword of the Assyrians as well as others He alludes here to what he said Vers 15. Ye have said We have made a Covenant with Death If by the covenant which they made with Death Vers 15. death was not to seize upon them and kill them then if that covenant be disanulled death may as freely seize upon them and kill them as any other And your agreement with Hell shall not stand q. d. And the grave shall swallow you up as well as others He alludes here to those words of the 15 verse Ye have said With Hell we are at agreement If by that agreement which they made with Hell that is with the grave v. 15. Hell or the Grave was not to swallow them up then if that agreement doth not stand Hell or the Grave may as lawfully swallow them up as it doth others When the overflowing scourge shall pass thorow See Vers 15. Then ye shall be troden down by it See this phrase expounded vers 3. 19. From the time that it goes forth it shall take you q. d. From the time that the scourge goes forth supple before the time that it returns again it shall take you one after another so that none of you shall escape It shall take you Supple As an overflowing flood taketh a Traveller it comes in so fast upon him that he cannot escape Morning by morning i. e. Day by day or every day He puts the morning which is but part of the day for the whole day by a Synecdoche Shall it pass over Supple The Land and destroy and cast down as it passeth over as a flood doth Onely to understand the report i. e. Onely to hear it reported what destruction and desolation the scourge maketh in the Land as it passeth over it 20. For the bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himself upon it i. e. For all your lyes and all your tricks and devices shall not save you Between this and the former Verse we may understand these or the like words viz. Ye shall not therefore be safe nor escape q. d. Ye shall not therefore be safe nor escape the scourge though ye said Ye should live safely in your Land because of your lyes and falshood vers 15. For all your lyes and all your tricks and devices shall not be able to save you This speech is a proverbial kinde of speech the meaning whereof as it is here used is this That their lyes and tricks which they intended to make use of should not be able to save them or do them any good Then that a man can stretch himself upon it A man stretcheth out himself upon his bed for his ease but upon a bed which is too short for him he cannot thus ease himself And the covering narrower then that he can wrap himself in it This is a Proverbial kinde of speech as the former was and signifieth the same thing By the covering he means the bedclothes as Coverlet Blankets Sheets with which we enwrap or cover our selves when we go to sleep 21. For the Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perizim i. e. For the Lord shall rise up against you and destroy you as he rose up against the Philistins and destroyed them in Mount Perizim See the story 2 Sam. 5. vers 20. He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon q. d. He shall be wroth with you and destroy you as he was with the Amorites and destroyed them in the valley of Gibeon in the days of Joshua Josh 10.12 And as he was angry with the Philistins and destroyed them in the days of David in the same valley 1 Chron. 14.16 That he may do his work i. e. That he may do that work upon you which he hath determined with himself to do His strange work The work which God determined to do upon the men of Judah was to destroy them whom he was wont usually to protect and defend and therefore it is called his strange work 22. Now therefore be ye not mockers i. e. Now therefore cease ye to mock He alludes to Vers 13. Lest your bonds be made strong i. e. Lest there be no means left for you to escape these judgements These words are Metaphorical taken from a prisoner which is kept in bands and fetters against the Assizes or day of his tryal whose bands are made the stronger the greater and more apparent his offence is and the more likely he is to be condemned and suffer that he may by no means escape For how much the more likely he is to be condemned and suffer by so much the more will he endevor to make an escape The judgments which God threateneth and denounceth by his Prophets are for the most part Hypothetical and such as it pleaseth God to recall upon our
gifts which blinde the eyes of the wise Deut. 16.19 He speaks not here of the eyes of the body but of the minde that is the understanding Them that hear i. e. Them whose duty it is to hear By these he meaneth the Judges and Magistrates as before whose duty is to hear in a Case brought before them both parties what they can say and the proofs which are brought in every cause Shall harken i. e. Shall harken diligently and attentively to the proofs and allegations which are brought on either side in every cause which depends before them 4. The heart also of the rash i. e. Those Judges and Magistrates which have been rash and heady in giving sentence in a Cause which hath been brought before them before they well understood the truth of the Cause Shall understand knowledge i. e. Shall have perfect knowledg of the Cause and understand it throughly before they give sentence in it Knowledge is put here for the object of knowledge that is for that which ought to be known in a Cause before the Judge giveth sentence And the tongue of the stammerers By stammerers are here meant Judges and Magistrates which are soon angry and easily carryed away with Passion which blinds the minde and is a most unfit thing in a Judge or Magistrate Note that anger makes many men to stammer in their speech so that while they are in this passion they cannot speak plain nor bring out their words orderly Wherefore the Prophet calleth angry Judges and Magistrates stammerers per Metonymiam Effecti vel Adjuncti Shall be ready to speak plainly i. e. Shall speak plainly and readily The meaning is That they shall be temperate men and men free from passion As angry men stammer in their passion so do the same men when they are voyd of anger speak plain hence he puts here speaking plainly for vacancy of anger and passion Note that when the Prophet saith the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge and the tongue of the stammerer shall be ready to speak plainly we need not understand the rash and him that understands knowledge of the same individual men nor the stammerers and those which speak plainly of the same individual persons But it is enough to make the sence of this place good if men of knowledg and of good temper be put in the place of rash men and men which speak plainly in the place of stammerers For it is usual to speak of men which succeed one another in the same place or office as if they were the same individual men 5. The vile person shall be no more called liberal i. e. A vile person shall be no more advanced to the place of a Judge or Magistrate neither shall he that is already in that place if he be vile continue in that place Note that the word liberal here is a term of honor which was wont to be given to Princes Judges and Magistrates like that of Benefactor Luk. 22.25 Therefore not to be called liberal is as much as not to be Prince Judge or Magistrate Nor the churl i. e. Nor the covetous man Be said to be bountiful i. e. Shall be called bountiful Note that the word bountiful was wont to be a term of honor given to Princes Judges and Magistrates as the terms Liberal and Benefactor This therefore is a repetition of the former sentence 6. For the vile person will speak villany q. d. For though a Judge and a Magistrate should speak nothing but what becometh honest grave and wise men neither upon the bench nor elsewhere yet a vile person will speak villany both upon the Bench and elsewhere For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matt. 12.34 And he will give villanous judgment against the upright And his heart will work iniquity i. e. And he will do indeed that which is unjust He saith his heart for he by a Synecdoche To practise hypocrisie i. e. Though he doth study to practice hypocrisie and maketh all villany any iniquity under a vizard of truth and righteousness Here is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of those or the like words Though he doth study Hypocrisie is a feigned righteousness and he practiseth hypocrisie that laboreth to seem just when he is indeed unjust And to utter error against the Lord Supple With a shew and colour of truth To utter error signifieth here to give false judgment or to pronounce a false sentence for whatsoever is false is erroneous And to utter error that is to give false judgment or to pronounce a false sentence is said to be against the Lord because the Lord hath said Thou shalt do no unrighteousness in judgment but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor Lev. 19.15 As also because Judges judge not for man but for the Lord 2 Chron. 19.6 To make empty the Soul of the hungry i. e. That he may take away from him who is poor and hungry that little which he hath left to buy him bread Supple under a colour of justice which respecteth not the person of the poor Exod. 23.3 The Soul of the hungry i. e. The hungry A Synecdoche of a part for the whole man Because Covetousness and Injustice is a most odious thing in a Judge and Magistrate there is no Judg or Magistrate so covetous and unjust but desireth to hide his covetousness and injustice under a vizard of liberality and righteousness These words To practise hypocrisie and to utter error against the Lord to make empty the Soul of the hungry may make this place more easie if we read them as with a Parenthesis And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail i. e. And he will by his iniquity in judgment extort from the poor all that he hath so that he will not leave him a peny to buy him a drop of drink when he is thirsty This sentence is to be coupled with that viz. His heart will work iniquity 7. The instruments also of the Churl are evil i. e. The tricks and devices also which covetous Judges use are naught He deviseth wicked devices i. e. He inventeth and deviseth many wicked tricks and devices to corrupt and pervert the true meaning of the Law and to weaken the proofs of the poor mans witnesses and to delude the arguments which are brought in the poor mans Cause To destroy the poor with lying words i. e. That he may destroy the poor with these his wicked devices which are altogether lyes The sence is q. d. He deviseth wicked devices even lying words to destroy the poor thereby even when he speaketh right He saith to destroy the poor for to destroy the right of the poor Or he calls the oppression of the poor the destruction of the poor by an Hyperbole as he calls it blood or murder cap. 1.15 Even when the needy speaketh right i. e. Even when he and his witnesses and his advocate speaks right for all these are meant by Him
his flock which he feeds and for which he provides whatsoever is needful He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom i. e. He shall gather the lambs together and take them up in his arms and carry them in his lap or bosom The meaning is that he shall take care and provide even for the poorest and weakest of all the Jews and bring them into their own Land safe again And shall gently lead those which are with young Supple Lest he should tire them or kill them by hard travel He saith And shall lead those which are with young because Shepherds were wont to go before their sheep as well as follow them for their sheep knew them well and were taught to follow them See Psal 80.1 Joh. 10.4 That which the Prophet meaneth by this Metaphor of a Shepherd is onely this That the Lord should bring his people the Jews out of Babylon where they were in captivity into their own Land with as great care and safety as a Shepherd doth lead his flock from place to place 12. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand The Prophet speaks of God here as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a vast and great man is he who can hold all the waters of the Sea and all Rivers and Fountains in the hollow of his hand and therewith measure them And meted out Heaven with a span He speaks of God as of a man as before and a vast and great man is he whose stand is so big as that he can therewith span the Heavens at once And comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure He speaketh still of God as of a man and a vast man and strong is he that can put all the dust of the Earth in a measure and as easily take it up as we can a measure of dust of a pinte or less And weighed the mountains in the scales and the hills in a ballance He speaketh still of God as of a man And a vast man he is and of great strength which can weigh all the mountains of the Earth in scales and all the hills thereof in a ballance as easily as we can weigh that which is but of a drachm weight Note that after those words viz. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out Heaven with the span and comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a ballance These or the like words are to be understood Hath not the Lord In this Verse the Prophet sheweth the power and might of God And that he doth two ways First by describing God as a man of a vast stature which he doth while he saith that he measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out the Heavens with a span c. And secondly by telling that the Lord made Heaven and Earth which he doth while he telleth us that he measured the Waters and the dust of the Earth and meted the Heavens and weighed the hills and the mountains Note that when God created all things he created them in measure and number and weight as the Wise-man speaks Wisd 11.20 Therefore it is that the Prophet when he would tell us that God created the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein contained thereby to shew us Gods might and his power and strength saith That he measured the Waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out Heaven with a Span and comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed the Mountains in Scales and the Hills in a Ballance alluding to Architects who measure the particular parts of their buildings and the materials thereof that they may be proportionable part to part and all and every part to the whole But it may be asked here how the Prophet cometh here to speak of Gods power and might Ans He doth it to prevent a tacite Objection For whereas the Prophet said that the Lord would come with a strong hand against the Babylonians and deliver his people which were in captivity c. A weak Jew might object and say Yea but is the Lord God of might enough to come against that mighty people the Babylonians and to deliver his people which are in captivity under them out of their hands c. To which the Prophet here answereth That he is of might enough to come against the Babylonians as mighty as they are and to deliver his people which are in captivity under them out of their hands when he saith Who hath measured the Waters in the hollow of his hand c. For he that could do that and the Lord did it had might enough to come against the Babylonians and deliver the Jews out of their hands For he that could do that had not his equal for might and power 13. Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord or being his Counsellor hath taught him q. d. Who was the Lords Counsellor to direct him and teach him how he should make the World and order the things therein contained when he had made them 14. Who instructed him and taught him in the path of judgment i. e. Who instructed the Lord and taught him in the way of judgment that is Who instructed him and taught him wisdom and discretion when he built and ordered the World These Interrogatives have the force of Negatives q. d. There was none which did instruct him He did all these things by his own wisdom and judgment It may be asked How the Prophet cometh to speak here of the wisdom and judgment of God To which I answer That the Prophet doth it to prevent a tacite Objection which a weak Jew might make For a weak Jew might go on and say Yea but the Babylonians are a subtil and politique people as well as a strong Though therefore we should grant that God had strength enough to come against the Babylonians yet he may not have judgment and discretion enough to manage that strength And vis consilii expers mole ruit suâ Strength without judgment and discretion will ruine it self In answer to which the Prophet here saith that God wanted not judgment and discretion to manage his strength For who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord c. 15. Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket i. e. The Nations are as a thing of nought in respect of God As a drop of a bucket i. e. As a drop of water which hangs to the side or bottom of a bucket which if it falls off no body regardeth And are counted as the small dust of the ballance This is a repetition of the former sentence By the small dust of the ballance is meant any light thing that sticks to the scale or ballance and is of no moment so light it is to turn the scale any way He taketh up the Isles as a very little
never flourish or attain to any honorable condition so long as they live though they were born of honorable Parents to honorable places Yea they shall not be planted c. Yea if he please they shall be as plants which shall never be planted they shall be as seeds or kernels which shall never be sown they shall be as stocks of trees which shall never take root in the Earth For as Plants which shall never be planted must needs wither away and by little and little become as dry sticks and as seeds and kernels which are not sown cannot grow up and flourish and as a stock of a Tree though it be set in the Earth yet if it takes no root dries away and rots So shall those Princes and Judges whom God would not have to flourish be in a contemptible condition from the very Cradle He shall also blow upon them and they shall wither He persists still in the Metaphor of Plants which if they lie out of the Earth in the open ayr and wind are quickly dryed up and wither The Prophet speaks all these glorious things of God that the Jews may have no thoughts of God but such as are worthy of God and that they might not think of making God like to any Idol or any Idol like unto him and by the way intimates that he is able to bring down the King and Princes of Babylon that the Jews might not despair of their delivery 25. To whom then will ye liken me or shall I be equal See Notes Vers 18. Saith the Holy One i. e. Saith the Lord which is the Holy One even the Holy One of Israel 26. Lift up your eyes on high i. e. Lift up your eyes towards Heaven And behold who hath created these things i. e. Behold and tell me who hath created the Stars By these things he means the Stars which he speaks of as though he pointed at them at this time That bringeth out their host by number q. d. Who is he which brings them out by number dayly while he makes them to arise at their determined times Their host i. e. Them to wit the Stars which are as an Host or Army for number and order By number He may be said to bring out the Stars by number because all the Stars rise not at a time but onely a certain number of them or because they arise in their order this first that second that third c. He calleth them all by their names q. d. Our God knows them all and all their names perfectly And he calleth them all by their names to come forth as a Master calleth his Servants by their names and they come at his Call and obey his Will The Call whereby God calleth his Stars by their names to come forth is an effectual Call and therefore is a sign of great power and might in God who by calling them to come forth giveth them power to come forth at his Call By the greatness of his might Supple Doth he do this that is doth he call them and they obey Not one faileth i. e. Not one Star faileth to come forth when he calls it by name either through impotency or disobedience or any other cause Here again the Prophet speaks gloriously of the Lord as he did vers 21 22 23 24. and he doth it for the same end as he did it there viz. That the Jews might have no thoughts of God but what were glorious and that they might not liken him to an Idol or an Idol to him and that they might not despair of being delivered out of captivity by their distrust of Gods power 27. Why sayst thou O Jacob i. e. Why then dost thou say O Jacob And speakest O Israel Supple Saying Israel is taken here for the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin as Cap. 1. v. 3. My way is hid from the Lord i. e. The Lord looks not upon my sad condition but it is as hid from his eyes he takes no notice of the troublesom way wherein I walk And my judgment is passed over from him Here seems to be an Hypallage in this sentence And my judgment is passed over from him seems to be put for He is passed over from my judgment Supple as he that will not cast an eye upon it or take any notice of it but purposely goeth away as though he would not see it I take judgment here for punishment or affliction and misery as it is taken 1 Pet. 4.17 This complaint is to be taken as proceeding from the Jews when they had layn a long time in the Babylonish captivity and it is grounded upon that That they thought that God was weary of delivering and doing for his people as he had done for them and their fathers informer time as appears by the Answer which the Prophet gives to this their Complaint in the next Verse though it be omitted here for brevity sake 28. The Creator of the ends of the Earth i. e. The Creator of all the Earth Here is a Synecdoche of the parts for the whole There is no searching of his understanding But yet there is no searching of his understanding to tell why your way is hid from him or why your judgment is passed over from him The Prophet doth here meet with a tacite Objection of the Jews for they might say If God did not faint nor was weary of fighting and pleading for us and delivering us out of our afflictions and of doing for us as he hath done heretofore surely he would not suffer us to lie helpless in the depth of this our captivity so long a time To this the Prophet answers That if God lets them lie so long in their captivity and hath not yet delivered them it is not because he is faint or weary but it is for some other reason The Jews ask For what reason The Prophet answers That he knoweth not for what particular reason for there is no searching of Gods understanding yet for what reason soever it be it is not for that that God fainteth or is weary for God giveth power to the faint c. 29. He giveth power to the faint c. i. e. He refresheth those which be faint This the Prophet brings as an argument to prove that God fainteth not For how can he faint which giveth power to the faint Or how can he be weary which giveth strength to the weary The Psalmist useth such a kinde of argument Psal 94.9 saying He that planted the ear shall not he hear and he that formed the eye shall not he see To them that have no might i. e. To them whose strength faileth through weariness 30. Even the youth shall faint and be weary These words contain not a prediction but a concession q. d. Though even youths which are strong and lusty by nature faint and be weary c. yet c. Or thus Even youths which are strong and lusty by nature may faint and be weary But they that
e. Abominable is he He puts an Abstract for a Concrete by a Metonymy That chooseth you Supple To be his gods 25. I have raised one up from the North and he shall come The Lord speaks this after an insulting manner as before to shew that He can do what the Idols of the Heathen cannot I have raised up i. e. I will raise up He puts a preterperfect tense here for a future to shew that what he saith shall come to pass as surely as if it were already done One from the North He meaneth Cyrus whom the Lord raised up that he might wage war against the Babylonians and overcome them and so free the Jews from the captivity in which they were in under them c. And he shall come Supple At my call From the rising of the Sun shall he call upon my Name i. e. He shall call upon me from the East Supple To know what my will and pleasure is for him to do The Name of God is put here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for God himself as Cap. 30.27 And the Prophet alludeth here to the manner of good servants who when they would have something to do call upon their Master to know what work he hath for them to do Note here that we must not think by reason of this that Cyrus did enquire of God while he was in the East what work it would please the Lord to employ him in for Cyrus knew not God cap. 45.5 But this is onely that which is meant by this place That Cyrus should do the will and pleasure of God as truly and as fully as if he had asked the Lord what his will and pleasure was For this speech is onely an allusion to what good servants do And he shall come upon Princes c. i. e. And he shall come from thence that is from the East by my direction and tread upon Princes A question will be here asked How God raised Cyrus out of the North and how he is said to come from the East or Sun-rising For are the North and the East all one Ans Cyrus was a Mede by his Mothers side for his Mother was Mandane Daughter of Astyages King of the Medes And he was a Persian by his Fathers side for he was the son of Cambyses King of the Persians and he succeeded his Grandfather in the Kingdom of the Medes and his Father in the Kingdom of the Persians and both out of Media and Persia did he raise Soldiers when he warred against Babylon As therefore he was a Mede and King of Media and raised men out of Media when he came against Babylon he may be said to come out of the North for Media lay North both of Judea and Babylon And as he was a Persian and King of Persia and levyed men out of Persia when he came against Babylon he may be said to have come out of the East as from the Sun-rising for Persia lies East both of Babylon and Judea And he shall come upon Princes as upon mortar i. e. And he shall come and tread upon Princes as men tread and stamp upon mortar By these Princes he meaneth more especially the King of Babylon and the Kings and Princes which were subject unto him and served him And as the Potter treadeth clay Supple So shall he tread upon them The Prophet seemeth to allude to the manner of ancient Conquerors who were wont to tread upon the necks of them whom they conquered See Joshua cap. 10. v. 24 25. Observe here that God doth clearer and clearer explain the manner how he would restore the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity 26. Who hath declared from the begining q. d. Who or which of all the Idols or of all the gods of the Heathen hath dâ—clared this heretofore or before it cometh to pass From the beginning From the beginning being put absolutely signifieth From the Begining of the World in the Grammatical sence but by a Rhetorical Hyperbole it signifieth any antecedent or foregoing time and signifieth here Heretofore That we may know Supple That he is righteous as it followeth in the next sentence And before times i. e. And heretofore or before the time that it cometh to pass q. d. And who hath told of this before it cometh to pass That we may say that he is righteous i. e. That we may confess that he is righteous and pronounce in judgment that he hath justly assumed to himself the Name of God The word righteous in this place is a Law-term and signifieth such a one as hath the best in a Controversie or Suit of Law Yea there is none that sheweth i. e. Verily there is none among you all O ye Idols of the Heathen which sheweth the thing that I say shall come to pass Yea there is none that declareth This is a repetition of the former sentence Yea there is none that heareth your words i. e. Yea ye are all mute so that no man can hear you speak a word concerning the Deliverance of the Jews which yet I have foretold yea no man can hear you speak any one word at all 27. The first shall say to Sion c. q. d. The Lord shall say to Sion by his messenger The Lord speaks here of himself in the third person and calls himself the First as he doth also vers 4. the Notes whereof read Yet by the first may be meant the first messenger that cometh from Babylon to Judea q. d. The first messenger that cometh from Babylon to Judea shall say to Sion c. So that by this is shewed that the Jews should speedily be delivered out of their captivity He still insulteth over the Heathen Idols Sion Sion was part of Jerusalem and is here put for the whole City And here he speaks to it as to a woman yea a mother by a Prosopopeia Behold behold them i. e. Behold behold the Jews thy children which are scattered all abroad in the Land of their captivity gather themselves together and come to thee See Cap. 49. vers 18. He puts a Relative here without an Antecedent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tydings For I the Lord will send to Jerusalem a messenger that shall bring good tydings to wit that her children the Jews are delivered out of the captivity in which the Babylonians held them and that they are upon their return to their own own Land again And is put here for For. 28. For I beheld and there was no man Between this and the former Verse we must understand these or the like words as spoken by God giving sentence in the Caâ—se between himself and the Idols of the Heathen viz. I therefore am God alone for as for the Idols of the Nations they are no gods q. d. I therefore am God alone for as for the Idols of the Nations they are no gods For I beheld and there was no man even among them and there was
setting judgment in the Earth See the like phrase Cap. 7.6 And the Isles shall wait for his Law q. d. And when he hath made known my judgments the inhabitants of the Isles shall look for the fulfilling and accomplishment of these my judgments In such credit shall my servant be By Isles the Hebrews mean not onely those places which are environed with the Sea but those also which are neer to the Sea and to great Rivers and Waters as was said cap. 41. v. 1. Yea every particular Land may be called an Isle as we shewed cap. 20.6 But by Isles here are meant not the Isles themselves but the inhabitants of the Isles by a Metonymy His Law The word Law is sometimes taken in a large sence for any Word of God whatsoever See Notes cap. 1.10 And here it is taken first for the judgments of God denounced then by a Metonymy for the fulfilling or accomplishment of those judgments This testimony from the beginning of the Chapter hitherto the Lord gave of the Prophet that his words might finde the better entertainment with them that should hear him while he lived or read his Writings after his death 5. Thus saith the Lord Thus say I the Lord Supple To my servant Isaiah The Lord speaketh here of himself in the third person And stretched them out Supple Like the curtains of a Tent or Tabernacle to dwell in See cap. 40. v. 22. He that spreadeth forth the Earth and that which cometh out of it i. e. I that made the Earth and all things that spring out of it The Prophet alludeth here to the spreading forth of a sheet or some other cloth or to the spreading forth of a garment which was folded up before see Heb. 1.12 And he alludeth to this while he speaketh of Gods making the Earth and all that cometh out thereof Because when God made the Earth and that which cometh out thereof he made them quanta that is he gave them quantity and extension so soon as ever he gave them their substantial Being And spirit to them that walk therein i. e. And Breath to every living creature Spirit is taken here for Breath Therein i. e. Thereon The Lord doth here magnifie his power First That he might the more encourage his Prophet in the execution of that business on which he sets him Secondly That all men may be the better perswaded of the event of what he foretels Thirdly That he might shew himself to be greater then the gods of the Heathen who worshipped Idols 6. I the Lord have called thee i. e. I the Lord have called thee O Isaiah my servant to do the work which I have appointed for thee to do In righteousness i. e. In good-will towards thee or in that wise that thou shalt see my goodness towards thee whilest thou art doing that work to which I have called thee Righteousness is put here for goodness as it is also cap. 41.10 I will hold thine hand i. e. I will preserve thee Supple Until thou hast done all my work Concerning the reason of this phrase see cap. 41.10 And give thee for a Covenant of the people These words must needs be figuratively that is Metonymically understood The meaning therefore of these words is this q.d. I will give thee to be a Remembrancer of my people the Jews that thou mayst put them in minde of the Covenant which they their fathers made with me and they have broken and to be a means to them to renew their Covenant again For a light of the Gentiles i. e. And for a light to the Gentiles Tò And is here to be understood Isaiah was a light to the Gentiles in that he shewed them the vanity of the Idols which they worshipped and taught them that there was but one God who created Heaven and Earth And this he doth in many places of this Book of his Prophecy 7. To open the blinde eyes i. e. To instruct those which are ignorant yea very ignorant ignorant of the Vanity of Idols and ignorant of the Unity of the Godhead c. By eyes he meaneth the eyes of the understanding which are blinde through ignorance Note that these words To open the blind eyes relate to those words which went immediately before viz. For a light to the Gentiles To bring out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house i. e. And to bring my people the Jews which are in captivity in Babylon out of that their captivity Tò And is here to be understood Note that these words To bring the prisoners from the prisons and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house relate to those words of the sixth Verse I will give thee for a Covenant of the people The Prophet speaks here of the captivity of the Jews as of an Imprisonment and compares the Land of their captivity to a prison both because they could no more get out thence then a prisoner can get out of a prison as also because it was as irksom to them as a prison is to a prisoner Yea it may be that many of them were shut up in houses and there kept to hard work as in prisons The Prophet is therefore said to bring the prisoners out of prison that is the Jews out of their captivity because he did by his admonitions bring the Jews to think of the Covenant which they had broken and the sins which they had committed and bewail them and amend their lives and renew their Covenant with God which moved God to free them and deliver them out of captivity and bring them to their own Land again But you will say that Isaiah was dead before the Jews were carryed captive into Babylon which was a long time before their delivery thence How then could he so admonish them as that they should repent them of their sins and amend their lives and renew their Covenant with God by his Admonitions and so move God to deliver them Ans Though Isaiah were dead yet might he be said to admonish them because of his Writings which he directed to them by a Prophetique Spirit So Moses though he was dead many years before was said to command the Jews which lived in our Saviours time Mark 10.3 And so the Jews called themselves Moses's Disciples Joh. 9.28 And them that sit in darkness out of the prison house Though darkness be oftentimes put figuratively for misery and affliction yet I conceive that the Prophet alludeth here to prisons which use to be dark having but few windows and those small ones too that the walls of the prison might be the stronger and especially to Dungeons which are under ground Note that this is but a repetition of the former sentence 8. I am the Lord q. d. I am the Lord the onely God which created Heaven and Earth who am of my self but give Being to all things c. That is my Name i. e. That is the Name
hath occasion he sheweth the vanity of Idols that his people living amorâ— Idolaters in the Babylonish Captivity might not bâ— insnared with Idolatry Bâ—â—ng forth c. Hâ— speakes to Idolaters to bring forth their Idols to plead for themselves and their divinity Yet because the Iewes which were in the Babylonish Captivity are called Deafe and Blâ—nde Cap. 42.18 Some understand this verse of bringing forth the Captive Iewes out of Captivity And make it an Amplification of that which went before q. d. I will say Bring forth out of Prison and Captivity or bring forth out of your Land the Blinde which have eyes and the Deafe whioh have eares So that Gods controversie with Idolaters and their Idols begins not till the next yeare But I thinke it rather to be understood of Idols and spoken to Idolaters 9. Let all the Nations supple which worship Idols Be gathered together To wit that they may heare what I can say for my divinity and what the Idols can say for theirs and so know which of us is the true God while we plead together And let the people be assembled This is a repetition of the former Sentence Who among them i. e. Who among those Idols which they worship Here is a relative without an Antecedent Can declare this i. e. Can declare or foretell that which I have declared and foretold concerning the redemption of my people the Iewes out of the Babylonish Captivity c. And shew us former things i. e. And shew us things which wil come e're long to passe See Cap. 41.22 Let them bring forth their witnesses q. d. If they say that they have declared this and shewed former things or can declare and shew them let them bring forth their witnesses to prove what they say That they may be justified i. e. That Sentence may be pronounced in judgement that they speake truth or that Sentence may be given that the cause which they maintaine is just The cause of the Idols here meant is that they are Gods and that they doe justly assume to themselves the name of Gods This word to justifie is a Law terme and signifieth the justnesse not of the Person but of the Cause which is in hand Or let them heare i. e. Or if they cannot bring forth any witnesses to prove what they say let them heare those witnesses which I can produce in my cause to prove what I say And say i. e. And when they have heard what my witnesses can say let them say and confesse It is truth It is true which I say and maintaine That is that it is true that I have foretold these things before they came to passe and that I therefore am God only 10. Yee are my witnesses q. d. If yee aske who are my witnesses yee my people which have heard what I have said concerning your redemption are my witnesses and must needs certifie for me that I have declared and foretold of your redemption out of the Babylonish Captivity before it is come to passe and that therefore I am God He useth an Apostrophe here to the children of Iacob the Iewes And my servant whom I have chosen i. e. And my servant Isaiah whom I have chosen to be my servant He is my witnesse that I have declared and foretold of the redemption of you my people out of the Babylonish Captivity before it is come to passe For I have revealed it to him and he hath made it knowne both by word and writing to you That yee may know q.d. So that yee must needs know supple that I am he that is that I am God And believe me Supple When I say that I am he that is that I am God And understand that I am he i. e. And understand that I am God yea the onely God He is put here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Him which is the highest and greatest He and that is God or He that is He whom I said my selfe to be and that is God If the Lord onely can foretell things to come the Lord onely must needs be God and there is no other God but He See Cap. 41.23 Before me there was no God formed When he saith There was no God formed he seemes to deride the Gods of the Heathen for their gods were formed by the Art and hand of man 11. I am the Lord i. e. I am that true and eternall God which is of himselfe and from whom all other things have their being No Saviour Supple which can save his Servants and deliver them out of all dangers and out of the hands of all their enemies as I can 12. I have declared q. d. I have heretofore declared unto you and told you that I would save you out of the hands of your enemies For when Senacherib came against you with a great Army I declared and told you that so many of you as would believe my words and relye on me for safety and would keep themselves with Hezekiah within Hierusalem should be safe and this I told you before it came to passe And have saved i. e. And I have saved you as I declared I would doe for when Senacheribs Host did besiege you I sent mine Angell and slew of them an hundred foure score and five thousand in one night and so delivered you 2 Kings 19.35 And have shewed when there was no strange God among you i. e. Yea I have declared and shewed unto you that I would save you from the hand of Senacherib and have saved you accordingly when there was no strange god among you And if there was no strange god among you at that time it must needs be that what I declared I declared of my selfe and in that I saved you I saved you of my selfe and therefore that I am the true God In the dayes of Hezekiah there was no strange god at least publikely worshipped in Iudah For Hezekiah and all Israel that were with him at the keeping of the Passeover destroyed all the Images and the Groves which were in Iudah and Hierusalem 2 Chron. 30.14 and 2 Chro. 31.1 Note here that in this verse there is an Apostrophe made to the Iewes the children of Iacob 13. Yea before the day was I am he i. e. Yea before the day was I was God See verse 10. This proves God to be the only God for the gods of the Heathen were since the day was made as being the worke of mans hand and so by consequence are no Gods I am he God is he which was and is and is to come and though we signifie that God was yet we signifie it by a present tense because God is the same to day as he was yesterday the same at this present time as he was in the time past without any change or shadow of change at all And there is none that can deliver out of my hand If there be none that can deliver out of the hand of the Lord when the Lord hath a minde
his care and protection of them above others he may be said to sanctifie them and they which are thus separated may be said to be sanctified and holy See Notes cap. 4.3 As God therefore may be said to sanctifie a people when he separates them and puts a difference between them and others by his care and protection So when he deprives them of the care and protection which once he afforded them he may be said to profane them or pollute them The Princes of the Sanctuary By the Princes of the Sanctuary understand the chief Priests which ministred in the Temple and ordered things concerning the worship of God there who were called the Princes of the Sanctuary because they had inferior Priests and Levites and Nethinims to serve and attend them in their high Calling And given Jacob to the curse i. e. And have given the children of Jacob the Jews to destruction By Jacob understand the Jews the children of Jacob by a Metonymy And the curse here spoken of is such a curse whereby the thing accursed or the the thing given to the curse was to be destroyed as Josh 6.17 How Jacob that is how many of the Jews which were the children of Jacob were killed and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and his servants see 2 King 25. v. 7 21 c. And Israel i. e. And the Jews the children of Jacob who also was called Israel To reproaches i. e. To the reproach of their Enemies who in their captivity taunted them jeered them and reproached them ISAIAH CHAP. XLIV YEt now hear O Jacob c. This is to be continued with the former Chapter And the sence is q. d. But although I have profaned the Princes of the Sanctuary and have given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproach because of their sins yet now seeing your repentance Hear O Jacob my servant O Jacob my servant By Jacob he meaneth the Jews which were the children of Jacob the same also he meaneth by Israel 2. That made thee and formed thee from the womb i. e. That made thee a people from the first time that thou wast a people He speaks not of the making and forming of any one particular man which is made and formed in his mothers womb but of the making of a company of men into a people or Body politique yet he aliudes to the making and framing of a man in the womb of his mother Which will help thee Supple In all thy misery and distress Fear not Supple The Babylonians and their gods though thou art a Captive and hardly used in the Land of thy captivity For I will deliver thee and they shall not be able to hinder me See vers 8. And thou Jesurun This name Jesurun is taken out of Deut. 32. vers 15. where Moses gives it to the people of Israel and it signifieth right And it is therefore given to that people because God called them to lead a right or upright life and conversation Yet some think it to be an Hebrew diminutive of the Hebrew word Israel and to signifie as much as Little Israel as though the Lord had called his people here by a diminutive name as Fathers use to call their little children 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty The four sentences contained in this Verse signifie all one and the same thing namely That though the Jews were at this time in a poor decayed estate yet God would so bless them as that they should be delivered out of it and should revive and flourish again As the dry and thirsty ground though it be unpleasant and ill-favored to see to while it is so yet being watered it is hereby refreshed and recovereth its greenness and is clothed again with its former lustre I will pour water c. by water is meant rain the plenty whereof is signified by the word pour Vpon him i. e. Upon every Jew He speaketh of a Jew here as of a ground Metaphorically Vpon him that is thirsty i. e. Upon him that is as a thirsty Land that is upon him that is in misery and wants comfort Note that the thirstiness here mentioned is not the thirstiness of a man which is hot and dry and desireth drink to quench his thirst but the dryness of the ground for a dry ground is also called a thirsty ground Cap. 35.7 And to such a ground is the Jew in the depth of his misery and captivity here compared And floods upon the dry ground This is a repetition of the former sentence I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed i. e. I will greatly bless thy children By the Spirit of God is here meant Gods blessing as may appear by the following words which are but a repetition of these And the blessing of God is called the Spirit of God by a Metonymy because it proceedeth from the Spirit of God or from God who is a Spirit By seed are meant here children per Metonymiam Materiae 4. And they shall spring up as among the grass i. e. They shall spring up as young Trees or Plants among the grass which have moysture enough to nourish them and make them flourish 5. One shall say I am the Lords c. q. d. Such blessings will I pour upon them as that they shall confess that I am their God and that they are my servants because of the care I have of them and the favors that I shew to them though now they say My way is bid from the Lord my judgment is passed over from my God as Cap. 40. v. 27. I am the Lords Supple Servant And therefore shall call himself the Lords servant because he shall be sensible of the care which God hath of him and the blessing which he bestoweth upon him and shall in way of recompence resolve to serve the Lord so long as he shall live Another shall call himself by the name of Jacob And therefore shall he call himself by the name of Jacob because he shall see that the Lord hath as great respect to him as he had to Jacob and because he shall resolve to serve the Lord for the blessings which the Lord hath bestowed upon him as Jacob vowed to serve the Lord and did accordingly Gen. 28.21 Another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord Supple That he is his servant and will serve him And sirname himself by the name of Israel Israel is the name of Jacob and it was given to him because of the power which he had with God and prevailed with him Gen. 32.28 For the same reason as one named himself by the name of Jacob in the former part of this Verse doth another sirname himself by the name of Israel in this latter part And for the same reason as one said I am the Lords for the same reason doth the other subscribe with his hand unto the Lord. 6. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel That the Jews might the more firmly believe what the Lord had
brought forth q. d. Thou hast brought forth a lame or blinde or deaf or deformed childe but thou canst not bring forth a childe which is of perfect limbs and senses and which is well-favored Whosoever shall say this to his Father or his Mother Wo be to him for certainly the Lord will judge him for this his repining and irreverent speech against his Parents And if they shall not escape judgement which thus repine and murmur and shew themselves thus irreverent against their Parents much lesse shall they escape which doe irreverently repine and murmur against God 11. Thus saith the Lord c. The Lord having in the two former verses reprehended the murmuring Jew for repining and striving against him doth here assure the meek and believing Jew of his love to his people and his ability to deliver them and blesse them confirming what he said vers 8. And his maker i. e. And the maker of Israel The Lord is said to be the maker of Israel because he made Israel that is the children of Israel to be a People yea a peculiar people to himself But he speaks here of them as of a single person and alludeth to a Potter making a vessel Ask me of things to come concerning my sons i. e. Ask me how mercifully and well I will deal with the children of Israel which are my sons in time to come though now they be captives My sons The Lord called the children of Israel his sons because he delt with them as a father doth with his sons And concerning the work of my hands command ye me This is a repetition of the former sentence Concerning the work of my hands Whom he called his sons in the former Verse he calls the work of his hands here even the children of Israel and he calls them the work of his hands in allusion to a Potter because he was their Maker that is because it was he which made them a people Command ye me Supple To tell you what I intend to do with or for the work of my hands This is like that speech of Moses to Pharaoh Exod. 8.9 Glory over me c. though it be from a more worthy person And God speaks of himself as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12. I have made the Earth c. Between this and the former Verse something is left to be understood that the sence may be this viz. And what I shall tell you concerning my sons and the work of my hands I shall be able to bring to pass for that you may not doubt of my power know that I have made the Earth c. What therefore is too hard for me I with my hands have stretched out the Heavens i. e. I even I made the Heavens with my hands Where note that the Heavens were not first made and afterwards stretched out like a curtain but their substance and expansion were created both at once When he saith my hands he speaks of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and alludes to a work-man who doth what he doth by the skill and strength of his hands And all their host have I commanded i. e. And all the Stars of the Heavens have I created By the host of the Heavens he meaneth the Sun and Moon and Stars which he calleth an host because of their number and order in which regard they are like to an Host or Army He saith I commanded them for I created them for he commanded and they were created Psal 148.5 He said Let there be lights in the firmament of the Heaven c. and it was so Gen. 1.14 15 16 By this also he may signifie the command and power which he hath over the Host of Heaven for when he calls unto them they stand up together cap. 48.13 13. I have raised him up in righteousness i. e. I will raise up Cyrus according to my word and my promise A preterperfect tense is put here for a future Him That is Cyrus A Relative is put here without an Antecedent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In righteousness i. e. For my righteousness sake In is put here for For And by righteousness is meant that righteousness which is observed in keeping promise which is commonly called fidelity and truth Note here that when God bad his people to ask him what he would do concerning his sons and the work of his hands in time to come vers 11. that it is to be supposed that his people did ask him that question and upon their asking he gives them an answer here saying I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness and I will direct all his ways he shall build my City c. I will direct all his ways i. e. I will direct him in all his ways They cannot go amiss or have any other then good success in their ways whom God directeth He shall build my City i. e. He shall build Jerusalem which the Caldees have burnt down Cyrus is said to have built Jerusalem because he furnished the Jews with power and necessaries to build it My City Jerusalem is called the City of God because he chose it for the place of his worship Psal 132.13 And he shall let go my Captives i. e. And when he hath overcome Babylon he shall let go those children of Israel which are my sons which were there in captivity Not for price nor reward q. d. And though he let them go he shall ask no ransom of them but shall let them go freely 14. Thus saith the Lord the labor of Egypt c. In the former Verse the Lord said that Cyrus would let his captives go not for price nor for reward therefore here the Lord saith that because Cyrus would let his Captives go not for price or reward that he the Lord would reward him for this his magnificence to his captives for the Lord is never behind-hand with them that serve him The labor of Egypt i. e. Those riches which the Egyptians have got by their labor And the merchandize of Aethiopia i. e. And the wealth which the Aethiopians have got by their merchandize And of the Sabeans men of stature i. e. And the wealth of the Sabeans though they be men of a great stature and therefore lusty and strong and like to preserve their own Shall come over unto thee i. e. Shall come from being theirs to be thine And they shall be thine i. e. And the Aegyptians Aethiopians and Sabeans themselves shall be thine They shall come after thee in chains they shall come over q. d. Yea the Aegyptians and Aethiopians and Sabeans themselves shall submit themselves to thee and yield to thy mercy They shall come after thee Entreating thy mercy or entreating thee to accept of them for thy people In chains shall they come over i. e. They shall come to thee with chains on their hands or necks or feet as Captives to shew their humble submission to thee In chains They that were
Antecedent And this I prefer before the former Interpretation as being more simple and more usual 8. Thou that art given to pleasures i. e. Thou Babylon which art given to pleasures Here is obliquely contained another Reason of Babylons downfall to wit because she was given to pleasures That dweâ—e t careleslâ— i. e. That sittest secure and free from fâ—ar I am Supple The Lady of Kingdoms and so shall continue for ever And there is none else besides me i. e. And there is no other Lady of Kingdoms besides my self This is the common Interpretation of this place Yet note that these words I am and there is none else besides me are words which the Lord often useth of himself as Cap. 45.5 18. And it is not unlikely that the Prophet brings in Babylon with these words to signifie that Babylon thought her self a Goddess yea the onely Goddess of the World for such hath been the condition of proud men as that forgetting themselves to be men they have in the pride and insolency of their spirits took themselves for gods and so have thought their state immutable and their prosperity everlasting See what was said cap. 14.13 I shall not sit as a widow i. e. I shall never be deprived of my King which is to me as an Husband Neither shall I know the loss of children i. e. Neither shall I ever be deprived of my people within me which are to me as children I shall not ever be deprived of them either by sword or by captivity 9. But these two things The Particle But is redundant here and the sence compleat without it What two things he meaneth he explaineth by the next words The loss of children The loss of children came to Babylon when Babylon was taken by Cyrus and many Babylonians were slain by the sword and many carryed away captive into Persia And widowhood Then came Babylon to widowhood when her King was either slain by Cyrus's Souldiers or deprived of the Kingdom and carryed away captive They shall come upon thee in their perfection i. e. They shall come upon thee to the full For the multitude of thy sorcerers and for the great abundance of thy enchantments This is the third Reason which is directly mentioned in this Chapter why Babylon should be ruined 10. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness i. e. For thou hast trusted in thy sorceries and thy enchantments thinking that they shall preserve thee and keep thee safe Thou hast said None seeth me q. d. By reason of thy wickedness that is by reason of thy sorceries and enchantments thou hast said None can see me that is None can come and fight against me q. d. Thou hast said that thou wilt keep War from thy doors by thy sorceries and enchantments Note that the Indicative is put here for a Potential mood None seeth me To see a man or to look a man in the face signifieth sometimes to fight with him or wage war with him See 2 King 14. vers 8 11. and 2 King 23. vers 29. Thy wisdom and thy knowledg it hath perverted thee i. e. The skill and the knowledg which thou hast in sorceries and enchantments hath perverted thy judgment and made thee thinâ— that none can see thee that is that none can come and fight against thee whereas they shall not onely fight against thee but subdue thee and trample thee under their feet Note here that he calleth her skill and knowledg in sorceries and enchantments her wisdom because the Babylonians accounted them wise who had skill in such things But he seemeth withall to call it her wisdom and knowledg with a kinde of Sarcasm or Irony And thou hast said in thine heart I am and none else besides me And thou hast thought so proudly of thy selâ— through the perverseness of thy judgment as that thou hast said in thine heart That thou art and that there is none else besides thee I am and none else besides me What the meaning of these words are see vers 8. The skill and knowledg which Babylon had in sorceries and enchantments might make Babylon so proud as to think that she was and that there was none else besides her self both as it was knowledg for knowledg puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 and also as it was knowledg in sorceries and enchantments by which she might think to make her self immortal because she thought that she could thereby keep off all her Enemies from destroying her and so sit as a Lady for ever yea as the onely Goddess of the World 11. Therefore shall evil come upon thee i. e. Therefore shall calamity and ruine come upon thee Thou shalt not know from whence it riseth c. Supple Before it cometh upon thee This the Prophet saith in a deriding manner because that Babylon being expert in Judiciary Astrology boasted that she knew all days which were lucky and which were unlucky and that she knew which would produce good and which evil and from whence The evil here prophecyed of was that which Cyrus brought upon Babylon when he took it Thou shalt not be able to put it off The Prophet speaketh this also in a deriding manner because Babylon thought that she could not onely know of any evil to come by her Astrology but could tell also how to avoyd it by her Sorceries and Enchantments Which thou shalt not know i. e. Which thou shalt not know of before it cometh and when it cometh thou shalt not tell how to put it off This is for sence the same with that which went before 12. Stand now with thy enchantments and with the multitude of thy sorceries q. d. Stand now armed and furnished with thine enchantments and with the multitude of thy sorceries as it were a Soldier armed with his sword and armor The word stand is a military word spoken of a Soldier which being armed hath made choyce of his ground to stand and fight in as you may see Ephes 6. vers 14. To a Soldiers standing armed therefore doth the Prophet here allude That which the Prophet speaks here to Babylon he speaks in derision and with a Sarcasm Wherein thou hast labored from thy youth i. e. In the knowledg and skill whereof thou hast taken much pains from thy very youth or from thy beginning that thou mightst prove excellent herein The Caldeans the chief of whose Cities was Babylon were time out of minde given to such unlawful Arts and practices as these are If so be thou shalt be able to profit q. d. And try whether thou art able to profit thy self by keeping off that evil from thee which will come upon thee If so be thou mayst prevail Supple Against the evil that shall come upon thee Prevail This is a Military word also used when one Enemy prevaileth against another 13. Thou art wearyed in the multitude of thy counsels q. d. Thou art wearyed in the divers kindes of sorceries and enchantments which thou usest and all to no purpose For
generis For every one that maketh mention of a mans name doth not call him though every one which calleth him by name maketh mention of his name Note that Gods calling of him by name sheweth that he was in high favour with God and that he had a great office in his house See Cap. 45.3 Note that the Prophet doth very much magnifie himselfe for the favour which he had with God from this to verse 8. And this he doth first that by shewing the glory of the Type he might set forth the greater glory of the Antitype Secondly that the message which he is sent about might the more willingly and believingly be received and embraced 2. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp Sword The Lord made the Prophets mouth as a sharpe sword by putting his word into his mouth or because of his word which proceeded out of his mouth For the word of God is as a Sword Ephes 6.17 Yea sharper then any two edged Sword Heb. 4.12 The word oâ— God is likened to a Sword First because it pierceth the very heart Examples whereof yee have Act. 2.37 and 7.54 Secondly because it separateth between vertue and vice by teaching what is good and what is evill Thirdly because it cutteth off sinne by the threats which are therein contained against sinners and by the promises which are thereby made to those which forsake sinne Fourthly because it cuts off errour and heresy by teaching the truth In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me i. e. He will preserve me and keepe me safe from those that persecute me Supple that they shall not destroy me untill I have finished the whole work which I have to doe The Prophet alludeth to a man which when he would keep a thing safe while he hath it in his hand closeth his hand and so keepeth it which he doth as it were hide it therein By the shadow therefore of the hand he meaneth the hollow of the hand which being closed becommeth darke as a shadow He that can span the heavens with his hand Cap. 48.23 And measure the waters in the hollow thereof Cap. 40.22 He can hide the Prophet in his hand with ease Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted said Stephen to the Jewes Act. 7.52 It is but needfull therefore that God should hide this his Prophet in the shadow of his hand to preserve him while he hath finished the worke about which he hath sent him And he made me a polished shaft i. e. And he made me as a polished Arrow whose feathers are trimmed that it may flye the better and whose head is scoured that it may pierce the deeper As the mouth of the Prophet was likened to a sharpe Sword a little before So is he himselfe here likened to a polished shaft or Arrow and that for the same reason to wit because of the word of God which was given him in charge which word as it was compared to a Sword before so it is here compared to an Arrow because as an Arrow pierceth the heart So doth the word of God And as an Arrow killeth and destroyeth So doth the word of God kill and destroy sinne and errour If there be any difference here between the meaning of the Sword and the Arrow it consisteth in this that the mouth of the Prophet is called a Sword because of the word which he had to speake to the Jewes who were neere to him for a Sword is a weapon that is used against those that are nigh at hand And he is called a Shaft or an Arrow because of the word which he had to speake to the Gentiles who were remote from him for a Shaft or an Arrow is a weapon which is used at a distance In his Quiver hath he hid me i. e. He will hide me from those which persecute me and keepe me safe from their fury This phrase is the same with that viz In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me But the Metaphor is taken here from an Arrow which men keep in a Quiver that it may not be broken nor the feathers thereof marred 3. O Israel i. e. O thou Son of Israel Metonymia efficientis The Lord called Isaiah Israel or the Son of Israel indeed because he was a true sonne of Israel indeed like unto Israel his Father in obedience In whom I will be glorified i. e. By whom I will be glorified In is put here for By. This denoteth the end why the Lord hid his servant Isaiah and preserved him But how did God intend to be glorified by Isaiah Ans The Lord intended by the Ministry of Isaiah to bring the Jewes againe to him by repentance which had gone away from him by their sin verse 5. And this bringing of them back to the Lord was for the glory of God For God glorified himselfe by delivering them out of Babylon upon their repentance which he would not have done if they had not repented Againe by the Ministry of Isaiah many Heathens were convinced of their Idolatry and turned to the Lord as the only true God and worshipped him onely and so glorified him 4. I have laboured in vaine q. d. Lord dost thou thinke to be glorified by my Ministry That is not likely for I have hitherto laboured in vaine and there is little turning to thee though I have laboured what I can Yet surely my judgement is with the Lord Yet surely and this is my comfort the Lord is my Judge who will Judge me not according to the event of my labour but according to the Labour which I have taken And my worke i. e. And the reward of my worke Metonymia efficientis With my God And if his reward was with God God would not keep it from him but would give him his reward in due time according to his worke 5. And now saith the Lord q.d. And even now after I have spent so much labour in vaine though the Jewes have not profited by my Ministery yet the Lord saith c. This sheweth that God accepteth the labour of the workeman though his labour be in vaine That formed me from the wombe to be his servant i. e. That called me from the wombe to be his servant c. See verse 1. There is a Metaphor in that word formed borrowed from a Potter To bring Jacob againe to him i. e. To bring the Jewes which were the children of Jacob to him againe by repentance which had gone away from him by their sinnes Though Israel be not gathered Supple To me by thy Ministery i. e. Though the Jewes the children of Israel repent not nor returne to me the Lord thorow thy Ministery c. They which turne to the Lord by repentance are gathered together and come to him for salvation as Chickens are gathered to the Hen and come to her for warmth Matth. 23.37 Hence not to be gathered is put here for not to turne by repentance Yet it may be that
Abraham v. 2. believe that the Lord was able to do what he saith in this verse that the Lord would do for Sion for that which he saith here that the Lord would do for Sion is in a manner the same that he saith the Lord did for Abraham vers 2. But if that which he saith the Lord would do for Sion here be in a manner the same as that was which he saith the Lord did for Abraham vers 2. why doth he not say the Lord will call Sion alone and bless her and encrease her as he said of Abraham vers 2. but saith The Lord will comfort Sion Ans Before this call of Abraham Abraham had been never called of God nor had he been blessed with that wealth which he afterwards enjoyed neither had he had any children at all so that he was not grieved for the loss of these things because he never had these things to lose But Sion had been called of God for she had been the wife of God but was put away and had been blessed with much wealth but was bereft of it and had had many children but was deprived of them by the Babylonians by reason of which she was in much sorrow and grief of heart at this time Therefore doth the Prophet say of Sion The Lord shall comfort Sion rather then as he did of Abraham the Lord shall call Sion alone and bless her and encrease her though her comfort consisted in a manner in the same things He will comfort all her waste places and he will make her wilderness like Eden and her Desart like the Garden of the Lord. These words are an amplification or declaration of those words which went immediately before to wit of those The Lord shall comfort Zion and tell how the Lord would comfort her He shall comfort all her waste places By the waste places of Zion are meant those dwelling places which the Babylonians had either broken down or made desolate without inhabitant these places he saith the Lord would comfort by building up those which were broken down and filling both the one and the other with children of Zion that is with Jews See cap. 49.9 If the Lord would fill the waste places of Zion with children of Zion then would God call Zion again though she were alone that she might have children by him and then would he encrease Zion with children as he did Abraham vers 2. And he will make her wilderness like Eden i. e. And he will make all the Land of Judah which lieth now untilled and neglected and fruitless as a wilderness like unto Eden for beauty fruitfulness by which she shall gather great store of wealth Like Eden Eden was the most fruitful and pleasant Country of the East in which the Lord planted Paradise Gen. 2.10 And her Desart like the garden of the Lord q. d. Yea he will make her Desart like the Garden of the Lord. By the Garden of the Lord is meant Paradise or that Garden which the Lord planted in Eden Gen. 2.10 Therein i. e. In Sion by reason of the comforts which the Lord will give her 4. Harken unto me This is spoken in the person of God to the Jews as if they were now in captivity in Babylon For a Law shall proceed from me i. e. For I will give a command concerning your delivery out of Babylon Note that the word Law among the Hebrews signifieth not onely a Law strictly taken but also any Word of God whatsoever See cap. 1.10 And I will make my judgment to rest Supple Upon Babylon which vexeth you and useth you cruelly in your captivity A judgment is said to rest upon a people when it remaineth long upon them For a light of the people i. e. That the Heathen may know by this my judgment which I will make to rest upon Babylon that I am the Lord. That is said to be a light to the people which is any way the cause to them of saving knowledge 5. My righteousness is neer i. e. My truth and fidelity is come neer unto you to make good that promise which I made to you concerning your delivery out of Babylon Righteousness is taken here for fidelity and truth of which he speaks as of a person by a Prosopopoeia My salvation is gone forth i. e. My saving power is gone forth to wit to save you out of the hand of the Babylonians Salvation is put here for Gods saving power as it is also put sometimes for God himself as cap. 12.2 per Metonymiam Effecti And he speaks of it as he did of righteousness as of a person yea as of a Champion by a Prosopopoeia And mine arm shall judge the people And I will punish and smite the Babylonians and other people that joyn with them to afflict you my servants the Jews The Isles shall wait upon me q. d. The Heathen when they shall see my judgment upon the Babylonians and those that joyn with them shall know that I am the true God and shall forsake their Idols and wait upon me for Salvation in their distress The Isles Concerning the meaning of this word Isles see cap. 49.1 And on mine arm shall they trust i. e. And they shall trust in me by reason of my power and strength The arm is put here for the whole man The arm I say which argues a mans power and strength This came to pass when many Heathen seeing what the Lord did to the Babylonians for his people the Jews sake forsook thâ—ir Idolatry and became Proselytes 6. My salvation shall be for ever i. e. My saving power shall never fail See v. 5. And my righteousness i. e. And my truth and fidelity by which I perform whatsoever I have promised 7. Harken unto me ye that know righteousness He speaks to the righteous among the Jews which feared him That know righteousness i. e. That love righteousness and make much of it The people in whose heart is my Law i. e. The people which love my Law Fear ye not the reproach of men neither be afraid of their reâ—ilings q. d. Though the Babylonians who hold you in captivity reproach you and revile you and call you by ignominious names yet being they are but men fear them not neither be afraid of them 8. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment i. e. For the sword or some plague or other shall consume them as the moth consumeth a garment See Cap. 50. vers 9. And the worm shall eat them like wool i. e. And the sword or some plague or other shall consume them as the worm eateth and consumeth the wool But my righteousness shall be for ever and my salvation from generation to generation i. e. But my Truth and my saving Power shall never fail and if they never fail then shall ye be safe when they which reproach you shall be consumed 9. Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord The Prophet speaks this to
an Antecedent But by They are meant They which did wish evill and were malitiously bent against the Temple and Nation of the Jewes What is here spoken we may read fulfilled in Sanballat and others Ezra 4. and Nehem. 6. But not with me i. e. But not with my commission or order and therefore they shall not prevaile against thee Shall fall i. e. Shall perish For thy sake i. e. Because of the love which I beare to thee 16. Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the Coales in the fire and that bringeth forth an Instrument foâ— his worke And I have created the water to destroy q. d. I have created both the Smith whtch maketh the Armes and weapons which are used in Battle and the Souldier which useth these Armes and weapons Supple And therefore being that I have created them they are in my hands and under my power And I can make the Smith either to make me Armes and weapons at all or onely such Armes and weapons as shall doe those which use them no service And I can make the Souldier either to be quiet and fit still and not to fight against thee or else to take the foile and fall himself by the Sword This is brought as an argument to confirme and shew that the Lord was able to doe what he said before That bloweth the Coales in the fire To wit to make the fire the hotter and more fervent that he may therein heat his Iron and his Steel of which he maketh his work and so soften them And that bringeth forth an Instrument for his worke i. e. And that bringeth out his hammer and other tools that he useth about his work for to make and finish the work which he hath to doe That bringeth forth an Instrument Supple Out of the place in which he useth to lay them An Instrument i. e. His Instruments or Tooles A Singular is put here collectâ—ve for a Plurall number For his worke i. e. For to worke his worke v. g. A Sword or a Spheare or the like The Waster By the Waster understand the Souldier whose imployment is Warre which is the mother of desolation The Waster to deâ—troy q. d. The Souldier which is made to destroy 17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper q. d. Therefore the Smith which I have made and which is under my power shall not make any weapon which shall be able to prosper or doe any service against thee or hurt thee And every tongue that shall rise against thee in Judgement thou shalt condemne q. d. And every Waster or Souldier which shall rise against thee to destroy thee shall fall and be destroyed himselfe This is the sense of these words And thus should the Prophet have spoken if he had continued that kinde of speech with which he begun to the end But he changeth his speech to an Allegory before he hath done yet the sense is the same for the sense is that every enemy that shall rise up against her shall fall before her He begun this speech with the Souldier but before he hath finished it he changed it unto a Metaphor of an Accuser or Adversary accusing or pleading against a man in a Court of Justice See the like change Chap. 3. v. 6 7. c. Every tongue that shall rise against thee i. e. Every one that shall rise up and accuse thee or plead against thee He puts the Tongue here which is but a part for the whole man by a Synecdoche and the Tongue rather than any other part because with that he accuseth and pleadeth That shall rise He seemeth to allude to the manner of those which use to pleade who if they sit before rise up and stand when they begin to plead In Iudgement Iudgement may be taken here for the Court of Iudgement or Justice as Cap. 3.14 Thou shalt condemne q. d. Thou shalt not onely quit thy selfe of him but shalt convince him of falshood and cause him to be punished for his false accusation To condemne is taken here for to convince and shew him worthy of condemnation by arguing For to condemne by Sentence is the office onely of the Judge This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord q. d. That which I have said is the priviledge and the blessing of those which serve the Lord uprightly This is the heritage He seemeth in this word to allude to the division of the Land of Canaan by Lot where every Tribe had his peculiar Inheritance allotted to it Iosh 11.23 And their Righteousnesse is of me q. d. For the reward of their righteousnesse and of their upright service is of me I am he that rewards them for it and I will reward them after this manner And is put here for For And Righteousnesse is put by a Metonymie for the reward of righteousnâ—sse Saith the Lord Supple which is able to do what he saith ISAIAH CHAP. LV. HO every one that thirsteth ome c i. e. Ho every one which desireth true knâ—wledge come c. This is spoken in the person of God This Particle Ho is a note of calling to and is used when we call to any one to hearken to what we say Thirst is a desire of that which is moist and cold and is often put for desire in generall This speech is directed to the Gentiles and particularly to those Gentiles among whom the Jewes lived in the time of their captivity And those Gentiles are hereby invited to come to the knowledge of the true God even the God of Israel and to joyne themselves with his people the Jewes in his service and so to become Proselytes Note here that in the time of the Law many Gentiles did forsake their Idols and their Idolatry and joyne themselves to the Lord God of Israel and became his servants which kinde of Gentiles so forsaking their Idolatry and joyning themselves to the Lord and serving him the Jewes called Proselytes Of which they made two kinds one kind was of them that worshipped the true God the God of Israel but were not circumcised nor did they conforme themselves to the Mosaicall rites and ceremonies but were onely tied to the observation of those precepts which the Hebrew Doctors therefore call the Precepts of the sonnes of Noah because all the Sonnes of Noah were bound to observe them Which Precepts were in number Seâ—ven 1. To renounce Idols and all Idolatrous worship 2. To worship the true God the maker of heaven and earth 3. To abstaine from bloud-shedding 4. Not to uncover ones nakednesse that is to abstaine from all unlawfull conjunction 5. To abstaine from robbery 6. To administer justice 7. To abstaine from eating the flesh with the bloud which they call the eating of any member of a beast taken from it alive These kinde of Proselytes they called The Proselytes of the Gate because they were suffered to dwell among the Jewes within their Gates or Cities though they did not conforme
are your doings and dealings with men as my doings are for I use to deal well with them which offend me but you use not so to do The note of similitude As is here again to be understood 9. So are my ways higher then your ways By ways are here meant deeds or actions by a Metaphor as vers 8. Though it be generally true that all the actions and deeds of God do as far exceed our deeds and actions as the Heaven doth exceed the Earth yea infinitely further yet understand this place particularly of the mercy and goodness and clemency of the Lord q. d. As the Heaven doth far exceed the Earth so doth my clemency and mercy and loving kindness to men far exceed yours 10. For as the rain i. e. And as the rain For for And. As the rain cometh down and the snow from Heaven i. e. As the rain and the snow come down out of the ayr Heaven is often put for the Ayr so the birds of the Ayr are called the fowle of Heaven Ier. 3.9 And returneth not thither Supple Without watering the Earth and making it fruitful for otherwise the rain and the snow are drawn up again by the Sun in vapors 11. So shall my Word that goeth out of my mouth i. e. So shall the Word which I speak become effectual and whatsoever I say shall come to passe It shall not returne unto me voyd i e It shall not be ineffectual as their words are which cannot perform what they say Note that the Prophet useth here a Metaphor taken from an Embassador which a King sends out upon some business but he cannot effect what his King gave him in command and therefore returneth re infecta But God saith that his Word shall not return so 12. For ye shall go out with joy q. d. Wherefore because I have often said it ye shall go out O ye my people the Iews with joy out of the Land of your captivity where ye have been kept in hard bondage For is put here for Wherefore and the Lord makes a sudden Apostrophe to the Iews upon occasion of what he said concerning his Word in Vers 10 11. and in consideration of those often promises which he had made to the Iews of their Redemption And he led forth with peace For the Lord will go before you as your Captain Cap. 52.12 The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing q.d. So great shall your joy be as that the very mountains and the hills shall sing for joy before you as ye go from Babylâ—n to Ierusalem to to see your joy The Prophet doth often give sense and reason to inanimate things after a Poetical manner 13. Instead of the Thorne shall come up the Kirr-tree and instead of the Bryar shall come up the Mirtle-tree q. d. For instead of those which have afflicted you there shall arise those which will profit you and entreat you with all kindnesse Note that the Causal Particle For is here to be understood and to be referred to those words Vers 12. For ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace The Thorn and the Bryar are prickly plants which will prick those which have to do with them by which are here meant in particulur Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon and his race which did afflict and oppress the Iews with hard bondage in the time of their captivity But the Fir is a tree which besides other commodities yeilds a covert from the tempest and a shadow from the scorching heat of the Sun and the Mirtle besides many other benefits yeilds a sweet Oyl which refresheth the senses and makes Wine which comforteth the stomack it yeildeth also pleasant and fragrant branches to trim up and adorn the house By the Fir therefore and the Mirtle is here meant Cyrus who subdued the Babylonians and so delivered the Iews out of their hands and sent them home into their own Country with many royal favors of which read Ezra 1. And it shall be to the Lord for a name i. e. And this which the Lord will do for you shall bring to the Lord great renown Or thus q. d. And this which the Lord will do for you shall be a thing so notable and so glorious as that God shall thereby purchase himself a new Name q. d. As God purchased himself a new Name when he delivered Isaac and was called therefore Iehovah-jireh Gen. 22.14 And as Generals and Emperors by their great atchievements get new names as Scipio got him the name of Africanus by his Victories in Africa c. So shall God get him a new name for his great redemption of and munificence to his people Which yet understand not so as though God had any new name thereupon but that he deserved a new name thereby For a name i. e. The cause of a name Take the word Name either properly or for renown For an everlasting signe i. e. And for an everlasting Trophy and monument of his goodnesse to his people That shall not be cut off i. e. That shall never be pulled down or abolished He alludeth to the custome of conquerours who set up lasting Trophies and monuments for their glory in token and remembrance of some memorable victory obtained or some great matter performed by them but their Trophies and monuments are abolished by time but this of the Lord shall not be cut off ISAIAH CHAP. LVI KEepe ye judgement and doe justice i. e. Keep my Law and doe that which is your bounden duty therein O ye Jewes which are captive in Babylon Iudgement and Iustice are taken here for that duty which we owe to God in keeping his commandements and therefore is it called judgement and justice because God may justly exact it of us and we wrong God if we doe it not For my salvation is neer to come i. e. For my saving power wherewith I will save you from your enemies and deliver you out of the Babylonish captivity is at hand to save you Concerning the notion of this word Salvation as I have given it See Cap. 51. Vers 5 6. And my righteousnesse i. e. And my faithfulnesse whereby I have promised to save you see Cap. 51. vers 6 7. concerning the notion of this word also To be revealed i. e. To come so that it may be seen of all men see cap. 40.5 2. Blessed is the man that doth this This relative this relateth to that To wit that that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it And keepeth his hand from doing any evil and blessed is such a man for he shall be redeemed out of captivity and brought home with joy to Sion That keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it q. d. That is That keepeth holy the Sabbath day and doth nothing therein whereby to profane it By keeping the Sabbath from polluting it understand by a Synecdoche all other precepts also of the first Table and the whole duty of man to God And keepeth his hand
by reason of the Assyrians Cap. 11.11 And which will gather together these sonnes of Israel which are now captive in Babylon and which fled or now remaine in other places of the earth for feare of the Babylonians when they invaded the Land of Judah Of Israel By Israel he meaneth the Jewes the children of Israel and those Iewes which were dispersed upon the comming of the Assyrians and Babylonians into the Land of Judah he calls the Out-casts of Israel because they were as exiles in a strange Land and driven out of their own countrey by their enemies Yet will I gather others to him besides those that are gathered to him q.d. I have gathered some Proselytes to my people who worship me and I will yet gather other Proselytes to them besides those which are already gathered that they also may worship me Note here that when the Assyrians invaded the Land of Judah and many Jewes fled for safety into other countries God when he had slaine the Army of the Assyrians brought those Jewes back againe into their owne Land and when he brought them back many others of other Nations joyned themselves with them which afterwards aboade by the Jewes and ranne the same fortune as they did See Cap. 14. v. 1 2. And these are they which are here intimated to have beene first gathered to Israel That is to the Jewes the children of Israel Note secondly that when the Jewes were delivered out of the Babylonish captivity by Cyrus many Babylonians and men of other Nations being wonne by the conversation of the holy and religious Jewes went along with them and did enter themselves into the worship of God and these are they which he saith should be gathered unto Israel besides the former It may be asked here why and to what purpose and upon what occasion the Lord saith here The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith yet will I gather others to him besides those that are gathered to him Ans He saith it upon occasion of those words Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people vers 7. For the Lord having said Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people sheweth here that he will gather of all people to Israel That is to his people the Jewes to worship him with them in his house of prayer That is in his Temple And he saith it to shew that he will accept of the Gentiles which come unto him and will by no meanes cast them off 9. All ye beasts of the Field come to devoure Note here that this is the beginning of a new Sermon or Prophesie And that this and the next Chapter following would have been better put into one than thus disjoyned Note Secondly that the Prophet doth here and in the next Chapter shew the reason of the Jewes captivity and this he doth first to cleare the justice of God and to make it appeare that it was not for nought that he gave them over into the Babylonians hands Secondly that he might shew the Jewes that they had need to turne to God by repentance who had gone so farre from him by their sins Note Thirdly that while he sheweth the reason of the Iewes captivity in Babylon he speakes as if the Iewes were then committing those sinnes for which they were afterwards carried into Babylon And againe while he shewes by what meanes they which were in captivity might be delivered out of their captivity he speakes of the delivery of those which repented out of captivity as though the time of their delivery were even then at hand joyning as it were these times together which were many yeares distant the better to shew the dependency of one matter upon the other and seeing both these as neer at hand by a prophetique spirit All yee beasts of the Field ccme to devoure i. e. All ye Beasts which frequent the Fields come and destroy Israel Yea all ye beasts in the Forrest i. e. Yea all ye beasts which dwell in the Forrest come and devoure him The Prophet compareth here the enemies of Israel That is of the Jewes which were the children of Israel to wilde beasts And Israel or the Jewes to a flock of sheep and when he calls to the wilde beasts of the Field to devoure By the wild beasts of the field he seemeth to meane Foxes and Badgers such as were wont to frequent the fields and to prey upon the sheep which fed therein but not to make such a slaughter among them and to destroy them with sueh a destruction as the beasts of the Forrest were wont And by the beasts of the Forrest he seemeth to meane Lions and Beares and Dragons whose might and fury was greater than that of the Foxes and Badgers and which when they fell upon a flock of sheep made a greater slaughter among them and were not so easie to be driven away By the beasts therefore of the field are signified more impotent enemies and such as doe lesse hurt And by the beasts of the Forrest more potent enemies and such as could hurt more particularly by the beasts of the field may be meant the Moabites and Ammonites and Edomites and Philistins By the beasts of the Forrest may be meant the Chaldaeans or Babylonians which did overcome the Land of Judah and burne the Cities thereof with fire and carry away the Inhabitants captive So that the sense of this place is q. d. Yee Moabites and Ammonites and Amalekits and Edomits and Philistines come yee and devoure Israel yea rather come yee Babylonians and yee Nations which serve them and devoure him 10. His watchmen are blinde i. e. The Watchmen of Israel are blinde Here is a Relative without an Antecedent By Watchmen he meaneth the Priests and the Prophets That is The teachers of the people And therefore doth he terme them Watchmen because as Watchmen were set to watch and to give notice of the approach of an enemy So was it the duty of the Priests and Prophets to watch over the people for their spirituall good and to forewarne them of sinne and of those judgements which were like to fall upon them for their sinne He giveth a reason here why he would have all the beasts of the fielde yea all the beasts of the Forrest to come and devoure Are blinde That is are ignorant For so he expounds himselfe in the next words Blindnesse is properly of the eye of the body but by a Metaphor it is translated to the understanding which is as the eye of the minde and signifieth ignorance They are all ignorant Supple Of that which they ought to know and teach the people That is They are ignorant of the Law of God They are all dumbe doggs they cannot bark They are all like dumbe Dogs which cannot barke The note of similitude is here left to be understood He likeneth the Priests and the Prophets to dumb dogs which cannot barke because they did not reprehend the people
dead men cannot get out of their sepulchers no more can we out of the Land of our captivity In desolate places i. e. In the Land of our captivity They call the Land of their captivity desolate places in allusion to sepulchers because as sepulchers are places of darkness so was the Land of captivity to them a place of darkness and obscurity that is a place of sorrow and of mourning Note that the sepulchers of the Ancients were rooms of some space vaulted over-head with gates also belonging to them and these he calleth desolate places because no living man did there abide or inhabit 11. We roar all like Bears and mourn like Doves Supple Because of the great oppressions and miseries which we endure We look for judgment but there is none for salvation but it is far from us See Vers 9. 12. For our transgressions are multiplyed before thee i. e. For our sins are many and that thou knowest very well as being committed in thy sight Here is an Apoâ—trophe to God And our sin te tifie against uâ— i. e. And our sins come in as witnesses against us and witness that we are worthy of that which we suffer and unworthy of salvation or to be delivered from oâ—r sufferings He speaks of sin as of a pe son by a Prosopopoeia For our transgressiâ—ns are with us and as for our iniquities we know them q. d. For we cannot say that we have not transgressed and sinned for our transgressions are always before our eyes and as for our sins we know them very well Here is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Brachylogy We know them i. e. We know them and confess them for we cannot deny but that we are guilty of them 13. In transgressing and lying against the Lord i. e. We have sinned by transgressing and lying against the Lord. These words We have sinned are here to be understood I take their transgressing and lying against the Lord to signifie here both one and the same thing For their tranâ—gressing the Law of the Lord may be called lying againâ—t the Lord because the Jews promised the Lord solemnly in Moâ—nt Sinai and elsewhere to keep his Laws and yet broke this their promise which what was it else but lying against God Departing from your God i. e. Leaving the worship of God to serve Idols Speaking oppression and revolâ— i. e. Advising one another and teaching one another how to oppress the poor and to forsake the worship of God and serve Idols Conceiving and utâ—ering from the heart words of falshood i. e. Conceiving in our hearts false reports and false accusations to the hurt of our neighbors and dâ—sloyalâ—y to the dishonor of our God and bringing them out of our hearts where they were conceived by the mouth or tongue Note that this word falshood may relate both to God and to their neighbor and as it relates to their neighbor it may signifie false reports and â—alse accusations and as it relates to God it may siâ—nifie disloyalty in breaking tâ—e Coâ—enant and the Promise which they made to God as câ—p 57.4 14. Judgment is turned away backward i. e. And judgment is gone away and will not come at the Courts of Judicatâ—re By judgment understand upâ—â—ght dealing in pleading and making Dâ—crees and giving sentence in Courts of Jâ—dicatâ—re And note that he speaketh of it as of a pers n by a Prosopâ—poeia And justice standetâ— aâ—ar oâ— i. e. And justice standeth afar off and will not come nigh to the Courts and places of Judicature What he called Judgment before he calleth Justice here and useth the like Pâ—osopopoeia So that this is but a repetition of the former sentence For Truth is falâ—en in the streets and Equity cannot enâ—eâ— i. e. Bâ—caâ—se Truth is overthrown by falshood and faln in the very streets and Equity cannot enter into the Courts or places of Judicature being kept out as it were by force This containeth a reason why Judgment turned backward and Justice ood aâ—ar of For Judgment turned backward and Justice stood afar off because they saw Truth beaten down and Equity kept out of the Courts and places of Judicature For Judgment and Justice will not be nay they cannot be where Truth and Equi y are not entertained He speaks of Truth and Equity here as of persons by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he did of Judgmenâ— and Justice before 15. Yea Truth faileth i. e. It is more for Trâ—th to fail then to â—aâ—â— for if Truth fall she may recover strength and rise aâ—ain bâ—t if she fail or languish her very vitals are decayed And he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey i. e. And if any man hate evil and cleaveth to that which is good he is therefore hated and persecuted and made a spoyl to wicked men This is a sign that Equity failed as well as Truth And the Lord saw it i. e. And the Lord took notice of it that there was no Judgment in Courts and places of Judicature 16. And the Lord saw that there was no man i. e. And the Lord looked about to see if there were any man supple that did intercede with him to take away his displeasure from us And he wondered that there was no intercessor i. e. And he saw that there was none that did intercede with him for us and he wondered at it It was a matter of wonder that none among all that people which had been so brought up and so instructed from time to time should intercede and be earnest with God to pardon so great sins as these were of the people He speaks of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore his arm brought salvation to him i. e. Notwithstanding this his arm brought salvation to him c. Therefore is put here for Yet notwithstanding as cap. 7.14 cap. 51.21 And the sence is q. d. Though our wickedness is so great and there is none to intercede for us yet notwithstanding the Lord will deliver us his people out of the hands of the Babylonians to wit so many as are righteous and do repent in Jacob. His arm brought salvation unto him and his righteousness it sustained him q. d. His arm will bring salvation to Jacob that is to the Jews and his righteousness will uphold him that is Jacob that is the Jews against the Babylonians yea and deliver him out of their hands This may seem to be the natural Interpretation of these words and so should I have took it had not a parallel place to wit cap. 63.5 which is not so capable of this Interpretation put me to seek another When therefore I consider those words cap. 63.5 Therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me and my fury it uphâ—ld me and when I consider withall those words which follow in this place viz. For he put on righteousness as a brestplate and an helmet of salvation upon his head My thoughts are that there is both
which he saith here is this That they shall not need to toyl and moyl as Countrymen use to do about their Cattel and about their Corn and about their Vineyards but they should sit still and have all done to their hands So that they should feed of the flock and eat of the field and drink of the Vineyard without sweat and labor But how should the Jews have strangers thus to moyl and toyl for them and they themselves fit still Ans They should take some captives in war and make them their servants others they should hire for their mony for they should be rich enough to do it so that one way or other they should have all their moyling Country-work done for them without any trouble of their own 6. But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord And why shall they be named or called the Priests of the Lord Ans Because as the Priests of the Lord the sons of Aaron were maintained by the labor of the other Tribes and labored not in Husbandry as the other did for the Lord gave them the Tythes of the Flock and of the Herd and of the Corn and the Oblations which were offered that they might the better wait upon their Ministry So should the whole Nation of the Jews live by the labors of the strangers and have their meat and their bread and their wine brought in to them without any pains at all by them taken But ye There is an emphasis in this Pronoun Ye Men shall call you the Ministers of our God This is a repetition of the former sentence for he meaneth hereby those Ministers and Servants of God which minister at the Altar and serve him in holy things Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles i. e. For ye shall eat of the Flocks and of the Herds of the Gentiles about which you took no pains See cap. 60.7 The riches of many people of old consisted chiefly in Flocks and in Herds therefore are riches put here for Flocks and for Herds This is another reason to shew why they should be called the Priests of the Lord and the Ministers of their God in the sence given For the Prophet doth often follow that with one reason which he ushered in with another And in their glory shall ye boast your selves i. e. And ye shall enjoy and rejoyce in their riches This is a repetition of the former sentence What he called riches just before he calleth glory here per Metonymiam Effecti because riches were the Gentiles glory i. e. They were that in which they gloryed themselves and that for which they were renowned by others Shall ye boast your selves i. e. Shall ye rejoyce To boast of a thing sometimes signifieth to joy or delight ones self in a thing because they which boast of a thing take joy and delight in what they boast of 7. For the shame ye shall have double Supple Honor q. d. Ye have been put to shame by the Babylonians whose bondmen ye have been but for that your shame ye shall receive twice as much Honor. And for confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion i. e. And for the confusion which they have suffered God will give them a great portion of Honor in which portion of Honor they shall rejoyce This is a repetition of the former sentence onely he changeth the second person into the third for this belongeth to those Jews to whom he spoke before For confusion Confusion signifieth the same thing as shame did In their portion i. e. In that portion of Honor which God will give them so great shall it be Therefore in their Lord they shall possess the double i. e. For whereas they have been put to shame in a strange Land to wit in Babylon they shall possess twice as much Honor in their own Land as they have suffered shame in a strange Land Therefore is put here for For or Because as Cap. 26.14 The double i. e. A portion of Honor which shall be double to the shame which they have suffered Everlasting joy shall be unto them i. e. And the cause of this their joy shall proceed as from other blessings so partly from this that their God shall make them honorable See cap. 43.4 8. For I the Lord love judgment i. e. For I the Lord love upright dealing I love common Justice which giveth to every one his own and reward it wheresoever I finde it I hate robbery for burnt-offerings i. e. But I hate robbery though it be committed for this end that he that robbeth might buy a burnt-offering with that which he hath taken by robbery and offer it unto me I say I hate robbery and will punish it in whomsoever I see it By this God intimateth that he would not spare those Jews of the captivity which were given to robbery and unjust dealing And this he speaks occasionally and by the By for his main scope is contained in those words I love judgment By Judgment understand by a Synecdoche all good by robbery all evil Note that this is spoken in the person of the Lord and the Lord giveth a reason here why he will do so great things for them to whom he sent Isaiah his Prophet and why he will so honor them and the reason is because he findes Judgment and Justice in them q. d. For I the Lord love Judgment and I will reward it wheresoever I finde it and because I see it in these my people I will reward them for it Note that though most of the Jews which were carryed away captives were unjust robbers and fraughted with all manner of wickedness yet all were not so but some were upright honest men And of those which were naught some turned from their naughtiness and became good of these therefore which either persisted in their goodness or turned from their wickedness and those onely doth the Lord and his Prophet here speak And I will direct their work in truth i. e. I will direct their reward who follow after Judgment in truth Their work i. e. Their reward or the reward of their work The work is put here for the reward of the work per Metonymiam efficientis In truth i. e. According to truth Then is the reward directed according to truth when the reward is answerable and proportionable to the work which is to be rewarded Or In truth that is according to my sayings who am true in all my sayings And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them i. e. And I will renew my Covenant with them which for my part shall be everlasting for I will never break it When a Covenant is broken on any part he that breaks it can no more lay claim to it wherefore the renewing of it is as the making of a new Covenant This Covenant the Lord renewed by his Prophets and Nehemiah and others sealed to it in the name of the whole people Nehem. 10. 9. And their seed shall be known
i. e. In the Land of Judah Here is a Synecdoche integri where the whole Earth is put for a part to wit Judea In the God of Truth That which is here rendered Truth is in the Original Amen which word is not an Adverb but a Noun and signifieth Truth that is stability Note here therefore that this word Truth signifieth stability in this place and therefore it signifieth stability because it is equivalent to the Hebrew word Amen which signifieth not onely truth but stability also So doth the Apostle take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth truth for stability Ephes 4.15 as Beza well noteth upon that place God is called here the God of truth that is of stability because he shewed himself to be the God of these his servants which he called truth or stability by giving them stability in their own Land when as they had been tossed with tempest and removing to and fro in the Land of their captivity Shall swear by the God of truth i. e. Shall make mention of the God of truth when he sweareth saying If I speak false the God of truth deal so and so with me Because the former troubles are forgotten i. e. Because my servants shall forget their former troubles whereby they were tossed and carryed to and fro as though they had never been and shall enjoy a constant stability in their own Land The Lord giveth the reason here why he would call his servants truth and why he himself should be called the God of truth Are forgotten i. e. Shall be forgotten He puts a present for a future tense or else these words are to be understood as relating to the time in which men should bless themselves in the God of truth at which time all the trouble of these servants of the Lord should be forgotten as being now past And because they are hid from mine eyes Those troubles which the servants of the Lord endured are said to be hid from the Lords eyes because they were quite taken away and brought to an end 17. For behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth He confirmeth here what he said in the former Verse to wit That the former troubles should be forgotten and hid from his eyes When he saith that he would create new Heavens and a new Earth the meaning is That he would make a new face and state of things far more happy and more glorious and desirable then what his servants did now enjoy He would bring them out of such a depth of misery to such an height of happiness as that they should think themselves to be in a new world I create new Heavens The Lord saith that he would create new Heavens because he would make the Heavens brighter then they were at this time For whereas they were now black and cloudy and lowring he would make them bright and clear and full of light so that they should appear as new Heavens This is an expression which the Holy Ghost often useth when he would signifie joy and gladness and an happy estate which should be given to those which had been in misery And the ground of it seemeth to be either this That he makes the Heavens to sympathize with men and as to look black and dark when men are in misery as cap. 5.30 so to shine out when they are in prosperity as cap. 30.26 Or this That to the man which is of joyful heart all things seem pleasant whereas to him that is sorrowful all things seem sad because we receive and look upon things not as they are in themselves but as we are affected and as we are in our selves When therefore God giveth a joyful heart or that which may create joy he may be said to create new Heavens And a new Earth This is also an expression which the Holy Ghost often useth when he would signifie joy and gladness and an happy estate the ground whereof seemeth to be the very same with the ground of the former expression To which we may add That at this time the Land of Judah lay waste and desolate which should be tilled and manured and look as though it were not the same Land when the Lord should bring his people again out of Babylon into that their own Land Note here that the Holy Ghost seemeth to use such high expressions for such mean things because such mean things were types of greater things yea such things as these expressions signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the former shall not be remembred or come into minde i. e. And so glorious shall the new Heavens and the new Earth be over the old as that the old shall not be remembred or thought of that is So far shall the new face and state of things be above the old as that the old shall be quite forgotten 18. But be ye glad and rejoyce c. The Lord maketh an Apostrophe here to his servants which harkened unto his voyce whereas he spoke from the eleventh verse hitherto to them which forsook his Law But be ye glad Note that this Adversative Particle But relates to those Judgments which the Lord threatened to those which forsook his Law in the twelfth Verse and forward q. d. I said to them which forsake my Law that I would number them to the sword c. But notwithstanding be ye glad For ever Ever among the Hebrews is often put to signifie onely a long time Which I create i. e. In that great thing which I will do The Hebrews use this word create of every great and notable work of God I create Jerusalem a rejoycing i. e. I will make Jerusalem exceeding joyful He puts a rejoycing for exceeding joyful an Abstract for a Concrete and this he doth often And when he puts an Abstract thus for a Concrete he would signifie an excess of what he speaks of He speaks also of Jerusalem here as of a woman by a Prosopopoeia Her people a joy i. e. And the people which dwell in her exceeding glad Here is an Abstract again put for a Concrete 19. I will rejoyce in Jerusalem i. e. I will rejoyce and take delight in Jerusalem to do her good See Deut. 28.63 And the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in her q. d. And though there hath been heard the voyce of weeping and mourning and lamenting in Jerusalem caused by the Babylonians yet there shall be no more such a voyce heard in her 20. There shall be no more thence an Infant of days i. e. There shall be no more carryed out of Jerusalem to the grave an Infant dying in his Infancy The Lord doth here begin to tell what blessings he would bestow upon his servants after their return out of their captivity into their own Land again The first whereof is long life a blessing desired of all and a blessing like to that Exod. 23.26 The number of thy days will I fulfil Nor an old man that hath not fulfilled his days i.
because they were accounted wise and Politique would be accounted wise and politique too Ancient Kings The Egyptians boasted much of their Antiquity and the antiquity of their Kings Where are they where are thy wise men q. d. Where are they which brag thus of their wisdome He useth an Apostrophe here to the King And let them tell thee now and let them know what the Lord of Hosts hath purposed Here is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a transposition of sentences The Order is this let them know what the Lord hath purposed upon Egypt and let them tell thee now And the sence is this Let them hearken to me and let them know what the Lord of Hosts hath purposed to do upon Egypt and when they know let them tell thee I pray what course thou wert best to take to avoid what he hath purposed The first And is here Redundant When he saith let them tell thee now It is as if he should say let them tell thee I pray and the words are spoken with a Sarcasme That a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a transposition of Sentences is not unusuall in Scripture see Chap. 28. vers 1. and Hebrews Chap. 2. v. 9. Note that what the Prophet speakes here to the King of Zoan i. e. to one of the eleven Kings of Egypt which expelled Psammitichus and his Counsellours must be understood of the King of Noph also and of all other the Kings of Egypt which reigned at that time and their Counsellors as spoken to them also 13. The Princes of Zoan are become fools The Prophet speakes this as though he had heard what Counsell the Princes or State-Counsellours of the severall Kings of Egypt had given to their respective Kings when he had told them what the Lord of Hosts had purposed to do upon Egypt The Counsell which these Counsellors gave every one to his King was to look to his own one in this and another in that manner They never thought or advised that the eleven Kings should joyne together in one as one against Psammttichus So whilst every one fought singlie in his own defence they were at length all overcome by their common enemy The Princes of Noph are deceivd i. e. The State-Counsellors of the King of Noph are deceived in their Counsels giving that for good counsell to their King which is pernicious Noph was a famous City in Egypt called once Memphis now Grand Cairo By the Princes of Noph he meaneth the State-Counsellors of one of the eleven Kings of Egypt Viz. that King who had Noph in his Kingdome where the board of this Councell was And what he saith of the Counsellors of this King must be understood of the Counsellors of all the other Kings of Egypt also They have also seduced Egypt q. d. Not onely men of the common sort but they also who are of the Grandees and Oracles of the land have seduced the Egyptians by giving unto them pernicious Counsell Even they that are the stay of the Tribes thereof i. e. Even the Princes and Counsellors which are by their places the stay of the respective Kingdomes in which they live even they have seduced the Kingdomes in which they lived by their Counsels and brought them to ruine The stay These Princes are called the stay of their Countrey because they are so by their places and should be so by their Actions and Counsels Note that this word stay is a Mâ—taphoricall word of which Chap. 3.1 Of the Tribes i. e. Of the severall divisions or severall Kingdomes of Aegypt 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the middest thereof i. e. The Lord hath mingled folly with the drink in Egypt and hath made the Princes and state-Counsellours of Egypt to drink thereof I said verse 3. that the Hebrewes call any habit or quallity or act of the mind be it good or bad by the name of Spirit by reason whereof he puts a perverse spirit here for folly and he calls it a perverse spirit because it was contrary to sound counsell When he saith the Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the middest thereof he compareth the perverse spirit either to some poyson or to some intoxicating drink which is mingled with ordinary drink and he would have us by mingling of this perverse spirit to understand also that the Lord gave the Princes and state-Counsellors of Egypt the Cup which he mingled with that perverse spirit and made them to drink of it For they which mingle a Cup after that manner mingle it that it may be drunk The meaning of this place is that the Lord had infatuated the Counsels of the Princes and State-Counsellors of Aegypt And they have caused Egypt to erre in every word thereof That is and they to wit the Princes of Zoan and the Princes of Noph the stay of the Tribes of Egypt being made drunk with the Cup of this perverse spirit have made the common Egyptians which were ready to do what they advised them to to erre in whatsoever they did as if they were drunk also with the same Cup. To erre in every work To erre in the work which they undertake signifieth here to run to and fro backward and forward and to be very busie in a work but so as that they cannot get out of it or bring it to a good end That this is the meaning of these words both the next words the verse next following shew As a drunken man staggereth in his vomit A drunkard in his drunkennesse being not able to stand falls down upon the ground where he disgorgeth his filthy stomack From whence while he strives to rise he staggers and falls back againe into his beastlie vomite and thus doth he often strive to rise and often staggers and falls back againe into his vomit which the Prophet calls staggering in his vomit This place might hapily seem more plain if it had been thus rendered And they have caused Egypt to stagger in every work thereof as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit 15. Nither shall there be any worke for Egypt i. e. Neâ—ther shall there be any work which shall be profitable for Aegypt Which the head or taile branch or rush may do i. e. Which the highest or the lowest strongest or the weakest shall be able to perfect or bring to passe q. d. none of all the Egyptians shall be able to do that which is profitable for their wellfare Concerning those Metaphoricall words The head or taile branch or rush See Cap. 9.14 May do i e. Can do 16. In that day i. e. At that time in which God shall afflict the land of Judah by Sennacherib Here is a Relative put without an Antecedent And this is the beginning of a new Sermon Shall Egypt be like unto women i. e. The Egyptians shall be very much afraid and in that like women for women are naturally timerous and fearfull Because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of Hosts which he