5. And the waters shall faile from the Sea c That which the Prophet saith from this to the eleventh Verse is an amplification of one and the same thing which is this to wit that it should be so with the Egyptians as if there were no water in the Sea in regard of traffique and commerce by sea For as if there were no water in the Sea there could no Ships goe and so there would be no traffique and commerce between People and People Port and Port So should there be no traffique for the Egyptians by Sea at this time The reason why there was no traffique by sea at this time was because the Carians and Ionians took part with Psammitichus in his warres with the eleven Kings who being strong by sea took all the Vessells and Ships of Egypt which stirred out and made them Prize so that few durst stirre abroad And the River He meanes the River Nilus which was navigable in all parts of it Shall be wasted and dried up What he meaneth by these you may understand by the Notes or these words The waters shall faile from the Sea 6. And they shall turne the Rivers farre away i. e. And Nilus and other Rivers of Egypt shall be turned away out of their wonted Channels and their Channels left dry The meaning of this place is that there should be no more traffique upon the Rivers with Beates and Barks than if the Rivers were quite dried up and turned out of their Channels The Brooks of defence i. e The Brooks which defend Supple Egypt The Brooks being many in Egypt were a defence to it so that it could not be so easily over-runne by an Enemy as other Countreys might Hence the Brookâ— of Egypt might be called Brooks of defence taking defence actively Or they may be called Brookes of defence q. d. fenced Brooks or Brooks which have a defence because they were fenced and kept in with banks and heapes of earth that their waters might not easily overflow and so defence is taken passively 7. The reeds and flags shall wither Supple For lack of water The Prophet doth here Rhetorically amplifie the matter which he hath in hand and say over againe what he said before The Paper Reeds by the Brooks i. e. The Paper Reeds which grow by the Brooks Of these Reeds was writing-paper at the first made and from thence hath our Paper also its name By the mouth of the brooks i. e. By the brinks or banks of the Brooks He puts here the mouth by a Synechdoche for the lipps which are part of the mouth And by the lipps he meaneth Metaphorically the brinks of the Rivers or Brooks because as the mouth hath two lipps so hath a Brooke or River two brinks or banks on each side one Be driven away i. e. Wither or dry away This is a Metaphor taken from cattle which are driven away by Theeves and Robbers from the place where they fed Or from Birds which are driven away from their food or prey and not suffered there to be 8. The Fishers also shall mourn Viz. Because the waters shall be dried up For the waters being dried up their trade faileth there are no more fish for them to take And all they that cast Angle into the brooks i. e. And all they that were wont to angle for fish in the Brooks And they that spread nets upon the waters i. e. And they which use to spread nets upon the waters to catch fish thereby Shall languish i. e. Shall pine away and even faint supple For grief of mind that their trade of fishing by which they live failes them 9. Shall be confounded i. e. Shall be ashamed Sulppe because they have no flax to make their works of For the Rivers and Brooks being dried up the flax which was fed by them must needs dye They are said in the Scripture phrase to be ashamed or confounded who are frustrate of their hope These men therefore being frustrate of the flax which they hoped for that they might make their wonted workes of it are said to be confounded or ashamed when the waters faile whose failing causeth the flax to wither away 10. And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof all that make sluces and ponds for fish i. e. And all which make sluces to let in waters out of the Rivers into fish-ponds and all that make Ponds to keep fish in either for pleasure or profit shall be broken in the purposes of your work because the waters shall be dryed up for which they made their sluces and digged their ponds Shall be broken in their purposes i. e. Shall faile and come short of the intents and purposes of what they take in hand Thereof i. e. Of their works that is of the Sluces and the Ponds which they make and intend for fish 11. Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles Zoan was an ancient City of Egypt Numb Chap. 13. vers 22. called also Tanais The sence is q. d. the Counsellours of that King which shall be the King of Zoan or King of Tanais at that time here prophesied of shall be fooles in that day in which the Lord shall punish Egypt with civill warrs He puts a present tense for a future and speakes here of the Princes of Zoan and Noph and the Kings as though the Kingdome of Egypt were already divided into twelve Kingdoms which was not so divided at the time in which he prophesied though it was at the time of which he Prophesieth The Counsell of the wise Counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish i. e. The Counsell of the Counsellors of that King of the twelve which ruled in Zoan shall be as the Counsell of a fool which is no wiser than a brute beast The meaning is that the Counsel which their Counsellors shall give shall be no wiser to prevent the judgements which God shall bring upon Egypt than the counsell of a foole He derides the State Counsellors and wise men of Egypt because the Egyptians had a high conceit of themselves for wisedome and policie and were highly esteemed for them abroad by others And calls Pharaohs Counsellors wise Counsellors by an Ironie Of Pharaoh Pharaoh was a common name of all the Kings of Egypt as Caesar was of all the Romane Emperours How say ye unto Pharaoh I am the sonne of the wise q. d. With what face can you say unto your King glorying and baosting as you do that ye are wise He useth an Apostrophe to Pharaoh's State Counsellors I am the sonne of the wise This he speakes in the person of one of Pharaoh's privie-Counsellors or Counsellors of State by a Mimesis I am the sonne of the wise By this he would shew that Pharaoh's Counsellors thought they had wisdome and Policie as it were by inheritance The sonne of ancient Kings The chief Counsellors of the Kings of Egypt were the Egyptian Priests And they derived their Pedegree from the Ancient Kings of that Country who therefore
Babylonians Note that the Prophet speakes to the house of Iacob that is the Iewes as if they were Captives in Babylon at this time From before me Note that the Iewes while they dwelt in their own Land were said to dwell before the Lord by reason of the Lords presence in his Temple at Hierusalem Cap. 23.18 When therefore they were slaine by the sword or dyed with hunger and hard usage either in their own Land or in Babylon whither they were carried captive they were said to be destroyed from before him 20. Goe yee forth of Babylon q. d. O yee house of Iacob which are captive in Babylon goe yee out of Babylon the place of your Captivity and be yee free c. This is that which the Prophet chiefly calls to them to heare verse 16. So that we must repeat those words againe Come yee neere unto me heare yee this thus saith the Lord q. d. Come yee neere unto me I say heare yee this thus saith the Lord Goe yee forth of Babylon c. The Prophet speakes here as though Cyrus had already vanquished the Babylonians and given the Iewes leave to depart into their owne Country Fly yee from the Chaldaeans To flye signifieth here to make haste but not as he which flies for feare lest that he should be apprehended and taken But as he that is newly set at liberty when he was in bondage for such love to hasten from the place of their bondage to their own homes and hasten with a great deale of joy From the Chaldaeans By the Chaldaeans and the Babylonians are meant all one people who are called Babylonians from the chiefe City Babylon and Chaldaeans from Chaldaea the chiefe Country wherein Babylon stood With a voyce of singing i. e. With a great deale of joy and gladnesse of heart Declare yee What they should declare he tells in the latter end of this and in the next verse and he speakes to them here as if they had been even then already redeemed and bought back into their owne Country And as if the Arme of Cyrus had been then upon the Babylonians to vex them and destroy them Vtter it even to the end of the earth i. e. Utter it so as that all people may heare it even they also that dwell in the end of the earth The Lord hath redeemed his servant Iacob Supple Out of the Babylonish Captivity Iacob by Iacob understand the Iewes the children of Iacob 21. And they thirsted not when he led them through the desarts By the desarts are meant those desarts which lay between Babylon and Iudaea in which desarts the Iewes were like most of all to want water to quench their thirst as they returned from Babylon into their owne Countrey Note that that which the Prophet meaneth by this and that which followeth in this verse is this that the Iewes should want nothing in their returne from Babylon homewards but the Lord would abundantly provide for them whatsoever they should want And he alludeth here to what the Lord did for Israel when he bought him out of Egypt for the Hebrewes doe often expresse like things by like as was said Cap. 4.5 He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them The Prophet alludeth here to what the Lord did for Israel in the way from Egypt Exod. 17.6 Numb 20.11 He clave the rock also i. e. Yea he clave the rock to give them water to drinke Note that the word Also is put here for the word Yea for this is but a Repetition of what went before in more earnest termes 22. There is no peace saith the Lord unto the wicked But there is no peace or joy saith the Lord to the Babylonians who afflicted Iacob but sorrow and affliction This also is part of that Song or Proverbe which he would have them sing or say verse 20. No peace Peace signifieth among the Hebrewes all manner of joy and prosperity but here by no peace understand not onely the want of joy and prosperity but the contrary also thereto viz. Sorrow and Calamity To the wicked By the wicked in generall are here meant the Babylonians in particular which afflicted the Iewes and brought them under them Of whose wickednesse you may read Cap. 47. verse 6 7. c. ISAIAH CHAP. XLIX LIsten O Isles unto me The Prophet Isaiah speakes here in his own person but as he speakes he is a Type of Christ and many passages of this his speech will better agree with Christ the Anti-type than with him the Type but yet agree with him too Listen O Isles i. e. Listen to me all yee which dwell in Isles Metonymia Continentis By the name of Isles may be meant not only Isles or Islands as we call them that is parcells of the earth environed with Seas or waters But also all parts of the earth adjoyning to Seas and waters for these also are commonly called Isles among the Hebrewes yea all the Kingdomes and Countries may be called Isles by a Metaphor because every Country is bounded by its severall Lawes and customes and severed from other Countries and Kingdomes by their severall Lawes and customes as Isles are severed from other parts of the earth by Seas and waters And hearken yee people from farre i. e. And hearken yee people which live afarre off He speakes here to the Heathen and speaking to those which dwelt afarre off from him he excludeth not those which dwelt neerer hand But the question may be asked why he speakes to the Heathen Answ He speakes to them because he hath something to say which concerneth them verse 6. And because the Lord would have all to know that he is the Saviour of the Jewes and their Redeemer verse 26. That they might forsake their Idols and looke unto him and be saved as Cap. 45.22 The Lord called me from the wombe i. e. The Lord called me to be his Servant and to doe his worke so soon as ever I was borne yea so soon as ever I was conceived in the wombe To say that I was so or so from the wombe is a proverbiall kinde of speech and oftentimes Hyperbolically used as Psal 22.10 Psal 58.3 Isa 48.8 But yet the Hebrews as in many other places so in this take the words properly and say that Isaiah was called to be a Prophet from the wombe because the Lord intending to make him a Prophet did give him a good temperature of the Braine which is requisite for a Prophet while he was yet in his mothers wombe Not because every one which hath a good temperature of braine is presently a Prophet but because every Prophet hath a good temperature of braine From the bowells of my mother hath he made mention of my name i. e. From the bowells of my mother hath hee called me by name This is a repetition of the former Sentence He hath made mention of my name i. e He hath called me by name Note that the Prophet useth here a Synechdoche
22. And they shall look unto the earth To wit for succour from other men or Nations being their King cannot succour them And behold trouble and darknesse q.d. But whether they look up to heaven to God or downwards to the earth to men They shall find no aid or relief but they shall see trouble and darknesse on every side For God will be angry with them from above and their enemies shall possesse all things and keep all things from them in the earth beneath c. And is put here for But. Darknesse i. e. Calamity and Misery A Metaphor Dimnesse of anguish i. e. Sore vexing and tormenting Misery or Calamity Note that it is usuall with the Hebrewes to put a Substantive of the Genitive Case for an Adjective Wherefore when he saith Dimnesse of anguish it is as if he had said Sore vexing and tormenting dimnesse i. e. Sore vexing and torminting misery or calamity Note that both Darknesse and Dimnesse do signifie here the same thing Viz. Misery or Calamity For the Hebrewes do usually put words which signifie darkness to signifie all kind of Misery or â—alamity See Cap. 5. v 30. Note also that this word Dimnesse doth not signifie lesse in this place than the word Darknesse doth But is put here for Darknesse and with these words Of anguish added to it It signifieth more than the word Darknesse signifieth by it self For the Prophet useth a Gradation here q. d. Behold trouble and darknesse yea dimnesse or darknesse of anguish q. d. Behold trouble and Miserie yea sore vexing and tormenting trouble and misery And they shall be driven into darknesse Viz. As wild beasts are driven into a net or Toile which they cannot escape Into darknesse The word Darknesse signifieth otherwise here than it did in the former sentence Nor is it wonder being that Metaphoricall words signifie variously in the former sentence therefore the word Darknesse signified Miserie but here it signifieth a state or condition of mind in which a man knoweth not what to do or what course or counsel to take being even at his wits ends And that by a Metaphor drawn from bodily darknesse For as in such a case we cannot see to do any thing with our bodily eyes so in this case we cannot see with the eyes of our mind what to do ISAIAH CHAP. IX NEverthelesse the dimnesse shall not be such c. This dependeth upon the former Chapter and containeth a mitigation of the great calamity affliction which was there threatned against the men of Judah For in the last Verse of that Chapter he said that there should be in Judah dimnesse of anguish and here he saith That Neverthelesse the dimnesse shall not be such as was in her vexation c. The dimnesse shall not be such as was in her vexation i. e. The Misery and Calamity which shall befall the Land of Judah shall not be so great as the Misery and Calamity which shall befall the Land of Israel in the time of Her vexation As was in her vexation i. e. As shall be in the time of the Vexation of the Land of Israel He puts a Relative here without an Antecedent as the Hebrews use often pointing as it were to the Land of Israel when he saith Her vexation And he puts a Preterperfect for a Future tense When this time of Vexation was the next words shew When at first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Nepthali i. e. When he shall lightly afflict the Land of Zebulun and the Land of Nepthali The Land of Zebulun and the Land of Nepthali were parts of Galilee Zebulun of the lower Galilee and Nepthali of the upper Galilee and are here put by a Synecdoche to signifie all Galilee consisting of the upper and lower which Galilee was a part and but a part of the land of Israel or of the Kingdome of the ten Tribes This lighter affliction which is here prophesied of was that which was made by Tiglah-Pilesser who came against the King of Israel and grievously afflicted that part of the Land of Israel which was called Galilee 2 King 15. v. 29. And this part of the affliction of the Land of Israel here spoken of seemeth to have been wrought by Tiglah-Pilesser when Ahaz hired him to come up and save him out of the hand of the King of Syria and the King of Israel 2 Kings 16.7 And afterwards did more grievously afflict her i. e. And shall afterwards more grievously afflict the Land of Israel He useth a Preterperfect or Preterimperfect tense for a Future By the way of the Sea By the way of the Sea is meant the Tract or Region of Land which borders upon the Sea And by the Sea is meant the Sea of Tyberias which is also called the Lake of Gennasaret Beyond Jordan i. e. Near to Jordan For so is this praeposition observed to signifie John 1.28 and elsewhere in relation to the Hebrew Jordan was the chiefest and most noted river of all the Land of Canaan It arose neer unto Mount Libanus which was in the utmost parts of the Land of Israel where were two fountaines or springs one called Jor the other Dan which after a little space joyned their waters and made and named the River Jordan This river ran into the Sea of Tyberias and then breaking out of that Sea ran along with a greater streame while it fell into the dead Sea In Galilee of the Nations By Galilee of the Nations some take the Vpper some the Lower Galilee and both give their particular reasons why the Galilee which they mean should distinctively be called Galilee of the Nations But I rather take Galilee of the Nations for all Galilee conteining the Vpper and Lower Galilee together And Galilee so taken is called Galilee of the Nations not as by a Note of distinction but as by a note of declaration as if he should say in Galilee which is so populous and frequented and inhabited with men of divers Countries and Nations Galilee was frequented and inhabited by men of other Countries and Nations because it was a rich and fertile Countrey and convenient for merchandise because of the convenience of the Seas and the Rivers for Galilee reached from the Sea of Tiberias to the Mediterranean Sea so that it invited many forreign Merchants and Strangers thither And the Prophet seemeth to mention this populousnesse of Galilee here that he might make the desolation more grievous which should be begun by Tiglah-Pileser and should be finished therein by Salmaneser For note that this latter affliction was wrought by Salmanâ—ser of which you may read 2 King 17. v. 5. Note here that this affliction and desolation which Salmaneser made by the way of the Sea and beyond Jordan in Galilee of the Nations must be understood by a Synecdoche of the affliction and desolation of all the Land of Israel for Salmaneser made a desolation in all the Land and carried all away captive though it
which you may read Gen. 19.22 And it sheweth that the Moabites were sorely persecuted which would flie to a City of Judah for Refuge For the Moabites were in enmity with Judah at this time and would not pay him the Tribute which was due to him from them Cap. 16. v. 1 6. But what will not fear do Accipitrem metuens pennis trepidantibus ales Audet inhumanas fessa venire sinus Nec se vicino dubitat committere tecto Quae fugit infestos territa cerva canes Ovid de Ponto Lib. 2. Eleg. 2. Shall flie Roaring and crying as they goe An heifer of three yeares old i. e. As an Heifer of thrâ—e yeares old The Hebrewes often leave the Note of similitude to be understood An Heifer of this age is strong and lusty and therefore will run stoutly and bellow loudly as it runneth Therefore to such an Heifer may they be well likened which flie with all speed and cry aloud for fear and grief as they flie along For by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they goe it up i. e. For they shall goe up to Luhith with great weeping and lamentation as they goe This Causall For is to be referred to those words my heart shall cry for Moab as relating to them immediately And so it must as often as it is repeated in this Chapter For in every place where it is repeated it sheweth a Cause why the Prophets heart and every ones heart else should cry for Moab Shall they goe it up This Relative It is here redundant after the Hebrew manner By the mounting up of Luhith i. e. As they goe up by the ascent of Luhith The way which led to Luhith was on an ascent or mounting up For Luhith was a City scituate on a Hill near unto Heshbon not farre from Arnon Shall they i. e. Shall the people of Moab Although there is no formall Antecedent here to this Relative yet it is easie to be understood By the way of Horonaim i. e. By the way which leadeth to Horonaim which also was a City of the Moabites Shall they i. e. Shall the Moabites or People of Moab The meaning is not all the People of Moab shall go up to Luhith and weep as they go And that all the People of Moab shall go to Horonaim and weep as they go But the meaning is that they that goe up to Luhith shall weep as they goe and they that goe to Horonaim shall cry as they go c. A cry of Destruction i. e. A grievous and lamentable cry such as they use to make which see their Countrie and wives and Children and whatsoever is near unto them destroyed It may be that Luhith and Horonaim were Cityes of Defence and well fortified whether those Moabites that could betook themselves in this Publique Calamity Or else there were high places there whether they went to weep as they were wont to Baiith and Dibon v. 2. 6. For the waters of Nimrim We read of Nimrah a City of the Gadites Numb 32.3 which is also called Beth-nimrah Numb 32.36 and Josh 13.27 Which City although it appertained to the Gadites yet was possessed by the Moabites at this time this is that City which is here called Nimrim or the waters of Nimrim For by the waters of Nimrim may be meant Nimrah or Nimrim it self And it may be called the waters of Nimrim because it was scituate upon the waters and therewith encompassed as Tire is called the Sea Cap. 23.3 because it was scituate upon the Sea and therewith girded Shall be desolate i. e. Shall be forsaken of its Inhabitants and left desolate without any people in it Note that this Conjunction For depends immediately upon these words My heart shall cry for Moab For the Hay is withered away Note that this also relates immediately unto those wordes My heart shall cry for Moab He puts Hay here for Grasse of which they make Hay per Metonymiam mateteriae How came the hay to wither away and the grasse to faile and every green thing to consume away in the land of Moab at this time Answer From the multitude of their enemies which even with their multitude of horse and men partly devoured the grasse and every green thing and partly trod them down and trampled them under feet You may observe here how the Present or Preterperfect tense is confounded in this Verse with the Future which is a thing usuall with the Prophets because the things which they speak of though they are not yet come shall as assuredly come as if they were come already 7. Therefâ—re the abundance they have gotten and that which they have laid up shall they carry away to the brook of the willowes i. e. Therefore the abundance of cattle and wealth which the Moabites have heretofore gotten by their labour and industry and the silver and gold which they have heretofore laid up for themselves and their Children shall these enemies of the Moabites which are now Masters of it being they cannot quarter any longer in the land of Moab for want of provision carry away to the brook of the Willowes q d. And because the hay in the Land of Moab is dryed up and the grasse faileth and there is no green thing there these enemies of the Moabites having eaten up and spoiled all the Provision in the land of Moab shall seek fresh Quarters and goe with all the plunder which they have spoiled the Moabites of to the Brooke of the Willowes Note that there be divers Relatives here without Antecedents which is usuall with the Hebrewes who leave the Antecedents to be gathered by the circumstances of the place As what the Prophet saith in this Verse may be an argument ab effectu to make good what he saith of the failing of the grasse and the hay and every green thing So may it shew a new misery of the Moabites for which he may justly cry and lament To the brook of the Willowes This was some noted Brook about which grew great store of Willowes which are wont to grow in watery grounds and delight therein About this brook it is likely that there were good store of rich Pastures and feedings and therefore these enemies of the Moabites went out of the land of Moab and carried all that they had plundered or taken thither there to refresh themselves their horses and Cattle This Place or Brook of the Willowes was not in the Land of Moab It is commonly thought to have been in a Valley of Arabia and to have been in the way from the land of Moab to Assyria Howsoever certainly it was the most convenient place these enemies of the Moabites could chuse for prosecuting of their Victories over the Moabites 8. For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab i e. For a grievous cry and lamentation is heard in all the borders of Moab round about This relates also and depends upon those wordes My heart shall cry for Moab
metaphoricall and do signifie that the Jewes which were in Jerusalem should be speedily freed from the danger in which they were and from the siege with which they were begirt and should be at liberty to go whither they would So that these words do signifie under a metaphor the same as those words signifie plainly Thou hast removed it farre into all the ends of the earth vers 15. He speaks of the Jews here under the metaphor of dead men because they were accounted no better then dead men and men appointed to be slain by the sword of the Assyrian 15. Enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee Shut thy doors and keep thee close a little He alludes to the manner of those which are besieged who were wont to shut up their doors and keep within during the siege as having no joy to walk abroad but chusing rather to weep and lament at home in their chambers and in their closets as also thinking by this to avoid the violence and fury of Souldiers that might chance to rush in upon them unawares See Cap. 24.10 That which is here spoken is spoken in the person of the Prophet who by occasion of Gods words mentioned in the two former verses exhorts the people of Jerusalem to bear the siege and oppression of the Assyrians patiently because they should last but a little time Vntill the indignation i. e. Untill the indignation and anger of God towards thee Cap. 10.25 21. The Lord cometh out of his place i. e. The Lord will come straight-way out of his place By the place of the Lord may be meant heaven or by the place of the Lord may be meant the Mercy-seat which was between the Cherubins in the Sanctum Sanctorum for there was the Lord wont to sit 1 Sam. 4.4 Psal 80.1 and 99.1 He speaks here of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of a man The Inhabitants of the earth i. e. The Assyrians He calls the Assyrians the Inhabitants of the earth here as he called them the Inhabitants of the world v. 18. The earth also shall disclose her blood i. e. For the earth also c. q. d. for even the earth also shall disclose the blood of the Jewes which the Inhabitants of the earth that is the Assyrians have shed and she hath drunk up that God may revenge it This seems to contain a reason why God would punish the Inhabitants of the earth The earth also q. d. For not onely those Jewes themselves which survive shall complain how many of their brethren have bin slain by the Assyrians and cry for vengance against them but the earth also shall disclose her blood c. And shall no more cover her slain i. e. And shall no longer cover and so conceal the slain which are buried in her but shall lay open the bodies of those Jews which the Assyrians have slain to the eyes of God and reveale them and call for vengeance upon the Assyrians for killing them He speaks of the earth as of a man or woman which is indued with reason by a Metaphor or Prosopopoeia and of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though the slaughter of the Jews which the Assyrians made who in this were Gods rod was just in respect of God who punished them for their sins yet it was not so in regard of the Assyrians who waged war upon the Jewes for they did it out of ambition and tyranny See cap. 10.7 c. ISAIAH CHAP. XXVII IN that day i. e. At that time in which the Assyrians shall make war upon Judea and besiege Jerusalem A Relative is put here without an Antecedent Leviathan Leviathan signifieth a Whale Psal 104.26 but allegorically it signifieth a Tyrant or great King which oppresseth and devoureth lesser Kings and people as the Whale doth lesser fish In particular Leviathan doth allegorically signifie in this place Sennacherib King of Assyria that great Tyrant and Hunter of men whom God punished when he destroyed his Army by the Ministry of an Angel and him himself by Adramelech and Sharezer his sons 2 King 19.35 36 37. The piercing serpent A serpent is a name which the Hebrews use as well of fishes as of those creatures which we call commonly serpents for as serpents creep and glide along on the ground so do fishes in the waters See Gen. 1.20 in the margin there A Whale is called a piercing serpent or a piercing fish because of his great sharp teeth which pierce when he biteth Sennacherib is called metaphorically the piercing serpent because of his cruelty That crooked serpent The Whale is no more crooked then other fish yea as straight as any he is crooked onely while he swimmeth and bendeth his tail or hinder part of his body to and fro The Prophet considereth the Whale in that posture here and by his crookedness signifieth allegorically the fraud and treachery of Sennacherib who was not straight and upright in his dealings but very treacherous and fraudulent And he shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea i. e. Yea he shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea He puts And for Yea. A Dragon is one of the greatest kindes of Land-serpents that are and is a name which we use onely of that kinde of Serpents which lives on the Land never of any Serpent which lives in the waters Whereas therefore we read here of the Dragon in the Sea it seems to be a borrowed name and given to the Whale being one of the greatest sort of fishes which are in the Sea by a Metaphor from the Dragon which is one of the greatest kinde of Serpents which are on the Land So that the Dragon here signifieth the same as Leviathan did before that is a Whale and both of them by an Allegory signifie Sennacherib King of Assyria which ruled among many people as the Whale lives among many waters in the Sea This Leviathan this Dragon even Sennacherib King of Assyria did the Lord punish when he destroyed his Army and made him himself to fly to his strong hold 2 Kings cap. 27. vers 35 36. And then slew him by the hands of his sons Adramelech and Sharezer who smote him as he was worshipping in the house of his God Nisroch 2 King 27. vers 37. In the Sea By the Sea may be meant metaphorically the many people among which Sennacherib lived and over which he ruled 2. Sing ye unto her i. e. Sing ye to her praise or to her comfort He speaks of Jerusalem here though he nameth her not A vineyard of red wine q. d. There is a vineyard of red wine Here begins the Song A vineyard of grapes which yield red wine was the best kinde of vineyard for the Scripture commends wine for the redness of it Genes 49.12 Prov. 23. v. 31. And Jerusalem was to be commended at this time for the Faith and Patience which the righteous Nation which was therein shewed This is spoken
thing i. e. He can take up the Isles as if they were but a very little thing and cast them whither he will and shake out tâ—e inhabitants thereof and then what will become of the inhabitants By the Isles understand after the Hebrew manner those Lands which lie neer to Seas or Rivers especially Mesapotamia Assyria Armenia which were under the Babylonians Yea by the Isles may be understood any Lands or any Countries as Cap. 20. vers 16. Cap. 41.1 16. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering i. e. And when we consider the greatness and power of our God all the trees of Lebanon would not be sufficient for wood nor all the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering if we should go about to offer him a burnt-offering answerable to him and worthy of him 17. Before him i. e. In respect of him They are counted to him i. e. They are counted or esteemed of him or they are accounted and esteemed in comparison of him And vanity i. e. They are counted vanity i. e. less then nought A question may here be asked Why the Prophet doth thus vilifie the Nations in the 15 16 and 17 Verses And how these Verses cohere with the former Ans The Prophet doth vilifie the Nations here in answer to another tacite Objection which a weak Jew might make For a weak Jew might say Suppose God had power and strength enough to come against the Babylonians and to deliver his people out of their hands and wisdom and discretion to manage that strength yet surely he hath not power and strength to come against all those Nations which will joyn with the Babylonians For the Babylonians have many Nations to joyn with them when they go forth to battel In answer to this Objection the Prophet saith here That the Lord is able to deal with all Nations though all Nations should joyn with the Babylonians For behold saith he the Nations are as a drop of a bucket c. 18. To whom then will ye liken God q. d. To which then of the Heathen gods will ye liken our God that ye should as meanly esteem of our God as of him The Prophet takes occasion here to speak against Idols and Idolatry For whereas the Jews which were to be carryed into captivity into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar were to live among Idolaters they were to be admonished of the Law of God which forbad Idols and of his Nature which was such as that it was not like silver or gold or the work of mans hand that they might not be drawn from God to serve Idols as the Babylonians did What likeness will ye compare to him q. d. Which of the Heathen gods will ye compare to him that ye should so highly esteem of any of the gods of the Heathen as ye do of him What likeness He calleth the gods of the Heathen Likenesses because they were but Idols the likenesses of something in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the Water under the Earth 19. The work-man melteth a graven image i. e. The work-man melteth Silver or Copper or Brass or some other baser mettal and casteth it into an Image which after he polisheth by engraving And the Goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold i. e. And the Goldsmith doth afterwards gild it over or overlay it with thin plates of gold And casteth silver chains These chains were either to put upon the neck of the Idol for ornament as some say or they were to fasten the Idol to some wall or post that it should not fall as others say 20. He that is so impoverished i. e. He that is so poor That he hath no oblation i. e. That he hath no mony to buy Brass or Copper or Silver or Gold to offer for an oblation to his God that an Image or Idol may be made thereof An Oblation is taken here for Silver or Gold or Brass or the like mettal And Oblation in general for such an oblation in special by a Synecdoche Then it is taken per Metonymiam efficientis for mony or means to purchase Silver or Gold or the the like mettal which he may offer to make an Image or Idol thereof Chooseth a tree that will not rot Pliny praiseth the Cypress and the Vine and the Juniper tree and the Mullerry tree for this purpose That shall not be moved Supple Because it is nailed or otherwise fastened to some wall or post So that the work of the cuning Work-man was first to make a graven Image out of the Tree then when he had made it to fasten it to some place or other Here is left to be understood some such words as these are And will you liken your God to one of these graven Images Or one of these graven Images to our God 21. Have ye not known c. i. e. Have ye not known that which I tell you in the next Verse viz. That God sitteth upon the circle of the Earth c. From the beginning Supple Of the World From the Foundations of the Earth i. e. From the time that the Foundations of the Earth were layd that is from the time that the World was first created The laying of the Foundations of the Earth are put by a Synecdoche membri for the Creation of the World of which he speaks Metaphorically as of a House which hath Foundations 22. It is he that sitteth upon the Circle of the Earth It is God which sitteth as a King and Governor upon the Circle of the Earth The Circle of the Earth By the Circle of the Earth may be meant the Earth its self which is of a round figure Or by the Circle of the Earth may be meant the Heavens which environ the Earth as the circumference of a Circle doth the center thereof Are as grashoppers i. e. Are as very little things in respect of him That stretcheth out the Heavens i. e. It is he that stretcheth out the Heavens c. 23. That bringeth the Princes to nothing i. e. It is he that bringeth the Princes and the great ones of the Earth to nothing By this he intimates how easily God can destroy the King of Babylon and his Nobles and his Princes The Judges of the Earth Whom he called Princes before he calleth Judges here for Princes are Judges in their Dominions As vanity i. e. Less then nought See Vers 17. 24. Yea they shall not be planted yea they shall not be sown yea their stock shall not take root in the Earth Those Princes and Judges which he spoke of in the former Verse were such as were already in honor and in a flourishing condition which notwithstanding he saith the Lord bringeth to nought Here he saith That the Lord cannot onely bring Princes and Judges which are in honor and in a flourishing condition to nought But if he so please he can blight those which never were in honor from the very womb that they shall
c. From the beginning i. e. At any time heretofore From the time that it was there am I q. d. I have not been negligent in the performance of my duty but from the time that I have been called to be a Prophet I have been diligent in my calling From the time that it was i. e. From the time that the gift of Prophecy was Supple given to me or was in me Here is a Relative without an Antecedent There am I i. e. Therein have I spent my labour and travell and doe yet spend it Note that this verbe I am though it be of the present Tense yet by a Syllepsis it comprehends the time past also Note also that where a man spends his whole labour and travell there he may be said to be himselfe Per Metonymiam efficientis The like argument to this which the Prophet here useth to move attention doth the Apostle use 1 Cor. 15.10 His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vaine but I laboured c. And now the Lord God and his spirit hath sent me i. e. And now at this time hath the Lord sent me to you with this message And his spirit Many of the ancients doe interpret this spirit of the Holy Ghost the third person in the blessed Trinity But yet because the Scripture speakes often of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Spirit is taken oftentimes for the Soul The Sense may be this And now the Lord God yea his soule hath sent me q. d. And now the Lord God hath sent me yea he hath sent me with all his Soule Which expression signifieth a great deale of Affection of him that sends to him to whom he sends This is the third argument by which the Prophet would move attention and how powerfull an argument this is Eglon King of Moab may shew who when Ehud said unto him I have a message from God unto thee Eglon arose presently out of his Seat Judges 3.20 which argument is the stronger when it is enforced with the love of God 17. Thus saith the Lord c. This is that which the Prophet speakes to them to heare verse 16. Thy Redeemer q.d. Which hath redeemed thee out of the hands of the Aegyptians and Moabits and Midianits and Assyrians and will redeeme thee out of the hands of the Babylonians The holy one of Israel i. e. The holy one whom Israel worshippeth I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit i. e. I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee such things as that if thou observest them thou shalt profit thy selfe by them for in observing my words there is great reward Which leadeth thee by the way which thou shouldst goe i. e. Which directeth thee as a guide doth a Traveller in the way wherein thou shouldst goe if thou wouldst be safe and happy The Commandements of God are often compared to a way because as by walking in the way we come to the place which we desire So doe we come to the happinesse which we long after by keeping the Commandements of the Lord. Note that that which the Lord speakes here in this and the two following verses is not that which he chiefly intends in this speech but that which he chiefly intends is to tell the house of Iacob of their delivery out of Babylon and of the afflictions which shall befall the Babylonians their enemies verse 20 21 22. And in this 17 18 19. verses he doth insinuate himselfe into the heart of his people by manifesting his love and compassion towards them that they may receive what he hath to say to them with the greater desire and beliefe 18. O that thou hadst hearkned to my Commandements i. e. O that thou hadst obeyed my Commandements heretofore This passionate Speech sheweth the love and compassion which the Lord had to his people Then had thy peace been as a River i. e. Then had not thy peace failed but had been as a River which runs continually and is not dryed up And as a River waters the earth and makes all things to flourish and look green So should thy peace have cheered thee and made all things to flourish within thee This peace which th y enjoyed was taken away by the Babylonians because of their sinnes And thy righteousnesse as the waves of the Sea The keeping of Gods commandements is righteousnesse But it is not that which is here meant by righteousnesse but the fruites of that righteousnesse and the blessings which God would have bestowed upon his people for keeping his commandments Per Metonymiam efficientis If therefore they had kept Gods commandements the blessings which God would have bestowed upon them as fruites of that their Righteousnesse should have been as the waves of the Sea Supple for abundance 19. Thy Seed i. e. Thy children Metonymia materiae Should have been as the Sand Supple for number And the off-spring of thy bowels i. e. And the off-spring which commeth out of thy bowels Like the gravell thereof i. e. Like the gravell of the Sea Soe some understanding Sea from verse 18. Others like the gravell that is like the little stones of the Sand Supple for multitude His name should not have been cut off q.d. Thou shouldst not have been cut off Supple as thou hast been by the Babylonians by reason of which thou art diminished and become few in number He speakes not here of a totall cutting off as verse 9. but a Partiall His name Note that his name is put here for He and He is put for thou by an Enallage of the Person For he speakes here of the house of Jacob in the third person to whom he spake in the Second immediately before Note that the word name doth often signifie a person as Act. 1.15 The number of the names together were about an hundred and twenty that is the number of the persons together were about an hundred and twenty And Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments that is thou hast a few persons even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments Note Secondly that this word name taken in this Nation is sometimes added Periphrastically to another word signifying or intimating a Person And yet augmenteth not the signification thereof as Isa 30.27 The name of the Lord commeth from farre that is the Lord commeth from farre c. Cap. 48.9 For my names sake will I deferre mine anger that is for mine owne sake will I deferre mine anger And 1 Iohn 32.3 This is his commandement that we should believe in the name of his Sonne Jesus Christ That is this is his commandement that we should believe in his Sonne Jesus Christ Now as the word name is Periphrastically added in those places without any augmentation of the signification so it is here and so His name is no more than He. Nor destroyed Supple As thou hast been of late by the
pass And is redundant here See Notes Cap. 2. v. 2. It came to passe in the dayes of Ahaz The story of this you may read 2 Kings 16. v 5. But could not prevaile against it This is spoken by Anticipation for thaâ— which followeth came to passe before this 2. And It was told the house of David i. e. It was told to Ahaz the King and to the nobility of the Kingdome of Judah which were of the lineage of David c. This which he speakes of was told them before Rezin and Pekah came against Judah and Hierusalem yea so soon as ever they had made this confederacy Syria is confederate with Ephraim q. d. Syria and the ten Tribes have made a league between themselves and have agreed to joyn their forces together with an intent to cut off Judah from being any more a People It was the intent of Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel in joyning their forces against Judah utterly to have cut off the People of Judah from being a People or Common-wealth or Kingdome of themselves any more For if they had taken Hierusalem they would have made the son of Tabeal King Vers 6. And so have cut off the house of David And those which they did take in the Land of Judah they carried away captive 2 Chron. 28. v. 8. Intending to have peopled the Land of Judah with some of their own People as the Eastern Conquerors were wont to doe when they intended that a People should be no more a People or Common-wealth of themselves but live dispersed here and there as slaves to others With Ephraim i. e. With the ten Tribes of Israel Ephraim which was the son of Joseph Gen. 41.52 and the grand-child of Jacob and by him adopted and made as one of his own sonnes Gen. 48. v. 5. â—is put here for the Tribe of Ephraim per Metonymiam efficientis And the Tribe of Ephraim for the ten Tribes of Israel by a Synecdochen membri And this Tribe rather than any other because Jeroboam which was the first King of Israel was of this Tribe As also because this was the chiefest Tribe of the ten And his heart was moved i. e. And Ahaz trembled and quaked for fear The heart is put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche And the heart of his People i. e. And all his People when they heard of it trembled and quaked also The fear of Ahaz and of his People was least they should be utterly destroyed and be no more a People which fear was the greater in them because they trusted not in God nor believed his Prophets who prophesied the contrary 3. Then said the Lord unto Isaiah goe forth now to meet Ahaz Isaiah is sent to Ahaz the King because Ahaz was most afraid and because this message concerned the good of the Kingdome whereof he was head Thou and Shear-jashub thy son Shear-jashub signifieth a remnant shall return and this name was given by Gods appointment to one of the sons of Isaiah to signifie that though the Jewes should be brought into a miserable condition by their enemies yet a remnant at least should return to their former happiness and should enjoy the priviledge of being a People and Common-wealth of themselves And though the Jewes should be expelled and driven from their dwellings by the prevailing of their enemies yet a remnant of them at least should return to their dwellings again and there live and increase and enjoy the happinesse of being a People and Common-wealth of themselves Because Ahaz feared that he and his People would be utterly destroyed and cut off from being a People when Rezin and Pekah had both agreed to joyn their Armies and forces together against them Therefore was it that God commands Isaiah to go meet Ahaz and carry Shear-jashub his son with him for the sonnes of Isaiah were for signes and wonders in â—srael cap. 8. v. 18. that Isaiah might confirm him and his people not with words onely but with a sign of comfort also from God that Rezin and Pekah should not utterly cut them off from being a People or Common-wealth any more of themselves At the end of the Conduit of the upper pool Ahaz had gone out thither either to walk or to see how that place was fortified or might be made advantagious for the defence of the City against the enemy There were two Pooles near Hierusalem whereof one was called the upper Poole the other the nether Poole from their scituation In the high-way of the Fullers field i. e. In the high-way which is near to the fullers field Or which goeth through the fullers field Fullers use much water in their trade and therefore are wont to dwell near some Pool or river and they had need of some open field to dry their clothes in when they were wet and such a kind of field was it which is here called the fullers field 4. Take heed Supple That thou distrust's not God and send'sts to the King of Assyria for aid against Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel And be quiet i. e. And sit quietly at home and neither goe thou nor send thou to Assyria for help When Ahaz heard that Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel made a confederacy against him he trembled and quaked notwithstanding the good word of the Lord to him and would not be quiet but thought either to go or to send messengers to Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria for help 2 Kings 16. v. 7. From this therefore doth the Prophet dehort him in these words Take heed and be quiet q. d. Take heed and send not for aid abroad neither be thou moved but put thy confidâ—nce in God For in rest shalt thou be saved in quietnesse and confidence shall be thy strength See the like Cap. 30 v. 15. For the two tailes of these two smoaking fire-brands i. e. By reason of the two tailes of these two smoaking fire-brands q. d. Let not the two tailes of these two smoaking fire-brands thus disquiet thee and make thee to send for aid abroad What he meaneth by the two tailes of the smoaking firebrands he telleth in the next words By the two tailes of the smoaking firebrands he meaneth Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel whom he calleth firebrands because of their rage and fury against Judah and smoaking fire-brands because they could but smoak they could not burn They could but terrifie they could not destroy Judah And he calls them tailes or ends of fire-brands because as the tailes or ends of fire-brands are soon spent and consumed so should they shortly come to an end and perish For the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria q. d. that is by reason of the fierce anger of Rezin King of Syria and his people the people of Syria He explaineth what he meant by the former words Of the son of Remaliah i. e. Of Pekah Son of Remaliah King of Israel He giveth Pekah
Judge promiseth that he will be righteous in his Office and administer justice justly and truly and indifferently who if he keeps this his promise and doth according to it he is said to be faithfull And this his righteous d aling may therefore be called faithfullnâ—sse But otherwise he is unfaithfull and his doings may be tearmed an adultery and he an Adulterer by a Metaphor from the keeping or breaking a promise made in wedlock between man and wife See Notes Cap. 1. v. 21. 6. The Wolfe also shall dwell with the Lamb. q. d. And because of Hezekiah's due and faithfull administration of justice men shall dwell so peaceably together that one shall not dare to offend or wrong the other The Wolf is a ravenous beast which devoureth the Lamb the lamb a gentle Creature and the usuall prey of the Wolfe When therefore he saith that the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb quietly his meaning by a Proverbe is to shew that those men which were given to rapine and violence shall in Hezekiah's dayes give over their lewd Courses and betake themselves to an honest kind of life This is that also which he meaneth by the Leopards lying down with the Kid And the Calfes and young Lyons being together c. And the young Lyon The young Lyon is more fierce and lusty than the old Lyon and more greedy of his prey yet here he saith that he shall not prey as he was wont upon the Calfe and the fatling but go and walk friendly together with them The Fatling i. e. The fat Cattle Together i. e. Shall be or walk or go together for these or one of these words is here to be understood And a little Child shall lead them i. e. And a little Child shall be able to lead them It sheweth every one of these beasts to be tame that they will be lead by a man but much more if they be such as that a little Child may lead them 7. Shall feed and lye down together He meaneth they shall lye down together peaceably and quietly And the Lyon shall eat straw like an Oxe And if the Lyon shall eat straw like an Oxe he will no more prey upon other Beasts which he did onely to eat them for satisfaction of his hunger but be as free from that as the Oxe 8. The sucking Child The sucking Child is the weakest of all Children and lesse able to resist any hurtfull thing Shall play on the hole of the Aspe Supple Without any hurt q. d. The sucking Child shall play on the hole of the Aspe and yet notwithstanding the Aspe shall not hurt him The Aspe is a venomous kind of Serpent though it be but little and loveth holes to lurk in The weaned Child i. e. The Child which is newly weaned and therefore unable to withstand any noxious thing Shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den Supple And yet the Cockatrice shall neither hurt him nor sting him The Cockatrice also is a Venomous kind of Creature and dangerous 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy i. e. Neither the Wolfe nor the Leopard nor the young Lyon nor the Beare nor the Lyon nor the Aspe nor the Cockatrice by which are meant wicked men or men of rapine and violence shall hurt or destroy the Lamb the Kid the Calfe and fatling the Cow the Oxe the Sucking Child by which are meant simple and well-meaning men in all my holy mountaine In all my holy mountaine i. e. In all the Kingdome of Judah The Prophet speakes here in the person of God and by Gods holy mountaine he meaneth Mount Sion upon which the Temple stood and by a Synecdoche the whole Kingdome of Judah For the earth shall be full By the earth is meant the land of Judah by a Synecdoche as v. 4. Full of the knewledge of the Lord. i. e. Full of the knowledge of the will and law of the Lord. The Lord is put here by a Metonymie for the will and commandements of the Lord. And here he alludes to a Channel full of water as appeares by the next words where he compares the Land of Judah to the Channel and the knowledge of the Lord to the waters which fill the Channel As the waters cover the Sea q. d. As the Channel of the Sea is full of waters with which it is covered By the Sea is meant here the Channel of the sea per Metonymiam adjuncti For properly the Sea is the waters which are gathered together in a great Channel Gen. 1. v. 10. The Prophet here gives another reason of what he said from the sixth verse hitherto that is why the Wolfe should dwell with the Lamb c. That is Why wicked men or men of rapine and violence should leave their old course of life and live civilly with civill men And this other reason is because the knowledge of God should be more plentifull among them than it had been For if the ignorance of the will of God doth alienate from the life of God as the Apostle speakes Eph. 4.18 That is doth make men strangers to a godly life the knowledge of God will cause men to lead the life of God that is to lead a godly life Now that Hezekiah did promote and propagate the knowledge of the Lord Read 2 Chron. Cap. 29.30 31. and in particular 2 Chron. Cap. 30. v. 22. 10. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensigne c. i. e. q. d. And at that time in which there shall come forth a rod out of the stemme of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his root as v. 1. that stemme of Jesse and that branch which shall grow out of his root shall stand for an ensigne for the people c. There shall be a root of Jesse By the root of Jesse he meaneth Hezekiah which he called the rod of the stem of Jesse and the branch of the root of Jesse v. 1. Hezekiah is said to be a root of Jesse by a Metonymie because he was a branch growing out of the root of Jesse v. 1. Or we may say that as by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Genus is understood both the lead of a generation or kindred and the generation or kinred it self So both the head of a generation or kinred and the generation or kinred it self is meant by the root in the Hebrews manner of speaking For it signifies the head v. 1. And it signifies the off-spring Revel 22. v. 16. Which shall stand for an ensigne of the people i. e. To whom many of the Gentiles shall repaire as Souldiers do to their Ensigne or Colours A Metaphoricall Phrase More than probable it is that the people which dwelt near unto Judaea hearing of and seeing the happinesse and prosperity of Hezekiah's raign did desire to dwell or sojourne in the land of Judah and to be under the protection of Hezekiah especially such as did turn to the Lord By which
Land That is because thou hast destroyed the people of thy Land He puts the Land for the People thereof by a Metonymie But how did Sennacherib destroy the People of his Land Answer Perhaps Sennacherib was such a one as Nero was which delighted or sported himself in the death of his People Or therefore might Sennacherib be said to destroy his People because by his pride and blasphemy he provoked God to cut off his mighty Army by an Angel in which Army he had so many of his people as that the Aethiopian said of the Assyrians at that time that they were a Nation scattered and peeled to wit by reason of the great multitude of men which Sennacherib had taken out of Assyria and carried with him to invade Judea Cap. 18. v. 2. And indeed it is a Tradition among the Jewes that Sennacherib's Subjects were extreamly incensed against him for that losse especially they which had any Fathers or Sonnes or Brothers or any near Kinn therein Any of these Reasons may be reason enough to a rabble to ransack the Sepulchres of the dead and to draw out the body of a Tyrant or such as they were incensed against from thence to use it reproachfully The seed of evill doers See Chap. 1. v. 4. Shall never be renowned i. e. Shall never be had in that memory as the righteous shall Psal 109. v. 15. 21. Prepare slaughter for his Children q. d. O yee Medes prepare your selves and come and slay the Children of Sennacherib This Apostrophe is to the Medes who as I said about this time did break in pieces the Empire of the Assyrians of which Sennacherib was late King Note here that he of whom the former part of this Proverb was made was dâ—ad before God called to the Medes to prepare slaughter for his Children and before Babylon was destroyed as will appear to those that attentively read this Proverb or Song And so was Sennacherib He therefore is the subject of the former part of this Proverb or Song and to none doth it agree so well as to him For the iniquity of their Fathers i. e. For the iniquity of Sennacherib their Father Salmanaser their Grand-father and Tiglah-Pilesar their great Grand-father who had grievously oppressed as other people so especially the Children of Israel That they doe not rise Supple To that power and glory which their Father Sennacherib once had Nor possesse the Land Supple Which their Fatheâ— possessed Nor fill â—he 〈◊〉 of the world with Cities i e. And that they build not Cities upon the face of the earth as their Fathers have done Proud Tyrants though they pulld own and destroy Cities in some places yet they build again in other that they may become famous thereby to present and future ages And for the most part they call the Cities which they build after their own names as Alexander Caesarea Antiochia were called from Alexander Caesar and Antiochus 22. The name i. e. All which are called by his name as being of his bloud He puts the name for the party named by a Metonymie And remnant i. e. And those which remain alive of his bloud It is likely that many of Sennacherib's house and race were slain in his warres as it often happeneth to the Kinred and Children of other Princes and therefore he saith the remnant supple of Sennacherib's Kinn And Son and Nephew Supple Of Sennacherib 23. I will make it also a possession for the Bittern i. e. I will also make Babylon it self a place for the Bittern where it may haunt and abide quietly and not be de disturbed by any man A Bittern is a solitary fowl or bird which delighteth in fenny places and waters And pooles of water Babylon stood in a marish and fenny ground yea where Babylon stood it was at first all water called a Sea as Eusebius reporteth in the latter part of the ninth Book of his Evangelicall Preparation out of Abydenus very likely therefore it is that a great part of it if not all lay so low as that it was fain to be defended from the inundation and overflowing of the River Euphrates and other waters by banks which banks being broken down by the Medes Babylon or at least a great part of it must needs become a pool or pooles of water And I will sweep it with the Besome of destruction i. e. And I will utterly destroy every man out of it He alludes to a maide which sweepeth her house that she may purge it and cleanse it from all the dirt and dust and filth that is therein For as such a one so sweepeth her house as that she leaves not the least piece of dust or dirt or filth in it So saith the Prophet will the Lord so cleanse Babylon of the wicked and filthy Inhabitants thereof as that he will leave none in it but destroy them all The besome of destruction i. e. The destructive besome or a besome which shall destroy them He puts a Substantive of the Genitive case for an Adjective as the Hebrews are wont and takes destruction actively Note that this Verse containes an Answer to that Question which was moved vers 4. How is the golden City ceased For here he answers that Babylon the Golden City ceased through the Power of God who made it a possession for the Bittern and Pools of water who also swept it with the besom of destruction Here ends the Proverb which he began v. 5. 24. The Lord of Host hath sworn saying c. This is a Prophesie distinct from that which went before which yet seemes here to be added because it concerns Sennacherib as the former part of this Chapter did As I have thought Supple To do So shall it come to passe Supple Which I have thought of It shall stand A purpose is said to stand which we alter not till we have effected what we purposed 25. That I will break the Assyrian This is that which the Lord thought and shall come to passe And which he purposed and shall stand The Assyrian By the Assyrian he means Sennacherib first who was King of Assyria by way of excellency Then he meanes Sennabherib's Army by a Metonymie In my land i. e. In Judaea Why Judaea was called the land of the Lord See v. 2. And upon my Mountaines id est Upon the Mountaines of Judaea my Land Judaea was a Mountainous Countrey and Hierusalem was encompassed with mountaines Psal 125.2 on which Sennacherib's Army was slaine This was performed 2 Kings Chap. 19.35 Then shall his yoake i. e. The yoake of Sennacherib the Assyrian which he hath put upon the necks of the men of Judah the People of God What he meanes by the yoak See Cap. 9.4 and 10.27 From off them i. e. From off the men of Judah but especially of Hierusalem He puts here a Relative without an Antecedent and seems to point at them of whom he speaks And his burden depart from off their shoulders This is the same for
v. 5. The howling thereof unto Eglaim and the howling thereof unto Beer-Elim i. e. The cry and lamentation of Moab is heard to Eglaim it is heard to Beer-Elim These two Toâ—â—es Eglaim and Beer-Elim were in the uttermost Coasts of the land of Moab Thereof i. e. Of Moab i e. Of the Moabites Moab is put by a Metonymie for the Moabites or Children of Moab 9. For the waters of Dimon shall be full of bloud The Prophet alludes to the name of Dimon which is derived from Bloud signifieth Bloudy And saith that Dimon shall be filled with the bloud of the Moabites which shall be slaine at this time It is thought by comparing this place with that of the second of Kings Cap. 3. v. 20. c. that this Dimon was that River which came by the way of Edom into the Land of Moab by the meanes of Elisha when the King of Israel and the King of Judah and the King of Edom went together against Moab to battle and they and their Armies were distressed for want of water And that it was called Dimon that is Bloudy First because the Moabites when they saw the Sunne shine upon the water as red as bloud said this is Bloud Secondly because the waters of that River were coloured with the bloud of the Moabites which were slain there close by that River or those waters at that time Note that this sentence must be referred as the former were to those words My heart shall cry for Moab v. 5. For I will bring more upon Dimon i. e. For I the Lord will bring more streames of bloud upon Dimon q. d. When the three Kings of Israel Judah and Edom warred against Moab The Lord slew so many of the Moabites as that whole streames of their bloud ran into Dimon and raised the waters thereof and as the Lord did then so will he do now againe he will slay so many of the Moabites as that more streams of their bloud shall run into Dimon and encrease the waters thereof therewith Note that the Prophet speakes here in Person of God Lions upon him that escapeth of Moab i. e. I will also bring for these words are here to be repeated or understood Lions upon that Moabite which escapeth the sword and they shall devoure him And upon the remnant of the Land i. e. And upon them that remaine alive in the land of Moab after the desolation and destruction here spoken of The like judgement of this by Lions we read of 2 Kings 17.25 Note that this Prophesie and that which followeth in the next Chapter were not delivered at one and the same time but yet they concern one and the same judgement of the Moabites for the Prophets did often repeat one and the same Prophesie as they were moved thereunto concerning the fulfilling therefore of this Prophesie we shall speak at the end of the next Chapter ISAIAH CHAP. XVI SEnd ye the Lamb to the Ruler of the Land c. For the understanding of this place we must know that David made warre upon the Moabites and overcame them he put two parts of them to the sword and one part of them he spared upon this condition that they should become his servants and acknowledge him for their Lord and pay him a yearely Tribute 2 Sam. 8.2 This Tribute was yearely to be an hundred thousand Lambes and an hundred thousand Ramms with the wooll 2 Kings 3.4 Now when the Kingdome of David was rent in twaine in the dayes of Rehoboam his grand-child the Moabites payd this Tribute to the Kings of Israel as having the greater part of that divided Kingdome and therefore being the strongest as they thought And the payment thereof they continued untill the dayes of Ahaz 2 Kings 3.4 But now the Prophet adviseth them to pay this Tribute to Hezekiah as due to him he being of the lineage of David and his right Heire and so much the rather because now the Kingdome of Israel was utterly ruined by Salmaneser but the Kingdome of Judah did increase in power and strength and flourish under Hezekiah Send ye the Lamb. q. d. O ye Moabites send ye the Tribute of Lambes and of Ramms which ye owe to David and his Successours He speakes here to the Moabites And by the Lamb he meaneth the Lambes putting a Singular number for a Plurall And by the Lambes he meaneth the whole Tribute of Lambs and Ramms which the Moabites owed to David and his Successours by a Synechdoche by part of the Tribute understanding the whole To the Ruler of the Land i. e. To Hezekiah King of Judah who is the Supream Lord of your Land and so your Lord. By the Land he meaneth the Land in which they lived that is the Land of Moab But how could Hezekiah be called the Ruler or Lord of the Land of Moab Answer Because he was the right Heire of David For because he was the right Heir of David he was by right of Inheritance Lord and Ruler of the Land of Moab For the Moabites covenanted with David to be his Servants and by consequence the Servants of his Heires and lawfull Successours 2 Sam. 8.2 And if they covenanted to be his Servants then was he by consequence their Lord. From Sala to the wildernesse These words depend upon the Pronoune Ye So that the sence of the words and order thereof is this O ye Moabites Supple which dwell from Sala to the wilderness send ye the Lambs to the Ruler of the Land Sala was a City scituate on the South and the wildernesse here mentioned was a wildernesse lying on the North of the Land of Moab the west part of which wildernesse bordered upon Jordan these therefore were two of the bounds of that Land And by these two bounds the whole Land of Moab is to be understood Vnto the Mount of the daughter of Sion i. e. To Hierusalem which is the head City of the Kingdome of Judah and where is the Throne of David and Pallace of Hezekiah By the Mount of the daughter of Sion he meaneth Hierusalem see Chap. 1. vers 8. These words Vnto the Mount of the Daughter of Sion depend upon the word send q. d. Send ye the Lambs unto the Mount of the Daughter of Sion When he bids them send the Lambs to the Ruler of the Land he tells them the Person to whom and when he bids them send them to the Mount of the Daughter of Sion He tells them the Place whether they should send them 2. For it shall be c. i. e. For otherwise it shall be Understand otherwise here A wandering bird cast out of the nest By a wandering bird cast out of the nest he meaneth a young Bird which while a man commeth to take the whole nest getteth out of the nest But when it is out of the nest wandereth up and down peeping and crying knowing not which way to take or what to do haveing no Damme to feed it and to guide it and
Hill cannot be hidd c. And the Vine of Sibmah i. e. And as for the Vine of Sibmah Sibmah was a City once of the Reubenites Numb cap. 32. v. 38. but now of the Moabites By the Vine of Sibmah he meanes Sibmah it self which he here calls a Vine because of the abundance of Vines which grew about it as he calls Nimrim the waters of Nimrim because of the abundance of waters adjoyning thereto Cap. 14 v. 6. The Lords of the Heathen By the Lords of the heathen he meanes those that subdued and destroyed Moab at the time here Prophesied of which seems to have been many Lords of divers people joyned together Have broken down the principall Plants thereof i. e. Shall destroy even the chief branches thereof By the principall Plants or branches of the Vine of Sibmah are meant the chiefest Cityzens of Sibmah Thereof i. e. Of the Vine of Sibmah They are come even unto Jazer q. d. And this that the Lords of the Heathen shall break down and destroy the principall Plants of the Vine of Sibmah is worthy lamentation For the branches of the Vine of Sibmah are gallant flourishing branches they are come and sprouted out even to Jazer They are wandered through the wildernesse c. I conceive that these words or the like Viz. And this to wit that the Lords of the Heathen shall break down and destroy the principall branches of the Vine of Sibmah is worthy of lamentation for the branches of Sibmah are gallant flourishing branches are here to be understood And that this latter part of the Verse sets out the flourishing condition of Sibmah before it was cut off as the Psalmist describes the flourishing estate of Israel by the like Metaphor Psal 80. v. 9 10 11. And this the Prophet doth to make the misery the greater which should befall Sibmah and her Inhabitants for Qui tolluntur in altum Lapsu graviore ruunt I know that it is most generally thought that the Prophet intends by this latter part of the Verse to describe the flying of the Citizens of Sibmah into severall Quarters or parts of the earth to save their lives for fear of the enemie but this agrees not so well with the Metaphor of the shooting or spreading out of branches from their stock which is here used For the cause of Branches so shooting out is the thriving of the Vine not the decaying of it but Sibmah is said here to decay Jazer This Jazer was a City scituate in the Eastern part of the Tribe of Gad near to the Ammonites Of this Jazer we read Numb 32.35 and Josh 13.25 Thâ—y wandered through the wildernesse i. e. They by running and bending to and fro are gone through the wildernesse to places beyond it He likeneth here the shooting out of the branches of a Vine because they shoote not out directly in a streight line but wide this way and that way up and down to the wandering of a man which is out of his way and knowes not what way to take who one while takes his way to the right hand and another that to the left Her branches are stretched out That is the branches of the vine of Sibmah are farre stretched out They are gone over the Sea i. e. They are gone over the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus c. By this stretching or shooting out of the Branches of the Vine of Sibmah is meant the traveling of her people into farre Countries for traffique or for other ends for which the Citizens of flourishing Cityes use to travell 9. Therefore I will bewaile with the weeping of Jazer the Vine of Sibmath q. d. Therefore because the Princes of the heathen shall break down the Principall Plants of this goodly Vine of Sibmah c. I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the Vine of Sibmah The Prophet may be here understood to speak in his own Person Or else these words may be understood Viz. Every one shall say q. d. Therefore every one shall say I will bewaile with the weeping of Jazer the Vine of Sibmah c. See Notes Cap. 15.4 With the weeping of Jazer i. e. With a mighty weeping To weep with the weeping of Jazer seems to me to be a Proverbiall kind of speech the ground of which Proverbe hath been some exceeding great weeping at Jazer though when and upon what occasion that weeping was it is not now known I will water thee with my teares O Heshbone and Elealesh i. e. I will shed even showers of teares to think of your misery O Heshbone and Elealeh wherewith I will water you as I stand weeping over you He alludes to those words vers 8. The fields of Heshbone languish for fields used to be watered with showers of raine if not also by the labour of man to make them fruitfull For the shooting of thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fall'n i. e. At the in-gathering of their fruit there was wont to be much shouting and rejoycing among those which gathered them in and to this shouting doth the Prophet here allude Thy harvest Harvest is not taken here for the time in which fruits are ripe and use to be gathered but for the ripe fruits themselves Is fallen i. e. Is perished There shall be no shouting for the Summer fruit and Harvest because there shall be no corn and fruits to reap and gather in And there shall be no fruits and corn to reap and gather in because the enemie shall beat down their corn and their fruit and trample them under their own and their Horses feet 10. The plentifull field i. e. The field which was wont to be plentifull and to abound with the abundance of corne and other fruits I have made their Vintage shouting to cease He speakes this in the person of God 11. Wherefore my bowels shall sound This relates to the seventh Verse and depends on that The Prophet having set out the misery of Moab and Kirhareseth and of Heshbone and Elealeh and of the Vine of Sibmah particularly in the seventh and eighth Verses of this Chapter expresseth here a particular grief of every one of these by reason of their misery in this and the two former Verses beginning at the Ninth Verse with the last and so going on to the end of this Verse to the very first as the Hebrews use to do in their descant or repetitions who begin with the last which they repeat first and so goe upward in a retrograde way My bowels shall sound like an Harpe for Moab i. e. I will out of pitty and compassion to Moab utter sighes and grones and make as mournfull a noise for him as the Harpe doth upon funerall and sad occasions He puts the Bowells here for the whole man A part for the whole by a Synechdoche And therefore the bowells rather than any other part or parts because the bowels were held to be the seat or subject of pitty and compassion Note that the Prophet speaketh here in his
made in their march and this place we may understand of the noise or shout or cry which they were wont to make at the onset or joyning of battle of which see Cap. 5. v. 30. and Cap. 42. v. 13. He puts Nations here not for whole Nations but for many of severall Nations which served the Syrians in their Army by a Synechdoche But God shall rebuke them i e. Yet God shall chide them and beat them back and make them flee Here is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more meant than the word signifies A rebuke signifieth onely a chiding But here is more meant than a chiding for there is beating back and causing them to flee also But it sheweth withall the power of the chider that he can doe this that is that he can beat back such an Army with the breath of his mouth onely and cause it thus to flee And they shall flee afarre off i. e. And they shall be put to flight and flee as fast and as farre as every mans feet can carry him Like a rouling thing v. g. As the Thistle-down or the like 14. Behold at even-tide trouble and before the morning he is not By this he sheweth in how short a time the Syrians shall be routed and quite overcome by the Assyrians after the Assyrians and they meet and joyn battle in as short a time as is between the evening and the morning Or it may be that when the Assyrians and Syrians first joyned battle they fought with equall courage and force till towards evening and at even-tide the Syrians were beaten back and were forced to give ground and so had the worst of it but yet they were not quite vanquished because of the night coming on Yet fearing another Conflict they took the benefit of the night and fled out of the field before the morning which the Assyrians perceiving made afâ—er them and pursued them with all the power they could Trouble Because of the meeting of their two Armies and because they to wit the Syrians had the worst of it He is not i. e. They are not supple to be seen in the field because they are all fled He is put for They A Singular for the Plurall number And he meaneth thereby the Syrians and those which served the Syrians in this Army This is the portion of them that spoil us By these spoilers he meanes the Syrians of Damascus and the ten Tribes of Israel and other their neighbour-Nations which were alwayes ill-affected towards the Jewes and did alwayes infest them when they espied their opportunity And the Lot c. By a Lot he signifies a portion in allusion to the portion of the Land which fell to every Tribe of Israel by Lot Josh 14. v. 2 and 15. v. 1 c. Note that these last words are spoken in the person of the Jewes and contain an Epiphonema of the whole Prophesie Note that many interpret this latter part of the Chapter to wit from the twelfth verse hitherto of the overthrow which the Angel gave to the Assyrians 2 Kings 19. v. 35. and the words will very well fit thereto But being that it may be as well understood of the overthrow of the Syrians and those which were joyned with them and it is knit with the burden of the Syrians I had rather interpret it of the overthrow of the Syrians than the Assyrians ISAIAH CHAP. XVIII WOE to the Land shadowing with wings i. e. Woe to Ethiopia which is a land which shadoweth defendeth her Children or Inhabitants with her Mountaines as it were with Wings Ethiopia was a Land environed with Mountaines which are a great defence to the Inhabitants thereof from forraign Invasions These Mountaines he compares to wings and because they are a Defence to the Inhabitants of the Land He saith that the Land shaddoweth her Inhabitants therewith alluding to a Henn which shadoweth her Chicken with her wings and so defendeth them See the like Phrase Psal 17.8 and 36.7 and 57.1 This Prophesie was fulfilled 2 Kings 19.9 when Tirakah King of Aethiopia denounced warre against Assyria and went in expedition against it whilst Sennacherib King of Assyria was absent and busied in his warrs against Judah and Hierusalem The Aethiopian came at this time against the Land of Aethiopia but not against Sennacherib himself who was at this time with his Army making warre in the Land of Judah for the Lord suffered him not to come against Sennacherib first because he would not use his help against Sennacherib That his own immediate Providence for Hierusalem might the better and more clearly appeare And Secondly that the Aethiopians might not partake of the spoiles of the Assyrians which God would give wholy to his own People Which is beyond the Rivers of Aethiopia i. e. Which lyeth by the Rivers of Aethiopia By this he describeth what and he meaneth for what land lyeth by the Rivers of Aethiopia but Aethiopia Concerning the taking of the Preposition Beyond for By or near to See Cap. 9.1 2. That sendeth Embassadors Supple To Assyria to denounce Warre against it By the Sea i. e. By the Red Sea Even in vessells of Bullrushes In Aegypt and in Aethiopia they were wont to make Barkes and Vessells of Bullrushes as we may read in Plinie Diodorus Siculus and others Vpon the waters Supple Of the Sea Go ye swift messengers c. These are the words of the Land of Aethiopia or rather of Tirakah King thereof to the Embassadors which she sends to denounce warre against Assyria q. d. Goe make haste my messengers and denounce warre against Assyria quickly for now I am come and set upon her before she is well prepared for my comming while Sennacherib and his Army are abroad warring in other Countries To a nation scattered and peeled By this Nation he meaneth Assyria which he calleth a Nation scattered because at this time the Assyrians were scattered and dispersed some remaining at home and others being upon service abroad in an expedition against Judah c. And he calls it peeled because at this time Sennacherib as the Ethiopian thought at lest had picked out all the best Souldiers and ablest men thereof to serve him in his warres abroad To a People terrible from their beginning hitherto i. e. To a people which have been terrible of a long time to all Nations which dwell near them For the Assyrians were a warlike people and still adding some dominion or other to their Empire by the sword A Nation meted out and trodden down q. d. But now no longer a terrible People but a People metedouâ— for present destruction and a People which shall be trodden under feet c. This the Aethiopian speakes out of confidence of the occasion and opportunity which he had got that he should destroy Assyria A nation meted out Supple For destruction that is q. d. which God hath appointed to destroy Or rather which I Tirakah have determined to destroy for it is not like that
of those Jewes which dwelt out of Jerusaem for they were alwayes most distrustfull of God and sought for help from the Arme of Man They were no doubt afraid of Sennacherib and his Armie before this but now their fear was much encreased And ashamed of Ethiopia i. e. And ashamed that they relyed upon the Ethiopians for help Note that these words of Ethiopia relate not to those words shall be afraid but onely to these shall be ashamed When we expect and hope for great matters from any and come short of our hope and expectation we wax ashamed Ethiopia their expectation i. e. Ethiopia from which they expected aide against Sennacherib and his Armie He puts expectation for them from whom they expected aide The Act of the Object by a Metonymy It is likely that the unbeleeving and distrusting Jewes when they heard of Sennacheribs expedition against Judah sent to Ethiopia for aide aswell as to Egypt Or that when they heard that Tirakah King of Ethiopia came up to warre against Assyria Cap. 37.2 They expected that his making warre against the Assyrians would prove their peace and Sennacheribs overthrow And of Egypt their glory i. e. And of the Egyptians of whose friendship and aide they gloried or boasted He puts glory here for the object in which they gloried That the unbeleeving or distrusting Jews sent for aide to Egypt against the Assyrians See Cap. 30. and 31. 6. And the Inhabitant of this Isle i. e. And the Inhabitants of this City viz. Jerusalem The Inhabitants of Jerusalem did at this time put more confidence in God and build more upon his promises then the other Jewes did The Inhabitant He puts the Inhabitant Collective for the Inhabitants Of this Isle i. e. Of this Citie to wit Jerusalem An Isle or Island as it is most commonly taken signifies a piece of land environed on every side with water yet the Hebrews do call not onely such lands Islands but even such also as lie upon the sea-coasts though they are part of the Continent yea they call any Countrey in general an Isle or Island as Cap. 41. v. 1 5. c. though it be not neer to any Seas or Waters And that becaâ—se as Isles or Islands are severed from the Continent by waters so is every particular Countrey and Land severed from other Lands and Countries by the peculiar Laws and Customes which it hath and not onely Countries and Lands but a single house also which stands alone dis-joyned and separated from other houses and hath an emptie space of ground about it on every side whereon no building stands is called Insula that is an Isle or an Island because such a house is like an Island which stands in the sea or in some lake and is encompassed with waters and by them severed from other parts of the earth And if for this reason a lone house may be called an Isle or Island much more may a Citie But another reason there is for which Jerusalem may be called an Isle here to wit because God was to it at this time a place of broad rivers and streames Cap. 33. verse 21. And did encompasse it so that none could approach to it on any side because of those rivers and streames and that which is so encompassed with rivers and streames may well be called an Isle Shall say Supple In derision of them which trusted in Egypt and Ethiopia In that day Supple In which the King of Assyria shall lead away the Egyptians and the Ethiopians Captives and in which they which are mentioned in the former verse shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and Egypt their glory Such is our expectation What the Inhabitants of Jerusalem which trusted in God more then in man say here they say in the person of those which trusted in man more then in God by a Mimesis that they might the more deride them Such is our expectatiâ—n i. e. Such are they become from whom we expâ—cted aide viz. Prisoners and Captives c. Whither we flee for help i. e. To which or to whom we flee for hâ—lp at this time To be delivered i. e. For this end that we may be delivered out of the hands of the Assyrians And how shall we escape i. e. And how shall we escape the hand of the King of Assyria when as the Ethiopians and Egyptians which were stronger then we and on whom we relied could not escape it We have interpreted this speech as spoken sarcotically and in derision yet it may be interpreted also as spoken in grief and in earnest for though God promised to defend Jerusalem at this time and many godly men which were in Jerusalem did beleeve that promise and relye upon it yet there were many ungodly men also in Jerusalem at this time Cap. 22.13 which did not beleeve the promise of God but relied more upon the help of man such as were the Egyptians and the Ethiopians and of these may this place be understood as spoken by them There be that by the Inhabitant of this Isle understand those Jewes which were in Ashdod who were besieged at this time by the Assyrians and there is some probabilitie for this their opinion because the Prophet makes special mention of the Assyrians fighting against Ashdod verse 1. And they which dwelt in Ashdod might be called the Inhabitants of the Isle as the word Isle signifieth the Sea-coast for Ashdod stood on the sea-coast and the inhabitant of this Isle because the Prophet might point as it were at Ashdod when he said This Isle ISAIAH CHAP. XXI THe burden of the desert of the Sea i. e. The heavie calamitie and affliction which shall befall those people which dwell in the Wilderness which is by the Red sea as it was revealed to me by a vision He puts the desert for the people which dwelt in the Desert by a Metonymy and by the Sea he means the red Sea by a Synechdoche By the desert of the sea therefore are meant the Edomites which dwelt in the Desert or Wilderness of Sur or Etham which was neer to the Red sea As whirlewindes in the South passe thorow i. e. As whirlewindes which arise in the South passe thorow the Wilderness from the one end thereof to another He speaks of the South in respect of Judah where he lived where were great Deserts and Wildernesses without wood or tree to break or hinder the force of the winde there therefore a high and great winde must needs be speedie and rush with a mighty force where there was nothing to hinder or break the force thereof So it cometh i. e. So an heavie calamitie or destruction or declaration shall come upon those which dwell in the desert of the sea it shall come speedily and with a mighty force From the Desert By the Desert here he meaneth not the Wilderness of Shur or the Wilderness of Etham which were by the Red sea as he did in the first words of
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
put their Shields or Bucklers when they had no use of them and out of which they took them when they made use thereof 7. And it shall come to passe that thy choicest vallies shall be full of Charets c. i. e. And it shall come to passe that thy Suburbs and thy Vallies which are without thy walls shall be full of the Charets of the Assyrians O Jerusalem Here the Prophet speaks again to Jerusalem in his own person and fore-tells the doome which shall befall her by Sennacherib And note that the Prophet did here interrupt Jerusalem before she could give a full answer to the doubts or questions which he moved to her in the first second and third verses and upon occasion of those words And Elam bare the Quiver with Charets of men and with horsemen c. Foretold that the Assyrians should bring the like misery upon her under Sennacherib as they and their complices the Medes and Elamites had done upon the Kingdom of Israel under Salmaneser At the gate i. e. At thy gates A Singular for a Plural number He seemeth to have pointed to the gates of Jerusalem when he said The gate shewing thereby what gate he meant 8. And he discovered the covering of Judah i. e. And Sennacherib King of Assyria shall demolish and beat down the fenced Cities of Judah See this fulfilled 2 Chron. 32.1 And 2 Kings cap. 18. vers 13. He puts here a Relative without an Antecedent and a Praeterperfect or Praeterimperfect tense for a Future The covering of Judah By the covering may be meant any wall or fort or fortification or place of defence whereby men defended themselves from their enemies in the time of War and that by a Metaphor from a covering which is spread over any thing to keep it safe from dust and soile and any thing which may marre it And to discover the covering signifieth properly to take away the covering from off the thing which is therewith covered and metaphorically to beat down any wall or fort or fortification or place of defence which metaphoricall signification is the signification of this place But being that by the covering may be meant any wall or fort or fortification or place of defence what is that which is called the covering of Judah Answer By the covering of Judah is meant the walls and fortifications of the fenced Cities of Judah which were broken down and laid waste by Sennacherib 2 Kin. 18.13 The covering therefore is put for the coverings a singular for a plural number The discovering of the covering of Judah that is The beating down and taking of the fenced Cities of Judah did neerly concern Jerusalem wherefore Jerusalem when Sennacherib began to encamp against them and to take them began to look and provide for her self as it is here prophesied 2 Chron. 32. vers 2 3. c. And thou didst look in that day to the Armour of the house of the Forrest i. e. And at that time when Sennacherib shall begin to discover the coverings of Judah that is To fight against the fenced Cities of Judah and to take them thou wilt look to the Armour which thou hast laid up in thy Armorie or Magazin of Arms to see that it be in good plight and in a readiness that thou maist use it to defend thy self He puts a Praeterimperfect tense for a Future Of the house of the Forrest i. e. Of the house of the Forrest of Lebanon This house of the Forrest of Lebanon was the Armorie of the Kings of Judah and it was scituate in Jerusalem 1 Kings 7.2 Here were the golden Targets and Shields kept which Solomon made 1 Kings 10.17 And hence were those Targets Shields taken by Shishak King of Egypt when he came up against Jerusalem 1 Kings 14. vers 25.26 It was called the house of the Forrest of Lebanon either from that house which some affirm from 2 Chron. 8.6 Solomon built in the Forrest of Lebanon for the same use as this was built viz. to be an Armorie or Magazine or because of the great number of Cedar-pillars and great store of Cedar-wood which were used about that house which Cedars and Wood vvere brought from Lebanon which was famous for Cedars which pillars were so many and store of Wood so great as that the whole Forrest of Lebanon seemed to have been cut down to make pillars and yeeld materials for that house See 1 Kings 7.2 Or it might be called the house of the Forrest of Lebanon because it was pleasantly seated and planted about with trees and groves Eccles 2. v. 4.5.6 which were no lesse pleasant then the Forrest of Lebanon it self for it is not unusuall for a like place to give denomination to a like Wherefore as all Universities were called Academies from that famous place of Learning in or neer to Athens called the Academie so might every pleasant grove or place of trees be called Lebanon from that renowned Forrest of Lebanon and this house because it stood among such trees might be called the house of the Forrest of Lebanon 9. Ye have seen also the breaches of the City of David that they are many q. d. Ye will also view the City of David to see what reparations it wanteth and ye shall finde that the breaches thereof are many and that it wanteth much repaire Of the City of David The fort or strong hold which was built upon Mount Sion in Jerusalem which the Iebusites hold and which David won from them was called the City of David 2 Sam. 5.7.9 In this Fort or strong Hold there were many breaches and ruinous places which came by the neglect which long peace bringeth with it And ye gathered together the water of the lower poole i. e. And ye will gather together the waters of the lower poole into hollow places and ditches which ye shall make for that end They gathered together these waters that they might have plenty of waters neer at hand wherewith to temper the mortar which they should use in building and repairing the breaches of the City of David and for such other ends as the waters of the old poole were gathered for of which verse 10. 10. And ye have numbred the houses of Jerusalem i. e. And ye will make choice of a certain number of houses in Jerusalem as many as will serve your turn that you may pull them down and have the materialls thereof wherewith to repaire the City of David It was a case of necessity which made them to pull down houses for the materials therof because the materials thereof were neer at hand and ready fitted in a manner for the building which they could not have elsewhere in so short a time the Assyrian being in the Land when the counsell of the King of Hezekiah advised him to repair the City of David 2 Chron. 32.2 3. Of Jerusalem Jerusalem seemeth to be opposed here to the City of David and therefore to be taken for the lower Citie of
man But the Prophet seems to leave it to be understood because it may be easily understood by what he had said and because he was to take occasion by the Metaphor of the nail of another matter which he prosecuteth in the next Verse 25. The Nail that is fastened in the sure place By this is meant Shebna whom he calls the Nail fastened in the sure place by an Irony because he accounted himself as a Nail fastened in a sure place for he did believe that he should never be put out of his place or office much less that he should be banished whereupon he built for himself such a stately sepulcher in Jerusalem vers 16. though afterwards he was put out of his place and banished And the burthen that was upon it shall be cut off Supple And fall with it By the Burthen he means the vessels which hung upon that Nail The meaning is That Shebna should have a fall from the place of honor in which he stood and when he fell all those which he had advanced to honor and relyed upon him should fall with him All Court-Creatures which are made by any Favorite observe the Favorite more then they do the King and are ready to hear him in whatsoever he shall say though it be prejudicial to King and Kingdom It is likely therefore that all that were advanced by Shebna were drawn by Shebna to partake with him in that for which he was expelled the Court and banished and therefore they all lost their places when he lost his ISAIAH CHAP. XXIII THe burthen of Tyre i. e. The calamity or the Prophesie of that calamity which shall befall Tyre See cap. 13.1 Tyre was a Colony of the Sidonians and a famous City of Phaenicia famous for riches and for traffique It is reported to have been an Island in antient times and encompassed round about with the Sea untill the dayes of Alexander the Great who when he went about to conquer it by casting huge heaps of earth and stones into the Sea which was between that and the continent joyned it to the Continent and of an Island made it a Peninsula This Prophesie was fulfilled by Nebuchardnezzar at or about the time that he vanquished Judah and carried away the Inhabitants thereof captive to Babylon Howle ye ships of Tarshish i. e. Ye shall lament and mourn O ye Merchants of Tartessus which passe over the Sea in Ships He puts an Imperative Mood for a Future Tense Ye ships i. e. Ye Merchants which travel in ships Metonymia Subiecti Of Tarshish By Tarshish is meant Tartessus in Spain which is now called Tarusa a City which used and had great commerce and traffique with Tyre For it i. e. For Tyre Is laid wast i. e. Shall be laid wast and desolate A Praeterperfect for a Future Tense So that there is no house i. e. So that there shall be no house Supple to entertain strangers but every house shall either be broken down or shut up for fear See Cap. 24. 10. No entering in Supple For any strangers into any house to be entertained or lodge there so that ye Tartessians cannot lodge in Tyre as ye were wont to follow your Trade there From the Land of Chittim it is revealed to them q. d. Ye shall hear from the Land of Chittim these news of Tyre He prevents an objection for it might be asked how the ships of Tarshish should come to hear this of Tyre to which he answers that they shall hear of it from Chittim Note here the Enallage of the person for he passeth from the second to the third person speaking of the Merchants of Tartessus in the third to whom he spoke in the second person just before From the Land of Chittim i. e. From the Land of the Chittimites that is from Cyprus Chittim was the Son of Javan which was the Son of Japhet the Son of Noah Gen. 10.4 And he is put here by a Metonymy for his Sons the Chittimites which inhabited Cyprus The men of Cyprus living not farre from Tyre might quickly make it known in Spaine as being great Sea-faring men and having great commerce and dayly voyages into Spaine that Tyre was distressed 2. Be still ye Inhabitants of the Isle q.d. Ye have bin very tumultuous and full of stirs of joy and mirth but now ye shall be still and quiet O ye Inhabitants of Tyre He saith be still for ye shall be still after the Prophetique manner using an Imperative Mood for the Future Tense He makes an Apostrophe here to the men of Tyre Of the Isle He saith of the Isle for of Tyre because Tyre was then an Isle or Island as was observed in the first verse Moreover the Hebrews call all Maritime places Isles or Islands Thou whom the Merchants of Sidon have replenished i. e. Thou Tyre whom the Merchants of Sidon have filled with riches and made rich by their Merchandize and commerce with thee Note what an Enallage the Prophet here useth speaking to the Inhabitants of Tyre as to one single person whereas he spoke to them as many in the very next words before Or else the Prophet may be understood to convert his speech from the Inhabitants of Tyre to Tyre her self q. d. And be still O Tyre thou whom the Merchants c. Zidon Zidon was a famous Mart-town in Phoenicia not far from Tyre That passe over the sea i. e. Which travel by sea from place to place and Countrey to Countrey for Merchandize Have replenished Supple With Merchandize or Riches In this and the next verse the Prophet intimates the great riches and happiness of Tyre that her miserie prophesied of may appear the greater 3. And by great waters the seed of Sihor the harvest of the River of her revenue Here is another Enallage viz. An Enallage of the person where he speaks of Tyre in the third person whereas he spoke to her just before in the second The sence therefore is q. d. And whose revenue is the seed of Sihor even the harvest of the River which is brought to thee by great waters By the great waters i. e. By the Sea The seed of Sihor i. e. The Corn or whatsoever groweth of seed in Egypt Metonymia Materiae By Sihor is meant Nilus that famous river of Egypt which by its over-flowing made Egypt so fruitfull and was to it in stead of rain which was rare there Deut. 11. v. 10 11 c. The Corn c. of Egypt is called the seed of Sihor that is of Nilus either because it sprung up and grew by reason of the fertility which Sihor that is Nilus caused in Egypt by its overflowing or because Sihor or Nilus is put here for Egypt it selfe the river of Egypt for the land of Egypt through which it passeth The harvest of the River That is Of the River Nilus The word harvest signifieth here the ripe fruits and corn not the time of harvest and this is a repetition of the former
end or term of their journey Note that this Preposition In or Into hath the signification of almost all other Prepositions among the Hebrews and here it signifies By or Through A Land of trouble and anguish The Land which he describes is the Arabian Isthmus or neck of Land which lay between the Arabian gulf or red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea which he calleth a Land of trouble and anguish because of the troublesom and dangerous travelling that way both for want of water and for great drought and heat as also because of the wilde beasts and Serpents which bred and harbored there They will carry their riches i. e. Those Jews which desire the ayd of the Egyptians against the Assyrians will carry to wit by their Embassadors Their riches They carryed their riches and treasures into Egypt that they might present them to Pharaoh King of Egypt and his Princes and Councellors thereby to make them their friends and purchase their ayd against the Assyrians Vpon the shoulders of Asses i. e. Upon the backs of Asses He puts one part of the body for another next to it Bunches of Camels i. e. Backs of Camels He saith the bunches for the backs of Camels because Camels have naturally high bunches growing upon their backs To a people that shall not profit them i. e. To the Egyptians desiring their ayd and assistance against the Assyrians who with all their ayd and assistance should not profit them at this time See Cap. 31. vers 3. 7. For the Egyptians shall help in vain i. e. For the ayd which the Egyptians shall send them shall be in vain it shall do them no good It appears by Rabshakehs speech that the Jews relyed much upon the Egyptians when Sennacherib invaded Judea cap. 36. v. 6. And by this and the next Chapter vers 3. it appears that they got ayd from the Egyptians though it be not mentioned in the story either in the Book of Kings or of Chronicles and that for all that the Jews were overcome and they and their ayds destroyed Therefore have I cryed q. d. Because the ayd which the Jews shall look for from the Egyptians shall be vain and to no purpose therefore have I said by way of counsel and advice by my Prophets Concerning this i. e. Concerning the strength wherewith they desire to strengthen themselves against the Assyrians Their strength i. e. Their way to procure strength or to strengthen themselves is To sit still i. e. To sit at home both they and their Embassadors and not to go into Egypt for help but to rely on me the Lord their God and on my Promises so will I the Lord be their strength Surely if the men of Judah which were without Jerusalem had relyed upon the Lord as Hezekiah did and those few which were with him in Jerusalem the Lord would have defended them against the Assyrians as he did Hezekiah and those which were with him 8. Now go write it before them c. i. e. Because the Jews would not hear the Word of the Lord saying Their strength is to sit still but would for all that go down into Egypt to procure Horses and Charets from thence therefore doth the Lord say to Isaiah Go now write it before them in a table c. Write it before them What he would have written the following Verses shew And therefore he would have it written before them that they might see what was written of them that they might know that nothing was written of their carriage but what they could not deny to be true and that they might be inexcusable when the judgments of God overtook them In a table They were wont to make writing-tables of some lasting wood spred over with wax on which they wrote with an instrument of Iron by razing or graving in the wax And note it in a book By a Book he meaneth a roul of parchment which they were wont also to use for writing He would have this matter both written in a table and noted in a book that the memory thereof might be the better preserved That it may be for time to come for ever and ever i. e. That it may be a testimony to all that shall come hereafter that this is a rebellious people and that what I denounced against them for their rebellion shall befall them and that what shall befall them from me shall worthily befall them This care the Lord takes because it is a strange act and a strange work for him thus to destroy his people the Jews Cap. 28.21 yea a marvelous work and a wonder Cap. 29.14 that all the world may know that it was not his but their faults that he should deal thus with them after such an unwonted manner 9. That this is a rebellious people i. e. That this is a people which refuseth to be obedient to the Word of God See cap. 1.20 and will not fit still at his Word vers 7. Lying children He calls them lying children because they were one kinde of people in their words and another in their deeds cap. 29.13 As also because they promised to do whatsoever God commanded them and to hear the Prophets of the Lord and obey their voice Exod. 26.19 compared with Deut. 18. v. 15 15 17. for what their fore-fathers did they must be interpreted to have done being the same people and in the loines of their fore-fathers at that time Heb. 7. v. 9 10. But they did not observe the Commandements of God as they promised neither did they hearken to his Prophets The Law of the Lord. By the Law of the Lord is here meant any words of the Lord See cap. 1.10 10. Which say to the seers see not By the seers are meant Prophets for a Prophet in old time was called a Seer 1 Sam. 9.9 because of the visions which they saw See notes cap. 1.1 And to the Prophets prophesie not unto us right things By right things he meaneth those things which God revealed to them and he opposeth them to the illusions and deceits of false Prophets Note that this is not so to be understood as though they did say unto the Prophets Prophesie not unto us right things and to the Seers See not in formall words but therefore he saith that they said to the Seers See not and to the Prophets Prophesie not unto us right things because they did discourage the Prophets and Seers as much as they could and bring them into danger for prophesying to them right things See cap. 29.21 Speak unto us smooth things i. e. Speak to us or prophesie unto us pleasing things Prophesie unto us deceits i. e. Prophesie unto us such things as will put us in good hopes and delight us for the present but will afterwards deceive us Note that the people did not terme these pleasing and delightfull Prophesies deceits but because false Prophets did delude the People with such Prophesies and so these Prophesies were delusions and deceits indeed
the dumb i. e. And the tongue of him which sat as if he were dumb by reason of sorrow and grief for sorrow and grief cause silence Cap. 47.5 The tongue of the dumb is put here for the dumb a part for the whole man by a Synecdoche Note that this place from the third Verse hitherto as in the first or literal sence it prophecyeth of that Salvation by which the Jews were saved from the Assyrians which as I have often observed was a Type of our Salvation by Christ So in the second and mystical sence it prophecyeth of that Salvation by which Christ saveth us from our spiritual Enemies yea it prophecyeth of Christs coming in the flesh for that end And those words God will save us as in the literal sence they signifie Gods coming by his Angel which smote the Assyrians cap. 37.36 to save the Jews out of the hands of the Assyrians So in the mystical sence they signifie the coming of Christ who was true God into the World to save men from their spiritual Adversaries And those words Then the eyes of the blinde shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped and then shall the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb sing are so ordered by the Holy Ghost as that they do not onely signifie so as we have said in the Exposition thereof but they do also signifie that Christ at his coming should work miraculous Cures upon the blinde deaf lame and dumb and restore them to their sight hearing limbs and speech and that these miraculous Cures should be the signs of Christs coming and tokens by which Christ might be known when he came as appeareth Matth. 11.4 5. 7. For in the wilderness shall waters break out For the wilderness shall be exceeding well watered with the Springs which shall arise out of it and so by consequence shall become exceeding fruitful By the Wilderness he meaneth Judea as vers 1. He gives another reason here why they should rejoyce And the parched ground shall become a pool By the parched ground he meaneth the Wilderness which is dry and parched by a Periphrasis and by the wilderness he meaneth Judea as v. 1. When he saith that the parched ground shall become a pool his meaning is that it shall be exceeding well watered and so by consequence become exceeding fruitful for that which maketh a wilderness or a parched ground barren and fruitless is the want of water This is a repetition of what was said immediately before Shall become a pool i. e. Shall be exceeding well watered and so become fruitful An Hyperbole See the like Prophecy cap. 30.25 and the like phrase Psal 107.35 And the thirsty Land springs of water This is a repetition of the foregoing words In the habitation of Dragons i. e. In the Wilderness where the Dragons dwelt Where each lay i. e. Where each Dragon lay He speaks here of the Land of Judah which he called a wilderness and solitary place vers 1. for reasons there given and alludeth here to a true Wilderness wherein Dragons and other wilde beasts lived resembling the Land of Judah to a wilderness in this also That it harbored Dragons as the wilderness did But how may the Land of Judah be said to harbor Dragons or be an habitation of Dragons Ans Because it harbored Sennacherib and his Princes and they dwelt or abode in it for a while when they expelled the Jews and destroyed them And it is usual with the Scripture to call such Tyrants and Oppressors Dragons as cap. 27.1 and cap. 51.9 Shall be grass with reeds and rushes i. e. There shall be abundance of rain or water to make the ground fruitful For where grass groweth and reeds and rushes there is water in abundance 8. And an high-way shall be there By an high-way is meant a way made of stones heaped and layd one upon another or a causey for the word in the Original is Maselul which signifieth such a way and is derived from the Verb Salal which signifieth to lift up or exalt because such a way is high being higher elevated then the surface of the ground neer it by reason of the stones which are layd one upon another to make that way Such a way is usually made in Fennish waterish and springy grounds where otherwise the ground being soft the Travellers would sink in mire and dirt as they went And therefore doth the Prophet seem to make mention of such a way in the Land of Judah because he spoke of the Land of Judah but a little before as of a Land where waters should break out and streams yea as of a Land which should become a pool and springs of water and where reeds and bulrushes should grow For as I said in such Lands such kinde of ways were made of stones and causeys otherwise there would be no or very ill passing for Travellers And a way By a way is here meant a common beaten way or road for the word in the Original is Derec which signifieth a common beaten way which is derived from Darac which signifieth to tread or go upon This way here and the high-way mentioned in the words before are not to be understood of two several ways but onely of two several qualities of one and the same way q. d. There shall be a way there which shall be both high and firm and well beaten by Travellers And it shall be called The Way of Holiness i. e. And it shall be called the Holy Way He puts a Substantive of the Genitive case here for an Adjective after the Hebrew manner Of Holiness for Holy The Way which he here speaks of and calls The Way of Holiness or The Holy Way was a way which led to the Temple which was an holy place where the Holy One of ISRAEL dwelt and where he was sanctified and worshiped That which the Prophet meaneth by this is the same with that which he saith in other words Cap. 27.13 viz. That they shall worship the Lord in the holy Mount at Jerusalem The unclean shall not pass over it i. e. The unclean shall not walk on it By the unclean he meaneth the Assyrians and such as served the Assyrians in their Wars against Judah Note that the Hebrews held all people which were neither of their stock nor yet circumcised unclean Hence we finde the uncircumcised and unclean joyned together Cap. 52. vers 1. And hence Peter said that it was an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another Nation Acts 10. vers 28. And hence the Jews accused the same Peter because he went in to men uncircumcised Acts 11. vers 2 3. And hence the Jews accused Paul for going about to profane the Temple Acts 24. vers 6. because they thought that he had brought Greeks in thither Act. 21.28 By the unclean therefore may be here meant first a Gentile or a man uncircumcised in
general Then per Synecdochen generis an Assyrian and such as served the Assyrians in their Wars against Judah in particular He makes choyce of this word the unclean in this place rather then any other word thereby to signifie the Assyrians and other Enemies of Judah because he spoke of the Way of Holiness just before to which uncleanness is opposite It made much to the comfort of Gods people the Jews in the midst of their troubles to think That though they were heavily oppressed by the Assyrians yet they should ere long so far be delivered from the Assyrians which distressed them and besieged them in their own Land as that not one Assyrian or any other Enemy of theirs should be left in the Land to vex them which is signified by that that the unclean shall not pass over the way of Holiness But it shall be for those i. e. But it shall be onely for the Jews which are a clean and circumcised Nation that is for those Jews which the Lord shall preserve from the sword of the Assyrians to walk in By Those he meaneth the Jews where he put a Relative without an Antecedent as Vers 1. Note that the word Onely as it is often so it is here to be understood The wayfaring men though fools shall not err therein q. d. And they viz. the Jews which are a clean and circumcised Nation shall walk therein so dayly and so frequently and by their dayly and frequent walking therein make the way so beaten and plain as that wayfaring men which would travel in that Way cannot miss though they were fools 9. No Lion shall be there nor any ravenous beast go thereon By the Lion and the ravenous beast he meaneth metaphorically the Assyrian and such as served the Assyrian in his Wars against Judah And the sence of these words is the same with those The unclean shall not pass over it which he here amplifieth and which both are like to those Cap. 49.19 They that swallowed thee up shall be far away Because the Lion and the ravenous beasts are beasts of the wilderness and he had likened Judea to a wilderness vers 1 c. therefore doth he make choyce of the Lion and ravenous beast for his Metaphor Shall go up thereon He saith Shall go up thereon because the way was a causey elevated above the plain ground and therefore he which would walk thereon must ascend up or go up before he could walk thereon But the redeemed shall walk there i. e. But those Jews whom the Lord shall deliver out of the hand of the Assyrian they shall walk there 10. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return i. e. Those Jews which shall be dispersed upon the coming of the Assyrians into Judea into divers parts of the World as Assyria Egypt Pathros Cush Elam Shinar Hamah and the Islands of the Sea or which shall be carryed captive away by the Assyrians into Babylon shall return from thence into Judea See Cap. 11.11 Note that to redeem and ransom if they be taken strictly signifie to buy out with a price as slaves are bought out of the hands of the Turk but in a general notion they often signifie to deliver out of distress though without a price By the redeemed mentioned in the former Verse are meant those Jews which remained in their own Country in Jerusalem and were there saved by the hand of the Lord from the fury of the Assyrians By the ransomed mentioned in this Verse are meant those Jews which were either carryed captive into Assyria or fled into some other parts of the Earth to save themselves from the Assyrians and were saved there and brought back by the goodness of the Lord to them He calls them the redeemed and the ransomed by anticipation for as yet they were not redeemed and ransomed Shall return Supple Out of the several places where they have been as it were Exiles into their own Land the Land of Judah And come to Sion i. e. And they shall come Supple By that way or upon that way to the Temple of the Lord which is in Sion By Sion he meaneth the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem which was built there upon Mount Sion per Metonymiam subjecti With songs Supple Of rejoycing upon their solemn Feast days and upon other special occasions And everlasting joy upon their heads He saith And with everlasting joy upon their heads because he speaks of joy as of a crown which is wore upon the head Everlasting joy i. e. Joy which shall long continue and shall not be interrupted for many years Note that this word Everlasting doth not always signifie an infinite duration but very often a long time and yet not very long onely They shall obtain joy and gladness i. e. For they shall obtain such an happy condition as shall make them joyful and glad Understand For for these words contain a reason why they shall come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads And sorrow and sighing Supple Which the Assyrians have brought upon them through their Oppression and Tyranny ISAIAH CHAP. XXXVI NOw it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah These things which Isaiah foretold concerning the desolation of Judea and the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrians under Sennacherib and the deliverance of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Assyrian Army by the Angel came to pass in the days of Isaiah therefore the Prophet makes a short History thereof and adds it to his Prophecies concerning the same that it might appear to all how the event of things answered his Prophecies Came up With an exceeding great Army And took them Jerusalem is here to be excepted What the Prophet speaks here he speaks by anticipation for many things which he mentioneth after this in this History were acted before Sennacherib came against and took all the Cities which he came against and took 2. Rabshakeh This Rabshakeh was Sennacheribs chief Captain From Lacish Lacish was a City of Judah which Sennacherib besieged at this time To Jerusalem Jerusalem was the Metropolis and chief City of the Kingdom of Judah where Hezekiah King of Judah was at this time God having promised by Isaiah to preserve that City from the Assyrians With a great Army To besiege Jerusalem and take it by force if Hezekiah would not yield it upon terms And he stood by the Conduit of the upper pool i. e. And Rabshakeh stood c. There were two pools about Jerusalem whereof one was called the upper the other the lower pool from their scituation Upon both these pools at least upon the upper pool there were Conduits made to conduct water from thence into the City In the high-way of the Fullers field i. e. In the high-way which went through or by that field which was called the Fullers field which field was called the Fullers field because the Fullers were wont to dry their clothes there when they had washed them in
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
e. With the right hand of my goodness He puts a Substantive of the Genitive case here for an Adjective Note here that the Righteousness of God doth very often signifie in Scripture the goodness of God as Psal 22.31 c. And he saith that he will uphold him with the right hand of his Righteousness or Goodness because he would so uphold him as that he should see the goodness of the Lord towards him in his preservation Or he saith He will uphold him with the right hand of his Righteousness because he would uphold him with his right hand according to some Promise made to him for there is a Righteousness which consisteth in performance of promises 11. Shall be ashamed and confounded i. e. They shall be overthrown Because they which are confident of a victory when they are overcome in battel are ashamed and confounded hence he puts to be ashamed and confounded for to be overcome They shall be as nothing i. e. They shall be as a thing of nought or they shall be brought to nothing 12. Thou shalt seek them c. i. e. If thou dost seek after them thou shalt not finde them c. And shalt not finde them i. e. Thou shalt not finde them for they shall be destroyed before thou knowest what is become of them Them that contended with thee i. e. Them which were thine adversaries and practised enmity against thee This phrase is Metaphorical taken from Courts where Adversary pleadeth against Adversary and contâ—ndeth with him in words 13. Will hold thy right hand i. e. Will be thy companion in the midst of thy danger and go hand in hand with thee and he is safe which hath such a companion and walks hand in hand with such a one Or else this phrase is taken from a â—ather which when any danger is nigh layeth hold on his childe 's hand that he may keep him and carry him out of the danger safe 14. Thou worm Jacob i. e. Thou my people the sons of Jacob whom the Nations tread upon as a man treadeth upon a worm And ye men of Israel i. e. And ye men which are the children of Israel And thy Redeemer i. e. Which hath delivered thee and will deliver thee out of all thy troubles And seems to be redundant here 15. Behold I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument that hath teeth i. e. I will make thee as a new sharp threshing instrument that hath teeth The Note of similitude is here left to be understood What kinde of instument this was being now out of use cannot be so easily known onely thus much we know that it was very effectual for quick and clean threshing of Corn. Thou shalt thresh the Mountains i. e. Thou shalt beat the mighty men and people of the Earth that either oppress thee or wage war against thee into pieces By the mountains he meaneth the great men and powerful people of the Earth which were exalted above others as the hills are exalted above the valleys and in special the Babylonians who evil-entreated the Jews at the time here spoken of God may be said to make his servants as a new sharp threshing inâ—trument that hath teeth And they may be said to thresh the mountains either because they themselves should subdue their Enemies and kill them with their own hands or because God would subdue them under them and destroy them for their sakes And so did God make the Jews a threshing instrument to thresh the Babylonians because he did destroy the Babylonians for their sakes And shalt make the hills as chaff i. e. Thou shalt beat the powerful Nations that rise up against thee as small as chaff 16. Thou shalt fan them i. e. When thou hast beaten them as small as chaff thou shalt fan them c. And the wind shall carry them away Supple As chaff And the whirlwind shall scatter them Supple As chaff By all this Allegorical Metaphor and the parts thereof is meant onely this That they shall destroy their Enemies or That God shall destroy their Enemies upon their prayers for their sakes And thou shalt rejoyce in the Lord Supple As in thy Saviour and Redeemer which saveth thee from thine Enemies and subdueth them under thy feet And glory in the Holy One of Israel Supple As in him who hath fought for thee and done great things for thee The meaning is That God should do such great things for them as that they should rejoyce because of them and glory in him 17. When the poor and needy seek water By the poor and needy may be meant the Jews in general who were at this time poor and needy as being captive in Babylon And there is none i. e. And there is no water to be had to quench their thirst I the Lord will hear them i. e. If they call unto me for water I the Lord will hear them and give them water in every place to quench their thirst with 18. I will open rivers in high places i. e. I will open the high mountains and the high rocks and make rivers of waters to flow out thence for them to drink of I will make the wilderness a pool of water i. e. I will make pools of water in the dry wilderness for them to quench their thirst at 19. I will plant in the wilderness the Cedar and the Shittah-tree q. d. If they travel in the wilderness and are scorched there with the heat of the Sun and have no shade to fly to to refresh them I will plant in the wilderness the Cedar and the Shittah-tree c. and many other trees and they shall presently spring up and give a shade for them to fly to and to refresh themselves He alludeth here to their passage through the wilderness from Babylon to Judea As nothing is more welcome then water to him which is extream dry so is there nothing more welcome to him which travelleth in the hot parching wilderness when he is even burnt up with the beams of the Sun then a cool shady place as appears Cap. 25.4 32.2 That therefore which is signified by this That the Lord will give water to the poor and needy when he is thirsty and will cause the trees to spring up in the wilderness to yield them a shade when they are even burned up with the heat of the Sun is this That he will relieve them in all their distresses 20. That they may see and know i. e. That all may see and know as well other people as the people of the Lord. And understand together i. e. And understand all of them See Cap. 1. v. 28. That the hand of the Lord hath done this i. e. That it is the Lord which hath done this for his people and thus relieved them when they were in distress Hath created it This is a repetition of the former words Note that when the Scripture speaketh of any wonderful work which the Lord hath done it usually
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
the Lord mentioneth both his power and his good will towards Hierusalem and her children the Jewes that he might the better perswade the Jewes of what he said verse 23. To wit that he would redeeme Jacob and glorifie himselfe in Israel For what will not come to passe where neither power nor good will is wanting This latter part of the Chapter is as a reason therefore to enforce these words The Lord hath redeemed Jacob and glorified himselfe in Israel and may be ushered in with the causall conjunction For q. d. For thus saith the Lord thy redeemer c. Thy Redeemer i. e. Who hath often redeemed thee and will yet redeeme thee That formed thee from the wombe See verse 2. That stretcheth forth the Heavens i. e. That made and preserveth the heavens He alludeth to the stretching out the Curtaines of a Tent or Tabernacle Alone i. e. Without the helpe of any other q.d. And needed not the helpe of any Idoll to helpe me For he seemes to speake this especially in opposition to and in depression of Idols That spreadeth abroad the earth See Cap. 42.5 By my selfe i. e. Without any other to helpe me This is also spoken in opposition to and depression of Idols as that before 25. That frustrateth the tokens of the Lyars i. e. Which makes the Signes and the Tokens which Astrologers take from the Starres of future Events to be vaine and of no effect So that that shall not come to passe which they prognosticate from those signes and tokens in the Starres The Tokenâ— i. e. The Signes of future Events which they gather from the position of the Starres c. Of the Lyars By Lyars he meaneth Astrologers whom he calls Lyars because the Event of things shall not answer their Praedictions and Prognostications but happen or fall out cleane otherwise than they did prognosticate and foretell He speakes here of frustrating the tokens of Lyars because many Aâ—trologers did at this time Prognosticate by the Starres that Everlasting happinesse and dominion should be to the Babylonians and Eternall Captivity and Servitude to the Jewes And maketh Diviners mad i. e. And which will make the Divinations and Praedictions of Diviners and Sooth-sayers to prove false whereupon they shall runne mad to see their Divinations and Praedictions of so little worth or truth He speakes of making Diviners mad because many Diviners and Soothsayers did at this time Prophesie Peace to Babylon and Mercy without hope of redemption to the Captive Iewes And when Diviners and Sooth-sayers speake confidently of a thing to come if the thing doth not come to passe which they speake of they are oftentimes laughed and mocked and scoffed at by the People at which proud natures not knowing either how to beare it or how to avoyd it are so vexed as that they fret and storme and runne even mad to think of it That turneth wise men backward i. e. Which turneth the wise men from wisedome to folly That is which maketh the wise men of the earth fooles by infatuating their Counsells He useth a Metaphor taken from a man which when he either turneth or is turned from a thing hath his backe toward the thing from which he turneth or is turned He speaketh here of turning wise men backward and making their Counsell foolish because the State Counsellors of Babylon where the Iewes were Captive were famous for their wisedome and Policy in State Affaires From the 24. verse hitherto the Prophet hath showne especially the power of God from this place to the end of the Chapter he sheweth especially the good will of God to Hierusalem and so to the Iewes that the Iewes may no whit doubt of their Redemption out of Captivity 26. That confirmeth the word of his servant i. e. Which will make good the word of his Prophet Isaiah which he spake concerning the delivery of his People the Iewes out of Captivity And performeth the Counsell of his messengers i. e. And which will performe the Newes or Message which he sent by his Prophets his Messengers concerning the Redemption of his People out of Babylon and Babylons downfall The Counsell of his messengers He saith the Counsell of his messengers for the message of his messengers by a Metonymy because their message conteined the Counsell or determination of God concerning the downefall of Babylon and the Delivery of his People thence That saith to Hierusalem thou shalt be inhabited i. e. Which saith to Hierusalem though thou art now desolate and without Inhabitants thy Inhabitants being carried away Captive into Babylon yet thou shalt be inhabited againe for thy children and thine Inhabitants shall returne from Babylon and dwell againe in thee He speaketh to the City of Hierusalem as to a Person by a Metaphor or Prosopopoeia Yee shall be built i. e. Though the Babylonians have burnt you or beat you downe with Ramms and other Engines yet shall my ancient people the Iewes come out of Babylon where they are Captive and build you and dwell in you again And I will raise up the decayed places thereof i. e. For I will raise up the decayed places thereof And for For 27. That saith to the deep be dry and I will dry up thy Rivers By the deep I understand here the River Euphrates for not only the Sea but any great River also may be called the deep and Euphrates was the greatest River which was then known And by the Rivers I understand the waters of Euphrates and those smaller Rivers which either came out of or ran into Euphrates that great River of Babylonia For many such Rivâ—rs there were Now as for the meaning of these words in this place they may be taken Allegorically and the sense thereof may be this q. d. which say to all impediments which may hinder the way of my People the Iewes in their returne out of Babylon and the Dominions thereof homewards Be yâ—e removed and hinder not my People For understanding of which sense know that the Iewes though they were all Captive to the Babylonians yet many of them were carriâ—d into Captivity beyond the City of Babylon so that between the Land of Iudah and the place of their Captivity ran Euphrates and its other Rivers which might be a stop and an hindrance to the ready passage of the Iewes which were to passe from the Lâ—nd of their Captivity into the Land of Iudah their owne home That thereâ—ore he might signifie that none of the Iewes should be hindred in their passage homeward out of their Captivity He saith That saith to the deep be dry and I will dry up thy Rivers alluding herein to what the Lord did to Iordan when he brought his pâ—ople out of Egypt into Canaan for at that time he divided the waters of Iordâ—n and made his people a way throuâ—h the Channell thereof Iosh 3. Or Secondly the sense of those words Allegorically taken may be this q. d. That will destroy the King of Babylon and all his
now thou advisest with thy self and thinkest it best to make use of this sorcery or enchantment and now thou advisest with thy self and thinkest it best to use that and so thou often advisest with thy self what sorceries and enchantments to use and often makest use of them and because thou seest that they are to no purpose thou art even weary of advising or of thinking of any more Note here that what the Prophet would have us understand by this is this That as Balaam said Numb 23.23 There is no enchantment against Jacob so there should be no enchantment against Cyrus whom God would bless for Jacob that is for the Jews sake Let now the Astrologers the Star-gazers the Monthly Prognosticators stand up q. d. Being therefore that thou art wearyed in thy sorceries and enchantments and in thy counsels concerning them let the Astrologers and the Star-gazers and the monthly Prognosticators stand up for thee as Champions and save thee c. This he saith in derision of Astrologers and Star-gazers and Monthly Prognosticators who would take upon them to tell of future evils by the Stars and of means to prevent them 14. Behold they shall be as stubble q. d. Behold they shall be so far from saving thee from these things which shall come upon thee as that they shall not save themselves for they shall be as stubble to the fire c. The fire shall burn them c. i. e. They shall be consumed in the destruction which Cyrus shall bring upon thee O Babylon He speaks here in this Verse of the destruction which Cyrus should then bring upon Babylon as of fire and as of the flame of fire because as fire and the flame of fire consume the wood so should that destruction consume the Babylonians There shall not be a coal to warm at nor a fire to sit before q. d. They shall be so throughly burned as that there shall not be a coal left of them for a man to warm himself at nor fire left for a man to sit before The meaning is That the Astrologers Star-gazers and Monthly Prognosticators should be utterly consumed and destroyed as the stubble or wood which is burned to very ashes This phrase is metaphorical and the Metaphor is drawn from such combustible matter as is totally burnt to ashes where there is not so much as a coal of fire left for any one to sit by or to warm himself at 15. Thus shall they be unto thee c. i. e. Thus also shall they be unto thee c. q. d. And when thy Astrologers and Star-gazers and Monthly Prognosticators fail thee if thou thinkest to have help from thy Merchants thou art deceived for thus shall they also be unto thee Thus shall they be unto thee c. They Who Ans The Merchants which have traded with thee Thus how shall they be Ans They shall wander every one to his quarters None shall save This Particle Thus relates not so much to what went before in the former Verses as to what followeth in this Verse With whom thou hast labored i. e. With whom thou hast traffiqued In traffiquing and merchandizing there is labor and care enouâ—h though the gain sweeteneth all labor and care to the Merchant Even thy Merchants from thy youth i. e. Even thy Merchants with whom thou hast traffiqued from the time that thou wast first a City Babylon stood very opportune for Traffique and Merchandize by reason of Tigris and Euphrates and other great Rivers which running by her and through her emptyed themselves into the Persian gulf This is not to be understood as if those particular Merchants which did first traffique with Babylon should be then living but it onely signifies that Babylon had been a Mart of old and that there had been there a continuance and succession of Merchants traffiquing with it from the begining without interruption as if the same Merchants had always lived These Merchants then can no otherwise be said to be the Merchants which labored with her from her youth then an Army may be said to be the same as it was at the first after many years wherein every individual Soldier is dead which served first in it because it was never disbanded And as a River may be said to be the same now as it was a thousand years ago though her waters pass away and are not the same as they were because it is never dry They shall wander to their quarters q. d. When they hear of the evil approaching that is when they hear of Cyrus's approach against thee O Babylon with his Army they shall not stay to fight for thee or to defend thee but they shall fly every one to his own home They shall wander i. e. They shall fly they know not which way So do they fly which fly for fear as that they know not which way they go but wander up and down To his quarters i. e. To his home This is the intent of every ones flying to fly to his own home though in his flight he wanders up and down and flies he knows not whither None shall save thee i. e. None shall stay to save thee or defend thee ISAIAH CHAP. XLVIII O House of Jacob i. e. O ye sons of Jacob. Which are called by the Name of Israel i. e. Which are called the children of Israel For being called the children of Israel they are called by the name of Israel And are come forth out of the waters of Judah i. e. And are sprung up out of the seed of Judah The Hebrews do often signifie the seed of a man by the name of dew and waters because his seed is liquid as dew and waters are Judah was one of the sons of Jacob to whom the Scepter was given Gen. 49.8 And the Jews thought themselves more honorable then any other Tribe of Israel because they sprang out of the seed of this Judah Note that the Jews many of them though they did not imitate the works of Israel yet they did glory that they were the children of Israel and the more because they were the children of Israel by Judah and they did love to be called the children of Israel and the sons of Judah Wherefore the Prophet gives them these Attributes with a kinde of Sarcasm q. d. Hear ye O house of Jacob ye forsooth which though ye do not imitate the works of Israel yet love to be called the children of Israel and which glory in this that ye are the sons of Judah because Judah was the most honorable of all the sons of Israel c. Note that the Prophet directeth his speech here to such Jews as did mingle the worship of Idols with the worship of the true God while they were captives in Babylon And he speaks to them in the person of God as if he were present with them at that time Note again that though all the people of the Iews did not sin in this kind yet he speaks
the Lord in his own person yet it may be understood of the Lords speaking thus to himself and stirring up himself for this work See the like cap. 63.11 Because the Lord had suffered his people to lie in captivity a long time and did not shew his power in their deliverance he might seem to be like a man asleep therefore he saith Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord Supple That thou mayst deliver thy people out of Babylon as thou hast promised Put on strength He alludeth to a mans putting on his garments when he awaketh which he did put off and lay aside when he went to sleep O arm of the Lord i. e. O powerful God He speaks of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and puts the arm which is but part for the whole man by a Synecdoche as Vers 5. As in the ancient days and in the generations of old Supple When thou didst bring the children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab i. e. Art not thou He which didst cut and hew the Egyptians to pieces It This relateth to that O thou arm of the Lord by which as I said is meant the Lord himself Rahab By Rahab is meant Egypt and by Egypt the Egyptians as Psal 87. v. 4. And Egypt was called Rahab because of her pride for Rahab signifieth one that is proud and Egypt carryed her self proudly at least towards Israel Exod. 18.11 And wounded the Dragon Supple Even to death By the Dragon he meaneth Pharaoh King of Egypt whom the Lord overthrew in the red Sea For the Prophet calls tyrants by that name See cap. 27.1 10. Art not thou it which hath dryed the Sea c. He meaneth by the Sea the red Sea which the Lord divided and through which he made a dry way for his people of Israel to pass when he brought them out of Egypt Exod. 14.21 The waters of the great deep q. d. Even the waters of the red Sea which was very deep For the ransomed to pass over i. e. For the Israelites which thou didst redeem out of Egypt from the bondage which they suffered there to pass over This is mentioned here to strengthen the faith of the people in God For if God had power to do such things heretofore he hath as much power to do the like now and to redeem his people out of Babylon now as he had to redeem them out of Egypt in times past 11. The redeemed of the Lord i. e. The Jews which are now in captivity in Babylon He calleth these Jews the redeemed of the Lord by anticipation for as yet they were not redeemed though afterwards they were Shall return Supple Out of Babylon where they are captive And come with singing unto Sion i. e. And come back with a great deal of joy to Jerusalem Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads He resembleth joy to a crown therefore he saith that it shall be upon their heads q. d. They shall be crowned with everlasting joy See cap. 35.10 And sorrow and mourning Supple Which they now suffer by reason of their captivity 12. I even I am he that comforteth you This is spoken in the person of the Lord to Zion who fearing the great power of the Babylonians could not receive that comfort from the promises of God as she should do I even I c. q. d. I the Lord who am the true and Almighty God even I am he that comforteth you c. That comforteth you i. e. That comforteth you now by my promises of your redemption and will comfort you hereafter by performing what I promise Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall dye q. d. What a fearful woman art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of the Babylonians because they are many which yet are but men and shall dye This was that which made the Lords promise of the redemption of the Jews out of Babylon so hardly to be believed to wit the strength and abundance of men which the Babylonians had and therefore the Lord would take this Objection or stumbling block away Who art thou This in the Hebrew is of the Feminine gender and therefore is spoken to Zion whom he speaks to as to a woman or a mother by a Prosopopoeia as cap. 49.14 And of the son of man which shall be made as grass i. e. And of the son of man which shall be cut down and wither as the grass This is a repetition of the former sentence The son of man Every man livinâ— as he is man himself so is he the son of a man 13. And forgettest the Lord thy Maker i. e. And art not mindf ll of the power of the Lord which made thee who because he made thee will have mercy upon thee That hath stretched out the Heavens and layd the foundations of the Earth Supple And therefore is of exceeding great power power enough to turn the Babylonians to nothing Hath stretched out the Heavens i. e. Hath made the Heavens See Cap. 45. vers 12. And layd the foundations of the Earth See cap. 55.13 And hast feared continually every day Supple Lest thou and thy children should be destroyed by hard usage and by famine Because of the fury of the oppressor i. e. Because of the fury of the Babylonian which oppresseth thee and thy children As if he were ready to destroy i. e. As if he i. e. the Babylonian thy oppressor would instantly destroy thee and thy children by hard usage and by starving And where is the fury of the oppressor i. e. And what I pray you is become of the fury of the Oppressor This is to be pronounced with contempt to vilifie the power and fury of the Babylonian when Zion feared And he speaketh as if the Babylonians were already destroyed 14. The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed q. d. Behold notwithstanding all the fury of the Oppressor the captive Exile already hasteneth that he may be loosed The captive Exile i. e. The Jew which is captive in Babylon and liveth there as an Exile or banished man Hasteneth that he may be loosed i. e. Maketh haste already that he may be loosed supple out of prison that is out of the Land of his captivity from being a captive any longer He likeneth the Land of Babylon in which the Jews were captive to a prison and alludeth thereunto as cap. 42.7 He speaketh here as though the captived Jews were even then hastening to get out of their captivity But how did they hasten that they might be loosed Ans By sending Zorobbabel to Cyrus to entreat him to let them go free And this was after Cyrus had subdued Babylon so that the Lord might well say as he did Vers 13. And wheâ—e is the fury of the Oppressor And that he should not dye in the pit i. e. And that he
that time which was between the building of the Temple and the deliverance out of the Babylonish Captivity was the middle time which is the most flourishing time of life For from the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt which time was as I may so call it the time of Israels birth for while Israel was in Egypt he was but as it were an embrio in the womb but when the Lord brought him out of Egypt he made him a People and Commonwealth of himself I say from the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt to the building of the Temple by Solomon were 480 years from the building of the Temple by Solomon to the end of the Babylonish captivity were 452 years from the end of the Babylonish captivity to the Incarnation of Christ 525 years So that that shame which he calls the shame of her youth here I take to be the same with the reproach of her widowhood mentioned in the next sentence for our Prophet is frequent in such repetitions And it is called the shame of her youth because it happened to her in her youth And shall not remember the reproach of thy Widdow-hood This is a repetition of the former sentence And what he calls the shame of her youth there he calls the shame of her Widdow-hood here Because this shame and reproach befell her when God had put her away from him from being his wife Cap. 50.1 which was all the time of the Babylonish captivity 5. For thy maker is thy Husband And therefore will doe the office of an Husband to thee in protecting thee and delivering thee and in givâ—ng thee children by which thy shame and â—eproach shall be taken away Ob. If the Lord were Sions Husband how could Sion be a Widdow Ans The Lord had married Sion and afterwards put her away and then tooke her to wife againâ—â— So that betweene the Lords putting her away and taking her againe Sion was a Widdow Ob. But a man when he had put away his wife and she became another mans could not take her for his wife again Deut. 24.4 Ans What man could not doe which was under the Law God might do which was above the Law Therefore thus we read Jer. 3.1 They say If a man put away his wife and she goe from him and become another mans shall he returne to her againe shall not that land be greatly polluted But thou hast played the Harlot yet return again to me saith the Lord. The Lord of Hosts is his name The Lord of Hosts is He And therefore he is able to subdue the Babylonians which cause thy feare and thy shame Thy Redeemer the Holy one of Israel i. e. And the holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer who as he is able so also is willing to Redeeme thee oâ—t of the hands of the Babylonians and to take away thy reproach because he is the Holy One That is because he is the God of Israel The God of the whole earth shall he be called To wit because he will make it manifest by his power which he will shew in your Redemption that he is Lord of all the earth and that he can doe therein whatsoever he pleaseth 6. For the Lord hath called thee i. e. For the Lord hath called thee Supple to his Bed or to be his wife againe These words relate to those words thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth and shalt not remember the â—eproach of thy Widdowhood any more vers 4. As a proofe thereof as the fifth verse was As a woman forsaken i. e. Who wa st or when thou wast as a woman forsaken of all her friends How Sion was forsaken See Lament 1.2 Note that this Particle As is not to be taken here as a note of Similitude but of Identity as it is often taken For Sion was not onely as a woman forsaken but a woman forsaken indeed And grieved in spirit i. e. And who wa st or when thou wast as a woman grieved in spirit and mourning because she was afflicted and had none to comfort her And a wife of youth i. e. Yea who wa st or when thou wast as a wife which had plaid the Harlot in her youth The Prophet may call her a wife of youth which is naught and played the Harlot in in her youth by the like Metonymie as he calleth the waters which drowned the world in the dayes of Noah the waters of Noah v. 4. A wife which is naught and playeth the Harlot in her youth proveth the most notorious strumpet of all For lust reigneth in her more than it doth in the aged and her affections are hotter and more unbrideled When thou wast refused i. e. When the Lord had refused thee and cast thee off from being his wife and therefore thou couldst not expect to be taken to be his wife againe That the Lord should call Sion when she was as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit speakes the great goodnesse and loving kindnesse of the Lord to her for such a woman seldome findeth friends But that he should call her again and make her his wife when she had played the Harlot in her youth and he had put her away for her whoredomes speakes yet his greater goodnesse and loving kindnesse And as to say that the Lord called her as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit And a woman of youth when she was refused speakes the loving kindnesse and goodnesse of the Lord to Sion So may it cheere Sion and make her more confident of the goodnesse and loving kindenesse of the Lord. For otherwise she had good cause to doubt whether the Lord would look upon her and call her to his bed when she was as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit And when she had played the Harlot in the dayes of her youth and had beene divorced for her whoredomes 7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee It was seventy yeares that the Lord forsook Sion Jer. 25.11 Yet this is but a small time and but as a very little moment in regard of that time in which he had or would have had mercy upon her if she had kept his Covenant v. 10. Have I forsaken thee Supple And given thee over to be afflicted by the Babylonians But in great mercy will I gather thee This is spoken in relation to the Jewes the children of Sion which as they were scattered here and there in many Countreyes in the time of their Captivity so did the Lord gather them together out of those Countreyes when he brought them back to Sion See Cap. 44.18 Note here that he speakes of the Jewes as of Sion her selfe And of Sion her selfe as of the Iewes when he saith I will gather thee And that because of the great relation and Iove which was between Sion and her children So Christ saith Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 when he persecuted onely those that believed in Christ because of the great affection and love which was
themselves to all the Ordinances of Moses as the Jewes themselves did which they would not have been suffered to doe if they had not observed so much as they did And from these Proselytes were they also which observed as much as they did called Proselytes of the Gate though they lived not among the Iewes but lived elsewhere because they were under the same condition such was Naaman the Syrian the Eunuch Cornelius c. The other kinde of Proselytes were such as were circumcised and tooke upon them the observation of the whole Law of Moses and these were called Proselites of the Covenant and were accounted almost for priviledges and observances as Jewes such were Vriah the Hittite Achior in the booke of Judith c. Note here againe that though in the first sense these Gentiles afore mentioned are here invited to joyne themselves to the Lord and worship him as Proselytes yet in the second and more sublime sense This is a Prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles to the Church of Christ where the Jews and Gentiles are made both one Ephes 2. vers 14. Come ye to the waters i. e. Come ye to that knowledge which will satisfie your desires as waters satisfie the thirst of him which is thirsty By waters he meaneth metaphorically the true knowledge of the true God in which knowledge there is that true content to be had which no other knowledge can afford and will satisfie a mans desire as waters will quench his thirst And he that hath no mony q. d. Yea let him come that is poor and hath no mony This he saith in opposition to those which desired to learn humane Arts and Sciences which he that desired to learn had need to have been rich because the Masters of those Arts and Sciences would not teach them without great rewards But they which would learn the knowledg of the Lord need not to have been rich the poor might learn it as well as the wealthy he that had no mony as well as he that had for the Lords servants taught the knowledge of the Lord freely Come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk c. The Prophet is not content to call the knowledge of God waters but he calls it also wine and milk because it did not onely satisfie the desire as waters satisfie and quench the thirst but it doth also feed the Soul as wine and milk do feed and nourish the body yea it is as the chiefest delicates to the Soul For by these two to wit wine and milk the Scripture doth not onely signifie food necessary for the sustenance of life but dainties and delicates too as Gen. 49.12 Without mony and without price This is said in opposition to those who gave great sums of mony to their Masters to learn humane Arts and Sciences q. d. Ye need not take care for mony or agree for a price for learning the knowledge of God as you use to take care for mony and agree for a price with your Masters of humane Arts and Sciences but this knowledge shall be taught you freely 2. Wherefore do ye spend your mony for that which is not bread q. d. Wherefore do you give so much mony to the Masters of the Arts to learn of them those Arts which bring no fruit or profit at all with them He persists still in his Metaphor whereby he likened the knowledge of God to meat and drink which nourish and refresh the body because this knowledge is the onely food of the Soul q. d. Wherefore do ye spend mony for that which is not so much as bread which is the necessary sustenance of mans life much less is it wine or milk which are the dainties and delicates thereof Which satisfieth not Supple Your hunger This is a repetition of those words Which is not bread Eat ye that which is good q. d. Eat ye not that which is not fit to nourish you but eat ye that which is good not onely to nourish you but to make you fat He persists still in his Metaphor and compares the knowledge of God to that which is good to nourish yea to fatten the body and humane science to that which is but bran or hulks and hath not any nourishment in it And let your Soul delight it self in fatness i. e. And delight your selves in that which will not onely feed you and nourish you but make you fat The Soul is put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche Fatness is put here for food which will fatten per Metonymiam Effecti 3. Encline your ears He alludes here to the manner of men which bow their heads toward him which speaketh when they desire to hear distinctly what he saith Come unto me He that cometh to the Servants and Prophets of the Lord cometh to the Lord. See Luk. 10.16 Hear i. e. Hear my words and keep them and obey them And your soul shall live i. e. And ye shall live q. d. And your lives shall be preserved yea ye shall live happily and plentifully He still alludeth to bread and wholesom food which preserve the life and keep men fat and in good liking which bran and hulks cannot do I will make an everlasting Covenant with you That is oftentimes called Everlasting which lasteth onely a long time as the Priesthood of Aaron was called everlasting although it was to last but during the Law and was to be abolished by the death of Christ Exod. 40.15 Even the sure mercies of David q. d. And I will even give you by that Covenant the sure mercies of David That these words I will give you are here to be understood we may learn from Acts 13.64 But what are those which are here called the mercies of David The mercies which are here called the mercies of David are those mercies and blessings which David so often speaks of in the Psalms and which are there promised in the Name of God to all which serve and fear him and lead a godly life whether they be Jews or Gentiles as Psa 34.15 and 37. v. 4 11. and 84.11 c. where the Promises being made in general terms to them which fear God and lead a godly life are made as well to the Gentile as to the Jew as we may gather from St. Pauls arguing from that general word Whosoever Rom. 10.11 But why are these called the mercies of David Ans Because they are so often repeated in the Book or Psalms of David and because they were made upon the particular occasion of Davids fear and trust in God and because David had had often experience of them But why are they called the sure mercies of David Ans Because they shall be certainly performed for God who hath promised them is faithful in his Word and will therefore perform them because he hath said it Note here that the Apostle Paul preaching of the Resurrection of Christ from the dead brings this as an argument to prove that God raised
6. Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion q. d. The Idols which are set up among the smooth stones of the stream they are the gods which thou delightest in Among the smooth stones of the stream i. e. Among the stones of the rivers which stones the waters of the rivers by long washing have made smooth Is thy portion i. e. Are thy gods which thou delightest in As God is called the portion of the godly Psal 16.4 Jer. 10.16 So are Idols called here the portion of Idolaters because Idolaters made the Idols their gods Note here that a portion signifieth often in Scripture an inheritance in allusion to that division which was made of the Land of Canaan when it was divided into several parts or portions and those several parts and portion were given for several inheritances to the several Tribes and Families of Israel Josh 13 c. And God is called the portion or inheritance of the godly in allusion to such an heritage because the godly do as much trust and delight in God as rich men do in their inheritance and possessions yea as an inheritance or possessions make a man rich so doth God enrich them that serve him And because the Lord is thus called the portion or inheritance of the godly therefore are the Idols here called the portion of the Idolaters because the Idolaters made them their gods Note again that Idolaters did not set up their Idols and sacrifice to them in one onely kinde of place but in divers sometimes they set them up in groves under the green trees thereof sometimes in valleys though dry sometimes by rivers sometimes in mountains sometimes in their houses sometimes in the Temple c. So that what are here spoken from vers 5. to vers 9. are not to be understood of one and the same Idols set up in one and the same place but of several Idols set up and worshipped in several places and thereby is signified the mad love which the Jews had to Idolatry See St. Jerom upon this place Note here again that whereas he saith Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion it is not to be understood by these words that Idolaters set up their Idols in the streams or in the rivers for certainly they did not set them up in the rivers or in the streams but onely that they set them up nigh unto the rivers or streams upon the shoars thereof upon which shoars because there were many stones cast up by the inundation of the rivers at some times these Idols might be said to have been set up or stand or be among the stones of the stream But why then did not the Prophet say Nigh to the rivers or stream or waters is thy portion but Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion Ans He doth it to shew obliquely the vanity of their Idols and to signifie that when their Idols were set up among the stones of the stream like was set up among their like For their Idols were but stones and therefore were well seated among stones If they should say that though their Idols were stones yet they were smooth polished stones and therefore better then the stones of the stream The Prophet prevents them when he calls the stones of the stream smooth stones for he saith the stones of the stream had been smoothed and polished with the long washing of the water and therefore as good as their Idols in this also Note once again that here he speaketh to Jerusalem whereas he spoke before to the Jews for he changeth both the Number and the Gender and he speaks to her as to a woman by a Prosopopoeia yet in her he sets out the condition and Idolatry of the Jews themselves They they are thy lot i. e. These even these Idols which are among the smooth stones of the streams are thy lot Here is a Relative put without a formal Antecedent but yet the Antecedent is easie to be understood What he called a portion before he calls a lot here in allusion to the division of the Land of Canaan by lot for because when the Land was divided every portion was given to every Tribe for an heritage by loâ— Josh 13.6 14.2 therefore he calls an heritage a lot He doubles his word here saying They they for the greater emphasis Even to them hast thou poured out a drink-offering to them thou hast offered a meat-offering q. d. Even to these hast thou sacrificed By the Law of God unto every sacrifice of a beast there was to be added a certain quantity of wine for a drink-offering Numb 15.5 7 c. and this wine was to be poured out upon the Altar but not upon the fire saith Maimonides There was also a certain quantity of flower to be added for a meat-offering Numb 15.4 6 c. What therefore the Lord required by his Law to be done to him in his sacrifices Jerusalem did do unto her Idols in their sacrifices Should I receive comfort in these i. e. Can I receive comfort by these doings q.d. You have grieved my Spirit by your sins which you have committed against me and therefore you should seek to comfort me again but can I be comforted in the grief I am in by such doings as these are No I am a great deal the more vexed and grieved by them He useth an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here In these i. e. By these In for By. 7. Vpon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed Supple For thy Lovers and thy Sweet-hearts to come and lie with thee that is Thou hast committed fornication upon the high mountains that is Thou hast committed Idolatry upon the high mountains by sacrificing unto Idols thereon Note that Idolatry is often called in Scripture Fornication and Adultery by a Metaphor because as in Adultery the woman which committeth Adultery breaketh the Covenant of Wedlock and leaveth her Husband and cleaveth to another man so in Idolatry the people which are bound by Covenant to love God as their Husband break that Covenant and leave God to cleave to Idols Note further that because carnal fornication and adultery is committed on the bed hence by a Metaphor he saith Vpon the mountain hast thou set thy bed for thou hast committed Idolatry on the mountain Note yet further that the Canaanites and the people adjoyning of whom the Jews learned their Idolatry did sacrifice to their Idols on high and lofty mountains in stead of Temples Hence he saith Vpon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed Note fourthly that when he saith On a lofty and high mountain he speaks not of any one determinate mountain but taketh mountains colâ—ective for mountains Even thither wentest thou up to sacrifice Supple To thy Idols He sheweth in these words what he meant by those Vpon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed 8. Behinde the doors also and the posts hast thou set
whereas they were not carried into captivity till many yeares after and this the Prophet doth often by a prophetique spirit I hid me God speakes of himselfe here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of a man that is so angry as that he will not be seene or spoken with And was wroth i. e. And continued my wrath Or and was yet more wroth And he went on frowardly in the way of his heart q. d. Yet although I smote him and was wroth with him he repented not but went on still with a great deale of frowardnesse in his wicked way even the way which his owne heart found out and delighted in And is to be taken here for Yet Frowardly i. e. Perversly and crossely towards me In the way of his heart i. e. In the way which his wicked and perverse heart found out 18. I have seen his wayes But now I have seen his wayes Supple that he hath amended them and repented him of the wicked wayes of his heart By wayes are meant metaphorically the course of a mans life and his actions And will heale him i. e. And because I see that he hath amended his wayes I will deliver him out of his affliction and captivity which he suffers under the Babylonians He said in the former verse that he smote him by which he meant that he delivered him into the Babylonians hands to be afflicted by him In allusion therefore to that that he said he had smote him he saith here that he would heale him to wit of those wounds which he made in him by those stroaks that is that he would deliver him out of that affliction which he suffered by the Babylonians where note that he compareth affliction to a wound which a man makes with a rod or a staffe I will lead him also i. e. I will also lead him safe from Babylon to his own Land the Land of Judah And restore comforts unto him i. e. And will comfort him againe for the discomforts which he hath met with in his captivity And to his mourners q. d. That is to his mourners or such of his that are of a contrite spirit and mourne for their sinnes Or by his mourners may be meant such as mourned by reason of their hard usage in their captivity And is put here as a note of explication and signifieth as much as that is 19. I create the fruit of the lips q.d. I am he which create peace and none else Note here that by the fruit of the lips are meant in generall words which proceed from the lips as fruit proceedeth from the Tree by a Metaphor then by a Synecdoche by words are meant words of praise or praises and thanks-givings Then because the subject of praises and thanks-givings is peace by praise and thanksgivings is meant peace by a Metonymie This the Lord saith that they might not doubt but that they shall have peace if he saith it for if he saith it he is able to give it as being the onely giver thereof Peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere i. e. Therefore peace Supple shall be to him that is afarre off and to him that is neer Peace i. e. By peace understand all manner of prosperity and good for so the Hebrewes use to call peace Peace peace The word is doubled the more to confirme what is said To him that is afarre off and to him that is neere i. e. To all that are in captivity whether they be in captivity farther off or neerer home The Jewes while they were in captivity to the Babylonian were dispersed farre and neer into their dominions so that some were in captivity very farre off from their own home and others were captives neerer hand And I will heale him i. e. For I will deliver him out of his affliction See vers 18. 20. But the wicked are like the troubled Sea c. i. e. But the wicked Jewes which will not repent them of their sinnes they shall not enjoy peace but shall be tossed to and fro on the Land of their captivity as the Sea is tossed to and fro with winds and tempests A Praesent Tense is put here for a Future The troubled Sea The Sea which is tossed to and fro with stormes and winds Which cannot rest i. e. Which cannot lye still and enjoy a calme by reason of winds and tempests Whose waters cast up mire and dirt This is an amplification of what he said for a troubled sea and a sea that cannot rest casteth up mire and dirt upon the shore with her waves 21. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked q. d. Though they that are of an humble and contrite spirit shall enjoy peace yet to the wicked and irrepentant Jew there shall be no peace saith my God There is no peace i. e. There shall be no peace that is there shall be no prosperity A Praesent is put here for a Future Tense as in the verse before Saith my God Supple Who is able and will performe what he saith The Prophet speaketh this in his owne person ISAIAH CHAP. LVIII CRy aloud spare not c. This the Lord speakes to his prophet as if he were the present with the Jewes in the Babylonish captivity And this chapter may well be continued with the former for because the Lord promised his favour and deliverance out of captivity to those which were of a contrite and humble spirit Cap 57. v. 16. c. He foreseeing that many of the obstinate Jewes would be ready to contradict what he said and to say that he had no respect to those which were of a contrite spirit and humble heart for they had fasted and yet he regarded them not but suffered the Babylonians to prevaile against them and keepe them still captive he sheweth that that Fast which they kept and as they kept it was no signe of an humble and contrite spirit and that he could not be pleased with such a Fast as that was c. Lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet i. e. speak unto them aloud that they may heare thee The voice or sound of a Trumpet is loud and may be heard afarre off Therefore he bids him lift up his voyce like a Trumpet And they had need to lift up their voice like a Trumpet and speak aloud to sinners who are to tell them of their sinnes For sinners are deafe on that eare And the house of Jacob i. e. and the Jews which are of the house or family of Jacob as his children and descended from him Yet they seek me daily Between this and the former verse there is something left to be understood as this or the like For they are a wicked generation walking in the waies of their own heart c. So that the sentence compleat is this For they are a wicked Generation walking in the waies of their own heart yet as though they were holy and righteous men They seek me daily They
Land an Island which is quite invironed with waters but that also that lyeth by the Seas or Rivers sides Yea they call every particular Nation an Island so that by Islands here may be meant all those Nations which were subject to the King of Babylon taking Island Per metonymiam continentis for Islanders or Inhabitants of Islands as I said This is also a Repetition of the former sentence 19. So shall they feare the name of the Lord from the West So shall all the people of the Western parts of the world feare the Lord when they shall see or heare how he hath recompenced the Babylonians for their cruelty to his people The name of the Lord is put here for the Lord himselfe Per metonymiam adjuncti And his glory from the rising of the Sun i. e. And all the people which live in the Easterne parts of the world shall likewise feare him His glory i. e. The glory of the Lord that is the glorious Lord. The glory of the Lord is put for the glorious Lord Per metonymiam adjuncti By these words So shall they feare the name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the rising of the Sun is meant that they shall feare the Lord all the world over Two parts of the world to wit the West and the East being put for the whole world by a Synecdoche When the enemy shall come in like a floud q.d. Cyrus shall come with the Medes and the Persians in upon the Babylonians like a Floud or overflowing River and when he shall so come c. Like a Floud He alludeth to the overflowing of the River of Euphrates whereon Babylon stood which overflowing did by its Inundations mightily annoy and endammage the Babylonians The spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him q.d. Then shall the Lord himselfe in his fury beare the Standard before Cyrus and the Medes and Persians against the Babylonians and fight for Cyrus and Medes and Persians against them By the spirit of the Lord is meant the Lord himselfe but as he was enraged with fury Per metonymiam adjuncti For note first that the Prophet speaketh here of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then note that the word spirit among other significations which it hath among the Hebrewes signifieth the motions and passions of the Soul as love anger or wrath or fury c. And here it signifieth anger or wrath or fury as it signified love Cap. 48.16 If you aske how this word spirit commeth to be taken for the motions or passions of the soul some answer Per metonymiam efficientis because the motions or passions of the soul arise from that soul which is a spirit and Per metonymiam subjecti because they are received in the foul as in their subject others answer that therefore the motions and passions of the minde are called a spirit because the word spirit intimateth that which hath motion and the motions or passions of the soul stirre the man in whom they are and move him to action Note that in the particle him a Singular number is put for a Plurall by an Enallage 20. And the Redeemer shall come to Sion And then the Redeemer to wit Cyrus shall bring redemption to Sion that is to Hierusalem Cyrus came not to Sion in person but she came even to Sion by his favours to her and by the effects of his victory over the Babylonians In Jacob i. e Among the Jewes which were the children of Jacob. 21. As for me i. e. For as for my part Vndâ—rstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for here This is my covenant to them i. e. This is that which I promise to doe for them by the Covenant which I make with them To them i. e. To those which turne from transgression in Jacob. My spirit that is upon thee i. e. Those words which thou hast uttered by vertue of that spirit which is upon thee O Isaiah The Lord makes an Apostrophe here to Isaiah By the Spirit is here meant first the gift of Prophecy for such gifts of God are by the Hebrewes called the spirit of the Lord see Cap. 61.1 Then by the gift of Prophesie is meant the Prophecy or Speeches or Words of God proceeding from or uttered by vertue of that gift of Prophecy by a Metonymy And my words which I have put into thy mouth q. d. That is to say The words concerning that which I will do for them which turn from transgressions in Jacob which I have sent thee to speak and to make known This Conjunction And is a note of explication and signifieth as much as That is to say For note that these words My words which I have put into thy mouth are an explication of those My Spirit which is upon thee Shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed i. e. Shall never be forgotten but shall so be fulfilled as that thou and thy children and thy childrens children after thee shall always speak of them saying The Lord hath said thus and thus by his Servant Isaiah and he hath made good what he said for whatsoever he said by him he hath performed The meaning of this place is this as if the Lord should say This which I have said shall certainly come to pass for what I have said I will covenant to perform The words which Isaiah spoke are therefore said not to depart out of his mouth nor out of the mouth of his children or childrens children because he and his children and childrens children should always make mention of those words and talk of them and of the goodness of God in fulfilling them and that with praise and thanksgiving saying The Lord said by the mouth of his servant Isaiah that he would send a Redeemer to Sion and to them that turn from transgression in Jacob c. And what he said by the mouth of Isaiah he hath performed c. Blessed therefore be the Name of the Lord for ever Yet note that these words do not signifie that the words which the Lord had put into the mouth of Isaiah should never actually depart out of his mouth and out of the mouth of his seed but that the Lord would do such things as should deserve the perpetual remembrance of those words and that those words should never depart out of their mouths ISAIAH CHAP. LX. ARise c. i. e. Arise out of the dust or from the ground whereon thou hast sat mourning during the time of thy captivity See cap. 3.26 and 52.2 This the Prophet speaketh by his Prophetique spirit to Sion or to Jerusalem as though shee were in captivity and the time of her captivity were expired telling her that now she should be redeemed out of captivity and he speaks to Sion or Jerusalem which was a City as to a woman by a Prosopopoeia Shine Receive that light which is cast upon thee and shine by the
reflexion of that light The meaning is q. d. Be thou happy and glorious through that happiness with which thy God will bless thee The Prophet seemeth to allude here to the Moon or to some Star which is enlightened by the Sun and compareth the Lord to the Sun and Sion to the Moon or Star enlightened by the Rays of the Sun It is a common thing with the Prophet to put light for prosperity and happiness By light therefore received understand the prosperity and happiness which the Lord would vouchsafe Sion by his favor And because the Moon and the Stars do shine by the reflexion of that light which they receive from the Sun understand by Sions shining the glory which Sion should have by the happiness which the Lord would vouchsafe her For thy light is come i. e. For thy God which will give thee light that is Prosperity and Redemption is come supple to give thee light By light understand God who is here likened to the Sun which is called a light because it giveth light Gen. 1.16 Because the Prophet doth often call prosperity light and God was to be the Author of Sions prosperity and redemption he likeneth God here to the Sun which giveth light to the Moon and to the Stars when he saith Thy light is come And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee i. e. And the glorious Lord is risen upon thee as the Sun riseth upon the Moon and the Stars by casting his rays upon them By the glory of the Lord understand the glorious Lord himself as cap. 58. vers 8. which he saith is risen upon thee by a Metaphor drawn from the Sun in which he persists 2. The darkness shall cover the Earth By darkness is understood misery and calamity by the Earth is understood the Land of Babylonia by a Synecdoche the whole Earth being put for a part thereof and by a Metonymy the inhabitants of that earth to wit the Babylonians And gross darkness the people i. e. And exceeding great misery and calamity the people which inhabit Babylonia This came to pass when Cyrus conquered and subdued Babylon He prophecyeth misery to the Babylonians because the Babylonians did mightily oppress Sion and her children the Jews in their captivity 3. But the Lord shall arise upon thee i. e. But the Lord shall arise upon thee by casting the beams of his favor upon thee as the Sun ariseth upon the Moon and the Stars by casting his rays upon them And his glory shall be seen upon thee i. e. And he shall be seen upon thee Supple by the light and brightness of the beams of his favor which he shall cast upon thee He compareth here the Lord to the Sun and the redemption and prosperity which he gave to Sion to the beams and brightness which proceedeth from the body of the Sun Then did the Lord arise upon Sion when Cyrus did vanquish the Babylonians and set the Jews free and do such great things for them as we read of in the book of Ezra His glory i. e. He. See vers 1. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light i. e. And so great shall thy glory and thy prosperity be as that the Gentiles shall come to thee because of the greatness of thy glory and prosperity to joy thee and to be partakers with thee of that thy prosperity or at least to behold it and admire it To thy light By light as I said is meant prosperity c. But he alludeth here to the light of the Moon or some glorious Star to which he here resembleth Sion And Kings to the brightness of thy rising i. e. Yea Kings shall come to thee by reason of thy brightness when thou shalt rise for brightness like to the Moon or some glorious Star enlightened by the beams and rays of the Sun The brightness of thy rising is put per Metonymiam Adjuncti for Sion her self rising in brightness 4. Lift up thine eyes round about i. e. Behold and look towards all the parts of the Earth Here he beginneth to shew in particular what the light and brightness that is what the prosperity and glory of Sion should be All they gather themselves together they come to thee i. e. All they which thou seest gathering themselves together in all the parts of the Earth are Jews thy children and they gather themselves together to come to thee He speaks here to Sion as if he had her in an high Watch-tower from whence she could see all the quarters of the Earth Thy sons shall come from far i. e. Thy sons shall come to thee from far even from Babylon where they were captive and from other parts of the world whither they fled when the Babylonians invaded thy Land The Jews which were captive in Babylon returned to Jerusalem by the favor of Cyrus which conquered Babylon and set them free The Jews which were in other parts of the Earth when they heard what Cyrus had done for their Countrymen were invited by their good success to return home and did return and take part with them of their happiness And thy daughters shall be nursed by thy side q. d. And thy daughters shall be no more taken away from thee but they shall be nursed up by thy side or in thy presence He speaks to Sion as to a most indulgent Mother 5. Then shalt thou see and flow together i. e. Then shalt thou see supple thy sons and thy daughters in thine own house and shalt flow together with them with abundance of joy and riches Shalt thou see Supple Thy sons and thy daughters within thine own walls And flow together i. e. And thou shalt flow together with them or thou and they together with thee shall flow with abundance of joy and riches Flow There is a Metaphor in this word taken from a river which floweth with abundance of waters to which waters he likeneth the joy and riches of Sion and her children And thine heart shall fear and be enlarged because the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee i. e. And thou shalt fear and rejoyce because of the abundance of people that shall come to thee A question will here be asked How the Prophet can say that she shall fear and rejoyce for these two are contrary passions and cannot happen upon the same occasion in the same person at the same time Ans The Prophet here alludeth to the manner of men who when they see a great company approaching toward them and toward their dwellings and knowing not what they are are dismayed and fear that they are some Enemies especially if they have been frighted before with companies of Enemies as Sion had been with the Babylonians but when they perceive upon their neer approach by their carriage and by their words that they are friends come to serve them their fear is turned into joy Sion then might fear when she saw so many coming to her while they are yet afar off
them Num. 21.6 and did afterwards when he brought them into the land which he promised to their fathers often raise up enemies against them as the Philistines and the Ammonites and the Moabites and Midianites and Syrians c. 11. Then he remembred the daies of old yet he remembred what he did in favour of hiâ— people in the daies of old that he might shew them favour still Then for yet Moses and his people i. e. He remembred what he did for his people by Moses by whoÌ„ he brought them out of Egypt and did so great favours for them in former times Moses i. e. He remembred Moses viz. that he used him as an instrument to do his people good And his people q. d. And he remembred his people viz. That he had done great things for them by the hand of Moses Saying where is he that brought them out of the sea q.d. Saying where is he that divided the Râ—d Sea and brought his people safe through it hath he forgotten his people or forsaken them for whom he did so great things Note here that this is the speech of God arguing with himselfe and stirring up himselfe to pitty his people and to doe for them as he had done formerly for his names sake And God speaks to himselfe of himselfe though he saith where is he c. With the Shepheard of his Flock i. e. with or by the hand of Moses who was as the shepheard of his flock With is put here for by and is a signe of the instrument and Moses is likened to a Shepherd and the children of Israel whom Moses brought out of Egypt to a flock of sheep See Psal 77.20 Where is he that put his holy Spirit within him i. e. Where is that God which put his holy Spirit in Moses for the good of his people By the holy Spirit is meant all those gifts which God gave to Moses to enable him to be a Conductor and Protector of his people as the gift of Prophecy and of Wisdom and of Courage and of Fortitude c. For all the qualities of the Soul the Hebrews call by the name of the spirit and those qualities which the Lord giveth the Spirit of the Lord. 12. That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm That is Which led them like sheep by the hand of Moses Psal 77.20 working many miracles for them by his power With his glorious arm These words signifie the miracles which God did for his people under Moses as the dividing of the Sea c. which miracles he wrought by his glorious arm that is by his power which made him glorious in which work God was the principal Cause and Moses his Instrument Dividing the waters before them i. e. Dividing the waters of the red Sea before them that they might pass through the same to the Land which he had given them See Exod. 14.21 To make himself an everlasting Name i. e. By which he got himself everlasting honor and glory 13. That led them through the deep as an horse in the wilderness i. e. That led them through the red Sea by dividing the waters thereof and drying it by an East-wind Exod. 14.21 as easily and as firmly as an horse goeth or runneth up and down in the hard and dry wilderness That they should not stumble i. e. So that they did not so much as stumble To stumble signifieth by a Metaphor to come to harm as cap. 8.15 But it may be here properly taken for he that goes in muddy places such as is the bottom of the Sea cannot ordinarily make haste but he will stumble in pulling out one foot after another out of the mud But though the channel of the Sea was deep and the Sea were but newly divided for the people of Israel to pass through it yet did God so provide for his people that the mud caused them not to stumble 14. As a beast goeth down into the valley i. e. As a beast which is heavy laden goeth down a steep hill into the valley for he goeth easily and warily and with a great deal of care and circumspection that he fall not The Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest i. e. So did the Lord lead his people to their rest for he led them easily and warily with a great deal of care and circumspection that they should not be over-travelled and fall down by the way through weariness Deut. 8.4 and that they should not come to any other hurt Note that this is spoken in the person of a Jew for whom the Prophet composed this prayer where the Jew attesteth what the Lord said before and beareth witness to it as to the truth and encourageth himself from thence to ask of the Lord the like favors for himself and his brethren in their captivity in Babylon as he the Lord vouchsafed that his people in the days of old The Spirit of the Lord i. e. The Lord. By the Spirit of the Lord is here meant the goodness of the Lord for he speaks of God here as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And all the qualities and passions of a mans Soul the Hebrews call the spirit By the spirit therefore of the Lord is here meant as I said the goodness of the Lord and the spirit or goodness of the Lord is put per Metonymiam adjuncti for the Lord himself Caused him to rest i. e. Led his people to their rest that is to the Land of Canaan which is called their rest Psal 95.11 and Deut. 12.9 because it was the end and period of all their travels The Lord is said to cause his people to rest because he did lead them through the red Sea and through the wilderness to the place of their rest that is to the Land of Canaan And so doth Jeremy also use this phrase Jerem. 31.2 Him That is Israel his people as appeareth by the following sentence So didst thou lead thy people i. e. As a beast goeth down into the valley so I say didst thou lead thy people to their rest The Prophet maketh his Apostrophe here to God in the person of the people of the Jews and repeateth what he said in the words before To make thy self a glorious Name i. e. So that thou didst purchase to thy self great glory and renown by bringing thy people in the Land of Canaan as thou didst 15. Look down from Heaven q. d. Look down therefore from Heaven upon us thy people which are now in captivity as thou didst look upon our Fathers in the days of old Look down from Heaven Supple With the eyes of mercy Behold Supple Us thy people which are in captivity From the habitation of thy holiness i. e. From thy holy habitation A substantive of the Genitive case is put here for an Adjective Heaven is called Gods habitation or dwelling place because God doth there manifest himself in greater glory then in any part of the world
in these words we have in hand and cap. 63.5 an allusion to a King arming himself for a Battel that he might war against his Enemies in the behalf of his Subjects whom they have wronged So that I conceive that the words in hand must be interpreted some such way as followeth His arm brought salvation to him q. d. He hath brought salvation out of his armory and made use of it He speaks of salvation here as of a piece of armor wherewith a Soldier is armed If you ask what piece of armor it is which he alludeth to the next Verse will tell you where he calls it the helmet of salvation Note that the arm which is but a part is put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche Object But you will say that the Hebrew being translated word for word is not His arm brought salvation to him but His arm hath saved him Ans Be it so yet there may be the same meaning and the same allusion in these words as was in the former For the meaning of these words His arm hath saved him may be this He hath made himself safe that is He hath armed himself supple with salvation For armor is a safeguard to the body which is therewith armed And his righteousness it sustained him Rather And his righteousness doth sustain him q. d. And his righteousness armeth him that is is upon him as a piece of armor to preserve him If you ask what piece of armor he alludes to the next verse will tell you that it is a brestplate But note that in these words It sustained him or It sustaineth him there is a Metaphor borrowed from a staff which a man hath in his hand whereby he is sustained or upheld while he leaneth upon it but we must transfer this Metaphor to the having on or being armed with a brest-plate For as a staff which a man hath in his hand doth preserve him and keep him from falling so doth the brestplate which a man hath on him or with which he is armed preserve him and keep him from wounds Such kinde of mingling or confounding or transferring Metaphors our Prophet often useth Note that the Pronoune It is here redundant by an Hebraisme What is meant by Righteousnesse here See in the next verse following 17. For he put on righteousnesse as a brest-plate Better For he hath put on righteousnesse as a breast-plate A breast-plate is a piece of ormour which defendeth the heart and the vitall parts to a breast-plate therefore doth he liken righteousnesse that is the justnesse of the cause of warre because there is no greater comfort to the heart of a man nor any thing that can give him greater assurance or on which he may more rely for safety and preservation in the Battle than this that he knoweth that his cause of taking up armes is just By righteousnesse therefore I understand the just cause which the Lord had in taking up armes or making Warre upon his enemies the Babylonians the justnesse of whose cause you may read Cap. 47. v. 6. c. An helmet of salvation upon his head i. e. And salvation as an helmet upon his head An Helmet is a piece of armour which is to guard and defend the head wherein the braines lye which are the Mint of the Animall spirits which being wounded death presently followeth Nothing can yeild more safety than salvation it selfe for where salvation is there can be no hurt otherwise salvation were not salvation Therefore the Lord saith that he will appoint Hierusalem salvation for walls Cap. 26.1 And therefore doth the Lord take salvation here for his own Helmets Note that this salvation which the Lord here takes is to protect himselfe not to save his people For salvation is here as an Helmet and an Helmet is for the safety onely of him which weareth it and therefore the Lord is said to put on an Helmet of salvation to shew that he is invincible and can receive no hurt By this that the Prophet saith that the Lord hath put on righteousnesse as a breast-plate and salvation as an Helmet upon his head we may learne that God is a just God and therefore draweth not out his sword against a man to punish him without a cause and that he is invincible and therefore is not afraid to set upon the most potent enemies so that all men have just reason to stand in awe of him St. Paul Ephes 6. v. 14 17. describing the whole armour of a Christian seemeth to allude to this place And he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing i. e. And he hath put on garments made of vengeance for his clothing Vengeance is to be taken here for a desire of executing vengeance upon his enemies And he was clad with zeale as with a cloake i. e. And he is clad c. By zeale may be meant the zeale and love which he bore to his owne honour which honour of his had been given to Idols even the Idols of the Babylonians if he had suffered the Babylonians alwayes to oppresse his own people And the zeal and love which he bore to his owne people whom the Babylonians did make to houle Cap. 52.5 And the zeal and indignation for zeal intimates as well indignation as love which he bore towards the Babylonians for his own honour's and his peoples sake Besides their garments of ordinary wearing in times of peace most of the most ancient people of the world had their garments extraordinary which they wore upon their armour in time of Warre of which you may read Alex ab Alexand Genial Dier lib. 1 Cap. 20. c. And not to ordinary garments worne in time of peace but to these warlike garments doth our Prophet seem to allude when he saith And he put on garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as with a cloake 18. According to their deeds accordingly will he repay fury to his adversaries i. e. He will recompence his adversaries who have without mercy oppressed his people he will recompence them I say with such effects of his fury as they have deserved Fury Fury is put here for miseries and calamities and other the effects of Gods fury and wrath Per metonymiam efficientis His adversaries He meaneth the Babylonians whom therefore God calleth his adversaries because they did most cruelly oppresse and shew no mercy at all to his people when they were in Captivity Recompence to his enemies By Recompence is meant that which they have deserved that is the like cruell usage as they had used towards the Jewes And this is a Repetition of the former sentence To the Islands he will repay recompence By Islands understand the Inhabitants of the Islands by a Metonymie and by these Islands understand Mesopotamia and other Islands which were neer to Tigris and Euphrates For Mesopotamia was an Iland or Islands made by those two Rivers Tigris and Euphrates But the Hebrewes call not onely that