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
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
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
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
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
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
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
5.14 Hell hath enlarged her self Where he saith Hell hath enlarged her self for Hell hath enlarged her Paunch For he speaks of Hell as of a devouring beast And cap. 13.11 I will punish the world for their evil Where by the world is meant the Babylonians which were but part of the world And cap. 57.8 Thou hast discovered thy self to another than me Where he saith thy self for thy nakedness or thy secret parts Synecdoche Partis or Membri is a figure whereby a member or part of a thing is put fâ—â— the whole An example of this we have Isaiah cap. 1 26. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it That is The Lord hath spoken it And cap. 3. verse 9. Woe unto their soul That is we unto them And cap. 13.18 Their eye shall not spare children That is they shall not spare children Trajectio See Hyperbaton Transpositio See Hyperbaton 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when that sentence which should be last of the two is put-first An example of this we have Isaiah cap. 50. verse 2. Their Fish stinketh because there is no water and dieth with thirst where he saith Their Fish stinketh before he saith It dieth whereas it stunk not before it was dead To these take good Reader the meaning of these words and Characters following Supple Supple signifieth as much as Add. And I use this word often when I add somewhat to the words of the Text by way of exposition to make the sense thereof the plainer As cap. 1. verse 3. But Israel doth not know supple his Lord and Master And cap. 6. verse 1. And his train filled the Temple supple in which he saw the Throne erected E. G. E. G. is the abbreviation of Exempli Gratia and signifieth for examples sake or as for example I. E. I. E. is the abbreviation of Id est and signifieth that is or that is to say Q. D. Q. D. is the abbreviation of Quasi diceres or Quasi diceret And signifieth as if thou shouldst say or as if he should say Scil. Scil. is the abbreviation of Scilicet which signifieth to wit V. G. V.G. is the abbreviation of Verbi Gratia and signifieth for example sake or as for example Viz. Viz. is the abbreviation of Videlicet and signifieth to wit AN EXPOSITION OF THE BOOK of the PROPHET ISAIAH ISAIAH CHAP. I. THE Vision of Isaiah The word Vision is taken here for the Object or thing seen by a Metonymie And so it is most frequently taken in Scripture So that if you ask what a Vision is in the most frequent usage of the Scripture It is certaine Images or Idaeas represented by God to the Phancies or Understandings of men in a trance the meaning whereof the Lord doth make known to them that they might make it known to others Between a Vision and a Dream I mean a Dream sent of God there is little or no difference but onely in this that a dream is sent to a man while he is in a sleep as Gen. 37. Vers 5 6. But a Vision while he is awake as Numb 24. Vers 15 16. Note that a Vision in the Singular number is put here for Visions in the Plural number For it is not one Vision onely which is here spoken of but many Note also that because God did not reveal his will to his Prophets by Visions onely but also by other meanes Hence may a Vision be put to signify that which was revealed as well by other meanes as by Visions by a Synecdoche ISAIAH the Son of AMOS This Amos which was the Father of Isaiah was not that Amos which is reckoned among the lesser Prophets But one Amos which as the Hebrews say was the Brother of Amasiah King of Judah so that Isaiah was of the Tribe of Judah and of the bloud Royall Which he saw What he here saw he saw not with the eyes of his body but of his soul Viz. his phansie or understanding And from this kind of seeing was a Prophet of old called a Seer 1 Sam. 9. Vers 9. Concerning Judah By Judah is here meant the Tribe or Children of Judah which Judah was one of the Sons of Jacob Gen. 49.8 And that per Metonymiam efficientis And per Synecdochen membri Not onely the Tribe of Judah but the Tribe of Benjamin also For when the ten Tribes of Israel revolted from the house of David their King the Tribe of Judah and the Tribe of Benjamin stuck to it and became one people and one Kingdome which from the noblest Tribe and the Tribe of the King was called the Kingdome of Judah And Hierusalem i. e. And the Men or Inhabitants of Hierusalem Hierusalem was the chief City and Metropolis of the Kingdome of Judah in which was seated the Temple of God and the Palace of the Kings of Judah In the dayes of Vzziah This Vzziah is called Azariah 2 Kings 15.1 This first verse is as the Title of the whole book And though Isaiah prophesieth in this book of matters concerning the Assyrians and the Babylonians and the Aegyptians and others Yet being that his Prophesies are for the greatest part concerning Judah and Hierusalem this book may have its Title from the greatest part of the Contents thereof And yet that which Isaiah prophecied concerning the Assyrians and the Babylonians and others did some way or other concern Judah and Hierusalem So that this whole book may be well stiled The Vision of Isaiah the Son of Amos concerning Judah and Hierusalem 2. Hear O heavens and give ear O earth He speaks to the Heavens and to the earth which are insensible creatures as though they had sense and understanding by a Prosopopoeia The Lord i. e. God whom He calleth the Lord because he is the Lord of all things in general by right of Creation for He created all things Exod. 20. verse 11. And the Lord of the Jewes and Hebrewes in speciall by right of Redemption for he redeemed them out of Egypt to be his peculiar people Exod. 20. ver 2. Hath spoken Supple saying I have nourished and brought up children By these children He meaneth the Jewes That is the men of Judah and Benjamin which made one people which were called the Jewes who with other the sonnes of Israel were Children of the Lord their God Deut. 14. vers 1 These children of his did God nourish while they were in Egypt by Joseph in the Land of Goshen And when they came out of Egypt He fed them with Manna in the Wildernesse And after that with Milk and Honey in the Land of Canaan Yea at all times He provided for them all things necessary as a careful Father doth for his children And thâ—y have rebelled agâ—inst me i. e. And yet for all that they have rebelled against me They are said to rebell against God which refuse to obey his commâ—ndements see ver 19 20. especially if they follow after strange Gods 3. The Oxe knoweth his Owner q. d. The
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
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
i. e. So soon as ever I came Supple To places which I have besieged The Hebrews use to put the foot for coming for see Gen. 30.30 Where Jacob saith thus to Laban Jehovah hath blessed thee at my foot the meaning is this Lord hath blessed thee by my coming and this Preposition With signifies often the time or instant in which any thing is done as Cum diluculo abij I went away with the morning light that is I went away so soon as ever it was morning To dry up therefore with the sole of my feet may very well be rendred To dry up so soon as I came So then the sense of this verse is q. d. When I have come to besiege any place where there hath bin no water I have not wanted water for I have come with such a mighty Army of men as that my men could dig wells presently which should afford me water enough And on the contrary when I have come to besiege any place which aboundeth with rivers of water so numerous is my Army as that I have drunk all those rivers dry After this there is an application left to be understood q. d. What therefore is there that I cannot do by my strength and what places are there that I cannot subdue by my power Note here that we do not read these reproachfull words among Rabshakehs reproaches above mentioned yet were they spoken by him but were there omitted for brevities sake because they were here to be rehearsed 26. Hast thou not heard long agoe that I have done it c. i. e. Hast thou not heard long agoe that I did contrive it and determine it If thou hast not heard of it thou mightst have heard of it It the Antecedent to this Relative is to be understood from the latter part of this verse and it is this viz. That thou shouldst be to lay wast defenced Cities into ruinous heaps q. d. Hast thou not heard long ago that I contrived it and determined it that thou shouldst be to lay waste defenced Cities into ruinous heapes Two questions do here arise first how this hangs together with Sennacheribs speech Secondly how Sennacherib could come to hear that he should be to lay waste defenced Cities into ruinous heaps Answer To the first question I answer That this doth not relate to the words of Sennacherib which went immediately before but to those words which are mentioned cap. 36. v. 18 19 20. and repeated cap. 37.13 For those words are here to be understood though they are here omitted for brevity sake because they were there mentioned as the words which went immediately before were there omitted because they were to be mentioned here To the second question I answer That God said of Sennacherib that he was the rod of his anger and that the staffe in his hand was his indignation Cap. 10.5 And this he said because he intended to use him as an instrument to punish and destroy Cities and Countries and as he said this so might he have said more then this by his Prophets though their Prophecies came not to our hands by which Sennacherib might understand that what he did he did but as the instrument of the Lord and not as a supream and independent cause as he boasted Long agoe i. e. Heretofore Hyperbole That I have done it i. e. That I have contrived it A Metaphor from a Potter as in the word formed for I have done it is q. d. I have made it And of ancient times that I have formed it This is a repetition of the former sentence and for sense the same therewith Of ancient times i. e. Before now An Hyperbole That I have formed it i. e. That I have contrived it and determined it The word formed is metaphoricall taken from a Potter or some such like artist who makes some rude matter into some handsome forme See the like phrase Cap. 22. v. 11. Now I have brought it to passe i. e. And now I have brought to passe what I contrived and determined before to wit That thou shouldst be to lay waste defenced Citieâ— c. That thou shouldst be to lay waste defenced Cities into ruinous heapes i. e. That thou shouldst destroy and lay desolate those Cities though they be defenced Cities and well fortified which have sinned against me 27. Therefore their Inhabitants were of small power q. d. And therefore because I contrived it and determined it that thou shouldst lay waste defenced Cities into ruinous heapes and because I would at this time bring to passe what I determined and contrived were the Inhabitants of those Cities of small power and fainted at thy coming against them for I struck a feare into their hearts who otherwise would not have been so dismayed and easie to be overcome by thee They were as the grasse of the field Supple Which withereth if the wind bloweth upon it See cap. 40. vers 7 8. that is They were weak and fainted away and were not able to resist nor stand before thee As grass on the house tops Which withereth with a little heat of the Sun for want of root 28. But I know thy abode i. e. But I know what thou doest when thou abidest at home and sittest even in thy Closet and what thou dost meditate there against me Metonymia Adjuncti And thy going out and thy coming in i. e. And what thou doest or meditatest when thou goest out or comest in These speeches seem to be proverbiall and to signifie all the actions and counsells of a man both publique and private And thy rage against me q. d. And I know how mad thou art against me and how thou reproachest my power and threatenest me as though I were an idol as thou didst cap. 36.20 and cap. 37.10 and 24. 29. Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears i. e. Because I have heard thy outragious and ruffling words which thou hast belched forth against me Thy tumult i. e. Thy tumultuous and ruffling words Therefore will I put my hooke in thy nose He alludes here to Fisher-men who having struck the hooke with which they fish into the nose of the fish draw him which way they will in the waters And my bridle in thy lips He alludes to Horsemen who by putting a bridle into the horses mouth turne him which way they please James 3.3 I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest This is a proverbiall kinde of speech signifying as we say that he should go as he came or he should go without his errand That which is signified by the hooke and by the bridle and that which turned Sennacherib back was the rumor of the slaughter of an hundred fourscore and five thousand of his Army which were slaine by the Angel as they lay in siege before Jerusalem for when Sennacherib heard of this he returned in hast to his own place 30. And this shall be a sign unto thee He useth
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
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
was there none to answer me q.d. Wherefore did no man receive me when I came to you And when I called to you wherefore did no man answer me The Prophet seemeth to allude to one mans coming to another mans house where there was no body at home to entertain him or to answer when he called and knocked The Lord sent his servants the Prophets to the Jews so soon as they were carryed away captive to exhort them and stir them up to repentance that he might have mercy upon them and deliver them from that captivity and misery upon their repentance into which they had brought themselves by their sins Bâ—t when the Prophets came to them in the Lords Name for this purpose they would not receive them nor would they answer or harken when they called upon them to hear the Word of the Lord. Note here that that which was done to the Prophets of the Lord the Lord takes as done to himself and what they did in his Name he interprets as done by himself according to that of our Saviour to his Disciples He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me Matth. 10.40 This for the explication of these words Now for the connexion Note that these words are spoken in answer to a tacite Objection of the Jews which were in captivity for vvhereas the Lord had said that he vvould deliver them though they were captives and a prey out of the hands of the terrible and mighty Cap. 49.25 and in answer to a former Objection of theirs had told them That they had sold themselves for their sins and that their mother was put away for their transgressions vers 1. They might object and say Be it so that we had sold our selves for our sins and that our mother was put away for our transgressions yet being thou sayst that thou wilt deliver us out of the hands of the mighty and the terrible which oppress us thou wouldst have delivered us long ago if thou hadst been able to deliver us For what else was the reason why thou didst not deliver us long since To this he answers That the reason why he did not deliver them long since was because he came unto them and none of them would receive him and he called to them and none would answer him And until they had received him and answered him and repented and amended their lives he would not deliver them The reason was not because he wanted power and ability to deliver them for he had power and ability to deliver them as he sheweth in the next words Note that the Lord answers this their Objection in an interrogatory manner to make it more tart for their obstinate and pervicacious spirits Is my hand shortened at all that I cannot redeem q. d. Is my power less then it hath been that you should think that I cannot redeem you and that you should say that this is the reason why I did not deliver you before this to wit because I was not able My hand i. e. My power or my strength The hand is put here per Metonymiam signi or subjecti for power and strength because the power and strength of a man is known by his hand and arm The connexion of these words with the former is apparent by what I have already said upon this Verse and it is this q. d. The reason why I redeemed you not long ago was because ye received me not when I came unto you and ye answered me not when I called you It was not because I was not able as ye surmize to deliver you for am I not able to deliver Is my hand shortened that it cannot redeem c. Behold at my rebuke I dâ—y up the Sea q. d. Behold at my rebuke I can dry up the Sea i. e. Behold if I do but chide the Sea the Sea will be dryed up Note that he puts here an Indicative for a Potential mood for the Hebrews have no Potential The Prophet alludeth to that which is written Psal 106. v. 9. He rebuked the red Sea also and it was dryed vp Where the Psalmist speaketh of that which the Lord did to the red Sea when he brought the children of Israel out of Egypt Exod. 14.16 c. This and what followeth are Arguments by which the Lord proveth the greatness of his power I make the Rivers a Wilderness i. e. I can make the Rivers as dry as a Wilderness He alludeth here to the Lords making a way through the River Jordan Josh 3. vers 13. Their fish stinketh because there is no water and dyeth for thirst i. e. So that the fish of Rivers shall dye with thirst for want of water and stink being dead Here is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these words 3. I clothe the Heavens with blackness q. d. I can cover the face of the Heavens with black clouds and make great darkness upon the Earth And I will make sackcloth their covering i. e. I can can cover them with clouds as it were with sackcloth Sackcloth was wont to be made of hair Rev. 6.12 yea of black hair as this and the like expressions prove This is a repetition of the former phrase and in them the Prophâ—t alludeth to the great darkness which the Lord caused in Egypt Exod. 10.21 4. The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned The Prophet speaketh this of himself and he might truly speak it for his language is most pure and eloquent and his expressions admirable upon every occasion I take this to be the beginning of a new Sermon That I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary i. e. To him that is weary Supple with afflictions For afflictions are as a burden and will in time weary the stoutest man A word of Comfort handsomly delivered is seasonable to him which is weary with afflictions He wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear i. e. And he instructeth me every morning morning after morning He wakeneth i. e. The Lord wakeneth What the Lord wakeneth the Prophet doth not here tell but suspendeth it while he resumeth the word again but he wakeneth his ear He wakeneth mine ear i. e. He wakeneth me The ear is but a part put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche and therefore the ear rather then any other part because the Lord did awaken the Prophet with his voyce by calling to him and the voyce is received by the ear as being the Object of the sense of Hearing To hear Supple His Instructions and his Will As the learned i. e. As Masters which are learned Supple do that is As Masters that are learned use to waken their Scholars in a morning that they may rise and come to School to learn what he intends to teach them By this we may understand what frequent Revelations the Prophet had and that the Lord came to him in the morning to acquaint
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