Land of thy destruction for thy Land which is destroyed putting a Substantive of the Genitive Case for an Adjective or a Participle after the Hebrew manner Even now i. e. So soon as ever they to wit thy children which gather themselves together to come to thee shall be come to thee And they that swallowed thee up i. e. And the Babylonians which destroyed thee and now dwell in thee c. See verse 17. He saith swallowed thee up for destroyed thee by a Metaphor from a Lion or Beare or some such ravenous Beast or other which is wont to swallow downe his prey And they that swallowed thee up shall be farre away Read these words as with a Parenthesis 20. Thy children which thou shalt have i. e. These words have their immediate connexion with the formost words of verse 19. viz. with those Thy wast and thy desolate places and the Land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants And are for sense the same with them The children which thou shalt have Supple Even now He speakes as though the Jewes which were in Captivity in Babylon and dispersed elsewhere were even now comming to Sion or Hierusalem their mother After thou hast lost the other Supple Which thou hadst before the Babylonians besieged thee who slew some and carried others of thy children away Captive and made others to flye into forraigne Lands Shall say againe in thine eares i. e. Shall say againe to thee or in thine hearing Againe This relates to such time or times before the Babylonish Captivity in which Hierusalem was very populous so that many of the people thereof were faine to dwell in other Cities and Villages of Judah For they which did so did in effect say The place is too straight for mee The place is too straight for me i. e. The place wherein we dwell is too little for us we must seeke us a dwelling elsewhere For me i. e. For us For here is an Enallage of the number The Singular being put for the Plurall Give place to me that I may dwell q.d. Give me a place elsewhere that I may have a place to dwell in 21. Then shalt thou say in thine heart i. e. Then when thy children shal come to thee and they shall be straightned for want of roome to dwell in thee thou shalt wonder to see that they are so many and shalt say within thy selfe Who hath begotten me these i. e. By whom have I these so many children Seeing I have lost my children Supple Which I had Shee lost her children when the Babylonians slew many of them made many to flye away for feare of their lives and carried the rest away Captive into Babylon And am desolate i. e. And am without an husband The Lord was her husband and had married her but had put her away Cap. 50.1 So that shee was at this time desolate and without an husband A Captive and removing to and fro And shee which is a captive removing to and fro hath but little propension to the procreation of children A Captive Supple to the Babylonians Removing to and fro Conquerours use to hurry their Captives from place to place and City to City at their pleasures and seldome suffer them to abide long in one place Ob. It may be here objected that Sion being a City could not remove from place to place to and fro Ans What is said in this Chapter of Sion and attributâ—d to her is spoken of her and attributed to her by a Prosopopoeia by which figure shee may be made aswell to remove from place to place to and fro as to speake But what is spoken of Sion in this Chapter and attributed to her is spoken of her and attributed to her to set forth the condition of the Jewes as it was at that time as I said before And who hath brought up these And who hath nourished and brought up all these Behold I was left alone Supple without children and none of them all were with me therefore I could not nourish them and bring them up These where they had been q. d. Where have all these been wheresoever they have been they have not been with me so that I could not bring them up 22. Thus saith the Lord God behold I wil lift up mine hand to the Gentiles q. d. Moreover thus saith the Lord God Behold c. In the 18 19 20 verses the Lord assured Sion that her children should come to her to comfort her Here that he may yet further comfort her and shew her how mindfull he was of her she sheweth the manner how they shall come to her and how happy she shall be when she hath received them I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles i. e. I will call the Gentiles to me He alludeth to one man beckning to another with his hand to come to him And set up my Standard to the people i. e. And I will gather the people or Nations together For what end he will call the Gentiles to him and gather the Nations together he sheweth in the next following words This phrase is the same for sense with that which went immediately before but he alludes herein to a Captaine which sets up his Standard for his souldiers to come together and to be in a readinesse for what march or service he shall appoint them And they shall bring thy sonnes in their armes i. e. and they shall bring thy sonnes to thee in their armes as nurses use to carry their little ones And thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders i. e. And they shall carry thy daughters to thee upon their shoulders Supple on soft beds or pallate as they which are weak were wont to be carried Mark 2.3 The meaning is that the Gentiles shall carefully provide and accommodate the Jewes with all things necessary and convenient for their return from Babylon and other parts of the world to their own Land How this was fulfilled in part read Ezra 1. 23. And Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers i. e. And after thy sonnes and daughters are brought to thee Kings and Queens shall be as carefull to provide and shew kindnesse to thee as nursing fathers and nursing mothers are to their Foster-children Kings shall be their nursing fathers This was fulfilled in Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes whose good deeds to the Jewes are mentioned in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah and Assuerus of whom we read Esther 8.7 c. And Alexander the Great and his successors and especially Demetrius whom Josephus writeth of All which were exceeding good to the Jewes and to Hierusalem and to the Temple and gave them many gifts and priviledges And thâ—ir Queens thy nursing mothers This was fulfilled in the Queenes of some of those forementioned Kings and particularly in Ester as may be seen in the book which beareth her name They shall bown down to thee with their face towards the
and hungry as ever he was And behold he eateth i. e. And behold he eateth in his dream that is he dreameth that he eateth His soul is empty i. e. He is empty for he hath not eaten indeed The soul is put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche And behold he drinketh Subaudi In his dream that is behold he dreameth that he drinketh He is faint Supple For want of drink having not drunk indeed And his soul hath appetite i. e. And he hath an appetite to eat and to drink that is He is still hungry and thirsty for hunger and thirst are but an appetite or desire of meat and drink He puts the soul here again for the whole man by a Synecdoche as before So shall all the multitude of the nations be that fight against Mount Sion q.d. Even so I say shall all the multitude of the nations be which fight against Ariel 9. Stay your selves and wonder When the Prophet had prophesied of the destruction of the Assyrians which should besiege Ariel that is Which should besiege Jerusalem his auditors would not believe this his Prophesie whereupon the Prophet calls to those which passe by or to the faithfull party of the Jews to stay and wonder at these men because they would not understand and beleeve so plain a word or vision of the Lord as this was Stay your selves Supple All that passe by And wonder Supple At the unbelief and blindness of these men Câ—â— ye out and cry They are drunk but not with wine i. e. Cry ye out and say of these men They are drunk but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drink Cry ye out and cry i. e. Cry ye out and say or cry ye out yea cry saying They are drunk but not with wine This is that which he would have them cry They are drunken c. They are said to be drunken in the scripture phrase which have received abundance and are filled as it were with that with which they are said to be drunken and that by a Metaphor from drunken men which have drunk abundance and are full of wine or strong drink and then especially when they doe by reason of that with which they are said to be drunken any way resemble a drunken man in any thing as this people do here in that they seem to be stupid and void of understanding and to have lost the use of reason for the time like to the drunken men that are said to be drunken in the Scripture phrase which have abundance and are filled as it were with that which they are said to be drunken will appear from hence because they which are said here to be drunken but not with wine are therefore said to be drunken because the Lord hath powred out upon them the spirit of deep sleep and powring out argueth abundance of that which is powered out He speaks here of those people in Jerusem which would not beleeve what he prophesied unto them concerning the Assyrians encamping against Jerusalem and the deliverance thereof and the destruction of the Assyrians for though many in Jerusalem did beleeve yet many again beleeved not But not with wine With what then were they drunk They were drunk with the spirit of sleep v. 10. They stagger i. e. They are drunken for drunken men use to stagger as they go Metonymia Effecti The sense of this is the very same with the former sentence 10. For the Lord hath poured out upon you c. This the Prophet speaks in his own person and makes an Apostrophe to those unbeleevers which would not beleeve this his Prophesie wherein he gives a reason why they which passe by may justly wonder and say of them they are drunk but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drink And the reason is this because God had poured upon them and so had made them drunken that is had filled them with the spirit of deep sleep For the Lord hath poured upon you the spirit of deep sleep He useth a Metaphor here taken from liquid things which are poured out of some vessel in abundance When he saith the Lord hath poured upon you the spirit of deep sleep It is as if he should say he hath poured upon them a deepe sleep without any other addition for the word spirit is often redundant among the Hebrews by an elegancie That which the Lord poured out upon these men he calleth the spirit of deep sleep because it made them senseless and blinde as he is senseless and seeth not who is in a sleep And hath closed your eyes Supple So that you cannot see that is So that you cannot beleeve what is spoken This is metaphorically to be understood of the minde which is the eye of the soul The Prophets See cap. 28.7 The Seers Prophets were wont to be called Seers See notes cap. 1.1 He hath covered Supple With a vaile which he hath cast over their faces so they cannot see This is also metaphorically to be understood and all these three phrases signifie one and the same thing to wit that God had blinded their minde and their understanding that they could not understand and beleeve the vision which he had delivered to them concerning Jerusalem and the deliverance thereof 11. And the vision of all c. And my Prophesie wherein I prophesied to you of the encamping of the Assyrians against Jerusalem and the Lords preservation thereof and the destruction of the Assyrians is not understood that is is not believed of you but is as a word of a book that is sealed As the word of a book that is sealed The words of a book which is shut and sealed up cannot be known or understood no not by him which is learned because he cannot come to read the words which are written in such a book how then can he believe them Of a book which is sealed He alludes to the use of the ancients which were wont to seal their books that is their rouls when they laid them by See cap. 8.16 12. And the book is deliverd to him c. i. e. And the book is unsealed and opened and delivered to him that is not learned I am not learned i. e. I cannot read for I never learned to know letters The meaning of all this place is q.d. The Prophesie whereby I have prophesied to you of all these things concerning the siege and the preservation of Jerusalem and the destruction of her enemies is understood and beleeved no more by you then the words of a book which is sealed up are understood and beleeved of a learned man or the words of a book which is opened is understood and beleeved of an ignorant and illiterate man Note that by their not understanding here is meant their not believing the Prophesies of God and his words for the Scripture useth to tax Infidelity by the name of Ignorance because it profiteth not to know the word of God except
his similitudes doth often give more respect in his expressions to the thing signified by his similitude then to the thing from which his similitude is taken 12. They shall call the Nobles to the Kingdom i. e. After this slaughter and desolation the common people which are left alive shall hearing of the death of their King call for the Nobles of the Land to govern the Kingdom or to choose a King out of them By They are meant the Commons of the Land of Idumea which are left alive where a Relative is put without an Antecedent and by the Kingdom is meant the Government of the Kingdom But none shall be there i. e. But none of the Nobles shall be left in the Land All her Princes shall be nothing i. e. All the Nobles of Idumea shall be nothing that is they shall be slain Whom he called Nobles before be calls Princes here 13. And thorns shall come up in her palaces i. e. And thorns shall come up in the places where now her palaces stand See Cap. 32.13 14. In the fortresses i. e. In the compass of ground where her Fortresses and strong Cities stood 14. The wilde beasts of the desart shall also meet with the wilde beasts of the Islands Supple There i. e. All manner of wilde beasts shall meet there The wilde beasts of the Desart i. e. The wilde beasts which use to live in the Desart and Wilderness With the wilde beasts of the Islands i. e. With strange wilde beasts such as inhabit Islands and remote places neer the Sea See Cap. 13.22 The Satyre See Cap. 13.21 The Satyre shall cry to his fellow i. e. One Satyre shall cry there to another so that there shall be more Satyres there then one Shall cry The cry here meant is a cry of mirth and joy See Cap. 13.21 15. Gather under her shadow i. e. Gather her young ones under her wings He putteth her shadow for her wings per Metonymiam Effecti because birds cover their young ones with their wings as with a shadow The Vultures The Vulture is a ravenous bird which loveth desolate places 16. Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord and read q. d. When this desolation shall come to pass which I have spoken of in this Chapter then take ye into your hands the Book of this my Prophecy and read it and mark it well and observe from thence what solitary creatures I have said shall dwell in Idumea after this desolation He calls the Book of this his Prophecy the Book of the Lord either because he did write it at the commandment of the Lord or because he wrote nothing in it but what he heard of the Lord. Not one shall fail i. e. Not one of these solitary creatures shall fail of being there None shall want her mate q. d. Every one shall be there with her mate or fâ—llow and their being there every one with their mate or fellow sheweth that they shall not come thither to fly away again presently but shall make their abode there For my mouth it hath commanded it i. e. For I will command them every one to come and dwell there with her mate The Prophet speaks here in the person of God and yet speaks of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and puts the mouth for the whole man by a Synecdoche he puts also a preterfect for a future tense It hath commanded it The Particle It is redundant here after the Hebrew manner Commanded it i. e. Commanded that every one shall come and dwell there And his Spirit i. e. And the Lord. The Prophet speaks here in his own person and he speaks of God as of a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and puts the spirit which is but part for the whole man Or by his Spirit he meaneth his power for any quality or ability of doing do the Hebrews call Spirit It This Pronoun It is redundant here by an Hebraism as it is once before in this Verse Hath gathered them i. e. Will gather these solitary creatures together in Idumea when it is layd desolate mate with mate And he hath cast the lot for them i. e. And he will give them every one an inheritance and a several place of abode in that Land viz. the Land of Idumea He puts here a preterperfect for a future tense and he alludes here to the division of the Land of Canaan to the Tribes of Israel by lot of which you may read Josh 18.8 c. where Joshua did cast lots when the Land was divided into several divisions which division should be given to which Tribe for his inheritance And his hand hath divided it unto them i. e. And he will divide it unto them He puts the hand for he a part for the whole man and by he he meaneth the Lord of whom he speaks as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Prophet persists still in his allusion to the division of the Land of Canaan for an inheritance to the several Tribes of Israel where the Land was first divided into so many parts then the lot was cast which Tribe should inherit which part Joshua cap. 18. Note here that the division which we spoke of was before the casting of lots for the Land of Canaan was first divided into so many parts then did Joshua cast lots what Tribe should inherit what part The Prophet therefore useth here an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he doth also Cap. 1.6 and elsewhere By line He alludes here to the manner of measuring and dividing Lands which was wont to be done by a line See Josh 17.5 14. and 19.9 where the Hebrew hath it line and lines whereas it is rendered portions by our Translators See also Psal 78.55 where the Kingly Prophet speaking of the division of Canaan to the Tribes of Israel and the manner thereof saith He cast out the Heathen also before them and divided them an inheritance by line and made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their Tents From generation to generation See vers 10. ISAIAH CHAP. XXXV THe wilderness and the solitary places shall be glad for them This cohereth with the former Chapter and seemeth to have been delivered at the same time And the sence of this place is this q.d. And when the indignation of the Lord shall have passed upon all Nations Cap. 34.2 and his Sword shall have come down upon Idumea Cap. 34.5 then shall the happiness of the Jews be such as that the very Earth or Land of Judah shall be glad and rejoyce for this their happiness The wilderness c. By the wilderness he meaneth Judea which the Assyrians made like a wilderness in the days of Hezekiah by depopulating and laying waste the Cities and Towns cutting down the trees and hedges treading down the Vines and Vineyards trampling under feet the grass and fruit of the field and killing and driving out the Husbandmen thereof so that there were none
against thee to keep thee out and so will make a way for thee to enter in The Gates oâ— Brasse i. e. The Gates which are lined with brasse or brazen plates to make them the stronger yet we read that the Gates of Babylon were made of massy-brasse and to these may the Prophet here allude The Barreâ— of Iron By the Barres of Iron are meant those Barres with which the Gates of Cities are made fast when they are shut Or Percullises which were wont to be set before the Gates of Cities to defend them which Percullises are made Bar-wise and lined with Iron 3. And I will give thee the treasures of darkenesse By treasures of darknesse are meant treasures which are hid in the earth or in darke holes as men use to hide them in the time of Warre Or treasures which have been kept close and have not seene the Sun as we say a great while Infinite were the treasures which Cyrus got of the People whom hâ— subdued as Histories tell us That I the Lord i. e. That I who am the onely true God Which call thee by thy name i. e. Which call thee by thy name even by the name of Cyrus which argueth my respects to thee Or thus which câ—ll thee by thy name that is which have made choyce of thee to be a servant of high esteem with me The like phrase to this we read Exod. 33.12 I know thee by thy name which phrase is taken from the manner of some great Lord or King who having many Servants knowes not all nor calls all by their names when he calls them but such only which are nigh by office to his person and in great esteem with him Am the God of Israel Supple For for Israels sake doe I doe this for thee that thou maist deliver Israel that is the Jewes which were the Children of Israel out of the Babylonish Captivity and shew them grace and favour 4. For Jacob my Servants sake c. i. e. For Jacob my Servants sake and Israel mine Elect that thou maist deliver him out of Captivity and be good to him have I called thee by thy name This containes a reason of that which went immediately before Mine elect That is whom I have chosen to be a peculiar people to my selfe By Jacob and Israel are here meant the Jewes or men of Judah who was the Sonne of Jacob who also was called Israel Have I called thee by thy name i e. Have I called thee to be my Servant yea to be my speciall Servant and a Servant of great esteeme with me See verse 3. I have Sirnamed thee q.d. Yea for his sake have I sirnamed thee and given thee the honourable name of Cyrus The Lord did sirname this man by calling him Cyrus long before he was borne and when he was borne by causing men by his secret working to give him that name Though thou hast not knowne me Cyrus was at first ignorant of the Lord who was the only true God and of his law and of his manner of worship And worshipped not the true God of Heaven but the many gods of the Heathen after their superstitious and Idolatrous manner yet afterward he came to know so much by the Jewes that the Lord was the true God Creator of Heaven and Earth Ezra 1.2 Josephus reports in his eleventh Book of Antiquities and first chapter that Cyrus read that which is here written of him for the Jewes did shew it to him and he when he had read it was animated thereby to deliver the Jewes out of the Babylonish Captivity and shew them many favours 5. I am the Lord and there is none else there is no God besides me It may be asked to what purpose the Lord doth mention here that he is the onely God and that there is no other God besides him Ans He doth it to shew Cyrus that it is he that girded him that is which gave him strength and power to vanquish and overcome Nations For that no man was ever great and singular in any kinde without the helpe of God the very Heathen have acknowledged See Cicero in the very last leafe of the second Book de Natura Deorum Now if no man could be great without the help of God Cyrus must needes have his power and greatnesse from a God And being that the Lord is the only God and there is no God besides him he must by consequence have his power and greatnesse from the Lord. I gâ— deâ— thâ—e Supple With a Sword That is I have given thee strength for the Warres Metonymia effecti Though thou hast not knowne me See vers 4. 6. That they may know from the rising of the Sunne and from the West i. e. That all which dwell from East to West may know That there is none besides me i. e. That there is no other God besides me I am the Lord i. e. For I am the Lord the Creator of Heaven and Earth And there is none else i. e. And there is no God else It may be asked how all people from East to West could come to know that the Lord was the onely God and that there was no other God besides him by his girding Cyrus that is by his giving Cyrus power and strength to the Warres Ans By Gods girding Cyrus that is by Gods giving Cyrus power and strength for the Warres Cyrus came to subdue many Nations and Babylon by name which when he had subdued according to this Prophesie of him he made a Proclamation throughout all his Kingdomes and put it in writing saying thus saith Cyrus King oâ— Persia the Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdomes of the Earth c. Ezra Cap. 1.2 Which argues the Lord to be the onely God For they are no Gods which cannot keep the Kingdomes whereof they have undertaken the protection out of his hands And thus did all people come to know that the Lord was the onely God This is a second reason why God did so strengthen Cyrus to wit that he might be knowne to be the onely God The first reason was contained in the third and fourth verses to wit that Cyrus might deliver Israel out of Captivity and be good to him 7. I forme the light and â—reat darknesse By the light is metaphorically meant Prosperity which is as gratefull to the minde of man as light is to his eyes And by darkenesse is meant Adversity which is as grievous to the minde of man as darkenesse is to his eyes I make peace By Peace is meant Prospâ—rity for by Peace the Heâ—rewes use to signifie all manner of Prosperity Per Synecdochen membri This is a repetition of the former Sentence And creat evill By evill is meant Adversity and it is opposed to Peace in that Notion which we gave of Peace Adversity is called Evill rather because men account it so then because it is so in it selfe I the Lord do all these things Supple Which I have named
our Potter i. e. And thou art the Potter which made us thy vessels We are all the work of thine hands This is a repetition of the former Sentence We are the Clay and thou our Potter we are all the work of thine hands Supple therefore forsake us not forsake not the works of thine own hands Psal 138.8 Be not wroth Supple with us Neither remember iniquity for ever i. e. Neither remember our iniquity Supple to punish us for it for ever We are all thy people Save us therefore we beseech thee Save thy people and lift them up for ever Psal 28.9 Thy holy Cities are a Wildernesse i. e. Thy Cities even the Cities of Judah which is the land of thine inheritance are made as a wildernesse by the Babylonians who have cast them down and left none to build them up again and inhabite them He calls the Cities of Judah the holy Cities because they were the Cities standing upon Gods own Inheritance for the land of Judah was Gods inheritance Cap. 63.17 Or because they were Cities appertaining to Gods people the Jewes which were an holy people Deut. 7.6 Or because there were Synagogues therein erected for Gods service Psal 74.8 Sion is a wildernesse By Sion is meant the City of David which was built upon the hill Sion which was also called the upper City of Hierusalem Jerusalem a Desolation i. e. Jerusalem is utterly desolate He puts desolation for utterly desolate an Abstract for a Concrete And by Hierusalem he meaneth that part of Hierusalem which lay under the hill of Sion in the valley and which was called the lower City Note that he maketh particular mention of Sion and Hierusalem here because they were the chiefest and most holy of all the Cities and note that is not an unusuall figure in Rhetorique 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. for a man to make speciall mention of one particular amongst the rest even then when he maketh mention of all in generall as Strabo noteth lib. 8. 11. Our holy and our beautifull house where our fathers praised thee is burnt up with fire q. d. Thy beautifull Temple which was the place to which we and our fathers resorted to worship thee is burnt up with fire All our pleasant things are laid wast By pleasant things may be meant the Kings Palaces and the Palaces of the Nobles with all other the stately houses of their great men and the Orchards Gardens and places of delight thereunto appertaining Or by their pleasant things may be meant Those rare peeces of workmanship which were about the Temple Or else thereby may be meant their Synagogues wherein their fathers delighted to meet for Gods service 12. Wilt thou refrain thy selfe for these things q. d. And they which did these things were the Babylonians wilt thou therefore refraine thy selfe from taking vengeance of the Babylonians for doing these things Wilt thou hold thy peace q. d. Wilt thou hold thy peace at the Babylonians which did these things and wilt thou not rebuke them And afflict us very sore q. d. And wilt thou afflict us very sore who have not done any such things as these are but suffered all this at the hands of the Babylonians He layeth open the sins and outrages of the Babylonians that he might provoke God to punish them because by their punishment the Jews were like to speed the better as the event shewed For when God punished the Babylonians by Cyrus the Jews obtained their freedom again ISAIAH CHAP. LXV I Am sought of them that asked not for me This hath good connexion with the former Chapter and this Verse containeth the gracious Answer of God to that prayer which was there made to him in person of a Jew which was in captivity For here he tells him that he hath them that shall do all his pleasure in punishing the Babylonians and in redeeming his people the Jews which was the chief subject of that prayer I am sought of them that asked not for me i. e. They have light upon my will and pleasure to do it that never enquired after it as if they had enquired after it Note first that God is put here by a Metonymy for the will and pleasure of God As when we say Abraham obeyed God for Abraham obeyed the will of God c. Note secondly that he saith I am sought for I am found out or my will is found out or they have light upon will and pleasure as if they had sought for it per Metonymiam Antecedentis For seeking goeth before finding out So is this word seeking also taken for to get Eccles 3.6 by the same figure Now if ye ask who they were which sought that is which found out and light upon the will and pleasure of God as if they had sought it I say that it was Cyrus and the Medes and Persians under him For thus doth God say of Cyrus He shall perform all my pleasure Cap. 44.28 If you ask what this will and pleasure of God was The answer is That it was that Cyrus should tread down the Babylonians Isai 41.25 And that he should redeem the Jews out of captivity Cap. 45.4 And that he should build up the Temple Cap. 44.28 If you ask whether Cyrus knew that this was the determinate will of God or no when he light upon it I answer At first it is probable he did not but before he had performed all the Lords pleasure he did as appeareth 2 Chron. 36.23 Ezra 1.1 2 c. And Josephus in the eleventh Book of his Antiquities cap. 1. reports that Cyrus read what was written of him in Isaiah Cap. 45. whereby Cyrus was stirred up to perform the Lords will in subduing Babylon redeeming the Jews and building the Temple c. That asked not after me i. e. That enquired not what my will was Cyrus and the Medes and Persians under him which did perform the pleasure of God did not ask what the pleasure and will of God was that they should perform it for they did not so much as know God at the first Isai 45.4 And afterwards when the Priests of the Lord acquainted Cyrus with the will and pleasure of the Lord concerning him they did it without his asking for he did not so much as dream of any such thing I am found of them that sought me not This is an illustration of the former sentence as also a repetition thereof with which kinde of repetition our Prophet is much delighted I said Behold me behold me to a Nation that was not called by my Name q. d. I said to a Nation that I owned not and took not for a peculiar people as I did the Jews Behold me Supple For I will bless thee and make thy way prosperous Behold me Supple For I will bless thee and make thy way prosperous The Nation or Nations here spoken of for Nation may be put for Nations collectivè were they which served Cyrus in his expedition against Babylon whom God blessed
because of the destruction which was made of cattle 22. And it shall come to passe for the abundance of milk that they shall give i. e. Yet it shall come to passe for the abundance of milk which the young Cow and two Sheep shall give c. And is put here for Yet as cap. 8. v. 9. They were wont it seems to milk their Ewes as well as Cowes as many do in some places of our Land See Deut. 32. v. 14. He shall eat butter i. e. He and his all shall eat butter to the full For butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the Land Butter and Honey were accounted for dainties among the Jewes so that in this verse the Prophet mingleth as he is wont to doe for the godlies sake a word of comfort among the judgements which he denounceth 23. And it shall come to passe in that day that every place c. This must relate to and follow in construction not the 22. but the 21. Verse Every place shall be Scil. For Briars and Thornes The Prophet doth not perfect his speech here but suspends it to shew what places he speakes of till the latter end of the Verse and there he resumes it and compleates it Where there were a thousand Vines at a thousand silverlings i. e. Where there were many Vines let out for a Sheckel of silver a piece A thousand is put here for many a certain for an uncertain number and by a Silverling he meaneth a Sheckel of silver The Hebrewes were wont to count their Summes by Sheckels as the Romanes were by Sesterees So that as Nummus and Sestertius came at length to be used promiscuously the one for the other among the Romanes so did a Sheckel and a Silverling or a piece of silver among the Hebrewes Now a Sheckel was twenty Gerahs Exod. 30.15 and a Gerah as they say who have been diligent in computing the Hebrew coines with ours was thâ—â—e half pence of our money A Sheckel therefore or a Silverling containing twenty Gerahs was worth two shillings six pence of our coin It shall be even for Briars and Thornes i. e. It shall be full of Briars and Thornes because there shall not be men enough to dress these places and manure them which being not dressed nor manured but neglected produce Briars and Thornes This Paâ—ticle For sheweth not the intent but the event to wit that it should so fall out that Briars and Thornes should come up in those places not that men should purposely set them apart for Briars and Thornes there to grow Or if it signifies the intent it is to be interpreted of the intent not of man but of God thus punishing mans sin 24. With arrowes and bowes shall men come thither q. d. None shall dare to go thither unarmed or without his bow and arrowes forfear of wild Beasts which shall dwell and harbour there among the Briars and Thornes See Lev. 26. v. 22. 25. And on all hills that shall be digged with the Mattock there shall not come thither the fear of Briars and Thornes q. d. And though many Hills shall be digged with the Mattock as they were wont yet they shall not be digged for that end for which they were wont that is to make Vineyards thereon There shall not come thither the fear of Briars and Thornes q. d. There shall not be any Vineyards planted there Note that this word thither is redundant after the Hebrew manner Vineyards were wont to be fenced about with thick hedges of Thornes and Briars to keep out beasts and ill-minded men who seeing such fences would be afraid to venture over or through them for fear of tearing their clothes and doing themselves a mischief Hence he saith There shall not come thither the fear of briars and thornes for there shall be no Vineyards planted there The fâ—ar of Briars and Thornes i. e. Briars and thornes to make men afraid Supple to break through But it shall be for the sending forth of Oxen and for the treading of the lesser Cattle i e. But it shall be that the digging of the Hills with Mattocks shall be for this end to wit that men may send their greater Cattle thither to feed there and the lesser cattle there to walk and graze Note here that because men could keep their Cattle and preserve them from theeves robbers and freebooters better upon Hills which were as natural fortresses than in the Plaines hence many who escaped the sword at that time here spoken of made choice rather of the Hills than of the Plains for the feeding of their Cattle and they especially which lived in the borders of the Land near to the Philistims and Edomites and other their Enemies who were wont as Freebooters to come into their Quarters to steal or plunder their Cattle and carry them away And that their Cattle might have the better food and pasture in more Plenty upon the Hills they grub'd up the bushes and briars which grew in the way and hindered the growing of the grasse and the walks of the Cattle with Mattocks ISAIAH CHAP. VIII TAke thee a great Roul This Roule was to be a great or a large Roule because many things were to be written therein The Ancients had not such manner of books so bound up as we use now but in stead of them they had Parchments or Barkes of Trees or the like which they rouled up like our Chancery Roules From whence even at this day Volumen which signifieth a Roule as having its derivation from Volâ—o which signifieth to roule cometh to signifie a Book With a mans Pen. i. e. With a writing Pen. That which is here rendred a mans Pen Is in the Hebrew Cheret Enosh Where note that Cheret signifieth not onely a writing Pen or Pen which men use to write with but it signifieth also a Crisping-pin or a Pin with which women were wont to crisp their hair as appeareth Chap. 3. vers 22. To distinguish therefore this Cheret as it signifieth a writing Pen or a Pen which men use to write with from that Cheret which signifieth a Crisping-pin or Pin with which women were wont to crispe their hair it may be called Cheret Enosh as if he should say the mans Cheret that is the mans Pen. Where note that the word Enosh is to be taken here for a man in opposition to a woman aâ— it is also taken Gen. 17.27 and Numb 13.3 and elsewhere But if a mans Pen signifieth here no more than a writing Pen and signifieth not some extraordinary writing Pen you will say that these words are needlesse for it was enough to say write in it without saying with a mans Pen. Answ It was enough yet though the Instrument be often intimated sufficiently in the action it is also often added and expressed with the action as Exod. 29.34 Thou shalt burn the remainder with fire And Deut. 7.5 Yee shall burn their graven Images with fiâ—e In both which
chief-Officers to the tall trees The common Souldiers to the Briars and thornes thereof where note that the Prophet passeth here from his first to another Metaphor which thing is usuall with him And the haughty i. e And the high Trees Shall be humbled i. e. Shall be felled down This is a repetition of the former sentence 34. And he shall cut down the Thickets of the Forrest By the Thickets of the Forrest he meanneth here the Briars and Thornes which grow thick in the Forrest And by them are meant the common Souldiers of Sennacherib's Army The thickets of the Forrest are taken otherwise here than they are taken cap. 9.18 With iron i. e. With an Instrument of iron as v. g. An Ax. Metonymia materiae The Prophet alludes here to a Woodman And Lebanon i. e. And the whole forrest i. e. The whole Army Lebanon was a famous Forrest lying on the outmost borders of the land of Canaan Northwards which abounded with tall Cedars and other goodly Trees Shall fall i. e. Shall be cut down By a mighty one By this is meant the Angel of the Lord which shewed his might in killing of Sennacherib's Army For he slew an hundred fourscore and five thousand in one night 2 Kings 19.35 ISAIAH CHAP. XI AND there shall come forth a Rod out of the stemme of Jesse This Rod was Hezekiah for whose sake God destroyed the Assyrians This Chapter therefore depends upon the former and containes a reason why the Lord would destroy the Assyrians as is mentioned in the later part of the former Chapter The reason whereof is because Hezekiah was to be King at that time who would prove a godly and religious King and therefore God would so favour him as that for his sake he would destroy the Assyrians This reason also the Prophet gives of the destruction of the Assyrians Army when he mentioneth it Cap. 9.6 and Cap. 10.27 Therefore the Particle And may be here rendered For q. d. For there shall come forth a rod out of the stemme of Jesse c. But here some do object That Hezekiah cannot be here meant by this Rod which should come out of the stemme of Jesse For it is not here said that this Rod is come forth but that it shall come forth out of the stemme of Jesse But Hezekiah was come out of the stemme of Jesse already and was sprung up and was of good years at the time of this Prophesie for before this time the Prophet was sent to Ahaz who was then King of Judah Cap. 7. And that was before this in order of time for it is set down in the book before it And if the Prophet prophesied to Ahaz when he was King before he declared this Prophesie then must Hezekiah be at that time at least nine yeares old for Ahaz raigned but sixteen yeares 2 Kings 16.2 and Hezekiah succeeded Ahaz his Father immediately and when Hezekiah began to raign he was twenty five yeares old 2 Kings 18. v. 2. By this Rod therefore we cannot understand Hezekiah In Answer to this I say First that though the Prophesie which the Prophet prophesied to Ahaz be set down and registred in order before this Prophesie as that being registred in the seventh this in the eleventh Chapter yet it doth not follow for that reason that that Prophesie was before this in order of time For it is confessed by all Interpreters that the Prophesies of Isaiah are not registred in this book in the same order of time as they were at the first delivered Secondly I may answer that because neither the particular time of the destruction of the Assyrianâ— Army nor the time when the Assyrians would invade Judah nor who should raign over Judah at that time was as yet distinctly known The Prophet might speak of Hezekiah as yet to rise or spring out though he was already born Thirdly The Prophet speakes here of Hezekiah not as of a private person but as of a King And therefore though he was born before this yet because he was not a King before this he might say there shall come forth a Rod out of the stemme of Jesse c. Howsoever we read Cap. 14.29 Rejoyce not thou whole Palestina because the Rod of him that smote thee is broken For out of the Serpents Root shall come forth a Cockatrice And his fruit shall be a fiery flying Serpent Where that by the Cockatrice and fiery flying Serpent is meant Hezekiah is generally agreed by all And it was spoken in the year that Ahaz died Cap. 14. vers 28. at which time Hezekiah was about twenty five yeares old Compare 2 Kings 16.20 with 2 Kings 18.2 If therefore any one be not satisfied with the former Answers let him tell how the Prophet could say Out of the Serpents root shall come a fiery flying Serpent c. when as Hezekiah was born already and what he saies in satisfaction to that place will likewise satisfie this Note that though Hezekiah be meant here by this Rod and by this Branch in the first and meaner sence yet in the second and more sublime sence Christ Jesus is here meant See what we said Chap. 9. v. 6. There shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his root Here Hezekiah is compared by a Metaphor to a Rod or Twig which sprouts out of the stem of a Tree and to a Branch or Shoot which springs out of the Root of a Tree And Jesse is compared in one place to a stemme out of which the Rod in the other to a Root of a Tree out of which the Branch groweth Jesse was the Father of David Matt. 1.6 Of whom by divers descents Hezekiah came Matth. 1. v. 6 7 8 9. which is the reason that the Prophet here saith There shall come forth a Rod out of the stemme of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his Root The stemme of Jesse The Prophet saith the stemme of Jesse and the root of Jesse as St. Paul saith the signe of Circumcision Rom. 4.11 where the Genitive case is a Genitive case of Identity For it is as if he should say The stemme Jesse and the root Jesse and as if St. Paul should say the signe Circumcision 2. And the spirit of the Lord. By the Spirit of the Lord is here meant the gifts of Gods Spirit per Metonymiam efficientis which gifts he rehearseth in the next words Shall rest upon him i. e. Shall be given him and alwayes remaine with him for rest signifieth Permanencie The Spirit of wisedome i. e. The gift of wisdome By Wisdome understand knowledge of divine matters Vnderstanding By Vnderstanding is signified Knowledge in naturall things The spirit of Counsel By Counsell understand Prudence by which he was able to give good advise in Civil matters yea and in matters concerning Religion to See cap. 9. v. 6. And might By might understand the might and fortitude of mind which enableth a man
the fruitful field is here meant metaphorically the Jews which were besieged by the Assyrians in Jerusalem and by them distressed and brought into a very low condition for fruitful fields are in valleys and valleys lie very low By a forrest is meant determinately the forrest of Lebanon which was scituate on an Hill or at least some forrest which was scituate on high as the forrest of Lebanon was And by that or such a forrest is metaphorically meant an happy estate or condition a condition which is high and a great deal above misery a condition opposite to that which we call a low condition or else men which are in such an high condition So that the sence of this place is this q. d. And the Jews of Jerusalem when they are in their low condition through distress by the Assyrians shall be delivered from their distress and set up on high again in an happy estate or condition This was performed when the Angel destroyed the Assyrians which besieged Jerusalem 2 King 19.35 This phrase is used again in the same sence Cap. 32. Vers 15. 18. And in that day i. e. At that time in which Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field c. Shall the deaf hear the words of the book By the deaf he means those which are dull and slow of heart to believe the Prophecy which he spoke of and wrote in a book concerning the delivery of Jerusalem from the Assrians and the destruction of the Assyrians which did besiege it So that he speaks here Metaphorically translating the deafness of the body to a slowness of belief in the Soul By the words of the book he means the aforesaid Prophecy concerning the delivery of Jerusalem from the Assyrians and the Assyrians destruction which besieged Jerusalem which prophecy the Prophet wrote in a Book that they might take notice of it whom it concerned The sence of this place is q. d. Then shall even they which are slow of heart to believe this Prophecy believe it yea and know it to be trâ—e by the event And the eyes of the blinde shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness i. e. And they which are now blinde shall see clearly and plainly the truth of this Prophecy This is a repetition of the former sentence and whom he called deaf there he calls blinde here 19. The meek also shall increase their joy By the meek understand here those which submitted themselves to the Lord and readily believed the Vision or Prophecy and betook themselves for safety into and continued in Jerusalem And he calls these meek in opposition to those scorners which did not onely not believe the Prophecy but reject it with scorn of whom he speaks vers 20. See Iam. 1.21 These were said to encrease their joy at this time because they had joy before joy through the hope which they had by belief of this Prophecy and encrease of joy by the accomplishment of what they believed and hoped In the Lord i. e. By the Lord or by the goodness of the Lord towards them The poor among men By these he means those which were besieged in Jerusalem and distressed by the Assyrians who yet notwithstanding trusted in the Lord for deliverance Shall rejoyce in the holy One of Israel i. e. Shall rejoyce in the Lord who shall deliver them from the hand of the Assyrians By the holy One of Israel is meant the Lord the God of Israel 20. For the terrible One is brought to nought i. e. For the Assyrian which besieged and distressed those which were in Jerusalem shall be destroyed and Jerusalem delivered He calls the Assyrian the terrible One because he was terrible to all Nations which dwelt about him and especially to the Jews He puts a present or preterperfect for a future tense These words may be read with a Parenthesis And the scorner is consumed i. e. But the scorner shall be consumed He opposeth here the event which should befall the scorner to the event which should befall the meek and the poor which he spoke of vers 19. And is put here for But. By the scorner he meaneth those which would not believe this Prophecy or Vision concerning Jerusalems deliverance and the Assyrians destruction but scorned and mock'd the Prophet for prophecying of such things He may also allude to those scorners and mockers he spoke of Cap. 28. Vers 13 14 22. And all which watch for iniquity shall be cut off i. e. And they which watch to do the Prophet of the Lord a mischief shall be destroyed He puts iniquity for mischief because it is not done without sin in him that doth it He means by these also those which believed not the Vision or Prophecy whom he describes by their malice which was such as they did not onely not believe the Prophet but seek his ruine And these mens malice blinded their eyes that they could not see and believe 21. That make a man an offender for a word i. e. That sue a man and pursue him as an offender onely for speaking a word in the name of the Lord. The man whom they made an offender was the Prophets own self whom they pursued and accused as an offender because he prophecyed to them the Word of God but the Prophet speaks of himself in the third person out of modesty And lay a snare for him i. e. And seek to destroy him He useth a Metaphor here taken from Fowlers which lay a snare for birds which they would take to kill For him that reproveth By this Isaiah meaneth his own self who reproved those which believed not this and other his Prophecies and lessons and that openly as Cap. 28.7 9. In the gate i. e. In the gate of the City that is openly before much people The gates of the City were publique places where the Courts of Justice and other publique Assemblies were held Yet these words In the gate may be referred as well to those words That lay a snare as to those Which reproveth and then they shew that they would destroy him under a colour of Justice by accusing him and bringing false witness against him in Courts of Justice to put him to death And turn aside the just Supple From his righteousness and integrity i. e. which would make a dishonest and wicked man of a just and honest man by their calumnies and false accusations By the just Isaiah means himself These words are Metaphorical taken from one man jostling another out of his way For a thing of nought i. e. Without any profit or good by it or for no profit or good at all that they can get thereby So some And this sheweth the height of their malice that they would destroy the Prophet when they could get no good or benefit by his destruction Or For a thing of nought that is for a very small reward So others who think that the Prophet speaks here of such as were hired to bear false witness against
end or term of their journey Note that this Preposition In or Into hath the signification of almost all other Prepositions among the Hebrews and here it signifies By or Through A Land of trouble and anguish The Land which he describes is the Arabian Isthmus or neck of Land which lay between the Arabian gulf or red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea which he calleth a Land of trouble and anguish because of the troublesom and dangerous travelling that way both for want of water and for great drought and heat as also because of the wilde beasts and Serpents which bred and harbored there They will carry their riches i. e. Those Jews which desire the ayd of the Egyptians against the Assyrians will carry to wit by their Embassadors Their riches They carryed their riches and treasures into Egypt that they might present them to Pharaoh King of Egypt and his Princes and Councellors thereby to make them their friends and purchase their ayd against the Assyrians Vpon the shoulders of Asses i. e. Upon the backs of Asses He puts one part of the body for another next to it Bunches of Camels i. e. Backs of Camels He saith the bunches for the backs of Camels because Camels have naturally high bunches growing upon their backs To a people that shall not profit them i. e. To the Egyptians desiring their ayd and assistance against the Assyrians who with all their ayd and assistance should not profit them at this time See Cap. 31. vers 3. 7. For the Egyptians shall help in vain i. e. For the ayd which the Egyptians shall send them shall be in vain it shall do them no good It appears by Rabshakehs speech that the Jews relyed much upon the Egyptians when Sennacherib invaded Judea cap. 36. v. 6. And by this and the next Chapter vers 3. it appears that they got ayd from the Egyptians though it be not mentioned in the story either in the Book of Kings or of Chronicles and that for all that the Jews were overcome and they and their ayds destroyed Therefore have I cryed q. d. Because the ayd which the Jews shall look for from the Egyptians shall be vain and to no purpose therefore have I said by way of counsel and advice by my Prophets Concerning this i. e. Concerning the strength wherewith they desire to strengthen themselves against the Assyrians Their strength i. e. Their way to procure strength or to strengthen themselves is To sit still i. e. To sit at home both they and their Embassadors and not to go into Egypt for help but to rely on me the Lord their God and on my Promises so will I the Lord be their strength Surely if the men of Judah which were without Jerusalem had relyed upon the Lord as Hezekiah did and those few which were with him in Jerusalem the Lord would have defended them against the Assyrians as he did Hezekiah and those which were with him 8. Now go write it before them c. i. e. Because the Jews would not hear the Word of the Lord saying Their strength is to sit still but would for all that go down into Egypt to procure Horses and Charets from thence therefore doth the Lord say to Isaiah Go now write it before them in a table c. Write it before them What he would have written the following Verses shew And therefore he would have it written before them that they might see what was written of them that they might know that nothing was written of their carriage but what they could not deny to be true and that they might be inexcusable when the judgments of God overtook them In a table They were wont to make writing-tables of some lasting wood spred over with wax on which they wrote with an instrument of Iron by razing or graving in the wax And note it in a book By a Book he meaneth a roul of parchment which they were wont also to use for writing He would have this matter both written in a table and noted in a book that the memory thereof might be the better preserved That it may be for time to come for ever and ever i. e. That it may be a testimony to all that shall come hereafter that this is a rebellious people and that what I denounced against them for their rebellion shall befall them and that what shall befall them from me shall worthily befall them This care the Lord takes because it is a strange act and a strange work for him thus to destroy his people the Jews Cap. 28.21 yea a marvelous work and a wonder Cap. 29.14 that all the world may know that it was not his but their faults that he should deal thus with them after such an unwonted manner 9. That this is a rebellious people i. e. That this is a people which refuseth to be obedient to the Word of God See cap. 1.20 and will not fit still at his Word vers 7. Lying children He calls them lying children because they were one kinde of people in their words and another in their deeds cap. 29.13 As also because they promised to do whatsoever God commanded them and to hear the Prophets of the Lord and obey their voice Exod. 26.19 compared with Deut. 18. v. 15 15 17. for what their fore-fathers did they must be interpreted to have done being the same people and in the loines of their fore-fathers at that time Heb. 7. v. 9 10. But they did not observe the Commandements of God as they promised neither did they hearken to his Prophets The Law of the Lord. By the Law of the Lord is here meant any words of the Lord See cap. 1.10 10. Which say to the seers see not By the seers are meant Prophets for a Prophet in old time was called a Seer 1 Sam. 9.9 because of the visions which they saw See notes cap. 1.1 And to the Prophets prophesie not unto us right things By right things he meaneth those things which God revealed to them and he opposeth them to the illusions and deceits of false Prophets Note that this is not so to be understood as though they did say unto the Prophets Prophesie not unto us right things and to the Seers See not in formall words but therefore he saith that they said to the Seers See not and to the Prophets Prophesie not unto us right things because they did discourage the Prophets and Seers as much as they could and bring them into danger for prophesying to them right things See cap. 29.21 Speak unto us smooth things i. e. Speak to us or prophesie unto us pleasing things Prophesie unto us deceits i. e. Prophesie unto us such things as will put us in good hopes and delight us for the present but will afterwards deceive us Note that the people did not terme these pleasing and delightfull Prophesies deceits but because false Prophets did delude the People with such Prophesies and so these Prophesies were delusions and deceits indeed
and the air shall become so thick by reason of dark and thick fogs or mists or vapors arising out of the blood and putrefaction of the dead carcasses of the Assyrians An Hyperbole And the Heavens shal be rolled together as a scroll i. e. And the Heavens shall be as a scroll that is rolled together For as in a Scroll which is rolled together the words and letters which are therein written cannot be seen so in the Heavens neither the Sâ—n nor the Moon nor the Stars shall be perceived because of the darkness of the ayr intervening between the Earth and them By a Scrol he meaneth a parchment which the ancients were wont to use in stead of books which parchment was writ on but on one side and when they used it not they rolled it up as we do our Chancery rolles and Common Court rolles and so laid it by And all their Host shall fall down as the leaf falleth from the Vine and as a falling Fig from the Fig-tree This is but a repetition of those words The Host of Heaven shall be dissolved and that and this and the middle sentence signifie all one and the same thing viz. that the Heavens shall be darkened and the Host thereof the Sun and the Moon and the Stars shall not be seen The Heavens have their light by the benefit of the Sun and Moon and Stars which are therein so that if these should drop down or fall out of the Heavens the Heavens would be dark hence to signifie that the Heavens shall be dark at the time which he here speaketh of he saith that all their Host shall fall down as if he should say and the Heavens shall be as dark as if all their Host by which they have their light should fall down out of them As a falling Fig i. e. As a Fig which being either worm-eaten or blighted falls from the tree 5. For my sword c. i. e. Moreover my sword He puts For for Moreover as cap. 7.16 and speaks in the person of God My sword shall be bathed in Heaven Note that these words in Heaven are not to be referred to those which go next before them viz. be bathed for we must not think that God made this slaughter in Heaven but to those My sword and in particular to that possessive Pronoune My as it virtually containes in it a Primitive Pronoune Me or Of me q. d. My sword or the sword of me who am in heaven shall be bathed in blood c. He mentioneth here his dwelling place Viz. Heaven to shew that he is God and that he will punish the Edomites not as a man but as God Almighty See cap. 13.6 and cap. 47.3 Shall be bathed Supple In the blood of the Edomites whom I will slay By this he sheweth that he will shed abundance of blood and slay very many men Vpon Idumea This judgement befell the Edomites because they were the most bitter of all the nations against the Jews whereas they ought least of all to have bin so bitter against them being their brethren according to the flesh for the Jews were the Children of Jacob and the Edomites were the Children of Esau Jacobs Brother That which is here prophesied against Idumea was brought to passe by the Ethiopians as they marched against Assyria for they marched in an expedition against Assyria See cap. 18. By Idumea understand the Edomites which dwell in Idumea by a Metonymy Vpon the people of my curse i. e. Upon the people whom I have cursed Genitivus Adjuncti By the people of his curse he meaneth the people of Idumea or the Edomites whom he cursed at this time To judgment i. e. That I may execute my judgment upon them 6. The Sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatness i. e. The Sword of the Lord shall be filled with blood and made fat with fatness c. The Prophet speaketh here in his own person and useth a Present for a Future tense He speaks also of the Sword of the Lord as of a Lion or some other ravenous beast by a Metaphor which drinks the blood and feeds upon the flesh of other beasts as he doth also Cap. 31.8 And yâ—t he alludâ—s too to the Sacrifices and to the Altar in that he saith It shall be filled with the blood and made fat with the blood of Lambs and Goats and with the fat of the kidneys of Râ—ms For the blood of these beasts were sprinkled upon the Altar and the fat and the kidneys therâ—of were burnt upon the Altar as a burnt offering made with fire to the Lord Lev. 3.4 10.15 and on them did the Altar feed as a Lion upon his prey for which it is called Ariel that is the Lion of the Lord cap. 29.1 2. Where note as hath been often observed That the Prophet is very frequent in joyning or mingling Metaphors And with the blood of Lambs and Goats with the fat of the kidneys of Rams â— e. That is With the blood of the Lambs c. And is a Note of Explication here and is put for That is The Prophet compareth the Edomites here to Sacrifices and those kinde of Sacrifices especially in which the blood of the beasts sacrificed was to be sprinkled round about upon the Altar and the fat and the kidneys were to be burnt upon the Altars Lev. 7.4 For the Lord hath a Sacrifice in Bozra i. e. For the Lord hath a Sacrifice of many beasts to make in Bozra In Bozra Bozra was the chief City of Idumea A great slaughter in Idumea i. e. A great slaughter to make of beasts for Sacrifice in Idumea The Prophet speaks of the Lord here as of a man yea of a Levite or Priest rather And by this Metaphor he meaneth that the Lord would make a great slaughter and destruction of the Edomites 7. The Vnicorns shall come down with them By the Vnicorns which were accounted strong beasts he means Metaphorically the mighty and potent men of Idumea these he saith shall be brought down that is shall be slain with them that is with the Lambs and Goats and Rams mentioned Vers 6. which because they were of the lesser sort of Cattel do signifie here by a Metaphor the poor and meaner sort of men of the said Idumea Note here that the Vnicorns were not appointed for any kinde of Sacrifice therefore the Prophet sticks not close to one Metaphor but mingles Metaphors as even now and often before we observed And the Bullocks with the Bulls i. e. And the Bullocks shall come down that is shall be slain together with the Bulls A Bullock is little in respect of a Bull therefore by the Bullocks he meaneth metaphorically the poorer and meaner sort of people and by the Bulls the great and rich and mighty men of Idumea So that this is a repetition of the former words with which kinde of repetition the Prophet is much delighted And their Land i. e.
Out of heaven or from the presence of the Lord who commanded him to slay the Assyrians And when they arose And in the morning when those Assyrians which escaped the sword of the Angel arose Or when the men of Jerusalem arose A Relative put without an Antecedent Behold they were all dead Corpses i. e. Behold those hundred fourscore and five thousand which the Angel had smitten were all dead Corpses q. d. Behold these Assyrians which escaped the sword of the Angel or the men of Jerusalem when they arose early in the morning saw those hundred fourscore and five thousand which the Angel had smitten all dead Corpses lying dead upon the ground 37. And Sennacherib King of Assyria Supple When he heard of this slaughter Departed Out of the Land of Judah with much fear And went and returned i. e. And returned Those words And went are redundant See the like cap. 2.3 At Nineveh Nineveh was the chief City of Assyria 38. Adramelech and Sharezer his sonnes smote him with the sword It is a tradition among the Jewes that Adramelech and Sharezer killed their Father because he had vowed to offer them as a Sacrifice to his God Nisroch if he would appease the mindes of those which were angry with him For many who had lost their Sonnes and Brothers and Kinsmen in that slaughter which the Angel made of the Assyrians were discontented with Sennacherib for it as being the cause thereof They escaped into the Land of Armenia This their escape was for feare lest they should be punished for their Parricide ISAIAH CHAP. XXXVIII IN those days was Hezekiah sicke c. Hezekiah fell sick of this disease of his about the 14th or beginning of the 15th year of his reign for after this he reigned fifteen yeares v. 5. And in all he reigned twenty nine yeares 2 Kings 18.2 Take fifteen therefore out of twenty and nine and there remaines fourteen In the latter end therefore of the fourteenth or beginning of the fifteenth year did this sicknesse happen It happened therefore while Sennacherib was warring in Judea which also appeareth from the sixth verse of this Chapter Sick unto death Hezekiah was said to be sick unto death at this time because his Disease was in its own nature deadly and brought him as we say to the point of Death Set thine house in order i. e. Set the affairs of thine house in order as thou wouldst have them disposed of after thy death q. d. Make thou thy Will and dispose of thy goods as thou pleasest For thou shalt die and not live A Question will presently arise upon these words why Hezekiah dyed not when as the Lord said to him by his Prophet Thou shalt dye and not live The Answer is because this sentence of the Lord was not absolute but conditionall and so Hezekiah took it as is evident by his praying to God for mercy herein upon which prayer the Lord restored him to his health It is frequent with God to promise and threaten in termes which seem absolute but include a Condition or have an exception tacitly involved which condition or exception the Lord concealeth that they whom the Promise or Threat concerneth may be the more earnest with the Lord to hasten his Promise or remove his Threats 2. Then Hezekiah turned his face towards the Wall and prayed c. Hezekiah turned his face towards the Wall as he lay in his bed that he might pray to God with the more intention of minde while he turned his face from those which stood by and removed his eyes from distracting Objects And prayed unto the Lord. to wit to spare his life 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee c. To walk before God is so to live as if we had God alwayes before our eyes And they that so live strive to please him as a servant is alwayes diligent and carefull to please his Master when he is in his Masters sight In truth And not in shew and appearance onely With a perfect heart With an heart free from hypocrisie Have done that which is good in thy sight Have done that which pleaseth thee After these words understand these words to wit Remember this O Lord I beseech thee and because I have done this be gracious unto me and spare thou my life and cut not off my dayes at this time Note here first that holy men did sometimes make mention of their good deeds before the Lord in their prayers to him as did Nehemiah Nehem. 13.14 and Jeremiah Jerem. 15.15 and Hezekiah here Note secondly that when they did make mention of their good deeds before the Lord they did it for the most part when they were in troubles and tribulation Note thirdly that though they did make mention of their good deeds they did not mention them as meritorious causes of what they prayed for And this is plain by Nehemiah who when he had in the fifth and sixth Chapter of his Book and in the thirteenth Chapter and fourteenth verse and else-where entreated the Lord that he would remember him according to his good deeds in the thirteenth Chapter and the two and twentieth verse he saith Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Note fourthly that the reason why they mention their good deeds at such time is first That they might the more incline the Lord to mercy For the Lord is more readie to shew mercy to those which endeavour to live according to his Laws then to those which neglect them Secondly that they might sustain themselves against the Pusillanimity and faint-heartednesse which might assaile them being prone by nature thereto for the testimony of a good Conscience produceth boldnesse towards God 1 Pet. 3.21 But besides these Hezekiah might have a speciall reason to move him to mention his good deeds and that is this because the Lord made a promise to David saying If thy Children take heed to their way to walke before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soule there shall not faile thee a man on the Throne of Israel 1 Kings 2.4 And at this time Hezekiah had not a Childe to succeed him in the Throne And Hezekiah wept sore viz. Because God had said unto him Thou shalt dye and not live v. 1. It may be asked here why Hezekiah should weep sore to hear that he should dye Answ A generall reason may be this Because in the time of the Law in which Hezekiah lived the hope of eternall life was not so great as it is under the Gospel because the glory to come was not so fully revealed then as it is now Ephes 3.5 therefore was death more feared then now it is But besides this Hezekiah might have many particular reasons for which he wept at the hearing of his death As first because if he should dye then he should leave Judah and Jerusalem under the pressure
from doing evil Supple To his neighbour By this is meant our whole duty which we owe to our neighbour and so is to be taken for all the precepts of the second table so that by these Two Keeping the Sabbath and Keeping the hand from doing evil is meant the keeping of the whole Law of God that which he called judgement and justice vers 1. 3. The sonne of the stranger i. e. The stranger which is not of the seed of Iacob nor a Iew born That hath joyned himselfe to the Lord i. e. Which hath joyned himselfe to the Lord by saith and love as to the only true God and worshippeth him faithfully and so is become a Proselyte The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people i. e. The Lord hath put a difference between me and his people the Iewes so that I shall never approach so neere to him as they doe nor shall I and my offerings be so wel accepted of him as they and their offerings are Such a thought as this is might happily come into the minde of a Proselyte wherefore the Lord prevents this thought here and answers it verse 6. Neither let the Eunuch say An Eunuch signifieth him which is unable for generation and who is without possibility of issue And so is an Eunuch called because they which attended on great personages in their bed-chambers and about their wives were wont to be gelded to keepe them chast For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am a dry Tree i. e. I am as a dry Tree for as a dry Tree can never beare Fruit so can I never have children Such a thought as this is might trouble an Eunuch because children were promised as a great blessing to those which keepe the Law Deut. 28. v. 4.11 Wherefore the Lord prevents this his thought and to encourage him in his obedience tells him he wil recompense this his incapability of this part of the reward of obedience to his Law by giving him a better reward than of children 4. And take hold of my Covenant Supple To keep it By This covenant is here meant that covenant which God made with the Israelites by the hand of Moses in which covenant it was the peoples part to keep the commandments of the Lord And the Lords part to performe the promises that he there makes to them which keep his commandements This covenant might strangers enter into and those that did enter into it were called Proselytes of the covenant 5. In mine house i. e. Within my Temple And within my walls i. e. Within the Walls of my Temple A place Supple in the Bed-role or Catalogue of devout and famous men And a name Supple Among the names of those famous men which are written and recorded in a Bed-role or Catalogue in my Temple Better than of sonnes and of daughters i. e. Which name shall be better than the name that commeth by sonnes and daughters though sonnes and daughters doe propagate a mans name and give him the honourable name of Father Note that the word Name is here to be repeated And the name of sonnes and daughters is such a name as accrueth to a man by having sonnes and daughters For these Genitives cases of sonnes and of daughters be Genitivi efficientis Note here that in the time of the Law the names of those which had done worthily were wont to be preserved and to be read at times in the congregation together with their praises Which was done as to give God thankes for such famous men So to incite others to imitate their vertues Of this custome the sonne of Sirach seemeth to make mention Ecclus. Cap. 39.16 and Cap. 44.15 and a catalogue we have in him of such men Cap. 44. v. 16. c. and Cap. 45. Cap. 46. Cap. 47. Cap. 48. Cap. 49. Cap. 50. In imitation of this custome the primitive Church had her Dipticks which were two leaved tables or boards bound like an Oblong book In the one columne whereof were written the names of such men of noted piety as were yet alive and in the other a like catalogue of such famous men as were already departed I will give them an everlasting name q.d. For whereas the name which commeth and which is propagated by sonnes and daughters often faileth by their failing This name which I will give them in my house shall never faile Therefore is it said I will give them an everlasting name because their name should be preserved and registred in the catalogue of famous and pious men◠and be remembred after their death yea perhaps so long as the Temple stood as their names were which are mentioned Ecclus. Cap. 44 45 46 c. Everlasting See Cap. 55.3 7. Even them will I bring to my holy mountain i. e Even them will I bring to my holy Temple there to worship me as mine own people the Jewes doe By the holy mountaine is meant mount Moriah or mount Sion on which the Temple stood which is called the holy Mountaine because God did separate and sanctifie that for the place of his worship That is to build his Temple there And by this Mountaine is meant the Temple it selfe which stood upon that Mountaine by a Metonymie Of strangers that joyned themselves unto God there were two sorts as we said Cap. 55.1 One called Proselytes of the Gate others called Proselytes of the Covenant These last of whom this place is to be understood were accounted as Jewes they worshipped in the same Court of the Temple where the Israelites did whither others might not come they were partakers with them in all things both divine and humane In a word they differed nothing from Jewes but onely that they were of a Gentile race I will make them joyfull in my house of Prayer God might make them joyfull in his house of Prayer That is in the Temple by giving them many blessings of which they might make songs and Psalmes and sing them with Instruments of musicke in the Temple He might also make them joyfull by granting those Petitions and Prayers which they made to him in the Temple In my house of prayer i. e. In my Temple which was ordained for to be an house of prayer for all that would to offer up their prayers there Read 1 Kings 8. v. 22. and so forward For mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people i. e. For my Temple shall be an house of prayer not for the Jewes onely to pray in But for the Gentiles also which will joyne themselves to me and take upon them the observation of my Law as they doe Shall be called i. e. Shall be The Hebrewes do often use vocall words and Verbes for Real Of prayer By prayer may here be understood by a Synecdoche all the worship of God 8. The Lord God which gathereth the out-casts of Israel i. e. The Lord God which gathered the outcasts of Israel when they were dispersed