should flourish again But now if we take this as a prediction of the blessed change that should be wrought amongst men in the days of the Gospel the meaning seems to be that the most savage and brutish people men given up to all kind of vices no better indeed than dens of Devils should be made Temples of the Holy Ghost richly furnished with the Graces of Gods Spirit and abundant in good works Ver. 8. And a high-way shall be there and a way c. That is In this land of a wilderness become a fruitful well watered land there shall be a high-way that is a fair common-road-way for those that travel with beasts and carriages and a way that is a smaller path-way for foot-Passengers Or a high-way that is a Cawsey or Castway as there useth to be in watery Countrys such as he had spoken of in the foregoing verse and a way that is another ordinary way But that which the Prophet intended hereby is either that the Jews should have a free and safe passage without encumbrance or molestation in their return from Babylon to Jerusalem or else rather That their Country that had lain waste and desolate like a wilderness should then be quietly and peaceably inhabited again Whereas in Wildernesses and Deserts there is usually no path to be seen it shall not be so with the people of God when God shall have wrought this happy change for them their ways shall be kept fair and fit for all sorts of Travellers and shall not lye desolate as before See the Note Chap. 33.8 but be continually frequented with multitudes that pass up and down in them they shall freely travel from all parts of the land to the Temple and back again and so likewise to other places See the Note Chap. 33 17. and it shall be called the way of holiness to wit because the people that went up and down in it should be a holy people a people that should be much in frequenting the Temple Gods holy place and such as should live as becomes those that are a holy people to the Lord all which may be said too if we understand it of the way of the Jews return from Babylon to Jerusalem the unclean shall not pass over it that is The land shall not be in the possession of impure Infidels of foreign Nations as formerly nor shall the people of God that are there be a sinful wicked people as formerly they have been he alludes in this Expression to that law that forbad the coming of any persons that were legally unclean into the Temple but it shall be for those those holy ones with respect to whom it was before called the way of holiness those regenerate ones upon whom those spiritual Cures should be wrought mentioned before ver 5 6. I know these last words may be read as in the margin for he shall be with them and then the meaning is clear to wit That God would be with them as once he went along with the Israelites in their travelling through the wilderness to Canaan Exod. 13.21 to protect conduct and prosper them by which means they should be preserved in purity and holiness And thereupon it follows the wayfaring men though fools shall not err therein that is it shall be so plain so direct and easie a way that the simplest that are such as Solomon speaks of that know not how to go to the City Eccles 10.15 See the Note there shall not miss of it But now if we understand all this of the days of the Gospel whereof the other was a type then the way here promised is Christ John 14.6 Or the way prescribed in the Gospel for poor sinners to attain that life and salvation which is tendered in Christ the way of faith and holiness of which therefore it is said That it shall be called the way of holiness because it is the way that leads to the Holy of Holies in Heaven and because none go in that way but those that are sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 This way to life eternal is for those and no other for without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 And then of this way it is said also That the wayfaring men though fools shall not err therein because it is so clearly discovered in the Gospel that the simplest that are need not miss the way unless they will wilfully do it and because men are naturally very fools before by the Gospel they are brought in to Christ Tit. 3.3 But when they are once brought to believe in Christ they are sure by the guidance of his Spirit not so to err in their way though they be never so simple as to miss of life eternal Ver. 9. No Lyon shall be there nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon it shall not be found there c. The meaning is That in their return from Babylon or in their passing up and down in their own land they should not be annoyed with any ravenous wild Beasts to wit such as he had threatned should possess their land Chap. 34.13 14. when it lay waste as a Desert But here again under this type is meant That Christ would secure and protect his in their way to Heaven neither Satan nor any other of their spiritual enemies should make a prey of their souls neither should their wicked enemies the Instruments of Satan be able to hurt them he would carry them on safely in their way till he had lodged them in Heaven but the Redeemed shall walk there to wit the faithful Jews whom God shall deliver out of the hands of their enemies and so likewise those whom Christ shall redeem from the Estate of sin and death Ver. 10. And the ransomed of the Lord c. That is His redeemed ones See the foregoing Note shall return and come to Zion that is from those places whither they had fled to hide and shelter themselves either within the Land or in foreign parts when the Assyrian first invaded the land hearing of the destruction of the Assyrian Army they shall come back to Jerusalem or to the Temple in Zion there to praise God for their deliverance or it may be meant as well of their return from the Babylonian captivity and so the main intent of the words might be to signifie that God having brought them out of Babylon would not leave them till he had brought them safe to Jerusalem with Songs and everlasting joy upon their heads that is Joy of long continuance such as haply was a refreshing to those that were joyed with it so long as they lived or joy that should be for ever remembred in their anniversary Festivals But withal observable is this expression and everlasting joy upon their heads for though by their heads may be meant only the several persons of Gods redeemed ones as usually elsewhere see the Notes Job 29.3 and Prov. 25.22
and the wise Councels and Contrivements wherewith they had plotted to strengthen themselves against any invasion It cannot be thought that any men would say these very words For we have made lies our refuge c. unless it were in a way of flouting those to whom they spake it Only hereby the Prophet intended to turn them from their folly in trusting to those things that would certainly deceive them and prove no better than lies and falshood Ver. 16. Therefore thus saith the Lord God c. Having in the foregoing verse laid down the cause of Gods high displeasure against the Jews namely because they did so obstinately and securely despise and deride all the threatnings of Gods Prophets glorying in their safe condition as if there were no fear of any evil that should come upon them Because ye have said We have made a covenant with death c. that which one would think should next follow should be the making known how severely God would proceed against them to destroy them And this indeed is added in the following verse Only first the Lord premiseth this glorious promise concerning the Messiah Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone c. and that 1. hereby to chear up the faithful amongst them against the wrath which was coming upon their State and people by putting them in mind of that foundation-stone which he had provided for the support and preservation of his Church on whom whilst they relied by Faith they should be sure to be upheld and secured in the midst of all those grievous judgments that should come upon that Nation And 2. to hint unto those prophane wretches that were so confident that no evil threatned by the Prophets should come upon them that he had indeed provided a Rock in Zion on whom relying they might have assured themselves of all peace and safety but because they had despised him and run on in ways of rebellion and wickedness all these vain stays whereon they relied with so much confidence would surely deceive them Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone see the Note Psal 118.22 a tried stone that is a sure Saviour on whom poor sinners may safely rely a precious corner-stone a sure foundation according to that Upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Mat. 16.18 he that believeth shall not make haste that is they that believe this promise and do by faith rest upon this rock to wit God in Christ will wait patiently upon God for the accomplishment of it both as to the coming of this promised Messiah and as to the deliverances expected from him though the promised mercy should be deferred and delayed for a time yet they will not be impatient and grudg that it is not done nor use any unlawful means to help themselves but will contentedly wait as being fully perswaded that in due time God will make good what he hath promised In Rom. 9.33 the Apostle following the Septuagint seems to cite this place otherwise than we find it here in the Prophet As it is written Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed But this is the same in effect and it is usual with the Apostle in citing places out of the Old Testament not so much to regard the words as the matter because they that make haste and will not wait patiently for the accomplishment of Gods promise are sure to miscarry and so in the conclusion to be ashamed of their folly whereas those that wait patiently for the accomplishment of Gods promises are sure never to be disappointed and so never to be ashamed therefore the Apostle instead of these words shall not make haste useth the same in effect shall not be ashamed And besides that which others answer is very probable to wit that as the Apostle in the first words of that place Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence doth joyn with the words here another place of our Prophet namely that Chap. 8.14 so in the latter clause also with the words here he seems to take in that also Chap. 49.23 they shall not be ashamed that wait for me Ver. 17. Judgment also will I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet c. See the Note 2 King 21.13 God expresseth himself here in terms suitable to the figurative expression he had used in the foregoing verse of laying a stone to be a sure foundation for his Church and the meaning seems to be That having laid such a sure foundation as Christ was for the safety and peace of those that would believe in him he would proceed in judging his people with all judgment and righteousness in as exact and precise a manner as Carpenters and Masons are wont to do when they carry on their work by line and level against the wicked he would proceed with all just severity punishing them exactly according to their sins though withal he would be very wary to preserve his faithful ones and to carry on the building up and reforming of his Church which a company of wicked wretches had brought into confusion and the hail he alludes to that mentioned before ver 2. shall sweep away the refuge of lies that is All your vain hopes and all things whereon you vainly grounded such great hopes and the waters shall overflow the hiding place that is Your hopes of hiding your selves from the Judgments that are coming shall not secure you Both Expressions are used with reference to that vaunting speech of theirs ver 15. We have made lies our refuge and under falshood have we hid our selves And the judgment here intended whereby this should be done may be the great havock that was made amongst them by the Chaldeans if not which some rather think their far geater Destruction and Desolation by the Romans Ver. 18. And your Covenant with death shall be disannulled and your agreement with hell shall not stand c. This is spoken by way of deriding that scornful speech of theirs ver 15. We have made a covenant with death c. and implies both that their present security should be turned into extream dread and terror and that notwithstanding all their vain confidence they should certainly be destroyed when the overflowing scourge shall pass through then ye shall be trodden down by it that is it shall not pass away so suddenly but that ye shall be overborn and destroyed by it Ver. 19. From the time it that goeth forth it shall take you c. That is When it once begins to break in upon you it shall not stay till it hath surprized you Whereas they had said ver 15. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come unto us for which see the Note there to this the Lord by the Prophet here answers That they did but in vain flatter themselves
that is I resolved with my self that my life was cut off or by my sins I have provoked the Lord to cut off my life even as a Weaver cuts off his web from the Loom when he hath finished it and sometimes too which some think is here intended before he hath made an end of it he will cut me off with pining sickness or as it is in the Margin from the Thrum which is the loose threads of the Woof fastned to the Weavers beam that is God will utterly cut me off from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me that is All the day long from morning even to night thou wilt be hewing me down so that there is not a moment wherein I am not in fear of death Or thou wilt speedily and presently dispatch me this very day before night there will be an end of me See the Note Job 4.20 Ver. 13. I reckoned till morning that as a lion so will he break all my bones c. That is All the night long from evening even to the morning I lay thinking with my self and made full account with my self that partly by the torturing pain and sickness I endured in my body and partly by the inward terrors wherewith my mind was perplexed God would as a lion tear and devour me both flesh and bones and so make an end of me This I conceive is the plain meaning of these words yet some I know think further and that not improbably that this is spoken with relation to what he had said in the foregoing verse and so that the meaning is that though he lived out the foregoing day which he thought he should not have done yet when the Evening came all the Night long he was so torn and broken with the extremity he was in that he reckoned for certain that he should dye before morning or that he could not hold out another day And therefore say they he repeats here that again which he had said in the foregoing verse from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me and that by reason of the extream anguish and fear he was in as if he should have said I shall dye I shall dye I cannnot long subsist in this woful plight wherein I now lye Ver. 14. Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a dove c. Some take the meaning of this to be that he was so weakned and perplexed in mind that he could hardly speak and did therefore pour out his complaints and prayers before God with a low muttering hoarse and interrupted voice much to the same purpose with that of the Psalmist Psal 77.4 I am so troubled that I cannot speak But the meaning rather seems to be that the violence of the pain and sickness he endured in his body and the terrors he endured in his spirit through the fear of present death made him lye groaning and sighing and sobbing the confused noise whereof was much like that of the fowls here mentioned especially when the young ones do want their meat or when the Dams have their young ones taken from them mine eyes fail with looking upward to wit with looking up to God for help See the Notes Psal 119.82 and Job 11.20 O Lord I am oppressed that is so heavily overpressed that I am not able to endure it any longer undertake for me to wit as a surety as if he should have said This sickness hath arrested me to carry me to deaths Prison-house rescue me out of its power as sureties do those they engage for See the Note Psal 119.22 Ver. 15. What shall I say he hath both spoken unto me and himself hath done it c. Many learned Expositors hold that Hezekiah doth still here proceed in bewailing himself and setting forth the hopelesness of his Condition What shall I say that is What shall I say further What need I say any more he hath both spoken unto me and he also hath done it that is It was God that said to me by his Prophet Thou shalt die and not live and what he hath said he hath done it is he that hath brought me to this extremity that I am now no better than a dead man and therefore it is in vain for me thus to complain to mutter against and strive with my Judge yea to what purpose is it to call upon God to undertake for me to ease and help me if he have resolved that I must dye there 's no seeking to have it otherwise I must stoop and yield See Psal 39.9 And indeed such Expressions of impatience and despair That it is in vain to pray to God and to hope for any favour from him may sometimes flip from the best of Gods servants in desperate dangers and great discomposures of spirit Thus I say many do understand these words But indeed I see not how this can suit with the following clause I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul if we take it as they do as a complaint that he should go drooping softly that is Mournfully See the Note 1 King 21.27 all his years for how could he speak of living years in that condition wherein he concluded that he should not live a day to an end Rather therefore we may think that Hezekiah having in the foregoing verses set forth the low and hopeless Condition wherein he lay for a while doth at these words begin to relate the wonderful mercy of God to him in his recovery What shall I say as if he had said But alas how shall I be able to express the wonder of Gods love to me in rescuing me out of this danger Sure I shall never know how to shew my self thankful enough for such a mercy he hath both spoken unto me and himself hath done it that is He was pleased by the same Prophet by whom he pronounced the sentence of Death against me to send me a promise that I should recover out of this sickness and what he hath promised he hath accordingly done I shall go softly all my years that is Deliberately and considerately say some or gently and easily say others in the bitterness of my soul that is In the constant remembrance of that bitterness of soul which I have undergone in this time of my sickness So that the meaning may be either 1. That he would be all the remainder of his life often and seriously calling to mind the bitterness of this his late condition that he might be the more thankful to God for his deliverance Or 2ly That being comforted with the experience of Gods favour to him he would go on quietly fearlesly and chearfully all his life long though he should be assailed sometimes with the fear of death or any other bitter affliction as not questioning but that God would out of his wonted love be a sure refuge to him Or 3ly That by the remembrance of that bitterness he had been in
child as if the Prophet had said Before the child that is now newly born or is shortly to be born shall grow up to years of discretion both these Kings that have now combined against thee shall be destroyed Now to prove that these words the child may be understood indefinitely of any child they alledg another place Chap. 3.5 where the Prophet useth the like indefinite expression The child shall be have himself proudly against the ancient And because it may justly seem strange that the Prophet having spoken in the foregoing verses of the conception and birth and education of Christ and of the last with the very words here used that he should eat butter and honey that he may know to refuse the evil and chuse the good and yet should now presently speak of any child in general now newly born or shortly to be born and that under the same expression For before the child shall know to refuse the evil and chuse the good the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings To this they answer that having in the foregoing verses grounded the hope of their promised deliverance from Rezin and Pekah upon a promise of the supernatural conception and birth and education of their Messiah that was to spring from that Royal family of David which these Kings sought to destroy he now sheweth the time when they should be delivered to wit very shortly before the child now newly born should grow up to have any use of his reason and understanding Again others yea indeed the most of our late and best Expositors understand this not of any child in general but of some particular child there present or whose mother was present and the most pitch upon Shear-jashab mentioned before ver 3. And so they say that whereas in the foregoing verses the Prophet had spoken of the conception and birth of the Lord Christ the Messiah here now he adds that sign which was before tendered to Ahaz to assure them of their present deliverance from the Invasion of Rezin or Pekah Because say they Ahaz might think that they might haply be all destroyed before the birth of this Immanuel which was now given them as a sign of their approaching deliverance To prevent this objection of his the Prophet assures him that they should be so far from preventing the birth of this their Messiah the Saviour of his Church long after to be bore by cutting off the house and family of David the stock from whence he was to spring that before the child that was now newly born suppose Shear-jashab that was there before him or any other should attain to any years of discretion both these Kings that were now combined to cut off the House of David should be destroyed to wit within three or four years Which indeed came to pass accordingly for Rezin was slain by the Assyrians that came to help Ahaz 2 King 16.9 and Pekah was slain not long after by Hoshea as is evident because Pekah began his reign the two and fiftieth the last year of Uzziah or Azariah and reigned but twenty years 2 King 15.27 and considering that sixteen of these twenty years he reigned together with Jotham the Son of Uzziah it must needs be that he was slain about the fourth year of Ahaz the Son of Jotham So that if Shear-jashab were at this time one or two years old it must needs be that Rezin and Pekah were slain before he attained any great ability of discerning between good and evil And the same may be said of any other new-born child or shortly to be born that should be here particularly intended But indeed 1. Because it may well be thought that if the Prophet had spoken this of Shear-jashab or any other particular child he would have said Before this child shall know to refuse the evil and chuse the good c. And 2ly because the words do so clearly seem to have respect to that child already spoken of in the two foregoing verses and more especially to that v. 16. Butter and honey shall he eat that he may know to refuse the evil and chuse the good I cannot but think that this also is to be understood of the Lord Christ the Son of the Virgin as well as the two foregoing verses The great objection against this is how the Prophet could intend this to comfort Ahaz against his fears concerning Rezin and Pekah if his meaning had been that before Christ that was to be conceived and born so many hundred years after should be able to discern between good and evil the land which he abhorred should be forsaken of both her Kings But to this three answers are given first which indeed seems to me of all most improbable that the Prophet doth not speak this of the death of Rezin and Pekah but of the death of one Obodas King of Damascus and of Herod King of Samaria which was not long after the birth of Christ Secondly that the drift of the Prophet is not to shew how suddenly but how certainly Rezin and Pekah should be destroyed As fully resolved as they were to destroy the House of David from whence the promised Messiah the true Immanuel was to spring before this his miraculous conception and birth and education both these Kings should be destroyed And thirdly That the meaning is only this that within as short a space of time as should be between the birth of this Immanuel the child Jesus and his being grown up to the usual years of discretion both these Kings that were now preparing to make war against Ahaz should be cut off and destroyed This I find mentioned by the Dutch Annotations and it seems to me the most satisfying answer Ver. 17. The Lord shall bring upon thee and upon thy people c. See the Notes Exod. 32.7 And upon thy fathers house that is the Royal family of David and especially his own posterity days that have not come from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah that is such sad and evil times as never befell the Kingdom of Judah since the first revolt of the Ten Tribes from them in the days of Rehoboam which is mentioned here as the saddest blow that ever was given to the Kingdom of Judah as being indeed a most deadly wound to that people and that which was the original cause of all their following wars and miseries Even the King of Assyria as if he should have said And these evil days shall come upon you by the King of Assyria by whom thou hopest to defend thy self against these two Kings that are combined against thee which I conceive is meant of the successive Invasions of the Kings of Assyria first Tiglath-pileser who sorely distressed Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.20 2ly Sennacherib who invaded the land of Judah in the days of Hezekiah and brought them into great straits 2 King 19.3 3ly Ezar-haddon whose Captains took Manasseh and carried him away into captivity 2 Chron. 33.11 But
Cor. 3.14 Some I know by this destroying the face of the covering cast over all people do understand Christ's destroying Death and that in the expression here used there is an Allusion to the Face-cloth wherewith the faces of dead men are wont to be covered Joh. 11.44 or to the custom of covering the faces of condemned Malefactors see the Note Esth 7.8 But this of Christ's destroying Death is added in the next verse and the former therefore is rather here intended namely the freeing of his people from that ignorance under which they lay by Nature by the enlightning of the Gospel which was signified by the rending of the Veil of the Temple at the Death of Christ And all this is said should be done in this mountain as before not only because it should be done in the Church made up both of Jews and Gentiles but also because the Gospel whereby this was to be done was at first to go out of Mount Zion See the Notes Chap. 2.3 Ver. 8. He will swallow up death in victory c. That is He will destroy Death for ever as the word in the Original here translated in victory doth properly signifie so that it shall never more prevail over his redeemed ones but Christ shall reign this his last Enemy being destroyed for ever and ever Now though this was done partly by the Death of Christ whereby he abolished Death 2 Tim. 1.10 having by his suffering Death delivered his people â—â—om that Death which their sins had deserved Heb. 2.15 yet it shall chiefly bâ— accomplished at the Resurrection of the just when they shall pass into Lifâ— Eternal after which there shall be no more death Rev. 21.4 for so the Apostâ—â— saith expresly 1 Cor. 15.54 When this corruptible shall put on incorruption and thâ— mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass that Saying â—â—at is written Death is swallowed up in victory And the like may be said of thâ— following words And the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces to wit of his people even as a tender Mother wipes away the tears of her weeping little Child For though God doth this partly by the comforts of his Word and Spirit here yet it is not completely done till they be taken up into Heaven to which estate therefore this passage is applied by St. John Revel 7.17 and 21.4 And so likewise in the next clause And the rebuke or reproach of his people shall be taken away from off all the earth the meaning is that God would free his people from that extreme scorn and contempt which was cast upon them all the world over and from the worlds base and despightful usage of them in their continual afflicting and persecuting of them as if they were a people not worthy to live upon the face of the earth But now the accomplishment of this here principally intended is the exceeding Glory whereunto God's people shall be advanced in Heaven For when God shall take them into this blessed and glorious condition then indeed all the Inhabitants of the earth shall be effectually taken off from that vile and base esteem which they formerly had of them Many good Expositors do I know apply all this to the deliverance of God's people out of Babylon But it is only as looking upon that as a Type of this far greater deliverance promised to God's redeemed ones in and through the Lord Christ Ver. 9. And it shall be said in that day c. That is In that day when these Promises shall be accomplished the people of God shall say to wit with wonder and exceeding great joy for this is as it were the language of the Guests at the Feast mentioned before ver 6. Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us c. Which may be understood 1. in the Type of the rejoycing of God's people at the Lord 's delivering them out of Babylon which they had long expected and came at last to pass according to God's Promise and their earnest expectation And taking it thus observable it is that in this expression of their present joy and confidence in God they do withal covertly judg and condemn themselves because before their being carried into Babylon by their disobeying God's Laws and seeking to foreign Princes for help in their dangers they had not carried themselves towards the Lord as now they found they should have done Or 2. of the people of God's owning Christ at his coming in the flesh and embracing him by Faith when tendred to them in the Gospel as the true God their Lord and Saviour long ago promised them with great joy because of the peace made by him between God and them Or 3. of the Churches triumphing in Christ when he shall come to judge the world and to receive them into his Kingdom of Glory Ver. 10. For in this Mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest That is His powerful Providence shall be constantly and continually over his Church to protect and bless them See the Note Psal 80.17 It is the same in effect with that of our Saviour Mat. 28.20 And lo I am with you alway unto the end of the world And Moab shall be trodden down under him c. That is under his feet Psal 110.1 Moab is here particularly mentioned because none were more constantly and more fiercely bent upon doing mischief to God's people than they were but under these by a Synecdoche all the wicked enemies of his people are intended Even as straw is trodden down for the dunghil to wit the worst of the straw not fit to be reserved for any other use The word which we render trodden down some translate threshed and accordingly they read this verse thus And Moab shall be threshed under him even as straw is threshed in Madmenah and then take Madmenah to be a City of Moab called Madmen Jer. 48.2 and hold that because this City being scituate in a rich Corn-country where there was abundance of straw which was the less regarded thence the Prophet useth this expression here of straw threshed in Madmenah Ver. 11. And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim c. Some hold that this is spoken of Moab with relation to the last words in the foregoing verse to wit That as the Swimmer stretcheth forth his hands to swim so he being trodden down by his enemies should in the midst of them stretch forth his hands to beg for mercy both of God and his enemies Or that he should though in vain strive with all possible endeavours to save himself from utter ruin even as a ship-wrack'd man being fallen into the Sea laboureth with all his might by swimming to escape drowning But clearly as I conceive this is spoken of God That he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth
the word which we Translate Prison some understand the restraint under which he was held after they had apprehended him yea including his imprisonment in the Grave where his dead Body was sealed up and watched by a guard of Souldiers And some add too those bonds of anguish and anxiety that were upon the Soul of our Saviour from the apprehension of Gods wrath when in his Agony he sweat drops of Blood Luke 22.44 and when upon the Cross he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 And then by Judgment they understand as is before said the Judgment that was pronounced against him and executed upon him And thus they make the meaning of this first branch of the Verse to be this That he was taken from all his sufferings rising again triumphantly out of the Grave and then ascending up into Heavenly Glory But 2. Others understand it only of what he suffered from his Enemies namely that the intent thereof is to shew either that after they had him under restraint and had pronounced sentence of Judgment against him he was taken away by death and some think too that in the expression here used there is relation to his being taken up to the Cross according to a like expression used else-where Joh. 12.32 or else the violence and precipitancy of their proceedings against him to wit that after they had him once under restraint they presently carried him away to the Judgment Seat and when Pilate had pronounced Judgment against him immediately without any delay they hurried him away to Execution so that as it is clear in the Evangelists all was done in a violent hurry they apprehended him but over night and he was condemned and executed the very next day And indeed because the Prophet both before and after these words speaks of his sufferings this last Exposition I judge the best But then for the following words and who shall declare his generation It is confessed that most of the ancient Writers have understood it either of the generation of Christ of God the Father from all Eternity as he was the only begotten Son of God See the Notes Psal 2.7 and Prov. 8.24 or of his Conception and Birth as man of the Virgin Mary without the knowledge of man And indeed both these are wonderful Mysteries which no man is able to comprehend or express But why in this place they should be mentioned it is hard to conceive And therefore the most of our later Expositors do understand it otherwise and that three several ways For 1. Some by his generation do understand the duration or continuance of his Life and Kingdom as indeed the word is sometimes taken Chap. 13.20 Having said in the foregoing words say some that he was from his sufferings taken up into Heavenly Glory he adds here expressing it by way of admiration that after that the continuance of his Age his Life and Kingdom would be uncountable even unto all Eternity it should not be with him as with them who being delivered from Death do yet afterwards dye again because Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more Death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6.9 Yea and some extend this also to the Life everlasting of his Church and People which indeed agreeth well with that which follows ver 10. He shall see his Seed he shall prolong his days Or say others Having in the foregoing words spoken of his being taken away by Death here he adds as in opposition thereto but who shall declare his generation as if he had said Though he lived so short a time and was cut off in the flower of his age yet who can count his age who shall live and reign even unto Eternity 2. Others by his generation understand the Men of that generation wherein he lived and so make the meaning of the words to be this who shall declare his generation that is who is able to set forth the monstrous impiety and wickedness of that generation of men that could deal thus with the Lord of Glory that came to save them And 3. Others by his generation understand his Spiritual Seed or Issue as the word is taken Psal 22.30 And this too is conceived to be added as in opposition to the foregoing branch thus Though he shall be taken away by Death yet oh what an innumerable generation shall spring from him In an ordinary way when a man is slain there is an end put to the enlarging of his Posterity but it shall not be so with him no man shall be able to count the Spiritual generation that shall spring up to him after his Death to wit of those that shall believe in him which is that is said afterwards ver 10. He shall see his Seed c. And then for the last Clause for he was cut off it is the very same word that is used concerning the death of the Messiah Dan. 9.26 from the Land of the Living See the Note Psal 27.13 for the transgression of my People was he stricken therein a reason is given why he should not be quite destroyed by Death but should be taken up into Heavenly glory for as is said before so some understand the first words of this Verse and should live and see his Seed or Generation unto Eternity namely because he should not dye for any wickedness of his own but in obedience to his Father and that to bear the punishment due to the Sins of Gods People that is the Sins of Gods Elect People say some See 2 Tim. 2.10 Or the Jews amongst others that put him to death And thus the Prophet might call them his People Though indeed because of those words for the transgression of my People many Expositors hold that these last words are spoken in the Person of God the Father Ver. 9. And he made his Grave with the wicked and with the rich in his Death c. It is in the Hebrew in his Deaths because of his many grievous sufferings which were as so many Deaths to him as the Apostle said of himself that he was in Deaths oft 2 Cor. 11.23 Not only because he was often in danger of Death but also because his Afflictions and Sufferings were as sore and bitter as Death it self There are many Expositions given of these words which seem to me extreamly forced and some which our Translation can by no means admit I will only mention those that may consist with our Translation and which have some appearance of probability in them 1. Some understand it of the just vengeance which befell the Jews for their Crucifying of Christ when they were destroyed by the Romans to wit that God the Father or Christ would bring that wicked People even the greatest and richest of them who are particularly mentioned because such being puffed up with their greatness and riches are usually most boldly wicked and oppressive of others to be as harshly and cruelly dealt with by others