when he redeemed them by Cyrus out of the Babylonish Captivity Of which salvation our Prophet speaketh often from the fourth Chapter of this Prophesie to the end thereof And in the 45. Chapter and the eighth Verse he speakes of it Metaphorically as he doth here that is as of a Branch or a Plant which the Lord maketh to spring out of the Earth The branch of the Lord shall be beautifull and glorious c. q. d. The Salvation which God will work for those which escape of Jews shall bring honour and glory to them that escape and make them honourable and glorious â—n the eyes of all men How honourable and glorious the Jews were by reason of this Salvation see among other places Chap. 40. v. 5. Chap. 41. v. 10. c. Chap. 43. v. 14. Chap. 45. v. 17. Chap. 49. v. 9 23. c. Chap. 52. v. 9. Chap 54. v. 1. c. And the fruit of the Earth i. e. And the fruit which shall spring up out of the Earth This is but a repetition of the former Sentence And the fruit of the Earth signifieth the same here as the Branch of the Lord doth there Note that the fruit of the Earth is of larger extent than the fruit of Trees or Plants or Branches For not onely the friut of Trees and of Plants and of Branches but Trees and Plants and Branches themselves may be called the fruits of the Earth And comely i. e. And an Ornament For them that are escaped of Israel i. e. For those Jews which shall escape death and survive after the destruction and captivity which the Babylonians shall bring upon that People Of Israel i. e. Of the Jews to wit the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin see Chap. 1.3 3. He that is left in Sion and he that remaineth in Hierusalem By him that is left in Sion and him that remaineth in Hierusalem is meant he that remaineth alive of the Jews after the Babylonish captivity Note therefore that in Sion and in Hierusalem is as if he should say in Jacob and in Israel For as Jacob or Israel is often put for the Jewes and that per Metonymiam Efficientis Because Jacob or Israel was the Father of the Jews So is Sion or Hierusalem put for the same Jews by the same figure Because Sion or Hierusalem was the Mother of the Jewes But observe that Jacob or Israel was the true naturall Father of the Jews But Sion or Hierusalem was called their Mother onely by a Metaphor yet that she was so at least called their Mother we may learn from Chap. 49. Vers 20. and Chap. 50. Vers 1. and Gal. 4. Vers 25. But yet we may take Sion and Hierusalem here plainly without a Metaphor that the sense of these words may be this Viz. And he Supple of the Jews which is left alive Supple and shall dwell in Sion and he Supple of the Jews which remaineth Supple alive and shall dwell in Hierusalem after the Babylonish captivity shall c. For note that though many of the Jews survâ—ved after the Babylonish captivity yet the Blessings spoken of in this Chapter did appertain onely to them which returned and dwelt in Hierusalem Shall be called Holy i. e. Shall be holy For the Hebrews doe often use vocall verbes for reall and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be called for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be To be holy doth primarily and originally signifie to be separated from others by way of excellencie Hence they which excell the vulgar sort of Men in Piety and Religion are commonly called Holy and in this sense may these Men be called Holy in this place Yet because this place speakes both in the precedent and Subsequent Verses of the blessings of God to this People in keeping and preserving them I had rather take Holy here for such as God separates and sets apart from other People by his blessings to them and hedge of protection about them by which he maketh a difference between them and other People In which sence the word Holy is taken Exod. 19. Vers 5 6. where we thus read Now therefore if yee will obey my voice indeed then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all the people For all the earth is mine And ye shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation In opposition to Holinesse thus taken God is said to prophâ—ne the Princes of the Sanctuary Chap. 43. Vers 28. Every one that is written among the living in Hierusalem i. e. Every one which shall be alive after the Babylonish Captivity and shall live in Hierusalem shall be called Holy He alludeth here in this phrase to the Mustering of an Army after a Battle where the names of those which escaped in Battle are written and entered into a Muster-Roule or Muster-Book that so they m ght know what they have lost and what forces they have left 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth c. i. e. When the Lord shall have washed away the sins c. He likeneth the sin of the Soul here to the filth of the body And the taking sin away to the washing away of that filth by water But the way by which God took away the filth of sin here spoken of was by destroying the incorrigible sinner and bringing others to amendment of life both which he did by the Babylonians into whose hands he gave them The filth of the Daughter of Sion Read Chap. 3.16 To wh ch place the Prophet doth here allude The bloud Bloud is put here Metonymice for Murder by which the bloud of man is shed And that againe is put Hypâ—rbolice for Oppression See Chap. 1. Vers 15. The Prophet doth here allude to the Oppression which he spake of Chap. 3. Vers 12. c. From the midst of her i. e. From her or out of her An Hebrew Periphrase By the Spirit of judgement The Spirit of Judgement is put here Periphrastically for Judgement the word Spirit redounding by an Hebraisme By Judgement the Prophet meaneth the Calamities and Punishment which God brought upon this People by the Babylonians which kind of Calamities and Punishments are called Judgemenes because of the Justnesse of them and that by a Metaphor from those Punishments which are inflicted upon a Malefactor upon a Just Sentence or Judgement given against him And by the spirit of burning i. e. And by burning for the word Spirit redounds here as it did before He meaneth the same thing by burning here as he did by Judgement just before But he alludeth here to the manner of Goldsmiths and other the like Crafts-mens who purifie their Gold and other mettals from their drosse by Fire and Burning 5. And the Lord will create upon evey dwelling place c. The meaning of this Place is that God will protect them and keep them in all their dwellings and will be no lesse pâ—esent with them for this purpose than â—e was with their fathers when he
seemes he begun with Galilee and shewed the greatest spight there which made that alone to be named here Or that alone is here named because Galilee was the richest and most populous of all the Land of Israel and it will move the more lamentation to tell that so rich a Countrey shall be spoiled and so populous a Countrey wasted then to tell of the spoiling and desolation of a Land which is not so rich and populous Note that neither of the two afflictions which are spoke of in this verse were light in themselves But when Israel was afflicted by Tiglah-Pileser he was said to be lightly afflicted in comparison of that affliction which he suffered afterwards by Salmaneser which of the two was farre the most grievous affliction Note also that when it is said that the dimnesse or affliction of Judah wherewith Sennacharib shall afflict him shall not be so great as the affliction of Israel wherewith Tiglah-Pileser first and afterwards Salmaneser shall afflict him The affliction of Israel by Tiglah-Pileser and the affliction of Israel by Salmaneser are not to be taken severally as though either of them two were greater than the affliction of Judah by Sennacharib for the affliction of Israel by Tiglah-Pileser seemes not to have been greater than the affliction of Judah by Sennacharib but joyntly q. d. Yet shall not the affliction of Judah by Sennacharib be so grievous as the affliction of Israel by Tiglah-Pileser and Salmaneser For Tiglah-Pileser shall begin to destroy the Israelites and to carry them into Captivity out of which they shall not be redeemed And what he hath begun Salmaneser shall make an end of For he shall carry the residue into perpetuall captivity and destroy Israel from being any more a People or a Kingdome But Sennacharib shall not be able to deal thus with the Jewes for though he shall over-run all Judea yet he shall not prevail against Hierusalem So that out of Hierusalem shall Judea be peopled again and flourish 2. The People that walked in darknesse i. e. For the People of Judah and especially of Hierusalem which shall be grievously afflicted by Sennacharib and his Host c. By Darknesse he meaneth Misery and Affliction which the Hebrewes often signifie by the Metaphor of Darknesse Note here that he puts a Praeterperfect Tense for a Future as before He gives a Reason here in this and the following verses why the dimnesse or affliction of Judah should not be so great as the affliction of Israel in his vexation Have seen a great light i. e Shall receive great comfort and a great deliverance Here again a Praeterperfect Tense is put for a Future And by light he meaneth comfort For as the Hebrewes doe often put darknesse to signifie misery and affliction So they doe put light to signifie comfort and prosperity and both by a Metaphor This was fulfilled when the Lord destroyed by his Angel the huge host of the Assyrians which had wasted the Land of Judah and did at that time besiedge the chief City Hierusalem of which you may read 2 Kings Cap. 18. and 19. They that dwell in the Land of the shadow of death i. e. They that shall dwell in the Land which is overspread with the dark and dreadful night or with black and dreadful darknesse That is they which shall be grievously afflicted This Phrase is every whit the same for sense with that which went a little before namely with that The People that walked in darknesse By the shadow is meant the night or darknesse For darknesse is nothing else but the shadow of a thick dark body interposed between the light and the thing darkened And the night is nothing else but the shadow of the earth interposed between the light of the Sun and the Air or whatsoever else is thereby made dark He calls that the shadow of death which is such a shadow or night or darknesse as is as dreadful as death or which affrights a Man with the terrour of death or which is such as death brings for upon whom death seizeth him it depriveth of all light Wherefore a dead man is called Lumine cassus i. e. one deprived of light by the Prince of Latine Poets And on the contrary Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery saith Job Job 3.20 That is why doth he live Again by the shadow of death may be meant such darknesse as the dead have in their Sepulchres for death is put sometimes for the dead per Metonymiam adjuncti as cap. 28. v. 18. and Sepulchres are wholly dark without any light at all The Prophet Amos speaking of the night useth the very same Phrase as is here used saying Seek him that maketh the seven Stars and Orion and turneth the shadow of death that is the night into the morning Amos 5. v. 8. And Job useth the shadow of death for a great darknesse when he saith Let darknesse and the shadow of death stain it Job 3. v. 6. Vpon them hath the light shined i. e. Upon them shall the light shine He alludes here to the light of the Sun or Morning And by it doth Metaphorically understand comfort as before It was a Maxime received among the Hebrewes that the Redemption from their temporal enemies such as were the Aegyptians Midianites Philistines Assyrians c. was a Type and Figure of the Redemption which was to be expected in the dayes of the Messiah and accordingly the Redemption here spoken of was the Type and Figure of the spirituall Redemption which was wrought in the dayes of the Messiah Mat. 4. v. 15. Where note that the spiritual Redemption here prefigured was not more peculiar to those which inhabited the Land of Zebulun and the Land of Nepthali and Galilee of the Nations than it was to others though it may seem to concern them more than others at the first reading of Mat. cap. 4. v. 14 15. for the Evangelist by mentioning the Land of Zebulun and the Land of Nepthali and Galilee of the Nations doth onely upon occasion apply this General to those Particular Men and make use of these words Viz. The Land of Zebulun the Land of Nepthali by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan Galilee of the Nations to shew what particular Men he meant though they are not the words of the same sentence because those words were nigh the sentence which he quoted and which concerned his purpose 3. Thou hast multiplied the Nation i e. Thou wilt multiply the Nation of the Assyrians by adding many Nations to it i. e. Thou wilt get together many Nations He puts a Praeterperfect for a Future Tense He useth also here an Apostrophe to Sennacharib who mustered a great Army out of many Nations and marched with it against Judah But not increased the joy q.d. But though thou wilt get many Nations together yet thou shalt not make thy joy the greater Sennacharib when he had gathered a mighty Army together out of almost all Nations
concerns Esar-hadhaddon and other the Children of Sennacherib v. 21. How hath the Oppressour ceased q. d. How is it come to passe that the King of Babylon who was wont to Oppresse all kind of people and make warre against them onely that he might place his own Subjects in their Land or make them his Tributaries I say how is it come to passe that this man ceaseth so suddainly from his Oppression whereas he had so mighty a power to Oppresse The golden City ceased q. d How hath the City which was enriched with gold which was extorted from all nations by way of tribute and exactions ceased so suddainly to exact her Tribute Or thus How hath the Oppressour ceased The golden City ceased i. e. How is the Oppressour perished How hath the golden City been destroyed For those things which perished and are destroyed are said to cease Supple from being whether they be men or inanimate Creatures The golden City By the golden City he meaneth Babylon which he calleth the golden City by a Mimesis because the Babylonians in their pride were wont so to call it because of the abundance of gold and riches which were therein as being the City in which the Nobles and most wealthy men dwelt Or else he calls it the golden City because that thither the Tributes were carryed and there payd which the King of Assyria exacted of the Nations round about and so it abounded with gold and silver Some perhaps may here aske how it was against Sennacherib to tell of the fall of Babylon when as Sennacherib was dead before Babylon was overthrown Answer The Prophet useth a kind of Poesie in all this Proverbe which he hath against the King of Babylon and in Poesie the dead are brought in with like affections as if they were living Againe as in the Parable of Dives and Lazarus our Saviour brings in Dives when he was in Hell taking care for his brethren and their well doing which were upon the earth Luke 16.28 So might the Prophet bring in Sennacherib when he was dead taking care for the wellfare of his Children and as touched with their losses and with their death and spoke of him as if it were grievous to him whatsoever was grievous to them This Question is the Question of one admiring and insulting Admiring at what was done and insulting over those to whom it was done 5. The Lord hath broken the staffe of the wicked i. e. The Lord hath broken the power of the Oppressours so that they cannot any more oppresse By the Oppressours are meant Sennacherib and his sonnes or Sennacherib and his ancestors or Sennacherib and his Ministers who were his Instruments to oppresse The Prophet gives an Answer here to that Question How hath the Oppressour ceased And this he amplifieth and continueth to the end of the 22. verse and then in the 23. verse he gives an answer to the other Question How is the golden City ceassed The Staffe By the Staffe he meaneth Metaphorically the Power which Sennacherib and his Sonnes and Ancestors and Ministers used to oppresse other nations For as men use a Staffe to beat Doggs or Slaves c. So did they use their power to oppresse all people Of the wicked i. e. Of the Oppressours Synechdoche generis For all Oppressours are wicked men though all wicked men are not Oppressours And the Scepter of the Rulers This is a repetition of the former words The Scepter was an Ensigne of Majesty which Kings were wont to bear Yet it was but a Stick or a Staffe though happily trimly adorned Homer Iliad α. vers 234. with this also were Kings wont to strike in their anger those with whom they were offended So did Agamemnon strike Thersites with his Scepter Hom. Iliad α. v. 265. By the breaking therefore of the Scepter may be meant the breaking of the Power and Empire of the Assyrians 6. He who smote the People in wrath with a continuall stroke i. e. He which did continually vex and oppresse the People Here he comes to speak peculiarly against Sennacherib and by his smiting he meaneth Metaphorically his Oppressing With a continuall stroke i. e. With continual strokes A Singular for a Plurall number By his continuall strokes he meaneth his continuall Oppressions He is persecuted Sennacherib was persecuted by an Angel of God by which also his Army was destroyed from Judaea to Niniveh 2 Kings 19.35 36. And when he was there he was also persecuted and slaine by his own sonnes as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his God 2 Kings 19.37 And none hindereth i. e. And none are willing to hinder this his persecution but rather rejoyce in it None hindred it because he was at last slaine by them which persecuted him The prophet â—â—â—graphically describeth the Persecution of Sennacherib as though he were then in persecution when he spoke it 7. The whole earth is at rest and is quiet q. d. Sennacherib is slaine and now that Sennacherib is slaine the whole earth is quiet from warres with which he was wont to vex it This is to be understood as if Sennacherib were but newly slaine and this spoken so soon as ever he was dead By the whole earth he meaneth the Inhabitants of the whole earth by a Metonymie and he useth here a Synechdoche integri by putting all for part onely of the Inhabitants of the earth They break forth into singing Supple For joy that Sennacherib is dead who was wont to vex them with warres or tributes or both 8. Yea the Firr trees rejoyce at thee The Prophet makes an Apostrophe here to Sennacherib and useth a most elegant Prosopopoeia or Metaphor by which he makes the trees of Lebanon to rejoyce because being that Sennacherib was dead who delighted in war they should now stand and be cut down no more to make warrelike Engines and Fortifications as before Rejoyce at thee i. e. Rejoyce to hear that thou art dead Since thou art laid down i. e. Since thou art dead He useth a Metaphor here from trees which being cut down lye along upon the ground No feller is come up against us Supple To cut us down 9. Hell from beneath is mooved for thee i. e. Hell is moved as a Town and City is moved when a great King is brought Prisoner thither and every one runs out of his house to see him I say Hell is moved to hear that thou art dead and comming thither that it might meet thee By Hell he meaneth the Graves or the lower parts of the earth in which the Graves are made The Prophet useth here the like Metaphor or Prosopopoeia as he did before in the Firr trees And moreover in this description he alludes to some great Prince taken in war and brought Captive to some Town or City there to be kept like a Prisoner For thee i. e. To meet thee as the next words explaine it or for thee i. e. At the report of thee and of thy comming It
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
him Or of corrupt Judges who had taken a bribe of his Enemies to condemn him whose wickedness was the greater that they would be corrupted to do such a piece of injustice for a small matter How these men were consumed we told Vers 14. 22. Therefore thus saith the Lord c. This relates to the 17 18 19 20 and 21 Verses as an inference deduced from thence q. d. And because Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forrest and because the deaf upon that shall hear the words of the Book c. Therefore thus saith the Lord who redeemed Abraham concerning the House of Jacob c. Who redeemed Abraham God redeemed Abraham out of Vr of the Caldees from Idolatry Genes 12.1 and he redeemed him out of danger in Egypt Genes 12.20 and he redeemed him out of the like danger in Gerar Gen. 20.9 And Abraham is mentioned as redeemed here because as the Lord redeemed him so for his sake would he redeem his posterity at this time Concerning the house of Jacob i. e. Concerning Jacob and his children the Jews For the Father is part yea the chief part of the house Jacob shall not now be ashamed i. e. Being that the Lord will turn Lebanon into a fruitful field and the fruitful field into a forrest so that the deaf shall hear the words of the Book c. when this cometh to pass Jacob shall not now be ashamed though he hath been ashamed heretofore The Prophet useth a Prosopopoeia here whereby he brings in Jacob as though he were alive though he were dead long before Jacob shall not now be ashamed Supple For the disobedience and infidelity and unbelief of his children For they which would not believe the Vision mentioned vers 14. shall be all consumed and all they which watch for iniquity shall be cut off but the meek shall survive and all they that have erred shall return into the right way The misdemeanor of the son is the shame of the Parents in allusion to which he here saith Jacob shall not now be ashamed Nor shall his face now wax pale Supple For fear q. d. Neither shall he now be afraid as he hath been lest his children should be utterly destroyed by the Assyrians through the wrath of God so that they be no more a people for the Assyrian is brought to nought vers 20. 23. When he seeth his children the work of mine hands i. e. When he seeth his children whom I have delivered out of the hands of the Assyrians A deliverance out of eminent and unavoydable danger of death is as it were a new Creation therefore doth the Lord call the Jews the work of his hands because he delivered them from the Assyrians In the midst of him i. e. In the midst of the Land which I gave him Gen. 28.13 Jacob himself is put here by a Metonymy for the Land which God gave Jacob as Moab is put for the Land of Moab Jerem. 40.11 Note that in the midst of the Land is put by an Hebrew redundancy for in the Land They shall sanctifie my Name q. d. They to wit his children shall sanctifie and praise my Name for their deliverance out of the hands of the Assyrians And if they shall sanctifie his Name He shall see them sanctifying it and so shall not be afraid for them but rejoyce rather My Name i. e. Me. An Hebraism And shall fear the God of Israel i. e. And they shall fear to offend the God of Israel and shall serve him and worship him And if they shall fear the God of Israel Jacob shall see that they fear him and so he shall not be ashamed for their sakes 24. They also that erred in spirit i. e. They also that erred in judgment and opinion thinking that Jerusalem would not have been delivered out of the hands of the Assyrians and that the Assyrians would not have been destroyed as they were He speaks of such that erred rather out of weakness and by being ignorantly misled then out of pride and malice as those scorners did mentioned vers 20. Shall come to understanding i. e. Shall experimentally know that what the Prophet prophecyed concerning the deliverance of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Assyrians was true They that murmured It is probable that many otherwise none of the worst when they were distressed and found some hardship in the siege of Jerusalem did murmur against Isaiah who prophecyed of the deliverance of Jerusalem and did what he could to hold up their drooping spirits with that hope Shall learn doctrine i. e. Shall learn the Instruction of the Lord which shall teach them not to murmur any more at his Prophets in whatsoever case they are ISAIAH CHAP. XXX WO to the rebellious children i. e. When the report was first spred abroad of Sennacheribs intent to march out of Assyria with an huge Army the Jews which lived out of Jerusalem in other parts of the Land of Judah and many also which lived in Jerusalem were distracted and in doubt what to do to preserve themselves Some thought it best to comply with the Assyrians and to practise with them for the surrender or giving up of the whole Land into their hands Others thought it best to call in the Egyptians to their ayd And this did they both in so foul a manner as that the one scrupled not to profess the Religion of the Assyrians and the other of the Egyptians to save their lives Onely King Hezekiah and some few with him chose rather to trust in the promises of God which he had promised by Isaiah then to do as the others did Against those which thought it best to call in the ayd of the Egyptians and endeavored to bring them into help them doth the Prophet here inveigh To the rebellious children It is rebellion in man to do any thing against the Will of God as these men did by distrusting God and trusting in the arm of flesh See cap. 1.20 That take counsel Supple How to save themselves from the fury of Sennacherib and the Assyrians But not of me q. d. But not of my Prophets whose counsel is my counsel That cover with a covering but not of my Spirit Note that the word Spirit is a word of many significations with the Hebrews but among the many significations which it hath any act of the Will or Understanding is called the spirit And any quality or ability of doing is called the spirit so that the spirit may here signifie counsel and advice or it may signifie power and protection And the meaning of this place may be this q. d. And which cover themselves with a covering but not of my advising or to which I advised them Or the meaning of this place may be this q. d. And which cover themselves with a covering but not with the covering of my power and protection that is which get themselves ayd to defend
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
and danger of Sennacherib and must not see the delivery of it Secondly because he had no Sonne as yet to succeed him in his Throne And it might be a cause of sorrow to him to think that the Promise made to David and Solomon 1 Kings 8.25 should not appertain to him and his posterity yea it is inbred by Nature even in good men to grieve to think that they should dye Childlesse and that their Inheritance should come to strangers See an example of this in Abraham Gen. 15.2 Adde to this that Hezekiah knew that the Messiah was to arise out of the seed of David therefore if he should live to have issue he might hope that the Messias might arise out of that from which hope he should be cut off by dying at this time Thirdly he might imagine that they which had ascribed the calamities of his times to him because he brake downe the Altars and the Images c. might be more bold to ascribe it to him if he should now dye and others would be more prone to believe them as if his sinne in this had hastened his death Fiftly He might think that God did intend to cut him off in displeasure which could not be but grievous to him to think of because the Prophet came as Gods Herald to threaten him with death And for this reason perhaps among the rest he doth here mention how he had walked before God in truth c. 5. Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy Father David is said to be the Father of Hezekiah because Hezekiah descended from David though after many Generations Matth. 1. v. 6 9. And the Lord in sending to Hezekiah the promise of Recovery stiles himselfe the God of David his Father that Hezekiah might know that he was mindful of the promise which he the Lord made to David 1 Kings 2.4 which Hezekiah did tacitely minde him of in his prayers v. 3. I have seen thy tears i. e. I have taken speciall notice of thy tears and am moved to compassion by them I will adde unto thy dayes fifteen yeares i. e. I will adde to the dayes which thou hast already lived fifteen yeares 6. And I will deliver thee and this City out of the hands of the King of Assyria It appeares from hence that this sicknesse befell Hezekiah while Jerusalem was besieged by Sennacherib's Army And if yee would know a reason why then it was not recorded amongst those things which were done in that time cap. 37. the reason is plaine viz. Because that so briefe an History should not be interrupted with passages which concerned it not Note here that either Hezekiah prayed for the deliverance of Jerusalem from the pressure of Sennacherib's Army as well as for the continuance of his own life Or that such is the goodness of our gracious God as that he gives more to his then they ask for 8. Behold I will bring c. q.d. Behold I the Lord will bring c. I will bring again the shadow of the degrees which is gone downe in the Sunne-Diall of Ahaz ten Degrees backward By the Sun-Diall of Ahaz is meant the Sun-Dial which Ahaz the Father of Hezekiah made or caused to be made in one of the Courts of the Royal Pallace By the Degrees which were in the Diall are meant the lines which were cut or painted in that Diall wherewith the halfe houres were marked So that while the shadow passed from one of these Lines or Degrees to the Line or Degree next to it was half an hour And while it passed on from that Line or Degree to the next was another half hour c. By the Shadow of the degrees is meant the shadow which the Gnomon or hand of the Sunne-Diall casteth when the Sun shineth upon the Diall which shadow as the Sun goeth forward from East to West ordinarily goeth from one degree to another that is from one Line in the Diall to another and so sheweth how the day passeth and is therefore called The shadow of Degrees The going backward of this shadow ten Degrees was when the shadow went backward ten of these Lines which was caused by the miraculous going back of the Sun from the West towards the East For I conceive that the Sun it selfe went back at this time And so much I gather from 2 Chron. 32.31 And Ecclus. 48.23 So the Sunne returned ten Degrees By the Sunne is meant the shadow of Degrees which is caused by the Sun Per Metonymiam efficientis By which Degrees it was gone downe The Shadow is said to goe downe by Degrees when it passeth from Lines which signifie more early so Lines signifying later times in the day which is caused by the going of the Sun from the East towards the West 10. In the cutting off of my dayes i. e. When the Lord was about to cut off my dayes and to take away my life When he saith In the cutting off of my dayes he alludes to the manner of Weavers who when they have made an end of their Webbe cut it off from the Thrum I shall go to the gates of the grave i. e. I shall dye Metonymia Effecti For they which dye are carried to the grave there to be buried Note that the Sepulchres of the dead especially among the Jews had their doores and their gates which were made fast for their Sepulchers were hollow places either cut out of rocks or arched with brick or stone or the like as appeareth by the Sepulcher of Christ which was cut out of a rock Mat. 27.60 and into which John and Peter entred John 20. v. 6 8. and into which those three women which brought their spices went in Luke 24.3 as appeareth also by the Tombes out of which the two possessed with Devils came Mat. 8.28 and in which they dwelt Mar. 5.3 Hence cometh the phrase of the gates of the grave and the gates of death c. I am deprived of the residue of my years The age of man is threescore years and ten saith the Psalmist Psal 90.10 to this doth Hezekiah seem here to allude and as many years of threescore and ten as he had not lived he calls the residue of his years Or by the residue of years he meaneth that time which he might have lived after this by the course of nature had it not bin for this violent sicknesse 11. I shall not see the Lord i. e. I shall not visit the Temple of the Lord. He puts the Lord for the Temple of the Lord by a Metonymy In the Land of the Living i. e. On the earth which is the land and place of the Living I shall behold man no more i. e. I shall never see any man again With the Inhabitants of the world As they doe which live and dwell in the world 12. Mine age is departed i. e. That part of the threescore years and ten which I have not yet lived is departed from me See notes vers 10. for he
to punish any one man or people It must follow that the Lord is God and God only He hath not his equall The Lord intimateth here by the By for the comfort of the Iewes which were held Captive by the Babylonians that he would surely destroy the Babylonians by Cyrus and that no power should be able to deliver the Babylonians out of his hands I will work i. e. I will doe what I please 14. Thus saith the Lord your redeemer The Prophet returneth here to the Subject which he treated of in the beginning of the Chapter to wit the redemption of the Iewes out of the Babylonish Captivity which he intermitted at the eighth verse to argue against Idols and Idolatry upon the occasion there spoken of For your sakes I have sent to Babylon i. e. For your sakes I will send Cyrus with an Army to Babylon to fight against it and take it He puts here a preterperfect Tense for a future to signifie the certainty of what he speakes of This sending of Cyrus with an Army against Babylon was advantageous to the Iewes which were in Captivity for by this meanes the Babylonians who held them Captives were destroyed and they were delivered And have brought downe all their Nobles i. e. And will bring downe all the Nobles of the Babylonians which doth oppresse you and keep you in an hard Captivity and will tread upon them as mortar See Cap. 41.25 And the Chaldaeans In the Babylonish Empire the Chaldaeans were the chiefe of any other people the Emperour himselfe being a Chaldaeans and Babylon the head City of the Empire being in Chaldaea And hence it may be that he mentioneth the Chaldaeans by name in this place Or therefore may he mention the Chaldaeans here because they had more of the Captive Iewes then any other people under them and used them more hardly Whose cry is in the ships q.d. Who shall be heard to cry and howle in the ships He puts a Present Tense for a Future here as he puts a preterperfect tense for a Future a little before Babylon and Chaldaea have two great Rivers Tygris and Euphrates running through them or close to them navigable Rivers and certainely as able to beare as great Vessels as our Thames which beares Vessels of the greatest bulke yea Chaldaea reacheth to the Persian Gulfe where the greatest ships may ride and saile At the time which Babylon was taken by Cyrus no doubt but every Babylonian and Chaldaean endeavoured to escape as well as he could And as some endeavoured to escape by Land so others attempted to escape by water in ships and of these latter may he say Their cry is in the ships Or he may say that their Cry is in the ships or shall be in the ships not because they which cryed were or should be in the ships but because their cry should be so great as that it should be heard to the Sea of those which sailed in their ships Againe it was the custome of the Eastern people when they subdued a Nation to transplant the Inhabitants thereof an example whereof you may see 2 Kings 17.6 Cyrus therefore might send many of the Babylonians away in ships and they as they were in the ships might howle and cry for the misery which was come upon them 15. Your holy One i. e. He whom you have made choyce of to be your God and whom alone you worship and therefore will preserve and blesse you Your King See Cap. 33.22 This verse relates to that which went before in the fourteenth verse and containes a reason of what is there said q. d. For your sake I will send to Babylon and will bring downe all their Nobles For I am the Lord your Holy One the Creatour of Israel your King 16. Thus saith the Lord q. d. Yea thus saith the Lord. Which maketh a way in the Sea Rather which made a way in the Sea for this must be understood in the Preterperfect Tense God made a way for his people in the red Sea when he brought them out of Egypt Exod. 14. v. 21 22. And of this it is which he makes mention in this place And a Path in the mighty waters The Lord when the children of Israel passed over Jordan divided the River Jordan and made a way for them to passe over dry foot even when Jordan was so high as that it overflowed all his Banks Iosh 3. v. 15 16 17. Some therefore understand this place of this dividing Jordan and of the way which he made in it at this time But I rather take this to be a Repetition of the former Sentence Because our Prophet delighteth in such Repetitions and because in the next words he mentioneth that which fell out at the dividing of the red Sea and making a way for his people through it when their enemies were drowned 17. Which bringeth forth the Charet and Horse the Army and the Power Rather which brought forth the Charets and the Horses the Army and the Power supple of Pharaoh to their destruction When the Lord brought the children of Israel out of Egypt he hardened Pharaohs heart so that Pharaohs heart and the heart of all his people was turned against the children of Israel and they said why have we done this that we have let Israel goe from serving us And Pharaoh pursued after the children of Israel with 600. chosen Charets and all the Charets of Egypt and in the pursuit followed the children of Israel into the midst of the Sea and there were drowned Exod. 14. This is that which the Lord here mentioneth and these things doth he mention in this place to wit His dividing of the Sea for the Israelites and his drawing out of Pharaohs host that he might drown it in the red Sea to put the Jews in minde of his power which is such as that no difficulty can hinder him from redeeming or delivering his people at any time and of that love which he bore to his people that they remembering these things might the more easily be induced to believe those things which he said he would do for them namely That he would deliver them out of the Babylonish captivity and destroy the Babylonians their Enemies They shall lie down together i. e. The Nobles of Babylon and the Caldeans shall lie down all of them in the dust of the Earth that is they shall be all brought down to the Grave Death is both in sacred and profane Writers often likened to a sleep and the Grave to the Bed in which we sleep and the Prophet alludes to the same here when he saith They shall lie down together for he alludeth to men lying down in a bed to sleep But his meaning is that they shall be slain and brought down to the pit They shall i. e. The Nobles of Babylon and the Caldeans shall lie down c. of whom he spoke vers 14. They shall not rise q. d. They shall not awake and rise any more
highly honour him and reward him But if you would know what particular honour and reward the Lord gave his Sonne and Servant Christ Iesus read among other places Ephes 1. v. 20 21 22 23. and Phil. 12. v. 1.81 91 101.11 But for the understanding of this That these words I will devide him a portion with the great signifie no more than this I will highly honour him and reward him know this that those places of Scripture which carry two senses in them are Historicall as I may call it and a Mysticall though they carry the Historicall sense word for word yet they carry the Mysticall sense for the most part but in Grosse though here and there there be sometimes such sentences interserted as apperteine according to the words themselves not onely to the Historicall but also to the Mysticall sense of which I spake more at large in the Preface And he shall divide the spoile with the strong This is the same for sense with former words Because he hath poured out his soul unto death i. e. Because he hath not spared his life but parted with it to the uttermost By His soule is here meant His life by a Metonymie for Life is nothing else but the Union of the soule with the body which Union is mainteined by the apt dispositions of the body to reteine it When he saith he hath poured out his soule he useth a Metaphor taken from the powring out of water out of Buckets He saith He hath poured out his soule unto death in pursuance of that Metaphor Of powring out of water out of a Bucket where the water is so poured out to the last drop as that there is not a drop thereof remaining And he was numbred with the transgressours i. e. And because he was accounted as a Transgressour though he were innocent and was put to death amongst Transgressours This was fulfilled when he was crucified between two Thieves Mark 15. v. 27 28. And he bare the sinne of many i. e. And he bare what the malice of the Jewes and the Gentiles under Pontius Pilate could lay upon him See Acts Cap. 4.27 By Sinne understand here the Torments and Afflictions which were the effect of the sinne That is of the malice and envy of the Jewes c. By a Metonymie And made intercession for the transgressours i. e. And because he made intercession for these who through envy and malice did put him to death ISAIAH CHAP. LIV. SIng O barren thou that didst not bear i. e. Sing for joy O Sion or O Jerusalem thou which hast been like a barren woman and bore no children He prophecyeth here of the joyful deliverance of the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity as he did cap. 49.51 52. and elsewhere And he speaks to the material City of Sion or Ierusalem as to a woman by a Prosopopoeia whom he calleth barren and one that did not bear because all the time of the Babylonish captivity she was empty of Jews which were to her as children for they were all carryed away into Babylon and there was none left in her to encrease the Nation See cap. 49.21 Cry aloud Supple For joy Thou that didst not travel with childe This is a repetition of those words Thou that didst not bear For more are the children of the desolate i. e. For more shall thy children be O thou which wast desolate and as a widow and as one forsaken of her Husband during the Babylonish captivity c. He changeth the person here and speaks of Sion or Jerusalem in the third person to whom he spoke in the foregoing words in the second and he useth a present for a future tense Sion or Jerusalem was called desolate and as one forsaken of her Husband because God who was her Husband vers 5. and cap. 62.5 had forsaken her cap. 50.1 And therefore as a woman which is desolate and forsaken of her Husband beareth not children so was Ierusalem barren and without children while God had forsaken her who might be called her Husband as in other regards so in this that while he had a favor to her he did encrease her children within her as a woman multiplyeth her children by her Husband Then the children of the marryed wife i. e. Then thy children were when thou hadst an Husband any time heretofore and wast a marryed Wife The meaning is that Jerusalem though she had been afflicted and brought into captivity by the Babylonians and had her Children or Citizens carryed away from her yet now she should be more populous then ever she was at any time before that her captivity Note that when he saith More are the children of the desolate then the children of the marryed woman he speaks as though he spoke of two several persons but he speaks but of two several states or conditions of the same person So we say of a man that is changed from what he was that he is another man though not his substance but his condition onely is changed This which I have given is the first sence of this place But Sion here as she became fruitful after her widowhood was a Type of the Church of Christ So that in the second and sublime sence this place is to be understood of the Church of Christ as will appear Gal. 4.27 For as Sion while God had put her away from being his Wife and had given her over to be spoyled by the hands of the Babylonians was barren and brought forth no children but when he took her to him to Wife again she encreased in children as the Stars of Heaven for multitude So the Church of Christ while she was a stranger to the bed of Christ and was without the seed of his Word that is while all Nations were suffered to walk in their own ways Acts 14.16 and were given over to the god of this World to be blinded by him Acts 17.30 brought forth no children unto God But when Christ took her to his bed Ioh. 3.29 and redeemed her out of the hand of Satan and gave her the seed of his Word she so encreased in children as that all the ends of the Earth were full of her issue So that she far exceeded the Synagogue of the Iews when it was most populous Note here that Sion as she was considered before the Babylonish captivity was a Type of the Synagogue of the Iews but as she was considered after the Babylonish captivity was a Type of the Church of Christ As therefore Sion was more populous after the Babylonish captivity then ever she was before so was the Church of Christ more populous then ever the Synagogue of the Iews was Wonder not that I make Sion a Type of the Synagogue and the same Sion a Type of the Church upon divers considerations For Saint Paul makes her a Type of the Synagogue Gal. 4.25 and a Type of the Church Rom. 9.33 It may be objected here That the Church of Christ was not the Church
e. Nor shall a man though he be come to the verge of old age be carryed out of Jerusalem to the grave until he hath come to the extremity of old age that is neither shall a man dye in Jerusalem though he be old before he be exceeding old An old man Note that the old man here is opposed to an Infant and so signifieth not a very old man but one that may be called an old man in respect of an Inâ—ant or one that is on the verge onely of old age That hath not filled his days He calleth those a mans days which are requisite to the making up of a good old age and which a man might reach to by the course of Nature if no casualty did cut him off which ordinarily are an hundred years as the next words shew For the childe shall dye an hundred years old i. e. For the childe shall live an hundred years before he dyeth But the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed He prevents an Objection here For whereas God promiseth here the blessing of long life onely unto his servants and would have it taken as a peculiar blessing to them so that the sinners should have no part in it It might be objected That this is not such a peculiar and special blessing of the righteous or of his servants as he would make it to be for the sinners also fulfil their days and live an hundred years The Lord therefore prevents this Objection saying that though the sinner liveth till he be an hundred years old yet he shall be accursed and therefore accursed because in his life time the plagues of God shall fall upon him and in his death he shall be taken away with an unusual destruction See Job 21. v. 7 8 c. to vers 20. Note therefore that it is not onely a long life which the Lord here promiseth to his servants but a blessed long life a life which shall be accompanyed with length of joy and happiness And they shall build houses i. e. And my people shall build houses And inhabit them i. e. And shall live to inhabit them And eat the fruit thereof i. e. And shall live to eat the fruit thereof 22. For as the days of a tree are the days of my people i. e. For my people shall live as long as the tree which they shall plant so that they which plant the tree shall live to eat all the fruit thereof Are the days of my people i. e. The days of my people shall be A present is put here for a future tense Mine Elect See Vers 9. Mine Elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands i. e. Mine Elect shall live long that they may long inhabit the houses which they shall build 23. They shall not labor in vain i. e. They shall not build houses which they shall not enjoy nor plant Vineyards which they shall not eat for this would be labor in vain which was a curse which God threatened to the wicked Levit. 26.16 and Deut. 28.30 Nor bring forth for trouble i. e. Neither shall they bring forth children whose untimely death shall bring them sorrow and trouble of minde This is a short repetition of what he said in the three foregoing verses They are the seed of the blessed of the Lord i. e. They are the true children of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob whom the Lord blessed in themselves and in their seed as well as in themselves And their off-spring with them q. d. And so are their children as well as they wherefore they also shall live to build and to plant and to enjoy what they builded and planted 24. And it shall come to pass before they call I will answer i. e. And if any evil befall them I will take it away before they complain This is another blessing which the Lord promiseth his people after their return out of captivity 25. The Wolf and the Lamb shall feed together See cap. 11.6 The Lion shall eat straw like the Bullock See cap. 11.7 And dust shall be the Serpents meat i. e. And the Serpent shall live upon the dust onely so that he shall be contented with that and shall not fasten upon man to do him any harm nor yet upon any beast That Serpents live upon the dust see Gen. 3.14 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain See cap. 11.9 This Verse containeth another blessing which the Lord promiseth his people after their captivity which is this That they shall live peaceably and quietly in their Land without any fear of violence there shall be no robbers no man-slayers there ISAIAH CHAP. LXVI THus saith the Lord The Heaven is my throne and the Earth is my footstool where is the house that ye build for me This may be very well continued with the former Chapter For whereas the Lord found fault with the wicked and hypocritical part of the Jews which were in captivity for that they forsook him and forgot his holy mountain c. Cap. 65.11 and threatened them grievously in the former Chapter They were ready to clear themselves and to plead not guilty and to shew that they were faithful servants of the Lord and to say That whereas they did frequent the Temple and did offer their due sacrifices while the Temple stood and they were suffered to live in the Land of Judah So if ever they should come into that Land again they would build up the Temple which the Babylonians had destroyed and would offer sacrifices to the Lord as they were wont to do The Lord therefore in the beginning of this Capter takes away these vain arguments of theirs and shews that to build him a Temple was not such an acceptable piece of service as they deemed nor would he take pleasure in their sacrifices being they were such men as they were that is Idolatrous and wicked men The Heaven is my throne The Heaven is my Chair of state whereon I sit And the Earth is my footstool i. e. And the Earth is my stool on which I rest my feet When he saith The Heaven is my throne and the Earth is my footstool he alludeth to the manner of earthly Kings who as they had glorious thrones to sit on so had they their footstools though not so glorious to rest their feet upon And the Lord is here compared to a man of an immense greatness for he must needs be of an immense greatness who is so big as to sit upon the Heavens as his seat and to rest his feet upon the Earth as his footstool for so his upper parts must be higher by much then the highest Heavens Where is the house that ye build unto me i. e. Where then shall that house be which ye say you will build for me for Heaven and Earth are not able to contain an house big enough to contain me Here is a present tense twice put for a future This people which said that