not esteem to be a Sanctifying of the Sabbath day And to the same purpose is that which followeth If thou turn away thy Foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day that is that which pleaseth thine own corrupt will and call the Sabbath a delight that is your great delight as delighting in the Communion you then enjoy with God in his Ordinances the Holy of the Lord and Honourable to wit as being Consecrated wholly to the service of God and shalt honour him to wit by denying to please themselves that they might obey Gods Command and enjoy Communion with him not doing thine own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words to wit such as are pleasing to corrupt Nature But see the Note also Chap. 56.2 Ver. 14. Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord c. To wit in his love and favour it is clearly spoken with reference to the foregoing Verse as if he had said If thou delight in the Sanctifying Gods Sabbath and to that end dost with-hold thy self from thy Carnal delights thou shalt have far better delights than those thou shalt delight thy self in the Lord see the Notes Job 22.26 and Psal 37.4 And I will cause thee to ride upon the High places of the Earth that is say some to dwell in places of security and safety see the Note Chap 33.16 Or the meaning may be only that God would bring them again into the Land of Judea which was a Mountainous Country far higher than the Neighbouring Countries were But see the Note also Deut. 32.13 And feed thee with the Heritage of Jacob thy Father that is with the good things of the Land of Canaan which God had promised to Jacob and his Posterity CHAP. LIX VERSE 1. BEhold c. This seems still to be in answer to that in the foregoing Chap. ver 3. Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not c. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save see the Note Chap. 50.2 neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear that is he is not thick of hearing through old Age or otherwise for this expression of heavy ears see the Note Chap. 6.10 Ver. 3. For your hands are defiled with Blood and your fingers with Iniquity c. See the Note Chap. 11.15 your lips have spoken lies your tongue hath uttered perverseness whereby may be meant whatever was spoken by them wickedly to the hurt of their Neighbours as by slandering cozening false accusing them bearing false Witness or swearing falsely against them c. It is as if he had said And what likelihood is there that the Holy God should regard the stretching forth of such hands or the words that are uttered by such Lips Ver. 4. None calleth for Justice nor any pleadeth for Truth c. See the Note Chap. 56.10 The meaning is that there were scarce any Judges or others that would zealously and freely speak for the Truth and for the just cause As namely by reproving those that dealt unjustly and advising them to deal more justly or by undertaking to plead for those that were injured or oppressed all Men were willing to wink at the injuries and oppressions of their Brethren and never offered to do any thing for their defence and relief they trust in Vanity that is they trust in those things that can do them no good but will utterly deceive them some understand it of their fraudulent dealing with their Brethren others of the vain hopes wherewith they encouraged themselves in their wicked ways and others otherwise but see the Notes Chap. 28.15 and 48.9 and Job 15.31 and speak lies to wit say some in a way of boasting But by lies the same is meant that was before called Vanity they conceive mischief and bring forth Iniquity see the Notes Psal 7.14 and Job 15.35 Ver. 5. They hatch Cockatrice or Adders Eggs c. That is say some the plots they contrive against others prove many times mischievous to themselves But rather the meaning is that those poysonous and pernicious plots which they have designed against others are at last brought to effect For still the Prophet proceeds to set forth the horrid wickedness that was amongst them which had made a separation betwixt God and them And so for that which follows and weave the Spiders web though some understand them either 1. Of the vanity of their Will-Worships or Hypocritical Works their Fasting and Prayers c. that though they have a shew of much Zeal and Holiness yet they shall not secure them from Gods Wrath nor be any way any advantage to them Or 2. Of the vanity of their mischievous plots against others that whatever great advantage they might promise to themselves by their Plots and Projects for the oppression of others yet they should prove ineffectual and unuseful in this regard like so many Cobwebs that are presently swept away for which see the Note Job 8.14 But rather this still tends to set forth their wickedness in that as the Spider is still making her Webs to catch and destroy the poor Flies so they were continually with much labour contriving with many artificial plots for the intangling and ruining of others he that eateth of their Eggs dieth that is say some he that joins with them in their wicked Counsels and Designs shall be destroyed thereby or rather he that hath any commerce with them his very life will be endangered thereby As for the last words and that which is crushed breaketh forth into a Viper they may be read as in the Margin that which is sprinkled is as if there brake out a Viper and then it is as if he had said that not only the eating of their Cockatrice Eggs but even a Mans being sprinkled with the bloody drops of their Eggs when they are broken is likely to be mortal to him but now reading it as it is in our Bibles and that which is crushed breaketh forth into a Viper the meaning is either that if a Man did but go about to search into their Plots and Counsels or at least to discover them and crush them they would be ready like Vipers upon such a Man Or rather that if men were any way drawn in to have any dealing with such Men they would be their bane as if a man should open a Vipers Egg thinking it to be the Egg of some Fowl that useth to be eaten and a Viper should fly in his Face or as if a Man should casually tread upon such an Egg and the Serpent in it should fasten upon him So that however the words are translated the meaning seems to be plainly this That with such men there is no safe dealing any way Ver. 6. Their Webs shall not become Garments neither shall they cover themselves with their works c. How these words may be understood according to the Exposition which some give of the foregoing Verse see in the Note there But doubtless the
another that is to purchase several houses and several fields That which the Prophet condemns is their insatiable covetousness that they never had enough but were still seeking to enlarge their possessions not caring how unjustly they did it by fraud or violence wresting other mens possessions from them And because by the Law of God it was unlawful for the Jews to alienate their lands from one Tribe to another see Levit. 25.23 Numb 36.7 it may well be that this encroaching upon other mens possessions is here amongst others intended see the Note 1 King 21.3 Till there be no place that is say some Expositors till there be no place left which they have not gotten into their possession or rather till there be no place left for their poor neighbours to dwell near them as if the land had been given only for them to dwell in which is implied in those last words That they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth Ver. 9. In mine ears said the Lord of hosts c. That is the Lord spake this which I shall now tell you in my hearing which agreeth with that expression of our Saviours Luk. 4.21 This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears or The Lord revealed it secretly to me by the inspiration of his Spirit Yet many translate it as it is in the Margent of our Bibles This is in mine ears saith the Lord of hosts and then the meaning must needs be that the cry of their oppressions in joining house to house c. as he had said in the foregoing verse or the cry of those that were oppressed by them was gone up into the ears of the Lord though they thought he regarded it not And it may well be that from hence the Apostle James borrowed that expression of his Chap. 5.4 Behold the hire of your labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud crieth and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath that is the Lord of hosts See also the Note Ezra 9.6 Of a truth many houses shall be desolate even great and fair without inhabitant to wit because their owners should be slain or carried into captivity which was fully accomplished at the Chaldeans taking of Jerusalem when after a great slaughter amongst all sorts of people the Princes Nobles and rich men were carried captive into Babylon and so no body was left to dwell in their stately houses And this is mentioned as a punishment proportioned to their sin in joining house to house as was before said All the benefit they should reap by the multiplying and enlarging their houses in such a way was that they should be taken away from the enjoying of them and their houses should be left desolate and without an inhabitant It is expressed in the Hebrew with a conditional particle If many houses shall not be desolate c. But this is an Emphatical form of swearing usual in the Scriptures wherein somewhat is left to be understood by those that hear it which is not expressed It is as if the Lord had said If this comes not to pass as I have said let not me be owned for the true God or let me not be deemed a just God a God of truth c. And therefore it is well rendered in our Translation Of a truth many houses shall be desolate c. Ver. 10. Yea ten acres of Vineyard shall yield one bath c. Which was about eight gallons see the Note 1 King 7.26 so that an acre of ground planted with vines should not yield to the owner one whole gallon of wine And the seed of an homer which was much about our bushel shall yield an ephah and that was Ezek. 45.11 the tenth part of an homer and therefore consequently the meaning must needs be that their land should not yield them above the tenth part of the seed that was sown in it Indeed Exod. 16.36 it is said expresly that an homer is the tenth part of an ephah But therefore I conceive the Omer and the Homer were two different measures as indeed they are differently also written in the Hebrew The Omer was a smaller measure the tenth part of an Ephah but the Homer was a far greater measure the same with the Bath Ezek. 45.11 containing ten Ephahs and therefore it was a very heavy curse of God upon their land when they should reap but one Ephah where they had sown an Homer which was ten Ephahs As in the foregoing verse the desolation of their houses was allotted as the punishment of their joining house to house so here the barrenness of their land is threatned as a just and fit reward of their laying field to field yet it may be also added as the cause why their houses should be left desolate And besides this is inferred fitly upon the foregoing Parable Because God had lost his cost and labour bestowed upon them that were his Vineyard therefore they should lose the cost and labour they bestowed upon their lands and Vineyards Ver. 11. Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning to follow strong drink c. To wit as pursuing it with all eagerness being never well till they be at it see the Note Eccles 10.16 That continue until night which is in the Original until twilight and so the meaning may be that they sate at it either from morning to evening or from morning to morning till wine inflame them to wit with unnatural heat and so instead of quenching increaseth their thirst and so they many times fall into burning fevers and are as it were set on fire with anger and fury and inflamed with burning lusts See Prov. 23 29-33 Ver. 12. And the harp and the viol the tabret and pipe and wine are in their feasts c. That is they give up themselves wholly to these carnal delights not minding the Lord nor their duty to him The things here named were not mentioned as evil in themselves but it is their excess herein and their abuse of them that is here condemned And therefore it follows but they regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the operation of his hands that is his judgments to wit either those which God had already brought upon their land for it is most probable that this was spoken when in the days of Ahaz the Syrians Pekah and the Philistims had made great havock in Judea yea when the Ten Tribes were already carried away captives into Assyria And we see the Prophet Amos condemns the same jollity upon this very ground of their not laying to heart the sad calamities that were befallen the Ten Tribes But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph Amos 6.6 Or else those which did at this time hang over their heads which God had threatned by his Prophets and to which he had already begun to make way which seems most probable because
and their Redemption by Christ signified thereby and more especially that above Ver. 7. concerning his pardoning penitent Sinners it shall not return unto me void c. that is without effecting what I have said shall be Ver. 12. For ye shall go out with joy c. This is mentioned as the word of promise of which he had said in the foregoing Verse that it should not return void but should surely be accomplished for which see the Notes Chap. 52.11 and ye shall be led forth with peace that is ye shall be led along from Babylon to Judea peaceably and quietly See the Notes Chap. 52.11 under which also may be intended mystically that inward Peace which Christians should enjoy in their passage to Heaven And there seems also to be an allusion in the words to the leading of the Israelites by a Pillar of Cloud as they went through the Wilderness to Canaan The Mountains and the Hills shall break forth before you into singing and all the Trees of the Fields shall clap their Hands that is they shall rejoyce at your joy and welfare See the Notes Chap. 35.1 and 44.23 and 49. Yet there may be an Allusion also in the words to the Mountains ringing with and ecchoing back the joyful shouting and singing of Gods People and to the pleasant noise made in the Arms the Branches and Twigs of the Trees by the sweet gales of Wind which God should send for the refreshing of his People as they went along Ver. 13. Instead of the Thorn shall come up the Firr-Tree and instead of the Briar shall come up the Myrtle-Tree c. Some understand this of Gods making the way of the Jews in their return homeward from Babylon convenient and comfortable and that they should meet with nothing that should be any an annoyance or hindrance to them even as they should go through those vast barren Desarts that lay in their way And so they make this parallel with that Chap. 41.19 for which see the Note there But then others again understand it and I think better of the mighty change that should be in the Land of Judea at their return thither Having say they assured the Jews that their return should be safe and peaceable and comfortable here the Prophet adds That though their Land had so many years in their absence lain desolate over-grown with Briars and Thorns for want of People to till the Ground yet at their return home it should be exceeding fruitful abounding with all useful and pleasant Trees and Plants and that the Face of their Country and State should be every way changed for the better But for this and how it may be also understood spiritually of the great change that should be wrought amongst Christs redeemed ones in the days of the Gospel whereof their return out of Babylon was a type See the Notes Chap. 4.2 and 35.1 2. and 49.11 and it shall be to the Lord for a name that is this deliverance and restitution of his Church and People and this glorious change that shall be wrought amongst them shall bring much Glory to God for an everlasting Sign that shall not be cut off that is it shall be an Everlasting monument of his glorious Power and Goodness to his People by means whereof the Lord shall be for ever praised and his People shall be confirmed in their confidence that God will never forsake them CHAP. LVI VERSE 1. THVS saith the Lord keep ye Judgment and do Justice c. That is Do you all Judges and others that which is exactly just and right The exhortation to repentance begun in the former Chapter Ver. 6 7. is farther here pressed For my Salvation is near to come and my righteousness to be revealed See the Notes Chap. 46.13 and 51.51 It is the same in effect with that which the Baptist Preached Math. 3.2 and Christ also Mark 1.15 The Kingdom of God is at Hand repent ye and believe the Gospel Ver. 2. Blessed is the Man that doth this c. That is That keepeth Judgment and doth Justice as was said in the foregoing Verse See the Note Psal 106.3 and the Son of Man that layeth hold on it that is that doth zealously and constantly keep close to the doing of this that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it that is that is careful to worship God as he hath appointed them for the sanctifying of the Sabbath is here put for the exercising of all the Duties of Religion and Piety and that haply the rather because this they might observe in their Captivity in Babylon whereas many other parts of Gods Worship were only to be performed in the Temple at Jerusalem and keepeth his hand from doing any evil to wit to his Neighbour Ver. 3. Neither let the Son of the Stranger that hath joined himself to the Lord c. That is Let not any Gentile that by Faith in Christ hath joyned himself to my Church and People Speak saying The Lord hath utterly separated me from his People to wit because I am as an Alien and a Stranger and not of the Stock of the Jews neither let the Eunuch say Behold I am a dry Tree that is like a dry Tree barren and without possibility of Issue Because by that Law Deut. 23.1 c. for which see the Notes there an Eunuch and Proselytes that came in from other Nations and joyned themselves to the Church of the Jews were debarred from being admitted into full communion with the Common-wealth and Church of Israel left therefore the Eunuchs or Heathens should think that surely they should not have any share in the Priviledges here promised but only those that were born of Israel and had not any such Note of Infamy upon them and indeed we see how exceedingly even the believing Jews stumbled at the taking in of the Gentiles into the Church of Christ Act. 10.45 and 11.2 3. therefore the Lord doth here assure them that in the days of the Gospel of which he had spoken there should be no such distinction betwixt Jew and Gentile betwixt Person and Person but that those that seemed most vile and contemptible if they came into Christ should be admitted to the same Priviledges with the rest of his People Ver. 4. For thus saith the Lord unto the Eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths c. See the Note above ver 2. and chuse the things that please me that is that upon Judgment rightly informed do sincerely set themselves to do those things that I have commanded them for both Will-worships and Hypocrisie are hereby excluded and take hold of my Covenant that is that do imbrace the mercy tendered to them in my Covenant of Grace and carefully observe to do those things that by their Covenant with me they are bound to do and so adorn their profession of Christianity with a holy Conversation Ver. 5. Even unto them will I give in my House and within my Walls c. To wit within the Walls of my
righteousness shall go before thee that is thou shalt plainly see the reward of thy Righteousness thy Righteousness shall direct and prosper thee in all thy ways that is it shall procure for thee that the Lord shall direct thee and teach thee what to do and shall prosper and bless thee in all things whatsoever he shall bring all things into a just and righteous order so that by all things that befall thee it shall appear that thou art a just and righteous Person the Glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward that is say some after a Life spent Righteously here thou shalt at last be brought to Heavenly Glory but rather the meaning is either that the Glorious God or the Glorious power and providence of God should gather them up if they were scattered abroad and protect them as a Shepherd doth his Flock or else that by the constant Love and Favour of God to them they would be Glorious and Renowned whereas formerly for the Judgments of God upon them they had been infamous Ver. 9. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say Here I am c. As if he had said Then therefore thou shalt no more complain as before ver 3 that I hear thee not when thou fastest and prayest if thou take from the midst of thee to wit that no such shall be found amongst you the yâ—ke that is every heavy pressure imposed upon your Brethren whether by fraud or violence see the Note before ver 6. the putting forth of the Finger that is either 1. Pointing the Finger at Men whom they are at that time reviling and slandering or by way of scorning and deriding the Prophets and other the Holy Servants of God or 2. Laying their Hands upon Mens Persons by way of striking them the fist of wickedness before mentioned ver 4. or their Estates by way of any unjust seizure or 3. Putting off and putting by with a Finger stretched out and turned aside in a way of denial to those that sue to them for Mercy forbearing them or mitigating any of their hard proceedings against them or 4. Which seems most probable the reaching forth the Hand or lifting up the Finger by way of Threatning Men as if he had said If you do forbear not only all acts of Violence and threatning language but all expressions and gestures tending thereto and speaking Vanity that is say some lying or flattering or any kind of wicked or vain speaking or rather considering the context in this place any thing that was like to be grievous and hurtful to their Brethren Ver. 10. And if thou draw out thy Soul to the Hungry c. That is if thou dost relieve them freely willingly and chearfully with much fervent affection and tender Bowels of Compassion and satisfie the afflicted Soul that is if thou relieve the Poor Man not sparingly but bountifully to the full supply of his wants and so that his Soul may be refreshed thereby then shall thy Light rise in Obscurity see the Note above ver 8. and that also Psal 112.4 And thy Darkness shall be as Noon-day that is and thine afflicted estate shall be turned into very great prosperity see the Notes Psal 37.6 and Job 11.17 Ver. 11. And the Lord shall guide thee continually c. That is assist and direct and prosper thee in all thy ways see the Note above ver 8. and satisfie thy Soul in drought see the Notes Psal 103.5 Prov. 11.25 and Psal 37.19 It is spoken here with reference to what was said in the foregoing Verse that if they would satisfie the afflicted God would satisfie them and make fat thy Bones that is he will make thee healthful and strong the expression here used hath respect either to the Bones being full of Marrow where persons are healthful Job 21.24 Or to the store of Fat that will be upon the Bones that are well Fatted And thou shalt be like a Watered Garden and like a Spring of Water whose Waters fail not that is like a Garden watered with an ever-flowing Fountain or like a Garden and an ever-flowing Spring and the meaning is that God would abundantly bless them that he would bring them into and continue them in a very plentiful and comfortable Estate so that they should be a delight and refreshing to many see the Note Numb 24.6 Ver. 12. And they that shall be of thee c. As if he had said even of thy Posterity how low soever you may be brought there shall some arise that shall build the old waste places that is the Ruines of Jerusalem and other the Cities of Judea that had lain long waste and desolate Thou shalt raise up the Foundations of many Generations that is thou shalt rear up those Cities where nothing was left but the very Foundations that had lain waste and desolate for many Generations or thou shalt raise up those Buildings that shall last for many Generations and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the Breach to wit the many Breaches in their Walls see the Note Chap. 48.8 the restorer of Paths to dwell in to wit say some in that they made those ruines which the Enemy had made by beating their Houses down to the very Foundation and over which they used to pass to and fro at their pleasure to be Places wherein they might again inhabit or rather in that by reedifying their Cities it came to pass that the paths to those Cities were frequented again by Travellers that had long lain over-grown and untrodden But now many there are that would have all this understood mystically also of the Building of the Church of Christ by those that were first sent forth to Preach the Gospel all the World over whereby the breach was made up betwixt the Jews and Gentiles Ver. 13. If thou turn away thy Foot from the Sabbath c. That is if thou avoid the doing of those things on the Sabbath day wherewith the Sabbath must needs be polluted to wit 1. The doing of those things which though they might lawfully be done on other days yet were forbidden on that day as Travelling which some think the Phrase here used of turning away the Foot doth especially intend or doing any servile Work and following any Worldly imployment And 2. All their sinful ways and courses And indeed this last I conceive is here principally intended for as his aim before was to shew them that their outward fasting was not enough unless they did also Mourn for and abandon their sinful courses so here likewise it seems his drift is to shew them that it was not enough for them to forbear their ordinary Worldly Imployments on the Sabbath day if they did in the mean time prophane them with their wicked and sinful waies if they should be never so strict not to go a Journey nor dress Meat on the Sabbath day and yet at the same time oppress the Poor this the Lord would
being content to hazard his own life to serve the necessities of his peoples souls often visiting persons infected with that sad disease in which good and holy work the Lord did wonderfully preserve him from all infection when thousands fell on either hand of him I remember to have heard him relate how a Countrey Minister being to preach for him desired he might sit where he might not be near any that were or had been infected To whom he answered Alas Sir I wonder you will come to the City if you be so fearful of the Sickness for you cannot walk the streets nor come into any company but you meet those who are or have been infected And the next tidings he heard of him was his death of the plague He preached constantly twice on the Lords day and likewise catechised the children before Sermon and repeated the Sermon in his Family to which many of his hearers did resort and in Lent always spent some hours in the Church two days every week in examining and instructing the men and maid-servants and others to fit and prepare them for the Lords Supper the benefit of which I know some yet alive that use to mention with thankfulness to God and him and indeed in Catechising he had such a particular faculty that he did not only profit but please so that some who at first came with great unwillingness were so affected with his serious loving and familiar way that afterwards they were eagerly desirous to go and some have declared they never went any whither with more pleasure than to him on that account He likewise Preached every Holy-day for many years being desirous to help Servants and others to improve that Liberty which they then had for the best and highect purposes in which courses the Lord was pleased to give him many Seals to his Ministry by the conversion of many from their sin and folly unto the Lord to whom he was a true spiritual Father Not long after his coming to London thâ— Company of Cloth-workers of which Society his Father and Vncle were Members and Governours chose him for their Minister before whom he preached every Quarter-day at the Chappel commonly called Lambs Chappel where was a turn-up Table used sometimes for the Communion and at other times for the Master to sit in when the Governours had occasion to meet for ordering the affairs of the Chappel and Alms-people this was made known to Bishop Laud then of London who sent for Mr. Jackson and declared his great dislike of it but understanding from him that he had no power to order any thing there nor other concern than to preach and pray at the desire of the Company he was satisfied but in discourse concerning the Table said I know not what you young Divines think but for my part I know no other place of residence that God hath on earth but the High Altar He did not I suppose then think of the good mans heart where not only the Scripture but the best of the Heathen Theology assures us God most truly dwells as also the Homily which tells us The chief and special Temples of God wherein he hath greatest pleasure and most delighteth to dwell and continue in Hom. of right use of the Church are the bodies and minds of true Christians and the chosen people of God Though he never read but was fully resolved against reading the Book for Sports on the Lords Day yet Gods Providence preserved him from being disturbed about it It was told him That some complaining of him to the A. B. L. he made answer Mr. Jackson is a quiet and peaceable man and therefore I will not have him medled with or words to that effect The same Eulogy he hath since had from another in the same Place Spoken to Dr. V. H. viz. A. B. Sh. notwithstanding the known difference in his judgment concerning Church-Government and Ceremonies He continued in the Rectory of Michaels Woodstreet many years notwithstanding the maintenance was so small that he hath been heard to declare That he could evidence that he had spent 2000 l. of his own Estate since he came among them Then he was chose to Wapping and proffered Sixscore pound a year and an house but his old Neighbours prevailed with him to stay with them upon their promising 100 l. a year but in two years time they fell short so far that his Friends that most desired his stay were forc'd to persuade him to accept of any other Offer which being known he was soon after called to be their Pastor by the Inhabitants of Faiths under Pauls where he continued preaching twice every Lords day except when about seventeen weeks in the Fleet for refusing to swear before that which was then called An High Court of Justice till Aug. 44. 1662. Vpon his Majesties Return he was chosen by the Ministers of London to present the Bible to Him in his first passage through the City which he performed with a short gratulatory speech to which his Majesty made that pious and gracious Answer taking the Bible into his hands This is the Book which I shall make the Rule of my Government and the Rule of my Life In both places of his fixed Ministry he had a great and special care of young persons using not only common and publick but private and peculiar means of engaging their Souls to and strengthning and truly confirming them in real holiness goodness and religion and therefore did perswade and prevail with several of the most serious and considering young men both married and unmarried to meet weekly together and by prayer and holy conference to stir up and provoke one another to a good and holy life he himself often meeting with them and praying with and for them advising them how to manage the work for their Souls best advantage and cautioning them against those spiritual evils which are apt to invade and creep into the most holy performances And that their discourses might be the more useful he advised them at one meeting to propound a question of which at the next each of them gave such account as they were enabled to do the benefit of which many of them have often and still do with great affection and thankfulness remember and mention And indeed I find the Learned and Worthy Dr. Simon Patrick at the close of his Sermon at the Funeral of his indeared Friend Mr. Samuel Jacombe taking notice of this course as a singular remark of Mr. Jacomb's early piety and a good means of promoting Religion in the Souls of young persons and I doubt not bat he spake his own experience when he saith of it The benefit of which some can to this day remember which beneficial thing I hope he doth still continue to promote in those great advantages and opportunities which his present circumstances put into his hands After Mr. Jackson was discharged from publick Service he retired into the Country first to Hadly near Barnet
Creatures might well stand amazed to hear it were they capable of hearing it according to that of the Prophet Jer. 2.12 Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid c. I have nourished and brought up Children c. As under this is comprehended all that God had done for the Israelites from the time that they first became a People in Egypt unto the time that they were at last raised up to be a Kingdom and Nation of great Note and Renown so the following words And they have Rebelled against me must be understood not only of their fore-passed Rebellions but also of their present persisting still therein Ver. 3. The Ox knoweth his owner and the ass his masters crib c. That is though these be in a manner the dullest and most stupid of all bruit beasts yet they will after their kind own and acknowledg their master that breeds them up and feeds them and makes much of them they will at times follow after him submit to him and be readily obsequious to him in any service he puts them to But Israel doth not know my people doth not consider as if he should have said They that call themselves Gods Israel and whom I have indeed taken to be my peculiar people are more bruitish than these bruit beasts are they will not own me nor submit themselves to me to serve me and to be guided by me their Lord and master that have done every way as much or more for them in feeding them and bringing them up according to that Hos 11.4 I was to them as they that take off the yoke and I laid meat unto them Nay they will not so much as consider what I have done for them that hereby they might be brought to own and serve me And thus the Lord makes oxen and asses both the teachers and judges of his people Ver. 4. Ah sinful Nation c. This particle Ah seems here added by way of representing the general Apostacy and wickedness of his people as a thing 1. he admired and 2. bewailed and 3. detested and abhorred and 4. for which he was highly offended with them Ah sinful Nation a people laden with iniquity to wit in regard of the multitude and the greatness and heinousness of their sins a feed of evil dâ—ers that is a race of wicked wretches as the Baptist termed the Pharisees and Sadduces Mat. 3.7 a generation of vipers And so inseems to imply that they trod in the steps of their wicked Progenitors that by nature and descent they were corrupt and so were likely to transmit their wickedness to their Posterity Children that are corrupters that is that are degenerated from the piety of their holy Predecessors and are become a sinful corrupt people such as did daily corrupt themselves and grow worse and worse see the Note Deut. 32.7 or that did corrupt their ways and doings according to those expressions Gen. 6.12 All flesh had corrupted his way And Zeph. 3.7 They rose early and corrupted all their doings and so likewise were instrumental in corrupting others But however observable it is that by these names of repâ—oach which the Lord here gives them he doth covertly upbraid them for their vanity in assuming such glorious titles to themselves as they usually did Instead of a holy people he calls them a sinful Nation instead of the seed of Abraham he terms them a seed of evil doers and instead of the children of God he names them children that are transgressors They have forsaken the Lord c. To wit by a general disregard of his commands by serving other Gods and by an open renouncing of the true Religion They have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger that is they have done exceeding wickedly as if they purposely intended to provoke God to anger the Holy One of Israel a title which Isaiah frequently gives to the Lord that God who is infinitely holy and that had manifested himself to be such to the Israelites by his anger against them for their sins and many other ways thereby making known that he expected that they whom he had chosen to be his peculiar people should be in that regard a holy people They are gone away backward that is they have absolutely turned away from the Lord like stubborn children or servants that disliking the commands of their Parents or Masters turn their backs in disdain upon them and fling way or like resty Jades who the more they are driven forward the more they go backward Ver. 5. Why should ye be stricken any more c. Here the Prophet proceeds to shew that as Gods mercies had wrought no good upon them so neither his judgments he found them an incorrigible people for he had gone so far this way by several judgments he had brought upon them and all to no purpose that he might well say of them that it was in vain to smite them any more Ye will revolt more and more that is instead of being amended by farther punishments ye will grow worse and worse as it is indeed particularly noted of Ahaz in whose days Isaiah Prophesied 2 Chron. 28.22 That in the time of his distress he did trespass yet more against the Lord. The whole head is sick c. That is say many Expositors both the King and his Princes and subordinate Magistrates or the whole Civil and Ecclesiastical power that are as the head for caring for and governing the whole body are exceedingly weakned and distempered in a very sad and dangerous condition And the whole heart is faint the Priests and Teachers of the people or all the strong and valiant men of the land are in a languishing and dying condition And many there are that understand hereby the universal and excessive wickedness and prophaneness that was in the land especially in those that were as the head and heart of the state that where the greatest strength should be there was nothing but weakness But methinks it is very clear that this is spoken with respect to the many dreadful plagues and punishments that God had brought upon them thereby to make good what he had said that it would be to no purpose to smite them any more which may seem the more probable too because the mention that is made in the next verse of wounds and bruises doth best suit with this Exposition and because that which follows Vers 7. Your Country is desolate c. seems to be added by way of explaining this Metaphor And accordingly I conceive that comparing the people of Israel here to the body of a man that is all over dangerously beaten and bruised because the head and the heart are principal and vital parts upon which the health of the whole body doth chiefly depend therefore they are particularly mentioned here Yet some expound it thus The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint that is every head in the whole Commonwealth is weak and sick and every
to wit by the enemies that had invaded it And this he expresseth so as might best set forth the horrid wickedness of the Jews namely that except the Lord of his own free grace had determined to preserve a small remnant they had been all utterly cut off and destroyed as it was in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah where all were consumed and not one left therein The enemies had destroyed such multitudes of the people that there was but a very small remnant of them preserved and it was meerly of Gods free grace and mercy that they were spared not because the enemy were moved out of pity to spare them or that the people had any power to prevent a total destruction of them or had deserved that God should preserve them Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant we should have been as Sodom and we should have been like unto Gomorrah which is much the same with that of Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not And now because this which the Prophet speaks of his times may be truly said of the Church at all times with respect to their provocations and Gods free grace therefore the Apostle Rom. 9.29 applys this to Gods free grace in calling a few of the Jews to believe in Christ whilst the generality of that Nation did despise him and as Isaias said before Except the Lord of Sabbath had left us a seed we had been as Sodom and been made like unto Gomorrah Only observable it is that what the Prophet here calls a very small remnant the Apostle following therein the Translation of the Septuagint terms a seed which doth more plainly imply the reason why God did not now destroy the whole Nation of the Jews nor afterwards suffer them all to reject Christ namely because God would with respect to his own glory reserve a seed for future times that he might still have a Church upon earth to serve him even as the Husbandman though he eats and sells the greatest part of his crop yet still reserves a remnant for seed to sow his land for another harvest Ver. 10. Hear the word of the Lord ye rulers of Sodom and give ear unto the Law of our God ye people of Gomorrah That is that which I am now from God to make known to you see the Note Psal 78.1 And because the Jews might think themselves blameless in regard that they did so zealously give to God that Ceremonial Worship enjoyned there in his Law therefore he terms that which he had to say to them the Lâ—w of our God thereby implying that it was fully consonant to the Law and that their formal Worship wherein they trusted was far from the obedience which the Law of God required of them As for those tart expressions in terming their Princes Princes of Sodom amongst whom even their King might be comprehended if this were spoken in the days of Ahaz and the People People of Gomorrah that was occasioned by what the Prophet had said in the foregoing Verse Lest they should be offended with him for comparing them with Sodom and Gomorrha by saying that they were in danger to have been utterly destroyed as Sodom and Gomorrha were had not God of his mercy spared them and that because they were the seed of Abraham and did daily worship God in his Temple according to what was enjoyned them in his Law therefore by calling them in plain terms Princes of Sodom and people of Gomorrah he gives them to understand that for all this being every way as vile and wicked as they were they were fully as hateful to God and as like to be utterly destroyed as the other were How harshly this sounded in their ears that thought so highly of themselves we may easily conceive The Jews commonly say that this was one main thing objected against the Prophet when the Princes and People put him to death Ver. 11. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me saith the Lord c. As if he should have said Be they never so many yet being offered by such as you are they are no way pleasing to me nor can be therefore any way profitable to you but all that you do therein is lost labour and to no purpose at all Because they were not offered with faith and repentance as God required he did not own them as the service that he required and to imply this it may well be that he calls them their sacrifices not his To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices See the Note also Psal 40.6 I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts that is I am cloyed with them they are loathsome to me and he particularly mentions the fat and in the following clause the blood And I delight not in the blood of bullocks or of lambs or of he-goats because in all sacrifices the fat and the blood were particularly set a-part for God Ver. 12. When ye come to appear before me c. Though this be the ordinary phrase whereby the Scripture is wont to express mens resorting to the Temple the place of Gods special presence yet it may be here used to hint unto them their base hypocrisie that they came only thither to be seen there that they did only in a formal manner appear before God and that was all Who hath required this at your hand that is at the hand of such vile wicked wretches as you are To tread my Courts implying that whilst they had no farther aim than meerly to come into that holy place this was an act of prophane contempt rather than devotion they fouled and wore away the pavements of his Courts with treading on them and that was all the good they did by coming thither And by Gods Courts here are meant the two Courts without the Temple the one was for the Priests and the other for the people See the Notes 2 Kings 21.5 Psal 84. 135.2 So that the Priests are charged with this profaneness as well as the people Ver. 13. Bring no more vain oblations c. By Oblations here are meant their meat-offerings which were sometimes offered alone and sometimes as additionals to their sacrifices See the Note Lev. 2.1 but being not offered with a right end nor by persons qualified as God required they were in vain and to no purpose Incense is an abomination unto me as if he should have said As sweet a savour as it yields I abhor it the new Moons and Sabbaths the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with to wit those assemblies of the people which were for the keeping of those holy days which God had appointed for his worship and service such as were the yearly feasts of the Passover Pentecost and Tabernacles and others and likewise those which themselves appointed upon special occasions as for the keeping of publick fasts and such like
be thus taken Either 1. That they should be delivered by the Judgments which God would execute upon their Enemies to wit the Babylonians and others Or 2. That they should be delivered in such a manner as became a just and righteous God to wit in that having punished or destroyed the wicked that were amongst them by the Judgments he had brought upon them he should withal take care of performing that promise which he had made to his Church and People reserving a remnant from the common destruction and so tempering his Judgments with Mercy that they should purge and refine his Church and not ruin her they should cut off the wicked from amongst them and they that were reserved should be only refined and reformed thereby And the like may be said of the last clause and her Converts with Righteousness the meaning being only this that they should be Redeemed by the faithfulness of God in performing his promises see the Note Psal 51.4 because it might be doubted how so great a work should be effected as was before mentioned therefore it is here said that it should be brought about by the power of God who judgeth righteously and who is faithful to perform all his promises made to his people Ver. 28. And the destruction of the Transgressors and of the Sinners shall be together c. That is They shall none of them escape but shall all be destroyed even the mightiest of them that thought themselves in the surest condition as well as the meanest Yet some by Transgressors do understand more particularly such as were openly prophane and by Sinners such as made more shew of Religion and yet sheltered themselves in some sinful lewd ways and so understand this threatning thus that both these should be destroyed the one as well as the other And they that forsake the Lord that is that abandon the true Religion and follow after the Gods of the Heathens shall be consumed that is utterly destroyed and cut off from his people Ver. 29. For they shall be ashamed of the Oaks which ye have desired c. That is which ye have so eagerly affected and esteemed as certainly doting on that way of your Idol-worship And ye shall be confounded for the Gardens which ye have chosen that is of your own heads without any command from God yea without his consent or approbation Now by the Oaks are meant the Groves which they did set apart for the Worship of their Idol-gods concerning which see the Note Gen. 21.33 and Deut. 16.21 And so likewise the same is meant by the Gardens to wit Gardens which they dedicated to their false gods of which there is frequent mention as in Chap. 65.3 and 66.17 where it is said that they sacrificed in Gardens and that they sanctified themselves and purified themselves in Gardens And of both these it is said they should be ashamed and confounded because they should find that these Idol-gods whom they had there worshipped and in whom they had put such confidence were no way able to help them but that God was by that their Idol-worship provoked to destroy them see also the Note Psal 97.7 Ver. 30. For ye shall be as an Oak whose leaf fadeth and as a Garden that hath no Water As if he should have said ye shall be as one of those Oaks and Gardens wherein you did so exceedingly please your selves with your Idol-service but not as when they were green and flourishing which made you take such delight in them but as when they are withered and bereaved of all their Bravery and Beauty And this is all you shall get by your Idolatrous Devices you have provoked me to wrath with your goodly Oaks and Gardens and you shall be as a withered Oak and parched Garden to wit in that you shall be stripped of all your Wealth and glory and thereby shall be as an Oak whose leaf fadeth and in that God shall withhold his blessing from you and by means hereof ye shall be as a Garden that having no water must needs be withered Ver. 31. And the Strong shall be as Tow and the Maker of it is a Spark c. That is your Idols on whom you relyed as the great strength of the Land shall be suddenly destroyed even as tow that is in a moment set on fire with the least spark and then is therewith presently consumed and the Workmen that made them or the owners of them that caused them to be made shall be as a spark to set the Tow on fire to wit by kindling Gods wrath against them whereby they shall be consumed But if we read the second clause as it is in the Margin of our Bibles And the Strong shall be as Tow and his work as a Spark then the meaning may be that the strong and mighty ones amongst them even those that were of greatest power and eminency should be suddenly burnt up and destroyed as Tow and that their work that is their sins and especially their Idolatry their Groves and Altars and Idols should be as a spark to set them on fire and so they shall both burn together to wit the Spark and the Tow the Idols and the Idolaters and none shall quench them Having in the foregoing verse compared them to dry withered oakes that are soon burnt in allusion thereto it may well be that here he adds that they should be as Tow that is quickly burnt up and so they and their Idols with all their strong Cities and Castles should be utterly consumed together CHAP. II. VEr 1. The word that Isaiah the Son of Amos saw c. That is the Prophecy which was revealed to him by way of Vision This is the Title prefixed before this particular Prophecy contained in this and the two following Chapters concerning which see the Notes Chap. 1.1 and likewise 1 Sam. 3.1 4.1 Ver. 2. And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills c. See the Note Jer. 49.1 By the last days in the Scripture the days of the Gospel are usually meant the last age of the world comprehending the whole time from the Incarnation of Christ to the last judgment as we may see Heb. 1.1 2. God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son and so also 2 Tim. 3.1 2 Pet. 3.3 Some conceive they are so called because these times began under the last Monarchy of the World to wit the Roman But rather they are so called because the Church should be then setled in such a state and Religion ordered in such a way as should never be changed In former times the state of the Church was oft changed and God did several ways reveal himself to his people Heb. 1.1 but then a new form of the Church was established by Christ and his Apostles which was to last unto the end of the
not be unfitly said that it was from these Eastern Nations that they had learnt their Idolatry and other gross sins yet the corrupt customs and rites here meant wherewith they had been replenished from the East seem to be their Magick Arts Sorceries Divinations and such like superstitious practices for which the Arabians the Syrians and Chaldeans were famous in those times as we see amongst others in Balaam that egregious Sorcerer who was of Pethor of Mesopotamia Deut. 23.4 and brought by Balak out of the mountains of the East Numb 23. and herewith that suits well which followeth and are soothsayers like the Philistines only withal observable it is that because the Philistines who were also much addicted to these Superstitions see 1 Sam. 6.2 bordered on the west of the Jews as the Syrians and Chaldeans did on the East this is all one in effect as if the Prophet had complained that they had filled their land with these Heathenish practises from all the Nations that were round about them and they please themselves in the children of strangers that is they follow the rites and customs of outlandish people with much delight and are pleased to be like to them for though some Expositors understand this of their abusing themselves with the children of strangers in the horrid sin of Sodomy a vice too common even amongst the Jews in those times 2 King 23.7 and others of their priding themselves in having many servants to attend them that were of foreign Nations yet it is far more probable that the Prophet intended hereby that they were much affected with conforming themselves to those their wicked rites and customs or perhaps that they were pleased with having commerce and joining themselves to them by Covenants and Marriages But now for the dependance of these words upon that which went before Some conceive that this sad complaint which the Prophet here enters into of the woful condition whereinto the Jews had brought themselves by their great sins tends to shew the reason why in the foregoing verse he had invited them to turn unto the Lord by unfeigned repentance namely because God had in a manner forsaken them for their horrid wickedness and exposed them to the fury of their cruel enemies and so they were in danger to be utterly cast off and destroyed if they did not prevent it by a serious and timely returning to their God And some add too that herein a reason is hinted why he had inserted the foregoing Prophecy of the Calling of the Gentiles But I rather conceive that this is added as by way of correcting what he had said in the foregoing verse O house of Jacob come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord as if he had said But alas to what end do I invite this people to repentance seeing for their manifold horrid sins God hath rejected them and so they are in a hopeless condition Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob because c. He the rather directs his speech to God to imply the stupidity of the people and what little likelihood there was of prevailing with them Ver. 7. Their land also is full of silver and gold c. As if he should have said In this also they carry themselves more like the Heathens that are round about them than as becomes the Israel of God Instead of seeking Gods favour they are all for heaping up riches and filling their houses and land with silver and gold this they set their hearts upon as putting all their confidence for their safety herein and in this they pride themselves lavishing it out upon themselves and upon all that belongs to them yea even upon their Idols see Hos 2.8 It is not therefore their having such abundance of silver and gold but their insatiable covetouss and priding themselves and trusting in their riches that is here taxed And accordingly the following Clause may also imply this Neither is there any end of their treasures that is their covetous desire after these things is insatiable they never think they have enough of them though I think that is chiefly intended to set forth the uncountable abundance of their wealth And the like we must conceive of that which is added concerning their horses Their land is also full of horses neither is their any end of their chariots to wit that they gloried and trusted in these and minded not Gods favour But see the Notes Deut. 17.16 17. Ver. 8. Their land also is full of Idols c. This expression is used to imply both how openly this sin was practised amongst them and likewise how violently they were addicted to it every corner of their land was full of these vanities They worship the work of their own hands that which their own fingers have made an high degree of blindness and madness that they that were the workmanship of God should adore an Image which their own hands had made instead of God their Creator Ver. 9. And the mean man boweth down and the great man humbleth himself c. That is all sorts of men high and low do basely prostrate themselves to these Idol-gods therefore forgive them not that is let that vengeance which thou hast threatned fall upon the body of this people that those that are not incurable may be reclaimed But for such imprecations see the Notes Psal 28.4 and Neh. 4.5 Ver. 10. Enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty Hereby the Prophet foreshews that a day of vengeance was nigh at hand wherein though their land were full of Horses and Chariots as he had said before vers 7. neither that nor any thing else should do them any good all the poor refuge that should be left them would be that as desperate men that had no hope in God nor no outward power whereby to resist their enemies they should endeavour to hide themselves in rocks and caves in the earth a poor refuge by reason of the dread that should fall upon them when the Lord should appear in such dreadful Majesty to punish them by the Chaldeans for all their wickedness Ver. 11. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down c. That is he shall pull down the pride of those that have exalted themselves against God The chief thing intended is that they that basely bowed down before their Idols should now be justly humbled and laid low by the just judgments of God And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day that is the Lord before whom such base Idols are now preferred shall then be alone exalted because he shall then be known to be the only true God and all the power and pride of man shall be found to be nothing before him they all confessing that it is he that hath brought these judgments upon them and admiring his infinite justice and power
therein Ver. 12. For the day of the Lord of hasts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty c. That is upon all the proud and great ones amongst them See the foregoing Note Ver. 13. And upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the oaks of Bashan Lebanon was famous for goodly tall Cedars See the Note 1 King 5.4 and so was Bashan for mighty strong oaks Ezek. 27.6 Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine Oars Now though the most of Expositors do here by these cedars and oaks understand figuratively the great and weighty and lofty ones that were amongst them their Princes and Nobles their rich and potent men that exalted themselves against God as indeed the Scripture doth elsewhere frequently speak thus of such men as Ezek. 31.3 Behold the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches and with a shadowing shroud c. See also the Note Judg. 9.15 and others do understand hereby their stately buildings made of the timber of these trees as indeed the Prophet Zachary speaks after this manner of the destruction of the gallant houses in Jerusalem Zach. 11.1 2. Open thy doers O Lebanon that the fire may devour thy cedars Howl firr-tree for the cedar is fallen because the mighty are spoiled Howl O ye oakes of Bashan Yet because it seems apparent that the Prophets design in this part of the Chapter is first to foreshew the destruction of the Inhabitants even the greatest amongst them which he hath already done in the three foregoing verses and then afterwards the ruin of all things that were of greatest note and excellency in their land whereof they did most glory and wherein they put the greatest confidence therefore I do not see why this should not be understood literally of the havock the enemy should make in burning up and hewing down the Cedars and Oaks and other stately Trees that grew there in abundance and that the rather with respect to the Idolatry that was daily committed in their Groves where these Trees grew wherewith God was highly offended for which see the Notes Chap. 1.29 30. Ver. 14. And upon all the high mountains and upon all the hills that are lifted up Hereby also some understand great and rich men such as were of great eminency and did over-look and over-top the meaner fort as mountains do the plains And indeed the Scripture doth often speak thus of the great ones of the world figuratively as in Zach. 4.7 Who art thou O great mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain And Isa 41.15 Thou shalt thresh the mountains and beat them small and make the hills as chaff But here I rather conceive it is meant of the hilly and mountainous parts of the land upon which the Prophet threatens that vengeance should come the rather because their high places were usually there and to let them know that these places which they deemed of impregnable strength and wherein they did so exceedingly glory and trust as places of sure retreat in times of danger should be no refuge to them at all Ver. 15. And upon every high tower and upon every fenced wall Even this also some understand figuratively of men of great strength and power alledging for the proof hereof another place in our Prophet where the same figurative expression is used to wit Chap. 30.25 And there shall be upon every high mountain and upon every high hill rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter when the towers fall But I conceive the meaning of these words is only this that no fortifications or place of strength should be any defence to them Ver. 16. And upon all the ships of Tarshish c. See the Note 1 King 10.22 and Psal 48.7 Because they prided themselves much in these their ships of great bulk and burden the defence they were to the Kingdom and the exceeding wealth they brought into them by way of merchandizing the Prophet foretels that these should be also taken or destroyed by the enemy And upon all pleasant Pictures that is all the curious Pictures wherein they so much delighted under which may also be comprehended their Tapistry and Arras Hangings of Image-work their curious wrought Plate and all other the bravery of their houses Some indeed because this is joined here with the ships of Tarshish do particularly restrain this to the goodly Pictures and carved Images wherewith they adorned their ships and that this custom of beautifying their ships was very ancient we may see by that of the Poet Pictasque innare carinas or else to the choice rarities which in their ships they brought from the remote Ports of the world But I think it may better be understood of all their pleasant houshold-ornament or that if any particular be intended it may be their Idolatrous Pictures Ver. 17. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down c. As if he had said And by this universal destruction which God shall bring upon these things before mentioned wherein ye have gloried so much and put so much confidence that shall be accomplished which was before foretold ver 11. The lofty locks of man shall be humbled c. of which see the Note there Ver. 18. And the Idols he shall utterly abolish As if he had said Both you and your Idols before which you have humbled your selves shall be destroyed together so far they shall be from helping you that they shall not be able to secure themselves yet it may be meant of their being destroyed not only by the enemies but also by those that made and worshipped their Idols where they should see with shame how little good they had done them See the Note Chap. 1.31 Ver. 19. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks c. See the Note above ver 10. And from thence that expression seems to have been taken which our Saviour useth Luk. 23.30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains fall on us and to the hills cover us The meaning is that being affrighted with the dreadfulness of Gods Judgments they should be glad to creep into any hole to hide themselves in When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth that is to break in upon them with such fury that their State shall be in a manner shattered to pieces and the hearts of the people shall tremble and shake as it were with an Earthquake Yea because we read of a dreadful Earthquake that was in the days of Uzziah Amos 1.1 Zach. 14.5 we may well think that hereby God did foreshew that terrible concussion of the land whereof the Prophet here speaks Ver. 20. In that day a man shall cast his Idols of silver and his Idols of gold which they made each man for himself to worship to the moles and to the bats To wit as being gods blinder than moles and fitter to lye in darkness and not to come abroad into
as they go and making a tinkling with their feet the meaning is that out of pride and wantonness they went with an affected kind of pace taking little steps and seeming rather to swim than to go and that they made a tinkling noise as they went and that either by reason of some tinkling ornaments which they wore about their legs or feet of which there is mention made ver 18. as namely garters or strings and roses on their shoos with spangled lace or chains or rings or bells fastned to their shoos or buskins or because they shuffled or stamped with their feet as if they had danced as they went or because they had Pantofles that at every step they took made a noise Ver. 17. Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the Daughters of Zion c. And so those heads of theirs which they so proudly lifted up should not only be made bald stripped of their hair which women esteem their chiefest ornament and do most pride themselves in and are therefore most careful to cherish it and to keep it fair and clear but should also become so lothsome as being overspread with this scab or scall that they should now be ashamed to have it seen and others should turn away their eyes from seeing it And the Lord will discover their secret parts which might be done by the rage of the Soldiers that should take them captives and out of greediness to get spoil should strip them to their very skin whereto agreeth that Ezek. 23.26 They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes and take away thy fair jewels or else by bringing them to such a poor and low condition that they who did formerly exceed in variety and change of raiment and in the bravery of many foolish superfluities should then scarce have clothes or rags enough to cover their nakedness But yet some understand the meaning of this to be that the Lord should suffer the women to be deflowred or ravished by their enemies or at least that in a way of scorn and lust they should be thus basely and immodestly abused by the ruder sort of people into whose hands they should fall Ver. 18. In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet c. Which was done when they were carried away captives into Babylon bare-footed and bare-leg'd See the Note before ver 16. And their cauls or net-works whereby may be meant any attire made so that their skin might be seen through it though some understand it particularly of such kind of stockins because the Prophet is here speaking of the ornaments of their feet And their round tires like the Moon that is shaped like a Crissent a half or full Moon of which all that can be said is that Judg. 8.21 it is said that the Midianitish Princes had such Jewels on their Camels necks And observable it is what a multitude of the toys and vanities the Prophet here mentions wherewith the women in those days did trick out themselves purposely the better thereby to set forth their pride and folly and excessive luxury Ver. 20. And the Bonnets c. Hereby is meant some kind of Hoods or other Head-tires And therefore the same word is translated Ezek. 24.17 The tire of thine head And 44.18 Linnen Bonnets And so likewise by the next words and the ornaments of the legs may be meant their brave stockins or garters or some other such like ornament for the same word is render'd 2 Sam. 1.10 The bracelet that was on his arm And by their head-bands some curious fillets or ribbons wherewith they tyed their hair or fastned their head-tires to their heads The greatest difficulty is in the next words and the Tablets which being in the Original houses of the soul I cannot conceive why their Tablets which were certain flat Jewels were so called unless it be because they were the desire of their souls in regard they were so exceeding curious and rich or because they wore them upon their breasts right over their hearts which is esteemed the chief seat of the soul Ver. 21. The Rings and Nose-jewels Some think that in those Eastern parts the women used to wear Jewels hanging down from their noses as well as from their ears and that it was in allusion to this custom that Solomon saith Prov. 11.22 That as a jewel of gold in a swines snout so is a fair woman which is without discretion But I rather think that these were Jewels which they used to wear hanging from their foreheads down to their noses and were therefore called Nose-jewels Ver. 22. The changeable suits of apparel That is suits of apparel provided for change But see the Note Gen. 45.22 Ver. 23. The glasses and the fine linnen c. Hereby some understand their fine handkerchiefs and others their fine shifts But it may be understood in general of all the fine thin linnen which they used much to wear in those hot Countrys especially in summer-time And then by the Hoods next mentioned is meant some attire which they wore on their heads different from those ver 20. which are there called Bonnets Ver. 24. Instead of sweet smell c. This is added to set forth how sad the change should be when their delicate women that flaunted it now with so much bravery should be carried away captives into Babylon Instead of sweet smell to wit by reason of the odoriferous ointment wherewith they used to anoint themselves and the sweet spices and powders and perfumes they were wont to wear about them there shall be a stink which should be caused by the sores and ulcers that in their hard usage should grow upon them by the putrifying of their bodies after they had been beaten and scourged by their enemies by their lying in prisons and dungeons by their nasty attire in their extream poverty and those base services wherein they should be imployed And instead of a girdle a rent that is instead of those brave girdles which used to be adorned with gold and precious gems wherewith they were wont to girt their garments about them there shall be nothing but tattered rags hanging loose about them in a slatternly manner so that their nakedness shall not be covered thereby And instead of well-set hair that is hair curiously curled smooth combed and layed neatly Baldness see the Note above ver 17. And instead of a stomacher a girding of sack-cloth the usual attire of people in great misery and mourning And burning instead of beauty that is they that were formerly so proud of their beauty and so chary to preserve it shall be then tanned and Sun-burnt Ver. 25. Thy men shall fall by the sword c. This is spoken to Jerusalem or to the whole Kingdom or Nation of Judah being collectively considered as one body Having shewn how God would avenge himself on their proud women here he adds likewise how he would
deal with the men and that too doth further imply the misery of the women who having lost their husbands and friends should be stripped of all their bravery and be brought into a mourning condition Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy mighty in the war which is in the Original and thy might in the war where thy might is put for thy mighty ones as it is usual with us when we speak of the Nobles and Gentlemen of a Country to call them the Nobility and the Gentry However the meaning is that God would cut off those in whose multitude and valour they had put so much confidence Ver. 26. And her gates shall lament and mourn c. That is the gates of Zion shall seem to mourn because whilst Jerusalem was in a flourishing condition the people used to pass in and out through the gates continually and because the Magistrates used to fit in judgment see the Notes Ruth 4.1 2. and Psa 127.5 and so there the greatest glory of their State was seen and there was still the fullest Assemblies and greatest concourse of the people whereas after the taking of Jerusalem the gates were ruined and lay unfrequented therefore it is said here Her gates shall lament and mourn and the meaning is that they should look sadly or that they should be a very lamentable spectacle to all that should behold them We have the like expressions Jer. 14.2 Judah mourneth and the gates thereof languish they are black unto the ground And Lam. 1.4 The ways of Zion do mourn because none come to the solemn feast all her gates are desolate as it follows here also and she being desolate or emptied that is cleared of her Inhabitants and riches shall sit upon the ground to wit as a sad widow bereaved of her husband and children for this sitting on the ground was the usual custom of mourners Ezek. 8.14 And behold there sat women weeping for Tammuz And Lam. 2.10 The Elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground and keep silence See also Job 2 10. yet it is likely there is an allusion also in the words to the ruinous state of a City that being battered down and burnt with fire may be well said to lye in the dust according to that Chap. 25.12 The fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down lay low and bring to the ground even to the dust CHAP. IV. VERSE 1. ANd in that day c. That is in the day when God shall have brought all the evil forementioned upon you seven women that is many women see the Note 1 Sam. 2.5 shall take hold of one man that is whereas it stands not with the modesty usually found in that sex to woo those whom they desire to make their husbands but rather they expect to be sued to by them and much less can they endure a husband that hath more wives than themselves yet such shall be the extream scarcity of men in those times by reason of the havock which the sword of the Chaldeans shall have made amongst them that many women shall of their own accord desire this and with so much importunity press their request upon one man as if they would extort a consent from him and would take no denial for this is implied in that which is here said that they should take hold of him even that they should prosecute their suit with so much vehemency as if they would force themselves upon him I know the words may be understood of many women contending for one man each one intending to have him to her self alone But because Polygamy was usual amongst that people in those times and because this doth best set forth what a scarcity there should be then of men I do rather understand it of many desiring to be his wives jointly together And lest he should deny them as being loth to bring such a charge of wives and children upon him especially in such a time of penury and want therefore they are said to add that which follows We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel that is we will no way be any charge to thee but will our selves maintain both us and ours only let us be called by thy name that is accept us to be thy wives that it may be said that thou art our husband and we are thy wives see Gen. 48.16 Joh. 19.25 Jer. 14.9 There is in this expression an allusion to that ancient custom of calling the wife by the name of her husband to take away our reproach to wit the reproach of not having husbands or not having children for because God had promised fruitfulness in child-bearing as a great blessing unto that people Deut. 7.14 There shall not be male or female barren among you therefore they looked upon barrenness as a great curse and reproach to them whence it was that Rachel said upon the birth of her son Joseph God hath taken away my reproach see the Note 1 Sam. 1.6 Yea and the younger sort living without husbands as if no man regarded them was counted a dishonour and therefore we find it mentioned as one of the sad effects of Gods judgments upon his people that their maidens were not given in marriage Psal 78.63 Ver. 2. In that day c. Lest the foregoing threatnings concerning the destruction and desolation that was to come upon the people of God should quite discourage the faithful that were amongst them and cause them to question how then the Covenant which God had made with his Church should be ratified and how the Promises which he had made to them concerning the stability and increase of his Church should be accomplished to chear them up is this promise here inserted as the like was before done Chap. 1.25 26. concerning which see the Notes there In that day to wit when God shall have brought all the forementioned judgments upon them and thereby shall have swept away those that were incorrigibly wicked and shall have exceedingly purged those that shall be left though then the people shall be brought to so low a condition that their estate shall seem to be hopeless yet even then in that day shall the Branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious And this is three several ways expounded by Interpreters though indeed they are all much to one and the same effect 1. The most of Expositors do by this Branch of the Lord understand the Lord Jesus Christ the promised Messias and that especially because the same or the like Title is so often given to him else-where in the Scripture as Chap. 11.1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jess and a branch shall grow out of his roots And Jer. 23.5 I will raise unto David a righteous Branch And 33.15 At that time will I cause the Branch of Righteousness to grow up unto David And Zach. 3.8 Behold I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH And
purified those that were left by his spirit these should now be a holy Nation even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem that is every one whom God had fore-appointed to survive the calamities of those times and to be found living amongst those that should return from Babylon to Jerusalem Now if it be objected against this Exposition That it was not thus with the Jews when they returned out of Babylon to Jerusalem It is evident by the story of those times that even amongst the little remnant of Gods people there were many wicked ones and therefore they were far from being all holy To this I answer That there was a great Reformation then wrought in the whole body of the people in that they were greatly purged from their Idolatry and other gross sins that were formerly rife amongst them which was a kind of shadow of that thorow Reformation which God intended to work in his Church And 2. That so far as this Prophecy hath respect to that real work of Reformation and Sanctification which is here also promised it must be intended to the intire holy change that was to be wrought in the Church in all succeeding ages which as it was began at that time of the purifying of the people of God when they were delivered out of the Babylonian Captivity and brought home to their own Country for it was to be further carried on in the days of the Gospel till at last it should be perfected at Christs second coming And if thus we understand this Prophecy then by that remnant in Zion and in Jerusalem that shall be called holy we must understand all the members of the Mystical Church who are all truly sanctified by the spirit of Christ and accordingly then the following clause even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem may be meant of such as God had decreed unto holiness here and so unto life eternal in Heaven concerning which see the Notes Exod. 32.32 Psal 69.28 and 87.6 Ver. 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion c. That is of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and spiritually the visible Members of the Church Yet it may well be that the Prophet doth the rather use this expression with respect to that which he had said chap. 3.16 concerning the women daughters of Zion which had a great stroak in bringing those sad judgments upon Zion whereof he had before spoken And should this be so observable it were that the bravery and vanity wherein they had so prided themselves is here turned into filth Having before said that the remnant of Gods people should be pure and holy beautiful and glorious excellent and comely here the Prophet sheweth when and how this should be done when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion that is their manifold sins and wickedness and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof where by blood may be meant the same that was before called filth namely their vile and loathsome sins for indeed we look upon nothing as a fouler defilement than when a thing is besmeared with blood therefore the filthiness of sin is sometimes termed blood as Ezek. 16.6 I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood or else rather the blood of Gods Prophets and other innocent men which they had shed in Jerusalem or more generally their bloody oppressions and cruelties which is the more probable because this seems to be spoken with relation to the Prophets foregoing complaints concerning their bloody sins chap. 1.15 21. concerning which see the Notes there As for the following words thereby is shown how their filth and blood should be washed and purged away namely by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning for the understanding whereof we must know that by this word spirit where it is attributed to God is frequently meant in the Scripture the vertue or the fervent and vehement efficacy of every operation of God much the same that is called elsewhere the zeal of God as chap. 9.7 the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this So that in saying that their filth and blood should be washed and purged away by the spirit of judgment the Prophet means that it should be done by Gods severe judgments executed upon them whereby Idolaters and other wicked ones should be cut off and destroyed from amongst them And 2. By Gods preserving and reforming the better sort and bringing things a-again into good order in the Church and so likewise in saying it should be done by the spirit of burning he means that it should be done by a vehement zeal hot and burning like fire both for the destroying of the wicked that were amongst them and burning them up like stubble which some think also is spoken with relation to the burning of the Temple and City of Jerusalem and for the purging away of the sins of his chosen ones even as the dross is purged away by the Refiners fire But see the Notes chap. 1.25 26 27. Ver. 5. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount-Zion and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoak by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night c. As if the Prophet should have said When the Lord shall have purged his Church and people and shall have brought them into that glorious condition here before promised he will then as wonderfully and miraculously guide and protect them in every dwelling-place where any of them shall have their abode and in their publick assemblies where they shall meet together for the worship and service of God as he did the Israelites when he led them through the wilderness by a cloud and smoak by day that is by a cloud black and thick like smoak and the shining of a flaming fire by night concerning which see the Note Exod. 13.21 Even when there should be no appearance of any means for their preservation yet that should not hinder their protection because the Lord as he did then for the Israelites would create means for the sheltring and securing of them And indeed because God did discover such riches of grace to his Israel in the many wonders that he wrought for them in delivering them out of Egypt and in carrying them into the Land of Canaan therefore the Prophets do usually set forth all the great things that God hath promised to do for his Church by expressions that do allude to that great work And to the same purpose is that following clause for upon all the glory shall be a defence that is there shall be a sure defence over that remnant of his people of whom it was before said ver 2. that they should be brought into such a glorious condition or that the glory or glorious condition whereto God would advance his people should be secured and maintained by means of a divine protection
overshadowing every part of it for herein also that Prophet seems to allude to that clouds covering the Tabernacle which was in it self a glorious representation of the Church as it was Gods dwelling-place as usually at all times where the people rested Numb 9.16 So it was always the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night or else especially at that time when the Tabernacle was first set up when it was in a miraculous manner filled with the glory of God Exod. 40.34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle Ver. 6. And there shall be a tabernacle c. This may be added with reference to and as an explication of that foregoing verse as if it had been said And that cloud which the Lord shall create or that defence which shall be upon all the glory shall be a tabernacle to shelter them from all danger Or this may be another figurative expression to set forth how safely they should be protected And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day-time from the heat and for a place of refuge and for a cover from storm and from rain wherein there seems to be an allusion to the tents or tabernacles which shepherds were wont to provide to keep them and their flocks from the heat of the Sun by day and to shelter them from storms and from rain both by day and by night yet some conceive that there is an allusion herein to God's Tabernacle and that the drift hereof is to signifie either that Gods people should be under the defence before promised as safe as they that fled for shelter to the sanctuary whereto agreeth that promise Ezek. 11.16 I will be to them as a little sanctuary see the Note Psal 27.5 or else that as the Tabernacle was by the covering that was thereon defended from all annoyances of wind and weather both storms and rain so should the Church be defended by the provident care of God over rhem from all evils whatsoever both greater and lesser evils for which see also the Notes Psal 121.5 6. CHAP. V. VERSE 1. NOw will I sing c. This is another Prophecy distinct from that which went before and it is composed in the way of a mournful ditty setting forth the great care and cost that God had bestowed upon his people the Church of the Jews and how ill they had requited him for all that good that he had done for them And why God would have such like passages as this expressed in songs may be seen in the Note upon Deut. 31.19 Now will I sing to my well-beloved c. Some Expositors hold that this is spoken in the person of God the Father the Lord of the Vineyard and consequently that it is Christ his well-beloved Son his dear Son the Son of his love Col. 1.13 of whom he speaks here Now will I sing to my well-beloved see the Note 2 Sam. 12.25 But I see no reason at all why we should not take these words as spoken by the Prophet in his own name Now will I sing that is I will compose recite and publish in the way of a Song to my well-beloved that is to the Lord Christ whom with my soul I love For the Prophets and Apostles are in a special manner with respect to their office termed the friends of the Bridegroom Joh. 3.29 15.15 And in saying Now will I sing to my well-beloved his purpose is to shew that he composed this Song for his sake that it might be to his praise and glory according to that expression of Davids Psal 101.1 To thee O Lord will I sing that he had not done it out of a desire to cast any aspersions thereby upon the Jews but out of love to God in Christ and zeal to his glory as grieving to see him dishonoured and despised by a people for whom he had done such great things and that he might bring them to repentance or at least leave them inexcusable and might however vindicate Gods justice in punishing such an unworthy and ungrateful people And then for the words that follow A Song of my beloved touching his Vineyard they are added to set forth the subject-matter of the Song to wit that though it were written in the way of an elegant Parable yet it was intended concerning his beloved the Lord Christ and touching his Vineyard the Church of the Jews it was written in his name and by the inspiration of his Spirit and that to shew what he had done for his people and how ill they had requited the care that he had taken of them and the abundant means that he had used to do them good And indeed the Church of God is frequently in the Scripture compared to a Vineyard see the Notes Psal 80.8 c. and Cant. 8.11 12. 1. Because the Church are in themselves a weak and feeble people as the Vine in comparison of other Trees is a poor weak plant not able to bear up it self 2. Because God doth so highly prize and dearly love his Church above all people even as men are wont to esteem and delight in their Vineyards more than all their possessions besides 3. Because no part of mens husbandry do stand in need of so much care and cost as the Vineyards do And 4. because the fruit of the Vine is so precious and the stem thereof so useless if it bear no fruit in regard whereof as in sundry other respects the Church may well be compared to the Vine And very probable it is that hence Christ took those Parables concerning Vineyards Mat. 20.1 21.28 33 c. My beloved hath a Vineyard in a very fruitful hill Here the Song begins where there is in the first place mention made of the Vineyards being planted in a very fruitful hill because indeed Vines thrive best in hills if they be of a good soil Bacchus amat colles whence is that expression Psal 80.10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it and herein it seems he alludes either to the exceeding great fruitfulness of the land of Canaan Psal 80.8 9. or rather to that eminent and happy estate whereinto God had brought that people Ver. 2. And he fenced it c. To wit both with a hedg and with a wall without that as is evident by that which is said afterward ver 5. I will take away the hedg thereof and break down the wall thereof for which see the Note Psal 80.12 And gathered out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine and built a tower in the midst of it to wit as a watch-tower from whence the keepers of the Vineyard might over-look the whole ground round about it and watch that no thieves or beasts did break into it and also made a winepress therein to wit as making no question but that he should in time reap the fruit of his Vineyard as a
of such things may be of force to raise mens minds to the more hopeful expectation of that which is at present promised Two notable instances we have of this Exod. 3.12 2 King 19.29 concerning which see the Notes there It is indeed no more than as if he had said You question whether God can effect that deliverance which I have promised you but I will tell you therefore of a greater wonder that God will certainly do and that is a Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son without the knowledg or help of man by whom there shall be a reconciliation made betwixt God and men 2. That the prediction of the miraculous conception and birth of the Lord Christ their promised Messiah was the more proper and seasonable at this time because the certainty of the accomplishment of this did imply the unquestionable preservation of Davids Royal family from whence this Son of the Virgin was to spring which was the thing that Ahaz now refused to believe If Rezin and Pekah or any other enemies should be able to cut off the family of David what would then become of the promise of the Messiah that was to descend from that Royal stem By giving him therefore this sign of the supernatural conception and birth of their promised Messiah the seed of the woman the Prophet did not only tell him that which was an unquestionable ground whereon he might rely against all fear of the ruin of Davids family but he did also discover the root of his distrustful fears namely that he did not indeed believe that fundamental promise concerning the Messiah nor that Covenant of Grace which God had made with his people which was established thereon and that therefore it was no wonder though he were continually shaken with such unbelieving fears 3. That it is usual with the Prophets upon this ground when they are speaking of temporal deliverances and mercies promised to Gods people to pass on a sudden as by a Prophetick rapture to make mention of the Messiah in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen 2 Cor. 1.20 who is therefore the foundation of all the hope and consolation of Gods people in regard of any mercy that God hath promised them And 4. that together with this prediction of the wonder of the conception and birth of their promised Messiah there seems to be another sign joined ver 16. concerning which see the Note there both tending to give them assurance that God would be with his people in delivering them from those two Kings that were coming against them as he had before promised them Ver. 15. Butter and honey shall he eat c. That is this Immanuel before mentioned the Son of the blessed Virgin Mary shall be fed with butter and honey such meats as young children do affect and wherewith in this Country by reason of their plenty they are usually much fed That he may know to refuse the evil and chuse the good that is that he may grow up till he comes to those years of discretion that he will be able to discern between good and evil to wit that which is naturally or morally good and evil and so to chuse that which is desirable and commendable and reject that which is hurtful and blame-worthy which yet must be restrained to that weaker measure of knowledg and discretion which is usually found in little children when first the exercise of their reason and understanding begins to discover it self in them as we see where the same phrase is used Deut. 1.39 Your children which in that day had no knowledg between good and evil they shall go in thither So that the drift of this verse is clearly to imply that the Lord Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary should be true and very man nourished and brought up from his infancy as other children are and that he should be subject to the same infirmities and weakness both of body and mind that other children are subject to and should therefore grow up in strength and understanding by little and little as other children do as it is expresly said that Christ did Luk. 2.52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour both with God and man I know there are several learned men that understand this verse not of the Son of the Virgin mentioned in the foregoing verse but of the Prophets Son Shear-jashab mentioned before ver 3. and so they conceive this is added to confirm the foregoing Prophecy ver 7 8. concerning the deliverance of Jerusalem and Davids house from the combined forces of Rezin and Pekah that were joining together against them as if the Prophet had said Whereas these two Kings have resolved to besiege and to take Jerusalem so far shall they be from effecting what they have designed that this my child Shear-jashab whom by Gods command I have brought along with me as a sign to assure you of the mercy promised see the Note above ver 3. shall be notwithstanding this their siege fed and nourished and brought up as safely and tenderly as other young children use to be in times of greatest peace and plenty But the words Butter and honey shall he eat c. do so plainly refer to that which went before ver 14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Immanuel that I cannot see how it can without manifest wresting the words be understood of any other than that Immanuel mentioned in the foregoing verse Ver. 16. For before the child shall know to refuse the evil and chuse the good c. See the foregoing Note The land that thou abhorrest that is the land of Israel against which thou bearest such a deadly enmity for the mischief they have done thee and the great evil which they are now conspiring to bring upon thee or it may be meant both of the land of Israel and the land of Syria collectively taken shall be forsaken of both her Kings that is it shall be bereaved of both her Kings to wit of Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel that were now joined in a strict Confederacy against Judah both of them being cut off and destroyed so that the meaning is that these Kings should be so far from effecting what they had designed to wit the surprisal of Jerusalem and the cutting off the Royal family of David that they themselves should be each of them slain and destroyed concerning which see the foregoing Notes ver 4 7 8 9. But now the great question again is What child is here meant concerning which it is said 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 Many learned men that understand not only the 14. v. but the 15. also Butter and honey shall he eat c. of the Lord Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary do yet understand this of any new-born
4ly and especially Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon and of Assyria too who utterly ruined the State of Judah 2 Chron. 36.17 The Prophet having hitherto sought to appease the fears of Ahaz by assuring him of the approaching ruin of Rezin and Pekah here now he begins to threaten him with far greater evils which should notwithstanding come at last upon him his family and people for his great wickedness and particularly for his contempt of Gods grace at this time his infidelity and calling in the King of Assyria to his help telling him that though God would make good his promise for the deliverance of Jerusalem and the House of David from these two Kings yet he should have no great cause long to triumph herein and that because within a while for greater miseries should befall him and his people and that by those very 〈◊〉 whom he intended to call into his aid And yet withal this might be foretold too to fore-arm the faithful that their hearts might not sink when they should see such dreadful evils come upon the Nation Ver. 18. And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall hiss c. See the Note Chap. 5.26 for the fly that is in the utmost parts of the rivers of Egypt whereby some understand the Egyptians themselves and those too in the farthest parts of it that had their dwelling by those several water-courses which were cut out of the river Nilus for the watering of their land who they say are termed flyes not only with respect to their invading the land of Judah with such huge multitudes of people like so many swarms of flyes but also with respect to the situation of their Country which lying low full of ponds and ditches and being withal a very hot Country was usually much pestered with flyes And indeed we find that the land of Judah was sorely oppressed by Pharoah Necho King of Egypt who flew Josiah their good King and afterward deposed his Son Jehoahaz and carried him prisoner into Egypt and set up his brother in his stead c. See the Notes 2 King 23.29 33. And again others understand those Nations that bordered upon Egypt either towards the Sea where Nilus brancheth forth it self into several Channels See Chap. 11.15 or near the head of Nilus which at its first entrance into Egypt is cut out into many Channels as namely the Philistines the Edomites the Lybians and Ethiopians which they say was accomplished when the Edomites and Philistines invaded Judah in the days of Ahaz for which see the Note 2 King 16.7 Or when the Assyrian or Babylonian King did subdue the land because it is most probable that he having at that time vanquished Egypt and all those adjacent parts did bring with him bands of all these Nations that served in his army for which see the Notes 2 King 24.2 7. And then for the following words And for the Bee that is in the land of Assyria we must know that the Assyrians and Chaldeans who are both here intended as serving both under one King are compared to Bees not only with respect to their multitudes and fury for which see the Notes Deut. 1.44 Psal 118.12 and to Chaldea's abounding with Bees as being a woody Country as much as Egypt with flyes but also especially because these were far the more dreadful Nations for their military power and discipline and the exceeding great cruelty they should shew to the Jews when they subdued their Country Yea and some think that their arrows and darts and javelins are particularly here intended by the stings wherewith the Bee is armed Ver. 19. And they shall come and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys and in the holes of the rocks and upon all thorns and upon all bushes Or as it is in the Margent commendable trees that is goodly fair trees The Prophet proceeds in the foregoing metaphor ver 18. And because flyes and gnats do usually love to be and are found in greatest abundance in low moist grounds and to rest upon trees and bushes and shrubs and because Bees love to harbour and nestle themselves in holes and clefts of rocks see the Notes Deut. 32.19 therefore in allusion hereto he saith of the Assyrians that they should rest in the desolate vallies c. And some conceive that those words all of them are purposely inserted And they shall come and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys to imply that the number of their army should not be diminished by the length of their march or any distress that should befall them by the way See the Note Chap. 5.27 But however the meaning is that the Assyrians being entered the land should over-spread the whole Country by reason of the multitude of their army and should seize upon and possess themselves of all places high and low fruitful and barren eating up and consuming all they could meet with in every corner of the land yea in the most desolate and uninhabited places by reason whereof too there would be no place of shelter for the inhabitants though they should fly to the caves and most desolate vallies to hide themselves it would be in vain for every where they should find the enemy ready to surprize them Some Expositors I know there are that by the desolate vallies understand the Cities in the vallies which the inhabitants had out of fear forsaken and by the holes of the rocks the Cities built on the rocky mountains and by thorns and bushes the villages wherein the Country-people dwelt But the foregoing Exposition is I conceive far more clear and easie Ver. 20. In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired namely by them beyond the river c. To wit Euphrates see the Notes Exod. 23.31 Psal 72.8 by the King of Assyria See the Note above ver 17. the head that is the King and the hair of the feet that is of the secret and lower part of the body according to the like expression Judg. 3.25 for which see the Notes there and 2 King 18.27 where mens urine is in the Original termed the water of the feet meaning the meaner sort of people and it shall also consume that is quite take away the beard whereby some understand the strong men in the land with respect to the beards being a sign of virility others the Nobles that usually are about the King and others the Priests or the wise men and elders of the people The devastation which the Assyrians and the Chaldeans especially should make in the land of Judea is here expressed by shaving with a razor 1. To imply that these enemies should be only as an instrument in Gods hand for the executing of his just vengeance upon that people not able to move one jot any farther than God was pleased to make use of them 2. To imply the clean riddance they should make in the land both by cutting off the inhabitants and
of the Scripture Gen. 6.4 29.23 30. that he lay carnally with her and thereupon it follows and she conceived and bear a Son But however clear it is that if this which is here related concerning the birth of this Son of the Prophet was presently after the writing of the forementioned Prophetical roul then his going in to the Prophetess and her conception thereupon was long before and so should rather have been rendred And I had gone in to the Prophetess and she conceived and on the other side if this his going in to the Prophetess was after the writing of this roul then it was well nigh a twelvemonth after e're this his Son was born and that God gave him that following command concerning his name Then said the Lord to me call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz And therefore I question not but that this was a different passage from that related in the two foregoing verses and that some time after the setting up of this roul upon the birth of this his Son he was enjoined to call him by that mysterious name which was written in the roul and that to confirm that foregoing Prophecy and that this name of his child might be a continual memorial of that Prophecy written in the forementioned roul concerning the destruction of the Syrians and the Israelites Ver. 4. For before the child shall have knowledg to cry My father and my mother c. Some understand this indefinitely as they did the like expression before Chap. 7.16 concerning which see the Note there of any new-born child But methinks it is clearly spoken with reference to that which was said in the foregoing verse to wit that before that new-born Son of the Prophets whom God had appointed to be named Maher-shalal-hash-baz should begin to discern his Parents from strangers and be able to speak that which was intended by that name should come to pass and so in these words there is a reason given why God appointed this name to be given to his child namely to make known how suddenly that foretold destruction should come upon those two Kings and their chief Cities For before the child that is this new-born child of the Prophets called Maher-shalal-hash-baz shall have knowledg to cry My father and my mother that within a year or a year and a half or thereabouts the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the King of Assyria that is the Kingdoms of Syria and Damascus shall be plundered and wasted in his sight and at his command or in these words before the King of Assyria there may be an allusion to the custom of carrying the rich spoils they had gotten from any vanquished people before the Conqueror when he returned in triumph into his own Country And it may be read too as it is in the Margent of our Bibles He that is before the King of Assyria that is his Officers and Ministers or his Captains and Commanders shall take away the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria But however it is clear I conceive that the accomplishment of this was when in or about the fourth year of Ahaz Tiglath-pileser the King of Assyria took Damascus and slew Rezin their King and carried away the people into captivity 2 King 16.9 at which time he made great havock also in the land of Israel 1 King 15.29 though he did not take and destroy Samaria as he did Damascus for that was done sometime after by Salmaneser in the days of Hoshea 2 King 17.6 and this some conceive to be the reason why it is said here that the riches of Damascus should be taken away by the Assyrian and that he should only take some spoil in Samaria Ver. 5. The Lord spake also unto me again saying To wit in the same or some other Vision afterwards Ver. 6. Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly c. That is that run on gently and silently not with any such violence and noise as other great rivers do We read of the pool of Siloam Joh. 9.7 and of the tower in Siloam Luk. 13.4 and it is generally said that this Siloam or Shiloah was the same that is else-where called Gihon see the Note 1 King 1.33 a little brook at the foot of Mount Sion which running into Jerusalem or about some part of it must needs be a great refreshing to the inhabitants but could be no great defence to the City and that therefore the weak estate of the Kingdom of Judah at this time is here intended by the waters of Shiloah that go softly concerning which see the Note Psal 46.4 The great question is what people it is of whom the Prophet here saith For so much as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliahs Son the most Expositors understand it of the people of Judah to wit that the generality of them for there were some â— a better temper amongst them whom the Lord afterwards ver 16. calls his Disciples did either 1. Approve of Ahaz his sending for the Assyrian as distrusting their own weak estate and not minding the promise which God had made for their deliverance against the threatned invasion of the two Kings of Syria and Israel and relying wholly upon the mighty army which he would bring with him the warlike noise whereof is here opposed to the soft running of the waters of Shiloah in the confidence whereof they should even rejoice to be fighting with Rezin and Pekah Or 2ly did wish themselves to be in such a rich and flourishing estate as the Israelites and Syrians were and under the command of such potent Kings as Rezin and Pekah were Or 3. that considering to what a low ebb the Kingdom of Judah was brought and how unable they should be to resist the invasion of these two mighty Kings they did indeed desire that these Kings might reign over them or at least that Son of Tabeal mentioned before Chap. 7.6 whom they intended to leave as their Viceroy amongst them and for the better effecting hereof had under-hand some treacherous compliance with them But now because we find not the least mention in the Sacred story of any such intended defection of the men of Judah from Ahaz and the House of David and because it cannot be thought without manifest forcing the Text how it should be well said that the people of Judah did rejoice in Rezin and Remaliahs Son that were coming out against them with such fury and bloody intentions therefore I conceive that others do far better understand by this people here mentioned the people of Israel for so much as this people that is this army of the Israelites and Syrians that are now combined against Judah refuseth the waters of Shiloah that goeth softly that is do slight and scorn the weak estate of Jerusalem that hath no great river for its defence but only the small brook of Shiloah
Babylon returned afterward back again into their own Country which the Israelites that were carried away by the Assyrians never did at which time both the City and Temple at Jerusalem were rebuilt again And 2. Because some few years after the promised Messiah should come and then they should enjoy the light of the Gospel which to the faithful should yield so great comfort that it would make them forget all their former sufferings and sorrows And indeed it is clear that the Evangelist St. Matthew doth in the place above cited apply that which he saith there concerning the springing up of the light of the Gospel to the places here mentioned by the Prophet implying that as those parts first tasted of the miseries here spoken of so they should be first revived by the bright shining of the Gospel amongst them Ver. 2. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light c. This was in part accomplished first when Sennacheribs army was destroyed wherewith he had besieged Jerusalem in the days of Hezekiah and so the siege was broken up and the enemies were forced to fly out of the land with great confusion and shame for then the people of Judea might well be said to have seen a great light not only because their joy must needs then be exceeding great after such a dark time of extream distress and sorrow but also because their deliverance in such a miraculous way was so apparently the mighty hand and work of God 2. When the Jews were delivered out of Babylon and brought back again into their own land at which time some of the Ten Tribes also returned in regard whereof it may be spoken of the whole Nation of Israel And indeed considering that when by Nebuchadnezzar the City and Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed and so the people were wholly taken off from the publick Worship of God it might seem hereby that the Covenant betwixt God and them was broked off and the hope they had of the promised Messiah was at end therefore when the Lord had brought them back again from the land of their captivity their joy must needs be exceeding great see Psal 126.2 3. But 3. principally and most clearly by the coming of Christ and the breaking forth of the light of the Gospel when the Jews and Gentiles too were enlightened by the shining of that Sun of Righteousness amongst them and delivered from that blindness and that bondage under sin and Satan wherein formerly they abode whereof the Babylonian captivity was a type and brought into an estate of clearer knowledg and greater joy than ever that people had enjoyed before in the time of the Law And indeed as is partly noted before this I conceive is the chief reason why Zebulun and Naphtali and the land about Jordan were particularly mentioned in the foregoing verse to wit because the light of the Gospel did first break forth in those parts and there Christ wrought his first Miracles and the chief of his Apostles were there first called And the same is intended in the following words They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined for this also may comprehend both the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon where they seemed to have been in as hopeless a condition as men are that lye dead in their graves according to that which is said of them Ezek. 37.12 O my people I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel And likewise more especially the deliverance of Christs redeemed ones from that darkness of sin and death both temporal and eternal under which they lay by nature see the Note Job 3.5 And observable it is that to express how certain it was that this should be the Prophet still speaks of that which was to come to pass many years after as if it were done already Ver. 3. Thou hast multiplied the Nation and not encreased the joy c. The Prophet still proceeds in a Prophetical strain speaking of future things as if they were past already The words may be read as it is in the Margent of our Bibles Thou hast â—â—â—â—ipliâ—â—â—he Nation and to him encreased the joy as if he had said Thou wilt multiply this Nation and wilt increase their joy And indeed whether we understand this of the joy of the Jewish Nation either 1. at their deliverance from Sennacheribs army that had besieged Jerusalem Or 2. at their deliverance from the Babylonian captivity Or 3ly at their deliverance by Christ their promised Messiah these two may well be joined together concerning the multiplying of the Nation and the increasing of their joy Because 1. When Sennacherib had made great havock amongst the people in the land after his army was destroyed so miraculously to the great joy of that Nation God was pleased to cause them to multiply and thrive again according to that promise made to Hezekiah Chap. 37.31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward 2ly Because after their joyful return out of Babylon through the blessing of God upon them the people did great multiply as was foretold by the Prophets Jer. 31.27 Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast And Zach. 2.4 Jerusalem shall be inhabited as Towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattel therein And 3ly Because at the coming of Christ which was a time indeed of greatest joy the people of God were exceedingly multiplied by the confluence of multitudes of the Gentiles that joined themselves to the Church of Christ See the Notes Chap. 3.1 2. Psal 17.1 c. And this Marginal reading of the Text I cannot but judg far the most probable because according to this Translation of the words the meaning of the place is so clear and easie whereas if we read it as it is in our Bibles Thou hast multiplied the Nation and not increased the joy there seems to be a manifest contradiction betwixt this and the following words They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil Whence it is that so many ways have been found out by Expositors to salve this seeming contradiction For first some understand the first part of the verse of the Assyrian to wit that though the Assyrian had raised or though God by his Providence had suffered him to raise a very numerous army yet their joy was not answerable thereto because by the sword of an Angel there was such havock made amongst them as they lay before Jerusalem and so they returned not home rejoicing and triumphing in their victory as they thought to have done And then the following words they understand of the Jews to wit that they had cause of
the warrier is with confused noise and garments rolled in blood but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire then these words must needs be added to set forth why he had compared the deliverance now promised to that of Gideons victory over the Midianites namely because it should be effected in a strange and miraculous way and not by the vanquishing of their enemies in battel as usually people are delivered For every battel of the warrier is with confused noise and garments rolled in blood that is with the confused noise of Drums and Trumpets the clattering of arms and neighing of horses the shouting of Soldiers and the cries and skreeks of men wounded and slain that lay weltring in their blood but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire that is this deliverance of Gods people which is now promised shall not be effected by the power of man by fighting and bloodshed but by the almighty power of God consuming the enemy on a sudden in a miraculous way as with a flame of fire And this some think is meant of that miraculous destruction of Sennacheribs army that had besieged Jerusalem in the days of Hezekiah which was effected without any tumult of a battel without any fighting or bloodshed multitudes of the Assyrian army being suddenly slain in the dead of the night by the stroke of an Angel and so were destroyed as if they had been smitten with lightning from Heaven and burnt up and consumed like so much fuel of fire But others understand it of the deliverance of Gods people by Christ from the bondage of Sin and Satan which is not accomplished by weapons of war battels and bloodshed but by the Preaching of the Gospel and the mighty working of the Spirit of God purifying their hearts and burning up their lusts and corruptions the strong holds of Satan 2 Cor. 10.4 5. even as when any combustible matter is burnt up and consumed by fire See the Note Chap. 4.4 Or else as some think of Christs destroying the enemies of his people in a strange and wonderful way and his making them at last the fuel of Hell-fire Ver. 6. For unto us a child is born unto us a son is given To wit Jesus Christ the great gift of Gods free Grace who as he was the only begotten Son of God see the Notes Psal 2.7 2 Sam. 7.14 so he was also a child conceived and born of the Virgin Mary the same that was before foretold by the name Immanuel Chap. 7.14 for which see the Note there for much is there said to shew the ground why these Prophesies concerning Christ are inserted in these places and to prove that they cannot be meant of Hezekiah as the Jews would have it To imply the certainty of that which is here foretold the Prophet still expresseth this which was to be done many years after as if it were done already For unto us a child is born c. where by those words unto us the Jewish Nation may be primarily and peculiarly meant from whose Royal stock he was descended according to that which the Angel said to the shepherds Luk. 2.11 Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And hereby it is clear which is observable that Christ was given of God to be a Saviour even to those that lived in the days of the Old Testament But withal they must be extended to all mankind in general because this Son of God by taking mans nature upon him became a Saviour for man in general upon condition of believing in him and because all that do believe in him to whom only he is effectually given to be a Saviour become spiritually the seed and are joined in one body with the Church of the Jews Now this concerning the birth of Christ is here inserted as a reason of all that was said before For unto us a child is born c. 1. Because the deliverance of Gods people by Christ was the great mercy that was principally intended in the foregoing promises the victory which was to be accomplished without tumult and bloodshed and that which should be the matter of such exceeding great joy to them see the foregoing Notes ver 2 3 4 5. 2ly Because the great mercy intended in those temporal deliverances included also in the foregoing promises to wit that when Jerusalem was saved from Sennacherib and that of the Jews return out of Babylon was the preservation of the Royal stock of David that so from thence this great Redeemer the Lord was to spring in whom that Kingdom of David was to be continued unto eternity and by whom the restauration of the Church begun in the return from Babylon was to be perfected and brought to a more flourishing and joyful estate than ever And 3ly Because even those temporal deliverances of the Jews before mentioned were effected by this their Messiah and the virtue of the great work of his Redemption And the Government shall be upon his shoulder That is God shall appoint him to be the King of his Church and impose upon him the Government of his Church yea he shall make him his Viceroy for the ruling and governing of the whole world under him that so he may the better protect and provide for his Church and order all things for the benefit and advantage thereof See the Note Psal 2.6 This phrase The Government shall be upon his shoulder may seem to allude to the custom of carrying a Scepter upon the shoulder as the sign of Regal power as the like is noted in that which is said concerning Eliakim Chap. 22.22 The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder but the meaning is clear that God should commit the Government of the Church to him and so the care of it should in all regards lye upon him and he should uphold it with his care and power he should not commit the Government of it to others as needing no other to help him to bear the burthen of it but he should manage it wholly by his own power and whereas other Kings are wont to be burdensome to their subjects it should not be so with him because he should bear his subjects as his burden Yet there may be also in these words an allusion to that which he had said before ver 4. Thou hast broken the staff of his shoulder and so the drift of them may be to imply that having freed them from the tyrannous oppression of their enemies they should live as a free and happy people under his just and righteous Government And his name shall be called c. That is he shall be and shall by God and his people be owned to be Wonderful Counsellâ—r c. The Jews that they may with some shew of reason apply this Prophecy to Hezekiah do violently transpose the words of the Text and read it thus He that is Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the
should be destroyed Or 3. that not only the Soul should â—e smitten and the Life taken away but also their Bodies should be destroyed and consumed Or 4. that by smiting their Bodies they should be bereaved of their Souls their Lives and so they should be utterly destroyed Before they were threatned with a consumption or leanness vers 16. which might be without loss of Life but here it is expressed that they should be slain and utterly destroyed even as fire by burning the body doth take away the Life Or 5. that the Commanders and Captains who were as the Soul and Spirit of that vast body of their Army should be cut off and withal the body that was enlivened as it were and governed by the Soul should be destroyed And these two last indeed I judge may most probably be here intended And they shall be as when a Standard-bearer fainteth That is As when a Standard-bearers heart melteth away because he sees his Souldiers forsake their Colours and thereupon he flies with the rest and so the Standard is taken or as when a Standard-bearer faints and falls and dies the whole Army is usually then discouraged and routed so it shall be with the Assyrian Army upon this miraculous havock that shall by an Angel be made amongst them they shall be all dismayed and irrecoverably disordered and forced to fly But yet some do particularly apply this to the fainting and flight of Sennacherib their King 2 King 19.36 37. and the terror that fell upon the Nations under his command upon his destruction Ver. 19. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few that a Child may write them That is of the Soldiers of that numberless Army there shall be but a very few left alive Some shall escape that they may report in their own Country what the God of Israel had done to them but they shall be but a poor small number In this expression A child may write them there seems to be an Allusion to the enrolling and listing of the names of the Soldiers by the Muster-masters or Clerks of their bands and so it is all one in effect as if the Prophet said that there would be no need of any such Officer to keep a Roll of them even a Child would be sufficient to take an account of them And indeed observable herein it is what was the issue of the proud boasting of Rabshakeh 2 King 18.23 Ver. 20. And it shall come to pass in that day c. To wit when the Lord hath finished his whole work upon his people and hath punished the Assyrians by whom he was pleased to correct them That the remnant of Israel and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob that is the remnant that shall escape and not be destroyed in the Assyrian Invasion shall no more again stay upon him that smote them that is the Assyrian but shall stay upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel See the Note Chap. 1.4 In truth that is sincerely not hypocritically as they had formerly done when they made an outward profession indeed of trusting in God but did rely wholly upon the Assyrians The meaning is that when the remnant that were escaped had experimentally found the sad fruit of their own folly in calling in the Assyrian to their help and in resting upon him with so much confidence in that he had proved a scourge to them instead of an help and God had made them sorely to smart for it and when by God's destroying the Assyrian they had learnt what a reed the Assyrian was to be leaned upon and how Almighty and Merciful the Lord was this should make them resolve never more to stay themselves upon the Assyrians or any such as they were but wholly and solely to rely upon the Lord. Ver. 21. The remnant shall return even the remnant of Jacob unto the mighty God To wit of whose infinite Power they should have clear experience by that Destruction which God would bring upon the Assyrian Army and the Deliverance which thereby should be wrought for Jerusalem which they had straitly besieged It is as if the Prophet had said And indeed so it shall be that which I foretold by the Prophetick name of my Son Shear-jashah which is being interpreted The remnant shall return concerning which see the Note Chap. 7.3 shall certainly come to pass a remnant shall escape that shall not only come back to the places of their abode from whence they had been driven by the Assyrian but also return to God by unfeigned Repentance Ver. 22. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the Sea yet a remnant of them shall return That is only a small remnant of them shall escape and by Repentance return to the Lord their God If we read these words as if Israel were spoken to in the Vâ—cative Case For though thy people O Israel be as the sand of the Sea they may be taken as spoken by way of Apostrophe either to the Patriarch Jacob. Though the Promise made to thee concerning the wonderful encrease of thy Posterity shall be wonderfully made good to thee yet but a remnant of them shall be saved Or else to the people of Israel Though thy people O Israel shall be as the sand of the Sea yet but a few of them shall be saved But as they are expressed in our Bibles they seem rather the words of God to the Prophet For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the Sea yet a remnant of them shall return And indeed when the Assyrian had not only carried away the ten Tribes of the Kingdom of Israel into Captivity but also had so far impaired the number of the other Tribes that were of the Kingdom of Judah by the havock he hade made amongst them in the days of Hezekiah this was then clearly accomplished concerning a remnant only that should be preserved And because this was a clear Type of those few of the Jewish Nation that were in the Apostles time converted to the Faith of the Gospel therefore St. Paul speaks of that as an accomplishment of that which the Prophet here saith Rom. 9.27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the Sea a remnant shall be saved The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness Or in righteousness as it is in the Margin The meaning is that the destruction wherewith God had determined to consume and waste the Jews should as a mighty floud see the Notes before Chap. 8.7 8. overflow the Land and thereby sweep away the Inhabitants to wit so far as God had withal decreed it should go and that this should be done with righteousness or in righteousness in that hereby he should proceed with great Justice and Righteousness for the punishing of the wickedness of his people and withal approve himself faithful and just in reserving a remnant according to the Promise he had
consequently to shew what wonderful peace and concord there should be in the Church of Christ All which I conceive was chiefly accomplished in the conversion of the Gentiles And a little child shall lead them That is though they were never so fierce before yet being converted and brought into Christ they will become so tame and tractable that it will be an easie thing for any body to guide and govern them Though their Pastors given them of God to be their guides be never so mean and contemptible in the World as we know it was eminently so with the Apostles yet they shall readily and willingly give up themselves to obey them and to be ordered and governed by them there will be no need of any external power to compel them yea they will be willing to be taught and directed by the meanest that is able in any thing to inform them and counsel them for the best Ver. 7. And the Cow and the Bear shall feed c. To wit together as it follows in the next words their young ones shall lye down together which is added the better to set forth the real change that should be wrought in these ravenous Creatures in that their regard to their young ones should not make them as it is usually with such beasts the more eager and violent to make a prey of all they come near and the Lyon shall eat straw like the Ox that is say some the greatest and mightiest and those that were most savage amongst them shall yield themselves to be fed with the word and Sacraments no less than the meanest of the common sort of people Or as others say they shall not live any longer upon spoil and rapine but shall be content with what they can get by any honest labour and imployment And it may well be which some think that in this expression here used there is an allusion to the state the Creatures lived in at their first Creation before man sinned when as many learned men think they all lived upon such fruit as grew out of the earth Gen. 1.29 30. neither was there any that lived by prey and devouring of other Creatures But indeed all that I conceive is intended hereby is that those men that were before most fierce and mischievous upon the change that should be wrought in them by the Spirit of Christ should be as harmless towards those with whom they conversed as any others were Ver. 8. And the sucking Child shall play on the hole of the Asp c. That is The weakest and simplest amongst Gods people some say those that are newly converted new-born Babes in Christ shall without any danger converse with those that formerly were most subtile poysonous and hurtful yea the expression here used of their playing on the hole of the asp may seem to imply that they should count it a recreation and delight to converse with them And the same is in other words repeated again in the following clause And the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den to wit out of a childish curiosity to thrust his hand as if it were into a birds-nest to feel what is there Ver. 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy c. As if he had said they shall be so far from destroying that they shall not so much as hurt one another in all my holy mountain that is in my whole Church spread abroad throughout the whole World see the Note Psal 15.1 Whereas other mountains are usually full of ravenous beasts it shall not be so saith the Lord in my holy mountain and that because Gods people there shall be a holy people And therefore we see that this wonderful change here spoken of is meant only of those that are true Believers truly regenerate and made new Creatures for the earth shall be full of the knowledg of the Lord that is of the true and saving Knowledge of God in Christ as the waters cover the Sea that is those hollow places of the earth wherein the Sea is held The meaning is That the Knowledge of God should be spread abroad every where all the World over as there is water every where in the Sea and that there should be far more abundant Knowledge in those days than there had been in the time of the Law by means whereof there should be such a marvellous change made in the Spirits of men And therefore the Prophet speaks of this as of a rare and unusual thing that had not hitherto been seen in the World Ver. 10. And in that day c. This is added as the cause of that wonderful peace that should be amongst men mentioned in the foregoing verses even amongst those that were formerly of such a brutish and savage temper of Spirit And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse that is that Rod or Branch mentioned before vers 1. springing up out of the root of Jesse for which see the Note there namely the Lord Christ we have the like expression concerning Israel Hos 14.5 He shall grow as the Lillie and cast forth his roots as Lebanon and concerning Christ also as Chap. 53.2 He shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground and Rev. 5.5 and 22.16 where he is called the root of David that is the branch that sprung out of Davids stock or family And as for that which follows which shall stand for an ensign of the people the meaning of that is That this low contemptible branch should by degrees mount up to such a height that he should be as an ensign lifted up in the sight of all the Nations of the World who should thereupon through Faith as by a kind of Divine instinct gather themselves together to him from all parts of the earth even as soldiers do to a Standard or Ensign that is set up that under his conduct and defence they may maintain a constant fight against their spiritual enemies All which was accomplished when Christ was lifted up first on the Cross John 8.28 and 1â— 32 and afterward in the Ministry of the Gospel whereby he was made known to all Nations concerning which see the Note Numb 25.8 yea and the expression here used is observable a root of Jesse shall stand for an ensign of the people because this implies that though the enemy should bend all their force against this ensign as in Battels it useth to be Luke 2.34 Behold this Child is set for a sign which shall be spoken against yet it should still stand victoriously neither should they be able to over-bear or overcome it to it shall the Gentiles seek that is they shall voluntarily come in to him as their Saviour and Redeemer even as soldiers are wont to flock in to their ensign See the Note Gen. 49.10 And so the Apostle doth expresly expound this Prophecy concerning Christ Rom. 15.12 And again Esaias saith There shall be a root of Jesse
and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust As for the last words and his rest shall be glorious some understand this of Christs death and burial to wit how ignominious soever his death should be to him in the sight of the world yet he should be then and thereby exceedinlgy glorified according to that which he said when he was preparing himself to dye Joh. 17.1 Father the hour is come glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee And indeed it cannot be denied but that this Rest of his was glorious first because he then overcame all the powers of darkness and 2ly because his name was then highly honoured by the great and wonderful things that were done at his Death and the eclipsing of the Sun c. and especially by his Resurrection honoured with the apparition of Angels and many miraculous passages and by his triumphant Ascension into Heaven and 3ly because of the great Glory given him by the Chuch for that great work of their Redemption But yet I do rather conceive that the meaning of these words in this place is either that the Rest and Peace of his Church would be very glorious or else that his Church the place where he had determined to settle his perpetual residence according to that Psal 132.13 14. The Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation this is my Rest for ever c. and that Matth. 28.20 Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world and the people upon whom he had setled his love and favour should be very glorious to wit in regard of the glorious signs and effects of his presence amongst them in the abundant knowledge and eminent holiness that should be wrought in them by his word and Spirit and in the great and wonderful things that should be done amongst them for their deliverance and safegard And herein there seems to be an Allusion to that which is often formerly said That the Tabernacle and Temple was filled with the Glory of God See Exod. 40.34 35. Lev. 9.23 and 1 King 8.11 And see also the Note before Chap. 4.2 4. Ver. 11. And it shall come to pass in that day c. In the foregoing verse the Prophet foretold the Conversion of the Gentiles here now he adds that at the same time the Jews should also be converted And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time c. Some understand the first deliverance here intimated to be that of the Israelites out of Egypt and the second here promised to be that of the Jews out of Babylon But because the Jews that were delivered out of Babylon were for the generality only of the two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin and here the Prophet speaks of the deliverance of his people of all the Tribes from all parts of the World and that too in the days of the Messiah that ensign that should be lifted up whereof he had spoken in the foregoing verse I rather think that this is meant of their deliverance by Christ from the spiritual Bondage of Satan Sin Death and Hell to wit that as the Lord did once before with an out stretched arm deliver the Israelites out of Egypt by the Ministry of Moses so he would the second time with great zeal again set himself to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left that is to bring home to himself by Christ those of his ancient people the Jews which shall there remain undestroyed amongst the Gentiles as being still mindful of the Covenant he had formerly made with them And this was partly accomplished in those many thousands of Jews Act. 21.20 though but a remnant in comparison of the whole body of the Nation that were by Christ and his Apostles won to embrace the Faith of the Gospel and shall be more fully performed when the main body of the residue of that Nation shall in the last days be brought in to Christ of which the Apostle speaks clearly Rom. 11.25 26. And indeed because the Prophet doth in this place first foretel the gathering in of the Gentiles to Christ in the foregoing verse and then doth here after that add this concerning the bringing in of the Jews therefore many learned Divines have thought that it is that last Conversion of the Jews that is here principally intended by the Prophet As for the places here mentioned from which the believing Jews should be gathered from Assyria and from Egypt and from Buthros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the Islands of the Sea it is hard clearly to determine what all these Countrys are It may suffice us to know that upon the grievous miseries that were brought upon this people first by the Assyrians and afterward by the Babylonians many of them did of their own accord leave the Land of Judea and flee into Egypt of which Pathros seems to have been one particular Province Jer. 44.1 15. See Jer. 43.57 and 44.27 28. and so likewise into other Countrys and that many of them that were carried away Captives by the Assyrians and Babylonians might by them be sold to other Nations and so be dispersed all the world over And evident it is in Scripture that all those Countrys that bordered upon the Sea and were divided from them by the Sea were by the Jews usually called the Islands of the Sea Jer. 47.4 See also the Note Gen. 10.5 Ver. 12. And he shall set up an ensign for the Nations c. See the Note before ver 10. But this I conceive is a farther Explanation of what was said in the foregoing verse concerning the Conversion of the Jews and therefore by saying that the Lord should set up the ensign of the Gospel for the Nations either the Prophet intended that the Jews should be gathered in hereby to the Church from the Nations amongst whom they were dispersed or else that the Nations should hereby be summoned to bring in the Jews unto Christ or at least that the Jews should be converted by the preaching of the Gospel together with other Nations for that the Prophet doth principally here speak of the Conversion of the Jews And therefore by saying that the Lord should set up the ensign of the Gospel for the Nations either the Prophet intended that the Jews should be gathered in hereby to the Church from the Nations amongst whom they were dispersed or else that the Nations hereby should be summoned to bring the Jews unto Christ or at least that the Jews should be converted by the preaching of the Gospel together with other Nations for that the Prophet doth principally here speak of the Conversion of the Jews is evident by the following words and shall assemble the out-casts of Israel See the Note Psal 147.2 and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of
shortly to be carried thither might seem to be utterly lost and cast off by God without all hope of recovery as being carried much farther than those of Judah were that were carried into Babylon and not likely to return back to their Country when those of Judah should return therefore the Prophet doth here particularly assure them that even they should at last be brought home to Christ by the preaching of the Gospel However incredible it might seem in the eye of Reason yet God would make a clear way for this their return like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt as God did miraculously effect that so he would as miraculously accomplish this CHAP. XII VERSE 1. AND in that day c. That is In that day when the root of Jesse shall by the preaching of the Gospel be lifted up as an ensign for the gathering in of Gods people see the Notes before Chap. 11.10 11. Thou shalt say O Lord I will praise thee that is Thou my Church and people he speaks to them collectively as to one man because of that firm Union of hearts that should be amongst them Act. 4.32 shalt praise God with a Song of Thanksgiving as once the Israelites did when they were delivered out of Egypt Exod. 15.1 for having in the latter end of the foregoing Chapter ver 11 15 16. compared the deliverance of Gods people by Christ to the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt even in this gratulatory Song that is here prescribed there may be also an Allusion as I conceive to that Song of Moses And though it might be intended as a Psalm of Thanksgiving for their deliverance out of the Babylonian Captivity as that was a type of our Redemption by Christ yet it is evident by those promises in the foregoing Chapter that this Song doth chiefly relate to the great deliverance of Gods redeemed ones in the days of the Gospel there being also further assurance given them of the assured certainty of that great work by prescribing them a Song to be sung by them Though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortedst me that is Though in thy just displeasure thou seemedst utterly to have cast us off by driving us out of our Country depriving us of thine Ordinances and scattering us abroad all the world over yet now by calling us home to thy self thou hast fully comforted us again Ver. 2. Behold God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid c. This may have particular respect to that wonderful work of our Redemption by Christ who was true and very God for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my Song he also it become my Salvation See the Note Exod. 15.2 Ver. 3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the Wells of Salvation By the Waters here promised may be meant all the benefits which Christ hath purchased for poor sinners and move especially the word of life and the Spirit of Christ together with the Graces and Comforts of his Spirit which are often compared to Water in the Scripture as Joh. 7.38 1. Because they wash and purifie men spiritually Ezek. 36.26 Then will â—â—inkle clean Waters upon you and ye shall be clean c. 2ly Because they make men fruitful in good works see the Note Psal 1.3 And 3ly because they do fully quench the thirst of mens souls as well by taking away mens insatiable thirst after earthly things as by satisfying their earnest desires after righteousness and life eternal Joh. 4.14 Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst c. And then by the Wells of Salvation may be meant either the promises of the Gospel or else Christ himself from whom all these Blessings are derived unto Believers Joh. 1.16 And of his fulness have all we received and Grace for Grace so that the meaning of the words is summarily this That in the days of the Gospel Believers should abundantly day after day with ready and strong desires draw forth unto themselves from Christ and his Gospel-Promises and Ordinances all those precious Benefits which are there stored up for them and that with as much joy as when thirsty men do meet with pure and wholesom waters wherewith they may quench their thirst yet withall these words with joy may be inserted as in opposition to the hard labour which men do usually undergo in drawing water out of deep Wells thereby to imply that their endeavours to draw forth these Spiritual Waters for themselves should be no way grievous and burdensome to them as the drawing of water useth to be unto men V. 4. And in that day shall ye say Praise ye the Lord c. See the Note 1 Chro. 16.8 The meaning is That in those days the faithful should not only praise God themselves but should also stir up one another to do it yea and that they should take care for the converting of others that they who being brought in to Christ might praise God together with them Call upon his name to wit as thereby acknowledging that in him is all your hope of Salvation yet it may be read as it is in the Margin Proâ—â—nim his name to wit by your thanksgiving and speaking to his praise declare his doing among the people to wit as all other the great works of God so especially what he hath done for mans Redemption by Christ See the Note Psal 57.9 make mention that his name is exalted to wit by the great things he hath done and by the making of them known throughout all Nations Ver. 5. Sing unto the Lord for he hath done excellent things c. Even this is also principally meant of the excellent things done by Christ for the Salvation of his redeemed Ones And therefore is that added this is known in all the earth Ver. 6. Cry out and shout thou Inhabitant of Zion c. that is shout for joy all ye that are of the Church and people of God for great is the holy One of Israel in the midst of thee that is God see the Notes Chap. 1.4 and Psal 48.1 But it may be meant also of Christ who dwelt in the midst of his people in regard of his bodily presence whilst he lived upon earth and did great and ineffable things for them even when he was of so little esteem in the eyes of the world and hath promised that he will by his Spirit be continually with them even unto the end CHAP. XIII VERSE 1. THE burden of Babylon c. See the Note 2 King 9.25 which Isaiah the son of Amos did see for which see the Note Chap. 1.1 In the twelve following Chapters the Prophet foretels the sore Judgments and ruine that should shortly come upon most of the foreign States and Nations round about them those especially upon whose help they had most relied or by whom they had been or
were hereafter like to be most vexed and oppressed such as were the Moabites the Syrians and others And this was purposely done that Gods people might see that these Judgments being thus foretold came from God and that all Nations are under his power and command that they might be afraid of those sins for which they saw them punished so severely as considering that if God spared not the wickedness of those heathen people much less would he spare them that had the Law and Word of God to inform them 3ly That they might not think that God dealt worse with them than with others or that he favoured those wicked Nations And 4ly That they might be comforted with this discovery of Gods love to them and tender care over them in the vengeance he would bring upon their mischievous enemies Accordingly therefore he begins first with foretelling the Destruction that should come upon Babylon the chief City of the Caldean or Babylonian Empire built at first as it is generally held by Semiramis but it seems greatly enlarged and beautified by Nebuchadnezzar as appears by that vaunting speech of his Dan. 4.30 Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom by the might of my power and for the Honour of my Majesty For because the Babylonians against whom this Prophecy was delivered in the year that King Ahaz died Chap. 14.28 were like to prove their most formidable enemies by whom Jerusalem was to be destroyed the Temple burnt and the people carried Captives into Babylon therefore to fore-arm the faithful against the terror of these sad Calamities and to support the poor Captives in that long Captivity it was most necessary that the downfal of the Babylonian should be foretold as the means whereby a way should be opened unto them for their return again into their own Country Ver. 2. Lift ye up a standard upon the high mountain c. This is spoken as in Gods name to the Medes and Persians that were to destroy Babylon And indeed the Medes are afterward in this Chapter expresly named ver 17. Behold I will stir up the Medes against them By the high mountain some understand Babylon and that this City though situated in a low plain Country is so called either because in its vast greatness and the exceeding height and eminency of her buildings it looked like some great Mountain and seemed too as unmoveable as a Mountain or else because the State of Babylon did so proudly lift up her self and was at that time in Power and Glory exalted above all other Nations And indeed it is clear that upon these accounts Babylon is elsewhere called a mountain Jer. 51 25. Behold I am against thee O destroying mountain faith the Lord. Now they that thus understand these words do accordingly hold that by lifting up a standard upon this high mountain the taking of Babylon is intended because when a City is taken the soldiers are wont to set up their colours upon the walls and as a parallel place hereto they alledge that passage Jer. 51.12 Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon and to the same purpose they also expound the following words Exalt the voice unto them shake the hand because say they there is never more shouting nor lifting up and brandishing the sword in the hand than when a City is taken but with most of our best Expositors I rather conceive that the mention here made of lifting up a standard is to foretel the gathering together of a mighty Army for this service against Babylon See the Note Chap. 5.26 and to imply how readily upon the least sign or notice given soldiers should come flowing in to them and the standard is appointed to be lifted up upon the high mountain because they used in this case to set up their Ensigns and display their Banners upon the tops of hills and mountains from whence such a signal might best be descryed As for the following words exalt the voice unto them shake the hand either the same thing is intended to wit the calling in of soldiers near or far off by crying out or by beckning to them with the hand or else it is meant of giving them a signal whether by shaking the hand or by some shout or word of command by way of encouraging them to make an assault upon the City and that also to signifie how ready they should be to do it that they may go into the gates of the Nobles that is into the houses of the Nobles which is said because soldiers at such a time are wont to chuse to break into such houses where they expect the most and best pillage or into the gates of Babylon where the King kept his Court commonly and so most of the Nobility had their constant residence there or where many of the Inhabitants by reason of their great wealth lived like Princes or Nobles And withal observable it is that to signifie how easily they should prevail over this seeming strong and invincible City he speaks of the taking of it as if there were no more to be done for the effecting of it but their meer going into the gates without any resistance Ver. 3. I have commanded my sanctified ones c. That is by a secret instinct and guidance of my providence I will stir up the Medes and Persians under the conduct of Cyrus and Darius to go against Babylon And he calls them his sanctified ones because he had set them apart destined and prepared them for that holy service of destroying the wicked Babylonians Those that are separated to any any holy service of God are usually said to be sanctified thereto as we see in that which is said of Jeremiah Chap. 1.5 Before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a Prophet unto the Nations And accordingly because the Scripture doth usually speak of the slaughtering of wicked men as of a sacrifice offered up to God Ezek. 37.17 Speak unto evey feathered fowl and to every beast of the field Assemble your selves and come gather your selves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you c. And Zeph. 1.7 8. The Lord hath prepared a sacrifice he hath bid his guests And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lords sacrifice that I will punish the Princes c. therefore the Lord here calls those that were to slay the Babylonians his sanctified ones See the Note also Exod. 32.29 And so in the following words he calleth them his mighty Ones I have also called my mighty Ones for mine anger to signifie that God would furnish them with courage and strength to fit them for the service he had called them to even the pouring forth of his vengeance upon the Babylonians even them saith the Lord that rejoyce in my highness that is that will be chearfully forward to do my work upon Babylon with great bravery and gallantry and then
will with great exaltation triumph in the doing of it And this their valour their gallant success victory and triumph is called Gods Highness 1. because it was by God their Commander in chief that they should so gallantly demean themselves and attain so great glory by subduing and triumphing over the pride of Babylon And 2ly because the infinite eminency of Gods Power and Holiness and Justice as likewise of his Mercy and Faithfulness was gloriously discovered by the just vengeance that he brought upon that wicked and mighty City Babylon and the great deliverance which thereby he effected for his own people Ver. 4. The noise of a multitude c. The Prophet speaks this in such a manner as if he would report that he heard that actually doing which in the foregoing verse the Lord said he had commanded to be done As a Watchman set upon a Watch-Tower is wont first to relate what he hears and afterwards when he discovers what that noise was then to make known that too so doth the Prophet here The noise saith he of a multitude in the Mountains as of a great people as if he should have said Methinks I hear a confused noise upon the Mountains as is wont to be in a place where a great multitude of people are gathered together And then he tells what this noise was and that God was amongst them a tumultuous noise of the Kingdoms of Nations gathered together that is of people of several Nations and Kingdoms which is said because the army gathered against Babylon was to consist of many Nations according to that of the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 50.9 I will raise and cause to come against Babylon an assembly of great Nations from the North-Country And so again Chap. 51.27 28. The Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battel as if he had said And where this King of Nations is Commander in chief it is no marvel though such a numberless multitude come in to him upon the setting up of his standard as was said before ver 2. even a mighty army fit to vanquish such a mighty City As for the mountains here mentioned thereby may be meant either the mountains of Media and Persia where this huge Army was to be first gathered and mustered or else the mountains over which the Army was to march that they might break into Chaldea yet some think the mountains are particularly mentioned because Armies are wont to seize upon them as places of greatest strength and security and from thence their none is most easily heard far abroad according to that Joel 2.5 Like the noise of Chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap Ver. 5. They come from a far Country c. To wit from Media and Persia Countrys far distant from Babylon See the Notes Chap. 1.7 and 5.26 from the end of heaven see the Note Neh. 1.9 even the Lord and the weapons of his indignation that is the armies together with all their warlike Provision wherewith the Lord intends to fight in his wrath against Babylon to destroy the whole Land to wit not only the City but also the whole Country of Babylon Ver. 6. Howl ye c. As if he had said You O Babylonians that are now in so great jollity shall shortly howl for the extream miseries that are coming upon you for the day of the Lord that is the day wherein the Lord hath determined to take vengeance on Babylon See the Notes Job 24.1 and Psal 37.13 is aâ— hand which is spoken as with reference to what the Prophet had said before wherein he had spoken of those that were to execute this vengeance upon Babylon as if they had been already upon their way going thither It is true indeed that Jerusalem's destruction was nearer at hand than Babylon's for it was about two hundred years ere Babylon was destroyed and therefore there might seem to be greater cause to call upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem to howl than the inhabitants of Babylon But for this we must know that the drift of the Prophet here was to comfort the Jews against they came to be Captives in Babylon by letting them know how confidently they might expect that Destruction that is here threatned to Babylon And notwithstanding it was so long ere Babylon was to be destroyed yet 1. with reference to God to whom so long a time was but as a day And 2ly with reference to the security of the Babylonians who were so confident in the strength of their City and Empire it might well be said That this day of the Lord was at hand it being nearer indeed than any of them would have expected and see the Notes on the last verse of this Chapter it shall come as a Destruction from the Almighty that is it shall be inevitable and irreparable so grievous and horrid that every one shall plainly see that it was the work and from the wrath of an Almighty God Ver. 7. Therefore shall all hands be faint and every mans heart shall melt See the Notes 2 Sam. 4.1 Josh 7.5 and Psal 22.14 The Prophet doth here covertly deride the proud confidence of the Babylonians for when God should thus bereave them of all courage and strength what good alas would all their Wealth do them and all the strong Fortifications of their seeming invincible City Ver. 8. And they shall be afraid c. That is extream fear shall surprize them And this is mentioned as the cause of that feebleness and faintness threatred in the foregoing verse Pangs and sorrows shall take hold-on them they shall be in pain as a woman that travelleth that is they shall be inwardly tortured with grievous vexation and anguish of Spirit that shall suddenly seize upon them by reason of their terrors they shall be amazed one at another that is they shall stand silent gazing upon one another as men astonished to wit either as wondring mutually at their fear and faint-heartedness that they that had wont to be so renowned for courage and valour should now be so heartless and cowardly suffering themselves to be enslaved by the Medes and other Nations that had been formerly in subjection to them or else out of desperate perplexity of Spirit as being at their wits end not knowing what to think or what to say or which way to turn themselves though they were able enough to resist their enemies yet they should have no heart to do any thing that might tend thereto but as men overwhelmed with despair they should stand staring one upon another unable to encourage or counsel one another or so much as to express their minds or sorrows their faces shall be as flames that is red like fire say some as blushing for shame at the consideration of their strange distraction dismayedness and base fears according to that Ezek. 7.18 shame shall be upon all faces or as others think as being inflamed with anger and fury which indeed will usually make the blood to come into mens
faces as if they were all on a fire But I rather think it is meant of the paleness of their faces through fear which is that the Prophet is here speaking of and that therefore it is said their faces shall be as flames either because their faces should look pale and wan like the flame of a fire or else because their faces should be pale and swarthy and dim and dead-coloured and full of horror even as it useth to be with men that work at the Forge or that stand before some kind of fire that use to look as if they had no blood in their bodies so that this place may well be parallel'd with those Jer. 30.5 6. We have heard a voice of trembling of fear and all faces are turned into paleness and Joel 2.6 Before their faces the people shall be much pained all faces shall gather blackness Ver. 9. Behold the day of the Lord cometh cruel both with wrath and fierce anger c. This is thus expressed to set forth how cruelly God should cause the enemy to deal with them as it is said of Babylons enemies Jer. 50.42 They are cruel and will not shew mercy and that it should be from Gods just wrath against them that they should be so severely handled To lay the Land desolate and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it that is the wicked ungodly inhabitants thereof especially the great ones amongst them Ver. 10. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light c. To wit those figures in the Heavens consisting of many bright Stars such as those mentioned Job 9.9 The Sun shall be darkened in his going forth and the moon shall not cause her light to shine The drift of all these expressions is to set forth that the state of the Babylonians in that day should â—e extreamly sad and dreadful so full of horror confusion and distraction that they should not have neither by day nor by night the least glimps of comfort They may be intended to imply that the calamity of those times should be so grievous and horrible that the Heaven should as it were muffle up it self that it might not behold it Or because when the Sun and other the Heavenly lights do shine clear and bright God seems to smile upon men therefore Gods frowning upon the inhabitants of Babylon may be implyed by this darkning of them But I rather think that all that is implied is that they should be in a most doleful and dismal Condition void of all Comfort and not knowing which way to turn themselves insomuch that the very light of the Sun Moon and Stars which are so pleasing and delightsome to others should be as no light no way comfortable to them but rather displeasing and distastful to them neither should any of the Creatures yield them any refreshing or comfort See the like expressions Ezek. 32.7 Joel 2.10 31 and Matth. 24.29 Ver. 11. And I will punish the World for their evil and the wicked for their iniquity c. By the World is meant the Babylonian Monarchy that had brought the greatest part of the then known World into subjection under them according to that which Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.22 Thy greatness is grown and reacheth unto heaven and thy dominion to the end of the earth And it is the rather thus expressed to imply that no strength that is can stand before God and that if all the world conspire to rebel against him he can easily destroy them as he did the old world and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and I will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible See the Notes Chap. 2.11 and 10.12 Ver. 12. I will make a man more precious than fine Gold even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir The meaning is either 1. That the enemy should make such a mighty slaughter amongst the Babylonians that there should be but a very few of them left alive a man shall be a rare thing to be found amongst them See the Note 1 Sam. 3.1 Or 2ly That the soldiers should be so cruel to them that they should not spare their lives for the greatest quantities of the purest gold that could be tendered to them according to that which followeth ver 17. Behold I will stir up the Medes against them which shall not regard silver and as for gold they shall not delight in it which may seem the more probable because we read that in that night when Babylon was taken Belshazzar their King was slain Dan. 5.30 And it is likely that with him many of the great ones were likewise cut off that would have been glad to have redeemed their lives at a great rate But yet because we find not either in the Scripture or in any other History that there was such a general slaughter made of the inhabitants when Babylon was taken by the Medes and Persians therefore many learned Expositors do understand both this and that which follows of the utter Destruction of Babylon in future times whereof this subduing of that proud City by the Medes and Persians should be only the beginning yea our Annotations do propound it as considerable whether this that is said here That a man shall be more precious than fine gold may not be spoken with respect to Babylons being utterly deserted in the time of this her great danger by those auxiliary forces which they had taken in for their defence of which the Prophet speaks afterward again ver 14. Ver. 13. Therefore c. To wit that I may be avenged on them for their wickedness mentioned before ver 11. Or by reason of this grievous terror and dread that shall seize upon them when the Medes and Persians shall invade them I will shake the heavens and the earth shall remove out of her place that is they shall be in such extream confusion and destruction that the very Heaven and earth shall seem to them to shake and tremble See the Notes Chap. 5.26 and 2 Sam. 22.8 and Psal 76.8 Ver. 14. And it shall be as the chased Roe and as a Sheep that no man taketh up c. That is Babylon or the Babylonian army shall flee as a Roe chased by some Huntsman or wild beast or shall wander up and down like a stragling sheep that is not able neither by flight nor otherwise to secure it self and that hath no shepherd to take it up or defend it See Ezek. 34.6 The meaning is that they should not be able to bear the sight of the enemy but should presently run away and seek to shift for themselves and that no man should be able to keep them to their colours or to bring them to make a stand or to rally again together or else that no man should dare to receive them into their houses when they fled to shelter and hide them there And indeed that this is chiefly meant of the auxiliary
that neither the Arabians nor any other Shepherd should seek to fleed their cattel there See Jer. 50.3 to wit either because there should be no grass where the ruines of the City lay but only nettles and thorns and briars should grow up there or because of those terrible and hurtful Creatures that should lodg there as is expressed in the following verse or as some think because the very soil of the land thereabouts should be accursed of God However the drift of these words is to set forth the wonderful change that God would bring upon Babylon in that thievish Arabians and poor shepherds shall not vouchsafe to have their abode there where Kings and Princes had wont to dwell Ver. 21. But wild beasts of the desert shall lye there c. That is such as use to lodge in desert places The word in the Original Ziim is derived from an Hebrew word which signifieth a wild and waste place Psal 68.6 And therefore it is sometimes used for people that inhabit such dry and desert places as in Psal 72.8 where this word is translated they that dwell in the wilderness But here it must needs be meant of some wild Creatures living in such solitary places for which see the Note also Psal 74.14 and their houses shall be full of doleful Creatures Octim it is in the Hebrew which seems to be derived from an Interjection of exclaiming and crying out in a time of affrightment and fear or else of mourning or groaning and consequently Interpreters hold that the word imports either Creatures of such a terrible aspect that they should make men when they see them cry out for fear or else such as make a mournful doleful noise and Owls shall dwell there see the Note Job 30.29 It is in the Hebrew the daughters of the Owle that are wont to make a dreadful skreeking noise when their Dams are from them especially when they want food But that may be only an Hebraism and Satyrs shall dance there whereby I conceive is meant either some kind of strange monstrous ugly beasts which seems the more probable because elsewhere the Prophet speaks of them as of beasts that are wont to cry one to another Chap. 34.14 The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the Island and the Satyr shall cry to his fellow or else Divels appearing to men like hairy shag Creatures See the Note Lev. 17.7 such as it may well be the Satyrs were of whom the Ancients speak so often that used to haunt Woods and Deserts having faces and hands like men and going upright as men do but yet were horned and hairy and cloven-footed like Goats And indeed such unclean Spirits love to appear and to haunt men in such solitary places because there men are most apt to lie struck with terror and thence may that be Math. 12.43 When the unclean Spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places And that Prophecy concerning mystical Babylon is fully parallel with this Revel 18.2 Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a â—â—ge of every unclean and hateful bird Ver. 22. And the wild beasts of the Islands c. That is that breed or keep in Islands void of Inhabitants and whereto others do seldom or never come Shall cry in their desolate houses and Dragons in their pleasant Palaces that is shall answer one another with a loud cry See the foregoing Note And her time is near to come c. That is the time of the beginning of the miseries here threatned against her when Babylon was to be taken by the Medes and Persians See the Note above ver 6. And so likewise in the following words And her days shall not be prolonged either the same is again repeated to wit that the day of her overthrow should not long be deferred or the meaning may be that the days of her prosperity should not continue much longer CHAP. XIV VERSE 1. FOR the Lord will have mercy on Jacob c. This is given as a reason why God would hasten the destruction of Babylon foretold in the foregoing Chapter as he had said he would do in the last words of that Chapter to wit that the Jews might by Cyrus who was to subdue Babylon be sent home again into their own Country See the Note Ezra 1.1 For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own Land that is He will yet again receive them into his favour whom he had cast off for a time as if he had chosen them anew or He will by appearing wonderfully for them make it evident that they were his chosen people or He will chuse or pick out the remnant of his people whom he intends to deliver out of the places where they were dispersed And by Jacob and Israel are meant the Posterity of Jacob the Jews principally those of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin but together with them those likewise of the ten Tribes that came in to those of Judah in the days of Hezekiah and so were with them carried into Babylon and afterward sent back with them into the Land of Judea And the strangers shall be joyned with them and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob that is many of the Heathens amongst whom they had lived in Babylon Chaldeans Medes and Persians being converted to the Jewish Religion either by the instruction and perswasion of the Jews or by observing the holiness of their lives or by taking notice of the wonder of their deliverance out of Babylon see the Note Psal 126.2 shall joyn themselves to them and go along with them to Jerusalem see Ezra 2.65 as it was with the Israelites when they went out of Egypt see the Note Exod. 12.38 But though this was partly thus accomplished as in a Type by strangers joyning themselves to the Jews in their return into their own Land yet the conversion of the Gentiles in the days of the Gospel when they joyned themselves to the Church of the Jews is the principal thing here intended Ver. 2. And the people shall take them and bring them to their place c. That is say some Expositors the several Tribes and Families of the Jews shall take those strangers those Proselites mentioned in the foregoing verse that had joyned themselves to the house of Jacob and receiving them into their company and society shall carry them along with them into the Land of Israel But the meaning rather is that the people of several Nations the Babylonians Medes and Persians with others that dwelt in the way whereby the Jews were to return home into their own Country should afford the Jews all the respect and help they could in and for their return into Judea entertaining them and encouraging them on their way and furnishing them with cattel and carriages and all other necessary
accommodations for their Journey as Cyrus had commanded See the Note Ezra 1.4 and see also Neh. 2.7.9 And the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord see the Note Exod. 15.17 for servants and handmaids that is many of these people shall become servants to the Jews when they are setled in their own Land And this some understand of those Proselites or Strangers that had joyned themselves to the Jews either that they should be as serviceable to the Jews as any servants could be or else that in process of time some of them or their children should be sold to them for servants which was indeed agreeable to God's Law concerning Servants Levit. 25.44 45 46. And others again understand it of the Babylonians who being vanquished by the Medes and Persians should be sold by them to the Jews for slaves or by reason of their penury should voluntarily yield themselves up to be their servants Whereupon it follows And they shall take them captives whose captives they were and they shall rule over their oppressors that is those Nations should be servants to the Jews to whom the Jews had formerly been in bondage which some also extend to the Jews vanquishing and bringing into bondage those Nations after their return out of Babylon in the days of the Maccabees as had before lorded over them But now most Expositors understand all this spiritually as well they may of the conversion of the Gentiles by the Ministry of the Jews in the days of the Gospel to wit that the Jews should by the Preaching of the Gospel bring those Nations under the yoke of Christ to whom they had formerly been captives and hereupon the Gentiles should shew great respect to them as owning them to be God's first-born people and should submit themselves to the word of the Gospel and should be subservient to the believing Jews in labouring to establish Christ's Kingdom in the world and in gathering in his Elect to his Church So that the Dominion here promised to the Jews over the Gentiles is not a Temporal Dominion but a Spiritual their ruling over them in the Lord. See 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. Lâ—ke 22.25 26. 2 Cor. 1.24 and 1 Pet. 5.3 Ver. 3. And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow c. That is when thou shalt be delivered from thy Captivity in Babylon and from all the griefs and fears and sore miseries thou there enduredst Ver. 4. That thou shalt take up this Proverb c. or taunting speech See the Note Numb 21.27 against the King of Babylon to wit Belshazzar the last of the Babylonian Monarchs together with whom that State fell and say How hath the Oppressor ceased the golden City ceased That is the City that was so full of Gold and was so confident in her excessive wealth And therefore set forth by a head of Gold Dan. 2.32 38. and by a golden cup Jer. 51.7 Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lords hand It is spoken by way of deriding Babels pride and confidence as if it had been said How is it possible that this cruel Tyrant and his golden Monarchy should be thus ruined in one night and so by that means the poor people of God be delivered from their bondage That which we render the golden city some translate the exactress of gold that is the City that drained all the gold from other Nations But our Translation I conceive is the best However observable it is that the word in the Original seems to be Syriack the language then used amongst the Chaldeans Dan. 2.4 and so the Prophet mocks the Chaldees with a word taken from the Chaldean tongue Ver. 5. The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked and the Scepter of the Rulers See the Notes Chap. 9.4 and 10.5 This is in answer to the foregoing question vers 4. as if the Prophet had said Wonder not at the sudden destruction of Babel It is the Lord that hath done it by way of taking vengeance on them for their horrid wickedness and oppression Ver. 6. He who smote the people in wrath c. To wit Not in a way of Justice but of Rage and Fury with a continul stroak that is immoderately and implacably and with extreme cruelty He never thought he had laid on load enough neither was there any pacifying his wrath And therefore the Prophet adds that the like should be done to him He that ruled the Nation in anger is persecuted and none hindereth that is he shall be destroyed inevitably and irreparably he shall not be able to defend himself and for others they shall not be able neither shall they have any mind to do it Ver. 7. The whole earth is at rest and quiet c. That is the Inhabitants of the world that could never be quiet for this proud City They break forth into singing to wit for the downfal of this great oppressing Empire Ver. 8. Yea the Fir-trees rejoice at thee c. Some understand this Figuratively of those States and Princes that had been oppressed formerly by the Babylonians See the Note Chap. 2.13 But it is better understood literally that it should be a joy as it were to the trees of the Forest that the Babylonian was destroyed because he had wont to make such havock in felling down the Fir-trees and as it follows the cedars of Lebanon that were so far from him partly to make passages for his Armies and partly for the building of his Houses and Ships and for the raising of his Bulwarks and other uses in his Wars whereas now the Babylonian being hewed down they should stand quietly in their places without any molestation Since thou art laid down say they no feller is come up against us And indeed it may well be that this is spoken with reference to that which had been said before Chap. 2.13 concerning the great havock that should be made by the Babylonian in the forest of Israel Ver. 9. Hell from beneath c. Or rather the grave from beneath because this agrees best with that which followeth ver 11. Thy pomp is brought down to the grave the worm is spread under thee and the worms cover thee Having related how all the inhabitants of the earth yea even the senseless creatures the trees should rejoyce at the down-fall of the Babylonian Monarch the Prophet now proceeds to shew in a like poetical strain that not only the living but the dead also from beneath should rejoice at his ruin and death and insult over him To which end he speaks here of Hell or the grave as under the person of some great Prince or King having the dead under his dominion and command Hell or the grave from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy comming whereby seems to be meant either 1. That this Prince of the lower Regions was moved with fear to wit at the report of the coming
worse their condition should still be The meaning of all is That it was no wonder though the wise men of Egypt should thus play the fools because the Lord should infatuate them Ver. 15. Neither shall there be any work for Egypt which the head or tail branch or rush may do That is Neither the King nor his Wizzards neither high nor low shall be able to advise or do any thing or at least to effect any thing intended or desired that may be any advantage to them to save or help them See the Notes Chap. 9.14 15. Ver. 16. In that day shall Egypt be like unto women c. That is the Egyptians shall be fearful and faint-hearted see the Note above ver 1. and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts which he shaketh over it That is because the Lord God whose wrath and power is irresistible shall by raising up the Assyrians to invade them terrifie Egypt and as it were threaten to destroy it see the Note Chap. 10.32 In this expression of the the Lords shaking his hand over it there seems to be an allusion to Moses his stretching out his hand at Gods command over the Red-sea for the bringing back of the waters thereof upon the Egyptians whereby they were drowned and destroyed Exod. 14.26 27. Ver. 17. And the Land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt c. As if the Prophet had said Yea before the Assyrians shall invade Egypt when the Egyptians shall hear of the Assyrians prevailing in the Land of Judah and the great havock they had made there that Hezekiah had sent the Treasures of his Kingdom and of the Temple to him and had tendered to become his Tributary Vassal and yet could not by all this purchase Peace from him concerning all which see 2 King 18.13 14. this shall exceedingly affright the Egyptians the land of Judah being thus sorely afflicted and endangered shall be a terror unto the land of Egypt 1. Because Judea being such a near neighbouring Country and standing as a wall between them and the Assyrians the land of Judah being subdued there would be a clear way opened for the Assyrian to enter Egypt and little hope there would be that they alone should be able to withstand such a potent Enemy 2. Because of the strict Confederacy that had often been betwixt these two States of Egypt and Judea and the readiness of the Egyptians upon all occasions to help the Jews see 2 King 17.4 and 18.21 which might provoke the Assyrian the more against Egypt And 3. Because if God had not spared his own people the Egyptians might well think that he would much less spare them This I conceive is the true meaning of this place And accordingly it followeth Every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself That is every Egyptian yea some extend this to all other Nations that shall have occasion to speak of the land of Judah to wit of the miseries that are befallen that Country shall be struck with terror the very thinking of the place shall make them tremble Because of the counsel of the Lord of Hosts which he hath determined against it that is because of God's determinate Counsel for the destruction of the Land of Judah which they shall see executed upon it Or because by the ruin brought upon the Land of Judah they shall see that he hath determined also to destroy Egypt Some I know understand this whole verse of the fear wherewith the Egyptians should be surprized when they should hear how wonderfully God had destroyed the Assyrian Army that under Sennacherib had invaded Judea to wit that finding hereby what a mighty God the Jews had to defend them they should not only fear the Lord but also the people of the Lord according to that which the Egyptians said of old Exod. 14.25 Let us flee from the face of Israel for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians and that Deut 28.10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the Name of the Lord and they shall be afraid of thee See also 2 Chron. 32.23 But the former Exposition I judg the more genuine Yet some that understand it so hold it is meant of the destruction brought upon the Land of Judah by the Chaldeans not of the waste that was made therein by the Assyrians Ver. 18. In that day c. That is after these judgements have been fully executed upon Egypt see the Note Chap. 4.2 shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan that is the Hebrew tongue the language which the people of God spake that were planted by God in the Land of Cannaan which is therefore also called the Jews language Neh. 13.24 See the Note also Gen. 11.1 But the meaning is that the inhabitants of certain Cities in Egypt such as God had ordained unto life eternal should embrace the Religion of the Jews and become one people with them professing the same Faith and conversing together with them as if they had been the same people and spake all the same tongue notwithstanding the deadly enmity that had formerly been between the Egyptians and the children of Israel of which see Gen. 43.32 Yea and that they should by their praying to God and praising of God and by the holiness of their speech in every regard manifest themselves to be the people of the Holy God of Israel according to that Zeph. 3.9 Then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent As for the number of five cities here mentioned In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan I do not think that this is spoken with reference to the five Principalities that were formerly in the Land of Egypt 1 Sam. 6.4 for in the times the Prophet was immediately before speaking of Egypt was divided into Twelve Kingdoms Nor that the Prophets intent was hereby to imply that a fith part in five of the Cities of Egypt should embrace the Faith which some hold because of the following clause one shall be called the City of destruction It is only I conceive a certain number put for an uncertain and that which is only intended is that a considerable number of the Cities of Egypt should embrace the Religion of Gods people And because he speaks of the conversion of Cities in general this must needs be meant of their conversion to the Faith in the days of the Gospel not of some few that might be won to embrace the Jewish Religion in the days before Christ by those Jews that should fly into Egypt for shelter upon occasion of any troubles that should be in the Land of Judah And so likewise we must understand those following words and swear to the Lord of hosts to wit that the Egyptians should
by being baptized renounce all idolatries and give up themselves to the service of the true God even as Subjects are wont to take an Oath of Fealty and Allegiance to their earthly Princes as owning the Lord to be only Omniscient God and the Judg of the world that will be avenged on all perjured persons see the Note Psal 63.11 And then for the last clause some read it as it is in the Margin one shall be called the city of the sun and so they take the meaning to be that the city of the sun where there was a Temple built to the Sun one of the chief Idols of the Heathens which they take to be the same that is by the Greeks called Heliopolis should be one of those Cities that should speak the Language of Canaan and that the Prophet's intent is hereby to signifie that even those that were most addicted to Idolatry should embrace the Christian Faith But if we read it as it is in our Bibles One shall be called the city of destruction the meaning must needs be either 1. That some few of the Cities of Egypt should refuse to embrace the Christian Faith as many oâ—her of their Neighbour-Cities had done and so should be esteemed by the faithful Cities destined to eternal destruction Or else 2. That amongst those Cities that should speak the language of Canaan there should be some few or one particularly that for its former horrid idolatry or for its standing out long obstinately against the Doctrine of the Gospel should be deemed a City near to destruction or appointed to destruction that should yet afterwards embrace the Truth and become together with the rest the people of God Ver. 19. In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt c. That is in the very inmost parts of the land but see the Note Chap. 10.2 The meaning is that even in Egypt they should worship the God of Israel in the spiritual Gospel-way whereof the Altars and Sacrifices amongst the Israelites in the time of the Law were types and shadows For thus it is usual in the Old Testament to speak of the worship of God in Gospel-times under those expressions of the Rites and Ceremonies that were then in use amongst the people as in Mal. 1.11 My name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered to my name and a pure offering See also Chap. 56.7 and Joel 2.28 And hereto agrees that which followeth and a pillar in the border thereof to the Lord That is a pillar erected to the honour of the true God or whereon there should be engraven To the Lord Jehovah even as it was a custom to set up pillars as marks of the bounds of Countries and Kingdoms whereon there used to be the Arms or some other memorial of the Prince to whom the Country belonged But there is doubtless an allusion in these words to the pillars which the people of God were wont to set up as monuments and memorials of some special mercies they had there received from God or of their worshipping of God there See the Notes Gen. 28.14 Exod. 24.4 and Josh 24.26 27. So that the meaning of that which is here said is only this That all Egypt over yea in the very border and out-skirts of the Country in the pure exercises of Gods worship and other monuments and tokens of Christian piety there should be such evident signs of the true Religion being setled there that as soon as any man should enter into the land of Egypt he should presently see that they owned the God of Israel to be their God and that the true Religion was professed there Ver. 20. And it c. That is That Altar and consequently also that Pillar set up in the land of Egypt mentioned in the foregoing verse shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the Land of Egypt That is they shall be a sign that the Egyptians do own themselves to be his peculiar people and that he is worshipped there And what is meant by the Altar and Pillar is shown in the foregoing Note to wit the open profession they should make of their Faith and their thankful acknowledgment of the free Grace of God in bringing them into a state of Salvation together with the service which they should constantly and openly yield unto God in praying to him and praising his Name For they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressâ—rs c. This is added say some to shew how the Egyptians came to be converted and to own and serve the true God and accordingly some understand this of those spiritual oppressors Satan Sin and Death to wit that being brought to be sensible of this spiritual sore bondage under which they were heâ—d they cried unto the Lord for deliverance which may seem the more probable because of that which follows and be sent them a saviour to wit Jesus Christ And again others understand it of Tyrants that oppressed them in their outward estate but withal hold that this is mentioned as the occasion of their turning to the true God to wit that being sorely afflicted hereby and finding no help in their Idol-Gods they should hereby be the better fitted and prepared to turn unto the true God when in the Ministry of the Gospel Grace came to be tendered unto them whereupon that followeth and he shall send them a saviour and a great one that is a great Saviour the great God and our saviour Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks Tit. 2.13 and he shall deliver them But I rather think that this is spoken of the Egyptians after their conversion and that this is added to shew how those signs of their worshipping the true God should come to be every where seen amongst them the Altar and the Pillar intended in the foregoing Verse namely because under all their oppressors they should cry unto the Lord and their Saviour the Lord Christ should surely deliver them Ver. 21. And the Lord shall be known to Egypt and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day c. The same thing seems to be said here two several ways and that because this of their being brought to the true knowledg of God was a mercy of so great importance even the foundation of all their bliss and happiness yet two distinct things may be implied hereby as 1. That God should reveal himself to the Egyptians by the preaching of the Gospel And 2. That hereby through the enlightning of Gods Spirit they should effectually be brought to know the Lord and so God that was before known only in Judea should be now known in Egypt too Or by the first clause may be meant that the Egyptians should be brought to the knowledg of God and by the second that they should make acknowledgment of that God whom they now knew by serving him in a Gospel-way
but also that their smoothness might cause the weapons that lighted upon them to glide away and not so easily to enter them Yet some I know hold that in these words the Babylonian Princes are advised Ironically to arise and make them another King that might be a shield to them instead of Belshazzar that was staing or to submit to their King Darius Dan. 5.30 31. For which see the Note Psal 47.9 Ver. 6. For thus hath the Lord said unto me c. Here the Prophet proceeds farther to relate the burdensom vision which God had revealed unto him concerning the Destruction of Babylon and that to assure those to whom he spake that what he had foretold would certainly be neither is there indeed any reason why we should say with some others that this was another Vision and so multiply Visions needlesly when all may as well be understood of the same Vision Go set a Watchman let him declare what he seeth Because when Isaiah foretold this Ruine of Babylon there was no appearance of the least likelihood of any such thing therefore in the Vision that he saw he was appointed to set a Watch-man upon a high Watch-Tower that should faithfully declare what from thence he descried And this I conceive was to imply that though at present there was no appearance of that which he foretold yet he had said nothing but what as Gods Watchman by the revelation of Gods Spirit he had as it were from Heaven fore-seen coming upon the Babylonians and therefore though it were seen as that which was afar off yet assuredly it would come to pass And indeed upon this account Prophets are often called Watchmen in the Scripture as in Ezek. 3.17 Son of man I have made thee a Watchman unto the house of Israel There is much arguing amongst Expositors concerning this Watch-man which Isaiah should set Some think that all intended hereby was that he himself should as a Watchman from his Watch-Tower descry what God would reveal to him and this they would make good from that which followeth ver 10. That which I have heard of the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel have I declared unto you Again others say that Isaiah is here commanded to appoint some other Prophet or some Son of the Prophets as a Watchman to expect what God by Vision would reveal to him concerning this business and faithfully to relate what he had seen But methinks it is clear that all this is only a relation of what Isaiah had seen in his Prophetical Vision namely that God bad him set a Watchman in a Watch-Tower that should faithfully make known what he should see And accordingly in the following Verses he tells us what this his Watchman did in this his prophetical Vision both see and say Ver. 7. And he saw a Chariot with a couple of horsemen a Chariot of Asses and a Chariot of Camels c. That is The Watchman whom in his Vision at Gods Command he had set in a Watch-Tower Now the sight here related which this Watchman saw some understand thus that there was but one Chariot drawn by an Ass and a Camel and therefore called a Chariot of Asses and a Chariot of Camels and two horsemen riding thereon which they say represenâ—ed Cyrus and Darius But in our Translation it seems to be clearly said That he saw three Chariots one drawn by Horses whereon two horsemen rode besides those that were in the Chariot or which was guided or accompanied with a couple of horsemen and the other two were drawn the oâ—e by Asses the other by Camels And some add too That by the couple of horsemen that accompanied the first Chariot is meant two troops of horsemen However this which he saw was doubtless the Armies of the Medes and Persians that were under the Command of Cyrus and Darius to invade Babylon and wherein there were a multitude of Horses and Chariots and Asses and Camels partly for military service and partly for the carriage of their baggage and all manner of Provisions for their Army which must needs be exceeding great both in regard of the many desert places they were to march through and the uncertain length of the siege of Babylon which was so strong a City the main thing they had in design And he hearkned diligently with much heed That is The Watchman before mentioned Ver. 6. proceeded to look about and to hearken with all possible diligence to see if he could discover any thing more and that he might fully inform himself concerning that which he saw as which way they bent their course and what they intended to do And considering that this Watchman did represent Gods Prophet in his making known the destruction that was to come upon Babylon hereby is implyed how solicitously careful he was fully to inform the people of all that God was pleased to reveal to him Ver. 8. And he cried A Lion c. That is The Watchman before mentioned perceiving the military forces approaching to Babylon cried out Behold it is a Lion And this is commonly thought to be meant of Cyrus or Darius who for his fierceness is compared to a Lion as also Jer. 50.44 Behold he shall come up like a lion But now the best of our Interpreters do read these words as it is in the margin of our Bibles And he cried as a Lion and the meaning they say is That being frighted with the sight of such a potent enemy ready to break in upon Babylon he cried out with an exceeding loud voice like the roaring of a Lion thereby as it were to waken the sleepy Babylonians and to make them sensible of the danger they were in that so they might presently betake themselves to their Arms. Now the words that he spake with such a loud voice are those that follow My Lord I stand continually upon the Watch-Tower in the day time and I am set in my ward whole nights And he began with making this profession of his constant vigilancy and faithful discharge of his trust either to the Prophet that had set him in his Watch-Tower or else to the Lord who had appointed Isaiah to do so See the Note before ver 6. that he might the better clear himself from being any way guilty of neglect if there came any danger to the place where he was set to watch And how this also did imply the diligence and faithfulness of the Prophet see in the foregoing Note Ver. 9. And behold here cometh a Chariot of men c. That is a Chariot or Chariots taking the word collectively wherein men use to ride not a Chariot or Waggon used only for carriage Here the Watchman before mentioned proceeds further to tell what he had discovered ver 6. concerning forces that were marching against Babylon Only some conceive that he speaks here as if he desired to make known the more fully to set forth the certainty of Babylons ruine that the forces which he had before
there is no place for comfort Now all this seems still to import a more desperate and comfortless condition than that whereinto God's people were brought by Sennacherib's Army in the days of Hezekiah Ver. 5 For it is a day of trouble and of treading down and of perplexity c. See the Notes 2 Kin. 19.3 By the Lord God of Hosts see the Notes Chap. 10.5 6. In the valley of Vision see the Note above ver 1. Breaking down the walls that is the enemies breaking down the walls of Cities and houses And they that understand this of the havock made by Sennacheribs Army in the days of Hezekiah do apply it to the fenced Cities which he took in the land of Judah before he came to Jerusalem 2 Kin. 18.13 But others hold that it is chiefly meant of Nebuchadnezzars storming Jerusalem And of crying to the mountains that is the shouting of enemies storming and sacking the City that shall ring even to the Mountains or the shrieking of the poor Jews as they ran with great outcries to hide themselves in the Mountains or that shall be so loud that they shall be heard even to the neighbour Mountains Yea some understand this of men who being in a desperate condition shall cry to the Mountains to fall on them and to cover them as it is expressed by our Saviour Luk. 23.30 Ver. 6. And Elam bare the quiver c. Here some of the Nations are mentioned that should be imployed either by the Assyrians or Babylonians in their Expedition against Judea or Jerusalem Elam bare the quiver That is the Persians were there see the Note Chap. 21.2 who were especially famous in those times for Archery whence is that Jer. 49.35 Behold I will break the bow of Elam the chief of their might And observable it is that this people that did now serve perhaps the Babylonians against the Jews were afterwards imployed by Cyrus to destroy Babylon Chap. 21.2 As for that which is added With chariots of men and horsemen see the Notes Chap. 21.7 9. And Kir uncovered the shield That is The men of Kir the Medes were also there with their glittering shields For Kir was a City scituate in Media see 2 Kin. 16.9 Amos 1.5 and the Notes before Chap. 15.1 These it seems were as much renowned for fighting with Sword and Target as the Persians were for Archery And because they were wont to wrap up their Shields when they used them not in cases or coverings to keep them from dust and rust which they pulled off when they were to go forth to War thence is this expression of the men of Kir's uncovering their shields Ver. 7. And it shall come to pass that thy choicest valleys c. As if it had been said O thou Valley of vision thy richest and pleasantest Valleys even those wherein happily thou hadst thy Gardens and Orchards thine Oliveyards and Vineyards shall be full of chariots lying in Siege about thee And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate to wit by way of blocking up the City or laying Siege about it or making ready for an Assault Ver. 8. And he discovered the covering of Judah c. As this passage is rendered in our Translation it must needs be meant either of God or the Enemy that invaded Judea of whom it is here said That he discovered the covering of Judah And because of that which follows in the sequel of this Chapter ver 15. concerning Shebna who is commonly thought to have been a chief Officer in Hezekiah's Court see the Note 2 Kin. 18.18 it is most probable that Sennacherib the Assyrian who besieged Jerusalem in his days is the enemy here intended If we take it as spoken of God then by his discovering the covering of Judah may be meant either 1. that he would take away their covering from them and leave them naked exposed to utter destruction for Prophetically he speaks of that which was to be as if it were done already and by their covering may be meant either that which might well have been a covering to them to wit his own protection had they not forced him by their wickedness to withdraw it from them or else that which they hoped would be a covering and safeguard to them as the City Jerusalem to which they fled from all parts of the land to shelter themselves Or the Temple which they looked upon as an invincible Sanctuary to them Or their Riches or strong Fortifications c. all which God threatens to strip them of Or 2. that he would discover their covering that is he would cause them to discover it and bring it forth to light to wit by bringing an enemy upon them that should cause them in all haste to run to their Armory and Magazine that had been long shut up to open it and bring forth their Arms and Ammunition wherein they hoped to secure themselves from the attempts of their enemies against them And thus understanding the words the following clause may seem to be added the better to explain this And thou didst look in that day to the Armor of the house of the forest Or 3. that he had discovered and found out wherein God may speak of himself after the manner of men what the covering of Judah was that is what it was wherein they trusted and wherewith they hoped to cover themselves from this storm that was coming upon them namely their own strength and the outward means they would with all diligence use to oppose their enemies And this indeed we see is largely set forth in this and the following verses But now if we understand these words as spoken of the enemy that he discovered the covering of Judah then the meaning must needs be that he had taken away their covering from them to wit by surprizing and beating down either their strong holds in the borders of their land or the walls and gates the rampirs and other outwarks with which they sought to cover and shelter the City Jerusalem And then for the next clause And thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest the drift of that I conceive is clear to wit that when the enemy was marching against Jerusalem their eye was presently upon the Armory and Magizine which they had in that City instead of looking to the Lord they looked to that as their main help and refuge And that this was the house of the forest which Solomon built is most probable see the Note 1 Kin. 7.2 yet see the Note also Cant. 4.4 And however we must still remember that it is not the using of outward means for their defence that is here condemned but their relying principally upon this with neglect of God But the great question still is What that day was which the Prophet here intended And thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest To which I answer that most Expositors hold that both
here and all along in the following verses the Prophet speaks as of things done already but only intends thereby how certainly they would thus do when the day of trouble and treading down threatned before ver 5. should by their enemies be brought upon them And those that understand hereby that woful day when Jerusalem should be taken and sacked by the Babylonians do add further that the Prophet doth purposely express the busie buffing they should then make for the defence of their City after the same way that was taken in the days of Hezekiah to defend it against Sennacherib's Army purposely to intimate that though they would seem herein to imitate that which Hezekiah had done 2 Chron. 32.2 3 c. yet there would be in them nothing of that Faith and Piety which was found in Hezekiah when he did so But for the fuller resolving of this Question see the Note before ver 1. Ver. 9. Ye have seen also the breaches of the City of David that they are many c. That is Hearing of your enemies marching against you ye took a view of your walls and so took notice of the many breaches therein which had not been minded in times of Peace that ye might repair them yea and that too in the walls of the inner City as fearing the enemy might break in thither which because it was long since taken by David from the Jebusites was therefore more peculiarly called the City of David see the Note 2 Sam. 5.7 And indeed of Hezekiah it is said that when he feared that Sennacherib would come and besiege Jerusalem he built up all the wall that was broken 2 Chron. 32.5 And that he gathered together the waters of the lower pool to wit both that the enemies Army might be distressed for want of water and that they in the City might all the time of the Siege be furnished with water for all occasions see the Notes Chap. 7.3 2 Kin. 20.20 2 Chron. 32.3 4. and Neh. 3.16 But see the foregoing Note ver 8. Ver. 10. And ye have numbred the houses of Jerusalem c. That is say some the men or the inhabitants of the houses to wit that they might by an equal proportion appoint a set number of those that were fit to bear Arms for the several services of the Siege for watching and warding and for being upon the Guards and such like Or that they might know what quantity of bread and other provisions would be requisite against the Siege in case they should be brought to give out allowances to the several Families therein But rather it is meant of the houses themselves that they took a strict account of the houses in the Suburbs upon and about the walls that there might be none left standing that might be advantageous to the Enemy to shelter themselves in nor any way out of which the Inhabitants might have any secret correspondence with them or that might be any way a hinderance to their repairing of the Walls or to the defence of the City which the following words seem to imply And the houses have ye broken down to fortifie the wall That is such houses as were not fit to stand ye pulled down that there might be room for such companies of Soldiers as were to be in a readiness for the defence of the walls and that with the Stone and Timber of those they pulled down the City-walls might be repaired Ver. 11. Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool c. We read of two walls which Jerusalem had Jer. 39.4 and which were fortified by Hezekiah for the better defence of that City against Sennacherib 2 Chron. 32.5 Now between these two walls it is said they made a ditch or a pond as a receptacle for the water of the old pool called elsewhere the upper pool see the Note Chap. 7.3 as likewise the foregoing Notes ver 8 9. But ye have not looked unto the maker thereof neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago That is whilst ye were thus eagerly intent upon the using of all outward means for the securing of your City ye never minded nor looked after God who had long ago made it an holy City an habitation for himself to dwell in and who had by his Providence raised it to that glorious condition wherein then it stood ye took no care by calling upon him and by turning from your evil ways to engage him to protect and defend your City who being the Maker thereof would certainly have preserved the work of his own hands if ye had sought to him in a right manner See the Note 2 Kin. 19.25 Some I know by the Maker thereof c. understand the Maker of the Pools and Water-works before-mentioned which God had provided for them And others understand it of the Lord as the Author of those judgments which according to what he had determined long ago were now to come upon them But the former Exposition I conceive is the best Only if we refer this to the times when they made such preparations to defend Jerusalem against Sennacherib's Army it must be understood of the generality of the Princes and people who might be regardless enough of God and rely wholly upon outward defences though Hezekiah and other the faithful Servants of God did chiefly look to God as their only sure refuge And yet even of Hezekiah himself it might be truly said that his Faith was exceedingly shaken when by his Ambassadors he begged peace of Sennacherib upon such base terms and pillaged the House of God that he might pacifie him 2 Kin. 18.14 16. Ver. 12. And in that day c. See the foregoing Notes ver 1. and ver 8 9. did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning to wit by his Prophet who gave them warning of the Judgments that were coming upon them and invited them to Repentance for the prevention of those evils and likewise by the Judgments themselves which God had brought upon them and upon their Brethren of the ten Tribes And because the Jews were wont by publick Proclamation to invite the People to Fasting and Mourning as it is said of Jehoshaphat that he proclaimed a Fast throughout all Judah 2 Chron. 20.3 it may well be that there is an Allusion thereto in this expression of the Lord 's calling them to weeping and to mourning As for the following words And to baldness and to girding with sackcloth we must know 1. That by baldness is Hyperbolically meant bitter and passionate mourning as when men did in that case shave their heads see the Note Job 1.20 or tear off the hair of their heads and beards as it is said Ezra did Ezr. 9.3 which though it were forbidden God's people in their mourning for the dead see the Note Levit. 19.27 yet in case of publick Calamities and Repentance so that it proceeded not from Despair and Impatience of Spirit but
that the possession of houses and the supreme command over Towns and Cities is usually given unto men by the delivering up the keys to them therefore even in these times they that have chief Charge and Government in the Courts and Houses of Kings have usually a Golden Key as the sign and badg of their Office And some think that it was so with Eliakim at least that he wore the figure of a key made with embroidered work upon his cloak and that thence it is said that the Key of the house of David should be laid upon his shoulder But these are mere conjectures The true reason why it is said that this Key of Government should be laid upon his shoulder was to signifie the great weightiness and burden of that charge which was hereby imposed upon him see the Notes Chap. 9.6 And to hint it may be the abilities wherewith God had furnished him for so great a service that God had given him shoulders fit to bear such a burden So he shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open that is he shall have absolute Power for the governing of the Royal Family and for the ordering of all things therein Nothing shall be done without him nor shall any man have power to cross or hinder him in what he will have done And herein was Eliakim a type of Christ whence it is that St. John clearly in reference to this place doth set forth the Supreme Power of Christ in and over the Church in these very terms Rev. 3.7 He that hath the key of David he that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth Ver. 23. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place c. To wit As a nail which men use to fasten surely in some wall or post that they may thereon hang their houshold Utensils see the Note Ezra 9.8 The meaning is that God would so settle him in that Office whereto he was to be advanced that he should never be removed from thence as Shebna should be As he would make him constanly iust and faithful in his place that he should no way deserve to be removed so he would also secure him from being injuriously or causelesly thrust out And he shall be for a glorious Throne to his Fathers house That is he shall be an exceeding great honour to the Tribe of Judah of which he is say some or rather to all his Kindred and Family and by his means they shall live in very great splendor and glory as great in a manner as if they were of the Blood Royal. And this is opposed to that which was before said of Shebna ver 18. that he should be the shame of his Lords house Ver. 24. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his fathers house the off-spring and the issue c. That is All his Kindred and Allies even they and their Posterity together with all the Honour and places of Dignity they enjoy shall wholly depend upon Eliakim that nail in a sure place as he was called in the foregoing verse and they shall willingly acknowledg that all their glory was derived to them from him And then the more fully yet to express how they should all even to the meanest of them receive some benefit by his greatness in the Kings Court following still the same metaphor he adds all vessels of small quantity from the vessels of Cups even to all the vessels of flagons or as it is in the margin instruments of viols that is both Cups and Pots of several weights and sizes and likewise all kind of musical instruments And the meaning is that not only the greater ones in his Family that were of most note and fittest for honourable Imployments should be preferred and upheld by him but that all of what rank and condition soever they were even to the very Servants of their Families should receive some advantage either in some imployment assigned or some respect given to them by reason of their Relation to him and dependance upon him Those I know that by his Fathers house do understand more generally the whole Tribe of Levi do accordingly expound these words in a larger extent to wit That all the people rich and poor should depend upon Eliakim and willingly submit to him and that he should uphold and defend not the Nobles and Rich and Great Ones only but even the poorest and meanest amongst them and all that belonged to them and that the benefit that should redound to the people by his wise ordering the Affairs of the Realm should continue from one Generation to another the off-spring and the issue Again others would have the meaning to be That all the Officers at Court even to the meanest of them should depend upon him and be at his disposing and be under his power and government But the former Exposition is clearly the most genuine Ver. 25. In that day saith the Lord of Hosts shall the nail that is fastned in the sure place be removed and be cut down and fall c. That is Shebna that seems now to all men to be so surely setled in his place that there is no likelihood of removing him even as a nail is nailed and fastened in a sure place and is himself most confident of it as appears by the stately Sepulchre he hath in Jerusalem built for his dead body ver 16. even he shall be thrust out of his Office that Eliakim may succeed in his place and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off that is All that had their dependance upon him shall sink with him and all the hopes of his wicked faction that rested and relied on him shall together with him fall to the ground CHAP. XXIII VERSE 1. THE Burden of Tyre c. See the Notes Chap. 13.1 and 2 King 9.25 Tyre was a City in Phoenicia lying upon the midland Sea yea in a manner encompassed with the Sea as Venice is and so was a Port and Mart-Town of greatest note in those times Ezek. 27.3 4. Say unto Tyrus O thou that art situate at the entry of the Sea which art a Merchant for the people of many Isles Thy borders are in the midst of the Seas See also the Note Psal 45.12 when Canaan was divided by Joshua this City fell to the lot of Ashur Josh 19.29 and that it was not far from Galilee is evident because it is said Matth. 15.21 That Jesus went thence into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon But it seems being a place of exceeding great strength and therefore called in that Josh 19.29 the strong City Tyre And in 2 Sam. 24.7 The strong hold of Tyre The Israelites were afraid to attempt it and so it continued still in the possession of the old inhabitants But now what the Judgment was wherewith this great City Tyre is here threatned in this burdensom Prophecy is very questionable Some hold it is meant
exceedingly enriched and made powerful and mighty is ruined and destroyed Ver. 17. And it shall come to pass in that day c. That is At that time when this Prophecy against Tyre shall be accomplished that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years that is just for so many years she shall lie in her ruines desolate and forsaken not minded nor regarded either by God or man see the Note Psal 13.1 Because in the following verse Tyre is compared to a harlot forgotten of her Lovers it may well be that in Allusion thereto it is here said That Tyre shall be forgotten that is That her Merchants should no more come at her for traffick But yet the Expression may well be understood more generally as including also Gods disregarding of her of whom it is therefore said afterward ver 17. that he would visit her as it were remembring her again in mercy As for the seventy years the time here prefixed for Tyres lying desolate I question not but that they must be counted from the time that Tyre should be taken by Nebuchadnezzar unto the ruine of the Chaldean Empire and consequently that they are in a manner just the same with the seventy years of the Jews captivity in Babylon and that because we find the Prophets foretold that at the same time when Nebuchadnezzar should destroy Judea and Jerusalem he should also subdue the other neighbouring Nations round about and particularly Tyre See Jer. 25.15 22. and 27.2 3. and Ezek. 26.7 And it is most probable that as the Jews were restored to their liberty upon the breaking of the Babylonian yoke by the Persians so it might be with other Nations too that were under the same bondage And this being so observable it is that Tyre who was punished for rejoycing at Jerusalems Destruction Ezek. 26.2 lay just as many years desolate as Jerusalem did As concerning those words that are added that for seventy years Tyre should be forgotten according to the days of one King Some would have the ground of this Expression to be That threescore and ten years are commonly accounted the time of a mans life that lives long See Psal 90.10 and consequently also of the life of one King and so they would have the words to be the same in effect as if it had been said according to the days of one man But because there is little or no strength in the Reasons they give why it is said according to the days of one King and not of one man I cannot approve of this Exposition The true meaning of the words is That Tyre should lie desolate and forgotten seventy years according to the days of one King that is of one Kingdom so Dan. 7.17 by four Kings is meant four Kingdoms or four different successions of Kings and Dan. 8.21 by the King of Grecia is meant a Succession of the several Kings of Greece and so that which is intended is That Tyre should lye waste so long as the Babylonian Empire should continue After the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot It is in the Hebrew It shall be unto Tyre as the song of an harlot But the meaning is either 1. That Tyre being rebuilt and become a famous Mart again should be as jocund and jolly as ever formerly she had been and as Harlots use to be when they are singing and sporting themselves amongst their Lovers Or 2ly That she should by all the art and skill she could use and by all the fair and pleasing Invitations and Promises she could make seek to win the Nations far and near to return to their old way of trading with her again even as an Harlot that having been forsaken of her Companions by reason of some foul Disease she lay under or some such other occasion doth upon her recovery by singing and all kind of flatteries and wantonness labour to entice and allure her youngsters to return to her again Or 3ly the meaning may be only That she should eagerly buckle her self again to her old way of Traffick wherein she is compared to a singing Harlot not only as I conceive to imply her eager intending her gain and profit which is the only thing the Harlot minds but also the fair and flattering Speeches the Frauds and Deceits wherewith Traders are wont too often to put off their Wares even as Harlots are wont to entice men to be dealing with them Ver. 16. Take an harp go about the City thou harlot that hast been forgotten c. Persisting in the Metaphor began in the last words of the foregoing verse the Prophet speaks here to Tyre as to some forsaken Harlot because it was it seems usual with such Strumpets thus to go playing and singing up and down the Cities thereby to entice their former Customers to look after them again Make sweet melody sing many songs that thou mayest be remembred that is That they may know thou art still living and where thou art to be had But that which is intended hereby is to foretel that Tyre being raised again out of her Ruines should like such an Harlot return again to her old Trade and use all the Devices she could to bring in the Nations to traffick with her again as formerly c. See the foregoing Note And it may well be also that the Prophet doth the rather use these Expressions Take an harp make sweet melody and in Allusion to this City's being formerly much addicted to such kind of Musick whence is that of the Prophet Ezekiel concerning Tyre Chap. 26.13 I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard See also Chap. 28.13 Ver. 17. And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years c. See the Note above ver 15. that the Lord will visit Tyre to wit in mercy raising her up to a prosperous estate again and she shall turn to her hire that is She shall return to her old gainful Trade of Merchandizing and shall commit Fornication with all the Kingdoms of the World c. that is as a Strumpet entertains all comers so shall she have Commerce with all Nations throughout the World and shall as greedily pursue her old filthy Gain by unjust and fraudulent Courses as ever she did Ver 18. And her Merchandise and her hire shall be Holiness to the Lord c. This is by the consent of almost all Expositors spoken of the times when the Inhabitants of Tyre should embrace the Christian Faith to wit That in those times they should consecrate their Merchandise and the Gain they got thereby to the service of God In those words Holiness to the Lord there seems to be an Allusion to that Motto that was engraven on the High Priests golden Frontlet Exod. 28.36 as there is also in Zach. 14.20 In that day shall there be upon the Bells of the Horses HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD but the meaning is That the Tyrians should then bestow
chambers that is betake your selves in your fears to the Chambers of my providence and protection to wit by a serious Meditation of Gods promises and his all-sufficiency goodness and faithfulness by renewing your Repentance by fervent prayer and trusting in him and hoping for deliverance from him for these are the secret hiding places under which Gods people may in times of danger and fear with much peace and quiet of spirit shelter themselves and patiently repose themselves and wait for the Salvation of God See the Notes Job 29.4 Psal 27.5 and 31.20 and 91.1 2. and Pro. 91.10 There seems to be an Allusion in the words to mens keeping within doors in times of stormy weather or to their fleeing to their houses and retiring there to the secretest and securest places they have and shutting the doors upon themselves in times of peril and dread Or it may be particularly to that charge which was given to the Israelites Exod. 12.22 not to stir out of the doors of their houses whilst the destroying Angel passed through the land of Egypt And to the same purpose is that which followeth and shut thy doors about thee that is persevere constantly in the use of these holy means for the securing and quieting your selves not admitting any temptation that should disquiet or perplex your spirits hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be over-past See the Note Chap. 10.25 Ver. 21. For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity c. As if he had said There is a great storm coming and therefore you had need to hide your selves the Lord shall from heaven appear in his dreadful judgments executing open vengeance upon those that dwell on the earth even as a King comes from his Palace to sit in the Judgment seat for the punishing of Malefactors Some I know hold That it is the Temple that is here called Gods place and so understand the words thus That though for a long time the Lord might seem to sit still in his Sanctuary and not to mind the wickedness of the men of the World yet at last he would come forth and shew himself by punishing them for their sins But I rather understand it of Gods appearing from heaven according to that of the Apostle Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men And because blood-shed especially the shedding of the blood of Gods people is a wickedness most hateful to God and which he doth usually punish most severely therefore is that added the earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain that is God shall then call men to an account and punish them for all the blood they have shed whether openly or in secret which before seemed not to be minded but to be as we use to say quite forgotten CHAP. XXVII VERSE 1. IN that day c. To wit When the Lord shall go forth to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their wickedness as was said in the last verse of the foregoing Chapter the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword that is by his infinite power used with great severity shall punish Leviathan that is the Whale or Whirlpool see the Notes Job 41.1 and Psal 104.26 the piercing serpent or as it is in the Hebrew the serpent crossing like a bar for the understanding whereof we must know 1. That all Creatures that glide along whether by earth or water with feet or fins are by the Hebrews called Serpents and 2ly That the Whale or Whirlpool is here called a barlike serpent either because it shooteth swiftly from one side of the sea to the other even as a bolt shoots swiftly into the staple or a bar from one side of the door to the other or because by reason of the huge bulk of his body and his mighty strength he seems invincible not to be over-born moved or stirred by any strength of any Creature no more than a gate or door can be moved that is shut up with bars of Brass or Iron And 3ly that this is rendred by our Translators the piercing Serpent either with respect to his swift piercing through the waves of the Sea as is before said or to his devouring or breaking through any thing that stands in his way And so likewise he is called a crooked Serpent because he passeth through the waters wrigling to and fro with winding and crooking motions and the Dragon the better to set forth his strength and terror even Leviathan that crooked serpent and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea But now the great question is who this Leviathan was that is here threatned Clear it is that this is meant figuratively of some mighty and dreadful Enemy of Gods people But all the difficulty is in determining who this great enemy here intended was Some understand it of the King of Egypt and that the rather because he is elsewhere termed Leviathan See the Notes Psal 74.13 14. and a whale in the Seas Ezek. 32.2 and a Sea-Dragon Ezek. 29.3 The great Dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers Again some apply it to the King of Assyria and others to the Babylonian Monarch whose Dominions lay upon the great River Euphrates And indeed if we would restrain it to one particular this last seems most probable But I rather think that it is to be understood generally and collectively of all cruel and mighty Tyrants that are enemies to the Church who for their vast Dominions wherein they rule at their pleasure for their Serpentine subtilty their crooked irregular ways and savage cruelty in devouring and destroying men are compared to these huge Sea-Monsters Yea considering that the Prophet seems here to look beyond the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon by the Medes and Persians destroying that Empire even to that greater deliverance of Gods People by Christ whereof the other was but a type I see not why the Devil may not be also mainly hereby intended as he makes use of wicked Tyrants as his instruments with respect whereto the expression is used by the Apostle The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16.20 who for his great power and subtilty and his Dominion over the wicked all the world over may well be termed a Leviathan the piercing Serpent and the Dragon as he is called Rev. 12.9 and the crooked Serpent because he winds and turns himself so many ways to deceive and destroy men And taking the words thus it is in effect all one as if it had been said That Christ should destroy the Devil and his Kingdom with all his instruments Ver. 2. In that day sing ye unto her c. That is when God hath destroyed his peoples mighty enemies as was said in the foregoing verse then shall ye with much joy sing this following song concerning the Church
see the Notes there But methinks the words in this place seem rather to set forth the desolation of their Country than the destruction of the Inhabitants Ver. 11. When the boughs thereof are withered they shall be broken off c. According to what is noted in the foregoing Verse some understand this also figuratively of the withering breaking off and burning the boughs of Gods Vine his Israel But rather this is added farther to set forth the desolation of their Town and Cities by shewing that as the Beasts should crop the Shrubs that grew there when they were green as was said in the former verse so being withered the boughs thereof should be broken off for firing as is expressed in the following words the women come and set them on fire For it is a People of no understanding c. that is a foolish People that will be made wise by nothing but stripes See the Notes Chap. 5.12 and Deut 32.28 Probable it is that this they are charged with more especially with respect to their brutish ignorance in forsaking the living God to go after Idol-gods therefore he that made them See the Notes Chap. 22.11 and Deut. 32.6 will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour that is say some who understand it of those whom God by this severity intended to reform God will not at all spare them but will proceed with some more than ordinary severity against them even as far as the rigour of fatherly chastisement may extend But I rather think that this is spoken of the body of the People of the Jews upon whom God poured forth his wrath without any mixture of mercy though withall he shewed mercy to a remnant amongst them as is shewn in the following verse Ver. 12. And it shall come to pass in that day c. to wit when God shall have proceeded with so great severity against his own People as is said in the two foregoing Verses and shall have thereby in some measure reformed them but see also the Note Chap. 11.11 that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt that is from Euphrates See the Note Chap. 7.20 unto the River Sihor which lay before Egypt Josh 13.3 or unto the River of Nilus either of which may be meant by the River of Egypt See the Notes Chap. 23.3 and Gen. 15.18 And the meaning seems to be that God would sever and take out his People from the Nations amongst whom they were scattered in all those Countries that lay between Euphrates and Nilus Assyria and Egypt for when the Jews were carried captives into Babylon many of them fled into Egypt See the Note Chap. 11.11 even as the Husbandman by beating severs the Fruit from the Trees or as by threshing he beats out the grain from the ears and straw or as by winnowing he beats out the corn from the chaff Some indeed do understand this of the Lords beating out the Israelites from their dwelling places all over the Land of Canaan which we find sometimes bounded by the River Euphrates and the River of Egypt and others of the beating over of all those Countries that lay between Euphrates and Nilus by the Medes and Persians when they subdued Babylon But the former exposition is far the clearest and best agrees with that which followeth and ye shall be gathered one by one O ye children of Israel to wit as Fruit is gathered up that is beaten off the Tree or as the Corn is gathered up when it is threshed and winnowed and laid up in Garners the meaning whereof is that though they were exceedingly dispersed yet they should be gathered together into one body and placed again in their own Land And this expression of their being gathered one by one is used purposely to intimate 1. the paucity of those that should be delivered in comparison of those that were at first carried away and scattered abroad according to a like expression Jer. 3.14 I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and will bring you to Zion And 2. the exact bringing in of all that were to have a share in this deliverance though they were severed never so far asunder that God would pick them up one out of one place and another out of another not one of them should be neglected and lost as it is said also Ezek. 39.28 I have gathered them unto their own land and have left none of them any more there But withall we must know that under this bringing home of the Jews to their own Land a greater mystery was intended by the Prophet whereof that was a type and shadow even the bringing in of God's elect People to the Church in the days of the Gospel first the Jews and afterward the Gentiles dispersed throughout the whole World as was said of Christ Joh. 11.52 that he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad Ver. 13. And it shall come to pass in that day c. See the foregoing Note that the great trumpet shall be blown that is As by the sound of trumpets a King gathers an Army or a Captain calls his Souldiers together that were scattered abroad so will I saith the Lord gather my people together that are dispersed in several Countries which though it were primarily meant of God's bringing home the Jews after the Babylonian captivity into their own Country yet under this as is already said in the foregoing verse the spiritual gathering in of Gods People to the Church of Christ is chiefly intended And therefore as by the trumpet is meant the Proclamation which Cyrus made for giving liberty to the Jews to return home into their own Country Ezra 1.1 2. so also the preaching of the Gospel that Evangelical Trumpet which was to be sounded all the World over for the bringing in of Gods Elect to Christ which may therefore the more fitly be called a great Trumpet And in this expression there may be an allusion either 1. to the silver Trumpets whereby the Israelites used to be called together to the Tabernacle or rather 2. to the Jubilee Trumpet by the sounding whereof there was liberty proclaimed to Captives and freedom for all to return to their Inheritances and Possessions which had been alienated for a time from them Or 3. to that Heavenly Trumpet wherewith at the last day all Gods Elect shall be gathered together to enter upon the full fruition of their purchased inheritance Mat. 24.31 As for the following words they set forth who they were that amongst others should be gathered in by this Trumpet and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria that is that were in Assyria which yet may be also meant of the Empire of Babylon as a lost People dispersed without hope of being ever restored to their own Country and the outcasts in the land of Egypt to wit such
as fled thither contrary to Gods express command when they were invaded and overcome by the Babylonians as is said in the foregoing Note and see the Notes also Chap. 16.3 and Psal 14.7.2 and shall worship the Lord in the holy Mount at Jerusalem and not Idol-gods as they had formerly done and under this the coming in of Gods Elect to the Church of Christ is comprehended CHAP. XXVIII VERSE 1. WO to the crown of pride c. Here begins a new Prophecy Wo to the crown of pride to the Drunkards of Ephraim See the Note Psal 78.9 that is wo to the Prince-like pride wherein the ten Tribes do so highly exalt themselves or rather wo to the proud State and Kingdom of the ten Tribes or wo to Samaria the royal City of the Kingdom of Israel that are even drunk with prosperity and so infatuated with the high conceit of their wealth and strength that like so many drunken mad men they are fearless of all evil regardless both of God and Man and carry themselves in every regard as a people void of all reason and understanding This I conceive may be meant by calling them the Drunkards of Ephraim Yet it may well be that as they are here threatned for their pride as often elsewhere Hos 5.5 and 7.10 so also for their Luxury and Drunkenness as Hos 7.5 In the day of our King the Princes have made him sick with bottles of wine And this seems the more probable because of the following words wherein the Prophet gives a hint why he had denounced this wo against them whose glorious beauty is a fading flower that is the splendor and glory of whose State wherein they do so exceedingly pride themselves is but like the beauty of a flower that will be quickly withered and gone to wit because the Assyrians were immediately to invade them who would soon put an end to all their gallantry and pride And it may well be that in this expression there is an allusion to the Crowns and Garlands of Flowers which they used to wear at their drunken Feasts which are on the head of the fat valleys that is say some which flowers grow in the best and chief of the Valleys as if it had been said The glory of these ten Tribes is but like the beauty of those flowers which are in those rich Valleys wherein they dwell But according to our Translation this relative which must needs be referred to the persons against whom this woe is denounced which are on the head of the fat Valleys of them that are overcome with wine or as it is in the Hebrew broken with wine to wit as being by their excessive drinking becomes Fools and stupid and made useless for any thing that is which Drunkards of Ephraim dwell in the chief and principal part of the Vale of Israel for the main body of the Land of Israel may be spoken of as a Valley because it lay beneath Mount Lebanon and was a very fat and fruitful Country or which abide in the Mountain of Samaria for Samaria was built indeed on a Hill in those fat Valleys See the Note 1 Kings 16.14 And so the Prophet may hereby seem to strike principally at the Princes and great Ones that had their residence in the Court and Royal City of Samaria However those words on the Head of the fat Vallies are certainly used with respect to those in the beginning of the verse Wo to the crown of pride c. Ver. 2. Behold the Lord hath a mighty and strong one c. to wit Salmaneser the Assyrian which as a tempest of Hail and a destroying storm as a floud of mighty waters overflowing shall cast down to the earth with the hand that is shall suddenly and easily overthrow and destroy all the glory of Israel the fading flower before mentioned for with respect to that he compares the Invasion of the Assyrians to a tempest even as a drunken man is easily thrust down with the push of a hand or with the hand that is by main might with unresistable force and violence And indeed the subduing and destroying of Samaria and the ten Tribes was effected with great speed and violence Ver. 3. The crown of pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot that is even this crown on the head shall with all possible scorn and contempt be trampled under the feet of their proud enemies But see the Note before ver 1. Ver. 4. And the glorious beauty which is on the head of the fat valley shall be a fading flower c. See again the Note above ver 1. and as the hasty fruit before the Summer that is say some rathe ripe fruits which is commonly as we use to say soon ripe and soon rotten and therefore not kept long for store but presently spent or rather as the early and first ripe fruit which for the novelty of it because by many it is much longed for and earnestly desired is commonly gathered betimes and eaten greedily many times before it be thoroughly mellow whence is the expression Mic. 7.1 My soul desired the first ripe fruit for that this is meant appears by the following words which when he that looketh upon it seeth it while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up that is as soon as ever he spieth it he presently plucks it and never lays it by but immediately eats it up And all this is to set forth how soon the ten Tribes should be ripe for ruine and how easily with what eagerness delight and speed the Assyrians should destroy them Ver. 5. In that day c. to wit When the ten Tribes shall be thus destroyed shall the Lord of Hosts be for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people that is He will be an exceeding great ornament and honour to the Kingdom of Judah This is opposed to that which he had said of the ten Tribes ver 1. Wo to the crown of pride c. And the meaning is that whereas Gods People might seem to be brought to a very low and contemptible condition when ten of their Tribes should be destroyed as is aforesaid God would be a sufficient honour and glory to the poor remnant of his People in the two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin to wit by his saving them from being destroyed with the other and continuing them to be his Church and People by that miraculous destruction of the Assyrian Army when Sennacherib should seek likewise to subdue them and by a happy re-establishment of his Church under Hezekiah which last is farther set forth in the next verse Ver. 6. And for a spirit of judgment c. Here the Prophet sets forth in part the means whereby God would make the state of Judah so eminently honourable and glorious both in peace and war And for a Spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment that is God will give their Kings and
be as the clay in the hand of the Potter to wit in that 1. All their contrivances should be in the eye of God as the clay is in the eye of the Potter And 2. That whilst they were winding and turning things up and down in their minds sometimes casting them into one shape and sometimes into another as the clay is molded now in one fashion and by and by in another they were all this while under the power and government of Divine Providence so that they could not do what they pleased themselves but only what God would have done and it was in the power of God to destroy them even whenever he pleased And this suits well too with that which followeth for shall the work say of him that made it He made me not c. the drift thereof being to shew that for men to think they can do any thing without God or against his Decrees who are in Gods hand as the clay is in the hand of the Potter is all one in effect as if they should deny they were his creatures Ver. 17. Is it not yet a very little while and Lebanon c. Here for the comfort of the faithful amongst Gods people the Prophet closeth this sad Prophecy as usually he doth elsewhere with many comfortable promises of much good that God would do for them shortly after the execution of the judgments before threatned to wit after the devastation of the land by the Assyrian Army or after their return from the Babylonian captivity which comparatively might be well called a very little while And first he begins with a promise of the great exceeding fruitfulness wherewith God would bless their land Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest that is those places that lye untilled wild and waste like a forest as Lebanon did shall become as fertile and yield as much fruit as those that are at present the most fruitful fields and those that are at present the most fruitful fields shall then become so much more fruitful than at present they are that in their present condition they may be esteemed as wild forests in comparison of what then they shall be or rather that the corn thereon should grow as high and thick as a forest see the Note Psal 72.16 I know indeed that this place may admit of several other Expositions which are given by Interpreters For because it is in the Hebrew Lebanon shall return to Garmeâ— and Carmel become as a wood or forest therefore some understand it as a farther threatning denounced against the Jews either 1. concerning the great devastation that should within a little while be made in the land by the Assyrian or Babylonian Army to wit that Lebanon should become like the plain fields of Carmel all the goodly trees therein being hewen down and that the fruitful fields of Carmel should become wild being over-grown with bushes like a wood or forest see the Notes Chap. 7.23 24. Or else mystically concerning the rejection of the Jews and the calling in of the Gentiles in their stead in the days of the Gospel which indeed very many learned Expositors do think is here intended to wit that the Gentiles that had been as Lebanon a fruitless forest should by spiritual manuring become as Carmel by reason of the multitude of believers amongst them abounding in the fruits of holiness and righteousness and that the Jews on the other side that had been as Carmel a fruitful field should become as a wild and fruitless forest according to that Mat. 21.43 The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof which they say is here foretold as a change that should shortly come to pass because many hundred years are with God but as a very little while And again others understand it as spoken figuratively to wit that the Assyrians that were exalted like Lebanon should lye low like Carmel namely when their Army was destroyed by the Angel of the Lord and the afflicted Jews should lift up their heads like the lofty trees of the forest of Lebanon But in regard the very same words in a manner are repeated again Chap. 32.15 and are there clearly a promise I cannot conceive that they are here to be taken as a threatning And for the latter of the two Expositions before given that doth no way suit with our Translation And therefore that which is mentioned first concerning the great fertility of the land I conceive was first and principally here intended by the Prophet And if it be taken as spoken in a mystical sense it must then surely be understood of the great abundance of Grace that should be in the Kingdom of Christ Ver. 18. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book c. That is say some In that day when Ariel shall be besieged when the judgments now foretold shall come upon Judah and Jerusalem they that were deaf and blind as to the word spoken by Gods Prophets and to whom therefore the word of God was a book sealed or which they could not read as was before said ver 11 12. shall then be constrained to yield to the truth of what hath been spoken But those are clearly promises of mercy And therefore the meaning rather is that in that day when after the accomplishment of these judgments threatned God shall begin to shew them mercy again many of those that were deaf to the word of God should attend to understand believe and obey it and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness that is they shall be cured of their spiritual blindness Yet though this was partly fulfilled in those that were in those times reformed by the judgments that God brought upon the land this Prophecy might have respect to a fuller accomplishment of it in the days of the Gospel see the Note Chap. 9.2 and that especially with respect to the conversion of the Gentiles Ver. 19. The meek also shall encrease their joy in the Lord c. That is The humbled faithful ones amongst Gods people see the Note Psal 22.26 shall exceedingly rejoice and that many several ways they shall have joy upon joy to wit for saving Grace wrought in their hearts for Gods preserving them in those publick judgments that had been upon the land and for their freedom from those wicked ones that had formerly tyrannized amongst them and the poor among men shall rejoyce in the holy one of Israel see the Notes Chap. 1.4 The meaning is that the poor that had been oppressed and those especially that were spiritually poor should rejoice in Gods salvation Ver. 20. For the terrible one is brought to nought c. That is Those that were formerly a terror unto my people shall be destroyed And this may be meant either of their foreign enemies the Assyrians or Babylonians see the
to them and that they desired not to be wearied any longer with the frequent repeating of this name to them But for this also see the foregoing Note Ver. 12. Wherefore thus saith the Holy one of Israel c. As if he should have said Though you flout at this holy name of the Lord God and though it be never so odious to you yet shall not I fear still and still to preach to you in his name and take notice therefore I say what this holy one of Israel saith concerning you Because ye despise this word to wit that before mentioned ver 7. The Egyptians shall help in vain c. Or rather more generally this word of Gods command that you should not seek unto Egypt for help but rely wholly upon God as indeed many will pretend a willingness to obey the word of God who yet when it comes to it will not obey the word which God speaks to them and trust in oppression or fraud and perverseness and stay thereon that is say some and trust in your riches formerly gotten by oppression and fraud and other unjust courses as hoping herewith to hire the Egyptians to help you But I rather conceive that by the oppression and perverseness wherein they are here said to trust is meant their furious and froward carrying on their designs of sending to Egypt for help contrary to Gods command not without a violent over-bearing of those that opposed it yea even the Prophets themselves that by warrant from God did reprove and forbid it Ver. 13. Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high wall whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant That is This your sin in trusting in your wealth so unjustly gotten and in the aid of Pharaoh which you hope to procure thereby shall be the cause of your utter and sudden ruin see the Note Psal 62.3 The bulking or swelling out of a wall especially of a high wall whose weight must needs help forward its ruin is a sure sign of its approaching ruin so the pride and arrogancy of the Princes of Israel for to them the Prophet chiefly speaks who are looked upon as a wall of defence to Jerusalem was a certain fore-runner of their sudden fall and destruction Prov. 16.18 And as mens leaning on such a bellying wall is like to hasten its fall so the peoples resting on these men and their politick designs in seeking to Egypt was like to hasten their speedy ruin Ver. 14. And he c. That is God or the enemy shall break it that is the design you have of calling in the Egyytians to your aid the iniquity before mentioned ver 13. or the State of Judah or the City Jerusalem as the breaking of the potters vessel that is broken in pieces that is utterly and irrecoverably see the Note Psal 2.9 he shall not spare c. as if he should have said As the owner of an earthen pitcher or other vessel doth with great violence dash it against a wall or throw it upon the pavement purposely to break it into shivers not caring what becomes of it so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sheard to take fire from the hearth or to take water withall out of the pit so will the Lord deal with you he will utterly destroy you without entertaining any thought to pity or spare you Here therefore more is threatned than in the former verse A wall fallen down may be built up again but an earthen vessel being once broken to pieces cannot be set together again And hereby therefore the State of Judah is threatned with irreparable ruin Now though this befell them not in the days of Hezekiah the Lord having great respect to him and other his righteous Servants in his time yet because afterwards in the days of Zedekiah they offended again in the same kind by fleeing to Egypt for help that which is here threatned was then fully accomplished their State being then utterly ruined by the Chaldeans Ver. 15. For thus saith the Lord God the Holy one of Israel c. That is This is that which he hath and doth advise you to do see the Note above ver 12. In returning and rest shall ye be saved that is If you repent and turn from your evil ways and particularly from that of seeking to Egypt for help and rest upon God for help God will save you from your enemies in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength see the Note ver 7. and ye would not that is you would not herein hearken to God Ver. 16. But ye said no for we will flee upon horses c. That is say some If the Assyrians do prevail over us we will flee away upon Horses or we will go to Egypt that we may thence furnish our selves with Horses see the Notes Deut. 17.16 and 1 Kings 10.28 which in regard of their strength and swiftness will be of great use for us both for the assailing and pursuing of our enemies and for escaping away by flight should we be overcome by them But I rather think that hereby is meant that they would not only not wait upon God but would with all the speed they could post away into Egypt to procure aid from thence And therefore in opposition to this which they said the Prophet adds therefore shall ye flee as if he had said The event of this your fleeing into Egypt for help shall be only this that ye shall flee before your enemies the Assyrians And to the same purpose is that which follows whereas they said and we will ride upon the swift that is swift beasts to wit Horses or Dromedaries God hereto answers therefore shall they that pursue you be swift that is they shall match you if not exceed you in swiftness Many I know understand this of the flight of Zedekiah and his Men of War Jer. 39.4 and the flight of the remnant that was left after the Babylonian Captivity Jer. 43.5 7. But I see not why it might not be as well intended concerning the Jews fleeing before the Assyrians when Sennacherib made such havock in the land before he besieged Jerusalem And the same may be said for the following verse Ver. 17. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one c. That is At the assault of one or at the shouting of one when he comes to make an assault upon you at the rebuke of five shall ye flee that is a poor inconsiderable number of your enemies shall make you all flee till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain or as it is in the margin a tree bereft of branches and boughs or a mast that is say some like some high pole resembling the mast of a Ship set up on a hill to be a Way-mark for Travellers or Seamen or to give warning to the Country about of the approach of Enemies or some other such
like publick service or as a mast of a Ship is seen a far off standing up alone by it self when no part of the Ship besides is seen and as an ensign on an hill to wit set up there as a Trophy of some Victory there obtained or a sign to shew Soldiers that are gathering together whither they should come The meaning is that being overcome by their Enemies there should be very few of them left alive or at least left in a Company together but that they should be dispersed and straggle about here one and there another or that they should be so generally carried away Captives that there should be but a few of them left in the land and that their destruction should be notable and conspicuous so that they should be a gazing-stock to all Nations for the strange judgments inflicted on them as such a beacon or mast used to be gazed at by those that pass by it But now some understand this of Jerusalem to wit that any other Cities of Judea round about her being destroyed she should be left alone on the hill whereon she stood as a beacon or a mast of a Ship And indeed if this were spoken with respect to that havock which Sennacherib should make in the land for which see the Note this Exposition may seem the more probable Ver. 18. And therefore c. Here the Prophet begins to comfort the faithful amongst his people And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you But yet the meaning of the words is questionable 1. Some understand it of the Lords waiting by way of forbearing a while to bring that ruin upon them before threatned to see if they would repent and turn unto him that so he might be gracious to them according to that which is said 1 Pet. 3.20 that the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was a preparing And thus they conceive that a Reason is here given why the judgments here threatned were not presently executed upon them It was because God was pleased to wait for their repentance And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you as if he should have said Do not flatter your selves that you shall never see this come to pass because you see it not presently done therefore only will the Lord suspend the judgment threatned for a time that he may wait for your repentance and so then may receive you again into his favour But then 2. Some understand it and I think upon better grounds of Gods deferring to come in to their help when their enemies did so far prevail over them and so sorely distress them to wit that therefore the Lord would suffer their enemies to proceed so far and to bring them to so low an ebb that he might wait for a fit opportunity when he might most seasonably appear for their deliverance as namely when they being broken with these evils were humbled and brought to repent of their evil ways and to turn unto the Lord or when it might be done with most advantage of glory to himself good and joy to them and shame and confusion to their enemies And much to the same purpose is that which followeth and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you For though some understand by Gods being exalted his withdrawing himself as it were into the Heavens above his hiding himself and standing aloof from the help of his people purposely that he might take a fit time to shew mercy to his people Yet I rather think that hereby is meant that God would be exalted either 1. by the strange and wonderful destruction wherewith he meant to destroy the Assyrians or 2. by his peoples humbling themselves and abandoning their sinful ways and turning to the Lord Or 3. by those judgments upon them whereby he would bring them to be so reformed his end in all these being chiefly this that he might be gracious and merciful to them For the Lord is a God of judgment c. That is When God punisheth his people he is not transported with rage and fury as men are but doth it with moderation and judgment so as it may do them good according to that O Lord correct me but with judgment not in thine anger c. Jer. 10.24 Blessed are all they that wait for him to wit as knowing that God as is before said is wont to wait to be gracious to his people Ver. 19. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem c. This may be added as a proof of that which was said in the close of the foregoing verse blessed are all they that wait for him And though some understand it as a promise of the Jews dwelling again at Jerusalem after their return out of Babylon yet I conceive it is primarily meant of that which was more shorâ—ly to be accomplished to wit that Sennacherib should not prevail against Jerusalem but that the people of God should continue to dwell safely and peaceably there though I would not deny but that the other may be included also in Zion at Jerusalem that is say some not only in that strong Fort of Zion but also in the City Jerusalem thou shalt weep no more that is thou shalt give over weeping or thou shalt not weep as formerly thou didst he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry c. to wit when thou art besieged by the Assyrians or as others when thou art in captivity in Babylon Ver. 20. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction c. See the Note 1 Kings 22.27 yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more which though some understand barely as a promise that they should not be destitute of faithful Teachers to instruct them though they might suffer great harship in regard of their bodily food they should be however well provided for spiritual food yet more seems to be intended hereby to wit that thenceforth they should not despise and persecute their Teachers and drive them into corners to hide themselves as they had formerly done this those words any more seems to imply see the Notes before ver 10 11. but thine eyes shall see thy teachers to wit with great content and delight intentively fixing thine eyes upon them when they are instructing thee Thou shalt eagerly look after them that before were but eye-sores to thee Now all this I conceive is mentioned as an effect that should follow upon the Reformation which the judgment inflicted on them should through grace work in them And therefore we need not limit it as many do to the great streights they were in either when Jerusalem was besieged by Sennacherib or after their return out of Babylon Ver. 21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and
when ye turn to the left That is say some in all thy ways whithersoever thou goest Or rather when ye are about to turn some way or other out of the right way And by this word behind them may be meant both 1. the word of their Teachers mentioned in the foregoing verse whereby God would be continually ready to direct them in the right way and to keep them from going astray There seems to be in this expression an allusion to School-Masters who following their Scholars as they go along the better to watch over them are wont to call to them and mind them of their way when they do not regard it as they should or to Shepherds that coming behind their sheep use to whistle them in when he sees them begin to straggle And likewise 2. the voice of Gods Spirit whereby he doth secretly speak to their Hearts and perswade them to follow the direction of their Teachers Yea and 3. that God would follow them with the admonitions and perswasions of his Word and Spirit even then when they turned their backs upon him not giving over until he had prevailed with them For those words thine ears shall hear a word behind thee seem to imply that as God would give them Teachers so he would also give them ears to hearken to and obey their Teachers Ver. 22. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver and the ornament of thy molten images of gold c. The meaning is That after God had humbled them by the judgments before mentioned and after the great deliverance he had wrought for them before promised they should take the Plates of Silver and Gold wherewith their Images were covered or the rich Garments and Ornaments wherewith they were attired or rather their Images themselves covered and over-laid with Leaves or Plates of Silver and Gold and should break or tear them in pieces as filthy things and dispose of them in some common prophane and disgraceful way see the Notes Chap. 2.20 and 2 Kings 23.8 Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it that is to each of the things before mentioned Get thee hence Ver. 23. Then shall he give the rain of thy seed that thou shalt sow thy ground withall and bread of the encrease of the earth c. As with reference to that which was said before ver 20. concerning Gods giving them the bread of adversity and the water of affliction here the Prophet promiseth that upon their repentance God would cause their Land to yield them a rich encrease and this should abundantly make up all the damage they had received by the Assyrians and it thy Grain or Bread-corn shall be fat and plenteous see the Notes Deut. 23.14 And see also the Note Gen. 27.28 Ver. 24. The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender c. That is Thou shalt have such abundance of Corn that thou shalt give thy Cattel clean provender to wit provender of pure Corn without any mixture of Chaff which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan that is with either of them or with both one after the other Ver. 25. And there shall be upon every high mountain and upon every high hill rivers and streams of waters c. That is So great shall the showers of Rain be mentioned before ver 23. that from the Mountains and Hills streams of water like Rivers shall run down into the Vallies which shall make the whole land yield great encrease yea even those Mountains and Hills that used to be dry and barren In the day of the great slaughter when the towers fall that is at the time when God shall make a mighty slaughter amongst your Enemies the Assyrians that had brought you into so great streights wherein amongst others even their great Nobles and Princes shall fall the over-topping Towers here meant see the Note Chap. 2.15 So that this is added purposely to set forth how exceeding great the mercy of God to them at that time should be and how exceeding great their joy thereupon would be which he farther enlargeth in the following verse when at the same time he should make such havock amongst their Enemies and withall bless their Land with so great an encrease Many I know understand this of the great slaughter of the Babylonians by the Medes and Persians and by the Towers that should fall many understand the Towers of Babylon or the high Towers which the Assyrians had built for the besieging of Jerusalem But the former Exposition doth far better suit with the sequel of this Chapter Ver. 26. Moreover c. This in this verse is added to set forth those raptures of joy wherewith the Jews should be transported when on a sudden God should so miraculously destroy their proud Enemies the Assyrians and thereby deliver them from from all those fears and dangers they were in and out of which it seemed impossible they should ever escape Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun The Prophet say some begins with this because this slaughter of the Assyrians was made in the night and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of the seven days that is the Sun shall shine with as much brightness on that day as if seven Suns were shining together in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound that is when the Lord shall heal the State of Judah of all the breaches and wounds made therein by the Chaldeans or rather by the Assyrians Light is usually put for joy in the Scripture see the Notes Esther 8.16 and Psal 112.4 and darkness for sorrow And hence it is that as the Heavenly Lights are said to withdraw their light from men when they are in extream darkness and sorrow see the Note Chap. 13.10 so here on the contrary to set forth what exceeding joy there should be amongst the Jews when the Chaldeans should be vanquished by the Medes and Persians and Cyrus should set them free from their bondage or rather as is often noted before when Jerusalem should be so suddenly and strangely delivered from the invasion and siege of the Assyrians it is said that the Moon should shine as bright as the Sun and that the light of the Sun should be sevenfold more than at other times it is The meaning is that the Heavenly Lights should seem to congratulate them for their happiness in their being so miraculously delivered out of the very jaws of death and that they should think the light of that day through the excess of their joy sevenfold brighter than any day they had seen before Some I know understand this of the glorious condition of the Saints in Heaven Yea indeed most Expositors understand it of the exceeding great joy and glory of the Church upon Earth in the days of the
Gospel when Gods people should be healed of all the wounds and breaches which sin had made in their Souls by that great work of Christs Redemption by the pardon of their Sins and the Sanctifying of their Nature to wit that the glory and joy of the Church then should be sevenfold greater than ever it had been in the days of the Old Testament yea sevenfold greater than the brightness of the Heavenly Lights And indeed because those great deliverances of the Jews before mentioned were types and shadows of this our greater deliverance by Christ there is no question to be made but that this which the Prophet saith here may be justly applied thereto But yet I say primarily and properly it is meant of that great deliverance of the Jews from the Tyranny of the Assyrians Ver. 27. Behold c. Here the Prophet begins more largely to set forth the destruction of the Assyrians in the day of the great slaughter mentioned before ver 25. Behold the name of the Lord cometh from far that is the Lord cometh from Heaven even as we use to say His Majesty is coming when we intend thereby the King himself But why doth the Prophet use this expression I answer that there are Reasons given by Expositors for this that are considerable as 1. That he saith not The Lord cometh but The name of the Lord cometh either 1. by way of slighting the contempt of the Heathen who were wont to deride the Jews for worshipping only the Name of a God an imaginary God whereas they had the Images of the Gods whom they worshipped according to that which one of them said of that people Qui puras nubes coeli Numen adorant as if the Prophet had said even that invisible God of Israel who hath revealed himself to us only by his Name will come and be revenged on you for the wrong ye have done his people Or 2. to imply that he told them of that the report whereof he had heard from a far he had heard glorious things spoken of the coming of the God of Israel against them whose Name was famous and great throughout the world Or 3. to signifie that the Angel by whom the Assyrians should be destroyed should do it in Gods Name and by Commission from God And 2. That he saith Behold the name of the Lord cometh from far to imply that however God had seemed both to his people and to their enemies to stand a far off yet now he would come in suddenly and unexpectedly to the deliverance of his people and to the ruin of their enemies As for the following words burning with his anger and the burden thereof is heavy or as it is the margin and the grievousness of flame the meaning thereof is that the Lord would come against the Assyrians in the heat of great and flaming fury and that this his anger would in the vengeance he would pour upon them prove a heavy and intollerable burden to them upon whom it should light And so in the last words his lips are full of indignation and his tongue as a devouring fire the Lord is set forth after the manner of a man full of wrath whose lips seem to tremble and swell with anger and whose words sound nothing but terror and threatnings And it is well observed by a learned Expositor that the Prophet doth the rather express Gods anger by the words of his mouth to imply that however they despised his word yet his threatnings would have their effect and the sentence that proceeded out of his mouth would be a fire to consume his enemies Ver. 28. And his breath as an over-flowing stream shall reach to the midst of the neck c. That is It shall bring the Assyrians into a dangerous condition as that man is in a stream of water up to the midst of the neck Before Chap. 8.8 it was said of the Assyrian that he should overflow the whole Land and State of Judah even to the neck and here now perhaps in relation thereto it is said the torrent of Gods wrath should overflow the Assyrian even to the midst of the neck to sift the nations to wit those that served in Sennacherib's Army with the sive of vanity that is to distress and trouble them till they were all scattered and cast out and utterly destroyed By a sive of vanity the Prophet seems to intend a sive that lets all things run thorough it till there be nothing left and therefore that which is meant here is that tho the Nations came with the Assyrian in never so great multitudes yet God would turn them off and scatter them like so much chaff till they were brought to nothing And to the same purpose is the next figurative expression also and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people causing them to err that is for the remainder of them that are not destroyed by the Angel of the Lord God would carry them away which should be quite contrary to what they designed even as the Rider turns the fiercest Horse with a bit and bridle namely in that instead of going to Jerusalem he would cause them to fly back to their own Country or at least cause them to wander up and down in a scattered manner now one way and then another till they perished And this is just what the Lord by our Prophet said to Hezekiah concerning Sennacherib 2 Kings 19.28 I will put my hook in thy nose and my bridle in thy lips and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest Ver. 29. Te shall have a song as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept c. That is when God shall have thus destroyed your enemies as is before said ye shall then sing for joy in a holy manner giving praise and glory to God who hath done this for you even as you are wont to do the night before your solemn festivals to wit those three great festivals when all their males went up to the Temple see the Note Exod. 23.17 the solemnity whereof began always the evening before the festival day and gladness of heart as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountains of the Lord to the mighty one of Israel which is said because they that went up to the Temple which stood on Mount Zion from other parts of the land at these solemn feasts used it seems to go along singing and playing upon musical Instruments for joy that they were going to meet with their God in his holy Sanctuary see Psal 42.4 Ver. 30. And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard c. That is say several learned Expositors The destruction of your enemies shall be such that it shall be as plainly perceived that it is the judgment of God upon them inflicted by his command as if an audible voice had been heard from Heaven enjoyning it to be done and shall shew the lighting down of
your spoil c. That is The spoil which you O Assyrians have plundered and taken away from other Nations like so many Caterpillers devouring all things where you come and whereof you also are now like to be spoiled Or the spoil which you the people of God shall find in the Assyrian Camp shall be gathered like the gathering of the Caterpillers that is say some As easily as the Caterpillers do gather and eat up all green things where they come But rather the meaning is That the Jews should gather up the spoil in the Assyrian Camp with as much ease and in as great abundance as Country-people even Children amongst others are wont to gather Caterpillers in a time when they abound and to throw them in great heaps into pits which they have digged for the burying of them as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them that is say some As the locusts run to and fro in the fields eating up and destroying all as they go so shall the Angel of the Lord break through the Assyrian Army making dreadful havock amongst them wherever he comes But rather this also is spoken of the spoils before mentioned and so the words are to be understood thus as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them that is As when God sends a Plague of Locusts upon any place the inhabitants are wont with much eagerness to get out from every house old and young and to run up and down in their Gardens Fields and Vineyards and gather up and destroy innumerable multitudes of these harmful Creatures so shall every one of the Jews run up and down in the Camp of the Assyrians to gather up the spoils they shall find there Or rather for that suits best with the Expression here used as the running to and fro of Locusts As the Locusts run to and fro in the field so shall each man that goeth out of Jerusalem run up and down to gather what spoils he can find in the Camp of the Assyrians Ver. 5. The Lord is exalted c. That is He will be exalted to wit by the dreadful Judgment which he will execute upon the Assyrians See the Note Chap. 2.11 for he dwelleth on high and so hath all things both in heaven and earth under his command and can therefore destroy the great ones of the World when ever he pleaseth see the Note Psal 115.3 He hath filled Zion with Judgment and righteousness that is He will there abundantly discover That he is a just and a righteous God by delivering his people according to his promise and executing Judgment upon his and their enemies and they shall every where extol God for these things Or by these things he will cause Jerusalem that was formerly full of all injustice and unrighteousness to abound with judgment and righteousness to wit in the days of Hezekiah when this shall be done See the Note Chap. 32.16 yet this may be extended also to the days of the Gospel Ver. 6. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times and strength of Salvation c. That is Thy times O Hezekiah for here the Prophet directs his speech as if he had been speaking to him in whose days the great things now foretold were to be done And the meaning is That the true Wisdom and saving Knowledg of God that should abound in his times and more especially his own particular Wisdom and Knowledge and the exercise thereof in that pious and prudent managing the affairs of the Realm should be the means to establish the peace and prosperous condition of their state and a strong safeguard to them in every regard during his reign which agreeth with that which Hezekiah said to Isaiah 2 King 20.19 Is it not good if peace and truth be in my days And indeed in his Son Manasseh's days all fell into Confusion again the fear of the Lord is his treasure that is His piety and care for the worship of God shall be dearer to him than any Treasure Or he shall be in this regard richer than any Treasures could make him yea it shall be the means too of advancing his Wealth exceedingly See 2 Chron. 32.27 28 29. Ver. 7. Behold their valiant ones c. The Prophet doth here set forth the sad condition wherein the Jews should be before God destroyed the Assyrian Army thereby the more to magnifie the greatness and the seasonableness of the following deliverance and withal to fore-arm the faithful against their being overmuch disheartned when they should see the land brought into such distress Their valiant ones shall cry without that is Their valiant Garison-soulders shall with a loud voice and that openly in the very streets bewail their extream danger Or if we read it as it is in the Margin their messengers shall cry without that is Either the Messengers which the King and State of Judah did at first send to Sennacherib to desire terms of peace from him 2 King 18.14 or those they sent afterward to Rabshakeh to parley with him and to see if they could any way appease him ver 18. shall without the City as they return back or in publick in the streets cry out for very anguish of spirit because of the succeslesness of all their endeavours and the desperateness of their dangers And thus this first clause is the same with that which follows the Ambassadors of peace that is That were sent to see if they could make peace and some add too That they were men that were all for making peace with the Assyrian and that they did at first bring back word that there was great hope of peace to wit when Sennacherib agreed to stay his hand upon condition of their paying him a certain sum of money 2 King 18.14 shall weep bitterly to wit when they shall see all their endeavours come to nothing which how it was accomplished we may see 2 King 18.37 where it is said that these Messengers returned to Hezekiah with their clothes rent c. Ver. 8. The high-ways lye waste c. This may be taken as the sad report which the Messengers before mentioned sent to Sennacherib made of the miserable condition wherein the land lay or as a further relation hereof by the Prophet The high-ways lye waste the way-faring man ceaseth to wit no man daring to travel in the common roads because they were so pestered with the Assyrian souldiers See the Note Judg. 5.6 he hath broken the Covenant that is Sennacherib hath broken the Covenant he made with us And this I conceive he is charged with not so much because the Kings of Judah and particularly Ahaz the Father of Hezekiah had made a Covenant with the Assyrian that he should help the Jews against their enemies as because he had agreed with them at this very time that upon the payment of such a sum of money by way of Composition which himself assigned he would withdraw his
dissolved as we find it foretold Mat. 24.29 and 2 Pet. 3.10 and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scrole that is they shall seem to pass away so that the lights therein shall be no more seen than the writing in a Parchment-scrole can be seen when it is rolled up together and see the Note Psal 102.26 and all their host shall fall down as the leaf falleth off from the vine and as a falling fig from the fig-tree to wit when they are withered and so are easily blown down Ver. 5. For my sword shall be bathed in heaven c. That is In Heaven it is decreed that my sword shall be bathed with the blood of mine enemies see the Note above ver 2. and Psal 119.89 Or the meaning may be that God from Heaven would cause a sword to be drawn against them that should be bathed in their blood according to that of the Apostle the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness Rom. 1.18 behold it shall come down upon Idumea that is upon the Edomites and all the Churches deadly enemies For these are particularly named only because they were always most bitter enemies to the Jews and their Country bordeâ—ed upon Judea and upon the people of my curse that is even upon this people whom I have accursed or and upon all other people whom I have destined to destruction to judgment that is in a way of taking Vengeance on them Ver. 6. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatness c. That is It shall be filled with blood c. to wit by reason of the multitudes of them that should be slain and devoured thereby And their blood and fat are expresly named in allusion to their Sacrifices where the blood and the fat were still offered And upon the same respect is that next expression used and with the blood of lambs and gâ—ats with the fat of kidneys of rams where he terms those that were to be slain Lambs and Goats and Rams to imply that the slaughtering of them should be to them as a sweet smelling Sacrifice acceptable to God see the Note Exod. 32.29 Only I conceive that by these lesser sort of Sacrifices the inferior and common sort of people are meant of several ages and conditions young and old the poorer and richer sort For the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah which was then the Metropolis of Idumea and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea that is he hath determined to keep a solemn Festival-day there which is said because on such days they used to offer a multitude of Sacrifices 1 Kings 8.63 Ver. 7. And the unicorns shall come down with them and the bullocks with the bulls c. That is Together with the inferior sort of people of whom he had spoken in the foregoing verse their great and strong and mighty ones their Princes and Nobles Captains and men of War fierce cruel untameable men shall be knocked down and slain And observable it is that amongst these greater sort of Cattel appointed for Sacrifices he mentions Unicorns that never used to be sacrificed purposely to hint unto us that what he speaks here of Sacrifices was to be understood figuratively and their land shall be soaked with blood and their dust made fatness that is their land even the driest part of it shall be battened as with dung by their blood and the fat of their carcases Ver. 8. For it is the day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompence for the controversie of Zion That is It is the set time which God hath appointed for taking vengeance on those his enemies and for recompencing abundantly into their bosoms all the wrongs they had done to his people For by the controversie of Zion here is meant the controversie which the Jews had with the Edomites for the mischief they had often done them or the controversie which God would have with them on his peoples behalf Ver. 9. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch and the dust thereof into brimstone and the land thereof shall become burning pitch That is the streams or the land of Bozrah or Idumea In this Rhetorical description of the devastation of this Country there is certainly an allusion as often elsewhere to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha see the Notes Chap. 13.19 and Deut. 29.23 And the meaning seems to be either 1. that their Cities being set on fire should burn like pitch and brimstone Or 2. that the land should be left desolate the inhabitants and all therein being as it were burnt up that is utterly consumed and destroyed see Obad. 1.8 Or 3. that their whole Country even the most fruitful and best watered places thereof should be dry and parched as if it were all pitch and brimstone or burnt up with showers of fire and brimstone as Sodom and Gomorrha were see the Notes Job 18.15 16. Ver. 10. It shall not be quenched night nor day c. That is The burning of this land shall not be quenched It is an Hyperbolical expression signifying that the wrath of God should continually burn against them like an unquenchable fire the smoke thereof shall go up for ever that is continually for a long time from generation to generation it shall lye waste that is for many generations none shall pass through it for ever and ever that is it shall be no more inhabited but shall be desolate for ever Ver. 11. But the cormorant or the pellican and the bittern shall possess it the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it c. See the Notes Chap. 14. 23. and Psal 102.6 and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness that is the plummet or level of emptiness the ground of which expression is that in those times they used to hang a stone upon the line of the level as we now do a plummet of lead The meaning is either 1 that God would order it so that it should never be built again they that should undertake it should find the issue of their labour to be nothing but confusion and emptiness according to that of the Prophet Mal. 1.4 Whereas Edom saith We are impoverished but we will return and build the desolate places thus saith the Lord of hosts They shall build but I will throw down Or 2. that God would lay their whole land utterly waste and desolate The expression here used of doing this by line and level is taken from workmen either that being to pull down some part of a building are wont by line and level to mark out how far it must be pulled down or else that having quite pulled down a building do use those instruments to see the ground be layed level But see the Note 2 Kings 21.13 Ver. 12. They shall call the Nobles thereof to the Kingdom c. That is They that are left of the Edomites shall
formed it that is That all that thou and thy Ancestors have done was indeed done by me by my decree and all-ruling providence which accordingly therefore I did long ago make known by my Prophets as Chap. 10.5 O Assyrian the rod of mine anger c. and that you therefore were but the instruments in mine hand to do what I would have done and shall the ax boast it self against him that heweth therewith c. Chap. 10.15 Now have I brought it to pass that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced Cities into ruinous heaps But for this whole verse see the Note 2 King 19.25 Ver. 27. Therefore their inhabitants were of small power they were dismaied and confounded c. See the Notes for this and the following verse 2 King 19.26 27. they were as the grass of the field and as the green herb See the Note Psal 102.4 as the grass on the house tops which the higher it stands the sooner it is burnt up and withered See the Note Psal 129.6 Ver. 29. Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears therefore will I put my hook in thy nose c. In these words there seems to be an Allusion either to fish-hooks wherewith when they have struck some great fish through the nose they use to draw it along this way and that to the end that having thus wearied it they may the better take it up for the proof whereof that passage is usually alledged Ezek. 29.3 4. I am against thee Pharaoh King of Egypt the great Dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers But I will put my hooks in thy chaws or else to those rings which men are wont to put into the noses of Bears and Bufales that they may the better over-master them and carry them up and down which way they list It is all one in effect as if God had said Because thou ragest against me like some furious wild beast therefore I will use thee like a beast therefore will I put my hook in thy nose and my bridle in thy lips and I will turn thee back by the way which thou camest And indeed because men mad with rage are wont to discover their fury by the puffing of their nostrils and the foming of their mouths it may well be that in reference hereto the Lord doth the rather use this Expression therefore will I put my hook in thy nose and my bridle in thy lips Ver. 30. And this shall be a sign unto thee c. That is To thee O Hezekiah ye shall eat this year such as groweth of it self and the second year that which springeth of the same and in the third year sow ye and reap c. Now though it cannot well be questioned that this was given as a sign for the strengthning of his and the peoples faith concerning the foregoing promise of the destruction of the Assyrian and the deliverance of Jerusalem yet withal it is clear that this tended also to the comforting of them both against the fear of Sennacheribs returning again with a fresh Army because they are hereby assured that after his departure they should live peaceably and quietly in the land and likewise especially against that great distress they must needs be in thinking how they should be provided for food if they were rid of their enemies when they had so far spent their old store and the enemy had spoiled that which was growing in the field and had it may be hindred them that year from sowing their seed which might have yielded them a Crop at harvest-time But for this sign and how it must be understood see in the Note 2 King 19.30 and see also the Note before Chap. 7.14 Ver. 31. And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward That is They shall multiply exceedingly and being setled in the land shall prosper and flourish both in their outward estate and spiritually too which was indeed accomplished in the remainder of Hezekiahs reign But see the Note 2 King 19.30 Ver. 32. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant and they that escape out of mount Zion c. As if it had been said As for Jerusalem in particular of which the Assyrian had said that God himself should not defend it they that were shut up in her shall go out freely and fearlesly wherever they please they that were fled thither shall return to their own habitations and the rest whithersoever their occasions shall call them yet it may also have respect to their going forth to gather the spoils of the Assyrians See the Notes Chap. 33.23 24. and to those that should be sent forth from Jerusalem to repair the great ruines that had been made in many Cities in the land And how this may be also mystically applied to that small remnant that should go out of Zion in the days of the Gospel to encrease the number of Gods Israel amongst the Gentiles we may see in the Note Chap. 1.9 the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this that is the zeal of God Almighty who can do what he pleaseth will do this But see the Notes 2 King 19.31 Ver. 33. Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the King of Assyria c. To wit because the Lord is thus resolved to preserve his people He shall not come into this City nor shoot an arrow there nor come before it with shields nor cast a bank against it the meaning is that he should never come to make any assault upon it nor so much as to lay siege to it By coming before it with shields is meant drawing up men that were to scale the walls and to enter the City who used to be armed with shields therewith to cover and shelter themselves from any thing that might be cast upon them or any strokes that might be made at them by those on the wall And by banks cast up may be meant those banks which the souldiers cast up under the Covert whereof they were to make their approaches to the City or Mounts cast up out of which they were to shoot into the City But see the Note 2 King 19.32 Ver. 34. By the way that he came by the same shall he return To wit with great dishonour and disgrace with shame of face as it is expressed 2 Chron. 32.21 as indeed it must needs be a matter of great reproach to him to flee away with a few scattered Troops through those very parts by which he had a while before marched in so great State and Fury with such a gallant and numerous Army Ver. 35. For I will defend this City to save it for mine own sake c. That is For mine own Glory because I have taken them of mine own free grace to be mine own Covenant-people and determined that Jerusalem shall be the setled place of my Worship and that I may vindicate mine own glory
not go on and express this in his Prayer was because he was not able to speak any longer for weeping as it is immediately added in the Text and Hezekiah wept sore And so what he could not or perhaps was afraid to ask in words because it was contrary to what God had said should be his tears spake and God heard them But see the Note 2 King 20.3 Ver. 4. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah saying To wit as it is expressed in the Book of Kings afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court so near was the sick bed of this good King to the Throne of God in Heaven even his sighs and groans God heard and was presently careful to have him comforted with a promise of longer life and that for the better strengthning of his faith by the same Messenger that had made known to him the Sentence of Death that God had pronounced against him But see the Note 2 King 20.4 Ver. 5. Go and say to Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father c. By these words he makes known to Hezekiah that he was mindful of the Covenant he had made with David concerning his continuing of the Kingdom of Judah to his Posterity I have heard thy Prayers I have seen thy tears behold I will add to thy days fifteen years that is To the days thou hast already lived In 2 King there is another particular inserted in the promise here made to wit That on the third day he should go up to the House of the Lord. But for this and the following verse see the Notes 2. King 20.6 Ver. 7. And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord c. In 2 King 20.8 It is said that Hezekiah desired a sign of the Prophet Isaiah to assure him that this which he had promised him should certainly be which the Prophet hath likewise noted in the close of this Chapter and that hereupon God by the Prophet made him this promise of a sign for which see the Note there Ver. 8. Behold I will bring again the shadow of the Degrees which is gone down in the Sun-dial of Ahaz ten degrees backward c. In 2 King 20.9 10. it is said that when Hezekiah desired a sign of Isaiah for the strengthning of his faith the Prophet tendered to him two different signs leaving him to his choice which of them he would take namely That the shadow on the Sun-dial should either go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees and that when Hezekiah answered That it was a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees and desired rather that the shadow might return backward ten degrees for all which see the Notes in that place hereupon this promise was made him of bringing back the shadow ten degrees the accomplishment whereof is related in the next words so the Sun returned ten degrees by which degrees it was gone down to wit after the Prophet had prayed that it might be so for this is expresly inserted 2 King 20.11 And Isaiah the Prophet cried unto the Lord and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward c. for all which see the Notes there Yet withal this also is here observable that those words so the same returned ten degrees may well induce us to think that the miracle now wrought was not as some would have it in the going back of the shadow in the Dial of Ahaz whilst the Sun kept on its course but in the retrograde motion of the Sun it self And indeed how else could they in Babylon take notice of this Wonder See the Note 2 King 20.12 And beside the Analogy between the sign and the thing signified depends much upon this Princes are in their Kingdoms as the Sun in the World The bringing back therefore of the Sun when it was hasting to its setting and the lengthning of the day thereby beyond its natural time was most fit to signifie that after the same manner how impossible it might seem considering the desperateness of his disease and the Sentence of Death by God himself pronounced against him Hezekiah should be brought back from the Grave whither he was posting and his life be lengthned out beyond expectation Ver. 9. The writing of Hezekiah King of Judah when he had been sick and was recovered of his sickness That is The Song of Thanksgiving which he composed and committed to writing even as his Father David used to do intending to leave it to posterity as a Monument of his own fainting heart in the time of Gods mercy in recovering him out of his sickness and his hearty thankfulness for it Ver. 10. I said in the cutting off of my days c. That is When I perceived partly by the violence of my sickness but especially by the sentence of death which the Prophet had pronounced against me that God was now hewing me down in great displeasure I began to think within my self or I concluded fully within my self as I lay upon my sick bed I shall go to the gates of the grave that is I am now a dead man See the Note Psal 9.13 I am deprived of the residue of my years that is the years I might have lived by the ordinary course of nature Thus in the first place he acknowledgeth his own weakness and the terrors wherewith he was surprized when he saw himself likely to be cut off by an untimely death in the flower of his age the reasons whereof see before in the Note 2 Kin. 20.3 the more hereby to magnifie the mercy of God to him in his recovery Ver. 11. I said c. See the foregoing Note I shall not see the Lord to wit in his Temple See the Notes Psal 27.4 and 42.2 even the Lord it is twice repeated to set forth how vehemently he was afflicted herewith in the land of the living see the Note Psal 27.13 And indeed his particular expressing of this when he desired a sign of his recovery ver 22. What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord doth plainly show that this was one main thing that troubled him when he lay under the terrors of Death I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the World that is I shall no longer live amongst the Children of men here in this World Or as I shall no more behold God in his Ordinances so I shall also be cut off from the Communion of the Church of the living and so I shall not do that good to the people of God that were under my charge that I desired to do Ver. 12. Mine age is departed c. The time of my life and abode here in this World is at an end and gone and is removed from me as a Shepherds tent who use not to stay long in a place but to remove their tents from one place to another See the Note Job 27.18 I have cut off like a Weaver my life
and Gods great goodness to him in raising him upon his Prayers to him so speedily out of so sad a Condition he would be careful to walk all his days as became a true Penitent softly that is Pensively and mournfully as to his bewailing the sins wherewith he had displeased God or softly that is Warily and circumspectly as to his care for the avoiding of every thing whereby he might offend and displease him for the time to come Neither indeed can I see how this last clause as it is in our Translation can be any other way probably understood Ver. 16. O Lord by these things men live c. This verse is several ways translated by Interpreters But according to our Translation the meaning is clearly this O Lord by thy favour and promises by the word of thy command and by thy providence accomplishing what thou hast spoken is the life of men continued to them or prolonged as thou pleasest yea even to those that were at the brink of the Grave or that haply had before the sentence of Death pronounced against them for this is spoken with reference to that in the foregoing verse he hath both spoken unto me and himself hath done it See the Note Deut. 8.3 and in all these things is the life of my spirit that is And by these things doth my soul still continue within me chearfully and comfortably enlivening my body so wilt thou recover me and make me to live that is And so by thy will it is that I am recovered and do live or so thou wilt perfect the work of my recovery which thou hast begun and make me to live that remainder of years thou hast appointed for me Ver. 17. Behold for peace I had great bitterness c. Or on my peace came great bitterness that is When I was healthful and well and had not the least fear of any distemper of sickness that was coming upon me yea when by Gods miraculous destroying the Assyrian Army both my self and the whole Kingdom seemed to be in a way of setled peace and thereupon I began to promise my self that I should now live the remainder of my days in prosperity and peace on a sudden I was surprized with this bitter affliction but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption that is Out of thy fatherly love to me See the Note Psal 3.2 thou wert pleased to recover me even from the very grave for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back to wit as things loathsome to thee which yet thou wert pleased to forget and forgive so as never to charge them upon me And Hezekiah that had before alledged that he had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart and done that which was good in his sight ver 3. doth yet withal acknowledg here That his sins had been many and the cause why God had visited him with his late dangerous sickness and doth not so much rejoyce in his recovery as in Gods love and pardoning mercy which was better than a thousand lives to him Ver. 18. For the grave cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee c. See the Notes Psal 6.5 and 30.9 and 115.17 Hereby Hezekiah intends to intimate that he knew that Gods end in restoring him to his former health was That here in this World he might set forth his praise and that this therefore he would certainly do yea that upon this account he chiefly rejoyced in his recovery Ver. 19. The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day c. The repetition of this word the living the living is very Emphatical and amongst other things doth clearly discover how full of joy his heart was upon the thought of this that by his recovery he should have so fair a season afforded him to speak good of Gods name the fathers to the children shall make known thy truth that is Thy faithfulness in performing thy promises as thou hast now done unto me they shall teach their Children what great things thou hast done and how they ought upon such occasions to extol thy name and so thy Praises shall be continued from Generation to Generation yea these words may seem probably to imply that Hezekiah had it now in his thoughts that by Gods gracious lengthning out of his days he might come to have a Son to succeed him in his Throne whom he might instruct to live to Gods praise and glory Ver. 20. The Lord was ready to save me therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments c. That is I will do it with and in the publick Assemblies of thy people as indeed Hezekiahs recovery was a great blessing and a just cause of thankfulness to all the people and he saith we will sing my songs either as intending the Psalms which he meant to compose or else those Psalms of Thanksgiving which he and the people used to sing upon such occasions Ver. 21. For Isaiah had said Let them take a lump of figs c. See the Note 2 King 20.7 Ver. 22. Hezekiah also had said What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord See the Note above ver 7. In 2 King 20.8 it is What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day But the last clause is here only mentioned because this implies how earnest his desires were that he might go up to the Temple to praise God for his recovery CHAP. XXXIX VERSE 1. AT that time Merodach-Baladan the Son of Baladan King of Babylon sent Letters and a present to Hezekiah c. To wit by the consent and advice of his Princes whence it is that these Messengers are called the Embassadors of the Princes of Babylon 2 Chron. 32.31 But see the Notes for this whole passage 2 King 20.12 c. Ver. 2. And Hezekiah was glad of them c. To wit as being vain-gloriously joyed with thinking how renowned he was become even in remote Countries and withal haply as chuckering himself with a conceit that by the friendship of this King of Babylon he should be the safer for the future from any further Invasion of the Assyrians and if this were so it must needs argue that he was not so confident in Gods protection as the remembrance of Gods late miraculous Deliverance of him from the Assyrians might well have made him But for this and that which follows and shewed the house of his precious things See the Note 2 King 20.13 Ver. 3. What said these men and from whence came they unto thee c. This the Prophet demanded of the King not because he knew not who they were and whence they came but that by the Kings answer he might take occasion to deliver the Message which God had given him in charge As for his answer They are come from a far Country c.
yet to set forth the infinite and incomprehensible Wisdom of God and thereby yet further to imply That it is a folly for men to question any thing which God saith he will do because they cannot conceive how it should be done By the Creation of the World we may see that God can do those things which are far above the reach of our understanding By the Septuagint this is translated Who hath known the mind of the Lord c. And accordingly it is cited by the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.16 to prove the unsearchableness of the Gospel Mysteries by mans natural understanding And again Rom. 11.34 to prove the unsearchableness of his Counsels Ver. 14. With whom took he counsel and who instructed him and taught him in the path of Judgment c. That is In the way how to frame or order the Creatures which he made with such admirable Judgment and Wisdom and Understanding or to govern them when he had made them The drift of this is the same with that in the foregoing verse Ver. 15. Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the balance c That is They are of no more worth or power before God or in comparison of God And what therefore cannot that God do who is so infinitely great Or how can any Nation hinder any thing that God will have done behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing that is He can if he pleaseth take them up and throw them away he can overturn and destroy them and that easily and in a moment Because Islands are commonly esteemed places of greatest strength and the Inhabitants think themselves most safe and secure therein as being compassed with the Sea therefore these are particularly mentioned Ver. 16. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering To wit if men would think to offer up to God a burnt-offering perfectly besitting his Majesty and fully proportionable to his greatness And the drift of this is still to set forth the infinite and incomprehensible greatness of God Yet some think it may be added more particularly to imply how infinitely short man must needs come of finding out any means to satisfie Gods Justice which is the subject of the Gospel Ver. 17. All Nations before him are as nothing c. That is In his sight and account or in comparison of him and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity See the Note Psal 62.9 But the drift of this is the same with that before ver 16. Ver. 18. To whom then will ye liken God c. This also tends to set forth the incomprehensible Majesty of God and that still thereby to imply how little cause they had to distrust or doubt of the promises of this their God because of the power of any Heathen people that had none but Idol-gods to rest upon God had indeed made use of these Nations to punish them for their sins but alas when God had a purpose again to rescue his people out of their hands neither they nor their gods were any thing before him This I conceive is the main scope of this place But yet it is clear that together with this the Prophet intended hereby to secure his people that did already or should hereafter live as Captives amongst those Idolatrous Nations from being corrupted with this brutish and abominable sin Ver. 19. The workman melteth a graven Image c. This is spoken by way of deriding the brutish folly of those that can undertake to make themselves gods and the Goldsmith spreadeth it over with Gold and casteth Silver chains to wit to be an Ornament to it or else to fasten it therewith somewhere aloft that it may not fall or stir but stand bolt-upright Ver. 20. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation c. That is That hath no such rich oblation as is before mentioned to be consecrated toward the making of a God for him to wit Gold or Silver or Brass chooseth a tree that will not rot which is spoken by way of derision he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image that it shall not be moved that is That may stand a long time there being no need to take it down because it is perished and decayed Or that may be so fastned by the Workman that it may not be in danger to totter or fall down Ver. 21. Have ye not known c. To wit That God the Creator of Heaven and Earth is the only true God and of that infinite Majesty that he cannot be represented by any Image As if he had said Surely you cannot but know this have ye not heard that is Hath no body ever told you thus much Or have not ye my people been taught this out of my written word hath it not been told you from the beginning have ye not received this by tradition from your Fathers successively in all Generations even from the first Creation Or have ye not been told this even from your Childhood or from the beginning of Gods revealing himself to your Nation as his peculiar people As if he had said This is no new Doctrine even from the times of Moses and Abraham ye have been taught this have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth that is say some From the time when the Foundations of the earth were first laid But rather the drift of these words is to shew that this truth concerning the infinite Majesty of the only true God was sufficiently discovered to all men by the Creation of the World or particularly by the strange Foundations whereon God hath unmoveably setled the earth from the Creation unto this day Ver. 22. It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth c. That is That hath the Heaven for his Throne and the earth for his footstool Chap. 66.1 the most high God that is infinitely above all the Sovereign Lord Possessor and Governour of the whole earth and the fulness thereof But now this may be read as it is in the Margin Him that sitteth upon the Circle of the earth and then it must be read as joyned to the foregoing verse thus have ye not understood him that sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the Inhabitants thereof are as Grashoppers to wit even as to men that stand aloft on some high Mountain things beneath seem very little for to this there is an Allusion in these words that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain See the Note Psal 104.2 and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in that is say most Expositors for men to dwell in who are under the Canopy of Heaven as the covering of a Tent or rather as a Pavilion or palace for himself to dwell in Ver. 23. That bringeth the Princes to nothing he maketh the Judges of the earth as vanity That is He maketh
West then this is all one in effect as if it had been said That from the rising unto the setting of the Sun God should be praised the villages that Kedar doth inhabit See the Notes Chap. 21.16 Psal 120.5 and Cant. 1.5 let the Inhabitants of the rock sing that is The Inhabitants of Arabia Petrea or of Petra the chief City in those parts See the Note Chap. 16.1 or rather those that inhabit mountainous Countries as the following words shew let them shout from the top of the mountains However as this is spoken with respect to the days of the Gospel it clearly implies That the most barbarous Nations should then praise God Ver. 13. The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man c. That is having long withdrawn himself as if he minded them not he shall at last go forth in great fury to wit against the Babylonians See the Notes Job 16.14 and Psal 78.65 He shall stir up jealousie like a man of war that is As men stir and blow up a fire so shall the Lord stir up the fire of his jealousie to wit his fierce wrath and indignation against his idolatrous enemies proceeding from his ardent love to his people and zeal for his own glory he shall cry to wit as soldiers are wont to shout when they assault their enemies yea roar to wit like a Lyon But now this may be spoken with reference to Christ that he should go forth as a mighty man it is an Expression which our Saviour himself used John 16.28 I came forth from the Father and am come into the world namely to vanquish all his peoples spiritual enemies Satan Sin Death and Hell and to destroy all those that obstinately oppose him and are the implacable enemies of his Church and people Ver. 14. I have long time holden my peace c. God himself is here brought in complaining of his enemies abusing his long-suffering and patience and promising Deliverance to his people I have long time holden my peace I have been still and refrained my self to wit as the following similitude seems to imply as a travelling Woman bites in her pains and forbears crying out as long as ever she is able and the meaning is That he had long forborn taking vengeance on his peoples enemies and suffered his people to be still kept in Bondage by them now will I cry like a travelling Woman that is as such a Woman when she comes to the extremity of her pain the Child being brought to the very birth is then forced to cry aloud and many times breathes out her cries the louder because she had before suppressed them and kept them in thereby striving to help forward her deliverance till when she can expect no ease nor rest so will I with all earnestness hasten the Deliverance of my people as if I travelled and were in pain until they were delivered and will fall with the greater fury upon their enemies because of my former forbearance And indeed this similitude doth notably set forth 1. Gods tender affection to his people even like that of a Mother to the Child in her Womb. 2ly His earnest desire of their deliverance And 3ly that though the Lord had hitherto only groaned in a more silent manner for their sad Condition yet now the set and appointed time being come they should speedily be delivered as the Child is when the Mothers cries are loudest As for those last words I will destroy and devour at once either the meaning is That the Lord would destroy their Enemies Land and devour the Inhabitants or that he would speedily make an end of them all together as it is with hungry ravenous wild beasts that as soon as they have killed their prey do immediately devour it Ver. 15. I will make waste mountains and hills and dry up all their herbs c. That is the herbage which the Mountains and all other parts of the Land afforded both for man and beast and I will make the rivers Islands that is Dry them up so that here and there the dry land shall appear like so many Islands The drift of the whole verse is to set forth the horrid Desolation that God would make in the land of the Chaldeans when he undertook the Deliverance of his people from thence And to this end he speaks of his Vengeance therein as a devouring Fire that would burn up all before it See the Notes Deut. 4.24 and 32.22 And the particular mention that is made of laying waste their Mountains and Hills is either because there usually they had their idolatrous Temples and Altars or rather because there they had their greatest Cities and places of strength And the same may be said for the mentioning of the drying up of their Rivers which were the great safeguard of their Country all is to imply that all the strength and Riches of their Country should not hinder God from destroying them and delivering his people out of their hands one particular whereof is noted by some Expositors to have been accomplished when Cyrus made the great River Euphrates passable for his Army when they took Babylon And then as this Prophecy refers to Christ the same is meant that is said before ver 13. That he should destroy the Kingdom of Satan and all the great enemies of his people and ruine all the Riches and Pomp and State of those that should exalt themselves against him Ver. 16. And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not c. As this is meant of the Jews return out of Babylon they are termed blind because they saw nothing of their approaching Deliverance they saw no likelihood of escaping out of that sad Condition wherein they lay and so regarded not Gods promises but as men stupified and hopeless were in continual perplexity not knowing which way to turn themselves and of their return into Judea it might well be said That they were led by a way they knew not and in paths they had not known because the generality of them were born in Babylon and so had never gone that way before But as it is meant of Christs redeemed ones whether Jews or Gentiles it was accomplished in the enlightning of their blind minds See the Note Chap. 35.5 and bringing them into the way of Salvation whereof they knew nothing before And the like may be said of the following words they may be meant of the Jews returning out of Babylon I will make darkness light before them that is I will bring them out of an afflicted and sad Estate into a joyful and prosperous Condition See the Notes Esth 8.16 and Psal 112.4 or rather I will make their way clear before them wherein otherwise they might have been often brought to a stand not knowing which way to turn themselves and crooked things straight that is their way shall be easie and plain free from those troubles and difficulties which otherwise they might have found in it But under this
and magnifie his Law for the time to come And this indeed seems to have the fairest dependance upon that which went before Nor do I see but that what is said in these two foregoing Expositions might be joyntly intended namely That God was well pleased for his Righteousness sake to magnifie his Law and make it honourable both by making good the promises thereof to his people when they were carefully to obey it and by punishing them as he had threatned when they did slight and disregard it Ver. 22. But this is a people robbed and spoiled c. That is This is a people that will certainly be robbed and spoiled for though some think that this is spoken of the ten Tribes that were already vanquished and carryed into Captivity by the Assyrians yet it seems rather to be meant of the Jews to whom the Prophet now spake to wit That they would be unquestionably delivered up to be robbed and spoiled namely by the Babylonians first and afterward by the Romans It is as if he had said God was willing to have done them good but they would not obey him nor mind the warnings given them and so did in a manner chuse rather to be robbed and spoiled they are all of them snared in holes that is either being taken by their enemies they shall be clapped up in caves and holes till at more leisure they may otherwise dispose of them or though they fly into Caves and Dens of the earth hoping there to hide or secure themselves yet being there cooped up they will be only the more easily taken This indeed may be read as it is in the Margin insnaring all the young men of them the meaning whereof can be no other but that this people by their infidelity and obstinacy brought their choice young men into Bondage and Captivity But the former Translation is more generally received and they are hid in prison-houses they are for a prey and none delivereth for a spoil and none saith Restore that is none shall undertake to defend or deliver them which though it was fulfilled in the Babylonians vanquishing of them when none appeared considerably for their defence as it had been also before with the ten Tribes when they were captived by the Assyrians and were never brought back again of which some understand this place yet it was most fully accomplished when they were destroyed and dispersed by the Romans under which sad Condition they continue unto this day Ver. 23. Who among you will give ear to this c. Thus the Prophet proves those to be blind and deaf and stupid whom before ver 19. he had called Gods Servants and Gods Messengers namely because they would not regard the warning he had now given them who will hearken and hear for the time to come of which the meaning is either 1. That even in time to come when the Judgments now threatned should come upon them they would not call to mind or lay to heart the warning now given them Or 2ly That there was very few of them that would so far regard what he had said as by timely Repentance and Reformation to prevent those Judgments which he had told them would otherwise certainly in time to come be poured forth upon them Ver. 24. Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the Robbers did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned c. Some think that this is meant of the Destruction which God had brought upon the ten Tribes commonly called the Kingdom of Israel for their sins and so Judah is here warned by their Example And others understand it of the spoil that had been formerly made in the land of Judah at several times by several Nations But rather I conceive this is spoken to the Jews the Posterity of Jacob as supposed to be in Captivity in Babylon the aim of the Prophet being to convince them of this as one of the great truths which they would not see to wit that it was the Lord their God that brought those barbarous enemies upon them the Babylonians first and the Romans afterward to punish them for their sins And if that of the Romans be intended then their disobeying the Gospel may be included in that reason which is given of their Destruction for they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient to his Law Ver. 25. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battel c. Some think this is meant of Sennacheribs invading Judea But see the foregoing Note Rather it is meant of the Babylonians Invasion or that grievous War which the Romans made against them in after-times which proved Destruction to the whole Nation and it hath set him on fire round about that is It hath brought utter Destruction upon him out of which there was no escaping or their City and Country was on a light flame round about for to the burning of the City and Temple of Jerusalem I conceive these words have special respect yet he knew it not that is He minded it not and it burned him yet he layed it not to heart to wit so as to repent of his sins and turn to the Lord. CHAP. XLIII VERSE 1. BUt now c. Having in the latter end of the foregoing Chapter foretold a day of grievous misery that was coming upon the Jews wherein the generality of them should continue obstinate and impenitnent notwithstanding the wrath of God so terribly poured forth upon them here the Lord by the Prophet returns to his former Consolation namely That he would not utterly cast off and destroy his people but that there should be a remnant whom he would preserve and with whom he would deal graciously as with his own peculiar inheritance But now thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and he that formed thee O Israel that is who as I gave thee thy first being together with the rest of mankind so I also formed thee and moulded thee into a National Church and State and made thee a holy people for my self for that this is indeed chiefly intended is evident by many places See the Notes Chap. 29.23 Deut. 32.6 and Psal 95.6 fear not See the Note Chap. 41.10 for I have redeemed thee that is I have many a time delivered thee when thou wert in a low and sad Condition which may encourage thee to wait upon me for future deliverances Or I have determnined to deliver thee to wit both from the Babylonian Captivity and from your spiritual Captivity I have called thee by thy name that is Thou art in my special favour see the Notes Exod. 33.17 or I have chosen thee and taken thee to be my peculiar people and by that name have distinguished thee from all other people And indeed that this is principally here intended appears by the following words thou art mine for which see the Notes Chap. 41.8 9. Ver. 2. When thou passest thorough the waters I
Tow or Flax is the rather used in allusion to Egypt that did abound in those kind of Commodities see the Note Chap. 19.9 Ver. 18. Remember ye not the former things c. It is as if he had said That the things he did now foretel were so wonderful and strange that they would be sufficient of themselves so to convince men of Gods infinite power that there would be no need to call to mind Gods former deliverance of his people out of Egypt Or as most Expositors understand it That that former deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt though very wonderful was not worthy to be thought of in comparison of that which he had now promised to do for them And hereby I conceive is joyntly meant the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon and likewise yea principally that spiritual deliverance of Gods people by Christ which was signified thereby see the Note Chap. 42.1 For first their deliverance out of Babylon though there were not so many strange miracles wrought for the effecting of that as were for the bringing of the Israelites out of Egypt yet in many regards that of bringing them back out of Babylon into their own Country might well be looked upon as the greater and more wonderful mercy as namely besides other reasons that might be given 1. Because they were in a more glorious Estate when they were carried away Captives into Babylon than when they were brought into Bondage by the Egyptians and so as their misery was greater when they were made Bond-slaves in Babylon so the mercy was greater when they were freed from this Bondage And 2ly Because it was in some respect a wonder above all the wonders wrought in Egypt and most unexpected and strange in the eyes of Gods people that a Heathen King should of his own accord take so much care to send back Gods poor captive people into their own Country and give them back all the rich Vessels of the Temple and take such strict order that they should be furnished with all necessary Provisions both for their Journey homeward and for the rebuilding of their City and Temple when they came thither And therefore we see that elsewhere the Deliverance out of Babylon is mentioned as a mercy to be prized above the other Jer. 16.14 15. The days come saith the Lord that it shall no more be said The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt But the Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel from the Land of the North c. But secondly the Redemption of Gods people was so far transcendently above the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt that it might well be said that the deliverance out of Egypt was not worthy to be minded in comparison of this And this therefore is questionless chiefly here intended So that as by the former things not to be comparatively remembred is meant their Deliverance out of Egypt together with all that followed unto their being put into possession of the land of Canaan so by the greater deliverance that had been now promised which should make the former things to be in a manner forgotten is meant their deliverance out of Babylon even unto that which was signified thereby that great work of mans Redemption by Christ Ver. 19. Behold I will do a new thing c. That is a new and notable work far above what I have formerly done whereby is joyntly meant the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon together with that great work of our Redemption by Christ whereof that was a type See the foregoing Note And though neither of these were done till very many years after yet he speaks of them as the manner of the Prophets is to imply the certainty of things as of that which should be done within a short time now it shall spring forth and that because Gods Providence would be presently working towards the accomplishment of these things and especially because several ages are but as a moment with God See the Note Psal 90.4 shall ye not know it that is it shall be certainly done and that so that you shall take notice of it as an Accomplishment of what is now promised I will even make a way in the Wilderness see the Notes Chap. 40.3 4. and rivers in the desert see the Notes Chap. 35.7 8. and 41.18 It is meant of the fair and safe and comfortable passage which God would give them in their return through the deserts from Babylon to Judea and likewise spiritually of making a way in the Wilderness of the Gentiles for bringing in of people to Christ and life eternal Ver. 20. The beasts of the field shall honour me the Dragons and the Owls c. As this is spoken with respect to the Jews return out of Babylon either it may be an hyperbolical Expression to set forth the wonder of Gods providing so carefully and bountifully for his people in their return through those dry and barren deserts through which they went as if it had been said That the very bruit beasts should stand amazed at it and adore the mighty power of God therein and his fatherly love to his people therein or else the meaning may be either that the very unreasonable Creatures did honour God by forbearing to do his people any hurt that so their passages through those deserts might be the freer and safer or else that they fared the better because of the bounty of God to his people even as when God brought water out of the rock for the Israelites the wild beasts of the wilderness were refreshed thereby for as when such Creatures do languish for want of food they may be said to cry unto God for it Psal 104.21 so when they delight themselves in the provision God affords them and are cheared therewith they may be said in their kind to praise God for it Psal 148.7 And thus the Beasts that were refreshed with Gods bounty to his people are said to honour God for it Because saith the Lord I give waters in the Wilderness and rivers in the desert to give drink to my people my chosen But now if we take this as spoken with respect to that greater work of our Redemption by Christ then it must be understood of the Gentiles a bruitish people being called into the Church and honouring God for those waters of Life wherewith God had refreshed their souls See the Notes Chap. 11.6 7. Ver. 21. This people have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise Some think this is spoken of the Gentiles whose Conversion they conceived is foretold in the foregoing verse and that by way of opposing them to and preferring them before the Jews of whose wickedness God complains in the following verse But rather it is spoken of Gods peculiar people in general both Jews and Gentiles see the Note Psal 102.18 And they imply a reason why God would certainly deliver them namely because
near or else that they are challenged to tell and say what they could by way of defending their Idol-gods yea after they had met and consulted together about it which is certainly intended in those words bring them near yea let them take Counsel together And then in the following words the particular is expressed whereby they are challenged to prove their Idol-gods to be true Gods who hath declared this from ancient time that is Which of your Idol-gods have foretold things to come long before they came to pass as I have foretold this concerning the destruction of Babylon and the deliverance of my people and so other things before mentioned even from Abraham unto this time Who hath told it from that time that is from ancient time as was before said but see also the Note Chap. 44.8 have not I the Lord and there is no God else besides me a just God and a Saviour that is a true God a God indeed able to save those that seek to him It is the very same Argument whereby often before it was proved that Idol-gods were no true Gods namely because they could not foretel future things nor save those that served them as the true-God did See the Notes Chap. 41.22 26. and 43.9 12. Ver. 22. Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth c. As if he had said Look not to your Idol-gods that cannot save you but look unto me that is own me to be the only true God worship me and seek unto me and trust in me see the Notes Psal 123.1 2. and so ye shall be saved to wit both temporally from your streights and dangers here in this World and Eternally hereafter and doubtless this is spoken with reference to Gods purpose of calling the Gentiles to be his people as is clear by the following verse Ver. 23. I have swore by my self c. Upon occasion of the foregoing invitation of all Nations to own the true God to let them see that it would be their wisest course so to do here the Lord makes his Purpose and Decree concerning his bringing in of all Nations to be his People and because this might seem strange and incredible especially to the Jews that looked upon themselves as chosen of God to be his peculiar people therefore he confirms it with an Oath I have sworn by my self having no greater to swear by saith the Apostle Heb. 6.13 the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness that is say some upon good and righteous grounds it being unquestionably a most just and righteous thing that all men should own and worship the true God or rather in truth and faithfulness as being fully resolved to do what I say and shall not return that is the word I have spoken is a Decree irrevocable I will never reverse it or it shall certainly be accomplished it shall not return without effect as men often do that go out upon some enterprise but are not able to effect what they designed that unto me every knee shall bow every tongue shall swear that is I will so manifest my self to be the only true God the multitudes of all Nations that have formerly worshipped Idol-gods and sworn by them shall then know and worship me and swear by my Name or swear Fealty and Allegiance to me see the Note Chap. 19.18 This is undoubtedly the true meaning of this place The Apostle indeed cites this place as a proof that all mankind throughout the World shall at the day of Judgment be brought into subjection under the power of God in Christ and shall stand crouching before him as being forced to acknowledg him their Lord and Judg Rom. 14.10 11. We shall all stand before the Judgment-seat of Christ for it is written As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God But considering that the bowing of all Nations before God in Christ at the last day by way of owning his Soveraignty and Dominion over them was a full accomplishment of that universal subjection of all Nations to him which was begun in the conversion of the Gentiles What wonder is it that this which is here foretold by the Prophet concerning the calling of the Gentiles and their owning of the Soveraignty of God in Christ should by the Apostle be applyed to the whole Worlds acknowledging of it and being forced to submit to it when he shall come to judg both quick and dead of all Nations Ver. 24. Surely shall one say c. It is in the Margin Surely he shall say of me In the Lord is all righteousness and strength and according to this Translation the meaning is that the faithful among the Gentiles even every one of them that shall turn unto God in Christ and shall own and serve him shall upon all occasions be ready to acknowledg and profess with much rejoicing that in him is abundance of Righteousness that is Justice Truth and Faithfulness and an All-sufficiency of Power to do for them whatever he pleaseth this they shall find experimentally and so to their comfort shall see how much better it is with them than when they served Idol-gods but now if we read it as it is in our Translation Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength there the meaning seems to be that those Converts before spoken of should be still ready to glory in this that all their righteousness both imputed and inherent and all the strength they had to obey Gods Commandments was wholly from the Lord of themselves they had nothing that was good in them nor were able to do any thing that was good in Gods sight As for that which follows even to him shall men come and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed some understand the first branch of it even to him shall men come of the Converts before mentioned to wit that they should come in embracing the advice before given them ver 22. and join themselves to God and his people see the Note Psal 65.4 though before Aliens and Heathens and then the second Clause and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed they understand of those wicked Wretches that did obstinately despise God and oppose him and his Truth to wit that they should be destroyed and thereby be brought to shame and confusion of face But then others again understand both branches of these that will not stoop to God but stand out against him and provoke him to Wrath to wit that they should perforce come before Gods Tribunal and there shall be put to Everlasting Shame and Confusion Ver. 25. In the Lord shall all the Seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Some hold the genuine sense of this place to be That the innocency of the main body of the Jews or of the faithful amongst them should be justified by the Lords Pleading their Cause against their Enemies by rescuing
the rulers used as if he had been the basest of Servants or Slaves Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship that is even the great Kings of the Earth shall at last own thee that wert so despised and abhorr'd to be the Lords annointed and shall stoop to thy Scepter and Soveragnty because of the Lord that is faithful and the holy one of Israel that is the Lord of his faithfulness bringing this about to make good his promise made concerning thee and these Princes being convinced hereof upon this very account submitting themselves to thee and he shall choose thee that is I will choose thee that hast been despised of man to rule over the great Princes of the World But the meaning is this that God would make it evidently appear that he had chosen him to be the Messiah Thus I say these words are certainly to be understood concerning Christ yet withal we must know that many learned Expositors do understand this of Christ and the Primitive Church the Body of Christ jointly together And indeed it may well be said of the Church of Christ that she was despised of Man and abhorred of Nations and a Servant of Rulers or of the Jewish Nation particularly so that they looked upon them as the scum and the off-scowring of all things and made nothing of killing them and yet withal that afterwards even their Kings did honour her and submit to her and that upon the account of her Interest in Christ in whom God hath faithfully made good his promises to her Ver. 8. Thus saith the Lord c. The same having been expressed twice before verse 5. and 7. we may well conceive that it is with respect to the greatness and the strangness of the Mysteries now delivered by the Prophet that this is the third time here repeated And it is doubtless God the Father speaks here again to Christ Thus saith the Lord in an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of Salvation have I helped thee and that happily with relation to that which David had long before spoken of himself as a type of Christ My prayer is unto thee O Lord in an acceptable time Psal 69.13 So that the meaning is clearly this that when the set time should come which God of his own free grace had appointed for the accomplishment of the work of mans Redemption by the death of Christ he would then hear his Prayers and Intercession for his people for these words may well comprehend both his Prayers upon Earth such as that John 17. and his intercession in Heaven and that in the execution of that whereto God appointed him he shall be sure of support and assistance from him see the Notes Chap. 42 1-6 and because by the preaching of the Gospel this great work of Mans redemption by Christ was made known and the doing of this in the time determined by God of his free grace for the salvation of his Redeemed ones and that even amongst the Gentiles was a part of the Office of Christ as Mediator even this acceptable time must needs here be comprehended And therefore we see the Apostle doth expresly apply this Prophecy thereto 2 Cor. 6.2 For he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of Salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation As for the following words they also must be accordingly understood and give thee for a covenant of the People that is to be the Mediator of the Covenant of grace betwixt God and his People see the Note Chap. 42.6 and to make good by thee all the deliverances which by covenants are to be wrought for my People whether Corporal as the deliverance out of Babylon or spiritual from the Bondage of Sin and Satan whereof that other out of the Babylonian Bondage was a shadow and type and so likewise the last clause of the verse to establish or raise up the earth and to cause to inherit the desolate heritages for as this is spoken with relation to the type the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon by the establishing or raising up the Earth must needs be meant the setling of the state of the Land of Judah again or the restoring of it to its former flourishing condition and by causing to inherit the desolate heritages is surely meant the Peoples re-edifying and then their re-posessing of their old inheritances which in the time of their captivity had lain waste and desolate But as it hath respect to mans deliverance by Christ that which is intended thereby is the restitution and establishing of the Church by him which was sunk very low in the Jewish Church by bringing in the Gentiles to be added to the Church that God had given to Christ as his inheritance by raising up and restoring to life earthly dead men according to the Prophecy of Simeons concerning Christ Luk. 2.34 Behold this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel by chearing poor sinners oppressed with the bondage and burden of Sin by restoring them to their Heavenly inheritance which they had forfeited lost by their defection from God Ver. 9. That thou mayest say to the Prisoners go forth to them that are in darkness shew your selves c. that is come forth into the light this is still spoken to Christ and as in the type it is meant of the deliverance of the captivtated Jews out of Babylon see the Note Chap. 45.13 so principally in the antitype it is meant of Christs setting free his redeemed ones by preaching of the Gospel the Gentiles especially from that spiritual Bondage and blindness under which they lay by nature see the Note Chap. 42.7 and so likewise the following words they shall feed in the ways and their pastures shall be in all high places under the similitude of a flock of Sheep for whom the Shepherd is wont to provide good pastures and that are wont as they are removed from one place to another to graze on the Road-ways as they go There is a promise made 1. concerning those that were to return out of Babylon both that they should be plentifully provided for by the ways they went of all things necessary and likewise that their Country that had lain long untilled and desolate should every where be abundantly fruitful at their return even in those places that are usually barren And 2. concerning Christs redeemed ones that they should plentifully enjoy the means of Grace at all times and at all places See the Notes Chap. 41.17 18. Ver. 10. They shall not hunger or thirst c. Here the Promise in the last clause of the foregoing Verse is further set forth and that still under the same Metaphor of a Shepherd's providing for his Flock see the Notes Chap. 40.11 and 41.17 18. and 48.21 And here again as in the place last cited there is an allusion to the
be meant of hungring and thirsting after the imputed Righteousness of Christ but rather doubtless of striving to do that which was just and right in Gods Eyes Ye that seek the Lord that is that seek to approve your selves to him and to assure your Interest in him and that seek to him in all your streights Now that which he first assays here to comfort them in is concerning the small number to which they should be brought before that deliverance and restitution of Zion should be wrought which by him God had promised them and hereby may be meant both the fewness of that little Remnant that should come home out of Babylon in comparison of the numerousness of that Nation formerly And likewise the paucity of Believers that should be found in that Nation when Christ the promised Messiah should come to them with the glad tydings of Salvation And that which he saith to encourage them herein is That he adviseth them to remember how miraculously he had formerly multiplied their Nation Look unto the Rock whence ye are hewn and to the hole of the Pit whence ye are digged That is as it is explained in the following Verse Look to Abraham and Sarah out of whose Loins you the Children of Abraham had your descent And the rather we may well think that Abraham is called the Rock and Sarah the hole of the Pit that is the Stone-querry out of which they were hewn and digged with respect to Abrahams dead Body and the deadness of Sarahs Womb Rom. 4.19 They being both in regard of Age like dry and hard Rocks so that there seemed to be no likely yea in a natural way no possibility that they should have any issue until God was pleas'd miraculously to open Sarah's Womb. Now if God did at first from such a dead Stock raise such a numerous Nation as they had been why should they be discouraged at that very small Remnant to which their Church should be brought Ver. 2. Look unto Abraham your Father and unto Sarah that bare you c. This is added by way of explaining the former Words for I called him alone that is I brought him out of Chaldea when he was a lone man one Man and Childless too yea without hope of having any Children by Sarah being barren and at last by reason of Age past any hope of Childing And blessed him and encreased him that is as in many other regards I blessed him so particularly in the mighty encrease of his Posterity so that they became as the Stars in the Heaven or the Sand on the Sea-shore for multitude and hereby is implyed that the same God that did this could likewise encrease and multiply their Church and People though they were brought to never so poor a Remnant See the foregoing Note Ver. 3. For the Lord shall comfort Zion c. To wit with manifold blessings and particularly with an abundant encrease as he did Abraham See the foregoing Notes And this may be meant both of the Jews returning out of Babylon see the Notes Chap. 12.1 and of the Church in the days of the Gospel He will comfort all her waste places that is he will raise up her City and State again and those places that lay desolate shall be inhabited again with multitudes of people And he will make her Wilderness like Eden and her desart like the Garden of the Lord see the Notes Chap. 35.1 2. But now as this is meant of the Church in the days of the Gospel it must needs intend the holy change that should be wrought in Believers and particularly the mighty alteration that should be made in the Apostatised Church of the Jews by the Conversion of a Remnant of them and by the great access of the Gentiles Joy and gladness shall be found therein thanksgiving c. see the Notes Chap. 35.10 and Psal 126.2 But as this hath respect to the days of Christ it is chiefly meant of the great joy that should be wrought in afflicted Consciences by the preaching of the Gospel Ver. 4. Hearken unto me my People and give ear unto me O my Natition c. This is spoken still to the faithful amongst the Jews Gods peculiar People see the Note above ver 1. for a Law shall proceed from me that is say some that would limit this to the Jews that were to come out of Babylon as I will bring home my People to their own Land so I will govern them there as mine own People Do not think that Religion shall be lost amongst them by their long Bondage when I have brought them home they shall be governed by my Law as formerly And accordingly they expound the following Clause And I will make my Judgment to rest for a light of the People that is I will make good my Promises to my People in the sight and to the convincing of all Nations But questionless it is that new Law of the Gospel which God here saith should proceed from him for the governing of his Church for which see the Notes Chap. 2.3 4. And so one main drift of the Words seems to be to shew how the Church of the Jews should be so exceedingly multiplied as was before said namely by the coming in of the Gentiles to them And accordingly we must understand the next Clause And I will make my Judgment to rest for a light of the People that is I will cause my Gospel to rest amongst the Gentiles as a light which the Enemies thereof shall never be able to blow out For it is not strange that the Gospel should be called Gods Judgment because it is the Rule which God hath given us to judge of Good and Evil and the Scepter whereby he governs his Church and Law and Doctrine and Judgment c. are Words ordinarily used in the Scripture promiscuously one for another Ver. 5. My Righteousness is near c. That is The time is near at hand when I will approve my self Righteous and Faithful by performing my promise of saving you out of the hands of your Enemies see the Note Chap. 1.27 And this may be meant both of that deliverance out of Babylon and of our deliverance by Christ from our Spiritual Bondage and Enemies and the last the rather because the expression here used may also imply our being made Righteous by Christ and Christs governing his Church as a Righteous King see the Notes Chap. 40.10 11. My Salvation is gone forth see Chap. 43.19 The expression here used may relate either to the making known Gods Decree to the People by his Prophets or to the approaching and going forth of Cyrus his Decree concerning the Jews deliverance And mine Armes shall judge the People that is by mine Almighty Power I will punish the Nations the Babylonians and others that oppress my Church or by mine own Power accompanying the Ministry of the Gospel Rom. 1.16 and confirmed by many miraculous Works many Nations shall be Converted and shall submit
no way injured them for though Hezekiah had at first revolted from him yet he afterward submitted himself to him and by mutual agreement made him satisfaction and ye know how God destroyed him and his mighty Army and delivered his People from their Rage and Fury Thus I conceive is the meaning and drift of this Verse There is a hint here given the Jews of two former deliverances that God had wrought for his People and then in the following Verse he shews what might be inferred from hence concerning the sadder condition of his People in Babylon I know indeed that several Expositors do judge otherwise concerning the second clause and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause For some think that by the Assyrian there Pharaoh King of Egypt is meant and so they would have the meaning of the whole Verse to be this That the Israelites going down into Egypt only to sojourn there the King of that Country did without cause sorely oppress them But this opinion is built upon meer groundless and improbable conjectures as namely that that Pharaoh that knew not Joseph Exod. 1.8 was a Stranger even an Assyrian or else that all Tyrants were in those days by a Proverbial way of speaking called Assurs Others therefore say that by the Assyrian the Babylonian is meant and that he is here called the Assyrian because the Kingdom of Babylon was always formerly a branch of the Assyrian Empire and all Assyria was at present under the Dominion of the King of Babylon yea the rather too because the Assyrians frequent invading Judea in former times did open a Door to that absolute Conquest which the Babylonians did afterward make of that People and their carrying them away Captives into Babylon And so accordingly they make the Sense of the whole Verse to be this That the Egyptians did of old wrongfully oppress the Israelites when they sojourned amongst them and that the Babylonians had now done the like But the former Exposition is far the clearest to wit that there are here two Instances given of Gods pleading the Cause of his oppressed People formerly and that God argues from hence by an Argument taken from the greater to the less that if God punished the Egyptians for dealing so hardly and inhumanly with his People that went down into that Country voluntarily of their own accord that they might sojourn there though the King of Egypt had some pretence for what he did because they were in his Dominions and under his Jurisdiction And so again if God destroyed the Assyrians that only invaded and wasted the Land of Judea and afflicted them there in their own Country much more will he punish the Babylonians who without cause invaded their Country and carryed them away Captives into a strange Land Ver. 5. Now therefore what have I here saith the Lord that my People is taken away for nought c. The first words are very concise in the original and therefore may be understood several ways As 1. With reference to that which was said before ver 3. Now that my People hath been forcibly carried away into Babylon without any price paid to me for them what have I here that is what gain and advantage do I get by their being here in bondage As if he should have said Surely nothing at all it was not a bargain of my making neither do I get any thing by it and therefore why do I delay the rescuing of my People from this their Captivity Or 2. With respect to the foregoing Verse Seeing I could not endure the Egyptians and Assyrians that oppressed my People but punished them what have I here in Babylon that should move me to spare them that have carried them away Captive into a strange Country which the other did not Or what have I here to do but to destroy Babylon and to hasten the deliverance of my People from their greater oppression here Or 3. As bewaling the desolations of Judea having no People left me here in Judea what do I here Why do I not go away to Babylon and fetch my People from thence Or 4. With respect to their Bondage in Babylon what have I here in Babylon that I should be as it were as a Captive here amongst my People and not carry them back again to my Temple at Jerusalem And lastly some take it as spoken with respect to the state of the Jews when Christ their promised Messiah was sent unto them why do I stay any longer amongst this People sold over for nought and not remove from them and gather to my self another People Or what do I speak of what my People suffer here in Babylon seeing they lye under a far greater oppression of their Spiritual Enemies Why do I not hasten to deliver them from that bondage All these several ways these first words are understood by Expositors not without some ground of probability But the first I conceive doth best suit with our Translation However according to what is said in this first branch of this Verse we must understand the following words they that rule over them make them to howl saith the Lord to wit because of their cruel oppressing them both outwardly and in their Consciences also and my name continually every day is blasphemed to wit by the wicked Enemies of my People who continually insult as if I were not able to deliver my People out of their hands Indeed the Apostle affirms that this might be applyed to the Enemies blaspheming Gods name because of the wickedness of those that profess themselves his People Rom. 2.24 But doubtless the Prophet intended here the Heathens blaspheming the God of Israel by their boasting that he was not able to protect or deliver his People according to what we find also in Ezek. 36.20 And when they entered unto the Heathen whither they went they profaned my holy name when they said to them these are the People of the Lord and are gone forth out of his Land Ver. 6. Therefore c. That is Because my People have been thus carried away for nought and have been thus cruelly oppressed and especially because their Enemies have thus blasphemed my Name my People shall know my Name that is they shall experimentally know that I am the Lord Jehovah the only true God of Infinite Power and faithful to make good all my promises according to that which followeth therefore they shall know in that day to wit when my People shall be delivered out of Babylon as I have promised and when all things shall be accomplished by Christ that were foretold of him by the Prophets that I am he that doth speak behold it is I that is that it is I the Lord God that do now foretell these things by my Prophets in that I will exactly then accomplish what I now foretell Ver. 7. How beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tydings c. That is How welcome delightful and acceptable shall
as they had dealt with Christ that he would bring them to Death and to the Grave as they had brought Christ 2. Others understand it of the efficacy of Christs Death and Burial namely that thereby many wicked men yea many of the great and rich ones amongst them most unlikely to yield should be crucified with him and buried with him to wit Spiritually and so be made new Creatures and be brought to be obedient to the will of his Father or which is all one in effect that they should be brought to be with him and own him though Crucified and Buried as their Lord and as his People to submit to his Scepter and Government Again 3. Some understand it only of his Sufferings but in a several way For 1. Some take it thus That God the Father gave Christ over into the hands of the wicked Jews and the Gentiles even the great ones of those times such as were Caiaphas and Herod and Pontius Pilate that so they might dispose of him how they pleased both in regard of his Death and Burial which agreeth with that of our Saviour Matth. 26.45 Behold the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of Sinners or for so some would have it that He that is the Jewish People gave him up into the hands of the wicked Gentiles Pilate and the Roman Souldiers that they should Crucifie and bury him as they pleased But 2. Others understand it thus that he should be cut off by an untimely Death as a wicked man and accordingly should be Executed amongst other Malefactors in Mount Calvary the ordinary place where such kind of Varlets used to be Executed and Buried according to that which followeth in this Chapter ver 12. And he was numbred with the Transgressours but yet withall the providence of God so disposing of it he should be buried in the Sepulchre of a rich man as Joseph of Arimathea is expresly called Matth. 27.57 the Evangelist thereby pointing as some think to the accomplishment of this Prophecy And this last seems to me the most probable Exposition of this place As for that which follows because he had done no violence neither was any deceit in his Mouth or as it is cited 1 Pet. 2.22 neither was guile found in his Mouth which seems to have special respect to the unquestionable truth of his Doctrine it is given as a reason of that which went before and therefore must be understood according to the several Expositions of the foregoing words as either 1. That God would bring destruction upon those that crucified Christ because they had dealt so cruelly with an innocent man that had never done any thing blame-worthy either in word or deed Or 2. That his Death should be efficacious for the Conversion of wicked Men yea even the greatest and richest of them because he should not dye for any guilt that was in him but as a spotless Lamb that suffered for the Salvation of others Or 3. That God would not suffer him to be buried amongst those notorious Malefactors in that common place appointed for their burial in or about Mount Calvary but provided that he should be honourably laid in a new Sepulchre which a rich and honourable person had provided for himself because he was such a new man indeed as the World had never seen a man that had never sinned neither in word nor deed Ver. 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief c. That is Though there was no fault in him yet it was the will of God that he should suffer sorely to wit because he was to suffer for poor Sinners See the Note before ver 5. when thou shalt make his Soul an offering for Sin that is when thou O God shalt bring it to that that his Soul that is his Life or himself shall be offered up as a propitiatory Sacrifice for sinful men Or as it is in the Margin when his Soul shall make an offering for Sin that is when Christ shall willingly even with all his Soul offer up himself as a Sacrifice for his People to wit in his Death See Gal. 3.13 and 2 Cor. 5.21 he shall see his Seed that is his Spiritual Progeny See the Notes Chap. 9.6 Multitudes of Believers that shall be begotten again by his Word and Spirit It is as if he had said that his Death should not hinder his having a numerous Seed because he should rise from the dead and so should live and see his Seed yea it should be so far from hindering it that it should be the cause of it because reconciliation being made by his Death he shall thereby purchase them to himself which our Saviour intended in that Joh. 12.24 Except a Corn of Wheat fall into the ground and dye it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much Fruit and likewise because it was not till after his Death and Ascension into Heaven that his Spirit was to be so abundantly poured forth both upon those that were to preach the Gospel and upon those to whom it was Preached Joh. 7.39 he shall prolong his days See the Note above ver 8. It is spoken with respect to his reigning long over his Church upon Earth till all his Enemies were subdued and after that together with his Church Eternally in Heaven and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand that is that which it was the Lords good will and pleasure should be done by him to wit the Redemption and Salvation of Men and that which should make way thereto the bringing in of Men to believe in Christ by the spreading of the Gospel through all Nations See Joh. 4.34 and 6.39 Ver. 11. He shall see of the travel of his Soul c. That is He shall for a long time together with much content and delight see and enjoy See the Notes Job 7.7 and Psal 34.12 the effect and fruit of all the toilsome and wearisome pains that he had taken and pains and sorrows he had endured and that especially in his Soul by reason of the pressures of Divine Wrath that lay upon him and put him into a bloody sweat And by this fruit of the travel of his Soul is meant that which in the foregoing Verse was called the prospering of the pleasure of the Lord in his hand as namely the gathering of multitudes of Gods Elect People from amongst the Gentiles together with that transcendency of Glory whereunto himself shall be exalted after his Sufferings and Labours See Phil. 2.8 9. and Luke 24.26 and the Eternal Salvation of all his redeemed ones and shall be satisfied to wit with full content and delight as having obtained that which he earnestly thirsted after and accounting it an abundant recompence for all his Labours and Sufferings even as a Husband-man is satisfied when after all his toil he comes to reap a plenteous Harvest and as a Woman is satisfied when after all her pains in travel she sees
House the Temple or within my Temple and my City Jerusalem But however both by the one and the other is meant the Church of Christ whereof both the Temple and Jerusalem were Types For that which is intended is that unto those Eunuchs before mentioned God would give in his Church here and afterward in Heaven a place and a Name better than of Sons and Daughters that is of greater Honour and Dignity than that which accrews to them that have Sons and Daughters which is accounted a great Honour and Happiness to Men See the Note Prov. 17.6 and in whom their Name is continued when they are dead namely that of being Gods peculiar People his adopted Children a Name more glorious and more durable even that which shall continue unto Eternity as is expressed in the following Words I will give them an everlasting Name that shall not be cut off to wit as the continuance of Mens Names in their Posterity many times is Ver. 6. Also the Sons of the Stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord c. See the Note above ver 3. to serve him and to love the Name of the Lord to be his Servants to wit as counting it an honour to serve him because of the great love they bare to him every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my Covenant See the Note above ver 4. Ver. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain c. That is I will cause them to come in and joyn themselves to my Church See the Note Chap. 2.2 and make them joyful in my house of Prayer to wit my Church of which the Temple was a Type And the meaning is that their Hearts should be joyed by the consideration of their happiness in being admitted to be Gods People and to all the Glorious priviledges which thereby they should enjoy by the chearing of their troubled Consciences with the glad tydings of the Gospel which should be there preached to them and more particularly by the sweet refreshing comforts they should find in their Souls both whilst they were praying and after they had prayed and the gracious answers God should return to their prayers their burnt offerings and their Sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar that is their Spiritual and Evangelical Sacrifices Rom. 12.1 and Heb. 13.15 shall be acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 for mine House that is my Church shall be called the House of Prayer for all People to wit Gentiles as well as Jews yet because the Church of Christ is called Gods House in allusion to its Type the Temple therefore our Saviour cites this place as spoken of the Temple Mark 11.17 Ver. 8. The Lord God which gathereth together the out-casts of Israel saith c. To wit out of Babylon and other Countries where they were scattered See the Note Psal 147.2 yet will I gather others to him that is to Israel besides those that are gathered to him that is that are already gathered to him out of Babylon And it is meant of the Gentiles whom after this would God bring in and make them one Church and People with Israel see Joh. 11.51 52. Ver. 9. All ye Beasts of the Field come to devour c. Very many Learned Expositors hold this to be the beginning of a new Prophecy But if we take it as a part of the foregoing Prophecy as indeed according to the division of the Chapters in our Bibles it seems to be joined with that then we may conceive the connexion to be either 1. That having cheared up the Godly with many precious Promises in the foregoing part of the Prophecy here he turns himself to reprove the wicked party amongst them and that the rather that hereby they might be put in mind that the comfort of the foregoing promises belong'd not to them Or 2. That having made Gods People so many glorious Promises he now shews them that before they should be fulfilled very sad havock should be made in the Jewish State by forreign Nations that so the Godly might not be stumbled when they saw such sad things so contrary to what was now promised to come upon them but might only be stirred up by unfeigned Repentance to approve themselves to God And it may be also there might be an intention to give some light to that which he had said of the out-casts of Israel As for the words themselves All ye Beasts of the Field come to devour yea all the Beasts of the Forrest though they may be un-understood literally as an invitation of all kinds of Beasts of Prey to come and devour the Carcases of Gods slaughtered People intended to imply that there should be such multitudes of them slain by their Enemies that there should be enough to satisfie all the Beasts both of Field and Forrest that would come in to devour Yet I rather think that by these ravenous Beasts are figuratively meant those barbarous cruel Nations that should destroy and devour Gods People and that because in the following Verses the blindness and neglect of the Shepherds is alledged as a motive to encourage them to come in and devour Gods Flock Many I know and I think most probably do understand this particularly of the Chaldeans and the many Nations that joyned with them in their invasion of Judea but yet it may well be extended to all that were after this called in at several times to devour the Jews the Assyrians Babylonians Grecians Romans c. Ver. 10. His watchmen are blind c. That is Israels Rulers both Civil and Ecclesiastical the two Eyes of a Church or State her Priests and pretended Prophets and Teachers especially are blind Seers such as could not foresee approaching Evils and Judgments that they might forewarn the People of them being ignorant and sottish as the following words explain it they are all ignorant that is all of them in a manner are ignorant as to the Law of God and their own Duty they know not how to teach and govern the People such as the Scribes and Pharisees were in our Saviours time blind leaders of the blind they are all dumb Dogs they cannot bark to wit by opposing the Evil of the Times reproving Evil doers and forewarning them of the Judgments they were like to bring upon themselves and that because they were ignorant given to the Vices they should have reproved in others nor willing by doing their duty to expose themselves to the displeasure of Men especially the great ones of the Times in all which there is an allusian to House-Dogs or Shepherds Dogs that are by barking to drive away Thieves and Wolves and waken those that should help to drive them away sleeping lying down loving to slumber that is delighting in sloth and sluggishness and giving up themselves thereto The word indeed which we Translate sleeping is by some rendered as it is in the Margin dreaming or talking in their sleep with reference as
plotted the Death of Naboth 1 King 21.19 Or 2. That there was much strife and debate amongst them upon their solemn Fast-days For say they they used when they met on those days to be often quarrelling and brawling one with another at least they were wont to take advantage of the Rest enjoined on those days to look over their debt-Books and Bonds and Mortgages and to prepare for and promote what they could the prosecuting of their Law-suits against their debtors Yea and there is a Learned Expositor that holds that it being their Custom on those days to sit in Judgment against Offenders that hereby God might be pacified towards them the greatest matter they usually there did was to complain of their Debtors and to procure some Judiciary Sentence against them And so for the following words and to smite with the Fist of wickedness some conceive it is meant of their quarrelling and fighting on those days at least of Masters beating and abusing their Servants or of the imperious and contemptuous carriage of their great ones towards the mean sort in beating and striking them or of Mens passionate falling upon their Debtors and laying violent hands upon them as if they would force them to pay that which they were not able to pay according to that which is said in the Parable of the Servant whose Lord had forgiven him a great debt and he afterwards meeting with one of his fellow-Servants which ought him an hundred pence laid hands on him and took him by the Throat saying Pay me that thou owest Matth. 18.28 But to me it seems no way probable that they either did or are charged with doing these things on their fast-days Questionless all that is here intended is that even after their Fasting and Praying they went on in their ways of cruelty and unmercifulness to their poor Brethren their Fasts were followed with strife and debate as if that had been the very end of their fasting And herein consists the absurdity of their dealing with God that whilst they sought in this manner to beg mercy of God they should be at the same time so cruel to their Brethren Ye shall not fast as ye do this day to make your voice to be heard on high that is say some ye are not to fast as now adays ye do with such brawling and loud out-cries as make the Air aloft to ring of them or as are like to mount up to Heaven and draw down vengeance upon you Or as others would have it you must not fast as now ye do weeping and howling aloud by way of ostentation or as hoping that hereby alone you keep a fast as God requires But far more probably I conceive others hold that God doth here inform them that if they desired to have the voice of their Prayers heard on high that is by God in Heaven they must fast in another manner than they did in those times There must not be such strife and debate such contention and oppression amongst them as there was if they desired by their fastings to prevail with God Ver. 5. Is it such a Fast that I have chosen a day for a Man to afflict his Soul c. See the Note Lev. 16.29 is it to bow down his head as a bullrush which being broken and bruised will hang down with its own weight and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him to wit as they used to do in times of solemn Humiliation and fasting as it is said of Ahab 1 King 21.27 that he fasted and lay in sackcloth see also Esth 4.3 and Job 2.8 The meaning is that the humbling of themselves thus out-wardly if they did not withall repent of and forsake their sins was not the Fast which God enjoined approved and delighted in wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable day to the Lord As if he had said you cannot in reason think so but rather that the Lord will abhor it Ver. 6. Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness c. By these bands of wickedness some understand the combination of Judges or others for the oppression of the poorer sort But rather hereby is meant whatever it was wherewith the poor were straitned and pinched by the rich as their obligations and conveyances either unjustly obtained or cruelly prosecuted even against those that were notable to pay yea and the bringing such into Bondage or casting them into Prison may be herein also included of all which God requires here they should be released And to the same effect is the Rest here added to undo the heavy burdens to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoke For though in requiring that the oppressed or afflicted should go free he seems to have special respect to the freeing of their debtors from restraint either in Prison or elsewhere they not daring to stir abroad for fear of Arrests and to the setting of their Servants at liberty at the times enjoined by Gods Law for their manumission yet it may be meant more generally of freeing them from all the vexations and oppressions under which they were crushed And by the yoke may be meant all the heavy pressures they groaned under The meaning is that they must leave off their extortions and oppressions and so likewise all other their sins if they would fast as God required they should do Ver. 7. Is it not to deal thy Bread to the Hungry c. See the Notes Eccles 11.1 and Prov. 22.9 and that thou bring the poor that are cast out or afflicted to thy house to wit voluntarily even before it was desired of thee when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own Flesh that is thy Brethren of thine own Stock or Nation see the Note Judg. 9.2 or any that are Men as thou art see the Note Neh. 5.5 Ver. 8. Then shall thy light c. As if he had said do this and you will find that there will be no cause for you to complain as it is above ver 3. wâ—refore have we fasted and thou seest not c. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning that is thy sad and afflicted estate shall be certainly and suddenly changed into a joyful and prosperous condition even when there seemed to be no likelihood of any such thing which likewise shall grow brighter and brighter as the morning light doth see the Note Esth 8.16 and thine health shall spring forth speedily that is thou shalt be presently cured of thy miseries and shalt get new Vigor as the Plants do when the Spring is come but see the Notes also Chap. 6.10 and 57.18 and thy Righteousness shall go before thee that is this thy just and merciful dealing shall do that which thine Hypocritical fasting did not do it shall declare thee to be sincerely Righteous and make thy Righteousness to appear conspicuously before God and Man Or thy
thou now or thou shalt be now in a joyful prosperous and glorious condition For the Light is come and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee That is the Night of thine Adversity being at an end the Day of thy Prosperity begins to dawn and the Lord is beginning to shew forth his Glory as the Sun doth where it riseth in delivering thee out of thy Captivity to settle thee again in thine own Land or to make thee renowned and glorious But indeed the expression here used seems to allude to those Times when the Glory of the Lord used to appear upon the Tabernacle and in the Temple But now under this Type the great bliss of the Primitive Church of Christ is here principally intended in regard whereof the Church of the Jews is here stirred up to arise and shine or to be enlightened as it is in the Margin namely with respect to that Spiritual Happiness and Glory whereto she should be raised from an estate of Sin and Misery under the Messiah which is set forth in the following words for the Light is come or as it is in the Margin thy Light cometh and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee that is Christ Joh. 8.12 long since promised to them and in whom they had in many respects a special Interest Or the Gospel which was to succeed in the stead of the abrogated Law called the light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ 2 Cor. 4.4 Or that blessed and joyful estate whereto the Church of the Jews was then advanced Ver. 2. For behold the Darkness shall cover the Earth and gross Darkness the People c To wit you the whilst enjoying great and marvellous light as it followes in the next words But the Lord shall arise upon thee and his Glory shall be seen upon thee And this is added the better to set forth the greatness of their approaching happiness that whilst other Nations should be overwhelmed with thick darkness as the Egyptians were in Egypt they should be as the Israelites that were in Goshen that had Light in their Dwellings Now though this in the Type was accomplished when the Jews were in a lightsome comfortable condition at their deliverance out of Babylon the Lord then appearing graciously amongst them and shining favourably upon them and causing his Glory to be clearly discovered upon them in that their wonderful deliverance whilst the Babylonians and other Neighbour Nations were under the dismal darkness of sore tribulations being subdued and wasted by Cyrus who set them free Yet questioneless it is principally meant of the happiness of the Church of the Jews when Christ should come to them above all the Nations of the World besides in that whilst this Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 should arise and shine upon them and dispel all the Darkness of their blindness and misery by the light of the Gospel whilst all the World besides should lye in darkness and the shadow of Death Ver. 3. And the Gentiles shall come to thy Light c. In the Type this may be meant of the great respect that should be shewn to the Jews in their wondrous and glorious return out of Babylon by Forreign Nations and Kings See the Notes Chap. 49.6 7. But with respect of the Antitype it is principally doubtless meant of the Conversion of the Gentiles and their being enlightened by the Gospel first Preached amongst the Jews see the Note Chap. 2.3 Even these Nations should be so far from being Enemies to the Jews as formerly they had been that they should joyn themselves to them and profess the same Faith and be one People with them and Kings to the brightness of thy rising that is Heathen Kings shall come in to thee because of the brightness that shall rise upon thee or because of thy brightness when thou shalt arise in great Glory from a low condition see the Note Chap. 49.23 Ver. 4. Lift up thine Eyes round about and see all they gather themselves together they come to thee c. This is spoken to set forth as by way of admiration the Multitude of the Gentiles mentioned in the foregoing Verse that should from all Countries round about come flocking in and joyn themselves to the Primitive Church of the Jews see the Notes Chap. 2.3 and 14.1 and 43.5 but especially Chap. 49.22 though they were of several Nations and formerly at great enmity amongst themselves yet should come in willingly together and joyn themselves to be one Church with the Christian Jews Some I know understand this of the Jews flocking home from all Countries whither they had fled or were carried Captives But if this should be intended in the Type yet certainly it is chiefly meant of the Conversion of the Gentiles as the relation the words have to the foregoing Verse doth clearly shew And so I understand also the following words Thy Sons shall come from far and thy Daughters shall be nursed at thy side that is carried in thine Arms and Bosom namely that the Children of the Gentiles should be brought into the Church of Christ as their Mother Ver. 5. Then thou shalt see c. That is thou shalt feed thine Eyes with this pleasing sight of the Multitude of the Gentiles that shall come in to thee it is spoken with reference to that in the foregoing Verse Lift up thine Eyes round about and see and flow together that is flock together to behold such a joyful sight and thine Heart shall fear to wit with admiration at the unexpectedness of the thing done and the consideration of the High and Glorious Estate whereto God had suddenly raised them especially by the access of the Gentiles And indeed wonderful and unexpected joys do usually work a kind of fear and trembling of Heart in Men see Gen. 45.26 27. Whence is that they shall fear and tremble for all the Goodness and for all the Prosperity that I procure unto it Jer. 33.9 And therefore are these here joyned together and thine Heart shall fear and be inlarged to wit with joy See the Note Psal 119.32 And indeed though the believing Jews did at first grudge at the admitting of the Gentiles into the Church before they understood the will of God herein yet afterward they did greatly rejoice in it see Acts 10.45 and 11.18 Because the abundance of the Sea c. It is in the Margin because the noise of the Sea shall be turned toward thee that is a Multitude of People shall come in like a Sea upon thee But reading it as it is in our Bibles Because the abundance of the Sea shall be Converted unto thee the meaning is that the Church of the Christian Jews should be affected as is before said because such Multitudes of Forreign Nations should embrace their Religion and be kindly affected to them whom they hated before bountifully imparting of their Riches for the service of Christ and his Church and People The Forces of the Gentiles shall come
unto thee that is whole Armies or Troops of them shall come in to thee This also in the Type many understand of the forwardness of the Nations to help the Jews at their return out of Babylon and some would have the meaning to be that Judea should become a great Mart for Merchants by Sea But the foregoing Exposition doth most clearly suit with the whole current of this Prophesie Ver. 6. The multitude of Camels shall cover thee c. That is thy Land the Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah that is the Midianites for Ephah was also of the Posterity of Midian Gen. 25.4 who inhabited Arabia see the Note Gen. 37.28 The meaning is that the Converted Gentiles should honour the Lord with their Substance and Consecrate themselves and all that they had to the Service of Christ and his Church And accordingly the several Nations are here said to bring in those things that were the choicest Commodities of their several Countries The meaning here cannot be that these Midianites Embracing the Faith of Christ should ride to Jerusalem upon Camels and Dromedaries but because in those Eastern Countries they used to ride and to carry great Burdens of Wares upon this kind of Cattel and because in those days Men used not to come empty handed to the House of God therefore the Coming in of the Gentiles their submitting themselves and all they had to the Lords disposing and their contributing of their Wealth in abundance to the Church of Christ is thus figuratively expressed that the Land of Gods People should be covered with their Camels and Dromedaries And to the same purpose is that which follows all they from Sheba shall come see the Note Psal 72.10 They shall bring Gold and Incense that is they shall also Consecrate their Wealth to the Lord yea and some would have it that under these Figuratively the dedicating of their Learning and Eloquence their Arts and Sciences to the service of Christ and his Church is also comprehended and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord that is they shall worship God And indeed this last clause sheweth plainly that the mention made in the foregoing Words of their bringing Gold and Incense with them was not with respect to Trading as some have thought but with respect to the worship and service of God Ver. 7. All the Flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee The Rams of Nebaioth shall Minister unto thee c. Because the Kedarens and Nabathaeans Ishmaelites of the Posterity of Kedar and Nebaioth dwelling in Arabia abounded in Flocks of Sheep therefore it is said that from them multitudes of these shall be brought in to Gods People And though in the Type this again may be meant of these Nations supplying the Jews that were come out of Babylon abundantly with Cattel for Sacrifices But certainly it is principally meant of the Converted Gentiles and accordingly we must understand it either that they should zealously promote the Church of Christ and the worship of God therein by contributing abundantly of their Substance thereto or that they should offer up Spiritual Sacrifices unto God for it is usual with the Prophets in speaking to the Jews to set forth the Worship of the Gospel under Figurative tearms taken from their Legal Service they shall come up with acceptance upon mine Altar that is their Services shall be as Sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ and I will glorify the house of my Glory that is in the Type his glorious House the Temple built for his Glory and wherein he had appeared often with great Glory now trodden down by the Gentiles but to be raised up again gloriously at the Jews return from Babylon or rather the Church of Christ the House of God 1 Tim. 3.15 which God did many ways Glorifie but the access of the Gentiles is principally here intended see the Note ver 9. Ver. 8. Who are these c. The Prophet some think in the name of the Church who above ver 4. in this regard was called upon to lift up her Eyes and look about breaks forth here into an admiration at the multitudes of those that should come flocking into Zion And though some understand it of the Jews returning to their own Country at their deliverance out of Babylon as they do a like expression Chap. 49.21 of which see the Note there yet indeed the very words seem to hint that he speaks of the Gentiles coming in to the Christian Church of the Jews because he speaks of them as a People unknown such as were Aliens and Strangers from the Common-Wealth of Israel Who are these that fly as a Cloud and as the Doves to their Windows that is the Lockers where they make their several Nests and breed their Young ones or rather the loover-holes in the Turrets or tops of the Dove-house whereby they fly into it Now the coming in of the Gentiles to the Church may be compared to the flying of a Cloud to imply their coming in from remote Countries because Clouds do many times arise in the farthest parts of the Sky and to the flying in of Doves to their windows because as Doves do usually fly home when they see a storm coming or are in danger of some Bird of prey so it should be the fear of wrath to come that should bring in the Gentiles to the Church as to a place of refuge and safety But questionless the main intent of both Similitudes is to set forth with what eagerness chearfulness and speed see the Note Chap. 19.1 and likewise in what multitudes they should come in like a huge flight of Doves that cover the Air like a Cloud or like a Cloud that sometimes will spread and cover the whole face of the Heavens Ver. 9. Surely the Isles c. That is such as dwell in remote Islands or elsewhere on the Sea-Coast see the Note Chap. 41.1 This seems to be spoken in the Person of God or Christ in answer to the wonder of the Prophet or Church in the foregoing Verse Surely the Isles wait for me that is being convinced of the danger of their natural condition by the Preaching of the Gospel they shall earnestly long to be brought home and reconciled with me and therefore it is no wonder though they come in flocking to me But see the Notes also Chap. 42.4 and 51.5 and the Ships of Tarshish see the Notes 1 Kings 10.22 and Psal 48.7 first that is the Men of Tarshish famous above others for Shipping and Navigation shall be of the first and forwardest that shall be ready to come in to me and serve me to bring thy Sons from far that is thy Children O my Church see the Notes above ver 4. and Chap. 49.22 their Silver and their Gold with them see the Note above ver 6. unto the name of the Lord thy God that is to be consecrated to God or for the Service of his Church or Temple see the Note Deut.
in Prosperity yea in Heaven unto all Eternity Ver. 21. Thy People also shall be all righteous c. That is those that are truly such true Members of the Church even all of them whether Jews or Gentiles shall be righteous to wit perfectly by the imputed righteousness of Christ and really also by inherent righteousness wrought in them which shall be perfected in Heaven But see the Notes also Chap. 4.3 and 59.20 they shall inherit the Land for ever that is as it hath respect to the Jews returning from Babylon they shall possess the Land of Canaan again for many Generations see the Note Psal 37.18 Lest that poor Remnant that were brought back from thence should fear that they should presently be driven out again therefore is this promise added But now as this is spoken with respect to the Church of Christ the meaning of this Inheriting the Land for ever must needs be that they should for ever continue in the World as Gods peculiar Church and People the new World say our Divines in their large Annotations by Christ renewed and restored in a special manner here in full perfection hereafter whereof Gods giving Canaan to the Israelites for their peculiar Inheritance that they might therein abide by themselves separated from all the World was a notable Type As for the following Words the Branch of my planting the Work of mine hands that I may be glorified they are added as a reason why those things must needs be so which he had here foretold concerning Gods People namely because a Graft planted by the great God must needs thrive and prosper the rather because of the great delight he must needs take in them even as Men are wont highly to esteem those Trees that are of their own planting and especially because his aim in planting them was that they might be to his glory But see the Note Chap. 29.23 Ver. 22. A little One shall become a thousand and a small one a strong Nation c. This is a prediction of the miraculous multiplication of Gods People to wit that it should be such that one Man that had but a little small Family should have such a numerous Posterity that his Family should in a short time become like a great Nation And this may be understood as spoken in the Type of the Jews that should return from Babylon that though they were but a small Remnant to speak of yet they should soon become again a very numerous People yet I conceive it is principally meant in the Antitype of the Church of Christ that though that was very little at first yet it should suddenly encrease even to admiration And so indeed it was see the Note Psal 110.3 The Apostles were but a few Yet how soon had they spread the Gospel to the utmost parts of the Earth One Peter by one Sermon won three thousand to the Christian Faith Acts 2.41 And the Apostle Paul that terms himself the least of the Apostles how many Churches were planted by him alone even in remote Countries Some would have the first branch understood of a few growing to great multitudes A little one shall become a thousand and then the second branch and a small one a strong nation of Men of mean condition growing up to be potent and mighty Men. But I rather think that in both branches the same thing is intended for the word rendered strong is sometimes used for numerous see the Note Chap. 16.14 Again some would have the Spiritual sense of these expressions to be that Men even of mean parts and small gifts of grace should bring in multitudes to believe in Christ But the first Exposition seems to me the clearest I the Lord will hasten it in his time that is however impossible this may seem to be yet when the time comes that is appointed for the doing of it I the Lord who have all things under my command will not defer it but speedily dispatch it CHAP. LXI VERSE 1. THE Spirit of the Lord God is upon me c. It is clear that the Prophet Isaiah doth in express tearms speak this of himself That the People might with the more confidence believe what he had said to them he assures them that God had endued him with the Spirit of Prophesie and had sent him to foretel their deliverance out of Babylon for the comfort of his poor People when they should be there in great affliction and misery The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me that is he hath poured forth the Spirit of Prophesie upon me by the enabling whereof I speak because the Lord hath anointed me that is consecrated and set me apart to be his Prophet and accordingly fitted me with gifts suitable thereto whereof the anointing of Kings Priests and Prophets of old was a sign see the Notes 1 Kings 19.15 to preach good tydings unto the meek that is the tydings of their deliverance out of Babylon he hath sent me to bind up that is to heal see the Note Psal 147.3 the broken-hearted that is the poor broken-hearted Captives in Babylon And so we must likewise understand all that follows to proclaim liberty to the Captives c. Well but now as clear it is also that the Prophet speaks this likewise as in the Person of Christ of whom he was a Type and that because in the first Sermon our Saviour preached at Nazareth having read this Text out of Isaiah he told his Hearers that the Prophet spake those words of him Luke 4.21 This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And of him therefore principally this place must be understood The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me for which see the Note Chap. 11.2 because the Lord hath anointed me that is set me apart to the office of the Mediator and abundantly fitted me for it by the pouring forth of the gifts of his Spirit upon me whereof the anointing of Kings Priests and Prophets was an outward sign But for this see the Note also Psal 45.7 to Preach good tydings unto the Meek or as it is cited Luke 4.18 out of the Septuagint and they or both one and the same in effect to Preach the Gospel to the Poor that is to Men poor in Spirit meekned and humbled with the sight and sense of their Sins and the Miseries they were obnoxious to by reason of their Sins he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted that is to heal them as it is expressed Luke 4.18 To wit by comforting them with the glad tydings of the Gospel to proclaim liberty to the Captives See the Note Chap. 42.7 And the opening of the Prison to them that are bound which last Clause seems to be rendred in Luke 4.18 and recovering of sight to the Blind the reason whereof Expositors usually say is because Men set free out of dark Prisons have as it were their Eyes opened thereby But see the Notes Chap. 42.7 and 49.9 Yea there is one Clause
more in that place of Luke where our Saviour is said to have read this Text out of Isaiah which is not here to set at liberty them that are bruised of which therefore some say that it had been added in the Margin of the Septuagint by way of explaining the foregoing words and so was read also by our Saviour Ver. 2. To proclaim the acceptable Year of the Lord c. That is the set time when God would accept of his People into his favour again which though it might be intended of the time appointed for the deliverance of his People out of Babylon yet questionless it is principally meant of that set time appointed by God the Apostle calls it the fullness of time Gal. 4 4. Wherein God was pleased of his own free Grace upon satisfaction made by Christ to tender unto poor Sinners forgiveness of Sins and full Reconciliation with himself by the Preaching of the Gospel which is indeed a time welcome and acceptable unto those poor Souls that lay groaning under a heavy burden of Sin 1 Tim. 1.15 and Rom. 10.15 See the Note Chap. 49.8 It is probable that in the words there is an allusion to the year of Jubile which was a Type of the Days of the Gospel for which see the Notes Lev. 25.10 c. And the day of Vengeance of our God that is the time when our God will take vengeance on the Babylonians the Enemies of his people or Mystically when Christ will destroy the Spiritual Enemies of his People Satan Sin and Death and so rescue his PeoPle out of their Bondage See the Notes Chap. 59.17 18. Yet some understand it of the day of Judgment when God will cast all the Enemies of his Church together with Satan into Eternal Damnation To comfort all that Mourn to wit with the glad tydings formerly mentioned And to the same purpose are all the several Expressions added in the following Verse Ver. 3. To appoint unto them that Mourn in Zion to give unto them Beauty for Ashes c. That is goodly and beautiful Garments instead of Ashes wherein they sat and wherewith they sprinkled themselves in Times of Sorrow See the Note Chap. 58.5 The Oyl of Joy for Mourning See the Note Psal 45.7 and 104.15 The Garment of Praise for the Spirit of heaviness that is such Garments as Men are wont to praise for their Beauty and Bravery or such Garments as Men are wont to weare on Festivals and times of Triumph when thy meet together to praise God for some great Mercies that they might be called Trees of Righteousness that is that those that were as Trees cut down to the ground or spiritually dead might sprout up again and flourish and both be and be esteemed a Righteous People The planting of the Lord that he might be Glorified See the Note Chap. 60.21 Ver. 4. And they shall Build the old wastes c. See the Notes Chap. 58.12 and 60 10. Ver. 5. And Strangers shall stand and feed your Flocks c. that is you shall be in such a prosperous condition that the Heathens whether taken in War or bought or hired by you shall chearfully and readily serve you even in the meanest and most servile Imployments and see also the Notes Chap. 14.1 2. But now as this is spoken with respect to the Days of the Gospel many Learned Expositors understand it thus that even from amongst the Gentiles many should be raised up that should be Teachers in the Church of Christ Ver. 6. But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord Men shall call you the Ministers of our God c. Some I conceive without any just ground would have this understood particularly of the Priests and Levites thus that they should be no more despised and abused as they had been in Babylon it is like above the other Captives but that they should be highly esteemed amongst the People as the Priests of the Lord and the Ministers and Servants of God for questionless the Prophet speaks here as before to the whole people of the Jews and accordingly the intent of the words is to shew them that however basely they had been used and esteemed in Babylon yet 1. When God delivered them from thence they should be honoured abroad and in as great repute as if they had been all Priests a Holy People consecrated to Gods Service and in special favour with God See the Notes Exod. 19.6 And 2. When they came to Embrace Christ in the Days of the Gospel they should be advanced to be Priests unto God in a more peculiar and Spiritual manner as it is said Revel 1.6 That Christ hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father even to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices to him see Rom. 12.1 and 15.16 Heb. 13.15 and 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye shall eat the Riches of the Gentiles See the Notes Chap. 60.5 6 7.1.16 and 45.15 And in their Glory shall ye boast your selves that is in their Riches and all that shall be Glorious amongst them their Learning Eloquence Gifts and Graces and in a word in all the Glory which from them shall redound to you But see also the Notes Chap. 49.18 and 60.9 Ver. 7. For your shame you shall have double c. That is as it is spoken to the Jews with respect to their Captivity in Babylon for the shame you underwent in the Land of your Captivity ye shall have double Glory that is abundant Glory see the Note Chap. 40.2 For this seems to be added with reference to the last Clause of the foregoing Verse And in their glory shall ye boast your selves or a double portion for the Dammages and Losses ye had formerly sustained And thus some conceive that the following words are added by way of explaining these and for confusion they that is the Jews the person is changed as often elsewhere in this Prophet for the reproach they underwent shall rejoyce in their Portion that is in their returning to and possessing again that Land which God had of old given them for their Portion and Inheritance therefore in their Land they shall possess the double that is double Glory as is before said or a double Portion in the Land to wit in regard of the extraordinary Blessing of God upon that which they enjoyed or in regard of the large extent of each ones Portion in comparison of what they formerly held because there was but only a small Remnant of them that returned a Tenth of them only Chap. 6.13 the greatest part of them being wasted and destroyed partly by the Sword and Famine in their own Land before they were carried away Captives and partly in their Captivity by reason whereof they that returned had the First-borns Portion a double Portion Everlasting joy shall be unto them See the Note Chap. 35.10 Well but now there was but only a beginning of the performance of this promise in the deliverance of Gods People out of Babylon and their return
Expression used concerning Christ See the Note Chap. 7.14 Hephzi-bah that is my Delight is in her It was the very Name of Hezekiahs Wife the Mother of Manassah 2 Kings 21.1 But here the intent of it is that God of his own free grace should greatly delight in his Church and People and thy Land Beulah that is Married for the Lord Delighteth in thee and thy Land shall be Married that is Whereas thy Land hath been bereaved of her People and so hath sat for many years as a lone Woman without Children thou shalt now be in the state of a Married Wife that hath a House full of Children because being received into Favour and Communion with God her Husband her Land should be abundantly filled with Inhabitants yea and this may be extended also to the great inlargement of the Church under Christ in the Days of the Gospel Ver. 5. For as a young Man Marrieth a Virgin c. These are named because the love of such is usually most sincere and fervent and they usually live together with greatest content delight and comfort So shall thy Son Marry thee as if he had said O Zion O my Church and People thy Sons shall possess and enjoy thee as if they were joyned in Marriage with thee and they shall live and dwell with thee as contentedly and comfortably as a young Man is wont to live with some Beautiful Virgin whom he hath taken to be his Wife The intent of the words is to shew that Strangers should not possess Zion any more but that she should be Inhabited constantly by their own Natives who should rejoice and delight in her according to the joy that is betwixt Husband and Wife This passage indeed seems to have some difficulty in it that the Sons of Zion should be said to Marry their Mother And therefore some by her Sons here would have her Governors and Magistrates to be meant who are as a Husband to the State and People But the Exposition before given is I conceive clearly that which is here intended Ver. 6. I have set Watchmen upon thy Walls O Jerusalem c. Here the Lord is brought in speaking to his Church and telling them that for their better safeguard he had set Watchmen upon their Walls that is Prophets Pastors and Teachers See the notes Chap. 21.11 and 52.8 Which shall never hold their peace Day nor Night that is that shall be constant in their Duty both in Teaching the People warning them of their danger and duty and praying to God on their behalf And then again in the following words the Prophet again speaks ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence that is ye amongst Gods people that are wont to speak of God and to pray to God cease not to sollicite him to be favourable to his poor people Or rather O ye the Watchmen of Jerusalem that make mention of the Lord that put Gods people in mind of God his grace and goodness and promises to them and of their Duty and Obedience Or as it is in the Margin of our Bibles Ye that are the Lords remembrancers that is ye whose Office it is to put God in mind of the concernments of his People Oh fail not constantly to do your Duty herein Ver. 7. And give him no rest till he establish c. That is till he settle his Church in a comfortable and lasting Foundation and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth that is till by his wonderful deliverance of his Church and the glorious condition whereunto he shall exalt her she shall be praised extolled and magnified all the world over Or till the Nations do for this praise the Lord See the Note Psal 76.3 And though this was in part fulfilled when Gods people were delivered out of Babylon yet it was chiefly accomplished in the spiritual Splendor of the Church of Christ when that was spread by the Preaching of the Gospel throughout the World Ver. 8. The Lord hath sworn by his Right Hand c. That is say some by his Faithfulness a token whereof among men is usually the giving one the Right Hand But rather by his Right Hand and by the Arm of his Strength is meant his Almighty power for in regard of the difficulty and seeming impossibility of the things promised God ingageth his Almighty power for the accomplishment of them surely I will no more give thy Corn to be Meat for thine Enemies and the Sons of the Stranger shall not drink thy Wine for the which thou hast laboured that is thy Provisions shall not any more be a prey to thine Enemies It is in the Hebrew If I give any more thy Corn c. for which Form of an Oath see the Note Chap. 5.9 It is all one as if God had said let me not be esteemed as an Almighty God if this be so any more Because even after the Jews return from Babylon Enemies did many times spoil the Jews of their outward provisions therefore several Expositors understand this spiritually to wit that the Devil and his Instruments shall never bereave the Church of those Provisions whereby their Souls are to be nourished unto Life Eternal But there is no necessity of flying to this Exposition It is certainly a promise made to Gods People for their defence and their peaceable enjoying their Estates contrary to that Curse Deut. 28.33 Which as it was partly fulfilled when the Jews returned out of Babylon so especially under the Kingdom of Christ the Church never was nor ever shall be deprived of necessary outward Provisions 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the Life that now is and of that which is to come And besides when Chistians are bereaved of their outward Estates the Curse of that threatning Deut. 28. is taken away Ver. 9. But they that have gathered it shall eat it and praise the Lord c. That is thy People together with the Harvest men imployed by them in gathering in their Corn shall eat it blessing God for it and they that have brought it together that is the Wine before mentioned ver 8. shall drink it in the Courts of my Holiness that is my Sanctuary or in my Holy Courts in my Temple the meaning is that Gods People should in his Church peaceably enjoy the outward blessings God afforded them praising God for them even in their publick Assemblies only in the expressions here used there is an allusion to the Holy Feasts which the Jews kept in the Courts of the Temple for which see the Note Deut. 12.7 How this also is understood by some of the Soul provisions of the Church see in the foregoing Note Ver. 10. Go through go through the Gates c. The doubling of this charge imports the doing of what is here enjoyn'd with all speed and diligence But the great Question is to whom and concerning what Gates this is spoken Some conceive that the Inhabitants of Zion the
liquor in it through the Blessing of God upon it or destroy not this Vine for by this Cluster it appears that there is still a Blessing life and sap in it and there may be hope therefore that by good Husbandry and Pruning away the dead Branches it may recover and bear good Fruit again and thereupon he forbears to cut down the Vine so will I do for my Servants sakes that I may not destroy them all so will I do with my People for the sake of those righteous sincere Servants of mine that are amongst them I will not destroy the whole Nation but reserve a Remnant to be a stock for after-times Ver. 9. And I will bring forth a Seed out of Jacob and out of Judah an Inheritor of my Mountains c. As if he had â—aid Not only shall this Remnant of my people Israel be preserved and brought out of Babylon but from them also shall spring a numerous Posterity that shall fully replenish not only Jerusalem which may be more particularly here intended by Gods Mountains as being compased about with Mountains Psal 125.2 but also the whole Land of Judea that was for the general a Mountainous Country and was long since given them for their Inheritance and mine Elect shall â—â—herit it and my Servants shall dwell there that is they shall be put into the actual possession of it But now under this the Spiritual Seed that should replenish the Church in the Days of the Gospel may also be comprehendâ—d Ver. 10. And Sharon shall be a Fold of Flocks and the Valley of Achor a place for the Herâ—s to lye down in c. As Sharon for which see the Note Cant. 2.1 so also the Valley of Achor so called by occasion of the Execution that was there done upon Achor and his Family Josh 7.26 was a place it seems of rich Pastures and thence is that Hos 2.15 I will give her her Vineyards from thence and the Valley of Achor for a Door of hope The Promise therefore here intended is that Gods People should not only be repossessed of the Land of Canaan but also that God should bless them therein their Land that had lain long waste and desart should be very fruitful and full of Cattle and they should dwell in it safely and securely But now under this the plenty of Spiritual Blessings in the Days of the Gospel may also be implyed Ver. 11. But ye are they that forsake the Lord c. See the Notes Chap. 1.4.28 that forget my Holy Mountain that is that mind not my Holy Temple or Mount Zion that prepare a Table for that troop or for Gad as it is in the Margin of our Bibles according to the Hebrew Some take this and that also which follows of Meni to be the proper Names of two Idols And again others think that by Gad rendered in our Translation that troop is meant either the Planet Jupiter or Mars or that imaginary Deity of Fortune which certainly the Heathens Worshipped as a Goddess Sed te Nos facimus fortuna deam coeloque locamus and they tell us great Stories of Tables which they used to prepare for this Idol furnished with all kind of Provision But far more probably I conceive others hold that by that troop is meant the Host of Heaven or the numberless Multitude of the Stars they Worshipped or rather the huge Multitude of their Idol-Gods which they daily encreased as if they thought they could never have enough of them And accordingly some think that by those words they prepare a Table for that troop is meant the preparing of Sacrifices which they laid on the Altars of these their Idol-Gods the rather enclining hereto because Gods Altar is sometimes called the Table of the Lord as in Mal. 1.7 12. But rather hereby is meant the solemn Feasts which they kept in honour of their Idols in the places where they Worshipped their Idols and of part of the Sacrifices which they offered to their Idols see the Note Judg. 9.27 much after the manner of the solemn Feasts which Gods People were appointed to keep in the Tabernacle and Temple And then for the following words And that furnish a Drink-Offering to that number where the Hebrew Word Meni is again in the Margin Some do hereby understand the Planet Mercury the Merchants God because their business consists much in numbering and casting up Accounts And others again conceive that hereby is meant the seven Planets or some Constellation consisting of a certain number of Stars But here again I conceive it most probable that the same is meant by that number that was before meant by that troop to wit the numberless number either of the Stars or rather of their Idol-Gods which they worshipped And so by furnishing a Drink-Offering to that number is meant that they did liberally provide Sacrifices and Drink-Offerings for every one of them not omitting any though there were such a huge Multitude of them Ver. 12. Therefore will I number you to the Sword c. This is spoken with reference to that number mentioned in the foregoing verse to which they are there said to have poured forth their Drink-Offerings as if it had been expressed thus Since you are so delighted with Numbers or since you are so pleased with the numberless number of your Gods and are so zealous to worship them all not omitting any one of them I also will deliver you up by Multitudes to the Slaughter or I will deliver you up to be slain by Tale and Number so that none of you shall escape and ye shall all bow down to the Slaughter as if he had said You that have bowed down to your Idols shall then bow down to be slain by your Enemies because when I called ye did not answer c. That is because ye were by my Prophets better instructed and often pressed to leave your Idolatries and yet you would obstinately go on and would not hearken to them but did evil before mine Eyes See the Note above ver 3. and did chuse that wherein I delighted not that is and did advisedly chuse to do that which was an abomination to me Ver. 13. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold my Servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry c That is my Servants that continue faithful to me shall live comfortably in the assurance of my favour and be provided for even to full contentation of all blessings requisite both Temporal and Spiritual Whereas you that have forsaken me to run after Idol-Gods shall fall into extremity of Misery By the wicked here threatned I understand those Idolatrous Jews to whom the Prophet now speaks who because they had given their Meat and Drink to Idol-Gods should within a while be carried Captive into Babylon and there perish with hunger and thirst and on the other side by the Servants of God to whom so much good is here Promised that faithful Remnant that should be delivered out of
advancing this their deliverance above 〈◊〉 of their deliverance out of Aegypt that being effected with much â—â—â—ugling and striving but this without any Labour on their parts Cyrus of his own accord giving them liberty to be gone And 2. Of the mighty and sudden encrease of the Church by the Conversion of the Gentiles for which see the Notes Chap. 49.18 21. and 60.4 before her pain came she was delivered of a manchild that is a great and mighty People And besides as this is intended concerning the encrease of the Church of Christ it may imply that the Believers in those days added to the Church should be strong in Faith manly and stout and couragious for the Truth and likewise what exceeding joy there should be for that great encrease of the Church as when a Child especially a man-child is born Ver. 8. Who hath heard such a thing Who hath seen such things c. To wit as that mentioned in the foregoing Verse see the Note Chap. 64.4 Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one day That is the Fruits which are usually a long time sprouting out and growing till they come to ripeness and perfection Or as some would have it shall all the Women in a Country or in the whole Earth be made to bring forth together in one day Or shall a Nation be born at once That is is it possible for one Woman to bring a Nation at one Birth Or for several Women to bring forth a Nation together at one time for as soon as Zion travelled c. as if he had said yet so it is here as soon as Zion travelled she brought forth her Children that is as soon as the time of her Travel came she brought forth multitudes as it were a whole Nation at once or in one day for which see the foregoing Note Ver. 9. Shall I bring to the Birth and not cause to bring forth saith the Lord c. Some read it as it is in the Margin Shall I bring to the birth and not beget And so reading it the meaning must needs be shall I that cause other Women to conceive and bring their Conceptions to the birth continue Childness my self and not beget me Children of my Zion But reading it as it is in our Bibles the meaning seems rather to be this Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth that is shall I bring my People to the throes and pangs of a Child-bearing Woman and shall I not withall afford her deliverance see the Notes 2 Kings 19.3 Or shall I undertake to bring forth my People out of Captivity and not fully accomplish it Shall I set upon a work and not go through with it And to the same purpose is the following Clause Shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb saith thy God That is shall I confer upon Mankind the power of propagation and shall I withold this blessing from my Zion Or having begotten Children upon my Zion shall I shut up her Womb that she cannot bring them forth Ver. 10. Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her c. It is the Well-willers and Friends of Jerusalem after the return of her People from Babylon and consequently also of the Church of Christ after her mighty encrease by the Conversion of the Gentiles that are here invited to rejoyce with her to wit as Friends are wont to rejoice with Women after they are safely delivered especially if it have been of a man-child as was before figuratively said of the Church ver 7. rejoice for joy with her all ye that mourn for her that is that did mourn for her when she was in an afflicted and distressed estate Ver. 11. That ye may suck c. That is say some in that ye shall suck and be satisfied c. for they take this to be added as the cause of the joy whereto they were exhorted in the foregoing Verse But considering that it was the Faithful that were there exhorted to rejoice in the prosperity of the Church I conceive this may be added as the end of their rejoicing with the Church even that ye may suck and be satisfied with the Breasts of her Consolations that ye may suck your fill see the Note Psal 22.26 that is that you may partake with her in her Salvation Prosperity and Glory that as a Mother she may with full Breasts plentifully feed and nourish you up that you may be nursed up in Knowledge and Grace here till ye come to be sharers with her in the Glory of Heaven hereafter With respect to that which was before said ver 7. concerning the Churches bringing forth Children the Prophet doth here likewise speak of her as of a Mother giving suck that ye may suck and be satisfied with the Breasts of her Consolations to wit those Gospel-Consolations wherewith she shall be comforted of God and wherewith she shall comfort her Children the sincere Milk of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 refreshing as Milk for poor troubled Consciences Yea because there is mention made in the close of the foregoing Verse of those that mourned for Jerusalem some think that in these words that ye may suck c. there is an allusion to Mothers giving their Children suck to still them when they cry As for the next Clause that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her Glory that is the Churches Glory see the Notes Chap. 60.1 2 3. Ver. 12. For thus saith the Lord Behold I will extend Peace to her like a River c. See the Note Chap. 48.18 and the Glory of the Gentiles as a flowing stream see the Note Chap. 61.6 then shall ye suck ye shall be born upon her sides and dandled upon her knees see the Notes Chap. 49.22 23. and 60.4 Ver. 13. As one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you c. As if he had said You shall not only be comforted by the Church your Mother but I also will be to you as a tender Mother herein For as an affectionate Mother is wont by kind speeches and by hugging and embracing her Child and by all possible expressions of her love to labour to quiet and still it and chear it up again when it cries and weeps because of some hurt it had taken or because she had formerly chid it or beaten it so will I comfort you my People after I had for a time corrected you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem that is though Jerusalem hath lain so long in such a desolate condition yet shall her prosperous and flourishing Estate be matter of great comfort and rejoicing to you Ver. 14. And when ye see this c. This is thus expressed to imply the undoubted certainty of it with their Eyes they should see it accomplished your heart shall rejoice that is you shall rejoice heartily and your bones shall flourish like an herb that is your Strength and
Beauty shall be renewed as it is with Herbs that seeming dead and withered in the Winter do in the Spring sprout out freshly again Because misery and sorrow do usually waste the strength of men making their very Bones to be dead and dry see the Notes Prov. 12.4 and 17.22 and on the other side chearfulness and joy do advance mens health and fill their Bones with Juice and Marrow see the Notes Job 21.24 and Prov. 15.30 Hence it is that to set forth how exceedingly they should rejoice in the prosperous estate of Jerusalem he useth this expression your bones shall flourish like an Herb Gods People were in Babylon like a company of dead and dry bones Ezek. 37.11 but these dead Bones should become lively and moist and vigorous again and the hand of the Lord shall be known towards his Servants and his indignation towards his Enemies that is notice shall be taken of that which in the time of your misery you would not believe Namely that God hath done these things out of his tender respect to you and out of his indignation against his Enemies Ver. 15. For behold the Lord will come with Fire c. Having said in the close of the foregoing Verse that the Lord would make known his indignation towards his Enemies here he sets forth in what a terrible manner he would fall upon them using expressions that may seem to imply that he would break forth upon them after the manner of some dreadful tempest see the Notes 2 Sam. 22.8 Psal 50.3 and 97.3 or else as a King marching out against his Enemies with a mighty and dreadful Army as the mention of his Chariots here doth import the Lord will come with Fire and with his Chariots like a Whirle-wind for which see the Note Chap. 5.28 to render his anger with Fury and his rebuke with flames of Fire that is to punish them more sharply and severely than is usually done see the Note Chap. 42.25 Now this I know some understand of Gods coming in flaming Fire to punish the wicked at the day of Judgment and it is true indeed that then their punishment shall be fully accomplished but this doth not so well suit with that which followeth in the next Verse and the slain of the Lord shall be many However questionless it is primarily and principally meant of the vengeance executed upon the Idolatrous Jews as is evident by the description that is given of them ver 17. by the Chaldeans when they burnt up their City and Temple and made such havock amongst the People though we may well also take in that greater destruction that was likewise executed on them afterward by the Romans Ver. 16. For by Fire and by his Sword will the Lord plead with all Flesh c. That is with Men and Women of all sorts and ranks amongst his People for still he speaks of the same judgment of which he spake in the foregoing Verse to wit the destruction brought upon them by the Chaldeans Hitherto he had pleaded with them by his Messengers the Prophets but now he would plead with them in another manner even by Fire and Sword and the slain of the Lord shall be many that is the Lord shall slay many and many of them their multitude shall not save them from his Vengeance Ver. 17. They that sanctifie themselves and purifie themselves c. That is that by washing and other superstitious Rites do think to make themselves holy and pure in the Gardens see the Note Chap. 1.29 behind one Tree in the midst that is behind some one eminent Tree in the midst of the Gardens set apart for that service of washing and purifying themselves yet some would rather have the meaning to be this that they did it every one behind his own Tree about the midst of their Gardens made choice of for their own peculiar use as they had every one his own peculiar God so they would have a peculiar Tree under which they would serve him Well but then the words may be rendered as they are in the Margin one after another and then the meaning may be either that they purified and washed themselves one after another as thinking it was the more religiously done when they did in that manner in the midst that is openly in the midst of many that stood about them when they did it wherein there might be much of lasciviousness a sin usual amongst Idolaters or else that they flocked in to the performance of their Idolatrous rites one after another to wit by great Companies and Troops out of their great zeal for the Service of their Idol-gods eating Swines flesh to wit as some think after they had offered it in Sacrifice but see the Note Chap. 65.4 and the abomination whereby some think is meant that which had been sacrificed to Idols others any meat forbidden by the Law and others again because this is placed here between two distinct kinds of unclean Beasts would have it that by the Hebrew word Shekets here used some particular kind of unclean Beasts is intended and the Mouse expresly forbidden to be eaten Lev. 11.29 shall be consumed together saith the Lord see the Note Chap. 1.28 Ver. 18. For I know their works and their thoughts c. It is in the Hebrew only I know their works and their Thoughts which our Translators conceive is spoken by way of an Aposiopesis as if he had said I know well enough their works and their thoughts it shall come that I will gather all Nations and Tongues that is because their doings and thoughts are such as they are it shall come to pass that I will gather the Gentiles to be my People in their stead and they shall come and see my Glory to wit 1. In Christ see the Note Chap. 40.5 2. In the glad tydings of Mans Salvation by Christ And 3. In his glorious presence in his Ordinances Ver. 19. And I will set a sign among them c. It is much questioned amongst Expositors who the Persons are of whom this is spoken and what the sign is that God would set among them Some hold that God speaks here of a sign that is an Ensign that should be set up first among the Jews and afterward amongst the Gentiles for the gathering in of his Church and People according to what is elsewhere said of an Ensign or Standard set up see the Notes Chap. 11.12 and 49.22 And by this Sign or Ensign some think that Christ himself is meant for which see the Note Chap. 11.10 and others the preaching of the Gospel together with the Miracles wherewith it was confirmed particularly say some the pouring forth of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles at the Feast of Pentecost or more generally say others all the wonders and signes wrought by those that preached the Gospel whereby the Elect amongst the Jews were first Converted and added to the Church and afterward the Gentiles But then again some
hath been spoken before Chap. 7. But now if this was prophecied as it is thought by most Expositors in the days of Hezekiah then it may be that Damascus was again taken and totally ruined and destroyed by Shalmaneser in that expedition of his wherein he took Samaria 2 King 18.9 Or else by Sennacherib as he went against Jerusalem 2 King 18.13 For we see before Chap. 10.9 Shalmaneser as it is commonly thought is brought in boasting of the conquest of Damascus by him or his Father And if the City were so ruined at that time and the Inhabitants so slaughtered or carried away captives that it ceased to be a City yet certainly it was repaired and fortified again And therefore we read of another destruction brought upon Syria and Damascus by the Babylonians Jer. 49.23 c. And some think this is that which is here foretold by our Prophet Ver. 2. The Cities of Aroer are forsaken c. Some think this Aroer was a Country in Syria near the River Arnon But others more generally hold that by the Cities of Aroer here are meant the Cities in the land of Israel without Jordan near unto the City Aroer which was scituated by the banks of the River Arnon See Deut. 2.36 and Numb 32.34 Only some hold that those Cities were in the possession of the Syrians when this desolation came upon them and others say that the Prophet here threatens the destruction of the Israelites together with the Syrians because they should be both destroyed together However the meaning of that which is said here that these Citiâ—s of Aroer should be forsaken is that they should be left desolate the Inhabitants being slain or carried away Captives by the Assyrians upon the invasion of Tiglath-pileser or Shalmaneser Whereupon it followeth They shall be for flocks which shall lye down and none shall make them afraid to wit because the Inhabitants should be all gone and so there should be no body to disturb them Ver. 3. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim c. That is say some Damascus being destroyed the Israelites of the ten Tribes see the Note Psal 78.9 shall lose that which was wont to be their fortress and refuge they being wont in their dangers and troubles still to fly to the Syrians of Damascus for defence and succour But I rather conceive that the Prophets intent here is to foretel that the Israelites and Syrians should both be destroyed that were so often joyned together against Judah The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim that is Samaria and all other the strong holds in the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes shall be ruined and destroyed And the Kingdom from Damascus and from the remnant of Syria that is Damascus shall cease to be a Royal City the seat of the Kings of Syria nor shall the Syrians that are left after the ruine of Damascus be a Kingdom any longer or have a King to reign over them their King Rezin being slain see 2 King 16.9 but shall become a Province belonging to Assyria And observable the difference is which the Prophet makes between the destruction of Damascus and Ephraim to wit in this that because the Israelites of the ten Tribes continued a Kingdom even after Tiglathpileser had made great havock amongst them which Damascus did not see the Note 2 King 16.9 Therefore he doth not say That the Kingdom should cease from Ephraim as he doth of Damascus but only that Ephraim's Fortresses should be beaten down and destroyed And then it follows They shall be as the glory of the children of Israel that is the Syrians shall be in the same glorious condiâ—ion with the children of Israel which is spoken Ironically and the meaning is that the Syrians should be stripped of all wherein they had formerly gloried their multitude strength and riches even as the Israelites were The glory of the Israelites came at last to this that they were utterly ruined and carried away captives and so shall it be with Damascus Ver. 4. And in that day it shall come to pass that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin c. This is added by way of explaining that which the Prophet had said in the foregoing verse that the Syrians should be as the glory of the children of Israel to wit that as the glory of the Israelites should be exceedingly impaired so should it be with the Syrians too and that much about the same time See the Note also Chap. 16.14 And the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean See the Note Chap. 10.16 Deut. 32.15 Job 15.27 and Psal 22.29 Ver. 5. And it shall be as when the harvest-man gathereth the corn and reapeth the ears with his arm c. That is When the Judgment before threatned shall be executed on the Israelites it shall be that as the harvest-man doth easily cut down the corn though it grow never so thick and binds and carries it away by whole arm-fulls so shall the Assyrians with ease partly mow down with the Sword and partly carry away into Captivity even the whole body of Israel in a manner though there be never so great multitudes of them so that the Land of Israel shall be left as a corn-field that is newly reaped a very few a little gleaning of them being only left and this was done partly by Tiglath-pileser 2 Kin. 15.29 but more fully by Shalmaneser 2 Kin. 17.6 And it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim that is afterwards those few that are left shall also be carried away even as the scattered ears that are left in a corn-field are with all diligence gathered up and carried away by poor people And this was done by Ezarhaddon Ezra 4.2 As for the valley of Rephaim a valley on the North-side of Jerusalem rendred the valley of Giants Josh 15.8 is expressed by name only because it was famously known for its great fruitfulness Ver. 6. Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it c. That is Though the Assyrians shall thus again and again carry away the Israelites captive out of their Land as is before-said yet shall they not make such a clear riddance of them but that there shall be a gleaning there some few that shall be still left in the Land See the Note Chap. 6.13 As the shaking of an Olive-tree two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof saith the Lord God of Israel which last words are added not only to assure them that what the Prophet had now foretold should certainly come to pass but also to imply that because God's Covenant was with Israel as well as with Judah that he would for ever be their God therefore even of them also there should be a remnant left Ver. 7. At that day shall a man look to his Maker c. That is In that day of their calamity several of the Israelites owning and repenting of their former Idolatry
shall return to the true God the Lord their Creator who had separated them to be a holy people to himself See the Note Deut. 32.6 And shall seek to him for help resting upon him as their only sure refuge which is repeated again in other words And his eyes shall have respect to the holy One of Israel see the Note Chap. 1.4 And this was accomplished partly in the days of Hezekiah when divers of Asher and Manasseh and Zebulun being invited thereto by Hezekiah came to Jerusalem to keep the Passover and helped to destroy all the Altars and Groves and Images that were left not only in Judah and Benjamin but also in Ephraim and Manasseh 2 Chron. 30.11 14. and 31.1 and partly afterward in the days of Josiah 2 Chron. 34.33 Ver. 8. And he shall not look to the Altars the work of his hands c. That is which he made of his own hand without any warrant or command from God and that for the worship of his Idol-gods and therefore is that which follows added Neither shall respect that which his fingers have made either the groves or the Images See the Note Chap. 2.8 For the groves here joyned with their Images See the Notes Gen. 21.33 Deut. 16.21 and 2 King 23.6 The word in the Original which is translated in our Bibles Images may be rendred as it is in the Margin Sun-images whereby it is like are meant either images that stood abroad open in the air where the Sun might shine upon them or rather such images wherein they worshipped the Sun and which haply were made round to represent the Orb of the Sun Ver. 9. In that day c That is In that day of Israels great calamity mentioned before ver 4 and 5 for the three verses immediatly fore-going are by our Translators included in a Parenthesis shall his strong Cities be as a forsaken bough that is as the small twigs and branches growing out of a tree which the Husband-man passeth by and leaves when he lops the tree not vouchsafing to cut them off And an uppermost branch that is a bough left standing on the top of a tree when all the rest are lopped away and so the tree is left naked and bare The meaning is that Israels strong Cities wherein they had so greatly trusted should be left in a poor despised condition ruined and forsaken of the greatest part of their inhabitants standing alone and desolate all the smaller Towns and Villages round about them being utterly wasted and destroyed I know that some Expositors by a forsaken bough do understand a bough stripped of all her beauty fruit and leaves and so accordingly hold that hereby is signified that their strong Cities should be lest ruined stripped of all their Riches Glory and Inhabitants all being fled slain or carried into Captivity But the former Exposition is far the best And suitably hereunto I understand the following words which they left because of the children of Israel that is which strong Cities thus ruined the Assyrians left for the little remnant of the Israelites to dwell in that were not destroyed God in his Providence so disposing it that there should be some poor refuge left for the small remnant of his people which he determined should escape and not be cut off This indeed is also I know otherwise expounded by divers Learned men namely thus which they left because of the children of Israel that is which strong Cities the Canaanites did formerly leave and forsake for fear of the Children of Israel or being dispossessed thereof by the Children of Israel who would have the meaning of the place to be this That the strong Cities of Israel should be left as a forsaken bough in that they should be no more able to defend the Israelites against the Assyrians than in former times they were able to defend the Canaanites against the Israelites but as the Canaanites did forsake those Cities though fenced with strong and high walls for fear of the Israelites so now the Israelites should forsake them for fear of the Assyrians As for the last words And there shall be desolation either it is meant of the Cities before-mentioned that even in those that were left there should be great desolation or else of the Country in general that not only in the Cities but even in the whole Land ther should be extreme desolation Ver. 10. Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation c. That is Because thou hast slighted and despised the God that hath so often saved and delivered thee from thine enemies and so would still have done hadst thou not forsaken him and gone after strange gods and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength See the Note Deut. 32.4 a surer refuge than their strongest Cities could have been Therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants that is with much care and pains thou shalt husband thy grounds planting it with the choicest plants thou canst get And shalt set it with strange slips that is slips brought from far out of foreign Countries which thou shalt tend and nurse with greatest care as esteeming them highly for the rarity and the excellency of them But all this shalt thou do in vain as is expressed in the following verse Ver. 11. In the day thou shalt make thy plant to grow and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish c. That is Day by day yea early every morning thou shalt use all possible means to cause thy plants and the seeds thou hast sown to grow up and accordingly they shall successfully spring up and flourish and give thee great hope of a plentiful crop But the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and desperate sorrow that is in the day when your Country shall be destroyed by the Assyrians they shall spoil and carry away all your encrease and so your great hopes shall come to nothing That which this expression of their harvest being made a heap seems to aim at is either that it should be laid in heaps for the enemy to divide and share amongst them or else that it should be suddenly consumed even as a little heap of corn would be if a mighty Army of hungry Soldiers should come to live upon it Indeed this clause may be read as it is in the Margin But the harvest shall be removed in the day of inheritance and there shall be deadly sorrow that is In the day when thou shouldest come to inherit and possess that which thou hast long hoped and waited for all shall be snatched up and carried away by the Assyrians and so though in the time of thy planting and sowing all went forward joyfully yet when harvest comes thou shalt reap nothing of thy labours but extreme grief and sorrows See Deut. 28.33 This I conceive is the meaning of this place Only we must consider that under this particular of the enemies robbing and spoiling the fruit of their ground
the Lord's Vineyard see the Notes Chap. 5.1 A vineyard of Red wine that is the best and most generous Wine for such their red Wine was accounted in the land of Judea whence is that of Solomon Prov. 23.31 Loâ—k not thou upon the wine when it is red and those expressions Gen. 49.11 and Deut. 32.14 where Moses calls their Wine the blood and the pure blood of the grape see the Note Psal 75.8 It is all one in effect as if it had been said Behold the Lords Vineyard that before brought forth nothing but wild grapes see the Note Chap. 5.2 and hath thereupon lain a long time desolate and trodden down is now become a Vineyard that yieldeth the choicest Wine And the meaning is That Gods people were now become a holy and a righteous people yielding fruit very acceptable to God which may be meant partly of Gods people after their return out of Babylon but especially of the Church of Christ in the days of the Gospel However in the whole there seems to he an allusion to the custom of those times when at their Vintages they used to sing Songs with a great deal of jollity by way of extolling the excellency and the fruitfulness of their Vineyards Ver. 3. I the Lord do keep it c. That is though of late I have seemed wholly regardless of her yet now I will watch over her to keep and preserve her and I will water her with the gracious showrs and dews of my Word and Spirit Deut. 32.2 and with a constant supply of whatever is requisite to bring her into a fruitful and flourishing Condition Ver. 4. Fury is not in me c. As if it had been said say some good Expositors My people being now humbled and reformed my fury and anger against them is quite over who would set the briars and thorns against me in battel I would go through them I would burn them together that is If any therefore shall set themselves against my people now under my protection like pricking briars and thorns to veâ— and molest them it will be indeed but as if so many briars and thorns should be set against me in battel that am a consuming fire I would soon not only break through them and trample them down but also burn them up and destroy them see the Note Chap. 10.17 But I rather take this as spoken not of the enemies of his Church but of his Church and People themselves and that it is added by way of preventing an objection that might arise in their minds concerning the Lord's tender care over his people his Vineyard in his continual keeping it and watering it Because they might think that this promise could not consist with that which the Prophet had so often told them concerning those sad calamities and devastations that were coming upon them to this the Lord answers Fury is not in me to wit towards my Church and People It is as if he had said I am not in my self subject to be transported with furious passions and so prone easily and without any just cause to break forth in wrath against men and to be implacable therein but on the contrary I am slow to anger and very ready to shew mercy and especially it is thus with me in regard of my people when I am offended with them it is with the anger of a loving Father it is not in fury and rage and implacable wrath and therefore when I shall chastise you it shall be with a purpose to reform and not to destroy you so that this being effected in you I shall soon make good this promise to you As for the next words who would set the briars and thorns against me in battel I would go through them I would burn them together the drift thereof is I conceive to imply either 1. That if he were furiously bent against them to destroy them they would be but as so many briars and thorns before a consuming fire he could easily make an end of them so that they might thereby see that it was of his mercy and free grace towards them that they were not consumed Or 2. That if he were contending which he had much rather with the prophane ones of the world that he esteemed no better than so many briars and thorns his wrath should freely break forth against them and utterly consume them But with his Vineyard his inheritance his own adopted people he would not he could not deal thus Or 3. That if he were to deal only with the wicked amongst his people that were as so many briars and thorns setting themselves in battel-array against him he would soon destroy them and as willingly as the Husbandman destroys the briars and thorns in his Vineyard but with his beloved Vineyard he could not do so If he were purposed to destroy the briars and thorns amongst them yet he would be careful to do that so that he might not destroy the Vines together with them Or 4. That if he should find none but briars and thorns amongst his people then indeed he should soon destroy them but when they should be a reformed people he would be far from proceeding in such fury against them Ver. 5. Or let him take hold of my strength c. 1. By taking hold on Gods strength may be meant a serious Consideration of the infinite strength and power of God either to destroy his enemies or to bless his faithful Servants 2ly An apprehending this strength and power of God by faith when men believe it and apply the truth hereof unto themselves And 3ly that using of all holy means whereby they may appease his wrath and so stay his hand from smiting or burning them up such as are repentance and fervent prayer and whereby they may engage his strength to be put forth for their protection and benefit in every regard And this is required here as a means of mens making their peace with God and preventing their being consumed with the fire of his Indignation and that with a promise that it shall be effectual thereto that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me and it may be taken as spoken either to his enemies those wicked ones that were in his sight as so many briers and thorns that God would be reconciled even to them if they would thus stay his hand and make their peace with him Or else to his own people as an evidence that he was not furiously bent against them to destroy them because though he could easily burn them up as so many briers and thorns yet he rather desired that they should thus stay his hand and be at peace with him Ver. 6. He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root c. To wit his Israel his Vineyard the Posterity of Jacob See the Note Psal 80.9 as is further clear by the following words Israel shall blossom and bud and the meaning is That though this people