Out of heaven or from the presence of the Lord who commanded him to slay the Assyrians And when they arose And in the morning when those Assyrians which escaped the sword of the Angel arose Or when the men of Jerusalem arose A Relative put without an Antecedent Behold they were all dead Corpses i. e. Behold those hundred fourscore and five thousand which the Angel had smitten were all dead Corpses q. d. Behold these Assyrians which escaped the sword of the Angel or the men of Jerusalem when they arose early in the morning saw those hundred fourscore and five thousand which the Angel had smitten all dead Corpses lying dead upon the ground 37. And Sennacherib King of Assyria Supple When he heard of this slaughter Departed Out of the Land of Judah with much fear And went and returned i. e. And returned Those words And went are redundant See the like cap. 2.3 At Nineveh Nineveh was the chief City of Assyria 38. Adramelech and Sharezer his sonnes smote him with the sword It is a tradition among the Jewes that Adramelech and Sharezer killed their Father because he had vowed to offer them as a Sacrifice to his God Nisroch if he would appease the mindes of those which were angry with him For many who had lost their Sonnes and Brothers and Kinsmen in that slaughter which the Angel made of the Assyrians were discontented with Sennacherib for it as being the cause thereof They escaped into the Land of Armenia This their escape was for feare lest they should be punished for their Parricide ISAIAH CHAP. XXXVIII IN those days was Hezekiah sicke c. Hezekiah fell sick of this disease of his about the 14th or beginning of the 15th year of his reign for after this he reigned fifteen yeares v. 5. And in all he reigned twenty nine yeares 2 Kings 18.2 Take fifteen therefore out of twenty and nine and there remaines fourteen In the latter end therefore of the fourteenth or beginning of the fifteenth year did this sicknesse happen It happened therefore while Sennacherib was warring in Judea which also appeareth from the sixth verse of this Chapter Sick unto death Hezekiah was said to be sick unto death at this time because his Disease was in its own nature deadly and brought him as we say to the point of Death Set thine house in order i. e. Set the affairs of thine house in order as thou wouldst have them disposed of after thy death q. d. Make thou thy Will and dispose of thy goods as thou pleasest For thou shalt die and not live A Question will presently arise upon these words why Hezekiah dyed not when as the Lord said to him by his Prophet Thou shalt dye and not live The Answer is because this sentence of the Lord was not absolute but conditionall and so Hezekiah took it as is evident by his praying to God for mercy herein upon which prayer the Lord restored him to his health It is frequent with God to promise and threaten in termes which seem absolute but include a Condition or have an exception tacitly involved which condition or exception the Lord concealeth that they whom the Promise or Threat concerneth may be the more earnest with the Lord to hasten his Promise or remove his Threats 2. Then Hezekiah turned his face towards the Wall and prayed c. Hezekiah turned his face towards the Wall as he lay in his bed that he might pray to God with the more intention of minde while he turned his face from those which stood by and removed his eyes from distracting Objects And prayed unto the Lord. to wit to spare his life 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee c. To walk before God is so to live as if we had God alwayes before our eyes And they that so live strive to please him as a servant is alwayes diligent and carefull to please his Master when he is in his Masters sight In truth And not in shew and appearance onely With a perfect heart With an heart free from hypocrisie Have done that which is good in thy sight Have done that which pleaseth thee After these words understand these words to wit Remember this O Lord I beseech thee and because I have done this be gracious unto me and spare thou my life and cut not off my dayes at this time Note here first that holy men did sometimes make mention of their good deeds before the Lord in their prayers to him as did Nehemiah Nehem. 13.14 and Jeremiah Jerem. 15.15 and Hezekiah here Note secondly that when they did make mention of their good deeds before the Lord they did it for the most part when they were in troubles and tribulation Note thirdly that though they did make mention of their good deeds they did not mention them as meritorious causes of what they prayed for And this is plain by Nehemiah who when he had in the fifth and sixth Chapter of his Book and in the thirteenth Chapter and fourteenth verse and else-where entreated the Lord that he would remember him according to his good deeds in the thirteenth Chapter and the two and twentieth verse he saith Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Note fourthly that the reason why they mention their good deeds at such time is first That they might the more incline the Lord to mercy For the Lord is more readie to shew mercy to those which endeavour to live according to his Laws then to those which neglect them Secondly that they might sustain themselves against the Pusillanimity and faint-heartednesse which might assaile them being prone by nature thereto for the testimony of a good Conscience produceth boldnesse towards God 1 Pet. 3.21 But besides these Hezekiah might have a speciall reason to move him to mention his good deeds and that is this because the Lord made a promise to David saying If thy Children take heed to their way to walke before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soule there shall not faile thee a man on the Throne of Israel 1 Kings 2.4 And at this time Hezekiah had not a Childe to succeed him in the Throne And Hezekiah wept sore viz. Because God had said unto him Thou shalt dye and not live v. 1. It may be asked here why Hezekiah should weep sore to hear that he should dye Answ A generall reason may be this Because in the time of the Law in which Hezekiah lived the hope of eternall life was not so great as it is under the Gospel because the glory to come was not so fully revealed then as it is now Ephes 3.5 therefore was death more feared then now it is But besides this Hezekiah might have many particular reasons for which he wept at the hearing of his death As first because if he should dye then he should leave Judah and Jerusalem under the pressure
coming in the flesh to save us from our sinnes Mat. 11.5 The Second thing which I would have notice taken of is this That the First Literall Historicall or Meaner sense where the two aforesaid senses are to be found in the holy Writs of the Old Testament is signified distinctly plainly and immediately by the words of these holy Writers But the Second Mysticall and Sublime sense is not signified distinctly plainly and immediately by their words but as it were onely in grosse and mediately that is by those things which are signified distinctly plainly and immediately by their words In the Law this is evident For the words thereof doe plainly and distinctly and immediately set forth unto us the story of Sarah and Hagar Gen. Cap. 16. and Cap. 21. But they doe not so set forth the matter of the two Covenants therein contained but they are signified not immediately by the words of that Story but by the things signified by those words to wit by Sarah and Hagar the former whereof signified the New the latter the Old Covenant Gal. 4. v. 24. So in the matter of the Passeover that which concerneth the Passeover is distinctly plainly and immediately set down by those words which we read Exod. 12. But as for that which concerneth Christ in that Chapter 1 Cor. 5.7 that is not signified by the words thereof but by that which was immediately signified by those words that is by the Passeover it self For example sake whereas it it said Exod. 12.8 That the flesh of the Passeover shall be roast with fire and eaten with bitter hearbs How can these words immediately signifie any thing in or about Christ But though these words cannot immediately signifie any thing in or about Christ yet that may which is immediately signified by those words for that the Passeover should be roasted with fire and eaten with bitter hearbs may signifie the cruell and bitter death which Christ should suffer So in the Book of Joshua it is recorded word by word how Joshua brought the People of Israel which were redeemed out of Aegypt into the Land of Canaan and the same Story containes Jesus his bringing the Church of the Redeemed into the heavenly Canaan the Kingdome of God But this is not signified word by word as the Acts of Ioshua are but this is signified by the Acts of Ioshua which were signified word by word in that Book And as in the Law so in this our Prophet have we frequent examples of this thing For in that he prophesied that a Remnant of the Iewes should be saved and that they should not be quite cut off from being a Nation neither when Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel should oppresse them and make a great havock of them Cap. 1. v. 7 8 9. and Cap. 7. v. 1 2 3 c. Nor when Sennacherib should invade Iudah and make a great destruction and desolation therein Cap. 8. v. 7 8 9 10 11 c. and Cap. 9. v. 1 2 3 c. and Cap. 10. v. 21 22 23 c. He prophesied that though many should perish eternally yet a remnant should be eternally saved according to the election of Grace by Christ Iesus Rom. 9. v. 29. and 11.5 But yet when he prophesied that a remnant should be eternally saved according to the election of Grace by Christ Iesus he prophesied of that not in formall words immediately word by word but by those things which he prophesied of immediately word by word in formall words that is by the Temporall salvation of those which should be saved from the sword in the dayes of Rezin and Pekah first and in the dayes of Sennacherib afterwards which were they which remained in Hierusalem So in that he prophesied of the happinesse and joy which should be upon the destruction of Sennacherib's Army Cap. 25. v. 6 7 8. And the joy and glory which Sion and the Iewes should enjoy after their delivery out of the Babylonish Captivity Cap. 60. throughout the whole Chapter He prophesied o◠he joy and happinesse and glory which the Church of the Redeemed in Christ Jesus should enjoy after that Christ had destroyed the works of the Devil and triumphed over Principalities and Powers and delivered his chosen Ones out of their hands 1 Cor. 15. v. 55. Rev. 7. v. 17. and 21. v. 4. Rev. 21. v. 25. and 3. v. 9. Rev. 21. v 22. and 22. v. 5. Yet when he prophesied of the joy and happinesse and glory which the Church of the Redeemed in Christ Jesus should enjoy after the destruction of the workes of the Devill c. he prophesied not of them immediately by words but mediately that is by the things signified by those words that is by that temporall joy and temporall and carnall blessings which the Jewes should enjoy after the destruction of the Assyrians first and the Babylonians afterwards and their delivery out of the hands of those their Enemies The third thing that I desired should be taken notice of was that notwithstanding that the Second or Mysticall or Sublime sense is not distinctly plainly and immediately signified by the words of those holy Writers but as it were onely in grosse and mediately that is by those things which are signified distinctly plainly and immediately by their words yet there be in many Histories as I may call them and Prophesies of those holy Writers sometimes one sometimes more sentences which signifie immediately by their words not onely some passage or passages which appertain to the First Literall Historicall and Meaner sense But also some passage or passages which appertain to the Second Mysticall and Sublime sense We shall find examples of this in the Law for Exod. 12. v. 46. It is said of the Paschall Lamb Neither shall yee break a bone thereof And this sentence is not onely understood of the Paschall Lamb but it is also understood of Christ who is figured by the Paschall Lamb and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 19. v. 36. So 2 Kings 7. v. 14. It is said by God of Solomon I will be his Father and he shall be my Sonne But this is not to be understood of Solomon onely but of Christ also of whom Solomon is there a Type and that immediately too by the words Hebrewes 1.5 And as there so in our Prophet the words of the Prophet are so often directed and ordered by the Holy Ghost as that many sentences doe not onely signifie some passages concerning the Type but also some passages concerning the Antitype too and that by their words immediately For what we read Cap. 1. v. 9 Except the Lord of Hostes had left us a very small remnant we should have been left as Sodome and we should have been like unto Gomorrah is literally understood of the mercy of God in reserving a few Jewes in the Land of Judah from the destruction and desolation which Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel should make of the Jewes And it
5.18 Wo to them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity where inquity is put for calamities and plagues which iniquity procureth and bringeth upon a man To this Metonymie may we reduce the Metonymie called Metonymia Antecedentis Metonymia Continentis Metonymia Continentis is a figure whereby the thing containing is put for the thing contained An example of this we have Isaiah cap. 23.1 Houle ye Ships of Tarshish where the Ships are put for them which are or fail in Ships And cap. 51.17 Which hast drunken at the hand of the Lord the Cup of his Fury Where the Cup is put for the drink or liquor in the Cup. Metonymia Efficientis for Metonymia Causae Metonymia Effecti Metonymia Effecti is a figure whereby the effect is put for its Cause An example of this you may have Isaiah 5.7 He looked for righteousness but behold a cry Where the Cry is put for Oppressions which causeth the poor to Cry And cap. 24.16 My leanness My leanness Where leanness is put for sorrow and grief of Heart which causeth lâ—â—nness in the body To this Metonymie may be reduced the Metonymie called Metonymia Consequentis Metonymia Materiae Metonymia Materiae is a figure whereby the matter of which a thing is made is put for the thing it self which is made of that matter An example hereof we have Isaiah cap 9.10 The Bricks are fallen down Where Bricks are put for housen made of Bricks And cap. 61.9 Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles Where seed is put for children because children are made of the seed of their Parents And cap. 10.34 He shall cut down the Thickets of the Forrest with Iron Where Iron is put for an Axe made of Iron Metonymia Subjecti Metonymia Subjecti is a figure whereby the subject is put for the Adjunct or Accident which it doth any way sustain An example of this you have Isaiah 7.20 The Lord shall shave with a Rasor the Head and the Hair of the Feet Where the Head is put for the hair of the Head And Philip. 2.1 If there be any consolation in Christ If any bowels and mercies where bowels is put for pitty and compassion And Isaiah 19.1 The heart of Egypt shall melt that is the courage of the Egyptians shall fail where there is a double Metonymie of the Subject For first the Heart is put for the Courage And then Egypt is put for the Egyptians or Inhabitants of Egypt Where note that when we speak De Metonymia Subjecti or of the Metonymie of the Subject The word Subject is to be taken in a larger sense than the Logicians take it For the Earth may be called a subject in respect of the men that live upon it And so may the thing containing in respect of the thing contained And Metonymia Continentis may be reduced to this Metonymie of the Subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a figure whereby we imitate another mans words or gestures An example hereof we have Isaiah cap. 10. Ver. 13. Thou hast said in thine heart I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God I will also sit upon the Mount of the Congregation In which words the Lord doth imitate the speech of Sennacharib And cap. 19.11 How say you unto Pharaoh I am the son of the wise The son of ancient King Where the Prophet imitates the words of the Counsellors of the King of Egypt Parenthesis Parenthesis is a figure whereby a clause is comprehended within another sentence which clause may be left out and yet the sence of the sentence be compleat without it An example of this we have Isaiah cap. 16.6 We have heard of the pride of Moab He is very proud even of his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath where that clause He is very proud is comprehended within that sentence we have heard of the Pride of Moab even of his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath and yet the sence of the sentence is perfect without it Periphrasis Periphrasis is a figure whereby we express one word by many An example of this we have Isaiah cap. 5.8 That they may be placed alone in the midst of the Earth where in the midst of the Earth is no more than in the Earth And cap. 3.27 Behold the Name of the Lord commeth where the name of the Lord is put for the Lord. Prosopopoeia Prosopopoeia as Divines most commonly use it is a figure whereby we attriâ—ute reason and understanding to things which have neither reason nor understanding as though they were persons that is individual substances endued with reason or understanding An example hereof we have Isaiah cap. 1. Verse 2. Hearken O Heavens and give Ear O Earth c. Where he speaks to the Heavens and to the Earth as though they were persons endued with reason and understanding And cap. 3.26 Her gates shall lament and mourn and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground Where the material City of Ierusalem and her gates are spoken of as if they were women A Sarcasme Sarcasme is a nipping kind of taunting and scoffing An example hereof you have Isaiah cap. 14.10 Art thou also become weak as wee Art thou become like unto us Secundum quid See 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Concessio Syllepsis Syllepsis is a figure whereby we comprehend in a word or sentence more than the word or sentence doth properly or naturally signifie An example of this we have Isaiah cap. 26. verse 7. Thou most upright doest weigh the path of the just Where by weighing is not onely meant trying in the ballance but finding also to be good upon trial And cap 3.6 When a man shalâ— take hold of his Brother of the house of his Father saying thou hast clothing be thou our Ruler Where this sentence is comprehended Then shall a man take hold of his Brother of the house of his Father saying Thou hast clothing be thou our Ruler q. d. Then shâ—â— a man take hold of his Brother of the house of his Father saying Thou hast clothing be thou our Ruler But when A man shall take hold of his Brother c. Synecdoche Synecdoche is of divers sorts as may apâ—ear by what followeth Synecdoche Generis is a figure whereby the Genus is put for the Species An example of this we may have Mark 16.15 Preach the Gospel to every Creature Where the Creature in general is put for Man in special And Isaiah 66. verse 23. All flesh shall come to worship before me Where all Flesh is put for all Men. Senecdoche Speciei is a figure whereby the Species is put for the Genus An example of this we have Isaiah 2.4 Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation Where by the sword is meant any weapon Synecdoche Integri is a figure whereby the whole is put for a member or for a part of the whole An example hereof you may have Isaiah
of Israel but the lowest and meanest of all the mâ—n of the lowest and meanest rank for as the Priests were made of the lowest of the people 1 King 12. v. 31. so it is likely that the lowest of the people that is the lowest of the lowest of all became Prophets too but Prophets which ran when God never sent them onely for filthy lucre sake yea it may be onely for a morsel of bread Again these false Prophets were not onely the lowest and meanest of those which were the lowest and meanest by their birth and condition but the basest of all the men of Israel for their manners and custome of life also For they lived altogether by flattery and whereas a flatterer is the basest fellow that liveth they were the basest of all flatterers and for this reason also might he compare these men to the tail though he doth it principally as I conceive for the first reason Again many think that the Prophet resembled these Prophets to the tail because they did flatter and fawn upon the People the wealthiest especially and did put a fair glosse upon their foul stinking sin For the tail covereth the ill favoured and unsavory part of the beast And the Dog which is a fawning and flattering creature sheweth his fawning and flattery most by the tail But I conceive that the Prophet saith that the Prophet which telleth lies is the tail if not onely yet chiefly for the first reason The Prophet had rather say And the Prophet that telleth lies he is the tail then and the lowest of the people they are the tail that he might shew the basenesse of false Prophets and make them despicable and contemptible to all men What he saith here of the head and the tail the same may be understood of the branch and the rush viz. that the Ancient and Honourable he is the branch and the Prophet that tellâ—th lies he is the rush 16. For the Leaders of this people cause them to erre By the Leaders of the people he meaneth the Princes and chief Rulers of the Common-wealth and also the Priests and the Prophets which told lies whereof the Princes and chief Rulers made the people to erre by their example and the Prâ—est and the Prophet by their example and doctrine too And they that are led of them By this he meaneth all other sort of people which were under those which he called Leaders Are destroyed That is Have the way of their paths destroyed and so by consequence wander out of the way by following them They which have the way of their paths destroyed knowing not which is their way doe wander and goe astray out of the right way As for the sense of this see a parallel place Cap. 3. v. 12. and Cap. 28 v. 7. And note that this word destroyed doth not signifie here the punishment as most seem to understand it but the sin of these men whose punishment followeth in the next verse After the word destroyed therefore understand from Cap. 3. v. 12. the way of their paths q.d. are destroyed the way of their paths which is to say have the way of their paths destroyed where onely a Verb or Participle passive hath an Accusatiue case after it like an Active a kind of Syntax which the Hebrews sometimes use and the Greeks often c. 17. Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young Men. Young men are amiable and lovely yet he saith The Lord will have no joy in them by which he meaneth worse Viz. That the Lord will abhorre them and detest them and give them over to be devoured by the sword or carried away captives by Salmaneser For there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these words Neither shall have mercy on their fatherlesse and widowe The fatherlesse and the widdowes use to be the object of mercy and pitty yet he saith that God will have no mercy on them yea he will shew all seveverity and rigour against them For Every one is an Hypocrite Here is another reason why the Lord will have no joy in their young men nor have mercy on their widowes For it is usuall to give divers reasons of the same thing and to follow that with one reason which was ushered in with another And every mouth speaketh folly i. e. Every one speaketh that which is wicked And their talke is wicked talke Every mouth i. e. Every one Here is a Synecdoche membri for the mouth is put for the whole man and therefore the mouth rather than any other part because he speaketh of speaking whereof the mouth is the instrument Folly It is frequent with the Scripture to put folly for wickednesse and sinne because it is the greatest folly in the world to commit sinne and do that which is wicked 18. For wickednesse burneth as the fire q. d. For wickednesse is of a burning nature like the fire and shall kindle a fire among them It shall devoure the briars and Thornes i. e. Wickednesse shall devoure the common and ignoble and basest sort among the people As the fire doth the briars and thornes He speaketh of wickednesse here Metaphorically as of fire And therefore compareth the men which it destoyeth to combustible matter Therefore wickednesse is said to destroy and devoure the wicked because it kindleth Gods wrath against them and maketh Him to execute his judgements upon them and destroy them And shall kindle in the thickets of the Forrests i. e. And will set the Thickets of the Forrest on fire by which they shall be consumed By the Thickets of the Forrest here are meant the tall trees of the Forrest which grow and stand thick together And by them againe are Metaphorically meant the men of the more noble and honourable rank and condition And they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoake q. d. And they shall be turned into ashes and being turned into ashes shall be carried up into the Aire by the wind and mount up as the smoak mounteth up into the aire and there vanisheth away Or thus And they shall be turned into smoake as ordinary wood is turned when it burneth and shall mount up into the aire as we see the smoak in our Chimneys mount up The lifting up of smoak i. e. Here is an Hypallage or Metonymie For the lifting up of smoak is put for smoak which is lifted up That is which riseth or mounteth up into the aire He compareth the wickednesse of the nation to a fire got into a wood For as fire which is got into a wood doth first take hold of the briars and thornes and then of the Trees and so goeth over the whole wood and consumeth it So doth the wickednesse of a people consume and destroy first the poorest and meanest then the better sort of the people till all are consumed 19. Is the Land darkened i. e. Shall the Inhabitants of the land be overwhelmed with miseries and calamities The Hebrewes under the Metaphor of
Campus Martius and hath little left of old Rome but onely the name as being not scituated in the same place Neither shall the Arabian pitch Tent there There were Arabians which lived wholly upon their cattle which they drove from place to place for fresh pasture And they themselves lived in Tents which they moved from place to place for the more benefit of their flocks and herds from their living in Tents they were called Arabes Scenitae and from their feeding of cattle Nomades These Arabians bordered upon Chaldea and therefore it had been convenient for them to have pitch'd their Tents and fed their cattle there if there had been good conveniency there for feeding of cattle But he saith the Arabian shall not pitch his Tent there to wit there to feed his cattle because it should not be a place fit to feed cattle by reason of the ruines and rubbish which should be there and the briars and thornes which should grow up there and especially because of the wild beast which he mentioneth in the next verse which should lodge there Yet note that by an Arabian we may understand Metonymically any one which led that kind of life as those Arabians did though he were not an Arabian born that is any Shepheard and so by an Arabian may be meant a Shepheard here as well as a naturall Arabian Neither shall the Shepheards make their fold there i. e. Neither shall the Shepheards feed their sheep there for where Shepheards make their fold they feed their Sheep This is a repetition of the former sentence 21. And their houses i. e. And those ruinous parts of their houses which remain Dolefull Creatures i. e. Creatures which make mournfull cryes and noises And Saytres shall dance there Satyres were reputed as Gods of the woods among the Heathen whose upper parts were like a Man their lower parts like a Goate If you ask what they were indeed Surely they were no other than Devils in such a shape who haunt for the most part remote woods and sollitary places and there appear in strange formes Shall dance there He alludes to the leapping and skipping and dancing of wanton Goates part of whose shapes these Devills assumed 22. And the wild beasts of the Islands i. e. Strange beasts which Inhabite Islands and remote places Note That the Hebrewes call all places near the Seas Islands Shall cry i. e. Shall make hideous noises In their pleasant Palaces i. e. In those which are now pleasant Palaces but then shall be ruinous heapes Her time is near to come i. e. The time in which Babylon shall be thus afflicted is near at hand And her dayes shall not be prolonged i. e. And the dayes which she hath to flourish shall not be many Or thus And her dayes in which these things shall come upon her which I have spoken of shall not be long before they come that is they shall not be deferred These Phrases shew that it was not long before this Prophesie was executed upon Babylon and therefore surely it was executed before the dayes of Cyrus in the dayes which Josephus saith that the Medes destroyed the Assyrian Empire ISAIAH CHAP. XIIII FOR the Lord will have mercy upon Jacob. i. e. For the Lord will have mercy upon the Children of Jacob and his mercy will be shewed in that that he will punish and bring down their enemies and comfort and refresh them In particular he will by the overthrow of Babylon give the Children of Jacob which were held in slavery and in bondage in Babylon opportunity to return to their own land againe Jacob is put here per Metonymiam efficientis for the Children of Jacob. Note that this hath Coherence with the former Chapter and containes a reason why God would deal so severely with the Babylonians and destroy Babylon And will yet choose Israel i. e. And will yet shew that he made choice of Israel for a peculiar people by his love to them Israel is put here by a Metonymie for the Children of Israel who is the same as Jacob For Iacob and Israel are but two names of one man Gen. Chap. 32. v. 28. And to choose signifieth to shew love for God sheweth his love to them whom he maketh choice of And set them in their own land i. e. And bring them which are or shall be Captives in Babylon c. back out of Babylon c. into that Land which he gave them at first to wit the Land of Canaan When Sennacherib invaded Judaea and took many Jewes captive it is likely that he sent them away into Babylon and other places of his Dominions as fast as he took them and as he had the opportunity of a Convoy for them And of these might this place be understood q. d. The Lord will have mercy upon those Jewes the children of Jacob who also is called Israel whom Sennacherib shall send away Captive into Babylon and will yet shew his love to them and set them in their own land againe But it may not so be understood of them but that by Jacob and Israel may be here meant the People of the ten Tribes also q. d. Though the Lord hath utterly cut off the ten Tribes of Israel from being a people and hath sent them into captivity into Babylon and other places of the Assyrians dominions by Tiglah-Pilesser first and Salmanaser afterwards and seemeth to have quite forsaken them for evermore yet will he have mercy upon them and will yet shew his love to them and set them in their own land againe We read expressely that the King of Assyria brought men from Babylon c. and placed them in the Cityes of Samaria instead of the Children of Israel 2 Kigns 17.24 wherefore it is certaine that the Children of Israel many of them were sent at that time back to Babylon for such changes were the Eastern Conquerours wont to make Note here that the Lord never brought back the ten Tribes to be a People and kingdome and Common-wealth of themselves againe as he brought the two Tribes of of Judâ—h and Benjamin after that Nebucadnezzar had carried them away Captive into Babylon But he is said to set the Childdren of Jacob or the Children of the ten Tribes in their Land againâ— because he gave them opportunity to escape out of Babylon and other places of their Captivity and to return back into the land of Canaan which he gave unto their Fathers by the troubles which he brought upon Babylon and the King of Assyria whose power he broke in pieces at this time by the Mâ—des which opportunity many of them made use of and came back into the land of Canaan and dwelt there not onely in the Cityes of Israel but also in the Cityes of Judah which being lately wasted by Sennacherib had roome enough to entertaine them So that any part of the land of Canaan that land which God gave to their forefathers may here be called their own land as England
shaketh over it i. e. Because of the judgements of God with which he shall threaten them This Phrase is Metaphoricall and is borrowed from a man which shaketh his rod over his Child or Servant when he threatens him and makes as though he would whip him though he whips him not The judgements with which he threatned them of which they were afraid at this time was an invasion or warre to be made upon them by Sennacherib for the Egyptians when they heard that Sennacherib had invaded Judah were afraid of themselves least Sennacherib when he had subdued and destroyed Judah should invade Egypt and lay that waste also And this fear was not a causelesse fear For when our neighbours house is on fire we had need to look to our own the judgements inflicted upon our neighbours are our admonitions and threatnings to us And besides this it is likely that Sennacherib had threatned the Egyptians by word of mouth that he would fall upon them so soon as they had conquered all Judah 17. And the land of Judah shall be a terrour unto Egypt i. e. And the men of Judah shall terrifie the Egyptians and make them afraid Why the Land of Judah should be a terrour unto Egypt and how he sheweth in the latter part of this Verse Every one i e. Every Aegyptian Which maketh mention thereof i. e. Which makes mention of the land of Judah Because of the counsell of the Lord of Hosts which he hath already determined against it i. e. Because of the Counsell of the Lord of Hosts which he hath already determined and would then execute upon the land of Judah or because of those judgements which the Lord should then execute upon the land of Judah according to his determinate counsell He puts the Counsell of the Lord which he had determined to execute for the judgements and punishments which he would execute according to his counsell and determination per Metonymiam causae The judgements and punishments here spoken of were executed upon the Land of Judah by Sennacherib and his mighty hoste which the Egyptians hearing of by certain reports were afraid least that Sennacherib and his hoste when they had done with the Land of Judah would begin with Egypt and when they had once begun would make an end with it Yea likely it is that the Assyrians threatned to warre against Aegypt so soon as they had vanquished the land of Judah 18. In that day i. e. At that time Suple in which Sennacherib shall invade and oppresse the land of Judah Shall five Cityes in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan i. e. Many Cityes in the Land of Egypt shall speak the Hebrew language As upon other occasions before so when Sennacherib first invaded the Land of Judah many of the men of Judah ran away out of their own land for fear of the Assyrians and betook themselves into Aegypt Cap. 11. v. 11 15. And while they were in Egypt they lived religiously observing the Jewes religion By whose holy example many of the Egyptians were won to forsake their Idols and to cleave to the Lord of Hosts which proved happy to Egypt For by reason of this did the Lord in his mercy spare Egypt Because of these Jewes which ran thus into Egypt and those Egyptians which were converted by them and learned of them the Hebrew language doth the Prophet say That five Cityes in the Land of Egypt should speak the language of Canaan Five Cityes i. e. Many Cityes He puts a certaine number for an uncertaine Shall speak the Language of Canaan i. e. Shall speake the Language of the Hâ—brews which lived in the Land of Canaan By this is meant not onely that the Hebrewes which fled out of the Land of Judah which was part of the Land of Canaan but that some Egyptians also should speak the Languâ—ge of Canaan which they should learn of the Hebrews which fled for fear of Sennacherib into Egypt And by this we must also understand that the Hebrâ—ws and Egyptians should confesse and praise God together in those Cityes of Egypt And that the Egyptians should have knowledge of the Law of God which was written in the Hebrew tongue In a more sublime sense the Prophet prophesieth here of the calling of the Gentiles by the Gospel And swear to the Lord of Hosts Supple That they will serve him and that he shall be their God One shall be called the City of destruction Whatsoever this City was or for whatsoever reason it was so called surely this was the name thereof Viz. Ir-heres which is here interpreted the City of destruction Some and they not few render Ir-heres the City of the Sun and think that that famous City Heliopolis which signifieth the City of the Sun was the City here meant but most likely it is that the Prophet here meant some famous City of Egypt and perhaps famous for the Idolatrie there excercised And the Prophet nameth this City by name as a thing which should be strange that the Jewes should live in such a City after their own Law and openly professe the true â—od there where so much false worship and worshipping of Idols was practised and that many of the Egyptians there should serve the Lord with them 19. In that day there shall be an Altar to the Lord in the middest of the land of Egypt i. e. In that day there shall be many in the Land of Egypt which shall openly worship the Lord and serve him both Hebrewes and Egyptians The Altar which he here speakes of was not an Altar for Sacrifice for that was unlawfull but an Altar for a memoriall that they which built it did acknowledge and testifie thereby that the God of Israel was their God Nor must we think that there was any such Altar indeed built in Egypt But the Prophet alludeth to that Altar which the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half Tribe of Manasseh built for this purpose in the borders of Jordan Josh 22. v. 21 22. c. and thereby would expresse that there were such in Egypt as should publiquely worship God and give such sufficient testimonies thereof as the Reubenites and Gadites and the half Tribe of Manasses did by the Altar which they built For it is usuall with the Prophet to expresse like things by like And a Pillar in the border thereof to the Lord. These are the same for sence with the former words And the Prophet seemeth here to allude to that Pillar or that Stone which Joshua set up Josh 24. vers 26. c. 20. And it shall be for a signe and for a witnesse to the Lord of Hosts in the middst of the Land of Egypt Supple That there be many in the Land of Egypt which are addicted to the worship of God and serve him He sheweth here the end why that Altar which he mentioned in v. 19. should be erected And shewing for what end that Altar was erected he would have us
he sheweth what they were whom the Assyrian brought into the Land of the Caldeans to dwell when he carried the Caldeans thence they were such as lived in the Wilderness in Tents like the Arabes Scenitae and Scythians Note here that these words according to their right order should follow those this people and the order and sence of this verse hitherto is this Behold the Land of the Caldeans this people that dwelt first in the Wilderness and now dwell in it that is in the Land of the Caldeans was not in it that is in the Land of the Caldeans till the Assyrian founded it for them The like trajection of words we shall finde 2 Cor. 4.4 where we read In whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beleeve not for to them which beleeve not in whom the God of this world hath blinded their mindes They set up the Towers thereof i. e. The Caldeans built the strong Towers and places of refuge in Caldea Here is a Relative without an Antecedent nigh to it They raised up the Pallaces thereof i. e. The Caldeans built the stately Pallaces which were in the Land of the Caldeans And he brought it to ruine i. e. And the Assyrian did ruine and destroy them It for them a singular for a plural number The sence of this place is this the Caldeans built strong Towers of defence and large Pallaces and Buildings in their Land and rooted themselves there yet notwithstanding their towers of defence and their Pallaces the Assyrian brought their Land to ruine That which the Prophet saith here is this that the Caldeans were an antient people and had in their Land many Towers of defence and large Buildings of strength yet notwithstanding the Assyrians did vanquish them and destroy their Land And he saith it for this end that he might make it appear that if the Assyrians were able to vanquish the Caldeans which were an antient and strong people and had many places of strength and defence in their Land the Babylonians would be able to vex and afflict the Tyrians as here he prophesieth of it and lay Tyre waste also 14. Howle ye ships of Tarshish q.d. Howle therefore ye Ships of Tarshish See verse 1. For your strength is laid wast i. e. For Tyre which you said was so strong shall be laid wast See vers 1. He puts strength here in the Abstract for strong in the Concrete to signifie the exceeding strength of that which he speaks q. d. Your exceeding strong Citie Tyre c. And he calls it their strength Or their exceeding strong Citie because it should prove to be so exceeding strong onely in their report and in their sayings it should not prove so indeed So when we heare a man speake highly of any thing which proveth otherwise we say to him that is or this was your so and so 15. In that day i. e. At the time in which she shall lye wast Tyre shall be forgotten Supple Of her lovers The meaning is that Tyre shall not be frequented with Merchants and Traffiquers as she wont to be Note that from this place to the end of the Chapter the Prophet speakes of Tyre under an Allegory wherein he compareth Tyre to an Harlot The Merchants and Traffiquers which were wont to trade with Tyre to her lovers the gain which she got by those Merchants and Traffiquers to the hire which an Harlot hath for prostituting her body c. Seventy years according to the dayes of one King q. d. Seventy years to wit so long as one King and his Seed or Race shall reign By this King and his Seed or Race is meant Nebuchadnezzar and his seed for Nebuchadnezzars seed was extinguished by Cyprus King of Persia at which time in all probability Tyre began to flourish again as her Neighbour Jerusalem did and this was seventie yeares after Nebuchadnezzar had smitten them Jer. 25. v. 11 and 12. Of one King i. e. Of one King and his Seed or Race for often times though one individall person be onely named or mentioned yet his seed or race or children are also tacitely included So God said to Abraham I am the Lord which brought thee out of Vr of the Caldees to give thee this Land meaning the Land of Canaan to inherit it Genes 15.7 But this latter Pronoune Thee though it signifieth onely Abrahams person yet it includeth Abrahams Seed also as appeareth Gen. 13. 15. So Galat. 3.18 Paul saith that God gave the Inheritance to Abraham by promise wherein Abraham is included and Abrahams seed also as appeareth Galat. 3. verse 16. So 2 Sam. cap. 7. vers 16. The Lord said to David Thy Kingdom shall be established for ever before thee thy throne shall be established for ever where in that word Thy which signifies plainly David onely Davids Sonnes are also included as appeareth in the twelfth verse of that Chapter Shall Tyre sing c. He speaks of Tyre as of a Woman by a Prosopopoeia Sing as an Harlot i. e. Sing merrily as an Harlot useth to sing when she would allure Lovers to turn in to her saying 16. Take an harp c. This is the Song which Tyre should sing at that time in which Song Tyre stirreth up her self to mirth Go about the City i. e. Go about the streets of the City Thou Harlot These are the words of Tyre to her selfe who calls her self an Harlot for the reason expressed in the next verse Thou hast bin forgotten viz. Of thy Lovers The meaning of this Metaphoricall phrase is that she had not bin frequented with Forreigne Merchants as she was wont to be but had bin as one quite forgotten by them That thou maist be remembred i. e. That thou maist be remembred of thy Lovers and that they may come again and visit thee He persists in his Metaphor and the meaning is q. d. That thou mayst be frequented by Merchants as thou wert heretofore 17. After the end of seventy years See verse 15. The Lord will visit Tyre To wit In favour and mercy by delivering her from the oppression and cruelty of her enemies And she shall turne to her hire i. e. And she shall turne to her again which she was wont to make by Traffique and Merchandize with other people which came thither to buy and sell their rich Commodities The Prophet continueth his Metaphor of an Harlot and calls her gaine her hire because she got gaine of those with whom shee traffiqued by her Merchandize as an Harlot doth her hire of her Lovers by the use of her body c. And shall commit fornication with all the Kingdomes of the World i. e. And she shall trade and traffique and Merchandize with all the Kingdomes of the World by which she shall get gain as an Harlot doth an hire by her fornication By her Fornification therefore he meaneth Metaphorically her dealing and traffiquing with those Merchants which came to her With all the Kingdoms
exhorting the men of Jerusalem to bear the siege of Jerusalem patiently thus bespeaks them Come my people enter thou into thy Chambers and shut the doors about thee hide thy self as it were a little while until the indignation be overpast Cap. 26.20 11. There is a crying for wine in the streets i. There shall be heard in the streets a crying and lamenting for want of wine This cry might come from within the houses though it were heard without in the streets Wine was the ordinary drink of the Hebrews as it is now of many people wherefore being that the Assyrians had spilt all their Wine they must needs cry for want of drink All joy is darkened i. e. All joy shall be turned into mourning The Prophet speaks here of joy as of light which is taken away by darkness and indeed joy is often resembled to light and call'd by the name of light in the Scriptures And the gate i. e. And the Gates of the City A singular for a plural number In the gates of the City their Courts of Justice and publique Assemblies were wont to be held therefore he mentioneth these particularly 13. When thus it shall be i. e. q. d. Yet when thus it shall be In the midst of the Land i. e. In the Land viz. of Israel In the midst of the Land is put for in the Land by an Hebrew Periphrasis Among the people Supple Of the ten Tribes There shall be as the shaking of an Olive tree and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done i. e. There shall be a few of the many thousands of Israel left See cap. 17.6 14. They shall lift up their voyce i. e. Those Jews which live by the sea-coast upon the borders of the Land of Israel shall lift up their voyce by way of rejoycing He seemeth to point at the men of Judah which lived by the sea-coast upon the borders of the Land of Israel when he saith They shall lift up their voyce and so to tell whom he meaneth For the Majesty of the Lord i. e. Because of the Lord that is because of the goodness of the Lord which he will shew at this time towards them in delivering them from the hand of Salmaneser when he shall destroy the ten Tribes The Majesty of the Lord is put here for the Lord himself as when we say of a King the Kings Majesty for the King himself And the Lord is put here for the goodness and mercy of the Lord per Metonymiam Subjecti They shall cry aloud from the Sea He meaneth by these the Jews which lived in Joppa and other places nigh the sea side towards the Land of Israel And he mâ—ntioneth their joy more particularly then he doth the joy of any other of the people of the Jews though all the Jews were delivered at this time because they were nigher the danger then any other of that people were as lying next to the Land of Israel which Salmaneser destroyed and were as is very probable much oppressed with the free quarter of Salmaneseâ—'s Army by Land and forced with the rest of the maritime Towns to provide him a Navy to fight against Tyre by Sea For when Salmaneser had destroyed the Land of Israel he made War against Tyre and put the Maritime Towns to furnish him with a Fleet of ships and to provide for it and afterwards blockt up Tyre five years as we read in Joseph lib. 9. Antiquit. cap. 14. In which time all Maritime Towns suffered no doubt much by the Assyrians 15. Wherefore glorifie ye the Lord in the fires c. I take that which we read in this Verse to be the song which these men sung which song beginneth abruptly as passionate songs and sayings often do whether they proceed from joy or any other passion If it were entire it might be this The Lord hath delivered us from the Assyrians wherefore glorifie ye the Lord in the fires even the Name of the Lord God of Israel ye that dwell in the Isles of the Sea In the fires That is In the fires of understanding and of zeal q. d. Glorifie ye the Lord with understanding as understanding what the Lord hath done for you and with ardency of spirit and true zeal as giving him praise for what he hath done for you not lightly and for fashion sake but feelingly and heartily Note that the Preposition In among the Hebrews serveth in the place of almost all other Prepositions whatsoever and here it may be put for With. Note also that fire by reason of its light may signifie knowledge and understanding and by reason of its heat may signifie zeal and fervency or ardency of spirit by a Metaphor And he may say fires in the plural number not fire in the singular to signifie these two things understanding and zeal Even the Name of the Lord God of Isrâ—el i. e. Even the Lord God of Israel Note that the word Name is here redundant by an Hebrew Elegancy Or that the Name is put for the thing it self whose name it is In the Isles of the Sea i. e. In Joppa and the sea-coasts where ye live and let your songs and exclamations of joy be heard from thence Note that the Hâ—brews call not onely those Lands which are environed and compassed about with the Sea Isles or Islandâ— but also those parts of the Continent which lie neer to the Sea 16. From the utmost part of the Earth have we heard songs i. e. We who live in Jerusalem shall hear songs of rejoycing from the utmost part of our Land By the Earth he meaneth the Land of Judah by a Synecdoche The songs which he meaneth were to be songs of rejoycing because of their deliverance from Salmaneser such as that was vers 15. Even glory to the righteous i. e. Even songs containing the glory of God the righteous One Glory may here signifie any attribute of God which makes him glorious and here it signifies his mercy and goodness to wit his mercy and goodness which he shewed to the Jews and especially those which lived about Joppa in delivering them from Salmaneser per Metonymiam Adjuncti It is also further put for songs which contain or speak of that mercy and goodness of God and the praises thereof per Metonymiam Subjecti To the righteous i. e. To the praise of the righteous One that is to the praise of God By the righteous or righteous One is meant God who as he is called the holy One 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so mâ—y he be called the righteous One He is called the righteous One because of his faithfulness at this time in preserving his people the Jews or because of his goodness at this time to them for righteousness is taken sometimes for goodness even in this sence as when Joseph was said to be a righteous or a just man Matth. 1. vers 19. Note that a song to the righteous signifieth a song sung in the praise of
4.19 And therefore are called an host because of their multitude and order for an host or an army are not more and more orderly composed and better ranked then they are and they are called the high ones which are on high because they are placed in the Heavens which are the uppermost parts of the World The Assyrians did worship the Sun and the Moon and the Stars and made Images and representations thereof which also they worshipped and carryed about with them in their Camp and these Images or representations were destroyed when Sennacherihs Army was destroyed And because they were destroyed the host of the high ones that are on high that is the Sun and the Moon and the Stars themselves are here said to be punished So the Lord was said to execute Judgment upon all the gods of Egypt Exod. 12.12 and Numb 33.4 among which gods were the host of Heaven as may be gathered Deut. 4.19 Amos 5. v. 25 26. Acts 7. v. 43. for the gods there mentioned were such as the Israelites had seen worshipped in Egypt and learned from them And upon them is the Lord said to have executed Judgment because he flung down their Idols and Representations and broke them in pieces the same night that he brought Israel out of Egypt But some take the host of the high ones that are on high not for the Sun and Moon and Stars themselves but for the Images of the Sun Moon and Stars which the Assyrians carried with them to worship for the Gentiles called the Images of things by the names of those whose Images they were as the Image of Jupiter is called Jupiter Acts 14.13 But you will say whether by the host of the high ones that are on high are meant the Sun the Moon and the Stars or the Images or Representations onely thereof Nothing can be said properly to be punished but such as is endued with Reason But neither the host of Heaven nor their Images have any reason Therefore they cannot properly be said to be punished Ans This therefore that they are said to be punished is Metaphorical as sense and reason is Metaphorically given to Idols cap. 19.1 Or secondly this being put as a calamity of the Assyrians the Prophet may speak according to the sense and thoughts of the Assyrians Now the Assyrians which worshipped the Sun and the Moon and the host of Heaven thinking them to be gods thought that they had understanding and that as they were delighted with the Images and Representations which were made of them and with the honor and worship which was given to those their Images and Representations So they thought that they were contrarily affected and grieved when their Images and Representations were contumeliously used and disgracefully broken Note that the Prophet saith here that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high because the Assyrians worshipped them and relied on them for their good success as in all other their enterprizes so in this against Judah And the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth i. e. And the Kings of the Earth which are upon the Earth By the Kings of the Earth are meant the chief Commanders of Sennacheribs Army for they were all Kings cap. 10.8 these God punished by his Angel 2 King 19. vers 35. Note here that these two titles The high ones and the Kings of the Earth are such ambiguous titles as may belong each of them both to the Sun and Moon and Stars and also to the Kings which served Sennacherib for those Kings might be called high ones because of their high places and dignities and the Sun and the Moon and the Stars might be called the Kings of the Earth according to the conceit of the Assyrians which accounted them as gods for God is King of all the Earth Psal 47.7 To distinguish therefore the one from the other when he speaks of the Sun and the Moon and the Stars which the Assyrians accounted as gods he calls them the high ones which are on high and when he speaks of the Princes which served Sennacherib he saith the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth 22. And they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit c. i. e. And the Inhabitants of Jerusalem which is the chief City of the Land shall be gathered and shut up in Jerusalem as prisoners are gathered together and shut up in a prison or in a dungeon for so soon as they hear of the approach of Sennacheribs Army they shall run every one to his home and then as prisoners cannot go out of the prison or dungeon in which they are imprisoned so shall not they go out of Jerusalem again because of the Assyrians who shall encompass them besiege them and block them up Note that this Conjunction And doth not relate to the words which went immediately before but to the twentieth verse And when he saith They shall be gathered together c. he seemeth to point at the inhabitants of Jerusalem In the pit i. e. In the prison The pit is that part of a prison which they call the dungeon which is a deep place under ground and it is here put for the whole prison it self And shall be shut up in prison i. e. And shall be shut up as it were in prison And after many days i. e. After they have been shut up in prison that is after they have been besieged many days Shall they be visited i. e. The Lord shall visit them in favor and mercy and deliver them by sending his Angel to destroy the Assyrians which besieged them which was fulfilled 2 King 19.35 This I do conceive to be the most probable meaning of this place and that as the Prophet did prophecy against the men of Judah vers 17 18 19 20. and comfort them again with the destruction of their Enemies vers 21. So doth he here in the former part of this verse prophecy against the men of Jerusalem and in the latter end thereof and in the next Verse comfort them again The onely Objection which can be made against this exposition is That there is no mention here of the men of Jerusalem and that there is no Nominative case to these Verbs but what is in the former verse To which I answer That the Prophet might point as it were with his finger at the men of Jerusalem when he spoke of them and so he needed not to name them his pointing at them might be enough to signifie whom he meant Again as he doth often put a Relative without an Antecedent and leaves the Antecedent to be understood by the circumstances of the place so might he leave the Nominative case which should go before the Verb to be understood Examples whereof we have Cap. 9.3 and 23.5 Mark 8.22 and 4.36 c. 23. Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed By the Sun and the Moon some understand the Images of the Sun and the
persist still in their evill doings He alludes here to a man who when he threatens and is ready to strike lifts up his hand to fetch his blow But they shall see q. d. But yet at length when thy hand falls upon them and thou smitest them they shall see it and feel it too to their cost And be ashamed viz. So many of them as shall escape death For their envy at the people i. e. For the evill which they have done to thy people He puts envy here for mischiefe proceeding of envy by a Metonymy The Assyrians at this time did mightily vex and distresse the Jews the people of God The fire of thine enemies i. e. That shame which useth to befall thine enemies Fire is put here metaphorically for shame because as fire is red so shame causeth redness through blushing in the face In the same sence the Prophet saith their faces shall be as flames cap. 13.8 Shall devoure them i. e. Shall befall them Fire is said to consume and devoure as cap. 9.18 Wherefore the Prophet using the word fire metaphorically saith in allusion to that it shall devoure them whereas if he had said shame without a metaphor he would have said shall befall them or take hold upon them By this phrase the Prophet signifies the excess of shame 12. Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us i. e. Lord ordaine we beseech thee peace for us He puts here a Future tense of the Indicative mood for an Imperative after the Hebrew manner For thou also hast wrought all our works in us q. d. For whatsoever hath happened to us whether it be good or evill comes from thee Supple and therefore it is in thy power O Lord to procure us peace and ordain it for us Thou also This Particle also is either redundant or it doth relate to second causes which though they are principall instruments in the works here spoken of yet they are but instruments directed by God and therefore God also works these works though the worldling takes the second causes for the sole causes and never looks up to God All our works By works are here meant all events and all things which happened to them which he calls their workes not because they did them but because they were done or hapned to them or among them In us i. e. Among us or to us for In will serve for almost any preposition whatsoever q. d. which have happened or have bin done to us or among us 13. Other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us The Hebrews were a free people not subject nor tributary by right to any under God who was their King and their Lord Psal 44.4 If any one therefore demanded subjection or tribute of them or made himself a Lord over them as the Assyrians did at this time he was a Tyrant by usurpation and a Tyrant by oppression both which were grievous to the Hebrews and from both which the Prophet here in the name of the Jews desireth to be delivered Have had dominion These words signifie a continued act q. d. Other Lords besides thee have had and still have dominion over us Though the Philistines and Jebusites and Syrians and others have at times lorded it over the Hebrews yet he complains here of the Assyrians onely who onely Lorded it over them at this time But by thee onely will we make mention of thy name i. e. But by thy goodness towards us and thy goodness onely let us make mention of thee as of our onely Lord q.d. But deliver thou us O Lord in whom onely we trust deliver thou us for thy mercy and goodness sake from all other which have dominion over us that we may make mention of thee as of our Lord and of thee onely and call none other our Lord but thee alone He puts here a Future tense of the Indicative mood for an Imperative as before By thee onely He puts God here for the mercy and goodness of God per metonymiam Subjecti And he saith by thee only because they trusted onely in God and expected help onely from him We will make mention of thy name i. e. Let us make mention of thee Supple as of our onely Lord. He saith thy name for thee as cap. 25.1 26.8 And when he saith we will make mention or let us make mention of thy name it is as if he should say let us call thee onely Lord or be thou alone our Lord for to call God our Lord and for God to be our Lord is all one in the Hebrew manner of speech 14. They are dead they shall not live q.d. They shall be cut off they shall not live which usurpe dominion over us and disturbe our peace The Prophet sheweth here that the Lord hath heard his prayer and will grant his request in destroying the Assyrians which did Lord it over the Jews They are dead He puts here a Present or Praeterperfect tense for a Future to signifie the certainty of what he speaks and so he doth again three or four times in this verse and many times in this Chapter They shall not rise Supple to live in this world to vex and distresse us any more Therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them i. e. For thou wilt visit them and de them He puts Therefore for For or Because as the same word in the Originall is rendred Gen. 38.26 Haâ—t thou visited God visits both in anger and loving-kindness when he visiteth in loving-kindness he redeemeth and delivereth when he visits in anger he afflicteth and punisheth And made all their memory to perish Supple So as that they shall not be so much as once remembred 15. Thou hast increased the nation O Lord i. e. Thou wilt increase our nation O Lord thou wilt increase the nation of the Jewes again when it is diminished The Nation of the Jewes was increased at this time by the return of many Jewes into their Countrey upon the wonderfull destruction of Sennacheribs Army which Jewes had fled into other Lands for safety when Sennacherib first invaded Judea at which time also many of other nations being moved by that miraculous destruction of the Assyrians forsaking their idolatry came and lived in Judah and so encreased that nation even the nation of the Jews Thou art glorified i. e. Thou wilt do that for which thou shalt be glorified per Metonymiam Effecti That which he did here was that he destroyed the Assyrians and delivered his own people and restored them to peace and happiness again Thou hast removed it far unto all the ends of the earth i. e. Thou wilt enlarge the nations that is the people of Judah which shall be shut up in Jerusalem and there be besieged and imprisoned by the Assyrians and wilt remove it thence into all the parts of the Land Note that a Praeterperfect tense is here put for a future This he did when he destroyed the Assyrians by which the people might go whither they
v. 7 8. To the gate He puts gate for gates by the Enallage of number and Gates for Cities by a Synecdoche and he meanes the Cities of their enemies It is the glory and happiness of a Land to have Justice ministred without partiality in times of peace and to have victory to attend it in times of warre and this is part of the glory which the Prophet here prophesieth of and promiseth to Judah 7. But they also have erred through wine i. e. But the residue of the people mentioned v. 5. That is the men of Judah and Benjamin also have erred through wine as well as the Drunkards of Ephraim Note that the Scripture doth often impute that to a whole people of which part onely is guilty Have erred Supple From the way of truth and so by consequence from the way of righteousness Through wine i. e. Through tippling of Wine Are out of the way Supple Of true knowledge and so by consequence of righteousness also This sentence is a repetition of the former The Priest and the Prophet have erred If the Priest and the Prophet have erred then surely many of the vulgar sort have erred with them he instanceth therefore in these The Prophet By the word Prophet we must no understand here such a one as was immediately inspired by the Lord as the word most properly and commonly is taken but we must take it in a larger signification for a Doctor or Teacher and because the Doctors or Teachers of those times were for the most part Prophets he might call all Doctors and Teachers Prophets from them These latter Prophets might erre the former could not They are swallowed up i. e. Here is something to be understood viz. Their wayes as if the words had been these they are swallowed up their wayes that is they have their wayes swallowed up or they have their wayes destroyed for that which is rendred here swallowed up is rendred destroyed cap. 9.16 The notes of which place see for the interpretation of this They which have their wayes destroyed must needs erre out of their way To have their wayes destroyed or swallowed up signifieth therefore to erre and this they are swallowed up with wine is but a repetition of that They have erred through strong drink That which is here rendred swallowed up is as I said rendred destroyed Cap. 9.16 And this word as it hath any thing in it signifying destruction is metaphorically taken from ravenous beasts vvhich swallow dovvn vvhat they destroy and vvhat they swallow dovvn is consumed in their panch Of wine i. e. Through bezling of Wine Of is put for Through They erre in vision i. e. They erre in vision or prophesie speaking that as the word or vision of the Lord which is not the word or the vision of the Lord. They stumble in judgement That is they faile and go awry in their judgement as a man faileth and goeth awry which stumbleth in the way judging and calling evil good and good evill darkness light and light darkness bitter sweet and sweet bitter as Cap. 5.20 The judgement here mentioned is commonly called in the Schooles Judicium discretionis 8. All Tables And so by consequence the Tables of the Priests and Prophets at which they did eat and drink or at which they did fit in counsel And filthiness i. e. And filthy springs proceeding from over-charging their stomacks with wine So that there is no place clean Supple From vomit and filthiness 9. Whom shall he teach knowledge and whom shall he make to understand doctrine q. d. And when the Lord shall in mercy go about to teach these Priests and Prophets knowledge by me or by any other servant of his and so bring them into the right way from which they have erred whom shall he teach knowledge and whom shall he make to understand doctrine The Prophet as he complained in the former Verses of the Priests and the Prophets erring from the Truth and stumbling so doth he here complain of their sottishness and dulness and stupidity to learn by which they should be brought into the right way of knowledge and truth again And when he saith Whom shall he teach knowledge c. he doth so complain of them as that he sheweth his grief for them and pity towards them Them which are weaned from the milk i. e. Them which are as children which are but newly weaned from the Mothers milk This is an answer to the question going immediately before Note that the Hebrews leave the Note of similitude often to be understood And drawn from the brest i. e. And those which are as Infants which are newly taken from the brest This is a repetition of the former sentence He compares these men to children newly weaned not for their Innocency or for their Humility but for their dulness and slowness to learn and understand 10. For precept must be upon precept precept upon precept i. e. For they must be taught like children by line and by leasure not much at once nor too fast because of their dulness and incapacity Precept must be upon precept i. e. They must be taught but a little at a time a lesson now and to morrow or next day or a week or a month hence another lesson Some read precept after precept and say that the Prophet alludes to a narrow-mouth'd glass or bottle into which we cannot pour much water at a time but onely a drop at once and so but drop after drop wherefore it will be a long time before the glass or bottle is full But I retain our common reading and conceive that the Prophet by saying precept upon precept alludes to one who makes up brittle ware suppose earthen pots or glasses or the like where he takes time and leasure to lay one pot or glass upon another lest in making too much haste he should break his pots or glasses And as such a one takes time to lay pot upon pot or glass upon glass so a Schoolmaster when he is to teach children takes time in teaching children lesson after lesson lest the childe should get no benefit when he is urged with a second lesson before he doth well understand or retain the first or lest he should forget his first lesson by learning a second Line upon line Understand this of the line in a book which a childe takes for a lesson and take it as a repetition of the former sentence in other words Here a little and there a little i. e. Now a little and then a little For Adverbs of of place are often put for Adverbs of time For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people i. e. Now with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people For is put here for Now. He speaks this out of indignation for here we must understand that these Priests and Prophets mocked the Prophet Isaiah when he said Precept upon precept c. For these men professing
for He shall break them in regard that he compared them to the breach in a wall So because our Prophet compared the holy One of Israel to a fire he saith of the holy One of Israel not He but It shall burn and devour his thorns and his bryars in one day Cap. 10.17 As the breaking of a Potters vessel i. e. According to the breaking of a Potters vessel or earthen pot or as if a man should break an earthen pot or a Potters vessel Which is broken in pieces i. e. Which a man dasheth with all his might against the stones and so breaks into small bits or pieces He shall not spare i. e. The holy One of Israel shall not spare Supple these sinners These words may be read with a Parenthesis So that there shall not be found in the bursting of it i. e. So that there is not to be found when it is broke These depend upon those words That is broken in pieces A sheard to take fire from the harth or to take water withall out of the pit i. e. A sheard big enough to take fire from the harth or water out of the pit Poor people even at this day use potsheards to take up and carry fire in and to catch up water out of a pond or pit or river for their use Out of the pit In Judea which was a mountainous and so a dry Country a great part of it there were many pits made to save and keep water in for necessary uses 15. In returning i. e. I said that by returning or if ye would return from your purpose and alter your resolution of sending for ayd to Egypt and of relying upon the Egyptians c. This phrase is Metaphorical translated from the body to the minde Note that these words I said are here to be understood And rest i. e. And by rest and sitting still at home or if you would take your rest and sit still at home and not go down into Egypt Ye shall be saved Supple From the hand of the Assyrian In quietness i. e. In sitting quietly at home and not travelling into Egypt This is a repetition of the former sentence And in confidence i. e. And in trusting and confiding in me the Lord who have promised to save you if you rely on me and confide on me Shall be your strength Their strength was said to be in this quietness and confidence because if they would have been quiet and confided in God God would have strengthened them so as that their Enemies the Assyrians should not have prevailed against them And ye would not i. e. But ye would not Subaudi Harken to the Word of me the Lord and believe it ye would not return and rest at home ye would not be quiet and confide in me 16. But ye said No q. d. But ye said No We will not return and alter our purpose we will not rest and sit still at home but we will go down into Egypt and get strength from thence We will flee upon horses i. e. We will get our selves many good Horses that we may if we be routed and overcome by the Assyrians flee the faster from them In Judea there were great abundance of Asses 1 Chron. 27. v. 30. therefore their Princes and chief men were wont to ride upon Asses Judg. 10.4 12.14 But there was great scarcity of Horses for the Lord had forbidden them to multiply Horses Deut. 17.16 But Judea was not so scarce of Horses but Egypt was as full Deut. 17.16 and 1 King 10. v. 28. therefore did these Jews desire ayd of the Egyptians and send their Embassadors thither to procure good store of Horses thence for this their service Therefore shall ye flee Supple Before your Enemies the Assyrians This is the judgment threatned against their sin And we will ride upon the swift i. e. We will get us the swift creatures that if need be we may flee swiftly from our Enemies By the swift he meaneth Horses per Metonymiam Adjuncti with which Egypt abounded which were far more swift then Asses which were bred in Judea Therefore shall they which pursue you be swift i. e. Therefore shall your Enemies the Assyrians be swift also and shall pursue you and overtake you This is a repetition of what was said immediately before in both which places the Prophet plays in his words making the sin and punishment alike Note here that though the Prophet attributes these words we will flee upon horses and we will ride upon the swift to the men of Judah as spoken by them yet it is probable that they never used these formall words for they were so confident of the strength of Egypt as that they were not likely to speak of flying but because the Prophet fore-saw that they would flee before their enemies and that that was all the steed their horses would stand them in namely to flee therefore he brings them in saying we will flee vpon horses we will ride upon the swift so doth he bring them in speaking and saying We have made lyes our refuge and under falsehood have we hid our selves Cap. 28.15 And Prophesie not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophesie deceits Cap. 30.10 whereas it is not likely that they would use those formal words though they did and said as much in effect See the notes upon those severall places One thousand Supple Of you Jews Shall flee at the rebuke of One i. e. Shall flee if they do but hear the voice of one single Assyrian threatning them At the rebuke of five i. e. At the chiding or threatning of a very few He puts a certain for an uncertain number Shall ye flee i. e. Shall ye all flee Till ye be left as a Beacon upon the top of a mountain q. d. Till there be not two of you left together in company A Beacon is one only single Post or Pole whereon there is a pan fastened to the top in which they put pitch and flax or some such like combustible matter which they set on fire in the time of danger this useth to be set on an high hill that it may be the more conspicuous and seen the further off But happily the Beacon here meant is only a bare Mast or Pole set up in an eminent place by the Sea-side As an Ensign on an hill i. e. As a single Banner which is pitcht upon an high hill See cap. 13.2 18. And therefore will the Lord waite that He may be gracious unto you and therefore will He be exalted that He way have mercy upon you The sense is q. d. Yet nevertheless the Lord will waite and He will be exalted for these words are to be understood here by a Syllepsis the like whereunto we observed cap. 3.6 And therefore will the Lord wait that He may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you He useth an Apostrophe to the faithfull
in Jerusalem For the better understanding of this place note that the destruction which the Lord threatned against those which went down to Egypt for strength the Lord brought upon those men by the Assyrians whom he brought so suddainly upon them as that their destruction is said to have come upon them suddenly at an instant vers 13. And so being suddainly surprized and unprovided they became a prey to the sword of their enemies But though the Lord intended to bring ths Assyrians against Jerusalem as wel as against other parts and Cities of Judah yet he brought them not so suddainly against her as against other Cities and places for after the Assyrians came and entred into Judah and encamped against the fenced Cities thereof the men of Jerusalem had time to take counsel and to fortifie their City and to hunble themselves and in a solemn manner to commend themselves to Gods protection and rely upon him for safety before the Assyrians pitched against her 2 Chron. cap. 32. ver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. By which means they were able to hold out against the Assyrians untill the Assyrians themselves were destroyed Therefore because the Lord brought not the Assyrians so soon against the men of Jerusalem as he did against other the men of Judah but staid untill the men of Jerusalem had exceedingly well fortified their City and had humbled themselves and in a solemn manner committed themselves to the Lords protection The Lord is said here to waite And therefore c. Note that And is put here for Yet notwithstanding for he opposeth here the condition of the faithfull in Jerusalem to the condition of those which he hitherto spoke of Will the Lord waite i. e. Will the Lord stay till ye have fortified your City and put your selves in a solemn manner under his protection before he brings the Assyrians against you To waite is put here for to stay or to tarry because they use to stay and tarry which use to waite for any one That he may be gracious unto you i. e. That he may shew favour unto you for it was Gods favour and mercy to keep off the Assyrians from the men of Jerusalem till they had fortified their City and solemnly committed themselves to the Lords protection otherwise they might have been destroyed by the Assyrians as well as other the men of Judah Will he be exalted i. e. Will he defer his punishment intended against you that is He will defer the bringing of the Assyrians against you c. This sense this place requireth for this is a repâ—tition of the former sentence but how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be exalted should come to signifie to defer a punishment is a question Some think that the Prophet alludes to a man correcting his son or his servant with a rod who stretcheth out his arm and lifteth up his whole body and standeth on tip-toe that he may fetch the greater stroke but the higher he lifteth up himself and the further he stretcheth out his arm the longer he is before he strikes from whom to be exalted or to exalt himself may be taken say they for to defer a punishment or to be long before he strikes by a Metaphor Others say thus When God is about to punish he is said to come out of his place which is heaven as cap. 26.21 and Mic. 1.3 That therefore he might punish this people he came as it were out of heaven but because he would not then punish them but spare them a little longer he returned on high into Heaven to his place again Hence to be exalted that is to return on high or to go up to Heaven signifieth they say to deferre a punishment and to spare a while Others say thus When God doth any notable thing he is said to be exalted and glorified Per Metonymiam Effecti Because he doth that for which he may justly be exalted and glorified See cap. 12.4 and cap. 26.15 Now because God was willing to shew his long-suffering and forbearance a while longer to his faithful people which must needs redound to the praise and glory of God The Prophet saith he will be exalted for he will suffer them and spare them a little longer Per Metonymiam Effecti That he may have mercy upon you i. e. That ye may not be destroyed by the Assyrians This as I said is but a repetition of the former sentence already expounded For the Lord is a God of judgment i. e. For the Lord is a God of mercy and compassion Judgment is taken here for mercy or compassion and so it is taken Jer. 10.24 where it is said O Lord correct me but in thy judgment not in thine anger c. Where judgment is opposed to anger and is taken for mercy or pitty or compassion Or judgment may be taken here for discretion and God may be called a God of judgment because he knoweth how to punish one and how another how to shew favour to some and how to deny it to others That waite for him i. e. That waite for his aide and for his mercy and deliverance and run not to Egypt for strength c. 19. For the people Supple That waite for the Lord that is for the aide and mercy of the Lord at this time He makes good that here which he said in the former verse to wit Blessed are they which waite for him and he speaks of the faithful of Jerusalem here in the third person to whom he spoke a little before in the second Shall dwell in Sion at Jerusalem i. e. Shall dwell in safety at Jerusalem Supple when the Assyrians destroy all the Land besides Shall dwell in Sion Sion was an impregnable Fort in Jerusalem as appears 2 Sam. 5. v. 6 7 c. Wherefore to dwell in Sion may proverbially signifie to dwell in safety Thou shalt weep no more Supple After a while The Prophet turneth his speech again to the people of Jerusalem which did waite for the Lord. He will be very gracious unto thee i. e. The Lord will be very gracious unto thee and shew thee a great deal of favour At the voice of thy cry i. e. When thou criest to him for help against the Assyrians When he shall hear it i. e. When he shall hear thy cry that is when thou shalt cry unto him He will answer thee For God to answer us when we cry or pray is in the Scripture phrase for God to grant our request 20. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity i. e. Wherefore though the Lord give you the bread of adversity c. And for Wherefore Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction q. d. Though the Lord suffer you to be besieged in Jerusalem by Sennacheribs Army during which time ye shall have but a little bread and a little water allowed you a is usuall in besieged Cities where every one hath his bread and his
calls that his age here which he calls the residue of his yeares there He speaks metaphorically of his age though it be a thing successive and exists onely by the present instant as of a thing whose parts are all together and as it were at once before our eyes And is removed from me i. e. And is removed out of my sight As a Shepheards tent i. e. As a Shepheards tent which to day we see pitcht in such a place and to morrow is removed from that place and pitcht we know not where He saith a shepheards tent because that represents the inconstancy and uncertainty of our life more then any other Tent for the souldiers tent may stand pitcht long in a place as in sieges and the like but Shepheards change the place of their Tent every day because of the opportunity of fresh pasture for their Cattle I have cut off like a weaver my life i. e. I have caused the Lord to cut off my life as if a Weaver should cut off his web from the thrum before it be finished He saith I have cut off for I have caused the Lord to cut off Supple by my sin Per Metonymiam Effecti He will cut me off i. e. The Lord will cut off my life He saith Me for my life by a Metonymy With pining sickness i. e. With a grievous sickness which maketh my flesh to consume and pine away From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me i. e. I said all the day long that is From morning even till night thou wilt make an end of me before the night commeth Here is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of those words I said all the day long which may be understood partly from the beginning of the tenth and eleventh verses and partly from this place And the day is here put for the morning which is but part of the day Per Synecdochen Integri Here is also an Enallage of the person where he passeth from the third to the second person 13. I reckoned till morning q. d. When night came I reckoned and made an account with my self every hour and minute till the morning That as a Lion so will He break my bones i. e. That as a Lion breaketh the bones of a Lamb or a Sheep which he maketh his prey so will the Lord break all my bones before morning and so kill me Hence it is conjectured that Hezekiahs sicknesse was a most vehement feaver for other sicknesses affect onely particular parts but a feaver torments the whole body Note here again an Enallage of the Person from the second to the third From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me q. d. And when morning came again I said all the day long from morning even till night that thou wilt make and end of me before night commeth See vers 12. For these words I said all the day long are to be understood here as they are there By these sayings Hezekiah sheweth in what great pain he was in 14. Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter q. d. I made a doleful noise through the extreamity of my pain like the noise of a Crane or a Swallow Or thus q. d. My strength was so spent with the extremity of my disease and my pain as that I could not speak plainly and articulately but did seem to chatter like a Crane or Swallow rather then speak like a man I did mourn as a Dove i. e. I did make a mournfull noise or groan like a Dove saying c. Mine eyes fail with looking upward i. e. Saying for this word is to be understood I have lifted up mine eyes towards heaven in prayer to thee O Lord and so long have I lifted them up that they wax weary and dim with looking up By this is meant that he had prayed to God for ease and expected ease from him but had not received it The zealous and faithful people of God were wont in their prayers to lift up their eyes towards heaven which is Gods dwelling place and to continue them in that posture as long as they prayed and when they had obtained what they prayed for they ceased to pray for what they had obtained and so let down their eyes but if they obtained not they still prayed and continued looking upward till their eyes were weary and dim Hence commeth the phrase Mine eyes fail with looking upward or I have prayed but obtained not what I prayed for This phrase doth the Psalmist also use Psal 69.3 and Psal 119.82 I am oppressed Supple By my disease He speaks of his disease metaphorically as of a cruell Creditor which oppresseth his Debtor and casts him into prison or delivereth him to the tormentors as Mâ—tth 18.34 Vndertake for me q. d. Give me ease from this my disease and release me from my pain He persisteth in the Metaphor of a cruell Creditor for such a Creditor though he oppresseth his Debtor and casts him into prison and delivereth him to the tormentors yet if a sufficient man will undertake for his Debtor to pay him his debt he will release him out of prison and deliver him from the tormentors 15. What shall I say q. d. What shall I say and how shall I be able to expresse the loving-kindness of the Lord. He is here suddainly rapt from the expression of his great misery to the consideration of the great mercie and loving-kindness of the Lord and these words are to be conceived as uttered from the thought and meditation of that which Isaiah said to him v. 15. that the Lord would adde to to his dayes fifteen years He hath spoken unto me and himself hath done it i. e. The Lord hath both spoken unto me by his Prophet saying that he will adde to my dayes fifteen years v. 5. and he will also do what he hath spoken In the last of these words a Preterperfect is put for a Future Tense to shew the certainty of what he speaks of as it is often put I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul q. d. I will be sorry all the dayes of my life that I have offended so good and gracious a God as the Lord is to me I shall go softly i. e. I will mourn Metonymia Adjuncti He alludes here to the gesture or pace of those which are penitent and sorrowfull and mourn for their sins for such go softly and slowly See 1 Kings 21.27 All my years i. e. All my years which the Lord hath added to my dayes v. 5. Note here that for all this we must not think that Hezekiah did nothing else but mourn and go softly all the rest of his life for this phrase is to be understood like those which Paul useth Rejoyce evermore pray without ceasing 1 Thess 5. ver 16 17. Without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day 2 Tim. 1.3 Praying alwayes with all prayer Eph. 6.18 Rejoyce
alwayes Phil. 4.4 and which the Psalmist useth I le sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being Psal 104.33 I le call upon him as long as I live Psal 116.2 which kinde of phrases contain a Hyperbole and signifie onely frequent and often acts In the bitternesse of my soul i. e. Because of the grief of my soul which grief I have conceived from that that I have offended so gracious a God as the Lord is Note that Tò In is put here for Tò Because of for the Hebrews use this Preposition In instead of many other Prepositions Note also that bitterness is put here by a Metaphor and Metonymy of the cause joyned together for griefe because bitter things are grievous to the taster 16. By these things men live i. e. By such things as these are which thou hast done for me and promised to me many men which are never so dangerously sick and nigh unto death recover their health again and live Note here that the Hebrews have no Potentiall Mood but use an Indicative for a Potentiall and so an Indicative is here taken for a Potentiall men live for men may live and by men are understood men in any dangerous condition of life Per Synecdochen Generis And in all these things is the life of my spirit By all these things which thou hast done for me and promised me shall I certainly be revived and live who was neer unto death and therefore afflicted with grief and sorrow He puts my spirit for me a part for the whole man by a Synecdoche and a Present for a Future Tense By all these things he means the visitation whereby God did visite him in mercy by his Prophet the promise which God made to him of adding fifteen years to his dayes vers 5. the promise of delivering Jerusalem from the hand of the King of Assyria v. 6. God giving him a sign to confirme what he promised v. 7 2. His apointing a plaister of figs for his recovery v. 21. c. So wilt thou recover me q. d. As thou hast said so wilt thou recover me from my sickness 17. Behold for peace I had great bitternesse i. e. Behold for health I had a great sicknesse He puts peace for health and peace may signifie health per Synecdochen Generis for after the Hebrew manner of speaking peace signifies all prosperity and all good things under which health is contained Again peace may signifie health because in health the humors of the body rage not neither do they so disquiet a man as they do in sickness and there is a great harmony and concord between the elements and the qualities of the body in health which is not in sicknesse And he puts bitternesse for sicknesse by a Metaphor because as bitternesse is grievous to the pallat so is sicknesse to the whole body To my soul i. e. To me A part is put here for the wholeman by a Synecdoche Delivered it i. e. Delivered my soul that is delivered me From the pit of my corruption i. e. From the grave in which the dead bodies corrupt and putrifie For thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy back i. e. For thou hast forgiven me all my sinnes In these words there is contained an elegan◠Metaphor for because we cannot see those things which are behind our backs he saith thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy back for thou beholdest not my sinnes and those sinnes which God seeth not nor beholdes he is said to pardon See Psal 51.9 Note that in the Scripture phrase God is said to forgive a man his sinnes when he takes away any punishment from him which he either feareth or suffereth by reason of his sinnes And here because he took away that grievous sicknesse which he had inflicted upon Hezekiah for his sins he is said to cast all his sins behind his back or to forgive him all his sins See Notes Cap. 33.24 18. For the grave cannot praise thee i. e. For the dead which lye in the grave cannot praise thee He puts the grave for the dead which lye in the grave per Metonymiam Subjecti or Continentis These words shew the end or finall cause why God did forgive Hezekiah his sinnes and deliver his soul from the pit q. d. And therefore didst thou cast all my sinnes behind thy back and deliver my soul from the pit of corruption that I might praise thee for they which are dead cannot praise thee c. Death cannot celebrate thee i. e. The dead cannot celebrate thee He puts death for the dead per Metonymiam Adjuncti They that go down to the pit i. e. The dead which are carried to the grave and there buried Cannot hope for thy truth q. d. Cannot so much as hope for thy truth much lesse can they declare it and praise thee for it The truth of God is to be taken here for the goodnesse and mercy of God shewn to men But the goodnesse and mercy of God in relation to some former promise and to be performed according to that promise Hence we read goodness and truth and mercy often joyned together as Gen. 24.27 and 32.10 and Psal 115.1 why could not they which went down to the pit hope for the Lords truth Answer Because all their thoughts perished Psal 146.4 The living the living he shall praise thee q. d. But the living the living both can and shall praise thee Supple For this thy mercy which thou hast shewed me Note that this Particle He is redundant here as it is often elsewherr and that by an Hebraisme The father to the children shall make known thy truth q. d. Fathers shall make known unto their children the goodnesse and mercy which thou hast shewed to me and shall praise thee for it Thy truth i. e. Thy mercy and goodnesse which thou hast shewn to me in restoring me to my health I said that the truth of God is taken for the mercy and goodness of God but the mercy and goodnesse of God as it is shewed in relation to some former promise v. 18. To what promise therefore doth this relate Answer It relateth to that v. 5. I will adde unto thy dayes fifteen years or it may relate to that promise which God made to David 1 Kings 2.4 For by this mercy of God whereby Hezekiah was redeemed from the grave came Hezekiah to have a Son who succeeded Him in the Thron according to the promise of God made to David 20. The Lord was ready to save me q. d. When I was sick unto death the Lord was ready to save me We will sing i. e. I and my people or I and the fathers and their children v. 19. will sing My songs i. e. The songs which I have made or shall make in the praise of the Lord for his goodnesse and mercy shewed to me In the house of the Lord. i. e. In the Temple 21. For Isaiah
whose power is irresistible Meet thee i. e. Punish thee or revenge my self upon thee This is a phrase usual with us in the same sence For when we say that we will be revenged of a man we say that we will meet him or meet with him In which phrase the Antecedent is put for the Consequent or the action for the end thereof the meeting for the thing for which we would meet him which is to punish him or to be revenged upon him 4. As for our Redeemer This is an answer to an Objection which Babylon might make q. d. Ye tell me O ye Jews in the Name of your God that I must come down and sit in the dust c. But who in the mean time shall redeem you out of my hands To this the believing Jews of the captivity answer As for our Redeemer the Lord of hosts is his Name the Holy One of Israel is he called The Lord of hosts is his name the Holy One of Israel The true God is no oftener called or described by any other Names or Attributes then by these The Lord of hosts The Holy One of Israel Why the true God is called the Lord of Hosts see Cap. 1. vers 9. And why the Holy One of Israel see cap. 1. v. 4. 5. Sit thou silent c. The immediate connexion of this is with the fourth Verse Sit thou silent and get thee into darkness q. d. Go grieve and mourn because of the miseries which shall come upon thee Sit thou silent Supple In sorrow because of the great miseries which shall come upon thee q. d. Thou wast heretofore full of stirs because thou wast a joyous City but now thou shalt be silent Get thee into darkness Supple And there bewail thy self They which are oppressed with true and great grief do neither love to see nor to be seen therefore they desire to get into darkness that is into some dark place or other that there they may mourn in secret O Daughter of the Caldeans See Vers 1. For thou shalt no more be called the Lady of Kingdoms i. e. For the Empire is departed from thee The King of Babylon had many Kings and Kingdoms under him therefore is Babylon here called the Lady of Kingdoms 6. I was wroth with my people i. e. I was angry with my people the Jews for their sins The Lord gives the reason here why it should be so with Babylon as he said vers 1 2 3 5. The first reason is because of her cruelty to the Jews in their captivity vers 6. The second reason is because of her pride and arrogancy vers 7. The third reason is because of her sorceries and enchantments vers 10. Another reason is hinted by the By vers 8. to wit because she was given to pleasures and lived carelesly I have polluted mine inheritance i. e. I have taken away the hedge of my protection whereby mine inheritance was separated from all others and layd it common to be trod down by the feet of her Enemies Concerning the meaning of this word polluted in this place see what I said upon a parallel word profaned Cap. 43.28 and upon an opposite word holy Cap. 4. vers 3. Mine inheritance The Jews which were the children of Israel are called here the Lords inheritance because God made choyce of them to be a peculiar treasure to him above all people Exod. 19.5 Deut. 7.6 and because they were as dear to God and the Lord had as much care of them as a man hath of his own peculiar inheritance And given them into thine hand To be chastised and corrected by thee Thou didst shew them no mercy q. d. And when they were in thine hands thou didst shew them no mercy Vpon the ancient hast thou very heavily layd the yoke i. e. Thou didst grievously afflict and oppress even the old men of my people or mine inheritance whose age was venerable and should move pity and compassion even in an enemy They that are cruel to old men will not spare the younger the Babylonians therefore were very cruel to all The yoke By the yoke is Metaphorically meant all manner of affliction and oppression because all manner of affliction and oppression is as grievous to our nature as the yoke is to the neck of a young Heifer This is the first Reason of Babylons ruine 7. And thou saidst I shall be a Lady for ever i. e. Thou wast so proud and confident of thine own power as that thou thoughtest that thou couldst not be brought down no not by God himself and that thou shouldst rule as a Lady over Kingdoms and Nations for ever Here is the second Reason of Babylons downfall namely her pride and arrogancy So that thou didst not lay these things to thine heart i. e. So that thou didst not think of these things which I say shall befall thee that is Thou didst not think of thy downfall and of the captivity and slavery which thou shouldst suffer Object It may be here objected that Babylon could not know of those things which are here said she should suffer for she had not the gift of Prophecy neither were they revealed to her before how then could she lay them to heart Ans Though she could not lay this misery in particular with the circumstances thereof to heart which should befall her yet she might have layd that misery in general to heart which might befall her and that is that which is meant by these things q. d. So that thou didst not lay to thine heart such things as these are Thou didst not think that thou couldst be overthrown and become a slave and a captive Pride doth so blinde the eyes of the understanding as that it makes those which are in prosperity to think that they shall never come into adversity Psal 10.6 And they which think not of that adversity which may befall them do soon fit themselves for destruction from the Almighty by those many sins which they are apt to run into Therefore it was Moses's wish for the children of Israel That they would consider their latter end Deut. 32.29 Neither didst remember the latter end of it i. e. Neither didst remember the latter end of Babylon that is thine own latter end viz. That thou shouldst come to ruine as all humane and terrene things do In the word It there is an Enallage of the person Of it being put for Thine the third for a second person or which is all one for the sence another kinde of Pronoun being put for a reciprocal There is also a passage from the Metaphor or Prosopopoeia to the thing it self that is from speaking of Babylon as a Queen to speak of it as a material City Yet by It it may be that her Prosperity or Highness or her Ladyship is here meant q. d. Neither didst thou think of the latter end of thy Prosperity or Highness or Ladyship For the Hebrews often put a Relative without any formal
I knew them Supple Before they they came to pass for mine Idol told me of them 8. Yea thou heardest not Supple Of them before I told thee Yea thou knewest not Supple Of them before I made them known unto thee Yea from that time that thine ear was not opened i. e. Yea I told thee of them at that time that thou hadst heard nothing of them To open the ear or to have the ears opened is put here for to hear as Psal 34.15 For I knew thou wouldst deal very treacherously with me q. d. And this I did because I knew thou wouldst deal very treacherously with me and say when they came to pass That thine Idol had done them and that thine Idol had told thee of them in fore-time It is treachery in us when we profess in words that we are Gods servants and ought to worship him if we give in deed that to Idols which is due to God And wast called a transgressor from the womb i. e. And wast a transgressor from the womb To be called is put here for to be A nominal word for a real See the like cap. 9. vers 6. From the womb i. e. From the first time that I made thee to be to my self a people A Metaphor of which see Cap. 46. vers 3. Concerning the transgressions of Israel from the womb read Psal 78. 9. For my Names sake will I defer mine anger q. d. Yet for all this though thou wast a transgressor from the womb I will defer mine anger towards thee for my Names sake For my Names sake i. e. For mine own sake lest the Babylonians should blaspheme and say that I was not able to deliver my people if I should not deliver them out of their captivity See vers 19. Will I defer mine anger i. e. Will I slack mine anger for anger deferred slacketh and waxeth cold And for my praise will I refrain for thee i. e. And for thy sake and for my praise sake that I may be praised for my mercy towards thee will I refrain and keep in mine anger For two ends doth the Lord say here that he will refrain his anger towards the Jews The first is for the Jews good for is it not good for them if God sheweth mercy to them The second is for his own praise sake that men may praise him for his mercy And of these two ends the praise of God is the chiefest and ultimate end and the good of the Jews is but subordinate to this That I cut thee not off Supple Totally or wholly 10. Behold I have refined thee but not with silver i. e. Behold I have put thee into the furnace of affliction to refine thee and I have refined thee but not as silver is wont to be refined Note that the Preposition With is put here for a Note of Similitude or Comparison and in the word Refined is included both the intent of the Lord in putting them into the furnace and also the event and the sence of the words is this q. d. I have put thee into the furnace of affliction and I have refined thee but not with that exactness as men refine silver for they which refine silver keep it in the furnace till all the dross of it be wholly consumed But I have not nor will not keep thee in the furnace of affliction while all thy dross is taken away lest I should wholly consume thee while I refine thee but I have dealt and will deale more moderately than so with thee Note that this verse is an answer to a Tacite Objection which a Iew might make For whereas the Lord said in verse 9. That he would refraine his anger for their good and for his own Praise that he cut them not off A Iew might object and say If thou didst not intend to cut us off why didst thou put us into the furnace of affliction To which the Lord here answers that he did it to refine them and he did refine them but not as they refine silver By this therefore was the iniquity of Iacob to be purged and this was all the fruit to take away his sinne as Cap. 27.9 I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction q.d. Though I have put thee into the furnace of affliction yet I did it onely that I might make thee pretious and I have made thee pretious I have chosen thee i. e. I intended and have made a choyce one or pretious one of thee more choyce and more pretious a great deale than thou wast To choose is put here for to make pretious Per metonymiam effecti for that which is made pretious every one will be ready to choose See Cap. 49.7 Note here that in these words I have chosen thee is included both Gods intent in putting them into the furnace and the Event answerable to the intent In the furnace of affliction By the furnace of affliction is meant those miseries which the Iewes endured in Babylon which he compareth here to a furnace in which silver is tryed and refined By a Metaphor 11. For mine own sake q. d. For mine honours sake that my name be not polluted and dishonoured and that my glory be not given to another c. Note that those words relate immediatly to the ninth verse and that the tenth verse was brought in by the by to answer a Tacite objection of the Jewes Even for mine own sake q. d. I say even for mine honour sake This repeating of his words shew how jealous God is of his honour Will I doe it i. e. Will I deferre mine anger and refraine it from cutting thee off verse 9. For how should my name be polluted i. e. For how would my name be blasphemed and mine honour stained and polluted Supple If I should not deferre mine anger and refraine it from cutting thee off totally If the Lord should have persisted in his anger untill he had utterly cut off the house of Jacob The Gentiles would have blasphemed him and spoke evilly and disgracefully of him and have said that he was not able to deliver his people out of the hand of the Babylonians And I will not give my glory to another q.d. And if I should not doe it I should doe that for which the Gentile would give my glory to their Idols but I will not have my glory given to another To give is put here for to have given If God should not refraine his anger that he cut not off the house of Jacob the Gentiles would say that the gods of the Babylonians were more powerful then he and that he was not able to save his people out of their hands and so would give that glory and worship to them which is due only to him the Lord as being the only true God 12. Hearken unto me O Jacob This hath its immediate connexion with the foregoing wordes viz. I will not give my glory to another That is to Idols For the Lord having said
take darkness for prisons the meaning of these words are Come ye out of prison out of the prison which was dark and wherein no man could see you into the light where ye may be seen They shall feed in the ways c. Between this and that which went immediately before we must understand these or the like words For the Jews which are prisoners in Babylon shall come forth out of their prisons and they which are there in darkness shall shew themselves and shall return into their own Land to inherit the desolate heritages thereof and as they go they shall feed in the ways home-ward c. The Prophet sheweth here how plentifully the Lord will provide for the Jews in their return out of captivity into their own Land See the like cap. 48.21 They shall feed i. e. They shall have abundance of food whereon to feed He alludeth here to the feeding of sheep or cattel but speaks of the Jews themselves They shall feed in the ways And if God provideth food for them in the ways they need not go out of their way nor slack their journey for want of food And their pastures shall be in all high places q. d. And though they travel over Hills and Mountains which are usually dry and barren yet shall all the Hills and the Mountains over which they travel yield them pastures in abundance He alludeth still to the feeding of sheep or cattel 10. They shall not hunger and thirst Supple By the way which they go though their way be through the desarts See cap. 48.21 Neither shall the heat nor the Sun smite them q. d. Though they are to travel through an hot scorching Wilderness as they travel from Babylon to the Land of Judah yet shall not the heat nor the Sun hurt them or offend them Neither the heat nor the Sun i. e. Neither the heat of the Sun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he that hath mercy on them shall lead them i. e. For the Lord who hath mercy on them shall lead them Supple as a careful and skilful shepherd leadeth his flock The Lord speaks here of himself in the thiâ—d person and alludes to a shepherd leading his sheep for shepherds were wont not onely to follow their sheep and drive them but also to go before them and lead them See Psal 80.1 Even by the springs of waters shall he guide them He persists still in the Metaphor of a shepherd Where springs of waters are there are waters enough to quench and keep from thirst there are pastures for food adjoyning to the springs by reason of the moysture and there are vapors arising from the springs to allay the extremity of heat with their coolness and Willows growing thereby to shadow from the scorching beams of the Sun 11. And I will make all my mountains a way i. e. And I will pull down all my mountains by which they are to go and make them low that I may make away over them yea an easie way for the Jews to pass See cap. 40.4 The meaning of this phrase is That the Jews shall find nothing to hinder them in their way home-ward no not in the mountainous Wilderness The Lord speaks here of himself in his own person though he spoke of himself in the third person in the Verse before He speaks also of himself as of a way-maker which maketh a way for a King and his Court or for a General and his Army whereas he spoke of himself before as of a shepherd And my high-ways shall be exalted And my high-ways or Causey-ways Supple which lie through the valleys shall be exalted that the mountains being pulled down and the high-ways or causey-ways of the valleys exalted the whole way from Babylon to Judea may be plain and even without Hill or Dale In valleys because the grounds are for the most part moorish and rotten they use to make a way of stones and the like higher then the surface of the ground which therefore he calls an High-way and we usually a Causey Behold these shall come from far q. d. And moreover behold these Jews which are now in the East shall come from the East to their own Land By these he meaneth the Jews which were in the East after the Land of Judah was wasted by the Babylonians whom he nameth not because he doth as it were point at them with his finger From far i. e. From the East for so doth the Context require that we should interpret it The Prophet therefore useth a Synecdoche generis and putteth a far place in general for the East in special And lo these from the North i. e. And lo these Jews which are now in the North shall come from the North to their own Land And from the West i. e. And these which are in the West shall come from the West c. And these from the Land of Sinim i. e. And these which are in the South shall come from the South c. The Land of Sinim Sinim is the name of a people which are also called Sinites Gen. 10.17 These dwelt in the South of Judea about the Wilderness of Sin Wherefore their Land in particular is put here for any Southern Land in general Though when the Babylonians invaded Judea they carryed away most of them which escaped the sword captives into Babylon yet many escaped into all the quarters of the Earth where they lived as Exiles until they heard of the delivery of their Countrymen out of Babylon and of Cyrus's favor to them at the hearing of which they also returned to their own home again 13. Sing O Heaven and be joyful O Earth He speaks to the material Heaven and the material Earth as though they had sense and reason by a Prosopopoeia as he doth cap. 1.2 The Prophet speaketh here in his own person and having shewed his authority from God and Gods respect to him in order to his Ministry in the former part of this Chapter he doth here begin to tell the message which God gave him in charge to tell and which was part of his Ministry For God hath comforted his people i. e. For God will comfort his people the Jews which have suffered much misery and sorrow by reason of the Babylonians He puts here a Preterperfect for a Future tense Vpon his afflicted i. e. upon his afflicted people the Jewes The comfort and mercy which is here promised consisted in bringing the afflicted Jewes home to their own Land yea even to Hierusalem after the Babylonish captivity 14. But Sion i. e. But Hierusalem Hierusalem was the mother of the Jewes as St. Paul intimates Gal. 4.25 By Sion is meant Hierusalem and the materiall City of Hierusalem is brought here in the person of a woman yea of a mother speaking and complaining c. by a Prosopopoeia as Cap. 40.9 And under the feigned person of Sion is shewed the State and condition of the Jewes at the time here spoken of But Zion said
the Lord hath forsaken me c. In the former verse it was said that God would comfort his people and would have mercy upon his afflicted but Zion when she heard of it did hardly believe it but saith she here surely that is not so for the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me And this she saith in a kind of despaire having been sorely oppressed by the Babylonians But it may be asked what it concerned Zion to heare that God would comfort his people and shew mercy upon his afflicted and what she should be the better for it that she should say when she heard of it in despaire Surely it will not be so for the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Answ The comfort and mercy which is here spoken of was the bringing in of the afflicted Jewes into their own Land again and to Sion the holy City And if they were once brought into their own Land again and to Sion the holy City then should Sion have joy in their prosperity as a mother in the prosperity of her children and then should her walls and her houses which the Babylonian had broken down be builded up again And then should her inhabitants be to her again as the ornament of a bride V. 18. But Zion said c. But Zion hath said heretofore and saith still c. This word said denoteth a continuall saying and signifies not onely the time past but also the present time by a Syllepsis The Lord hath forsaken me aad my Lord hath forgotten me i. e. The Lord hath cast me off and will take no more care of me nor any way pitty me How then can he comfort his peoplâ— and have mercy upon his afflicted for their comfort is my comfort and their joy is my joy When the Lord hath cast any one off so that he will take no more care of him or shew him any pity he is said in the Scripture-phrase to have forsaken him and forgot him 15. Can a woman forget her sucking childe The Prophet speaketh this in the person of God and answereth to the complaint of Sion and sheweth that the Lord hath not forgotten her Or the Sonne of heâ— wombe i. e. Or her Sâ—cking child which is a Sonne and a Sonne of her owne wombe Yea they may forget q. d. Verily though it be unlikely yet women may forget their Sucking children and the Sonnâ—s of their wombe Note here the Enallage of the numbâ—r how he passeth from a Singular to a Pâ—urall number 16. I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands i. e. I have writ Sion upon the palme of my hands that it may bâ— to me as a memoriall of thee and so often as I see or read it I may remember thee By this he would shew that he is alwayes mindfull of Sion And he alludeth to those who that they may remember some one thing or businesse which they would not forget put some signe or memoriall thereof upon their hands which some doe by tying a thred about their fingers Others by writing the thing or name of the thing which they would remember upon some part of the hand either backe or palme c. See Exod. 13.9 I have graven c. That is I have written thy name upon the palmes of my hand so that it cannot be blotted out He useth a Metaphor from a Graver in Stone or Brasse or the like whose engravings are not easily blotted out or defaced Thee i. e. Thy name viz. Sion Thy walls are continually before me i. e. Thy ruined walls are continually in my thoughts yea in my sight and it pittieth me to see them in the dust 17. Thy children shall make hast q. d. Therefore thy children which shall build up thy walls againe shall make hast to come unto thee By the children of Sion are meant the Jewes which were in Captivity in Babylon or else where in exile Thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall goe forth of thee i. e. The Babylonians which destroyed thee and laid thee waste shall goe forth of thee and give place to thy children Note that when the Iewes were carried away Captive into Babylon many Babylonians inhabited their Cities either of their own private voluntary minde or by the publike authority of their King who when he conquered a Countrey and carried away the Inhabitants thereof sent other of his own Subjects to Inhabit there And these saith the Lord to Sion shall goe forth of thee 18. Cast up thine eyes round about i. e. Looke towards the East and towards the West towards the North and towards the South He speakes still to Sion And behold He speakes as though the Jewes which were scattered abroad by the comming of the Babylonians into Judaea were even then gathering themselves together to returne into Judaea againe in kenne of eye All these gather themselves together and come to thee q. d. All these whom thou seest are Jewes which gather themselves together to come to thee He speakes as though he pointed at them with his finger In the former verse he said to Sion that her children should make hast to come to her here he saith that they are comming already Thou shalt surely cloth thy selfe with them all as with an ornament q. d. They shall all come and when they are all come they shall be as great an Ornament and a glory to thee by reason of their multitude as the Robe is to a King or Queene He alludeth to a glorious Robe wherewith a King or Queene is clothed when he saith Thou shalt cloth thy self with them all as with an Ornament When he saith Thou shalt surely cloth thy selfe with them all as with an Ornament He speaketh not so much of their quality as of their number as may appeare by the content For the glory of a City consisteth also in the number and multitude of the Inhabitants And binde them on thee as a Bride doth Supple Her Jewells or Bracelets or her head attire q. d. And they shall be as great an Ornament to thee by reason of their number as the Jewells or Bracelets or Head attire which shee bindes on her are to a Bride These are the same for sense with the former words only the Metaphor or Allusion is different 19. For thy waste and thy desolate places and the Land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants q. d. For they which shall come and inhabite thee shall be so many in number and their multitude shall be so great as that thy waste and thy desolate places and the Land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow to containe the Inhabitants thereof because of their number and multitude Thy waste and desolate places i. e. Those places which lay waste and desolate in thee for want of Inhabitants The Land of thy destruction i. e. Thy Land which is destroyed by the Babylonians He saith the
was there none to answer me q.d. Wherefore did no man receive me when I came to you And when I called to you wherefore did no man answer me The Prophet seemeth to allude to one mans coming to another mans house where there was no body at home to entertain him or to answer when he called and knocked The Lord sent his servants the Prophets to the Jews so soon as they were carryed away captive to exhort them and stir them up to repentance that he might have mercy upon them and deliver them from that captivity and misery upon their repentance into which they had brought themselves by their sins Bâ—t when the Prophets came to them in the Lords Name for this purpose they would not receive them nor would they answer or harken when they called upon them to hear the Word of the Lord. Note here that that which was done to the Prophets of the Lord the Lord takes as done to himself and what they did in his Name he interprets as done by himself according to that of our Saviour to his Disciples He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me Matth. 10.40 This for the explication of these words Now for the connexion Note that these words are spoken in answer to a tacite Objection of the Jews which were in captivity for vvhereas the Lord had said that he vvould deliver them though they were captives and a prey out of the hands of the terrible and mighty Cap. 49.25 and in answer to a former Objection of theirs had told them That they had sold themselves for their sins and that their mother was put away for their transgressions vers 1. They might object and say Be it so that we had sold our selves for our sins and that our mother was put away for our transgressions yet being thou sayst that thou wilt deliver us out of the hands of the mighty and the terrible which oppress us thou wouldst have delivered us long ago if thou hadst been able to deliver us For what else was the reason why thou didst not deliver us long since To this he answers That the reason why he did not deliver them long since was because he came unto them and none of them would receive him and he called to them and none would answer him And until they had received him and answered him and repented and amended their lives he would not deliver them The reason was not because he wanted power and ability to deliver them for he had power and ability to deliver them as he sheweth in the next words Note that the Lord answers this their Objection in an interrogatory manner to make it more tart for their obstinate and pervicacious spirits Is my hand shortened at all that I cannot redeem q. d. Is my power less then it hath been that you should think that I cannot redeem you and that you should say that this is the reason why I did not deliver you before this to wit because I was not able My hand i. e. My power or my strength The hand is put here per Metonymiam signi or subjecti for power and strength because the power and strength of a man is known by his hand and arm The connexion of these words with the former is apparent by what I have already said upon this Verse and it is this q. d. The reason why I redeemed you not long ago was because ye received me not when I came unto you and ye answered me not when I called you It was not because I was not able as ye surmize to deliver you for am I not able to deliver Is my hand shortened that it cannot redeem c. Behold at my rebuke I dâ—y up the Sea q. d. Behold at my rebuke I can dry up the Sea i. e. Behold if I do but chide the Sea the Sea will be dryed up Note that he puts here an Indicative for a Potential mood for the Hebrews have no Potential The Prophet alludeth to that which is written Psal 106. v. 9. He rebuked the red Sea also and it was dryed vp Where the Psalmist speaketh of that which the Lord did to the red Sea when he brought the children of Israel out of Egypt Exod. 14.16 c. This and what followeth are Arguments by which the Lord proveth the greatness of his power I make the Rivers a Wilderness i. e. I can make the Rivers as dry as a Wilderness He alludeth here to the Lords making a way through the River Jordan Josh 3. vers 13. Their fish stinketh because there is no water and dyeth for thirst i. e. So that the fish of Rivers shall dye with thirst for want of water and stink being dead Here is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these words 3. I clothe the Heavens with blackness q. d. I can cover the face of the Heavens with black clouds and make great darkness upon the Earth And I will make sackcloth their covering i. e. I can can cover them with clouds as it were with sackcloth Sackcloth was wont to be made of hair Rev. 6.12 yea of black hair as this and the like expressions prove This is a repetition of the former phrase and in them the Prophâ—t alludeth to the great darkness which the Lord caused in Egypt Exod. 10.21 4. The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned The Prophet speaketh this of himself and he might truly speak it for his language is most pure and eloquent and his expressions admirable upon every occasion I take this to be the beginning of a new Sermon That I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary i. e. To him that is weary Supple with afflictions For afflictions are as a burden and will in time weary the stoutest man A word of Comfort handsomly delivered is seasonable to him which is weary with afflictions He wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear i. e. And he instructeth me every morning morning after morning He wakeneth i. e. The Lord wakeneth What the Lord wakeneth the Prophet doth not here tell but suspendeth it while he resumeth the word again but he wakeneth his ear He wakeneth mine ear i. e. He wakeneth me The ear is but a part put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche and therefore the ear rather then any other part because the Lord did awaken the Prophet with his voyce by calling to him and the voyce is received by the ear as being the Object of the sense of Hearing To hear Supple His Instructions and his Will As the learned i. e. As Masters which are learned Supple do that is As Masters that are learned use to waken their Scholars in a morning that they may rise and come to School to learn what he intends to teach them By this we may understand what frequent Revelations the Prophet had and that the Lord came to him in the morning to acquaint
the Lord in his own person yet it may be understood of the Lords speaking thus to himself and stirring up himself for this work See the like cap. 63.11 Because the Lord had suffered his people to lie in captivity a long time and did not shew his power in their deliverance he might seem to be like a man asleep therefore he saith Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord Supple That thou mayst deliver thy people out of Babylon as thou hast promised Put on strength He alludeth to a mans putting on his garments when he awaketh which he did put off and lay aside when he went to sleep O arm of the Lord i. e. O powerful God He speaks of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and puts the arm which is but part for the whole man by a Synecdoche as Vers 5. As in the ancient days and in the generations of old Supple When thou didst bring the children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab i. e. Art not thou He which didst cut and hew the Egyptians to pieces It This relateth to that O thou arm of the Lord by which as I said is meant the Lord himself Rahab By Rahab is meant Egypt and by Egypt the Egyptians as Psal 87. v. 4. And Egypt was called Rahab because of her pride for Rahab signifieth one that is proud and Egypt carryed her self proudly at least towards Israel Exod. 18.11 And wounded the Dragon Supple Even to death By the Dragon he meaneth Pharaoh King of Egypt whom the Lord overthrew in the red Sea For the Prophet calls tyrants by that name See cap. 27.1 10. Art not thou it which hath dryed the Sea c. He meaneth by the Sea the red Sea which the Lord divided and through which he made a dry way for his people of Israel to pass when he brought them out of Egypt Exod. 14.21 The waters of the great deep q. d. Even the waters of the red Sea which was very deep For the ransomed to pass over i. e. For the Israelites which thou didst redeem out of Egypt from the bondage which they suffered there to pass over This is mentioned here to strengthen the faith of the people in God For if God had power to do such things heretofore he hath as much power to do the like now and to redeem his people out of Babylon now as he had to redeem them out of Egypt in times past 11. The redeemed of the Lord i. e. The Jews which are now in captivity in Babylon He calleth these Jews the redeemed of the Lord by anticipation for as yet they were not redeemed though afterwards they were Shall return Supple Out of Babylon where they are captive And come with singing unto Sion i. e. And come back with a great deal of joy to Jerusalem Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads He resembleth joy to a crown therefore he saith that it shall be upon their heads q. d. They shall be crowned with everlasting joy See cap. 35.10 And sorrow and mourning Supple Which they now suffer by reason of their captivity 12. I even I am he that comforteth you This is spoken in the person of the Lord to Zion who fearing the great power of the Babylonians could not receive that comfort from the promises of God as she should do I even I c. q. d. I the Lord who am the true and Almighty God even I am he that comforteth you c. That comforteth you i. e. That comforteth you now by my promises of your redemption and will comfort you hereafter by performing what I promise Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall dye q. d. What a fearful woman art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of the Babylonians because they are many which yet are but men and shall dye This was that which made the Lords promise of the redemption of the Jews out of Babylon so hardly to be believed to wit the strength and abundance of men which the Babylonians had and therefore the Lord would take this Objection or stumbling block away Who art thou This in the Hebrew is of the Feminine gender and therefore is spoken to Zion whom he speaks to as to a woman or a mother by a Prosopopoeia as cap. 49.14 And of the son of man which shall be made as grass i. e. And of the son of man which shall be cut down and wither as the grass This is a repetition of the former sentence The son of man Every man livinâ— as he is man himself so is he the son of a man 13. And forgettest the Lord thy Maker i. e. And art not mindf ll of the power of the Lord which made thee who because he made thee will have mercy upon thee That hath stretched out the Heavens and layd the foundations of the Earth Supple And therefore is of exceeding great power power enough to turn the Babylonians to nothing Hath stretched out the Heavens i. e. Hath made the Heavens See Cap. 45. vers 12. And layd the foundations of the Earth See cap. 55.13 And hast feared continually every day Supple Lest thou and thy children should be destroyed by hard usage and by famine Because of the fury of the oppressor i. e. Because of the fury of the Babylonian which oppresseth thee and thy children As if he were ready to destroy i. e. As if he i. e. the Babylonian thy oppressor would instantly destroy thee and thy children by hard usage and by starving And where is the fury of the oppressor i. e. And what I pray you is become of the fury of the Oppressor This is to be pronounced with contempt to vilifie the power and fury of the Babylonian when Zion feared And he speaketh as if the Babylonians were already destroyed 14. The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed q. d. Behold notwithstanding all the fury of the Oppressor the captive Exile already hasteneth that he may be loosed The captive Exile i. e. The Jew which is captive in Babylon and liveth there as an Exile or banished man Hasteneth that he may be loosed i. e. Maketh haste already that he may be loosed supple out of prison that is out of the Land of his captivity from being a captive any longer He likeneth the Land of Babylon in which the Jews were captive to a prison and alludeth thereunto as cap. 42.7 He speaketh here as though the captived Jews were even then hastening to get out of their captivity But how did they hasten that they might be loosed Ans By sending Zorobbabel to Cyrus to entreat him to let them go free And this was after Cyrus had subdued Babylon so that the Lord might well say as he did Vers 13. And wheâ—e is the fury of the Oppressor And that he should not dye in the pit i. e. And that he
that time which was between the building of the Temple and the deliverance out of the Babylonish Captivity was the middle time which is the most flourishing time of life For from the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt which time was as I may so call it the time of Israels birth for while Israel was in Egypt he was but as it were an embrio in the womb but when the Lord brought him out of Egypt he made him a People and Commonwealth of himself I say from the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt to the building of the Temple by Solomon were 480 years from the building of the Temple by Solomon to the end of the Babylonish captivity were 452 years from the end of the Babylonish captivity to the Incarnation of Christ 525 years So that that shame which he calls the shame of her youth here I take to be the same with the reproach of her widowhood mentioned in the next sentence for our Prophet is frequent in such repetitions And it is called the shame of her youth because it happened to her in her youth And shall not remember the reproach of thy Widdow-hood This is a repetition of the former sentence And what he calls the shame of her youth there he calls the shame of her Widdow-hood here Because this shame and reproach befell her when God had put her away from him from being his wife Cap. 50.1 which was all the time of the Babylonish captivity 5. For thy maker is thy Husband And therefore will doe the office of an Husband to thee in protecting thee and delivering thee and in givâ—ng thee children by which thy shame and â—eproach shall be taken away Ob. If the Lord were Sions Husband how could Sion be a Widdow Ans The Lord had married Sion and afterwards put her away and then tooke her to wife againâ—â— So that betweene the Lords putting her away and taking her againe Sion was a Widdow Ob. But a man when he had put away his wife and she became another mans could not take her for his wife again Deut. 24.4 Ans What man could not doe which was under the Law God might do which was above the Law Therefore thus we read Jer. 3.1 They say If a man put away his wife and she goe from him and become another mans shall he returne to her againe shall not that land be greatly polluted But thou hast played the Harlot yet return again to me saith the Lord. The Lord of Hosts is his name The Lord of Hosts is He And therefore he is able to subdue the Babylonians which cause thy feare and thy shame Thy Redeemer the Holy one of Israel i. e. And the holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer who as he is able so also is willing to Redeeme thee oâ—t of the hands of the Babylonians and to take away thy reproach because he is the Holy One That is because he is the God of Israel The God of the whole earth shall he be called To wit because he will make it manifest by his power which he will shew in your Redemption that he is Lord of all the earth and that he can doe therein whatsoever he pleaseth 6. For the Lord hath called thee i. e. For the Lord hath called thee Supple to his Bed or to be his wife againe These words relate to those words thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth and shalt not remember the â—eproach of thy Widdowhood any more vers 4. As a proofe thereof as the fifth verse was As a woman forsaken i. e. Who wa st or when thou wast as a woman forsaken of all her friends How Sion was forsaken See Lament 1.2 Note that this Particle As is not to be taken here as a note of Similitude but of Identity as it is often taken For Sion was not onely as a woman forsaken but a woman forsaken indeed And grieved in spirit i. e. And who wa st or when thou wast as a woman grieved in spirit and mourning because she was afflicted and had none to comfort her And a wife of youth i. e. Yea who wa st or when thou wast as a wife which had plaid the Harlot in her youth The Prophet may call her a wife of youth which is naught and played the Harlot in in her youth by the like Metonymie as he calleth the waters which drowned the world in the dayes of Noah the waters of Noah v. 4. A wife which is naught and playeth the Harlot in her youth proveth the most notorious strumpet of all For lust reigneth in her more than it doth in the aged and her affections are hotter and more unbrideled When thou wast refused i. e. When the Lord had refused thee and cast thee off from being his wife and therefore thou couldst not expect to be taken to be his wife againe That the Lord should call Sion when she was as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit speakes the great goodnesse and loving kindnesse of the Lord to her for such a woman seldome findeth friends But that he should call her again and make her his wife when she had played the Harlot in her youth and he had put her away for her whoredomes speakes yet his greater goodnesse and loving kindnesse And as to say that the Lord called her as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit And a woman of youth when she was refused speakes the loving kindnesse and goodnesse of the Lord to Sion So may it cheere Sion and make her more confident of the goodnesse and loving kindenesse of the Lord. For otherwise she had good cause to doubt whether the Lord would look upon her and call her to his bed when she was as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit And when she had played the Harlot in the dayes of her youth and had beene divorced for her whoredomes 7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee It was seventy yeares that the Lord forsook Sion Jer. 25.11 Yet this is but a small time and but as a very little moment in regard of that time in which he had or would have had mercy upon her if she had kept his Covenant v. 10. Have I forsaken thee Supple And given thee over to be afflicted by the Babylonians But in great mercy will I gather thee This is spoken in relation to the Jewes the children of Sion which as they were scattered here and there in many Countreyes in the time of their Captivity so did the Lord gather them together out of those Countreyes when he brought them back to Sion See Cap. 44.18 Note here that he speakes of the Jewes as of Sion her selfe And of Sion her selfe as of the Iewes when he saith I will gather thee And that because of the great relation and Iove which was between Sion and her children So Christ saith Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 when he persecuted onely those that believed in Christ because of the great affection and love which was
themselves to all the Ordinances of Moses as the Jewes themselves did which they would not have been suffered to doe if they had not observed so much as they did And from these Proselytes were they also which observed as much as they did called Proselytes of the Gate though they lived not among the Iewes but lived elsewhere because they were under the same condition such was Naaman the Syrian the Eunuch Cornelius c. The other kinde of Proselytes were such as were circumcised and tooke upon them the observation of the whole Law of Moses and these were called Proselites of the Covenant and were accounted almost for priviledges and observances as Jewes such were Vriah the Hittite Achior in the booke of Judith c. Note here againe that though in the first sense these Gentiles afore mentioned are here invited to joyne themselves to the Lord and worship him as Proselytes yet in the second and more sublime sense This is a Prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles to the Church of Christ where the Jews and Gentiles are made both one Ephes 2. vers 14. Come ye to the waters i. e. Come ye to that knowledge which will satisfie your desires as waters satisfie the thirst of him which is thirsty By waters he meaneth metaphorically the true knowledge of the true God in which knowledge there is that true content to be had which no other knowledge can afford and will satisfie a mans desire as waters will quench his thirst And he that hath no mony q. d. Yea let him come that is poor and hath no mony This he saith in opposition to those which desired to learn humane Arts and Sciences which he that desired to learn had need to have been rich because the Masters of those Arts and Sciences would not teach them without great rewards But they which would learn the knowledg of the Lord need not to have been rich the poor might learn it as well as the wealthy he that had no mony as well as he that had for the Lords servants taught the knowledge of the Lord freely Come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk c. The Prophet is not content to call the knowledge of God waters but he calls it also wine and milk because it did not onely satisfie the desire as waters satisfie and quench the thirst but it doth also feed the Soul as wine and milk do feed and nourish the body yea it is as the chiefest delicates to the Soul For by these two to wit wine and milk the Scripture doth not onely signifie food necessary for the sustenance of life but dainties and delicates too as Gen. 49.12 Without mony and without price This is said in opposition to those who gave great sums of mony to their Masters to learn humane Arts and Sciences q. d. Ye need not take care for mony or agree for a price for learning the knowledge of God as you use to take care for mony and agree for a price with your Masters of humane Arts and Sciences but this knowledge shall be taught you freely 2. Wherefore do ye spend your mony for that which is not bread q. d. Wherefore do you give so much mony to the Masters of the Arts to learn of them those Arts which bring no fruit or profit at all with them He persists still in his Metaphor whereby he likened the knowledge of God to meat and drink which nourish and refresh the body because this knowledge is the onely food of the Soul q. d. Wherefore do ye spend mony for that which is not so much as bread which is the necessary sustenance of mans life much less is it wine or milk which are the dainties and delicates thereof Which satisfieth not Supple Your hunger This is a repetition of those words Which is not bread Eat ye that which is good q. d. Eat ye not that which is not fit to nourish you but eat ye that which is good not onely to nourish you but to make you fat He persists still in his Metaphor and compares the knowledge of God to that which is good to nourish yea to fatten the body and humane science to that which is but bran or hulks and hath not any nourishment in it And let your Soul delight it self in fatness i. e. And delight your selves in that which will not onely feed you and nourish you but make you fat The Soul is put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche Fatness is put here for food which will fatten per Metonymiam Effecti 3. Encline your ears He alludes here to the manner of men which bow their heads toward him which speaketh when they desire to hear distinctly what he saith Come unto me He that cometh to the Servants and Prophets of the Lord cometh to the Lord. See Luk. 10.16 Hear i. e. Hear my words and keep them and obey them And your soul shall live i. e. And ye shall live q. d. And your lives shall be preserved yea ye shall live happily and plentifully He still alludeth to bread and wholesom food which preserve the life and keep men fat and in good liking which bran and hulks cannot do I will make an everlasting Covenant with you That is oftentimes called Everlasting which lasteth onely a long time as the Priesthood of Aaron was called everlasting although it was to last but during the Law and was to be abolished by the death of Christ Exod. 40.15 Even the sure mercies of David q. d. And I will even give you by that Covenant the sure mercies of David That these words I will give you are here to be understood we may learn from Acts 13.64 But what are those which are here called the mercies of David The mercies which are here called the mercies of David are those mercies and blessings which David so often speaks of in the Psalms and which are there promised in the Name of God to all which serve and fear him and lead a godly life whether they be Jews or Gentiles as Psa 34.15 and 37. v. 4 11. and 84.11 c. where the Promises being made in general terms to them which fear God and lead a godly life are made as well to the Gentile as to the Jew as we may gather from St. Pauls arguing from that general word Whosoever Rom. 10.11 But why are these called the mercies of David Ans Because they are so often repeated in the Book or Psalms of David and because they were made upon the particular occasion of Davids fear and trust in God and because David had had often experience of them But why are they called the sure mercies of David Ans Because they shall be certainly performed for God who hath promised them is faithful in his Word and will therefore perform them because he hath said it Note here that the Apostle Paul preaching of the Resurrection of Christ from the dead brings this as an argument to prove that God raised
Christ from the dead now no more to return to corruption to wit that the Lord said to the Gentiles here in Isaiah I will give you the sure mercies of David Acts 13.34 And a great question it is how Paul can prove the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and so as not to dye again from these words Ans These words I will give you the sure mercies of David as in the first sence they signifie those temporal and corporeal blessings with which God would reward all that served him and feared him in the time of the Law So in the second and sublime sence they signifie those spiritual and eternal blessings with which God would reward all them which served him in Jesus Christ in the time of the Gospel the former being a type of the latter Now Saint Paul draweth his Argument from these words as they are taken in the second and sublime not as they are taken in the first sence But how can he draw such an Argument from these words though he takes them in the second and sublime sence Ans For answer to this we must know that God sent his Son Jesus while he lived on Earth onely to the Jews as may appear Matt. 15.24 and again Mat. 10.5 And the Gospel was not so much as to be preached to the Gentiles till after Christs death as appeareth Joh. 12. v. 20 23 32. nay not till after his Resurrection Matt. 28.19 no not till after his Ascension for the Apostles were to tarry at Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high that is until they had received the Holy Ghost Luk. 24.49 and they could not receive the Holy Ghost till Christ had ascended up to his Father Joh. 16.3 7. Which things premised it is plain that the Resurrection of Christ may be irrefragably proved from those words of God to the believing Gentiles I will give you the sure mercies of David for the Gentiles could not receive those mercies nor had they any title to them before they believed and they could not believe except they had heard the Gospel and they could not hear without a Preacher and none could preach before he was sent Rom. 10.14 15. and none could be sent until Christ were risen from the dead and was ascended into Heaven But though Christs Resurrection from the dead may be proved from these words how can it be proved from these words that Christ should never dye again after he was risen Answ The temporal Salvation which was promised in the Old Testament was a type of the eternal Salvation which is promised in the New Testament And as in the first sence temporal salvation is one of the mercies which God saith he will here give to the Gentiles that would know his Name in the time of the Law Psal 34.17 19 20 c. So in the second sence eternal Salvation is one of the mercies which are here promised to the Gentiles which believe in the time of the Gospel Rom. 10.10 Now that Christ may bring a Believer to eternal Salvation and God brings none to Salvation but by Christ it is reqâ—isite that Christ himself should live for ever Heb. 7.25 4. Behold I have given him for a witness to the people i. e. Behold I have given him to be as a witness to the Nations to testifie to thâ—m that I am the onely true God and that therefore I alone am to be worshipped as God He speaks to those whom he called and spoke to in the first Verse and here he sheweth them to whom they should go for knowledge By â—im he meaneth the servant of the Lord mentioned cap. 52.13 that is Jeremy But as in the first sâ—nce Jeremy is here meant so Christ Jesus is here meant in the second and sublime sence Note that the Relative Him is put here without its Antecedent as the Prophet often putteth it A Leader and Commander to the people i. e. For a President to go before the people and to teach them by his practice and example that the God of Israel is the true God It is the part of a Leader and Commander to march before his Company hence he useth the Metaphor of a Leader and Commander for a President or Example 5. Behold thou shalt call Supple To the knowledge and worship of the Lord. The Lord maketh an Apostrophe here to Jeremy who was in this a Type of Christ A Nation He meaneth not a whole Nation but many of a Nation by a Synecdoche And Nations which knew not thee i. e. And many of many Nations which knew not thee Shall run unto thee Supple To be instructed in the knowledge and worship of the Lord by thee Because of the Lord thy God i. e. Because the Lord thy God is with thee And for the holy One of Israel This is a repetition of the foregoing words For he hath glorified thee i. e. For he hath endowed thee with many excellent gifts and made thee glorious in the sight of the Nations He speaks here to Jeremy as though he were then present when as he was not as yet born 6. Seek ye the Lord i. e. Seek ye the favor of the Lord and make your peace with him He speaks still to the Gentiles or Heathen which he spoke to vers 1. to wit to them which had not turned to the Lord. While he may be found i. e. While he is willing to shew favor to you lest if you neglect to seek his favor while he offers it he shut up his favor and loving kindness in displeasure for your neglect and obstinacy The speech here used is Metaphorical taken from a man which may be easily found while he is not far from us but cannot be found if he go into a far Country which we know not of Call ye upon him while he is neer This is a repetition of the former sentence 7. Let the wicked forsake his way i. e. Let those which are wicked among you cease to do wickedly A mans actions and conversation is often likened to a way which we walk in in Scripture And let him return unto the Lord i. e. And let him take a new course of life such as is well-pleasing to the Lord. This speech is Metaphorical too taken from a Traveller which hath been out of his right way and is to return into his right way again Pardon To wit His transgressions as his Idolatry and other sins which he committed in his Gentilism 8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts i. e. For my thoughts are not as your thoughts for when ye are offended ye think wholy upon revenge and cannot freely pardon him in your hearts which hath offended you But though I am offended yet can I heartily think upon pardon and how I may deal well with him that hath done ill to me Note that the note of similitude As is here left to be understood as it is often elsewhere Neither are my ways your ways i. e. Neither
are your doings and dealings with men as my doings are for I use to deal well with them which offend me but you use not so to do The note of similitude As is here again to be understood 9. So are my ways higher then your ways By ways are here meant deeds or actions by a Metaphor as vers 8. Though it be generally true that all the actions and deeds of God do as far exceed our deeds and actions as the Heaven doth exceed the Earth yea infinitely further yet understand this place particularly of the mercy and goodness and clemency of the Lord q. d. As the Heaven doth far exceed the Earth so doth my clemency and mercy and loving kindness to men far exceed yours 10. For as the rain i. e. And as the rain For for And. As the rain cometh down and the snow from Heaven i. e. As the rain and the snow come down out of the ayr Heaven is often put for the Ayr so the birds of the Ayr are called the fowle of Heaven Ier. 3.9 And returneth not thither Supple Without watering the Earth and making it fruitful for otherwise the rain and the snow are drawn up again by the Sun in vapors 11. So shall my Word that goeth out of my mouth i. e. So shall the Word which I speak become effectual and whatsoever I say shall come to passe It shall not returne unto me voyd i e It shall not be ineffectual as their words are which cannot perform what they say Note that the Prophet useth here a Metaphor taken from an Embassador which a King sends out upon some business but he cannot effect what his King gave him in command and therefore returneth re infecta But God saith that his Word shall not return so 12. For ye shall go out with joy q. d. Wherefore because I have often said it ye shall go out O ye my people the Iews with joy out of the Land of your captivity where ye have been kept in hard bondage For is put here for Wherefore and the Lord makes a sudden Apostrophe to the Iews upon occasion of what he said concerning his Word in Vers 10 11. and in consideration of those often promises which he had made to the Iews of their Redemption And he led forth with peace For the Lord will go before you as your Captain Cap. 52.12 The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing q.d. So great shall your joy be as that the very mountains and the hills shall sing for joy before you as ye go from Babylâ—n to Ierusalem to to see your joy The Prophet doth often give sense and reason to inanimate things after a Poetical manner 13. Instead of the Thorne shall come up the Kirr-tree and instead of the Bryar shall come up the Mirtle-tree q. d. For instead of those which have afflicted you there shall arise those which will profit you and entreat you with all kindnesse Note that the Causal Particle For is here to be understood and to be referred to those words Vers 12. For ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace The Thorn and the Bryar are prickly plants which will prick those which have to do with them by which are here meant in particulur Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon and his race which did afflict and oppress the Iews with hard bondage in the time of their captivity But the Fir is a tree which besides other commodities yeilds a covert from the tempest and a shadow from the scorching heat of the Sun and the Mirtle besides many other benefits yeilds a sweet Oyl which refresheth the senses and makes Wine which comforteth the stomack it yeildeth also pleasant and fragrant branches to trim up and adorn the house By the Fir therefore and the Mirtle is here meant Cyrus who subdued the Babylonians and so delivered the Iews out of their hands and sent them home into their own Country with many royal favors of which read Ezra 1. And it shall be to the Lord for a name i. e. And this which the Lord will do for you shall bring to the Lord great renown Or thus q. d. And this which the Lord will do for you shall be a thing so notable and so glorious as that God shall thereby purchase himself a new Name q. d. As God purchased himself a new Name when he delivered Isaac and was called therefore Iehovah-jireh Gen. 22.14 And as Generals and Emperors by their great atchievements get new names as Scipio got him the name of Africanus by his Victories in Africa c. So shall God get him a new name for his great redemption of and munificence to his people Which yet understand not so as though God had any new name thereupon but that he deserved a new name thereby For a name i. e. The cause of a name Take the word Name either properly or for renown For an everlasting signe i. e. And for an everlasting Trophy and monument of his goodnesse to his people That shall not be cut off i. e. That shall never be pulled down or abolished He alludeth to the custome of conquerours who set up lasting Trophies and monuments for their glory in token and remembrance of some memorable victory obtained or some great matter performed by them but their Trophies and monuments are abolished by time but this of the Lord shall not be cut off ISAIAH CHAP. LVI KEepe ye judgement and doe justice i. e. Keep my Law and doe that which is your bounden duty therein O ye Jewes which are captive in Babylon Iudgement and Iustice are taken here for that duty which we owe to God in keeping his commandements and therefore is it called judgement and justice because God may justly exact it of us and we wrong God if we doe it not For my salvation is neer to come i. e. For my saving power wherewith I will save you from your enemies and deliver you out of the Babylonish captivity is at hand to save you Concerning the notion of this word Salvation as I have given it See Cap. 51. Vers 5 6. And my righteousnesse i. e. And my faithfulnesse whereby I have promised to save you see Cap. 51. vers 6 7. concerning the notion of this word also To be revealed i. e. To come so that it may be seen of all men see cap. 40.5 2. Blessed is the man that doth this This relative this relateth to that To wit that that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it And keepeth his hand from doing any evil and blessed is such a man for he shall be redeemed out of captivity and brought home with joy to Sion That keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it q. d. That is That keepeth holy the Sabbath day and doth nothing therein whereby to profane it By keeping the Sabbath from polluting it understand by a Synecdoche all other precepts also of the first Table and the whole duty of man to God And keepeth his hand
bread to the hungry i. e. To feed the hungry according to their necessities And that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house i. e. And that thou shew hospitality and receive them into thy house and there entertain them which have no house to dwell in That are cast out i. e. That are without an house as those are which are cast out of house and home for rebellion Thou cover him i. e. Thou clothe him And that thou hide not thy self i. e. And that thou be not unkinde and unmerciful to thine own kinsman when he hath need of thee This speech That thou hide not thy self alludeth to the fashion of those men who when they would not own a man or take notice of him in his misery to relieve him slip out of the way and hide themselves from him and will not so much as be seen by him From thine own flesh i. e. From thine own kinsman which is a son of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob as well as thou and is therefore of the same flesh and blood as thou art of He saith Thine own flesh that it may be an argument to stir them up to pity 8. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning q. d. When thou fastest after this manner and dost the things which I spoke of vers 6 7. then shall thy prosperity arise after thine adversity as the light of the morning ariseth after the dark of the night But a man may ask here how the Jews being in so poor a condition all of them in their captivity could do such works as the Lord here requireth for such works require riches to do them Ans It is not to be doubted but that the Jews were in a condition good enough to shew such works of mercy as are here named in some good measure For many of them were in such a condition as that they were contented to stay in Babylon when they might have returned into Judea Again Suppose that the Jews while they were in captivity were all of them in a mean condition and not able to do these works of charity yet the Lord would accept of these works as done if there were in them but a minde ready to do them when they had opportunity and all things fitting for these works Again when the Lord saith If thou do these things then shall thy light break forth as the morning By these things may be meant not these things in special but these things in general So when Saint Paul had commanded Servants to be obedient to them that are their Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling c. he adds Ye Masters do the same things to them Eph. 6.9 where we cannot understand the same things of the same things in special but of the same things in general The like we read Rom. 2. vers 1. Thy light By light is meant prosperity which the Hebrews often call by a Metaphor light because as light is pleasant to the senses so is prosperity to the heart Thine health shall spring forth speedily By health he meaneth their deliverance out of captivity of which he speaks here as of a plant which springs out of the Earth Note that as our Prophet doth often liken adversity and oppression to a disease or to a wound so he doth the delivery from adversity and oppression to health Thy righteousness shall go before thee i. e. The Lord which is the Rewarder of thy righteousness shall go before thee See Cap. 52.12 Righteousness is put here for the Lord the Rewarder of their righteousness by a Metonymy The glory of the Lord shall be thy reerward i. e. The glorious Lord will be thy reerward See cap. 52.12 The glory of the Lord is put here per Metonymiam Adjuncti for the glorious Lord. 9. Then shalt thou call and the Lord will answer thee i. e. Then if thou callest upon God he will hear thee Thou shalt cry i. e. If thou cryest unto him saying Lord where art thou He shall say here I am i. e. He will answer thee and be ready to help thee If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke What is meant by the yoke see vers 6. where the bands burthens and yoke signifie all one and the same thing From the midst of thee i. e. From among you This is an Hebrew Idiotism The putting forth of the finger i. e. The mocking of the servants of the Lord for they were wont to mock them See cap. 57.4 Mockers do oftentimes put out their finger at him whom they mock in way of jeering and contempt therefore he puts the putting forth of the finger for the jeering and mocking which they used by a Metonymy And speaking vanity i. e. And speaking such things as are vain and profit not By speaking vanity may be meant jeering and jibing speeches yea there may be meant by that wrangling and jangling and the worst speeches that can be by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. If thou draw out thy Soul to the hungry If thou bring out thy food and thy victuals freely and cheerfully to him which is hungry By the Soul are here meant first pity and compassion which are passions of the Soul by a Metonymy Then there are meant the effects of that pity and compassion by the like Metonymy Or then we may be said to draw out our Souls that is our pity and compassion when we shew it in ample manner by the works and effects thereof as by giving food to the hungry and clothes to the naked c. If thou draw This is a Metaphor and the Metaphor is taken from drawing of waters which useth to be in abundance for waters are common and plentiful And satisfie the afflicted Soul i. e. And satisfie the man which is afflicted with hunger with food convenient The Soul is put here by a Synecdoche for the whole man and the afflicted Soul for the man which is pinched with hunger Then shall thy light rise in obscurity i. e. Then shall light rise to thee which art in darkness that is Then shall prosperity come to thee which art in adversity As by light is meant prosperity as I said vers 8. So by darkness and obscurity is meant adversity And thy darkness be as the noon-day i. e. And thy darkness shall be turned into exceeding great light such as is the light of the noon-day when the Sun is at the highest The meaning is That then he should enjoy exceeding great prosperity in stead of his adversity 11. And the Lord shall guide thee continually i. e. And the Lord shall be thy Guide from Babylon to Jerusalem all the way through yea the Lord shall be thy Guide at all times whithersoever thou goest I know not whether the Prophet may allude here to that place of Exodus or no Exod. 33.3 where the Lord saith I will not go up in the midst of thee where the Lord threatened the children of Israel
have not heard i. e. For no man since the beginning of the world hath ever heard or shall hear c. These words relate to that passage of the third verse viz. which we looked not for and shew that he might well say which wâ— looked not for for since the beginning of the world no man ever heard or saw what God had prepared and was ready to doe for them who wait for him Men have not heard Men have not heard nor shall hear These words contain not onely a praeterperfect Tense but the praesent and future also by a Syllepsis Nor perceived by the eare These are the same with the former words except you will say that by hearing is meant hearing from the reports of others perceiving by the eare is meant hearing immediately themselves Neither hath the eye seen i. e. Neither hath the eye of any one seen or shall see Supple before it commeth to passe Besides thee q. d. But onely thou O Lord who knowest what thou wilt doe and what thou hast prepared before it be done What he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him i. e. What thou O God hast prepared and art ready in thy good time to doe for them that wait for thee Note here the Enallage of the person for he speaketh of God in the Third person to whom he spoke just before and speaketh immediately after in the second For him i. e. For them A singular for a plurall number collective That waiteth for him i. e. Which depend upon thee or trust in thee and will not depart from thee but wait upon thee till thoâ— hast mercy upon them 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse i. e. Thou preventest him with thy blessings who rejoyceth to work righteousnesse Thou meetest him c. This is that which he saith Cap. 65.24 Before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will heare But the words are metaphoricall taken from a man meeting his friend before he comes to him An example whereof we have Luke 15.20 This sheweth that no man knoweth what God hath prepared for his untill it commeth to passe For God meetes those which are his and preventeth them with his blessings before they think of it That rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse i. e. Which rejoyceth to work Righteousnesse Here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two words to expresse one thing Those that remember thee in thy waies i. e. Even those which remember the Covenant which they have made with thee by walking in those waies which thou hast appointed for them to walk in That is by walking in thy commandements These are a repetition or amplification of these words That rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse That remember thee i. e. That remember thy Covenant or the Covenant which they have made with thee A metonymie in the word thee Bâ—hold thou art wroth q.d. But behold thou art wroth with us and shewest no kindnesse unto us though thou meetest us which rejoyce to work righteousnesse and remember thee in thy waies God shewed his wrath towards them by giving them over into the hands of the Babylonians and suffering them to remain so long in captivity as they did In those is continuance i. e. To those supple which rejoyce to work righteousnesse and which remember thee in thy waies There is continuance Supple of thy love and of their happy estate In for To. And we shall be saved q. d. And we supple which are now in the hands of our enemies shall be saved out of their hands Supple if we were such as they are That is if we did rejoyce and work righteousnesse and remember thee O Lord in thy waies as they doe This sentence is very concise and so are many more in this chapter But we are all as an unclean thing i. e. But we are not such as they are but we are all impure and defiled by reason of our iniquities As an unclean thing He alludeth to those things which the Ceremoniall law of Moses made unclean such was the cloath and the timber and the stones c. in which the Leprosie was found which things were either to be burned or cast away Levit. 13. v. 55 56 57. 14. v. 46 47. And all our righteousnesses i. e. And all our works or all our actions and doings Though all their works were sinnes yet he calls them their Righteousnesses by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because most of the Jewes accounted them themselves as well done and called them themselves Righteousnesses See the like manner of Phrase Cap. 47.12 Are as filthy rags i. e. As rags which are pulled off from mattrie soares or rags which are defiled with the menstruous bloud of a woman which the Law made unclean Or as some other rags which were fitter to be cast away or burned then to be kept or used And we all doe fade as a leafe Wherefore we do all fade away in the land of our captivity as a leafe which the winde hath blown from the Tree whereon it grew and flourished fadeth away and withereth And is put here for wherefore And our iniquities have like a wind taken us away i. e. For our iniquities have taken us away from our dwellings and habitations where we lived in prosperity and peace as a winde taketh the leafe away from the Tree whereon it flourished and have brought us into Babylon And for For. Their Iniquity is said to take them away because God suffered the Babylonians to take them away because of their iniquities 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy Name i. e. And yet there is none that calleth upon thee or prayeth unto thee in his miserable esâ—ate Note thâ— And is put here for yet and that this universall particle none is not to be universally taken here for none absolutely but for few q. d. There are but few that call upon thee Thy Name That is thee See Cap. 63.16 That stirreth up himselfe to take hold on thee q. d. There be but few that endeavour to stop thy judgements by begging pardon at thy hands This phrase is Allegoricall and alludeth to a man who is strucken down and yet he that struck him down still smites him and strikes him yet he that is strucken down lieth still along and suffereth him that struck him down to strike him still and raiseth not up himselfe to lay hold on his arm that he may strike him no more See Cap. 27.5 For thou hast hid thy face from us i. e. Though thou art angry with us See Cap. 8.17 Cap. 54.8 For is put here for though But now O Lord Supple We call upon thee we beseech thee therefore to heare us Thou art our Father Supple Therefore as a father pittieth his children so doe thou pitty us and have mercy upon us We are the clay i. e. We are the vessels which thou hast made Clay is put here per metonymiam materiae for vessels made of Clay And thou
himself in the third person For an offering to the Lord When he calls them an offering to the Lord he speaks metaphorically for to speak properly they were no offering but therefore doth he call them an offering because as an offering is brought in honor of the Lord so would the Nations bring them to the Lord in honor of the Lord because they were once his people and he would now accept of them Out of all Nations When Salmaneser invaded the Land of Israel many of the men of that Land fled to all Nations abroad to save their lives where they lived and begat children which are they which are here said to be brought as an offering to the Lord. Vpon Horses and in Charets and in Litters and upon Mules and upon swift beasts By these is signified the accommodation with which the Nations should accommodate the men of Israel in their way to Judea Vpon swift beasts As Dromedaries To my holy mountain Jerusalem q. d. To my holy mountain that is To Jerusalem Note here again the Enallage of the person how God speaks of himself in the first person when he spoke in the third just before Gods holy mountain was mount Sion upon which the Temple which was destroyed by the Babylonians was built and on which the Temple which was to be built after the Babylonish captivity was to be built And therefore was it called the holy mountain because it was hallowed or set apart for that use This mountain was within Jerusalem and therefore was part of Jerusalem and is here put by a Synecdoche for all Jerusalem But he seemeth to make mention of the holy mountain and to say that they should bring them to the holy mountain because he likened them to an offering and offerings used to be brought to the holy mountain that is to the Temple which stood on that mountain Note that these men were brought not to the Land of Israel though they were men of Israel but to Jerusalem because the men of Israel never made a Common-wealth of themselves after the days of Salmaneser but all which returned into the Land of Canaan were incorporated into the Common-wealth of Judah And hence is this Allegory of their being brought as an offering to the holy mountain Jerusalem As the children of Israel bring an offering i. e. With as much joy and gladness and with as much respect to the Lord as the children of Israel bring an offering c. By the children of Israel may be meant here not the children of the ten Tribes only but the children of Judah also yea rather these then they An offering He alludeth to the meat-offering of which Lev. 2. In a clean vessel i. e. In a dish or platter which is not polluted with any legal uncleanness In the similitude here used the Horses and Charets and Litters and Mules and swift beasts on which the men of Israel were brought answereth to the clean vessel here mentioned in which the children of Israel brought their offering Into the House of the Lord i. e. Into the Temple which is the House of God 21. And I will also take of them for Priests and for Levites saith the Lord q.d. And I will not onely cause them to wit your brethren to be brought as an offering to me the Lord to Jerusalem but I will also take of them for Priests and Levites saith the Lord. Or thus q. d. And I will not onely take of you O ye Jews but I will also take of them to wit your brethren which shall be brought as an offering to me for Priests and for Levites saith the Lord. Note that as the word Priests so is the word Levites here a word denoting not the tribe but the office of the Levites who were by their office to minister in the things appertaining to the Temple or Tabernacle under the Priests Numb 3. And of these their brethren or men of Israel the Lord saith he would take Priests and Levites to signifie that the glory which he the Lord would give to Jerusalem and to the Jews should be so great as that the men of Israel who had rejected the Lord should be moved thereby to return to the Lord and serve him so as that the Lord should delight in them again though he had rejected them for rejecting him It may be asked what they were whom the Lord would take out of these men of Israel which were to be brought as an offering to him for Priests and Levites Ans He would take for Priests such as were of the linage of Aaron and for Levites those other that were of the Tribe of Levi. But what new love and kindness was this for God to take these for Priests and Levites at this time when God had appointed these and onely these to be the one Priests the other Levites for ever before he brought them first into the Land of Canaan For to take of the men here mentioned for Priests and Levites intimateth that they were not Priests and Levites before whom he would take now Ans True it is That God chose Aaron and his sons for Priests and the rest of the Tribe of Levi to minister to him under them in the Tabernacle and Temple before he brought the Israelites into the Land of Canaan But as for those Priests and Levites which dwelt among the ten Tribes they were exceeding wicked as the ten Tribes were And therefore when the Lord would have no mercy upon the house of Israel but utterly take them away Hos 1.6 and said unto them Ye are not my people and I will not be your God Hos 1.9 As he rejected the whole people from being his people so he rejected those of the Tribe of Levi which dwelt among them from being Priests and Levites to him Yea he expresly said to the sons of Aaron which dwelt among them Because ye have rejected knowledge I will also reject you that ye shall be no Priests to me Hos 4.6 And what he said to them we must understand of the Levites also that they should not minister any more to him Now if God when he had thus rejected all the sons of Aaron which dwelt among the ten Tribes from being Priests and the rest of the sons of Levi from being Levites unto him did afterwards accept of some of them for Priests and Levites to himself it was a new love and a new kindness in the Lord towards them 22. For as the new Heavens and the new Earth which I will make shall remain before me saith the Lord so shall your seed and your name remain By the new Heavens he meaneth the Heavens which he would renew in respect of their qualities of which see cap. 65.17 which though they were dark and cloudy now he would make clear and resplendent in his due time And by the new Earth he meaneth the Earth which he would renew in respect of her qualities of which see also cap. 65.17 For he would make