AN EXPOSITION OF THE Book of the Prophet ISAIAH By the endeavours of W. DAY M. A. late Fellow of King's Colledge in CAMBRIDGE AND NOW An Unworthy Servant of God in the Gospel at MAPLEDURHAM in the County of OXON Totum quod legimus in Divinis libris nitet quidem fulget etiam in Cortice S. HIERONYMUS Epist 13. ad PAULINUM LONDON Printed by G. D. and S. G. for Ioshua Kirton and are to be sold at his Shop in St. Pauls Church-yard at the Sign of the Kings Armes 1654. THE PREFACE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THOU hast here Christian Reader An Exposition of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah The Endeavours of one who is conscious to himself of his own weaknesse upon him who as He is the most Eloquent so is He the most Evangelicall of all the Prophets But what He did He did for his own use and the use of his own Children if it should please God to bring them to the yeares of discretion without any thought of publishing it to the world But being perswaded thereunto by friends He hath now made it publique And if it may prove any way beneficiall to thee or profitable to any one whosoever he be which desireth the knowledge of the Scriptures it shall not repent him I called our Prophet as the most Eloquent So the most Evangelicall of all the Prophets For Our Prophet hath many excellent Prophesies of Christ and of those things which are contained in the Gospel And our Saviour and his Apostles have more Quotations concerning the Gospel and contents thereof out of our Prophet the Prophet Isaiah than they have out of any one nay I may say out of all the other fifteen Prophets besides Yet know that the Gospel and the contents thereof was a Mysterie and was hidden untill these latter dayes in which God spoke unto us by his Sonne Hence the Apostle calls the Gospel The wisdome of God in a Mystery even the hidden wisdome 1 Cor. 2.7 Hence he calls it also The Mystery of his will Eph. 1.9 And the Mystery of the Gospel Eph. 6.19 And the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Colos 2.2 And a Mystery which was kept secret since the world began Rom. 16.25 And a Mystery which had been hid from Ages and Generations but now made manifest to the Saints Col. 1.26 I know that many understand this last place not of the whole Gospel but of part onely of it namely of the calling of the Gentiles But surely if the calling of the Gentiles was a Mystery which had been hid from Ages and Generations what part of the Gospel was not hidden For to goe no farther than our own Prophet what Prophesie was more frequent what more plain if any part of the Prophesies concerning the Gospel was plain than that of the calling of the Gentiles It shall come to passe in the last dayes that the Mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountaines and shall be exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow unto it and many People shall goe and say Come yee and let us goe up to the Mountain of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and He will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths For out of Zion shall goe forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Hierusalem and He shall judge among the Nations Isaiah Cap. 2. vers 2 3 4. In that day there shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an Ensigne of the People To it shall the Gentiles seek and His rest shall be glorious Isaiah Cap. 11. vers 10. In that day shall five Cities in the Land of Aegypt speak the Language of Canaan and swear to the Lord of Hosts One shall be called the City of Destruction In that day shall there be an Altar to the Lord in the Land of Aegypt and a Pillar in the border thereof to the Lord And it shall be for a signe and for a witnesse unto the Lord of Hosts in the Land of Aegypt And the Lord shall be known to Aegypt and the Aegyptians shall know the Lord Isaiah Cap. 19. vers 18 19 20. It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my Servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles that Thou mayst be my salvation to the ends of the earth Isaiah Cap. 49. vers 6. The Isles shall wait upon me and on my Name shall they trust Isaiah Cap. 51. vers 5. Behold my Servant shall sprinkle many Nations the Kings shall shut their mouthes at Him For that which had not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider Isaiah Cap. 52. vers 15. I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Isaiah Cap. 55. vers 8. The abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto Thee the Forces of the Gentiles shall come unto Thee c. Isaiah Cap. 60. vers 5. c. I am sought of them that asked not for me I am found of them that sought Me not I said behold me behold me unto a Nation that was not called by my Name Isaiah Cap. 65. vers 1. It shall come to passe that from one new Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord Isaiah Cap. 60. vers 21. All these are Prophesies concerning the calling of the Gentiles and I know no Prophesies concerning the Gospel more plentifull and more plain than these are If therefore notwithstanding these and many the like Prophesies concerning the calling of the Gentiles the calling of the Gentiles was a Mystery hidden from Ages and Generations then certainly other parts of the Gospel were hidden too especially if we speak of the distinct knowledge thereof Object But you will say the Chaldee Paraphrast and many Jewish Doctors had knowledge of the Messiah before the dayes of the Gospel and understood many places of the Scriptures of the old Testament of the Messiah so that they very well knew the Gospel for what is the Gospel but the History of the Messiah that is the History of Christ and the benefits by him received Answ The Chaldee Paraphrast and other Jewish Doctors believed that the Messiah was to come having received it some way or other and having more than ordinary conceits of him understood many eminent places of the old Testament of the Messiah But yet they were farre from the knowledge of the Gospel For they understood little more of the Messiah than his name for they were altogether ignorant of his divine Nature and his Offices And though they thought that he should be a King yet they thought that he should be but a Temporall King so that they knew not the true Benefits and true Redemption and Salvation which is wrought by Christ
of bringing his hopes to passe He shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks and take away and cut down the branches By this He is meant Allegorically Esarhaddon the Sonne or the Lieutenant of Sennacherib King of Assyria who made head against Tirakah King of Aethiopia when he invaded Assyria whom he here compareth to a Gardner And a Relative is put here without an Antecedent By the Sprigs are meant the mean men and Common Souldiers of Tirakah's Army By the Branches the great men and Commanders and Officers thereof 6. They shall be left together i. e. And they both sprigs and branches shall be left all of them c. Together i. e. All of them as Chap. 1. v. 28. They shall be left together unto the foules of the Mountaines and to the Beast of the earth For what end they shall be left to them the next wordes signifie And the fowles shall summer upon them Birds use to feed upon the sprigs and branches of trees that therefore which he saith here is this that the Birds shall find meat for themselves upon the sprigs and branches of this Vine when they shall be cut down all the summer following And all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them Beasts use to browse upon the sprigs and branches of trees especially in Winter when grasse is short That therefore which he saith here is this that the beasts of Assyria shall brouse and feed upon the sprigs and branches of this Vine all the Winter And the meaning of these two Phrases is this that the Carkases of the Aethiopians shall be meat for the foules of the Mountaines and the beasts of the field a Summer and a Winter that is a whole year Where note that the Assyrians did cast out the Aethiopians which they had slaine and would not give them a buriall In that time i. e. Yet in that time He meaneth the time in which the aforesaid things should be done in Assyria that is in which the Army of Tirakah should be destroyed in Assyria in the absence of Sennacherib by the Assyrians Shall the present be brought unto the Lord of Hosts of a people scattered and peeled c. q. d. The Assyrians which are abroad with Sennacerib warring against Hierusalem shall be overthrown and part of their spoiles shall be brought by the men of Judah and Hierusalem as a Present to the Lord of Hosts He alludes here to the gift or present which was wont to be offered to the Lord out of the Spoiles and Prey which was taken in warre of which read Numb 31.28 and 2 Sam. 8.11 Of a people scattered and peeled That is of the Assyrians See v. 2. The Prophet here repeateth all those contumelious words which Tirakah King of Aethiopia used in the description of the Assyrians v. 2. approving them as true but yet such as might be better used by others than by the Aethiopians Therefore he repeates them with a kind of Sarcasme deriding thereby Tirakah and Aethiopia who first used them A Nation meted out These words are governed of those from a people terrible by Apposition Meted out i. e. Appointed by God himself to destruction Whose land the Rivers have spoiled See v. 2. To the place of the name of the Lord of Hosts i. e. To the Temple of God which is his place The name of the Lord is put here Periphrastically or Metonymically for the Lord himself Or To the place of the Name of the Lord of Host may signifie To the place which is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts which place is his Temple and is called the Temple of the Lord of Hosts The Mount Sion This is governed of the former words by Apposition Mount Sion was a Mount in Hierusalem upon which the Temple of God was built and may here be put for the Temple it self by a Metonymie ISAIAH CHAP. XIX THE Burden See Chap. 13.1 The Lord rideth upon a swift Cloud i e. The Lord will ride upon a swift Cloud as upon an Horse That is The Lord will come with spred into Egypt And the Idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence i. e. And the Idols of Egypt shall be moved with fear and trembling to see him come He speakes of Idols though they be but stocks and stones as of men by a Metaphor or Prosopopoeia And the heart of Egypt i. e. And the heart of the Egyptians Egypt is put by a Metonymie for the Egyptians the Inhabitants of Egypt The heart of Egypt shall melt See the meaning and reason of this Phrase Chap. 13. v. 7. In the middst of it i. e. In it or them A Periphrasis of the Hebrews 2. And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians i. e. I will set the Egyptians at variance and at fighting one with the other The prophet speakes here in the Person of God This Prophesie relates near unto the same times to which the former Prophesies did For Sethon the Priest of Vulcan King of Egypt was Contemporary with Sennacherib King of Assyria for Sennacherib waged warre against Sethon After the death of Sethon Egypt was divided under twelve Kings whereof Psammitichus was one which Psammitichus the other eleven expelled and banished into the Marshes of Egypt but he at length got a power of men and made warre against all the other eleven Kings and overcame them and slew them and so came to rule all Aegypt over which he ruled Lordly at first that he might be feared as many Conquerours use to do and that he might suppresse them which had a hand in his banishment though the latter part of his Raigne was with much Clemency And Kingdome against Kingdome He speakes this by Anticipation for as yet Egypt was in one Kingdome 3. And the spirit of Egypt shall faile i. e. And the judgement or counsell of the Egyptians shall faile By the Spirit is meant here sound judgement or counsell For the Hebrewes among many significations which they have of this word spirit any habit or quality of the mind they call by the name of Spirit By Aegypt is meant the Aegyptians by a Metonymie In the midst thereof See v. 1. And thây shall seek to Idols Supple For Counsell and direction in these their streights The Devils were wont to be in the Idols of the Heathen and give Answers to those that came to aske counsell of the Idols Hence Saint Paul speaking of Sacrificing to Idols saith that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice to Idols they sacrifice to Devills 1 Cor. 10.20 And to the charmers and to them which have familiar spirits and to wizzards Happily by these he meaneth the Priests and Mystae of the Idols But see Chap. 8. verse 19. 4. And the Egypians will I give over into the hand of a cruell Lord. By this Lord is meant Psammitichus who when he was in subduing the eleven Kings and their Party Lorded it with cruelty though when he had quitted all he Raigned mildly
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 mântioneth 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 Isrâel 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 Hâbrews 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã so mây 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
Moon which may be called the Sun and the Moon as the picture of a man is called a man and as Idolaters call their Idols by the name of those which they represent These he saith shall be confounded and ashamed by a Metaphor because they could not save the Assyrians which worshipped them and relyed upon them for their good success Some again take the Sun and the Moon for the Sun and Moon indeed which he saith shall be confounded by the like Metaphor because they should not save the Assyrians which worshipped them as their gods See Notes vers 22. The Caldee takes the Sun and the Moon by a Metonymy for the Assyrians themselves which worshipped the Sun and the Moon And indeed those Assyrians which survived the slaughter made by the Angel 2 King 19.35 might well be said to be confounded and ashamed because they saw their great hopes and confident boasting which they made cap. 36.14 c. and 37.10 cut off by the slaughter of 185000 in one night Shall be confounded i. e. Shall be ashamed When the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem i. e. When the Lord of hosts shall shew that he is the King of Sion and Jerusalem and that he protects it which is the duty of a King by destroying the vast Army of the Assyrians which did besiege it And before his ancients And aboundeth or it is put for And that q. d. And that before the Ancients of his people which are in Jerusalem who shall glorifie his Name and praise him for it Gloriously i. e. After a glorious manner or after such a manner as shall bring him glory and renown ISAIAH CHAP. XXV O Lord thou art my God c. In this Chapter and the Chapter following are contained the praises of God to be sung as it were when those things shall come to pass which the Prophet prophecyed of in the former Chapter I will praise thy Name i. e. I will praise thee This Psalm or Song is penned and to be sung in the person of a man of Judah or Jerusalem For thou hast done wonderful things What wonderful things the Lord had done of old see Psal 105 106 107. But the wonderful things which he had done of late which moved the men of Judah and Jerusalem to praise and exalt him were the destruction of Samaria of which vers 2. and the miraculous preservation and deliverance of his poor people which were besieged in Jerusalem of which Vers 4 c. Thy counsels of old i. e. That which thou hast determined and foretold by thy Prophets of old Of old i. e. From the beginning of the World hitherto Are faithfulness and truth i. e. Are faithful and true He puts faithfulness and truth for faithful and true Abstracts for Concretes per Metonymiam Adjuncti Therefore are Gods counsels called faithful and true because they were performed according as he decreed and foretold 2. For thou hast made of a City an heap Supple Of rubbish q. d. For as thou didst determine and as thou didst foretell by thy Prophets thou hast overthrown and ruined the City of Samaria The Prophet proves here by an instance that the counsels of God are faithfulness and truth and that he hath done wonderful things and gives a reason also why the men of Judah should praise him Of a City By this City he meaneth Samaria the chief City and Metropolis of the Kingdom of Israel Of a defenced City a ruine This is a repetition of the former sentence He calls Samaria a defenced City because it was well fortified so well fortified as that Salmaneser was three years before he could take it 2 King 17.5 A ruine i. e. A ruinous heap of rubbish and stones He saith a ruine for a ruinous heap per Metonymiam Efficientis A palace of strangers By these words he means Samaria as he did before Samaria was the royal City of the Kings of Israel and is called here A palace of strangers because of the strange gods which were worshipped and had Temples there such as Baal was who had an Altar and a House there and was there worshipped 1 King 16.32 Of strangers i. e. Of strange gods It shall never be built Note that this word Never doth not always exclude all time to come but sometimes a good while onely so that the sence of this place may be It shall not be built or brought to its former splendor for a long time again 3. Therefore shall the strong people glorifie thee By the strong people understand those people which wtre Enemies to the Jews and were mighty in strength to oppress them these people are said to glorifie God because they were afraid of him and did fear him because of his great power which they could not but acknowledge when they saw that he had overthrown Samaria and destroyed the Kingdom of Israel as he had determined and as he had threatened by his Prophets These men therefore glorified God though against their wills The City of the terrible Nations shall fear thee He puts City for Cities A sângular for a plurall number And by the Cities of the terrible Nations Hâ meanâth the Cities of those Nations which dwelt nigh unto Judah and which were a terrour to the Jewes because of their great power and implacable malice These Cities hearing of the destruâtion of Samaria which God destroyed for the Jewes sake cap. 17.14 might justly fear least that as God had destroyed Samaria for their enmities to the Jewes so he might destroy them also 4. For thou hast bin a strength to the poâr i. e. For thou hast strengthened the poor and delivered him when he was distressed by his enemy the Assyrian as thou hadst decreed and foretold Note that this particle for relates not to the third but to the first verse and here is contained another reason why a man of Judah should exalt and praise the Lord and another instance to prove that the Lord doth wonderfull things and that his Counsels are faithfulness and truth A strength i. e. He puts a strength per metonymiam effecti for the giver of strength To the poor i. e. To the Jew when he was in a poor despicable condition He considereth the Jew in the condition he was in when Senacheribs Armies had destroyed all the Land of Judah but onely Hierusalem and had brought Hierusalem to great streights A strength to the needy This is a repetition of the former words In his distress He speaks of the distress which the Jews were in when Senacheribs Army had wasted Judah and besieged Hierusalem A refuge from the storm i. e. A place to fly to from the storm This speech is metaphoricall and signifies that the Lord did defend the Jews from the fury of the Assyrians as a refuge or covert doth defend a man from the storm A refuge from the heat This is metaphoricall and the same for sence with the former sentences He compares the Assyrians here
up q. d. Some plague or other shall consume them and eat them up as the moth eateth up an old garment By the moth is meant some such plague or other as the Lord useth to send upon obstinate and rebellious sinners to consume them by a Metaphor taken from a moth which eateth woollen garments 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord This Sermon begun as I said at the fifth verse and from that place hitherto the Prophet hath spoken of his own commendation partly by asserting the truth thereof partly by answering Objections made against it and this he did not out of vain-glory but to vindicate himself and his authority from contempt that his Ministry might be the more fruitful Here he having vindicated himself and his authority from contempt begins his message and first he addresseth himself to those which were obedient to Gods Word saying Who is among you which feareth the Lord That feareth the Lord i. e. Which feareth to offend the Lord. The fear of the Lord is put Synecdochicè for all manner of worship and honor due to the Lord. That obeyeth the voyce of his servant i. e. That obeyeth the Word of the Lord which he speaketh to him by his servant Of his servant By the Lords servant here may be meant Isaiah himself whom God sent with this message to his people That walketh in darkness q. d. Though he doth live in misery and affliction and sorrow Darkness is put often in the Scripture for misery and affliction and sorrow The Prophet speaketh to these Jews as if they were even now in misery and affliction by their captivity in Babylon And hath no light i. e. And hath no joy or comfort at all or hope of comfort that he can see As darkness is often put for misery and affliction and sorrow so light is put for prosperity and comfort and joy Let him trust in the Name of the Lord q. d. Let him trust in the Lord and he will deliver him and send him prosperity and joy In the Name of the Lord i. e. In the Lord. And stay upon his God i. e. And rely upon his God for deliverance for he will deliver him A Metaphor from a man leaning or staying himself upon a staff 11. But behold all ye that kindle a fire q. d. But behold all ye that sin against God He makes an Apostrophe here to the sinners and disobedient Sin is compared here to a fire and well it may be because as fire consumeth the wood in which it is so doth sin destroy the wicked man See cap. 9.18 That compass your selves about with sparks This is the same with the former sentence For sin is like sparks of fire which compass tow or some such combustible matter For as such sparks do quickly set the tow on fire and consume it so doth sin speedily consume the sinner whom it doth beset Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled q. d. Go on and sport your selves in the pleasure of your sins This is an Ironical concession like that of the Preacher Eccles 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thine heart chear thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes But know thou c. As he resembleth sin to fire so he resembleth the pleasure of sin to the light of the fire because all light is pleasant and cheareth the spirits and to the sparks of the fire because children use to make their pastime and sport with the sparks of fire This shall ye have of mine hand i. e. But this shall ye have of me q. d. But take this from me or thus much I will tell you Of mine hand i. e. Of me A part put for the whole man by a Synecdoche Ye shall lie down in sorrow i. e. Ye shall dye in your sorrowful condition that is in the captivity under which ye groan for ye shall never be delivered out of it Ye shall lie down i. e. Ye shall dye See cap. 43.17 ISAIAH CHAP. LI. HArken to me ye that follow righteousness This is to be continued with the last part of the foregoing chapter as part of the Sermon there begun He turneth his speech again to the obedient and those which fear God to whom he addressed himself at the first Cap. 50.10 Look unto the Rock whence ye are hewn This is a proverbial kinde of speech the meaning whereof is explained in the second verse By the Rock therefore is meant Abraham and Sarah the Father and Mother of the Jews not Abraham alone for he is but a partial cause of children but Abraham and Sarah together For in procreation of children the man is not without the woman nor the woman without the man By those which are hewn out of the Rock are meant the Jews which were the children of Abraham and Sarah and which are here resembled to the stones which men hew out of a Rock And to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged i. e. And to the pit or quarry from whence ye are digged This is a repetition of the former sentence The hole of the pit The hole of the pit is put periphrastically for the pit or quarry it self which is an hole 2. Look unto Abraham your father and Sarah which bare you This is an explanation of those words which went immediately before For I called him alone i. e. For I called him out of Vr of the Caldees when he had no children Gen. 12.1 The Prophet speaks here in the person of the Lord. Him i. e. Abraham your father Alone i. e. When he was without children And blessed him He blessed him with abundance of wealth And encreased him He encreased him by giving him a seed as the Stars of Heaven for multitude When God called Abraham out of Vr of the Caldees Sarah went along with him Gen. 12.5 And when he blessed him and encreased him he blessed and encreased Sarah also But yet Sarah is not mentioned here in any of these particulars because God appeared onely to Abraham Gen. 12.1 and blessed him and encreased him principally and Sarah onely for his sake 3. For the Lord shall comfort Sion q. d. Look I say unto the Rock from whence you are hewn c. Look unto Abraham your father c. For as the Lord called Abraham alone and blessed him and encreased him So will he call Sion though she is now alone as cap. 54.6 and 49.21 and will bless her with abundance of wealth and will encrease her by giving her many children as cap. 49.20 By Sion is meant Jerusalem of which he speaks as of a woman by a Prosopopoeia Hence you may see to what end the Prophet did bid the righteous to look to the Rock from whence they were hewn c. and to look to Abraham their father c. v. 1 2. It was that they might by what he saith of
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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 wheâe is the fury of the Oppressor And that he should not dye in the pit i. e. And that he
should not dye in the dungeon as many of his Brethren have dyed through such hardness as he hath there suffered heretofore and which you are now afraid of By the pit is meant that part of the prison which is called the Dungeon which is as a pit under ground But by this also he meaneth Babylon or the Land of the Jews captivity by a Metaphor Nor that his bread should fail i. e. And that he might not be starved in captivity for want of bread as many of his brethren have been and which you now fear Supple And he shall prevail 15. But I am the Lord thy God that divided the Sea c. The Lord prevents an Objection here which Sion might make For Sion might say But for all this I have cause to be afraid and to fear continually every day for the Babylonians are men which are maliciously bent against me and their fury is such as that it cannot be withstood To which the Lord here answers saying I 'l grant that the Babylonians are men maliciously bent against thee but yet I am the Lord who am more mighty then all the men of the Earth thy God who will have a care of thee and protect thee whose friendship is more to be esteemed of then their enmity to be feared who divided the sea whose waves roared and therefore am able to chastise them be their fury never so great and tumultuous against thee The Lord of Hosts is my Name therefore can I give victory to whom I please and trample under feet whom I will That divided the sea whose waves roared He alludes to the division which he made in the red Sea for his people Israel to pass through which he divided notwithstanding the roaring of the waves Exod. 14. v. 16 21. The Lord of Hosts is his Name i. e. The Lord of Hosts is my Name He putteth here the third for the first person for the Lord speaketh here of himself This Name The Lord of Hosts intimateth a great deal of power and the Lord mentioneth it here to uphold Sion against the conceit which she had of the great power of the Babylonians her Enemies or Oppressors 16. And I have put my words in thy mouth c. And that it may be known that I have not onely power to redeem thee O Zion and thy children the Jews but will also to restore all prosperity and joy to you and where power and will meet together the effect must needs follow I have put my words in thy mouth O Isaiah The Lord maketh a sudden Apostrophe to Isaiah And have covered thee with the shadow of mine hand See cap. 49.2 That I may plant the Heavens and lay the foundations of the Earth q. d. That I may plant the Heavens and lay the foundations of the Earth Supple As I have determined to plant and lay them upon the Jews repentance i. e. That I may make new Haevens and a new Earth according to what I have decreed when the Jews have repented That these words are not literally to be understood but onely Metaphorically is plain and manifest and denyed by none Quest. But what is it which is meant by them Answ The meaning is as if he should say that I may put a new face on things and make the Heavens to give their light and the Earth to flourish and be verdant as when they were at first created that is That I may bring back all joy and gladness into the Land of Judah where there is now sorrow and grief c. For the understanding of which sence note that the Scripture saith of the Heavens in times of great calamity that they are darkened and that the Stars of Heaven give not their light neither doth the Sun and the Moon cause their their light to shine as cap. 50.30 cap. 13.10 And on the contrary in times of great prosperity it saith of the Heavens that they give their light and that the light of ths Moon is as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun is seven-fold as the light of seven days c. as cap. 30. v. 26. Therefore to make new Heavens is to make the Heavens to give their light as brightly and as clearly as when they were at first created and that signifieth to give or reduce great prosperity and great joy And as for the Earth during the time of the Babylonish captivity the Land of Judah was accounted as a Wilderness and as a Desart because of the barrenness and squalidity thereof vers 3. When therefore the Lord saith that he will lay the foundations of the Earth his meaning is that he will make the Earth to flourish and be as verdant as when it was at first created and that signifieth that he will take away that barrenness and squalidity under which the Land of Judah lay during the captivity and make it as Eden yea even as the Garden of the Lord as it was at the first Creation as is said vers 3. Where note that by the Heavens are particularly here meant the Heavens which were over the Land of Judah as cap. 5.30 And by the Earth is particularly meant the Land of Judah as cap. 24.17 c. and that by a Synecdoche By this therefore that the Lord saith That he will plant the Heavens and lay the foundations of the Earth is meant that he will make the Land of Judah a joyful and a fruitful Land But it may be here asked How it is to be understood that the Lord here saith that he put his words into Isaiabs mouth c. that he the Lord might plant the Heavens and lay the foundations of the Earth that is That he the Lord might give great prosperity and joy to the Land of Judah and make the Land of Judah a joyful and a fruitful Land Ans As the Lord took away all prosperity and joy out of the Land of Judah and made it a barren and a doleful Land because of the sins of the Jews which dwelt therein so he was determined to reduce all joy and prosperity into it and to make it a fruitful and a flourishing Land again if the Jews would repent them of their sins That therefore they might be induced to repent he put his words into Isaiahs mouth and covered him with the shadow of his hand that upon his words they might repent and upon their repentance he the Lord might bring back all joy and fruitfulness into the Land of Judah And thus is the Lord said to put his words into Isaiahs mouth that he the Lord might plant the Heavens and lay the foundations of the Earth That I may plant the Heavens Here is a Metaphor taken from a Gardiners planting Trees or Herbs And lay the foundations of the Earth Here is a Metaphor from a Builder And say unto Sion thou art my people This might the Lord say when he had brought back the Jews out of Babylon to Sion and clothed Sion with them as
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 givâng thee children by which thy shame and âeproach 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 againââ 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 oât 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 âeproach 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
Land an Island which is quite invironed with waters but that also that lyeth by the Seas or Rivers sides Yea they call every particular Nation an Island so that by Islands here may be meant all those Nations which were subject to the King of Babylon taking Island Per metonymiam continentis for Islanders or Inhabitants of Islands as I said This is also a Repetition of the former sentence 19. So shall they feare the name of the Lord from the West So shall all the people of the Western parts of the world feare the Lord when they shall see or heare how he hath recompenced the Babylonians for their cruelty to his people The name of the Lord is put here for the Lord himselfe Per metonymiam adjuncti And his glory from the rising of the Sun i. e. And all the people which live in the Easterne parts of the world shall likewise feare him His glory i. e. The glory of the Lord that is the glorious Lord. The glory of the Lord is put for the glorious Lord Per metonymiam adjuncti By these words So shall they feare the name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the rising of the Sun is meant that they shall feare the Lord all the world over Two parts of the world to wit the West and the East being put for the whole world by a Synecdoche When the enemy shall come in like a floud q.d. Cyrus shall come with the Medes and the Persians in upon the Babylonians like a Floud or overflowing River and when he shall so come c. Like a Floud He alludeth to the overflowing of the River of Euphrates whereon Babylon stood which overflowing did by its Inundations mightily annoy and endammage the Babylonians The spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him q.d. Then shall the Lord himselfe in his fury beare the Standard before Cyrus and the Medes and Persians against the Babylonians and fight for Cyrus and Medes and Persians against them By the spirit of the Lord is meant the Lord himselfe but as he was enraged with fury Per metonymiam adjuncti For note first that the Prophet speaketh here of God as of a man by an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Then note that the word spirit among other significations which it hath among the Hebrewes signifieth the motions and passions of the Soul as love anger or wrath or fury c. And here it signifieth anger or wrath or fury as it signified love Cap. 48.16 If you aske how this word spirit commeth to be taken for the motions or passions of the soul some answer Per metonymiam efficientis because the motions or passions of the soul arise from that soul which is a spirit and Per metonymiam subjecti because they are received in the foul as in their subject others answer that therefore the motions and passions of the minde are called a spirit because the word spirit intimateth that which hath motion and the motions or passions of the soul stirre the man in whom they are and move him to action Note that in the particle him a Singular number is put for a Plurall by an Enallage 20. And the Redeemer shall come to Sion And then the Redeemer to wit Cyrus shall bring redemption to Sion that is to Hierusalem Cyrus came not to Sion in person but she came even to Sion by his favours to her and by the effects of his victory over the Babylonians In Jacob i. e Among the Jewes which were the children of Jacob. 21. As for me i. e. For as for my part Vndârstand ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for here This is my covenant to them i. e. This is that which I promise to doe for them by the Covenant which I make with them To them i. e. To those which turne from transgression in Jacob. My spirit that is upon thee i. e. Those words which thou hast uttered by vertue of that spirit which is upon thee O Isaiah The Lord makes an Apostrophe here to Isaiah By the Spirit is here meant first the gift of Prophecy for such gifts of God are by the Hebrewes called the spirit of the Lord see Cap. 61.1 Then by the gift of Prophesie is meant the Prophecy or Speeches or Words of God proceeding from or uttered by vertue of that gift of Prophecy by a Metonymy And my words which I have put into thy mouth q. d. That is to say The words concerning that which I will do for them which turn from transgressions in Jacob which I have sent thee to speak and to make known This Conjunction And is a note of explication and signifieth as much as That is to say For note that these words My words which I have put into thy mouth are an explication of those My Spirit which is upon thee Shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed i. e. Shall never be forgotten but shall so be fulfilled as that thou and thy children and thy childrens children after thee shall always speak of them saying The Lord hath said thus and thus by his Servant Isaiah and he hath made good what he said for whatsoever he said by him he hath performed The meaning of this place is this as if the Lord should say This which I have said shall certainly come to pass for what I have said I will covenant to perform The words which Isaiah spoke are therefore said not to depart out of his mouth nor out of the mouth of his children or childrens children because he and his children and childrens children should always make mention of those words and talk of them and of the goodness of God in fulfilling them and that with praise and thanksgiving saying The Lord said by the mouth of his servant Isaiah that he would send a Redeemer to Sion and to them that turn from transgression in Jacob c. And what he said by the mouth of Isaiah he hath performed c. Blessed therefore be the Name of the Lord for ever Yet note that these words do not signifie that the words which the Lord had put into the mouth of Isaiah should never actually depart out of his mouth and out of the mouth of his seed but that the Lord would do such things as should deserve the perpetual remembrance of those words and that those words should never depart out of their mouths ISAIAH CHAP. LX. ARise c. i. e. Arise out of the dust or from the ground whereon thou hast sat mourning during the time of thy captivity See cap. 3.26 and 52.2 This the Prophet speaketh by his Prophetique spirit to Sion or to Jerusalem as though shee were in captivity and the time of her captivity were expired telling her that now she should be redeemed out of captivity and he speaks to Sion or Jerusalem which was a City as to a woman by a Prosopopoeia Shine Receive that light which is cast upon thee and shine by the
among the Gentiles i. e. And such shall be the prosperity of their children as that the Gentiles shall take notice of them for the pâosperity and happiness which they shall enjoy above other people That they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed q. d. Whereas the Lord blessed the seed of Abraham Gen. 26.4 all that see them shall know that they are the seed of Abraham whom the Lord blessed 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord i. e. I will greatly rejoyce because of the goodness of the Lord towards me This is spoken in the person of Zion by a Prosopopoeia for Zion hearing these great things which the Prophet speaketh of and believing them breaketh out into joy and gladness saying I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord. In the Lord i. e. Because of the goodness of the Lord towards me in my children In is put here for For or Because of and is a sign of the Object and the Lord is put here for the goodness of the Lord per Metonymiam efficientis He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation i. e. For he hath redeemed me out of the Babylonish captivity He compareth the Redemption or Salvation by which they were saved or delivered out of the Babylonish captivity to a garment therefore he calls it the garment of Salvation He puts a preterperfect tense for a future He hath covered me with the robes of righteousness This is a repetition of the former sentence for by righteousness he meaneth salvation of which more in the following Verse As a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments i. e. As a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments on the day of his marriage on which day he is at the finest 11. So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth Supple In me or for me This is spoken still in the person of Zion who takes that which is done to her children the Jews as done also to her self Righteousness By righteousness he meaneth salvation that salvation by which the Lord redeemed Zion and her children out of the hands of the cruel Babylonians and this salvation he calleth righteousness per Metonymiam efficientis because God gave it to the Jews which were righteous as a reward of their righteousness as also because God gave it to the Jews according to his promise so that it was an effect of Gods righteousness that is of his fidelity or faithfulness in keeping promise Praise By praise he meaneth also salvation and redemption even the salvation and redemption of Sion and her children and that per Metonymiam effectus because that Salvation and Redemption bring forth praise to God for they which are saved and redeemed will praise God for his Salvation and Redemption Before all Nations i. e. In the sight of all Nations ISAIAH CHAP. LXII FOr Zions sake I will not hold my peace i. e. For the love which I bare to Zion I will not hold my peace but call upon God day and night to save Zion out of the hands of the Babylonians The Prophet speaks this as though the Jews were even then in captivity and neer to be delivered and as though he himself did see them in distress bodily And what he saith he would do here certainly many of the godly men and the Prophets which lived in the time of the captivity did do For Jerusalems sake I will not rest This is a repetition of the former sentence I will not rest Supple From calling upon God to hasten the salvation of Zion Vntil the righteousness thereof i. e. Until the salvation thereof that is of Zion By righteousness is meant salvation See cap. 51.11 Go forth as brightness i. e. Go forth as a light which dispelleth the darkness As brightness i. e. As a light He putteth brightness for light that is for a body which giveth light and shineth clearly per Metonymiam adjuncti He compareth the salvation of the Jews to a bright shining body because as such a body giveth light so would this salvation bring joy and prosperity with it which the Scripture doth often resemble to light and call by the name of light And the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth This is a repetition of the former sentence For the Lamp that burneth shineth 2. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness i. e. For the Gentiles shall see the salvation which God shall work for thee And is put here for For and righteousness for salvation as Vers 1. Thy glory i. e. The glorious estate with which God will bless thee He calleth the glorious estate which God would give her her glory per Metonymiam adjuncti The Prophet useth an Apostrophe here to Zion whom he speaks to as to a woman Thou shalt be called by a new name What this new name is by which Zion should be called we shall read vers 4. Which the mouth of the Lord shall name i. e. Which the Lord shall give unto thee The mouth of the Lord is put here by a Synecdoche for the Lord himself The name which the Lord shall give her shall consist rather in reality then in words for Gods word are operative and turn to deeds 3. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord i. e. Thou shalt also be as a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord that is Thou shalt also be precious in the eyes of the Lord. The Note of similitude As is here left to be understood and a substantive of the Genitive case viz. of glory is put for the Adjective glorious A crown is a rich and precious ornament of a King therefore he saith she shall be as a crown of glory or as a glorious crown to shew the happy and glorious estate which she shall attain to and how precious she should be And he saith In the hand of the Lord to shew that the Lord should delight in her and have a continual eye upon her For it is a sign that we delight in and take pleasure in a thing when we love to have it in our eyes and to look upon it And a royal Diadem in the hand of our God i. e. And as a royal Diadem in the hand of our God This is a repetition of the former sentence A Diadem was an Ornament or Crowne which Kings used to weare upon their heades It was made commonly of purple silke and beset with pearles and jewells and pretious stones 4. Thou shalt no more be termed forsaken i. e. Thou shalt be no more forsaken Note that to be termed or to be called so or so signifieth with the Hebrewes to be so and so for by being so or so they may be called so or so Sion was forsaken when God who was her husband left her for her whoredomes and had no pleasure in her Neither shall thy Land be termed any more desolate By the Land of Sion is here meant the Land of Judah whereof Sion or Jerusalem was the head The
Rezin the King of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah King of Israel went up towards Jerusalem to war against it but could not prevail against it Which Thing was not done in order of time before that which followeth next in the Prophets Narration though the Prophet doth record it before ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Anthropopathia ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Anthropopathia is a Figure whereby we speak of God who is a pure Spirit as of a Man and attribute to him the Parts and affections or Passions of a Man As Isai cap. 1. verse 14. Your new Moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth And verse 15. When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you And verse 20. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And cap. 30.27 Behold the Name of the Lord commeth from far burning with his anger His lips are full of indignation And Psal 2.4 He that sitteth in heaven shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision Antithesis Antithesis is a Figure whereby contraries are opposed to contraries As Prov. 11. verse 1. A false Ballance is an abomination to the Lord but a just weight is his delight And Isai 3.24 It shall come to passe that in stead of sweet Smell there shall be a ââink and in stead of a Girdle a Rent And in stead of well set Hair Baldnesse c. Apodosis Apodosis is the applying of a Parable or similitude and the parts thereof to the purpose for which it was brought An example whereof you have Isaiah cap. 5.7 The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah his pleasant plant c. In which words the Prophet applyeth the Parable which he brought in the beginning of the Chapter to his present pârpose Aposiopesis Aposiopesis is a Figure by which a speech begun is broke off and the latter part thereof concealed and yet the part concealed may be understood This kind of speech proceedeth for the most part from anger An Example of this you may have Isai cap. 9. verse 9 10. And all the people shall know even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria that say in the pride and stoutness of heart The bricks are fallen down but we will build with hewen stones the Sicomors are cut down but we will change them into Cedars For this speech is pronounced with anger and is abrupt and broke off and hath its latter part concealed but we may understand what it is which is concealed to wit This that they shall be throughly plagued Apostrophe Apostrophe is a Figure whereby we do all on a sudden turn our speach from one person to another An Example hereof we have Isai cap. 9. verse 3. Thou hast multiplied the Nation and not encreased the joy They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest c. where the first speech is spoken to Senacherib King of Assyria The second is spoken to the Lord yea if we direct our speech to one though we spoke not before to another This is callâd an Apostrophe also though improperly Appositio Appositio is a Grammaticall Figure whereby two Substantives of the same case are joyned together and the latter depends in construction upon the former without the intervening of a conjunction An Example hereof we have Isai cap. 1.4 Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evill doers children that are corrupters Concessio ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Concessio I speak of that which Rhetoricians call Concessio Ironica is a Figure whereby we give leave to one to do what he hath a minde and intent to do but intimating that he shall get no good by his doings but bring upon himself a certain evill An Example hereof we have Isa cap. 8. verse 9 10. Associate your selves O ye people and ye shall be broken in pieces and give ear all ye of far countries gird your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces gird your selves and ye shall be broken to pieces take counsell together and it shall come to naught speak the word and it shall not stand A Concrete A Concrete is a Noun Adjective which signifieth a Quality or Accident inherent in a subject and connoteth or signifieth withall the subject in which it is inherent as Powerfull Good Excellent Ellipsis ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ellipsis is a Figure by which a speech is lâft defective fâr the Auditor or Reader to supply or make up An Example of this we have Isai cap. 7. vers 8 9. The head of Syria is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son The supplements whereof you shall finde on the Notes or Exposition of that place Emphasis Emphasis is a Grammaticall Figure by which some power which is hidden in a word is drawn out thereof as it were into open View An Example of this we have Isai cap. 10. vers 13. By the strength of my hand have I done it and by my wisdome for I am prudent And I have removed the bounds of the people and have robbed their treasures and I have put down the Inhabitants like a valiant man and my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people c. Where those Pronounces I and My cover and contain in Sennacheribs intent in whose person the words are spoken Power and Wisdom which will be showen and as it were drawn out of those words in to open view by a lively pronunciation thereof Enallage Enallage is Twofold of the Number and of the Person Enallage of the Number is when we change either the Singular into the Plural or Plural into the Singular Number while we speak of the same Thing or Things An Example hereof we have cap. 3 10. Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him For they shall eat the fruit of their doing where the word Righteous is of the Singular They of the Plurall number Yea when one number is any way put for another we say It is by an Enallage Enallage of the Person is when we change the First into the Second or Third of the Second into the First or Third or the Third into the First or Second Person while we speak of and mean the same Man An Example of this we have cap. 1. vers 29. They shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired Where They the Third and ye the Second Person is spoken of the same Mân ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is a Figure whereby one Thing is signified by two severall words Substantives As by A cloud and smoak is signified a smoakie cloud Isa cap. 4.5 And neither the Heat nor Sun is put for Neither the Heat of the Sun cap. 49.10 And Peace and Truth is put for True or stable Peace cap. 39.8
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 lâânness 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 attriâute 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 shââ 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 apâear 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
Oxe though he be a brute beast yet he knoweth his owner that is obeyeth him when he would have him serve in the Plow or in the cart or in treading out his corn And the Asse his Masters cribb q. d. And the Asse though he be a stupid creature yet he knoweth the Master of his Cribb that is is ready to serve him and to take his burthen upon him at any time Note that these words his Masters cribb are put here by an Hypallage for the Master of his Cribb that is his Master which feedeth him and findeth him with meat and provender in his Cribb Israel That is the Jews which were the children of Jacob who was also called Israel because of the power which He had with God Gen. 32. vers 28. The father to wit Israel is put here for the children to wit the Jewes per Metonymiam Efficientis Note that though this name Israel when it is put for the children of Israel since the daies of Rehoboam is most commonly put for the ten Tribes as when we say such or such a one was King of Israel Because the ten Tribes were the greatest part of the children of Israel in that division which was made under Rehoboam âet this name Israel is put here for the two Tribes to wit the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin which stuck close to the house of David in that division And the Prophet calls them here by the name of Israel the more to shame them that being descended from Holy Israel they did not imitate the works of their father Israel Doth not know Supple his Lord and Master that is do not obey Him Note that the word know is often taken as well practically as speculatively And signifieth as well action and obedience as speculation and meer knowledge And that per Metonymiam antecedentis because knowledge must goe before obedience for how can we obey him whose will we know not My people Supple the Jewes Doth not consider Supplâ who hath nourished and brought them up so as to serve and obey Him 4. Ah sinfull Nation This Particle Ah signifieth a detestation and indignation together with an admiration of a thing So that the Prophet doth in these words shew his detestation of and indignation towards the Jewes by reason of their sin admiring that they could thus sin against God who had so nourished them and brought them up A people laden with iniquity He compareth iniquity and sin to a weight as the Apostle also doth Hebr. 12.1 with which he saith this people is heavy laden intimating thereby the great number and heinousnesse of their sinnes These words are governed of the former by Apposition A seed of evill doers By Seed are meant children per Metonymiam materiae because children are born of the Seed of their Parents And it is used sometimes absolutely for men and sometimes relatively for Sons and Daughters in relation to their Fathers or Mothers Some take this word Seed here absolutely for men and those words of evill doers instead of an Epithete signifying as much as wicked or evill working for the Hebrews often put a Substantive of the Genitive case for an Adjective q. d. wicked and evill working men Others take this word Seed here relatively for children in relation to their Parents and those words of evill doers they understand of the Parents of these children q. d. Children of wicked Parents as though the Prophet intended to brand them not onely with their own sin but with the sins of their Parents and fore-Fathers also whom they did imitate Children that are corrupters Supple Of themselves by their own sins and of others by their evill company counsell and example They have forsaken the Lord They are said to forfake the Lord which depart from his ways and keep not his Commandements Psal 18.21 That is which forsake the service of the Lord. Note that here is an Enallage of the person for the Prophet passeth from the second to the third person though he speaketh of the same men a figure which he useth often They have provoked the Holy one of Israel to anger Supple by their sinnes q. d. they have made God to be angry with them by reason of their sinnes and in his anger to punish them The Holy one i e. God Note that Holinesse signifieth the separation of a thing from all things else by way of excellency And therefore God is called the Holy One because he is a Majesty of Peerelesse Power and Peerelesse Wisdome and Peerelesse Goodnesse and because he is Peerelesse in all other his Attributes being separated from all other things and above them all in a most eminent manner The Holy one of Israel i. e. The God of Israel When God is called either the God or the Holy one of Israel we may take Israel for Jacob the son of Isaac as he is taken Gen. 28. vers 21. And God may be said to be the God of Israel that is that God of Jacob because God promised to be with Jacob and to keep him and to be his God Gen. 28.15 And because Jacob again made choice of the Lord for his God Gen. 28.21 Or we may take Israel for the children of Israel as it is taken vers 3. And God may be said to be the God of the children of Israel because he redeemed them out of Egypt Exod. 20. ver 2. And took them to be a peculiar people and treasure to himself Deut. 14.2 And because God shewed them his statutes and his judgements and so dealt with them as that he did not do the like to any nation Ps 147. Vers 19.20 And because they promised to obey hâm and serve him and him onely Exod. 20 Vers 19. Deut. 5. Vers 27. Gal. 5. Vers 3. They are gone away backward i. e. They are gone back and cease to follow him That is they have forsaken him For these three last phrases signifie one and the same thing 5. Why should ye be stricken any more q. d. Why should I smite you any more or send any more plagues among you The end why God smiteth and plagueth his people is that they should amend their lives As a Father striketh or whippeth his Son that he should amend his faults Now because God had oftentimes smitten and plagued his people and they were never the better for it and it might be feared that they would be never the better for it if he should afflict and plague them againe Therefore he saith here Why should ye be stricken any more Yâ will revolt more and more q. d. if I should strike you i. e. if I should plague you or punish you you would not be any whit the better for it yea ye would grow worse and worse They are said to revolt from God who forsake his commandements and will not obey him That which the Prophet here speaks of was fulfilled in Ahaz for it is said of Ahaz that in his distresse he did yet trespasse more and more
wooll A Question may be here asked How sin can be said to be white as snow or wooll when as sin is so essentially evill as that it cannot be good Answ Sinne may be here taken for the sinner per Metonymiam adjuncti that is By putting the Quality for the person in which the Quality is inherent Now though sin can never be made white that is good yet the sinner may Or we may say that this is an Allegoricall or Proverbiall kind of Phrase And such kind of Phrases are many of them to be glanced upon onely with a quick eye not too exactly to be pried into 19. If ye be willing Supple To obey me and keep my Commandements And obedient i. e. And are actually obedient to me Ye shall eat the good of the land i. e. Ye shall eat the good and pleasant fruits of the Land wherein ye dwell The enemy shall not destroy them and take them away from you Nor shall the sword destroy you and take you away from them 20. But if ye refuse Supple To obey me and keep my Commandements And rebell i. e. And be indeed disobedient to me Note that the Prophet opposeth Refusing here in this Verse To be willing to obey in the former Verse And to rebell in this Verse to to be obedient in the former Verse Ye shall be devoured with the sword Supple of Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel He speakes of the sword here Metaphorically as of a ravenous beast For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it i. e. For the Lord hath spoken it and therefore it shall come to passe For the Lord cannot lye and what he saith he is able to make good The prophet speakes here of God as of a man per ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and puts the mouth which is but a part for the whole man by a Synechdoche And the mouth rather than any other part here because with the mouth we speak 21. How is the faithfull City become an Harlot How is Hierusalem which was once faithfull as a wife to her husband become now as an harlot committing adultery with her lovers The faithfullnesse here spoken of alludes to the faithfulnesse of a wife to her husband The Scriptures under the Metaphor of Adultery and Fornication do often signifie peculiarly the sin of Idolatry And under the Metaphor of an Whore or an Harlot an Idolater And so it may be here taken especially if we understand Also In the following words q. d. How is the faithfull City become an Harlot It was Also full of Judgement c. For the Prophet upbraids them with their Idolatry Vers 29. c. But as by the Metaphor of Fornication and Adultery the particular sinne of Idolatry is often understood So also may we by the same Metaphor understand disobedience and sinne against God in generall as may appear James 4.4 For the promise of obedience which the Jewes made to God either in their Forefathers as Exod. 20.19 Deut. 5.27 Or by themselves either in their Circumcision Galat. 5.3 or at any other time as 2 Chron. 15. Vers 12 15. and 2 Chron. 23.16 may be compared to the promise of a wife which she makes to to her husband at her marriage to be obedient to him and true to his bed And for this reason doth the Lord say to Sion that He is her husband Chap. 54. Vers 5. Wherefore as a Wife so long as she keepeth the promise which she made to her Husband is accounted Faithfull but if she breaketh that promise and falls in love with other men and followeth them becommeth a Whore or an Harlot So might Hierusalem be accounted Faithfull so long as she was obedient to God according to her promise But when contrary to promise she became disobedient to God and followed her own lusts she might be counted of as an Harlot and so be called by a Metaphor And thus not onely Idolatry but any other particular sinne may be called Adultery and not onely the Idolater but any other sinner be called an Adulterer And he which walketh uprightly according to his Covenant that is according to the Law of God which he promised to keep might be called Faithfull and among the rest He who executed judgement without respect of persons For which cause Sion also may be called Faithfull in this place How is the faithfull City c. This question speakes admiration and sorrow Note that this is the beginning of a new Prophesie Or a new Propheticall Sermon It was full of judgement By Judgement is meant Upright dealing in Courts of Justice and equall administration of Justice without partiality Righteousnesse lodgeth in it Righteousnesse signifieth the same as Judgement did And this is a repetition of the former sentence He speaketh of Righteousnesse as of a Person by a Prosopopocia Lodged in it i. e. Took sweet repose and rest in it To lodge in a place as it signifieth sweet repose and rest so it signifieth but a short abode and as it were but for a night But now Murderers i. e. But now unrighteous and unjust Judges who have put Righteousnesse out of her lodgings He calls Vnrighteous and unjust Judges which oppresse and wrong the poor in Judgement Murderers by an Hyperbole because they deprived the poor of their meanes which was their life and gave it away from them by their unrighteous sentence to them to whom it did not belong By reason of which many did perish not onely through griefe of mind but also through famine and hunger having no meanes left them to buy bread to sustaine nature 22. Thy silver is become drosse Under the Metaphor of silver understand Righteousnesse under the Metaphor of drosse understand Vnrighteousnesse q. d. The Righteousnesse in Judgement is turned into Vnrighteousnesse The Prophet useth an Apostrophe here to Hierusalem to whom he speaks as to a woman by a Prosopopoeia Thy Wine is mixt with water He speaks of wine so mixt with water as that it hath lost all its virtue by that mixture By Wine understand Justice By Water respect of persons or whatsoever is contrary to true Justice q.d. Thy Justice is mixed with respect of persons and is now so corrupted from that sincerity which once it had as that it is no more Justice 23. Thy Princes c. i. e. Thy Judges For Judges are Princes and Chief men in a Common-wealth per Metonymiam Generis Are Rebellious i. e. Are disobedient to the Commandements of the Lord who hath given this Commandement to Judges saying Ye shall not respect persons in Judgement But ye shall hear the small as well as the great Deut. 1.17 And Companions of Theeves They may be called Companions of other men which either did or suffered the like as other men did or suffered So saint John writing to the seven Churches in Asia called himself their Companion in Tribulation Rev. 1.9 Because he suffered like tribulation as they did though not with them or in their
come within a short time hereafter And so do they here signi e in the first and meanest sence That the last daies may signifie that which is to come within a short time hereafter may be proved per argumentum a contrario For if the beginning may signifie that which was done not long since then may the last daies signifie that which is to come to passe within a short time For as the last daies being absolutely put do signifie the end of daies or the last daies in order of time so doth the beginning being absolutely put signifie the beginning of time or that time before which there was no time as may appear Isaiah 40. Vers 21. But that the beginning may signifie that which was done not long since is evident Isai 48 Vers 3 5 and 7. In which last place we read thus They are created now and not from the beginning The meaning whereof is this they are made known now and not at any time heretofore Note therefore that the Hebrewes are often Hyperbolicall in their expressions of times But you may say if the meaning of these words in the last dayes be hereafter or ere long be why did not the Prophet say And it shall come to passe hereafter ere long be but say And it shall come to passe in the last daies Answ Because the Prophet was in these words to prophesie not onely of what was to come to passe ere long but of what was to come to passe in the daies of the Messiah and time of the Gospel also And to signifie what was to come to passe in the daies of the Messiah and time of the Gospel he could not better do it then by saying And It shall come to passe in the last dayes Note here that when the Holy Ghost intendeth two several senses by one and the same words the words do for the most part declare the sublimer sense and that which concerneth the daies of the Messiah or of the Gospel in a full signification But the lower sense and that which concerneth the Jewes and the time of the Law in a signification not so full But in a jejune and as I may so say scantie and restrained signification in respect of the latitude of the words and that because of the scarcitie of words which cannot signifie both with the like propriety And the Holy Ghost condescendeth to use the words of men The Mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountaines The âemple of Hierusalem which is here called the Lords house was built upon mount Moriah which Mount was not a distinct Mountaine from Mount Sion But as sometime one Hill hath severall tops so were Mount Moriah and Mount Sion severall tops of the same Hill or Mountaine whence it cometh to passe that Mount Moriah is sometimes called Mount Sion And as the Temple of the true God was built upon an Hill or Mountaine so were the Temples of Idols and false Gods also for the most part And to these Temples so built doth the Prophet allude when he saith The Mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountaine That therefore which the Prophet saith is this that the Mountaine on which the Temple of the Lord is built which is Mount Moriah or Mount Sion shall be set upon the tops of the Mountaines on which the Temples of the Idols are built And his meaning is this That the Temple of God shall surpasse all other Temples and be above them all in honour and esteem And shall be exalted above the Hills This is the same with the former sentence And all nations i. e. For many of many nations Note that All is not allwayes put for All without exception but sometime for Some or Many and so it is to be here taken as appeareth by these words Many people vers 3. And Nations and People do not allwayes signify whole Nations and whole People but Some or Many members of those Nations or People per Synecdochen integri and so must we take them here Shall flow unto it Here is a Metaphor taken from the flowing of waters in a River where because the waters flow downwards they flow naturally And so their flowing by a Metaphor sheweth a willingnesse and doing of a thing without compulsion And because waters in a River are many some continually succeeding others they signifie abundance too So that the meaning of this place is that many of many Nations and People shall come with chearfullnesse and in great abundance to the Temple of God in Hierusalem to worship the Lord there and it containeth a reason why the Temple of God should surpasse all other Temples and be above them all in honour and esteem and the reason is because all Nations shall forsake the Temples of the Idols and shall come willingly and in abundance to the Temple of the Lord to worship the Lord there This Prophesie in its first and meaner sense seemeth to have been fulfilled in the dayes of Hezekiah when the Angel of God had destroyed an hundred fourscore and five thousand in one night in the Campe of the Assyrians And when God that he might give to Hezekiah a signe of his recovery when he was sick brought the shadow of the Sun ten degrees backward by which it had gone down in the Diall of Ahaz For when these great miracles were heard of no doubt but many did enquire after the truth of them and finding the Truth to be according to the Report did conclude with themselves that the Gods which they worshipt were not like to the God of Israel who had done these great Things yea they were no Gods in comparison of Him therefore they would worship Him and He should be their God This is confirmed by that that these miracles were so taken notice of as that the Princes of Babylon sent Ambassadors to Hezekiah to enquire of the wonder of the Suns going back that was done in the Land of Judah 2 Chron. 32.31 And upon the cutting off of so many of the Assyrians in Sennacharibs Camp by the Angel it is said that many brought gifts to the Lord to Hierusalem so that he was magnified in the sight of all Nations from thenceforth 2 Chron. 32.23 But yet as I said in a second and more sublime Sense the Prophet without doubt doth here prophesie of the Glory of the Church of Christ in the time of the Gospel and the calling or coming in of the Gentiles to that Church 3. And many People i. e. And many men of many kind of People See Vers 2. Shall goe and say i e. Shall say supple one to another That word Goe is Redundant here The like we read Cap. 27. Vers 37. Where it is said Sennacharib King of Assyria departed and went and returned for departed and returned The like also is to be read John 15. Vers 16. He will teach us of his wayes i. e. He will teach us by
it seemeth to use and wear mantles about their shoulders especially in cold weather and in journeys as many Eastern women doe at this day And the crisping pins With which they used to crisp and curle their hair 23. The glasses i. e. The Looking-glasses wherein they did contemplate and behold their beauty and dresse and prank themselves 24. Instead of sweet smells caused by the Spices and Perfumes which they carried about them There shall be stink Caused by noysome scabs and putrified Sores Or rather through want of change of clothing and good lodging for from the bodies of such proceedeth a noysome and stinking smell Instead of a girdle a rent Observe the Antithesis here a girdle is an Ornament added to and the above the whole and compleat garment A rent is a deformity and taking from the garment which was whole and compleat Well-set hair i. e. Hair set orderly and trimly by trim dressing Baldnesse This baldnesse might be caused either by some disease or scab which God might bring upon them Or by themselves tearing their hair off of their heads through grief and impatience Or by the Babylonians their enemies if at least they were wont to shave those which they conquered and made Captives as the Romans did Or by the servile work and the burthens which they bore on their heads in their captivity of which see Ezek. 29. v. 18. A stomacher Which useth to be more pretious and costly than any part of the garments beside A girding of sackcloth i e. Sackcloth girt upon their stomack Sackcloth as it is the coursest of clothes so is it also a badge of mourning Psal 30. v. 11. and 35.13 And burning i. e. A Face burnt with the Sun He puts an Abstract here for a Concrete Or by burning is meant Deformity and Vgliness caused by the burning of the Sun per Metonymiam Efficientis 25. Thy men shall fall by the Sword Viz. By the Sword of the Babylonians For the Judgements here threatned were performed by the Babylonians when Nebuchadnezzar came against Hierusalem and took it and carried the Jews into captivity The Prophet doth by an Apostrophe turn his speech to Hierusalem And thy mighty i. e. And thy strong and valiant men 26. And her gates i. e. And the Gates of Hierusalem He changeth the Person here speaking of Hierusalem in that third Person to whom he spoke in the 25. Verse in the second Person Her gates shall lament and mârun He useth a Prosopopoeia or a Metaphor here attributing that to inanimate creatures which is proper to man Note that within the Gates of the City not of Hierusalem onely but of other Citys also there were wont to be large and fair roomes where publique Assemblies of the Citizens used to be kept for matters of the Common-wealth that is for justice and judgement and the like Gen. 34.20 Deut. 17.5 and 22.15 and 25.7 Ruth 4.1 11 c. Now because the Gates being destinated and appointed for these Assemblies would have been glad and rejoyced when they were frequented by them but lamented and mourned at the slaughter and carrying them away which were wont to assemble there if they had had sence and understanding Hence it is that he saith here Her Gates shall lament and mourn because the Judges and Lawyers and others which used to meet there and frequent those places should be either slain by the sword of the Babylonians or carried away into captivity And she being desolate i. e. And Hierusalem her self being left as a widdow without an husband and a mother spoiled of her children Shall sit upon the ground Viz. As mourners were wont to do Ezra 9.3 Job 2.13 2 Sam. 12.16 He speaketh here by a Prosopopoeia or a Metaphor of Hierusalem as of a Mother or Matron full of grief and heavinesse Jeremie useth the same manner of speech concerning Hierusalem Lament 1. Vers 1. and our Prophet of Babylon Chap. 47.1 ISAIAH CHAP. IIII. AND in that day Supple In which God shall make such a desolation as is spoken of in the third Chapter This doth depend upon the foregoing Chapter And the Prophet here sheweth that there should be so few men left after the desolation and destruction there spoken of as that many women should scarce be able to get one man to be their husband Seven women i. e. Many women He puts a certaine number for an uncertaine Shall take hold of one man As having an earnest sute or request to him And as though they would not let him go untill he had condescended to their request The request that they should make to him is that he would be their Husband and marry them We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparrell The Husband was to find his Wife with food and raiment Exod. 21.10 Least therefore this man should deny their request and put them off with this that he was not able to find food and raiment for them therefore he would not be their husband They prevent him and tell him that they will not put him to that trouble and charge but will find their own food and their own apparrell Onely let us be called by thy name i. e. Onely let us be thine that is thy wives To be called by a mans name or to have a mans name called on a thing signifieth to be a mans own For every thing which is owned is called by the name of the owner as Davids Wife Salomons Sonne Pauls Cloak To take away our reproach ât was a reproach and a shame among the Hebrews for a woman to be of ripe yeares and not to be married So also it was to be without issue Luke 1.25 Gen. 30 23. This reproach was one part of it certainely taken away and the other likely to be taken away by marriage 2. In that day Here is a Râlative put without an Antecedent But what day he speaketh of may be gathered from the fourth Verse It is the day or time when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the Daughter of Sion ââd shall have purged away the bloud of Hierââââââ and so shall bring the residue of his Peâ out of their Captivity Here the Prophet prophesiâ of joyfull things for the comfort of those which were righteous after those grievous things which he foretold for the terror of the wicked Here should this fourth Chapter have begun Shall the branch of the Lord. The Prophet supposeth here that the Branch of the Lord would spring up as fore-seeing it in the Spirit therefore he speakes not of that that it shall spring up but cometh directly to speak of the Glory and Beauty and Excellency of it when it shall spring up Or else he includeth both by a Sylepsis q. d. And in that day there shall spring up a Branch of the Lord and that Branch of the Lord shall be beautifull c. The branch of the Lord. By the Branch of the Lord is meant the Salvation which God wrought for the Jews
when he redeemed them by Cyrus out of the Babylonish Captivity Of which salvation our Prophet speaketh often from the fourth Chapter of this Prophesie to the end thereof And in the 45. Chapter and the eighth Verse he speakes of it Metaphorically as he doth here that is as of a Branch or a Plant which the Lord maketh to spring out of the Earth The branch of the Lord shall be beautifull and glorious c. q. d. The Salvation which God will work for those which escape of Jews shall bring honour and glory to them that escape and make them honourable and glorious ân the eyes of all men How honourable and glorious the Jews were by reason of this Salvation see among other places Chap. 40. v. 5. Chap. 41. v. 10. c. Chap. 43. v. 14. Chap. 45. v. 17. Chap. 49. v. 9 23. c. Chap. 52. v. 9. Chap 54. v. 1. c. And the fruit of the Earth i. e. And the fruit which shall spring up out of the Earth This is but a repetition of the former Sentence And the fruit of the Earth signifieth the same here as the Branch of the Lord doth there Note that the fruit of the Earth is of larger extent than the fruit of Trees or Plants or Branches For not onely the friut of Trees and of Plants and of Branches but Trees and Plants and Branches themselves may be called the fruits of the Earth And comely i. e. And an Ornament For them that are escaped of Israel i. e. For those Jews which shall escape death and survive after the destruction and captivity which the Babylonians shall bring upon that People Of Israel i. e. Of the Jews to wit the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin see Chap. 1.3 3. He that is left in Sion and he that remaineth in Hierusalem By him that is left in Sion and him that remaineth in Hierusalem is meant he that remaineth alive of the Jews after the Babylonish captivity Note therefore that in Sion and in Hierusalem is as if he should say in Jacob and in Israel For as Jacob or Israel is often put for the Jewes and that per Metonymiam Efficientis Because Jacob or Israel was the Father of the Jews So is Sion or Hierusalem put for the same Jews by the same figure Because Sion or Hierusalem was the Mother of the Jewes But observe that Jacob or Israel was the true naturall Father of the Jews But Sion or Hierusalem was called their Mother onely by a Metaphor yet that she was so at least called their Mother we may learn from Chap. 49. Vers 20. and Chap. 50. Vers 1. and Gal. 4. Vers 25. But yet we may take Sion and Hierusalem here plainly without a Metaphor that the sense of these words may be this Viz. And he Supple of the Jews which is left alive Supple and shall dwell in Sion and he Supple of the Jews which remaineth Supple alive and shall dwell in Hierusalem after the Babylonish captivity shall c. For note that though many of the Jews survâved after the Babylonish captivity yet the Blessings spoken of in this Chapter did appertain onely to them which returned and dwelt in Hierusalem Shall be called Holy i. e. Shall be holy For the Hebrews doe often use vocall verbes for reall and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to be called for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to be To be holy doth primarily and originally signifie to be separated from others by way of excellencie Hence they which excell the vulgar sort of Men in Piety and Religion are commonly called Holy and in this sense may these Men be called Holy in this place Yet because this place speakes both in the precedent and Subsequent Verses of the blessings of God to this People in keeping and preserving them I had rather take Holy here for such as God separates and sets apart from other People by his blessings to them and hedge of protection about them by which he maketh a difference between them and other People In which sence the word Holy is taken Exod. 19. Vers 5 6. where we thus read Now therefore if yee will obey my voice indeed then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all the people For all the earth is mine And ye shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation In opposition to Holinesse thus taken God is said to prophâne the Princes of the Sanctuary Chap. 43. Vers 28. Every one that is written among the living in Hierusalem i. e. Every one which shall be alive after the Babylonish Captivity and shall live in Hierusalem shall be called Holy He alludeth here in this phrase to the Mustering of an Army after a Battle where the names of those which escaped in Battle are written and entered into a Muster-Roule or Muster-Book that so they m ght know what they have lost and what forces they have left 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth c. i. e. When the Lord shall have washed away the sins c. He likeneth the sin of the Soul here to the filth of the body And the taking sin away to the washing away of that filth by water But the way by which God took away the filth of sin here spoken of was by destroying the incorrigible sinner and bringing others to amendment of life both which he did by the Babylonians into whose hands he gave them The filth of the Daughter of Sion Read Chap. 3.16 To wh ch place the Prophet doth here allude The bloud Bloud is put here Metonymice for Murder by which the bloud of man is shed And that againe is put Hypârbolice for Oppression See Chap. 1. Vers 15. The Prophet doth here allude to the Oppression which he spake of Chap. 3. Vers 12. c. From the midst of her i. e. From her or out of her An Hebrew Periphrase By the Spirit of judgement The Spirit of Judgement is put here Periphrastically for Judgement the word Spirit redounding by an Hebraisme By Judgement the Prophet meaneth the Calamities and Punishment which God brought upon this People by the Babylonians which kind of Calamities and Punishments are called Judgemenes because of the Justnesse of them and that by a Metaphor from those Punishments which are inflicted upon a Malefactor upon a Just Sentence or Judgement given against him And by the spirit of burning i. e. And by burning for the word Spirit redounds here as it did before He meaneth the same thing by burning here as he did by Judgement just before But he alludeth here to the manner of Goldsmiths and other the like Crafts-mens who purifie their Gold and other mettals from their drosse by Fire and Burning 5. And the Lord will create upon evey dwelling place c. The meaning of this Place is that God will protect them and keep them in all their dwellings and will be no lesse pâesent with them for this purpose than âe was with their fathers when he
c. He sheweth here yet more wilde grapes i. e. yet more sinnes of the house of Israel and men of Judah And here he taxeth them for their Luxury and Joviality That continue Supple At their pots or drinking Till wine inflame them i. e. Till wine doth over-heat their braines and make them like mad men or their bodies and stir them up to lust so that they are not ashamed to do any thing be it never so vile 12. And the Harpe and the Viol are in their feasts q. d. And who have the Harpe and the Viol i. e. who have their Musick in their feasts But they regard not the workes of the Lord. But they regard not the calamities and miseries which have partly befallen them and partly hang over their heads and are threatned against them All calamities and afflictions may be called the workes of the Lord. For shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it saith Amos. Amos Chap. 3. v. 6. Neither consider the operation of his hands This is a Repetition of the former sentence 13. Therefore my people c. By the People of the Lord understand the Jewes which he calleth the house of Israel and men of Judah v. 7. Are gone into Captivity i. e. Shall goe into Captivity He puts a Praeterperfect tense here for a Future because of the certaintie of what he speaketh This was fullfilled partly by Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel 2 Chron. 28. v. 5 8. And partly by Sennacherib King of Assyria For no doubt but Sennacherib as he had opportunity sent many Jewes which he took in warre Captive into Assyria before the Angel destroyed his Army Because they have no knowledge i. e. Because they have no regard Supple of the workes of the Lord nor consideration Supple of the operation of his hands c. Because we must know a thing before we can regard it or consider it hence doth he put knowledge for regard or consideration by a Metonymie And their honourable men are famished i. e. And their honourable men shall be famished and die for hunger This is a punishment answering to their feasting And their multitude i. e. And their Common-People Dried up with thirst i. e. Shall perish through thirst This is a punishment answering to their drinking The meaning of this place is that all sorts of men high and low rich and poor should die with hunger and thirst in Captivity 14. Therefore Hell hath enlarged her self i. e. Because my people have no knowledge therefore shall Hell enlarge her paunch c. He amplifieth here the punishment of the sin which he mentioned in the former verse Hell By hell is meant the grave the receptacle of dead bodies which he speakes of here by a Metaphor as of a ravenous beast and make it to enlarge her paunch as though it were too narrow before to receive so many as should die because of their sinne Her self i. e. Her paunch He puts the whole for a part per Metonymiam integri And opened her mouth without measure i. e. And shall open her mouth or gape without measure to swallow down the carcases of those which have no knowledge He putteth here a Praeterperfect for a Future tense And their glory i. e. The Glory of my People He putteth Glory here for Glorious men that is for the honorable and noble of the people By a Metonymie And their multitude i. e. And their commonalty or common sort of people And their pompe i e. And they which follow and are delighted with the pompe of the world whether they are noble or men of common sort A Metonymie And he that rejoyceth Supple in feasting drinking and musick as v. 11 12. whether he be a noble or a common man Shall descend into it i. e. Shall go down into it that is into hell that is into the grave and there rot Though he spoke of the Grave as of a ravenous beast in the former part of the Verse yet he speaketh of it here as of an hole or pit as it is indeed 15. And the meane man shall be brought down q. d. And the man of mean power shall be brought low And the mighty man shall be humbled And the man of great might and power shall be brought down And the eyes of the lofty q. d. And the men of lofty eyes that is the proud men all of them whether they be noble or ignoble mean or mighty in power shall be humbled Why men of lofty eyes signifie proud men see cap. 2 v. 11. 16. But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgement q. d. For so notable shall the judgement be which the Lord of Hosts will execute upon them as that he shall be praised and magnified for it in every place and men shall speak of it all abroad to his praise But the Lord of Hosts i. e. For the Lord of Hosts But is put here for For And the Lord is called here by the name of the Lord of Hosts to shew his power that he was able thus to punish this People and also to intimate that he would do it by an hoste or hostes Shall be exalted i. e. Shall be praised and magnified In judgement i. e. For judgement to wit the judgement which he will execute upon these men for their wickednesse In is put here for For. And God that is holy i. e. And God who is Peerlesse in all his Attributes and namely in his justice which he sheweth in punishing the wicked Note here that to be holy signifieth in generall to be separated from others by way of excellency and to be set in a state of singularity above them And the holynesse of God is nothing else but his superlative Eminencie whereby he is exalted above all and divided from all other Eminencies whââsoever Shall be sanctified in righteousnesse i. e. Shaââ be exalted for his Justice which he will shew in punishing these wicked men for their wickednesse Note that to sanctifie signifieth in generall to separate or set apart And then is God said to be sanctified when he is advanced above other things and exalted in praises In righteousnesse i. e. For his righteousnesse that is for his Justice Supple which he will shew in punishing these wicked men In is put here for For as before And by righteousnesse is meant the Justice of God 17. Then shall the Lambes i. e. When those sinners which he made mention of before shall be brought down and destroyed Then shall the Lambes c. The Lambes By the Lambes he meaneth the meek and poor and the innocent of the Land which were oppressed by those wicked ones and made their prey Shall feed after their manner i. e. Shall live in the land and enjoy the fruites thereof freely and quietly as they did before these oppressors did oppresse them and disturbe them The waste places of the fat ones By the fat Ones are meant those covetous and voluptuous rich
men which he spoke of Vers 8.11 c. whom he might call fat Ones by a Metaphor from fat Bulls as Psalm 22. v. 12. Or fat Boares as Psal 119. v. 70. because they pampered themselves up and grew fat with their luxurious and riotous living The Lands and Possessions which these covetous and voluptuous rich men enjoyed he calls their waste places because they should be made waste and desolate by the death of them who were the Lords thereof Shall Strangers eat By Strangers he meaneth those whom he called Lambs before and he calleth them Strangers because they were not of kin to those whom he calleth fat Ones nor had right by way of descent to their Lands For a Stranger is sometime taken for one that is not of the same kin or tribe or family Eat i. e. Plant and sow and eat the fruits thereof A Syllepsis Or by eating he meaneth injoying by a Metaphor from Cattle whose enjoying of grounds is by eating and feeding upon them It is the use and practice of such men as these were to call their Lands and Housen by their own names and it is their desire to transmit them to their Seed after them But here the names of these men shall perish and Strangers shall inherit their Land 18. Woe unto them that draw iniquity with Cords of Vanity Here be more wild Grapes which the Lords Vine-yard brought forth Though most Interpreters take Iniquity here formally and by the Cords with which wicked men draw iniquity they mean the occasions of and temptations to iniquity whereby they cannot avoid the iniquity it self but draw it to them or upon them as it were with Cords Yet they seem to interpret this place most agreeable to the Context who take Iniquity by a Metonymie of the cause for Gods Judgements or Punishments for Iniquity q d. Woe to them who by their presumptuous sinning and daring words draw down Gods Judgements upon themselves as it were with Cords and Cart-ropes With Cords of vanity i e. With vain Cords He puts a Substantive of the Genitive case for an Adjective With Cords of vanity and as it were with Cart-ropes He likeneth Presumptuous sinnes and daring words against the Almighty to strong Cords and Cart-ropes because as Horses in a Teem by the meanes of strong Cords and Cart-ropes draw great loads and burthens after them and fail not So doe these kind of men by these their sinnes draw Gods Judgements after them Or because as men when strong Cords or Cart-ropes are fastened to any great Stone or piece of Timber in a house which they would pull down doe not fail to pull it down and that upon their own heads too if they take not heed So doe such men as these by these their sinnes not fail to pull down Gods Judgements upon their own heads if they avert them not by hearty and speedy repentance But why then doth he call them Cords of vanity or vain Cords Answer He calls these Sinnes Cords of vanity or vain Cords not in respect of the punishment which they should draw after them For they would not fail of that and therefore in that respect they were not vain but in respect of the end which those sinners proposed to themselves in committing these presumptuous sinnes and speaking these daring words For what was the end which these men had in committing such sinnes and using such words Surely their end was frivolous and so vain Or if they did expect any good by their doing and speaking they missed of their end and so were their sinnes vain also Yea such Cords as these were that is to say Sinnes are alwayes vain there is no good or profit in them but evill and mischief to the committers of them 19. Let him make speed and hasten his work i e. Let God make speed and hasten his Judgements which thou O Isaiah hast threatned us with we care not By his work he meaneth his Judgements i. e. The judgements of God see Notes on Vers 12. Loe the counsell of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh c. i. e. Let the Judgements or Punishments which God who is the Holy One of Israel hath decreed to send or concerning which he hath taken so long counsell and deliberation draw nigh He puts the counsell of God here for the Judgements of God concerning which he had taken counsell and deliberation by a Metonymie And this is a Repetition of the former sentence both which sentences shew how much these men contemnea the judgements which the Lord threatned The long suffering of God towards man who threatneth a great while before he striketh is greater but wicked men abusing it think that those threats are vaine which are not speedily followed with judgement and therefore they mock at them Thus do they mock and scoffe also 2 Pet. 3.4 20. Woe unto them that call evill Good and good Evill So great a power hath Custome in sinne to corrupt and deprave the judgement of men as that they which accustome themselves to sinne cannot judge of good and bad honest and dishonest Virtue and Vice aright and as they are in themselves but judge that good which is bad and that bad which is good that dishonest which is honest and that honest which is dishonest that virtue which is vice and that vice which is virtue That put That is that affirme or maintaine or hold So in the Schools that speech which is made in affirmation and maintainance of that part of a question which we hold is called A Position That put darknesse for light and light for darknesse i. e. That affirme and maintaine or hold that Darknesse is light and Light is darknesse He saith here in Metaphoricall termes what he said plainely before and by darkâesse he meaneth evill by light good Darknesse is put here for evill and therefore may it be so put because They which do evill love darknesse Joh. 3. vers 18 19. And because evill as it proceedeth from the darknesse of the judgement and understanding so doth it darken the same againe more and more And light is put herefor good and it may be so put First because They which do well come to the light that their deeds may be made manifest Joh. 3. vers 20. Secondly because it proceedeth from Light Viz. the Light of the understanding rightly enlightened And Thirdly because it encreaseth that Light and maketh it the brighter That put bitter for sweet sweet for bitter This is another repetition of what he said Bitter signifieth evill and so it may signifie because evill is unpleasing to God and all good men as that which is bitter is to the Taste And Sweeter signifieth good and so it may signifie because good is pleasant and delightful to good men and to God himself as honey and sweet things are to the mouth 21. Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes Supple They which are wise in their own conceites had rather rule their actions by
is to whom the Lord speakes when he saith Who will go for us For Answer some say that God the Father speakes here to God the Sonne and God the Holy Ghost Others say that he speakes to the Seraphims conferring as it were with them as Princes use sometimes to conferre with their Servants like to one of whom God is here brought in by the Prophet Then said I here I am send me Isaiah hearing what the Lord said as being present offereth his Service cheerefully and is another man now than what he was v. 5. When the live-coale was laid upon his mouth and touched his lipps Isaiah was not onely purged from his sinne but he received also more boldnesse and courage to go upon Gods errand than he had before which though it be not expressed vers 7. yet it may be gathered from this place And this might the live-coale well signifie It might signifie Courage and boldnesse in going upon Gods errand because fire is an hot and active Element and is the cause of Courage and Boldnesse where it is predominant in our tempers And he said i. e. And the Lord said to Isaiah 9. Go tell this People i. e. Go and tell the men of Judah He puts a Relative here without an Antecedent And saith not my People as he was wont but this People and that out of Indignation reputing them as Strangers because they had estranged themselves and revolted from him by their sins Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not i. e. Ye shall hear indeed but ye shall not understand what ye hear and ye shall see indeed but ye shall not perceive what ye see The Prophet useth the Imperative Mood here after an Emphaticall manner for a Future tense as will appear by Saint Matthew Matt. 13. v. 14. Note that to hear and to see be taken here for the acts of the outward Eare and Eye Note further that to Perceive though it be properly spoken of the outward Eye and signifieth to marke diligently what may be marked with the eye yet it is here to be translated by a Metaphor to the mind and signifieth the same as to understand and so it is translated and signifieth also Job 33. Verse 14. Mark 12. Verse 28. Luk. 9. Vers 47. Acts 14. Verse 9. Note yet further that to Vnderstand and Perceive signifie here to apprehend and know the meaning of what is spoken or seen as will appeare by Matth. 13. v. 14. But they signifie not onely so but they signifie also to believe as will appear by Acts 28. v. 24 25 26. The meaning then of this Verse is this They shall hear the word of God spoken or preached to them by the Prophets But they shall not understand it and that because it shall be spoken or preached to them in figures and Parables Matth. 13. v. 13 14. And if they should chance to understand it yet they shall not believe it And so they shall not be the better for it Act. 28. vers 24 25 26. And they shall see the wonderfull works which God will worke among them but they shall not know or understand that they are wrought by God neither shall they believe the word of the Lord for all them 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes least they see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed Note first that the Heart is put here for the Mind and Vnderstanding by a Metaphor and so are the Eares and so are the Eyes the two Principall sences by which we come to knowledge For they all Heart Eares and Eyes signifie here one and the same thing Note secondly That as the Heart and Eares and Eyes signifie here all one and same thing So do their acts to wit to See to Hear and to Vnderstand signifie here all one and the same things Viz. To understand and to believe So that to see and to hear are of a different signification here from that in which they were used Vers 9. Note thirdly That the fatnesse of the Heart the heavinesse of the Eares and the shutting of the Eyes signifie properly the fatnesse of that fleshie Heart which is one of the Principall members or bowels of mans body And the heavinesse of the outward Eares and the shutting of the outward bodily Eyes But by a Metaphor they signifie here the indisposition and aversenesse of the mind from understanding and believing and that for these reasons Because if the Eyes be shut we cannot see If the Eares be heaviâ that is if the Eares be stopped we cannot hear And a fat heart as Physiognomers observe is the signe at least of a meane wit yea it may be the cause also thereof for the goodnesse of the Animall Spirits which serve the wit depend upon the goodnesse of the Vitall Spirits and a fat heart is an ill Mint or Forge of Vitall Spirits Now therefore for the sense of this place many make it to be this q. d. Go and preach to this people that by thy preaching thou maist make them more indisposed and averse from understanding and believing least they should understand my word and believe it and so turn from their sins and be saved This is the exposition I say which many give of this Place making this part of the judgement which God inflicted upon his People Where note that the Prophets preaching was not a direct cause of these mens not Vnderstanding and Believing but onely an Occasion thereof For these men hateing the Prophet and bearing a malitious mind towards him because he preached not unto them pleasing things they could not endure to hear him preach or prophesie unto them in the name of the Lord but the oftener they heard him the more was their hatred and malice encreased against him And the more their hatred and malice was encreased against him the further were they from giving any attentive heed to his Sermons that they might understand them and yet further from giving any credit to them or believing that they were the words of God And this God foresaw Wherefore he said Make the heart of this people fat c. This I say againe is the exposition which many give of this place who make this part of the judgement which God inflicted upon this people at this time But I preferre that exposition which makes this not a part of the judgement which God inflicted upon this people at this time but a Reason why he did inflict the judgement mentioned in the former Verse for our Saviour interprets it so Matth. 13. Vers 15. In the former verse therefore the Lord said concerning this people That They should hear indeed but they should not understand And they should see indeed but they should not perceive And here he gives a Reason Why they should hear and not understand and see and not perceive And the Reason is
because they might have understood and believed what they had heard but they would not and they might have understood and believed what they had seen but they would not but obstinately and willfully refused to understand and believe whereby they might have repented and been saved and therefore because heretofore they would not now they should not understand and believe This I say is the exposition which I preferre before the former In Order to which I explaine the words as followeth Make the heart of this people fat and make their cares heavie and shut their eyes least they see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their hearts and convert and believe q d. Tell this people that they willfully refused to understand and believe what they ought and might have understood and believed And that understanding and believing they might have repented and been saved I shewed before that the Heart Eares and Eyes are here Metaphorically taken for the Mind and Vnderstanding And to see hear and understand are all taken for to understand and believe Make the heart of this People fat c. i. e. Tell this People that they have made their heart fat c. i. e. Tell this people that they would not understand c. Note here that the Prophet useth a reall Verbe for a vocal when he saith Make the heart of this people fat c. For Tell this people that they have made their heart fat c. The like manner of speech we read Gen. 41. v. 13. Where Pharaoh's chief Butler speaking of Joseph to Pharaoh and telling him of Joseph's skill in interpreting Dreames saith Me he restored to mine Office for he told me that I should be restored to mine Office And him meaning Pharaoh's chief Baker He hanged For he told him that he should be hanged In like manner this we read Jer. 1. v. 10. I have this day saith the Lord to Jeremie set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdomes to roote out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant The meaning of which words is this I have set thee or appointed thee this day to Prophesie concerning the Natiâns and concerning the Kingdomes and to tell that some of them shall be rooted up and pulled down and destroyed and some againe shall be built up and planted And make their eares heavie i. e. And tell this people that they have made their heart heavie To make the Eares heavy signifieth to stop the Eares so that they cannot receive the voice of him which speaketh And Eares so stopped are called heavy Eares Because that which stoppeth the Eares after this manner though it be not weighty in it self yet it is troublesome and seemeth heavy to him whose eares are stopped Or he calls heavy eares such eares as are slow and dull of hearing in allusion to heavy things which are slow of motion and hard to be moved out of their place whereas light things are quick and nimble And hence is the Greek word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which signifieth one that is heavy or dull of hearing By the Eares as I said before is here Metaphorically meant the mind or understanding and these men are said to have stopped or made heavy their eares because they would not understand and believe what was spoken Least they see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their hearts c. There be other effects of a fat heart besides not understanding and other ends why a man may stop his eares besides that that he may not hear and other ends why he may shut his eyes besides that that he may not see For he may shut his eyes to preserve them from the dust And stop his eares to defend them from the cold To shew therefore why these men made their heart fat and their eares heavy and did shut their eyes He tells us that it was for this end least they should see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their heart By which he signifieth Metaphorically that these men did wilfully refuse to understand and believe what they saw done and heard spoken by the Prophets in the name of the Lord as he willfully refuseth to hear which for this end stoppeth his eares and willfully refuseth to see which for this end shutteth his eyes and wilfully refuseth to understand who for this end maketh his heart fat That with which these men made their heart fat and stopped their eares and closed their eyes that is that which made these men so averse from understanding and bâlieving was the hatred which they had of the Prophets person and the delight which they had in sinne which they could not follow without remorse of conscience if they understood and believed the word of the Lord. And convert i. e. And turne themselves to the Lord from their evill wayes And be healed That is And be delivered from their afflictions and calamities whensoever they should befall them for their sinnes and from the fear of those calamities before they befell them See Jer. 6. v. 14. The judgements of God that is the afflictions and calamities which befall men for their sinnes are often compared to diseases and wounds and sores As Cap. 1. v. 6. c. 19. v. 22. c. 30. v. 26. And to these may the Prophet allude when he saith and be healed Or And be healed may signifie and have their sinnes forgiven For sinne is the Plague and Sicknesse of the Soul of which Plague and Sicknesse we are healed when our sin is forgiven But a man may object here and say Is it likely that any one would affect spirituall blindnesse and unbeliefe for this end that he might not be healed Answ It is not likely that a man would affect spirituall blindnesse and unbelief directly and chiefly for this end that he might not be healed But it is more than likely that many make it their indirect end and end by consequence For many make that their ends upon which this must needs follow For many do directly desire to enjoy the pleasures of sin without controll and for this end do hate them which tell them of the word of the Lord or denounce his judgements against them which notwithstanding they must hear and believe to before they can repent and be saved So they desire not to be healed by consequence and in the causes thereof though they do it not directly and in it self Note that what the Prophet delivereth here is not so spoke of the People of the Jewes which lived between the daies of Vzziah and the desolation which Sennacherib made in Judaea But that the Holy Ghost had a farther intent in it to wit to signifie the blindnesse and perversenesse of those Jewes also which lived in the time of our Saviour and of his Gospel as appeareth Mat. 13. v. 4. Act. 28. v. 26. For they in Isaiah's time were as it were a Type
neither his proper name nor his title of King here but calls him onely the Son of Remaliah who was but a private man out of contempt 5. Because Syria c. Note that this relates not to what went before but to what followes after q. d. Because Syria Ephraim and Remaliah's sonne have done this therefore thus saith the Lord c. Ephraim i. e. The ten Tribes of Israel See v. 2. Have taken evill counsell against thee i. e. Have taken counsell and consulted together to destroy thee He calls it evill counsell because they intended evill and mischief against Judah to destroy him utterly and took counsell together accordingly 6. Let us go up against Judah i. e. Let us warre together against the Tribe of Judah And vex it i. e. And vex Hierusalem the chief City thereof with a close siedge or a fierce storme This Relative It is put here without an Antecedent as the Hebrewes often put it but the Antecedent is easie to be understood to wit Hierusalem Let us make a breach therein i. e. Let us make a breach in the walls thereof and so force our way into it For us i. e. For us to enter the City And set a King in the midst of it i. e. And when we have taken it let us depose or destroy Ahaz and set up a King of our own in it In the midst of it i. e. In it A ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Even the Sonne of Tabeal Tabeal seemeth to be the name of some Syrian And this man they would make as Vice-Roy or as a Tributary to themselves 7. Thus saith the Lord God q. d. Therefore thus saith the Lord God It shall not stand i. e. The evill counsell which they have taken against thee shall not stand for I will overthrow it Neither shall it come to passe q. d. Neither shall it take effect 8. For the head of Syria is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin q. d. For the chief City and Metropolis of Syria is Damascus and the King of Damascus is Rezin Supple Let Rezin therefore content himself with this that he is King of Damascus and the Kingdome thereunto belonging for he shall not come to be King of Judah and Hierusalem to bear rule there Here is an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And within threescore and five yeares shall Ephraim be broken that it shall no more a People In the fifth Verse of this Chapter he said That Syria Ephraim and the son of Remaliah had taken evill counsell against Ahaz And in the same order which he spoke of them in that place doth he prophesie against them in this First against Syria in the first words of this Verse then against Ephraim in these present words and then against the Sonne of Remaliah in the following Verse Within threescore and five yeares This must not be so understood as though the Prophet would have the account of this threescore and five yeares to begin at that time in which he thus spoke But the account must begin as Interpreters either generally or for the most part agree from the time that Amos did foretell the ruine of the kingdome of Israel who foretold the ruine thereof threescore and five years before it came to passe The sence therefore of this place is this q. d. Within threescore and five yeares which threescore and five yeares began long since even when Amos first prophesied of the totall destruction of Ephraim and which are since well nigh expired shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a People Ephraim i. e. The ten tribes of Israel as vers 2. That it be not a People So that their State and Common-wealth and Kingdome shall be overthrowne This was brought to passe by Salmanasser 2 King 17.6 Joseph lib. 9. Antiq. cap. 14. 9. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is Remaliah 's sonne q. d. And in the mean time the chief City or Metropolis of Israel is Samaria and the King of Samaria is Remaliahs sonne Supple Let Remaliah's sonne therefore content himself with this that he is King of Samaria and the Kingdome thereunto appertaining for he shall not enlarge his dominions and be King over Judah and Hierusalem or rule there Here is an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as before If ye will not believe Supple The words which I have spoken unto you from the Lord and relie on him Ye shall not be established i. e. Ye shall not be free from fear nor setled in your mindes but your heart shall be still moved as the trees are moved with the wind The establishment which he here speaketh of is opposed to that motion proceeding from fear or that trembling which he speakes of v. 2. 11. Aske thee a signe of the Lord thy God Supple for confirmation of what I have said to thee in his name if thou will not believe me and he will give it thee Aske it either in the depth i. e. Aske this signe to be shewen or given thee either in the earth The earth is called here the depth because it is deep that is low in respect of the Heavens Or in the Height above Or in the Heavens which are above the earth as Vers 9. That the Sun should stand still as it did it the dayes of Joshua c. The Heavens are called the Height here because they are high above the earth By the depth and the height that is by heaven and earth we may understand all other places as well as them by a Synecdoche 12. I will not ask Supple a sign of the Lord. Neither will I tempt the Lord. q d. For I will not tempt the Lord that I should offend him for that is forbidden Deut. 6 v. 16. Then doe we tempt God when we will not believe that he will save us or help us according to his promise except he shewes us a Miracle as may be gathered from Exod. 17. v. 2. and 7. and Luke 11. v. 16. But the case may be such as that we may desire a sign and not tempt God as appeareth by Gideon Judg. 6. v. 36 37. and by Ezekiah 2 Kings 20. v. 8. And they tempt not him who ask a sign with his leave or at his bidding as Ahaz might have asked a sign here Wherefore this seeming honest and godly Answer which Ahaz here gave did not proceed out of Piety and Religion towars God but out of Hypocrisie For if Ahaz had minded Pietie and Religion towards God he would have trusted in God and not have trusted in the King of Assyria for help as he did For he sent to Tiglath-Pilesser for help 2 Kings 16. v. 7. Ahaz therefore desired rather to seem godly than to be godly 13. Hear ye now O House of David i. e. Hear ye now O Ahaz the King and ye Nobles which are descended from David He sheweth here that not onely Ahaz but the Nobles the Kinsmen of Ahaz did distrust God as well as Ahaz and approve of the
the King of Assyria a mighty and powerfull King and because Euphrates was in the Assyrians dominions as Siloah was in the dominion of the Kings of Judah He opposeth the river Euphrates whose waters were strong and many to Siloah whose waters ran softly and fits the punishment of these men to their sin Even the King of Assyria and all his glory By the King of Assyria is meant Sennacherib and by all his glory All his Forces He sheweth here what or whom he meant by the waters of the River strong and many to wit Sennacherib King of Assyria and all his Forces And all his glory i. e. And all his power and strength of men It is a thing usuall with the Hebrewes to call the strength and Power of men which a Prince hath his glory and that perhaps per Metonymiam effecti because he glorieth in this his strength himself or is renowned for it by others And he shall come up over all his Channells i e And the King of Assyria shall come up beyond the bounds of his own Empire or Kingdome He persisteth in the Metaphor of a Rivers whose proper Bounds are his Channells And go over all his bankes This is the same for the sence with the words which immediately went before and the Metaphor is the same 8. He shall passe through Judah i. e. He shall over-runne the land of Judah with his Armie from the East thereof even to the West This is also spoken in allusion to an over-flowing River which runneth through a place with its waters He shall over-flow and goe over Supple The land of Judah i. e. He shall over-run the land of Judah with his Armie and destroy it as he goeth He persists still in the Metaphor of a River which overflowing and going over a place drowneth and carrieth all things before it as it goeth He shall reach even to the neck He still persists in the Metaphor of a River which riseth higher and higher and here compareth Judaea as it was at length over-run with Sennacherib and his Armie to a man in great waters which rise up and reach as high as his neck For as a man in such a case is nigh to be quite drowned all his members being under water save onely his head So was Judaea when Sennacherib did invade and over-run it nigh to be utterly destroyed For all the Cities and Villages of the whole land were destroyed and laid desolate one after another excepting Hierusalem onely which was the head of the Kingdome and which was onely as it were above the waters at this time And the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy Land O Immanuell i. e. And he shall fill thy land O Immanuel from one side thereof to another with his Armie So great it shall be and so little shall escape him He leaves his Metaphor of a River now and speakes of Sennacherib as of a Generall or chief Commander of a great Armie The stretching out of his wings i. e. Hââ wings being stretched out c. By his wings he meaneth the Armie of Sennacherib For the Hebrewes call all Forces both of Horse and Foot Wings Though the Latins by the wings of an Army mean onely the Horsemen which being placed in battle part of one side and part of the other side of the foot doe cover the body of the foot-men as winges do the body of a bird O Immanuel He makes this Apostrophe to the Child as to him that shall beare witnesse to the truth of those calamities which he hath foretold Of Immanuel See Cap. 7. v. 14. 9. Associate your selves O ye People He makes an Apostrophe here to the Assyrians and their Associates and by a Figure cal ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or by an Ironicall exhortation he exhorteth them to associate themselves and joyne together against the Jewes and chiefly against Hierusalem Associate your selves q. d. Associate your selves and joyne together against Judah and Hierusalem if ye will O ye People i. e. O ye Assyrians and other Nations which joyne with the Assyrians in their Expedition against Judah and Hierusalem Note that the word People here is a word of the Plurall number for there were many of severall Countries and Nations which served under Sennacherib in this expedition And ye shall be broken to pieces And is put here for But or Yet or Neverthelesse Though Sennacherib and his Armie did mightily prevaile against the Jewes at the first and destroyed them in a dreadfull manner yet at length they were broken to pieces by the Angel of the Lord who slew in one night an hundred fourscore and five thousand of them 2 King 19.35 Note here that the passage contained in this and the next verse is an answer to an objection which might be made by reason of that word Immanuel in the eighth verse For being that that word Immanuel signifieth God with us and it was a name given to a Child that it might be a signe that God would be with the Jewes and help them against their enemies It might be objected by the Jewes saying How will God be with us If the Assyrians and their Associates shall doe thus to us To which the Prophet here answereth That God will be so with the Jewes that their enemies shall not alwayes prevail against them for though they prevail at the first they shall not prevail at the last but shall be broken to pieces And give ear To wit To Sennacharib when he inviteth you to joyn with him in an Expedition against Judah and Jerusalem if yee will Gird your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces i. e. Gird your selves with your swords to fight against Judah and Jerusalem yet shall yee be broken in pieces Gird your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces He repeateth these words againe the more to confirme the truth of what he saith 10. Take counsell together Supple Of vanquishing and subduing Judah and Hierusolem and cutting them off utterly And it shall come to nought i. e. Yet the Counsell which ye take shall come to nought Speak the word q. d. Determine and give out by words what you will do against Judah and Hierusalem And it shall not stand i. e. Yet your determination and saying shall not stand they shall be overthrown For God is with us i. e. For God is with us and stands by us to help us against our enemies And indeed God did help them when he sent his Angel which destroyed Sennacherib's Hoast 2 Kings Chap. 19. v. 35. He alludeth in these words God is with us to the Childes name Immanuel and explaines the meaning and mistery of that name for Immanuel is being interpreted God with us Matth. 1. v. 23. 11. For the Lord. For is to be taken here for And or Also or Moreover as it is Cap. 7. v. 16. This Verse hath its immediate connexion with the eighth Verse of this Chapter the two verses which are between being brought in by the
Practise of men which set a Seal upon the Letters or Boxes which they would have kept close shut and not opened The Law By the Law he meaneth the same as he did by the Testimony and this is but a repetition of the former sentence Note that the word Law doth not alwayes signifie the Law as it is commonly taken but it oftentimes signifieth more generally and is taken for any Lesson or Doctrine or Instruction or Word of God whatsoever And so it is to be taken here and so it is taken cap. 1. v. 10. Among my Disciples q. d. And carrie it to and open it among my Disciples Here therefore are some words left to be understood Among my Disciples They are called Gods Disciples here which were willing to be taught of God that is which were willing to give eare to Gods instructions delivered by the Prophets to be ruled by them Note that these words hitherto were spoken in the Person of God the next words the Prophet speakes in his own Person 17. And I will wait upon the Lord. And is put here for Yet or Neverthelesse and the sense is q. d. Though the two houses of Israel and the Inhabitants of Hierusalem many of them believe not the promises of God which he hath made of defending Judah and Hierusalem from the power and intents of Rezin and Pekah nor will follow his instructions but are still afraid more of those two Kinge than of God and therefore endeavour to make a confederacie with those two Kings against their own King which hath kindled Gods anger against the house of Jacob and made him to take away his Testimony from them in displeasure yet will I wait upon the Lord in full assurance that he will performe what he hath promised I will wait upon the Lord. Supple For the performance of what he hath promised and behave my self accordingly The Prophet speaketh here in his own person That hideth his face from the house of Jacob i. e. Which is angry with the house of Jacob because they will not rely upon his promises but endeavour to make confederacy with Rezin and Pekah c. being more afraid of them than of Him That hideth his face c. To hide his face signifieth to be angry by a Metaphor from men who will not look upon them with whom they are displeased From the house of Jacob. i. e. From the Jewes which are Jacobs Children yet not from all the Jewâs but those who out of distrust of God and fear of Rezin and Pekah's forces would for their own safety make a league with them against Ahaz their King contrary to Gods command See v. 14 15. I will look for him Supple untill he comes and helpes us He speakes of God ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 18. Behold I and the Children which God hath given me are for signes and for wonders c. q. d. Behold I and my Children are for signes and for wonders to foretell and foreshew the goodness of God to us Jewes and that he will be with us to help us and aid us against our enemies that they shall not have their wills of us and utterly destroy us He giveth a reason here why he will wait upon God and look for him Viz. Because he believed the truth of those things which He and his Sonnes portend We may understand For in the front of this Verse For Wonders A Wonder is here taken meerly for a Sign or Token of a thing to come The Children of Isaiah were for Signe and Wonders onely by reason of their names because they had such names given them by Gods own appointment as did signifie things to come So Shear-jashub Isaiah's Sonne signified that a Remnant at least of the Jewes should return to their peace and happinesse and to their dwellings again when they were disturbed in the one and expelled from the other cap. 7. v. 3. So did Immanuel the Sonne of Isaiah signifie that God was with his People and would help them Cap. 7. v. 14. and cap. 8. v. 8 11. So did the name of Maher-shalal-hash-baz the sonne of Isaiah signifie the suddain destruction of the Syrians and Israeliteâ and so by consequence that Judaea should be freed of the fear of Rezin and Pekah Cap. 8. v. 3. And âsaiah himself was for signes and wonders either as he was a Prophet and so uttered words which signified things to come or because of the Miracles which were done by him in confirmation of what he foretâld as 2 Kings 20.11 Or because be took his Sons with him by Gods command when he went to prophesie and so prophesied by them as Cap. 7.3 Or because by his habit and going and gesture he signified things which should be as Cap. 20. v. 3. The Children which God hath given me Isai h might well say the Children which God hâââ given mee For the Children which he begat he begat by the precept of the Lord who directed him in his marriage c. In Israel i. e. Among the Jewes which were the Children of Jacob who was called Israel From the Lord of Hosts i. e. Given of or sent from the Lord of Hosts to his People to be signes and wonders to them Which dwelleth in Mount Sion God was said to dwell in Mount Sion because his Temple was built there which was his house and in which he was said to dwell Compare Exodus 25. v. 8. and 29. v. 45. with 1 Kings 8. v. 27. God was said to dwell in his Tabernacle first and then in his Temple afterwards not because he was there circumscribed but because of his speciall manifestation of himself in those places Note that Isaiah and his children mentioned here in this verse were a Type of Christ and of the faithfull which God gave him as Children as appeareth Heb. 1. v. 13. For as Isaiah and his Children did rely upon God when the Syrians and Israelites were joyned together to consume Judah So did Christ and the faithful which God gave him as Children put their trust in God when the Jewes and the Romanes were set on fire to destroy them 19 And when they shall say unto you q. d. And when you are in any distresse because of Rezin and Pekah and your brethren which are wicked shall say unto you c. Here is either a Relative put without an Antecedent or else They shall say is put impersonally for when it shall be said unto you These words are spoken in the person of God to the Prophet and they relate to those words of the eleventh Verse The Lord spake unto me c. q. d. The Lord spake thus unto me saying Say ye not a confederacie to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacie c. And thus when they shall say unto you seek unto them which have familiar spirits c. Seek unto them which have familiar spirits and to Wizards Viz. That you may know by them what will be the event and successe of
a Syllepsis understand this of the time past as well as of the present time For he saith And he saith For is put here for And. He saith Subaudi concerning Hierusalem which I will not have destroyed or overcome The Lord proveth here by a particular Argument that Sennacharib did not what he did in order to His Commands and in subordination to him For Sennacharib boasted that he would overcome Hierusalem which God gave him no command to do but onely to vex it Are not my Princes altogether Kings i. e. Are not the Captaines and chief Commanders of my Army all of them Kings and therefore able to subdue Hierusalem By Princes he meaneth the Captaines and Chief Commanders of his Army Sennacherib speakes this proudly as one who acknowledge no Superiour and therefore did not execute the Counsels of God as they were Gods counsels And he speakes it as though by his own power not by Gods he did what he did and as though his power were irresistable and such as Hierusalem in particular was not able to withstand So How wilt thou turne away the face of one Captaine of the least of my Masters servants said Rabshake to Hezekiah in the name of Sennacherib 2 King Chap. 18. v. 24. 9. Is not Calno as Carchemish q. d. Have I not brought Calno under me aswell as Carchemish Calno was a City standing upon Euphrates nere unto Babylon Gen 10. v. 10. and so was Carchemish 2 Chron. 35.20 Is not Hamah as Arphad q. d. Have I not subdued Hamah aswell as Arphad Hamah was a City of Syria not farre from Damascus See Gen. Chap. 10. vers 18. Arphad also was a City of Syria not farre from Damascus Jer. Chap. 49. v. 23. Is not Samaria as Damascus q. d. Have I not vanquished Samaria aswell as Damascus Samaria was the chief City of Israel and Damascus of Syria 10. As my hand hath found the Kingdomes of the Idols c. i. e. As I have subdued and gotten the Kingdomes of the Idols c. The hand is put here for the whole man by a Synechdoche And to find for to subdue conquer and get by force perhaps by a Metaphor from him which findeth a birds nest with eggs or young ones of which see vers 14. The Kingomes of the Idols By Idols he meanes here petty Idols and petty Gods such as were not to be compared with the Sun For otherwise the kingdome of the Assyrians was an Idolatrous kingdome for they worshipped the Sun and the Images of the Sunne and the Starrs And whose graven Images did excell them of Hierusalem and Samaria i. e. And these Kingdomes whose graven Images which they worshipped did excell the graven Images which Hierusalem and Samaria worship And so were more likely to protect the Kingdomes which worshipped them than the Images which Hierusalem and Samaria worship are to protect them 11. Shall I not as I have done unto Samaria c. Between this and the tenth verse there is a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã i. e. A Defect or Gapp to be made up thus q d. So it hath already found out Samaria and it shall ere long find out Hierusalem For shall I not as I have done to Samaria and her Idols so do to Hierusalem and her Idols Shall I not as I have done to Samaria and her Idols c. It appeareth from hence that though Salmaneser vanquished Samaria yet Samaria did afterwards strengthen herself and rebell against Sennacherib Hierusalem and her Idols Samaria was full of Idols And because the ten Tribes whose Metropolis was Samaria and the Jewes whose Metropolis was Hierusalem were descended from the same Ancestors it might make Sennacherib to think that Hierusalem had her Idols to worship aswell as Samaria Or because Sennacherib might hear of the Idols of Ahaz King of Judah the Father of Hezekiah he might think that Hezekiah and Hierusalem had their Idols to worship aswell as Ahaz In that Sennacherib intended to subdue Hierusalem to himself as he had done Samaria and other places it sheweth as I said that he did not what he did in obedience to Gods will but onely to satisfie his own covetousnesse and ambition For though the Lord sent Sennacherib to distresse Hierusalem with his Armie yet he sent him not to vanquish it and subdue it to himself 12. Wherefore it shall come to passe q. d. Because Sennacherib thus vaunteth and thus doth therefore it shall come to passe c. The Prophet from the eighth verse hitherto did personate Sennacherib King of Assyria by a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Here he speakes again in the Person of God When the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Sion and on Hierusalem i. e. When I the Lord have done what I intended to doe to Sion and Hierusalem by Sennacherib King of Assyria That is when Sennacharib hath besiedged Hierusalem with his Army and straightened it and vexed it as much as I the Lord think fit c. The Lord speaketh here of himself in the third person Mount Sion This signifieth the same as Hierusalem For Mount Sion was part of Hierusalem and was within the walls thereof and the part is often put for the whole I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria q. d. I the Lord will punish Sennacharib King of Assyria for this his vaunting and boasting This vaunting and boasting did proceed from the pride of Sennacharibs heart as fruit doth from the Tree Therefore the Prophet calls it the fruit of his stout heart Note here the confusion of Persons where the Third and the First Person are confounded in the same sentence And the glory of his high lookes i. e. And his high looks which he thinks to be a grace and glory to him The Prophet useth an Ironie here 13. For he saith i. e. For Sennacherib King of Assyria saith He addeth other reasons here why he will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria By the strength of mine hand i. e. By mine own strength and power The hand is put here for the whole person by a Synechoche And by his strength is meant his power and valour I have done it i. e. I have found and subdued the Kingdomes of the Idols c. and done what I have done He ascribeth that here to himself which was due onely to God and theâefore he did not act any thing in all this in obedience to God Note that this Pronoune I is to be read here and in the next Verse with an Emphasis as if he should say I have done it and I have been beholding to none but to my self in doing it c. I have removed the bounds of the People i. e. I have by mine own strength and wisedome brought these Kingdomes which were distinct and several and which used their own several Laws and Customes which were as distinct and several bounds to them into mine own power to be
the Land by an Hebraisme for in the Land 24. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Hosts c. This relateth to the 20. and 21. verse where the Prophet saith that a Remnant shall return For because a Remnant shall return he comforteth the Inhabitants of Sion and wisheth them not to be afraid of Sennacherib King of Assyria and his forces q. d Being therefore that a Remnant shall returne thus saith the Lord God of Hosts O my people that dwellest in Sion be not afraid of the Assyrians c. But you will say what comfort is it to the Inhabitants of Sion more than to any other that a Remnant shall return Answ If a remnant shall returne a remnant shall be saved to return and that remnant which was saved were they which were in Hierusalem at this time For they and they onely of all the Land were safe from Sennacherib That dwellest in Sion i. e. That dwellest in Hierusalem Sion is put here by a Synecdoche for Hierusalem Be not afraid of the Assyrian i. e. Though Sennacherib the Assyrian doth besiege thee and vex thee yet be not afraid of him He shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his staffe against thee after the manner of Aegypt i. e. He shall vex thee and oppresse thee indeed with Taxes and Tributes and with a siege as the Aegyptians did thy fore-fathers By the Rod and the Staffe is meant in generall any kind of Oppression and Vexotion by a Metonymie and a Synecdoche And by Aegypt is meant by a Metonymie the Aegyptians the people of Aegypt Yet Note that the Prophets meaning is not that Sennacherib vexed them and oppressed them after the same special manner as the Aegyptians vexed and oppressed their fore-fathers but onely after the same manner in generall For yet a little while i. e. But after a little while For for But as it is often in the old Testament The indignation Supple which I conceive against you and for which I have sent the Assyrians to vex you And mine anger Supple towards you In their destruction i. e. In that destruction of the Assyrians which vex and oppresse you The sence is q. d. After a little while I will be appeased with you and my fury shall breake out against them and destroy them which vex you 26. And the Lord of Hosts i. e. For the Lord of Hosts And for For. Note here the Enallage of the person from the first to the third Shall stir up a scourge for him i. e. Shall raise up a scourge for the Assyrians to whip them out of thy Land Note here the Enallage of the Number which hath been charged thrice in these three last verses By this scourge he meaneth Metaphorically the Angel which scourged yea destroyed fourscore and five thousand of the Army of the Assyrians 2 Kings 19. c. upon the seeing and hearing of which the rest which escaped took their heels and fled According to the slaughter of Midian q. d. Yea he shall slay him according to the slaughter of Midian i. e. Yea he shall make a slaughter among them like to the slaughter which he made among the Midianites of which see Judges Chap. 7. v. 22. Midian the Father of the Midianites is put here by a Metonymie for the Midianites themselves The slaughter of the Assyrians and the Midianites were alike in these respects First that as the hand of God was seen in the slaughter of the Midianites so it was in the slaughter of the Assyrians Secondly that as the Midianites were slaine without losse of any of the Israelites so were the Assyrians without any losse of the men of Judah and Hierusalem Thirdly that as the whole Army of the Midianites was over-thrown so was the whole Army of the Assyrians Fourthly that as the Midianites were overthrown on a suddaine when their thoughts were at the highest so were the Assyrians At the Rock Oreb The Rock Oreb was scituate in the Tribe of Ephraim and was called the Rock Oreb because Oreb one of the Princes of the Midianites was slaine there Judges 7. v. 25. And as his Rod was upon the Sea i. e. And as he smote the Red Sea with his rod by the hand of Moses and made it return to his strength and over-flow the Aegyptians in the middest thereof when they were pursueing after the Israelites thorow it Exod. 14. v. 26 27. So shall he lift it up Supple Against the Assyrians and overthrow them After the manner of Aegypt i. e. As he did lift it up against the Aegyptians at the Red Sea and over-threw them Aegypt is taken here for the Aegyptians the Countrey for the Men thereof Note that after the manner of Aegypt signifieth otherwise here than it did vers 24. For there of Aegypt was Genitivus Efficientis here it is Genitivus Patientis Note that though the Assryrians were overthrown and destroyed but one way yet the Prophet describes it many wayes in allusion to many overthrowes and destructions which God hath wrought upon the enemies of Israel For the Hebrews use to expresse like things by like and one victory and destruction and desolation by another as was observed Cap. 4.5 Sometimes by this sometimes by that 26. That his burthen i. e. That the Burden which Sennacherib layes upon your shoulders And his yoak i. e. And the yoak which he hath put upon your neck By Sennacherib's burden and yoak he meaneth the Tributes Taxes Siedge and other vexations with which he vexed the Jewes and especially the men of Hierusalem which vexations were to them as heavy as a burden is to the shoulder of the Porter or to the back of the Beast and as grievous as the yoak to the neck of the Heifer The affliction with which the Aegyptians afflicted the Israelites in Aegypt is also likened to a yoak Levit. 26. v. 13. And to a burden Exod. 1.11 and 66. and Psal 81. v. 6. To which happily the Prophet here alludes From off thy shoulder He useth an Apostrophe to the people of Judah Because of the annointing i. e. Because of the King namely King Hezekiah whom the Lord will favour and for whose sake he will doe this The annointing is put here for the annointed an Abstract for a Concrete per Metonymiam adjuncti And by the annointing or annointed he meaneth the King and it commeth so to signifie because the King of Israel and Judah were wont to be annointed with oyle at their taking upon them the kingly office 28. He is come to Aiah i. e. Sennacherib is come to Aiah Here is a Relative without an Antecedent yet the Antecedent is easie to be understood Aiah was the Region in which Ai stood Josh 8. It was in the Tribe of Benjamin neer Bethel and Bethaven What the Prophet speakes here he speakes in the Person of a Messenger or Scout which was sent to learn Sennacharibs motion who brings word thereof to the King which sent him The Prophet hereby describeth the marches
Shepheards and their dogs And I will kill thy root But I will kill thy principall men O Palestina with famine He puts And for But And by the root he meaneth the principall men by a Metaphor from a tree whose principall part is the root He speakes here in the person of God And he shall slay thy remnant i. e. And Hezekiah shall slay with the sword those that escape the famine By He he meaneth the Cockatrice and fiery flying Serpent that is Hezekiah whom he signifieth by those Metaphors 31. Howle O Gate q. d. Lament ye Cityes of the Philistines or Palestina for the miseries which shall come upon you He saith howle for lament by a Metaphor from doggs and wolves which howle and make a dolefull noise He saith O Gate for O ye Cityes or O ye which inhabite the Cityes of Palestina where first he puts a Gate for Gates A Singular for a Plural number Then by Gates he meaneth the Townes and Cityes which have Gates by a Synechdoche Then by the Townes and Cityes he meaneth the Inhabitants of those Townes or Cityes by a Metonymie Thou whole Palestina art dissolved i. e. All ye Inhabitants of Palestina shall faint and melt away with fear By Palestina he meaneth the Inhabitants of Palestina by a Metonymie And he saith that they are dissolved for they shall be dissolved after a Prophetique way Putting a Praeterperfect tense for a Future And he saith ye shall be dissolved or melted as he said and every mans heart shall melt Cap. 13.7 The Notes upon which place see For the Phrase and Metaphor is the same with this There shall come from the North a smoak By this Smoak he meaneth either Hezekiah whom he signifieth by smoak because as smoak is quick in its motion and hurteth the eyes So Hezekiah was quick in his expedition against the Philistines and was very hurtfull to them and did sore vex them Or by this smoak he meaneth a great Armie of the men of Judah marching against the Philistines by a Metonymie For great Armies in their march raise a dust which is seen a farre off like a Cloud or Smoak From the North. i e. From Judaea or the land of Judah which lay North of Palestina or the land of the Philistines But did not Palestina or the land of the Philistines lye West of Judaea or the land of Judah Cap. 11.14 How then is it here said that the land of Judah or Judaea lay North of the land of the Philistines or Palestina Answer Palestina did neither lie directly West nor directly South from Judaea but between the South the West points So that to speak without exactnesse and as they commonly speak it might indifferently be said to lye either South or West of Judaea and Judaea North or East of that And none shall be alone i. e. And none shall separate himself and abide apart from the rest of his brethren the Jewes but all shall march together as one man with one mind against Palestina He seemeth here to allude to a stragling sheep which separates herself from the flock and keeps alone In his appointed times i. e. In the times which Hezekiah shall appoint for a muster or for his expedition against Palestina By his times he meaneth the times of Hezekiah who was signified above by a Cockatrice and fiery flying Serpent that is the times which Hezekiah should appoint for his Armies mustering or marching Not his times who should be appointed to muster or march at such times 32. What shall one then answer the messenger of the Nation q. d. And at that time the Nation of the Philistines shall send Messengers or Embassadors into the Land of Judah to Hezekiah to make peace with him and his people and shall plead hard for peace putting Hezekiah and his People in mind of the uncertainty of warre but when they shall speak of the uncertainty of warre what Answer shall be given them What shall one then answer c. i. e. And what Answer shall be given them And seems to be left here to be understood Of the Nation i. e. Of the Nation of the Philistines That the Lord hath founded Zion i. e. To the messengers of the Nation i. e. Of the Philistines that shall come to entreat a peace and put Hezekiah and his People in mind of the uncertainty of warrs that thereby they may obtaine a peace This Answer shall be given Viz. That the Lord hath founded Zion The Lord hath founded Zion i e. The Lord hath given Zion a promise of certaine victory By Zion and Hill a part of Hierusalem is meant Hierusalem it self by a Synechdoche And by Hierusalem are meant the Inhabitants of Hierusalem by a Metonymie and by the Inhabitants of Hierusalem which were but part of the Inhabitants of Judah all the men or Inhabitants of Judah are meant by a farther Synechdoche And by the Inhabitants of Judah the hope of these men by another Metonymie God is said to found Zion that is to settle or build the hopes of Zion upon a sure foundation Because he gave her his promise upon which she built her hope as upon a firme foundation And the poor of his people i. e. And his poor People the Jewes which now are in a low and a poor condition This Phrase the poor of his people is like that of Saint Paul's the signe of Circumcision Rom. 4.11 For as the signe of Circumcision is no more than this Circumcision which is a signe So the poor of his people is no more than this his people which are poor Shall trust in it i. e. Shall trust in that foundation i. e. In that promise and build their hopes upon it The Antecedent Viz. Foundation which is the Antecedent to this Relative It is not formally and plainly here expressed But yet it may be plainly understood from the fore-going words The foundation which is here meant is as I said Gods Promise made to the poor Jewes of certaine Victorie over the Philistines upon which Promise the Jewes did rely and build their hope as it were a Superstructure upon a sure Foundation and therefore would not hearken to their mortall Enemies the Philistines when they desired peace by their Embassadors and pleaded for it by arguments fetcht from the uncertainty of warre The Promise that the Jewes should prevaile over the Philistines is contained in the 29 and 30 Verses of this Chapter ISAIAH CHAP. XV. THE burden of Moab What is meant by the burden here learn from Chap. 13. vers 1. Moab is put here for the Moabites the the Father for the Children Moab was the Sonne of Lot which he had by his eldest daughter Gen. 19. v. 36.37 Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste Here is somewhat to be understood Viz. Howle or lament ye Moabites So that the full sentence is this Howle O ye sonnes of Moab because Ar of Moab shall be laid waste in the night In the night That is suddainly and
because they were accounted wise and Politique would be accounted wise and politique too Ancient Kings The Egyptians boasted much of their Antiquity and the antiquity of their Kings Where are they where are thy wise men q. d. Where are they which brag thus of their wisdome He useth an Apostrophe here to the King And let them tell thee now and let them know what the Lord of Hosts hath purposed Here is an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or a transposition of sentences The Order is this let them know what the Lord hath purposed upon Egypt and let them tell thee now And the sence is this Let them hearken to me and let them know what the Lord of Hosts hath purposed to do upon Egypt and when they know let them tell thee I pray what course thou wert best to take to avoid what he hath purposed The first And is here Redundant When he saith let them tell thee now It is as if he should say let them tell thee I pray and the words are spoken with a Sarcasme That a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or a transposition of Sentences is not unusuall in Scripture see Chap. 28. vers 1. and Hebrews Chap. 2. v. 9. Note that what the Prophet speakes here to the King of Zoan i. e. to one of the eleven Kings of Egypt which expelled Psammitichus and his Counsellours must be understood of the King of Noph also and of all other the Kings of Egypt which reigned at that time and their Counsellors as spoken to them also 13. The Princes of Zoan are become fools The Prophet speakes this as though he had heard what Counsell the Princes or State-Counsellours of the severall Kings of Egypt had given to their respective Kings when he had told them what the Lord of Hosts had purposed to do upon Egypt The Counsell which these Counsellors gave every one to his King was to look to his own one in this and another in that manner They never thought or advised that the eleven Kings should joyne together in one as one against Psammttichus So whilst every one fought singlie in his own defence they were at length all overcome by their common enemy The Princes of Noph are deceivd i. e. The State-Counsellors of the King of Noph are deceived in their Counsels giving that for good counsell to their King which is pernicious Noph was a famous City in Egypt called once Memphis now Grand Cairo By the Princes of Noph he meaneth the State-Counsellors of one of the eleven Kings of Egypt Viz. that King who had Noph in his Kingdome where the board of this Councell was And what he saith of the Counsellors of this King must be understood of the Counsellors of all the other Kings of Egypt also They have also seduced Egypt q. d. Not onely men of the common sort but they also who are of the Grandees and Oracles of the land have seduced the Egyptians by giving unto them pernicious Counsell Even they that are the stay of the Tribes thereof i. e. Even the Princes and Counsellors which are by their places the stay of the respective Kingdomes in which they live even they have seduced the Kingdomes in which they lived by their Counsels and brought them to ruine The stay These Princes are called the stay of their Countrey because they are so by their places and should be so by their Actions and Counsels Note that this word stay is a Mâtaphoricall word of which Chap. 3.1 Of the Tribes i. e. Of the severall divisions or severall Kingdomes of Aegypt 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the middest thereof i. e. The Lord hath mingled folly with the drink in Egypt and hath made the Princes and state-Counsellours of Egypt to drink thereof I said verse 3. that the Hebrewes call any habit or quallity or act of the mind be it good or bad by the name of Spirit by reason whereof he puts a perverse spirit here for folly and he calls it a perverse spirit because it was contrary to sound counsell When he saith the Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the middest thereof he compareth the perverse spirit either to some poyson or to some intoxicating drink which is mingled with ordinary drink and he would have us by mingling of this perverse spirit to understand also that the Lord gave the Princes and state-Counsellors of Egypt the Cup which he mingled with that perverse spirit and made them to drink of it For they which mingle a Cup after that manner mingle it that it may be drunk The meaning of this place is that the Lord had infatuated the Counsels of the Princes and State-Counsellors of Aegypt And they have caused Egypt to erre in every word thereof That is and they to wit the Princes of Zoan and the Princes of Noph the stay of the Tribes of Egypt being made drunk with the Cup of this perverse spirit have made the common Egyptians which were ready to do what they advised them to to erre in whatsoever they did as if they were drunk also with the same Cup. To erre in every work To erre in the work which they undertake signifieth here to run to and fro backward and forward and to be very busie in a work but so as that they cannot get out of it or bring it to a good end That this is the meaning of these words both the next words the verse next following shew As a drunken man staggereth in his vomit A drunkard in his drunkennesse being not able to stand falls down upon the ground where he disgorgeth his filthy stomack From whence while he strives to rise he staggers and falls back againe into his beastlie vomite and thus doth he often strive to rise and often staggers and falls back againe into his vomit which the Prophet calls staggering in his vomit This place might hapily seem more plain if it had been thus rendered And they have caused Egypt to stagger in every work thereof as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit 15. Nither shall there be any worke for Egypt i. e. Neâther shall there be any work which shall be profitable for Aegypt Which the head or taile branch or rush may do i. e. Which the highest or the lowest strongest or the weakest shall be able to perfect or bring to passe q. d. none of all the Egyptians shall be able to do that which is profitable for their wellfare Concerning those Metaphoricall words The head or taile branch or rush See Cap. 9.14 May do i e. Can do 16. In that day i. e. At that time in which God shall afflict the land of Judah by Sennacherib Here is a Relative put without an Antecedent And this is the beginning of a new Sermon Shall Egypt be like unto women i. e. The Egyptians shall be very much afraid and in that like women for women are naturally timerous and fearfull Because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of Hosts which he
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 Hâbrews 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 Languâge 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 Hebrâws 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 âod 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
the middest of the land q. d. And these three shall be blessed yea even a blessing in the middest of the land an Ellipsis A blessing when the Abstract blessing is put for the Concrete blessed after the manner as it is here put and used it signifieth exceeding blessed In the middest of the land The middest of the Land is put Periphrastically for the Land And by the Land is understood the Earth in generall Or the Land in which each of these three the Assyrians Egyptians and the Israelites dwelt in particular 25. Whom the Lord of Hosts shall blesse saying c. He gives a reason here why he said that they should be a blessing which reason is because God should blesse them saying c. Saying blessed be Egypt c. Dei benedicere est benefacere Who God saith is blessed is blessed and happy indeed made happy and blessed by God's word Aegypt my people Aegypt is put here for the Aegyptians whom God calleth his People because at this time many Aegyptians did worship God truely See verse 18 19 20. c. And Assyria the work of my hands By Assyria he meaneth the Inhabitants of Assyria by a Metonymie And these he calleth the works of his hands because he had made them so great a nation as they were And Israel mine inheritance By Israel are meant the Children of Israel which God calleth His Inheritance because he took them to be a Peculiar people to himself Deut. 14. vers 2. ISAIAH CHAP. XX. IN the yeare that Tartan came unto Ashdod c. Tartan was one of Sennacheribs Captaines 2 Kings 18.17 Ashdod was a Towne or Citie of the Philistines in which Dagon had a Temple 1 Sam. 5.1 By the comming of Tartan unto Ashdod is meant his comming to besiege Ashdod whom Sennacherib his Master sent thither for that purpose At this time Ashdod as it is probable was under the Power of Hezekiah King of Judah 2 Kings 18.8 to which Tribe it did of right belong Josh 15.47 When Sargon King of Assyria When Sennacherib King of Assyria for the Kings of Assyria were wont to have many names Sent him Supple Against it to besiege it 2. At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the Sonne of Aâos saying Note that these words are suspended here and taken up againe in the third verse For what the Lord spake by Isaiah the Sonne of Amos is not here set downe but it is set downe in the third verse after those words And the Lord said Go and loose the Sackcloth from off thy loines Note here that thâse words God spoke not by Isaiah but to Isaiah and upon occasion of those words which he spoke to Isaiah and Isaiah's doing according to them He spoke by Isaiah to the men of Judah and Jerusalem that which followeth in the next verse So that those words namely At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the Sonne of Amos saying are suspended as I said untill the third verse And here ye must understand these or the like words For the Lord had said to Isaiah q. d. For the Lord had said to Isaiah Go and loose the Sackcloth from off thy loines Loose the Sackcloth from off thy loines He speakes thus not because they wore this Sackcloth only about their loines for their whole Garment was of Sackcloth but because this Garment of Sackcloth being a loose Garment was girded about them with a Girdle which they wore upon their loines The Sackcloth This Sackcloth was made of Camels haire or the like Sackcloth doth often signifie in Scripture a mourning Garment and so some take it to signifie in this place saying that Isaiah mourned at this time because of the Miserie and Captivitie of the ten Tribes of Israel which were carried away by Salmanezer but others thinke that it signifies such a garment as the Prophets did usually wear For Prophets were wont to weare Sackcloth which was made of haire Zach. 13.4 Such a one did Elias weare 2 Kings 1.8 And such a one did John Baptist weare Matth. 3.4 Naked It is not to be thought that the Prophet walked about starke naked but onely that he walked without his Sackcloth though he wore a lower Garment or a Shirt The Prophet therefore was naked only secundum quid and when he saith that he was naked he useth a Synecdoche Integri putting naked which properly signifieth to be destitute of all Clothes for being without some certaine Clothes this same word is used after the same manner 1 Sam. 19.24 By this His walking naked and bare-foot the Prophet might well signifie the Captivitie of the Egyptians and Ethiopians for Captives used to be stript of their uppermost Garments by the Conquerors and left in their poor under Clothes yea and they were often taken away too and worse were given they to weare 3. And the Lord said Here the Prophet resumeth those words viz. At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the Sonne of Amos saying c. verse 2. q. d. But as I said At that time spake the Lord by Isaiah the Sonne of Amos saying Like as my Servant Isaiah c. This is that which the Lord spake at the time aforesaid by Isaiah the Sonne of Amos. For a signe and a wonder upon Egypt and Ethiopia i. e. For a Signe of what shall come upon the Egyptians and the Ethiopians A wonder This word Wonder is here of the same signification with the word Signe 4. So i. e. According to that signe and in the same habit and fashion viz. naked and bare-foot yea in a farre worse fashion and habit So shall the King of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners and the Ethiopians Captives The King of Assyria here spoken of was Esarhaddon who was Vice-Roy or Deputy-King in his father Sennacheribs absence and ruled in Assyria as King while Sennacherib was waging warre against the Jewes in the Land of Judah Or we may take this King for Sennacherib himself for that a King may be said to do which he doth by his Deputies or Ministers The Ethopians which he here speaks of were they which marched along with Tirakah their King against Assyria 2 Kings 19.9 And the Egyptians were they which joyned themselves with the Ethiopians in that expedition Even with their buttocks uncovered i. e. Even with short Garments that shall not be long enough to cover their buttocks and privie members To the shame of Egypt To have the buttocks and privie parts naked and uncovered causeth shame in any people which have any thing of civilitie in them What is here spoken of Egypt or the Egyptians may be understood also of Ethiopia or the Ethiopians 5. And they shall be afraid i. e. Those Jewes which trusted in the Ethiopians and Egyptians for help against Sennacherib King of Assyria shall be afraid Supple of Sennacherib and his Armie He puts here an Antecedent without a Relative as though he pointed at them of whom he spoke and he speakes especially
made account that as the Assyrians had vanquished all places that they fought against so they would vanquish Jerusalem therefore they thought to rejoyce whilst they might and to recompence the shortness of their life with the fill they intended to take in pleasure 14. And it was revealed Therefore it was revealed And for Therefore It was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts q. d. This which followeth was spoken by the Lord of Hosts in my hearing saying The Prophet speaks here in his own person This iniquity That is this iniquity which is mentioned v. 11 12 13. Shall not be purged from you i. e. Shall not be forgiven you He alludes to the legal purgations for expiation of offences Till ye dye That is so long as ye live for plagues shall follow you after plagues and miserie after miserie and cross after cross to your dying day It may be objected against what is here said that the Prophet saith that the Inhabitants of Jerusalem which shall be in Jerusalem when Sennacheribs Army besiegeth it shall be forgiven their iniquities Cap. 33.24 How therefore doth he here say That their iniquities shall not be purged from them For answer to this see notes on cap. 33.24 15. Thus saith the Lord God of Hosts Supple to me Isaiah Here beginneth a new Sermon or at least a new matter Vnto this Treasurer i. e. Unto this man which is the Treasurer of the Kings Treasure Even to Shebna This Shebna was not that Shebna of which we read Cap. 36.22 but another though of the same name Which is over the house Supple Of the King to govern and rule all the Kings family It is believed that the reason why the Lord denounced that which is here written against Shebna was because Shebna distrusting the providence of God and his Word concerning Judah when Salmaneser was depopulating and destroying the Ten Tribes thought it best for the men of Judah to send to Salmaneser and to render themselves to him lest otherwise he should come and destroy them as he had done the men of the Kingdom of Israel and to this he would have perswaded the men of Judah and Jerusalem 16. What hast thou here i. e. What Land of inheritance hast thou here No stranger which was not of the seed of Jacob could by right inherit or possess any of that Land which was given to the sons of Jacob. And whom hast thou here i. e. And whom hast thou here of kin to thee q. d. Thou hast no inheritance here nor hast thou any kinred here for thou art a stranger as Doeg was 1 Sam. 21.7 therefore thou shouldst not have made thee such a magnificent sepulcher here as thou hast made It seemeth that Shebna being of great honor in the Kings Court in his life-time was desirous of a glorious and magnificent Monument in or neer to Jerusalem after his death but knowing that the wills of the dead are not so punctually performed as they intended would make himself such a Monument while he himself was living a Monument too too glorious and magnificent for him considering what he was by birth a stranger and a stranger of base parentage as is thought though his wit and natural parts raised him That thou hast hewed thee out a sepulcher here i. e. That thou hast caused so magnificent and glorious a sepulcher to be hewn out for thee here out of a Rock in such an eminent place Here i. e. In or about Jerusalem the chief City of the Land As he that heweth himself a sepulcher on high i. e. As a King or some great man of the Land who causeth his sepulcher to be hewn out of some eminent rock And that graveth c. This is a repetition of the former sentence and from these two sentences I guess that among the men of Judah ordinary men had their sepulchers ordinarily on the plain ground but the Kings and Nobles and great men had their sepulchers in eminent rocks and places That graveth i. e. That heweth or cutteth out or causeth to be hewed or cut out An habitation i. e. A sepulcher For a sepulcher is as an house or place of habitation to the dead For himself Supple To dwell in when he is dead In a rock Whereof there were many in Judah 17. Behold the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity q. d. It seemeth by thy hewing out for thy self such a sepulcher in or neer to Jerusalem that thou believest that as thou livest here so thou shalt dye here but behold the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity he will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large Country and there shalt thou dye With a mighty captivity So that thou shalt not escape out of their hands which carry thee away captive And will surely cover thee i. e. And then he will clothe thee with a witness To cover signifieth here to clothe Shebna was at this time adorned with a robe of honor a robe befitting the chiefest man in the Kings Court vers 21. A long robe which happily had a long train appendant to it in which Shebna did pride himself and with which he was puffed up above all that were in the Kings Court. The sence therefore is q. d. Thou art now clothed with a robe of honor and a long robe with a train appendant to it which makes thee proud and high-minded but then when the Lord shall carry thee away captive he shall clothe thee with a witness for he shall clothe thee as captives are clothed that is with base and ragged garments and garments of disgrace garments which shall scarce cover thy buttocks and that shall pull down thy proud and haughty minde But yet it may be that it is not this robe which the Prophet jerks at but some mantle or covering which Shebna out of his pride and stateliness might use which might be gorgeous and as rich as could be bought or made for the matter of it and unusual and altogether affected for the fashion of it These words And will surely cover thee are to be read as it were with a parenthesis and were occasioned by that word captivity going next before them For captives used to wear clothes so short as would scarce cover their buttocks See cap. 20.4 18. He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large Country q. d. As a ball is tossed to and fro in play and is easily struck or banded afar off so shalt thou be tossed to and fro and shalt be carryed away afar off into a large Country Captives are tossed to and fro from one place to another and delivered from one hand to another as the Army marches or as their Convoy are employed in service now one way now another Violently i. e. This signifieth that they shall drive Shebna before them perhaps with knocks and blows as hard-hearted Soldiers drive their prisoners which draw back or are
to the heat and God to a shadow for as the shadow of a Cloud or an house or Tent or Tree doth defend a Traveller from the scorching heat of the Sun in hot Countries so did God defend the Jews in Hierusalem from the fierce anger and fury of the Assyrians When the blast of the terrible onâs i. e. When the fury of the Assyrianâ c. The Assyrians were at this time terrible to all that dwelt about them especially to the men of Judah and Hierusalem whose fury and anger against them and their City He compares to a blast of winde which is violent for the time bât yet it was but as a blaât and for a time because God soon brought it to an end As a storm i. e. Was as a violent and fierce storm for a storm though it be there yet it is fierce and violent Is for Was. Against the wall i. e. Against the walls of his City to wit Hierusalem which thâ Assyrians desired to ruine He saith Wall for Walls a singular for a plural number 5. Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers i. e. For thou shalt pull down and abate the wrath of the Assyrians By a noise he meaneth wrath per metonymiam effecti for angry men brawl and make a great noise and stir in their passion wherefore this is given as a sign of a meeke man that he doth not cry nor lift up nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets cap. 42.2 I conceive that this and that which followeth is not part of the Song but that the Prophet speaks this by way of prophecy to shew that the Jew in that day may justly and truly sing that Song or that part of the Song which is contained in the fourth verse for the matter thereof shall prove true And therefore I understand that causall Particle For in the beginning of this verse But if this be to be taken for part of the Song then is a future tense put here for a praeterperfect tense and the Tenses are here much confounded Of strangers They were accounted all strangers to the Hebrews which were not the Sonnes of Abraham Isaac and Jacob But he meanes not here any strangers in generall but the Assyrians in particular Per synecdochen Generis And the Assyrians were such strangers to the Jews as that the Jews understood not their Language Cap. 28.11 Cap. 33.19 As the heat in a drie place Supple is abated and brought down He speaks of the heat of the Sun which if it be excessive is grievous in all places but especially in a place of drought Even the heat Supple in a dry place By the shadow of a Cloud i. e. By a shadow caused by a Cloud He sheweth here how the heat of the Sun is abated or brought down The branch of the terrible ones i. e. The branches of the Assyrians He puts branch for branches a singular for a plurall number And by the terrible ones he meaneth the Assyrians as verse 4. This Genitive Case is a Genitive of Identity And therefore when he saith the branch or branches of the Assyrians it is as if he should say the Assyrians which I call branches because I compare them to the branches of a Tree see cap. 10.33 where he hath the same comparison Shall be brought low i. e. shall be cut down 6. And in this Mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a feast of all things c. The Mountain here meant is Mount Sion in Hierusalem the place where God dwelt What a mighty slaughter the Lord made of the Assyrianâ whân they besieged Jerusalem is well known 2 Kings 19.35 And what a joy it was to all the Neighbouring Nations to hear of this slaughter we may easily conceive because the Assyrians were mighty hunters and oppressors of men subduing all people which dwelt near unto them to themselves and making them their vassalls and tributaries that therefore the Prophet might express the joy which all people shoâld conceive at the slaughter which the Lord would make of the Assyrians about Jerusalem he doth by way of allegory make the Lord like the Master of a Feast inviting all people to his house to feed upon the flesh of their enemies which he would slay and to drink and make themsâlves merry with their blood which he would shed for feasts are to make them merry which are invited thereunto A feast of fat things i. e. A feast of fat Cattle as Rams and Lambs and Goats and Bullocks by which are metaphorically meant the Assyrians which God would then slay for those which God slaies in his wrath are often likened to fat Cattle as Cap. 34.6 Ezek. 39.18 A feast of wines on the Lees i. e. A feast in which there is variety and plenty of wine well setled and purged from the Lees or grounds He saith Wânes on or upon the Lees for wines purgâd from the Lees because as the wine growes clâaâ and is purged from the Lees the Lees fall to the bottom of the Vessel and so the wine is above the Lees. Well refined i. e. Well purâed There are a Repetition and exposition of those words Wines ân the Lees. As by fat things were metaâhorically meant the Assyrians which were slain so by wine on the Lees is meant the blood of the Assyrians which was shed in that slaughter 7. He will destroy in this Mountain the face of the covering cast over all people Here is an Hypallage in these words for he saith He will deâtroy the face of the Covering for he will destroy the covering of the face And by the Covering of the face he meaneth such a Covering as they were wont to weare over the face therewith to hide it Note that they which were heavy and sorrowfull were wont to cast a vail or covering over their faces in the time of their sorrow and heaviness as may appear 2 Sam. 15.30 19.4 and Hierem. 14.3 and Esther 6.12 Hence may the vail or covering of the face be taken Per metonymiam adjuncti to signifie sorrow and heaviness it self Wherefore when the Prophet saith that the Lord will destroy the face of the coverâng cast over all people his meaning is That he would take away sorrow and heaviness from all people by destroying the Assyrians which made all people which lived about them to droop and to be of a sorrowfull heart because of the cruelty and daily oppression which they used towards them The Lord is said to destroy the face of the covering of all people in Mount Sion because from thence he destroyed the Assyrians and thither he did invite them and there interteine all people Yet note that a singular number may be put for a plurall and Mountain for Mountains both in this and the former verse And then by the Mountains may be understood those Mountains about Hierusalem on which the Assyrians were slain by the Angell And the vail that is spread over all Nations This is
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 Haât 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
people i. e. For the Assyrians which are Lords of Babylon are a people c. Here is a Relative without an Antecedent Of no understanding The Assyrians are said to be a people of no understanding because they understood not that they were but Gods Instrument in punishing those which he would punish by them and therefore they did lift up themselves and think that what they did they did by their own power and wisdome c. And so they oppressed even the Lords people to their own ruine See Cap. 10. from verse 5. to verse 19. He that made them i. e. God who made them into so great and powerfull a Kingdom And he that formed them This is a repetition of the former sentence Note that these words making and forming are usually spoken of making and forming a man naturally in the womb or rather of making and forming a pot but our Prophet doth often use it metaphorically for the making and bringing of a people into one civill body Kingdom or Common-wealth 12. It shall come to passe in that day i. e. It shall come to passe at that time in which Babylon shall be thus wasted made desolate The Lord shall beat off from the channel of the River unto the stream of Egypt i. e. The Lord will by the hand of the Medes which shall wast Babylon make all that have any reference to the Assyrians and dwell between the River Euphrates and the River of Egypt to flee and leave their dwellings Shall beat off i. e. Shall drive away Supple from their dwellings This phrase is metaphoricall taken from Olives or other fruit which are beaten from their trees with cudgells c. From the channel of the River i. e. Them that dwell from the Channell of Euphrates c. To the stream of Egypt That is even to Nâlus And ye shall be gathered one by one i. e. And ye shal be carefully gathered together and brought safe into your own Land c. When the people which had relation to the Assyrians fled by reason of the Medes the Jews or Children of Israel which they had in captivity and bondage had occasion and opportunity to return into their own Land again These words are Metaphoricall and are taken from Olives or Apples or the like fruits which are gathered one by one and so laid up in some place appointed which Olives or Apples or other fruit so gathered last better then they which are beaten off or shook down from the tree and more care there is taken about such as are so gathered then there is about that which is beaten or shaken down He seems to oppose this gathering one by one to that beating off mentioned in this verse O ye Children of Israel Supple Which are or shall be captives to the Assyrians between this time and that 13. And it shall lome to passe in that day that the great Trumpet shall be blown Supple in Jerusalem And they shall come c. q. d. And it shall come to passe at that time at which the Lord shall beat off from their dwellings all that live from the Channel of the River to the stream of Egypt that it shall be with the Children of Israel as it is with Soldiers when the great Trumpet is blown for as when the great Trumpet is blown all the Souldiers gather themselves together so shall all the Children of Israel which were in captivity to the Assyrians or which were in exile in any place from Euphrates to the streame of Egypt retreat and return home and gather themselves together to Jerusalem The great Trumpet He saith the great Trumpet alluding to some great Trumpet waiting upon the Generall which was greater then those which did wait upon ordinary Captains or else he saith a Great Trumpet because a great Trumpet is heard farthest off and they dwelt farre off from Jerusalem even in Assyria and Egypt which were to hear it And they i. e. And they of the Children of Israel Shall come Into their own Land Which were ready to perish Through hard usage In the Land of Assyria Where they were Captives When the Assyrians were so hard put to it as that they were fain to flee themselves to save their lives their Slaves and Captives had opportunity to escape and return into their own Country again And the out-casts in the Land of Egypt i. e. Those of the Children of Israel which ran through fear for safety into Egypt when Salmaneser first and Sennacherib afterwards invaded the Land of Israel and were there as exiles from their own home shall come to their own home again That which brought these out-casts back out of Egypt was the report of those great things which the Lord had done for the Jews and the prosperity which he had given them in their own Land yet if any were in hard bondage in Egypt on this side Nilus they had opportunity to escape when all were beat off from the channel of the river to the stream of Egypt vers 12. And shall worship the Lord As they were wont In the Holy Mount i. e. In Mount Sion where the Temple stood i. e. In the Courts of the Temple ISAIAH CHAP. XXVIII WO to the crown of pride c. In this verse there is a great transposition of words and sentences which being ordred according to their construction run thus q. d. Wo to the crown of Pride whose glorious beauty is a fading flower To the Drunkards of Ephraim which are in the head of the fat vallies of them that are overcome with wine Wo to the Crown of Pride The Crown which he here speaks of was such a Crown or Garland of Roses and other fair flowers as Drunkards were wont to use and to wear upon their heads in their drinkings which crown he cals here a Crown of Pride that is a proud Crown by a Metaphor because of the beauty and gaynesse of it This was first invented and used by the Heathen and of them did the Israelites learn it Of Pride That is Proud or gay He puts here a Substantive of the Genitive case for an Adjective By this Crown he means those Drunkards of Ephraim of whom he here speaks and that either because they wore such a crown as the Heathen did in their drinkings or because as the Crown is wore upon the head so were they seated upon the head of the fat vallies To the Drunkards of Ephraim i. e. To the Drunkards of Israel He explains here what he meant by the Crown of pride Of Ephraim i. e. Of Israel or of the Ten Tribes How Ephraim comes to be taken for Israel or the Ten Tribes See Cap. 7. v. 2. Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower These words relate to those viz. The Crown of pride whose glorious beauty he saith is a fading flower because it was made of the flowers of the field or of the gardens which are fading by nature By this is signified that the estate of these
in saying We have made lyes our refuge and under falshood have we hid our selves he speaks rather as the Truth was and as he interpreted it then as they spoke for they would not have called their specious doings lyes and falsehood Note again that it is plain from hence that many which were in Jerusalem and they chief men too because they believed not the Word of the Lord spoken by Isaiah concerning the safeguard of Jerusalem when the Assyrians should come against Judah and because they feared the power of the Assyrians and thought that Jerusalem would not be able to stand out against it betook themselves to humane policy and leaving Jerusalem thought to comply with the Assyrians and to make their peace with them who nevertheless failed in their purpose and were destroyed when as they might have been safe if they had never stirred out of Jerusalem 16. Therefore thus saith the Lord God i. e. Yet thus saith the Lord God Take Therefore for Yet and put an emphasis upon the words The Lord God for he opposeth these to those words Because or Though ye have said Vers 15. q. d. Though ye have said c. yet thus saith the Lord c. Behold I lay in Sion c. q. d. Behold I lay indeed in Jerusalem a foundation for those which believe but yet I lay judgment to the line for the wicked which believe not c. This is the sence in brief of this and the following Verse Sion i. e. Jerusalem See cap. 1.8 I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation By the foundation and stone here mentioned may be meant the Word of Promise which God made to the inhabitants of Sion that is to the inhabitants of Jerusalem that notwithstanding the threatenings of the Assyrians they should be safe For as a house which is built upon a strong foundation is safe notwithstanding the blowing of the winds and the falling of the rain and the beating of the floods because it is founded upon a strong foundation So were as many safe as were in Jerusalem and relyed upon the Word of Promise which God made notwithstanding the fury and threatenings of the Assyrians because they relyed upon the Word of God which is as a sure foundation and which endureth for ever See the like Metaphor Cap. 14.32 Yet because in the second and more sublime sence this foundation is interpreted of Christ 1 Pet. 2.6 We may interpret and perhaps with more probability this of Hezekiah who as in other things and elsewhere he is a Type of Christ so may he be in this and here And Hezekiah may be said to be layd in Sion for a foundation because he was the foundation of safety against the Assyrians to all which remained in Jerusalem For God promised to save Jerusalem and all that kept themselves within her for his sake and he might be well called the foundation of that safety of which he was so principal a Cause by a Metaphor A stone He means such a stone which used to be layd for a foundation of a building which is great and durable A tryed stone i. e. A stone tryed and found fit for such an use as to lie for a foundation A precious corner stone i. e. A corner stone or chief stone of great worth And Hezekiah might be called a precious corner stone because of his great vertues In the Hebrew dialect the corner signifieth that part of a building which by its own strength alone sustaineth and upholdeth the whole structure Hence Magistrates and Princes which are the props and upholders of the Commonwealth are called the corners Judg. 20.2 1 Sam. 14.38 Isai 19.13 The corner stone therefore in the Hebrew phrase is as much as a sure foundation-stone So that all these words A stone a tryed stone a corner stone signifie but one and the same thing A sure foundation Hezekiah might be called a sure foundation because as a sure foundation cannot easily be shaken or overthrown so Hezekiah could not be shaken in his faith by the threats of the Assyrians nor could the Assyrians with all their power overthrow him or Jerusalem which God had given him by force of Arms. He that believeth Supple That which I say or that Promise which the Lord hath made Shall not make haste Shall not need to make haste or will not make haste Supple Out of Jerusalem to run into Egypt or Pathros or Cush or Elam or into any other far Country to save himself as many which believed not did at the hearing of Sennacheribs coming against Judah with a mighty Army nor will he make haste to comply with the Assyrians and make his peace with them as many others did but will abide in Jerusalem and shall be safe there What is spoken here of Hezekiah in the first sence is spoken of our Saviour Christ in the second and more sublime sence as appears 1 Pet. 2.6 and Rom. 9.33 For as we have often observed and shall often observe the temporal deliverance of the Jews was a type of the spiritual deliverance of the Christians As therefore the temporal deliverance of the Jews was a type of the spiritual deliverance of the Christians So they which were any way the cause of the temporal deliverance of the Jews were a type of Christ our Saviour so far forth as they were the causes of that temporal deliverance And the Holy Ghost while it speaks of them doth so order the words of the Scripture as that the same words which are spoke of them may oftentimes be applyed to Christ also yea oftentimes be more properly applyed to Christ then to them 17. Judgment also will I lay to the line q. d. But yet judgment also will I lay to the line and bring desolation and destruction upon you according as I have threatened you By judgment is here meant that desolation and destruction which God brought upon the men of Judah by Sennacherib and by the line is meant the threats of that judgment which God gave out by his Prophets by whom he threatened a great desolation and destruction of all in the Land of Judah excepting those which believed and were in Jerusalem onely Now as a Carpenter frames his Work to his Line so God saith here that he would bring his judgments to pass according to those his threats And righteousness to the Plummet This is a repetition of the former sentence And as by judgment he meant the desolation and destruction which the Lord brought upon the Land of Judah by Sennacherib so also doth he mean by righteousness And that desolation and destruction he calls judgment and righteousness per Metonymiam adjuncti because it was just and right and no other then the men of Judah deserved To the Plummet By the Plummet understand the line also to which the Plummet is appendent by a Syllepsis And the hail shall sweep the refuge of lyes The sence is q. d.
the fruitful field is here meant metaphorically the Jews which were besieged by the Assyrians in Jerusalem and by them distressed and brought into a very low condition for fruitful fields are in valleys and valleys lie very low By a forrest is meant determinately the forrest of Lebanon which was scituate on an Hill or at least some forrest which was scituate on high as the forrest of Lebanon was And by that or such a forrest is metaphorically meant an happy estate or condition a condition which is high and a great deal above misery a condition opposite to that which we call a low condition or else men which are in such an high condition So that the sence of this place is this q. d. And the Jews of Jerusalem when they are in their low condition through distress by the Assyrians shall be delivered from their distress and set up on high again in an happy estate or condition This was performed when the Angel destroyed the Assyrians which besieged Jerusalem 2 King 19.35 This phrase is used again in the same sence Cap. 32. Vers 15. 18. And in that day i. e. At that time in which Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field c. Shall the deaf hear the words of the book By the deaf he means those which are dull and slow of heart to believe the Prophecy which he spoke of and wrote in a book concerning the delivery of Jerusalem from the Assrians and the destruction of the Assyrians which did besiege it So that he speaks here Metaphorically translating the deafness of the body to a slowness of belief in the Soul By the words of the book he means the aforesaid Prophecy concerning the delivery of Jerusalem from the Assyrians and the Assyrians destruction which besieged Jerusalem which prophecy the Prophet wrote in a Book that they might take notice of it whom it concerned The sence of this place is q. d. Then shall even they which are slow of heart to believe this Prophecy believe it yea and know it to be trâe by the event And the eyes of the blinde shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness i. e. And they which are now blinde shall see clearly and plainly the truth of this Prophecy This is a repetition of the former sentence and whom he called deaf there he calls blinde here 19. The meek also shall increase their joy By the meek understand here those which submitted themselves to the Lord and readily believed the Vision or Prophecy and betook themselves for safety into and continued in Jerusalem And he calls these meek in opposition to those scorners which did not onely not believe the Prophecy but reject it with scorn of whom he speaks vers 20. See Iam. 1.21 These were said to encrease their joy at this time because they had joy before joy through the hope which they had by belief of this Prophecy and encrease of joy by the accomplishment of what they believed and hoped In the Lord i. e. By the Lord or by the goodness of the Lord towards them The poor among men By these he means those which were besieged in Jerusalem and distressed by the Assyrians who yet notwithstanding trusted in the Lord for deliverance Shall rejoyce in the holy One of Israel i. e. Shall rejoyce in the Lord who shall deliver them from the hand of the Assyrians By the holy One of Israel is meant the Lord the God of Israel 20. For the terrible One is brought to nought i. e. For the Assyrian which besieged and distressed those which were in Jerusalem shall be destroyed and Jerusalem delivered He calls the Assyrian the terrible One because he was terrible to all Nations which dwelt about him and especially to the Jews He puts a present or preterperfect for a future tense These words may be read with a Parenthesis And the scorner is consumed i. e. But the scorner shall be consumed He opposeth here the event which should befall the scorner to the event which should befall the meek and the poor which he spoke of vers 19. And is put here for But. By the scorner he meaneth those which would not believe this Prophecy or Vision concerning Jerusalems deliverance and the Assyrians destruction but scorned and mock'd the Prophet for prophecying of such things He may also allude to those scorners and mockers he spoke of Cap. 28. Vers 13 14 22. And all which watch for iniquity shall be cut off i. e. And they which watch to do the Prophet of the Lord a mischief shall be destroyed He puts iniquity for mischief because it is not done without sin in him that doth it He means by these also those which believed not the Vision or Prophecy whom he describes by their malice which was such as they did not onely not believe the Prophet but seek his ruine And these mens malice blinded their eyes that they could not see and believe 21. That make a man an offender for a word i. e. That sue a man and pursue him as an offender onely for speaking a word in the name of the Lord. The man whom they made an offender was the Prophets own self whom they pursued and accused as an offender because he prophecyed to them the Word of God but the Prophet speaks of himself in the third person out of modesty And lay a snare for him i. e. And seek to destroy him He useth a Metaphor here taken from Fowlers which lay a snare for birds which they would take to kill For him that reproveth By this Isaiah meaneth his own self who reproved those which believed not this and other his Prophecies and lessons and that openly as Cap. 28.7 9. In the gate i. e. In the gate of the City that is openly before much people The gates of the City were publique places where the Courts of Justice and other publique Assemblies were held Yet these words In the gate may be referred as well to those words That lay a snare as to those Which reproveth and then they shew that they would destroy him under a colour of Justice by accusing him and bringing false witness against him in Courts of Justice to put him to death And turn aside the just Supple From his righteousness and integrity i. e. which would make a dishonest and wicked man of a just and honest man by their calumnies and false accusations By the just Isaiah means himself These words are Metaphorical taken from one man jostling another out of his way For a thing of nought i. e. Without any profit or good by it or for no profit or good at all that they can get thereby So some And this sheweth the height of their malice that they would destroy the Prophet when they could get no good or benefit by his destruction Or For a thing of nought that is for a very small reward So others who think that the Prophet speaks here of such as were hired to bear false witness against
the Prophet calls them here deceits Note also that it is not to be understood that the people used these formall words to the Prophets Speak unto us smooth things prophesie deceits But because they love and speak well of false Prophets which speak smooth things and hated the true Prophets which prophesied such things as they liked not and so as much as in them lay they discouraged the true Prophets and heartned the false yea as much as if they had done it in those formall words therefore doth he say that they said Speake unto us smooth things prophesie unto us deceits 11. Get ye out of the way By the way is meane the usuall way or manner of prophesying which Isaiah and other Prophets of the Lord used to this people which was to tell them of their sins and transgressions and of the punishments which God would bring upon them if they repented not Because a way is beaten by often going to and fro and so becomes a way hence a way may by a Metaphor signifies the iteration or repetition or frequent use of any lesson or prophesie These are still the words of the people to the Lords Prophets Turn aside out of the path This is a repetition of the former sentence Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from us i. e. Cause the Word of the Holy One of Israel to cease from us and let us hear it no more By the Holy One of Israel is meant the Word of the Holy One of Israel revealed to the Prophets by a Metonymy Yet because the Prophets when they did pronounce any Prophecy were wont to say Thus saith the Holy One of Israel c. The Prophet may in allusion thereto bring in this people saying Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from us that is Let us not any more hear thee say The Holy One of Israel or Thus saith the Holy One of Israel which is as much as to say Prophecy no more in the name of the God of Israel 12. Because ye despise this Word q. d. Because whereas the Lord said of you your strength is to sit still v. 7. you despise that word and will not hearken to it And trust in oppression By oppression he meaneth riches gotten by oppression Per Metonymiam Efficientis They are said to trust in riches because they doubt not but by the riches which they intend to sent into Egypt v. 6. to procure aide from thence against the Assyrians on which aide they would rely And perverseness i. e. And the aide which ye hope to procure from Egypt against the Assyrians This he calls perverseness because it was contrary to the Word of God who forbad them to seek to Egypt for ayd and commanded them to sit still at home and trust in him yet so perverse and refractory were they that they would not obey This and the former word signifie the same fault of these men 13. This iniquity Supple That ye despise this Word of God and trust in oppression and perverseness This iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in an high wall whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant The sence is q. d. You shall be by reason of this your iniquity as a piece of an high wall which is ready to fall and swells out yea that falls and breaks to pieces at an instant suddenly For as such a piece of an high wall falls and breaks to pieces at an instant suddenly So shall ye fall and be broken to pieces and destroyed suddenly at an instant who have committed this iniquity It may be here objected against this Interpretation That the Prophet compareth iniquity to the breach ready to fall and so most interpret it q. d. As a breach ready to fall swelling out in an high wall breaks and falls of a sudden and kills those which chance to walk under it So shall this iniquity bring a sudden destruction upon you which are the workers of it But this your Interpretation makes the men themselves like the piece of an high wall which swells out and is ready to fall Ans To this I answer That in parables and similitudes we must look upon the whole body of the sentence and take the whole meaning from the whole not part from part lest when we go about too accurately to divide it in pieces we destroy the whole See Notes Cap. 17.5 upon those words And it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim See also Notes cap. 29.16 The piece of the wall therefore which swelled out resembleth the men which commited this iniquity rather then the iniquity it self And that which resembleth the iniquity was the cleft or crack in the wall which caused that piece to swell out and be ready to fall As a breach A breach may signifie elsewhere a crack or a cleft but here it signifies a part or piece of a wall which swells out and is ready to fall by reason of some crack or cleft or breach which is in it by a Metonymy In an high wall This wall is to be understood of a wall made of brick or stone and he saith an high wall because the higher the wall is the more ready is such a breach or piece of the wall to fall and the greater is the fall when it cometh Whose breaking i. e. The actual falling of which breach by which it breaks asunder into little pieces 14. And he shall break it i. e. For the Lord the holy One of Israel shall break you because of this your iniquity And is to be taken here for For. By He is meant the Lord the holy One of Israel By It the sins or workers of this iniquity For note that that which the Lord is here meant to break is the people which committed the forementioned iniquity not the iniquity which they committed as some expound it nor the breach in the wall mentioned in the former Verse as others Object But you will say that the words run thus And he shall break it not And he shall break you or that he shall break them and this Relative It relates either to the word iniquity or to the word breach going before not to those Which despise his Word Vers 12. Ans It is true that the Relative Particle It doth relate either to the word iniquity or the word breach going before if we look to the Grammar construction But as I said in such parables and similitudes as these are we must not look to the words and Grammatical construction but to the sence of the place See the afore-cited place cap. 17.5 And if we look not to the words but to the sence of this place we shall finde that it relates to those words Which despise the Word of God and trust in oppression and perverseness and stay thereon And because the Prophet compared these workers of iniquity to the breach in a wall he might say of them He shall break It
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 repâtition of the former sentence but how ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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
shall be as if the light of seven days were put into the light of one day and should cause the light to be seven times more intense and greater then usually it is By what is here said of the light of the Sun and the Moon is meant that there should be matter of great joy and rejoycing at this time For as darkness doth both in divine and humane Writings signifie a sad state of things and great adversity So on the contrary light doth signifie a joyful face of things and great prosperity We observed also Cap. 5.30 and elsewhere that the Scriptures do make the Heaven and the Earth after a pathetical manner to sympathize with men in great Accidents as if they were sensible of and affected with what befell them Thus do they make the Heavens to keep in their light in sad Events as Cap. 5.30 and 13.10 And here it makes the Sun and Moon to shine more bright then ordinary at joyful Accidents In the day i. e. At the time That the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people i. e. That the Lord delivereth his people which shall be besieged by Sennacheribs Army in Jerusalem and distressed from all their misery and distress Note that the Prophet useth a Metaphor here taken from a Chirurgeon which bindeth up the bones of his Patient which are broken after his Art and and knits them together and so heals them The breach i. e. The broken limbs or bones He useth here Metonymiam Adjuncti a breach for limbs or bones broken By this breach or broken limbs and bones he meaneth Metaphorically the distressed estate of the Jews which were besieged in Jerusalem And the stroke of their wound i. e. And the wound which they received or which was made in their flesh by a stroke Hypallage Here he signifieth the same things by the wound made by a stroke in the flesh as he did before by the breach made in the bones to wit the distressed estate of the Jews which were besieged in Jerusalem by Sennacheribs Host 27. Behold the Name of the Lord cometh i. e. Behold the Lord cometh The Prophets puts the Name of the Lord for the Lord himself after the Hebrew manner per Metonymiam Adjuncti q. d. The Lord cometh The Prophet proves here what he said vers 25. That there shall be a great slaughter of the Assyrians and that the Towers shall fall Cometh from far i. e. Cometh on a sudden and unlooked for as they come which come from far the hour of whose coming we know not of Or He cometh from far i. e. He cometh from Heaven See cap. 26.21 What the Lord cometh for we shall see in the next Verse Burning with anger i. e. Being exceeding angry Supple with the Assyrians which besiege Jerusalem The Prophet speaks here of God as of a man by an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and alludes to the boyling of a mans blood about the heart when he is angry whereby he is exceeding hot And the burden thereof is heavy q. d. and so heavy is his anger as that the Assyrians against whom it is kindled will not be able to bear it Or so heavy is the burden of his anger as that he is not able to bear it and therefore he will not ease himself of it by avenging himself upon the Assyrians Note here what a mixture the Prophet useth of Metaphors His lips are full of indignation i. e. He storms and rageth exceedingly He alludeth to angry men which storm and rage exceedingly in their anger His tongue is as a devouring fire This is for sence the same with the former words But because the Lord did so storm and rage against the Assyrians as that he did destroy them in his anger the Prophet saith His tongue was as a devouring fire Yet happily the Prophet may also allude to the breath which proceeds from the mouth of an angry man while he storms and rageth which is as smoke proceeding from fire 28. And his breath as an overflowing stream The breath of an angry man while he storms and rageth proceeds like smoke from his mouth and his nose yea as our Prophet saith here like a stream For as he takes in more ayr at such a time to refrigerate the heat of his heart so doth he violently send out more again by respiration while he chafeth and stormeth But the Prophet doth not onely liken his breath to a stream but to an overflowing stream that is to a stream of water which by reason of Snow or Rain overfloweth its banks and reacheth up to the middle of a mans neck whereby the whole man is welnigh drowned Shall reach He confoundeth tenses here for this should be of the same tense with the former Verbs Shall reach to the midst of the neck He likeneth the breath of the Lord in this his anger to an overflowing stream which reacheth to the midst of a mans neck because as such a stream doth drown as it were all parts of a mans body but onely his head so did the Lord in his anger destroy all the Assyrians by his Angel 2 King 19.35 Sennacherib onely which was their head and some few with him escaping 2 King 19.36 To sift the Nations with a sieve of vanity i. e. To destroy the Nations and tread them under foot And this was done by the Angel of the Lord 2 King 19.25 These words relate to those Behold the Name of the Lord cometh and shew the end of his coming q. d. The Name of the Lord cometh to sift the Nations c. This phrase is metaphorical for the understanding of which observe That when men sift corn with a sieve that which goeth through the sieve which is commonly nothing else but dust and trumpery is cast away and so cometh to be troden under foot as being unprofitable and that onely is reserved and set by which remaineth in the sieve after sifting which is the clean grain Observe secondly That when we sift corn we sift it for this end that we may sever the dust and trumpery from the good corn or grain Now if we sift the corn in a broken sieve or a wide-hole sieve so that all passeth through as well the corn and grain as the dust and trumpery we spend our labor in vain and such a sieve may be called a sieve of vanity or a vain sieve because we lose our labor in sifting in it When therefore the Prophet saith That he will sift them with a sieve of vanity his meaning is that he will sift them in such a sieve as lets all through which is put into it And because when men usually sift corn they fling away that which goeth through the sieve and falleth to the Earth and tread it under their feet hence the Prophet saith That the Lord will sift the Nations with a sieve of vanity for he will destroy them and tread them all under feet joyning two Metaphors together The Nations By this is meant Sennacheribs
Army which besieged Jerusalem in which were many men of many Nations With the sieve of vanity i. e. With a vain sieve A substantive of the Genitive case is put here for an Adjective What he calls a sieve of vanity or a vain sieve I have declared a few lines before And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people Note that the word people is of the plural number and it signifies those of divers people which were in Sennacheribs Army Note also that whereas Sennacherib himself though he was upon his way so far as Nob Cap. 10.32 yet because neither he himself came to Jerusalem to the siege nor that part of his Army which was with him I understand by the people here that part of Sennacheribs Army which was with Sennacherib when that part of his Army which lay before Jerusalem was destroyed And these had a bridle in their jaws for whereas they were hasting to Jerusalem to strengthen the siege the Lord did put a hook into their nose and a bridle into their lips and turned them back Cap. 37.29 See cap. 31.8 9. Causing them to err i. e. Making them to flee as a chased Roe and as a sheep which no man taketh up as the Prophet speaks Cap. 13.14 which err and wander they know not whither until they fall into some pit or other or be devoured by some ravenous beast or other It is likely that when the news came to the ears of Sennacherib and those which were with him of the slaughter of an hundred fourscore and five thousand of the Assyrians in one night that this turned them back from Jerusalem and so affrighted them that they ran confusedly some one way and some another they knew not whither and that many of them came short home they which hated them having opportunity to slay them as they found them wandering and discomfited Note that when the Prophet saith The bridle in the jaws of the people shall cause them to err he alludeth to that which was signified by the bridle rather then to the bridle it self for bridles cause not to err but to go right rather But the news of an hundred fourscore and five thousand being slain in one night which is that which was signified by the bridle because it turned Sennacherib from Jerusalem as a bridle doth an Horse did make Sennacherib and those which were with him to disparkle and run as chased Roes or wandering sheep they knew not whither That the Prophet doth sometime allude in similitudes to the thing signifying and sometimes to the thing signified See Cap. 16.8 and 22.24 Or when he saith There shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people causing them to err it is as if he should say There shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people but a bridle of a strange nature for whereas other bridles cause the beasts in whose jaws they are to go aright this shall cause them in whose jaws it shall be to err See the like Notes Cap. 33.20 29. Ye shall have a song c. i. e. But ye shall have cause to sing for joy because of your deliverance from Sennacherib and the destruction of his Army He useth an Apostrophe here to those which were besieged in Jerusalem As in the night when an holy Solemnity is kept Some say that when the Hebrews were to offer a sacrifice in the morning they were wont to pass the night before with songs and a great deal of mirth and that the Prophet alludes to this in this place Others say that the Hebrews were wont to begin their solemn Feasts with a song and a great deal of mirth and joy and that the Prophet alludes to this For they began their Feasts in the Evening by the Prescript of the Law Others say that after a solemn Feast day they were wont to sup liberally and to sing and use all kinde of mirth at this their supper and that the Prophet alludes to this As when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountains of the Lord i. e. As when one goeth with a pipe to the Temple of the Lord. The Temple of the Lord was scituate upon Mount Sion therefore the mountain is put for the Temple of the Lord per Metonymiam Subjecti He saith Goeth to come periphrastically for cometh or goeth The Hebrews which went to the Temple to pay the vows which they had made or or to sacrifice to do any solemn service there were wont to go thither with pipes and musique See Psal 42.4 c. and to this doth the Prophet here allude This Verse may be read with a Parenthesis 30. And the Lord shall cause his glorious voyce to be heard By the glorious voyce of the Lord is meant Thunder which was heard at the destruction of the Assyrians It is usual with the Scripture to call thunder the voyce of the Lord as Psal 18.13 and 46.6 and 77.18 and 104.7 c. as if it had proceeded from the mouth of the Lord of whom the Scripture often speaks as of a man by an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This Verse hath its connexion with vers 28. the 29th being brought in by the By and to be read as it were with a Parenthesis And shall shew the lighting down of his arm Supple Upon the Assyrians i. e. And he shall smite the Assyrians in the sight of all the people The Prophet alludes here to the gesture of a man which striketh for a man when he striketh first lifts up his arm and then lets it down again With the indignation of his anger i. e. With exceeding great anger With the flame of devouring fire q. d. That is With the flame of devouring fire or with lightning c. The Particle And is put here for a Note of Exposition or Explication The Hebrews gather from this and the like places that the Assyrians which the Angel of the Lord destroyed 2 King 19.35 were destroyed by fire and that at that time there was dreadful thunder and lightning and tempest sent amongst them though many others interpret this and the like places metaphorically as though thereby were onely signified an horrible and sudden destruction With scattering i. e. With storms which scatter abroad hay straw leaves of trees c. Metonymia Effecti 31. For through the voyce of the Lord i. e. For by thunder See vers 30. Shall the Assyrian Supple Which besiegeth Jerusalem Which smote with a rod. i. e. Which punished you and distressed you O ye Inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah and not you onely but many other Nations also A Metaphor 32. Where the grounded staff shall pass i. e. Where the report of the grounded staff shall pass He puts the staff for the report of the staff per Metonymiam subjecti The grounded staff By the staff is meant the strokestruck with the staff per Metonymiam Efficientis And by the stroke is meant Metaphorically the calamity which God inflicted upon
his goodness towards us Among many significations of this word spirit it is often taken of the Hebrews for any quality or passion of the minde and here it is taken for goodness or love He likeneth here the blessings of God and the works effects of his mercy and goodness to plenty of waters because of the abundance thereof when he saith the spirit shall be poured forth Vpon us viz. Jews From on high i. e. From Heaven And the Wilderness be a fruitful Field i. e. And our enemies the Assyrians which are exalted like a Wilderness be brought low like a fruitful Field or Valley which lyeth low See notes cap. 29.17 The fruitful Field be counted for a Forrest i. e. And the Jews which at this time shall be in a low condition and oppressed by their enemies the Assyrians and therefore like a fruitful Field which lyeth low be delivered from their low condition and exalted as a Forrest yea as the Forrest of Lebanon which was on high on an high hill See cap. 29.17 Be counted for a Forrest i. e. Become as a Forrest even the Forrest of Lebanon See cap. 29.17 Note that Wildernesses and Forrests are for the most part the barrenest places of the earth and therefore are scituate upon Hills and Mountains and the highest parts of the earth which are least fruitful as being furthest from springs and streams to water them however sure we are that the Wildernesses and Forrests about Judea and which were best known to the Jews were seated on Hills as the Forrest of Lebanon to which the Prophet seemeth chiefly to allude 16. Then judgement shall dwell in the Wilderness i. e. Then will God inflict his judgments or punishments upon our enemies the Assyrians and make them as it were to dwell among them Judgment is put here for judgment which produceth punishment By the Wilderness he meaneth the Forrest or Hill of Lebanon and by that the enemies of the Jews the Assyrians who were lifted up with pride and who were at this time high in power and wealth c. See v. 15. and cap. 29.17 He saith judgment shall dwell in the Wilderness to shew that it shall not be a light judgment which passeth away but such as shall continue upon them till it hath consumed them The effects of this judgment were inflicted by the Angel of God 2 Kings 19.35 And righteousness remain in the fruitful Field i. e. And the goodness and mercy of God shall shew it self to the Jews which were at this time like a fruitful field or valley which lyeth low in respect of their low condition by the effects thereof By righteousness is meant goodness and mercy to wit the goodness and mercy of God for righteousness is taken sometimes for goodness and mercy as Psal 112. v. 3 9. and 2 Cor. 9.9 10. In which sence also Joseph as called a just or righteous man Mat. 1.19 By the fruitful field is meant metaphorically the Jewes in their low condition as v. 15. The righteousness here spoken of is said to remain in the fruitful field because of the continuance of it to the Jews as judgment was said to dwell in the wilderness because of the continuance thereof among their enemies the Assyrians Note that he speaks of judgment and righteousness here as of two persons by a Metaphor or Prosopopoeia 17. And the work of righteousnes shall be peace i. e. And the effect or fruit of the aforesaid righteousness which shall remain in the fruitful field shall be peace and prosperity And the effect of righteousness c i. e. This is a repetition of the former words Assurance Viz. Of peace and prosperity For ever i. e. For a long time 18. My people See v. 13. In sure dwellings i. e. In dwellings which shall be safe 19. When it shall hail coming down on the Forrest i. e. When on the contrary the wrath of God shall come down and fall upon their enemies the Assyrians like storms of hail Hail doth often signifie by a Metaphor the wrath and anger of God and the effects thereof as cap. 28.2 and elsewhere By the Forrest are meant metaphorically the Assyrians which were the enemies of the Jews as v. 13. and cap. 27.10 c. Coming down i. e. The hail coming down with much violence And the City shall be low in a low place That is And Babylon shall be brought down to a low condition By the City is meant Babylon which was the greatest or one of the greatest Cities which were under the Assyrians and this City was brought low soon after the defeat of Sennacheribs Army before Jerusalem for soon after that it was taken by the Medes See cap. 13 Yet by Babylon we may understand here not the material City of Babylon but the Assyrians who were the Lords of Babylon and who at this time warred against Judah and perished before Jerusalem as by Kir a chief City of the Medes was meant the Medes which served under Salmaneser against Samaria cap. 22.6 20. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters that send forth thither the feet of the Oxe and the Asse q. d. O ye men of Judah ye shall also at that time be happy for ye shall sow your seeds in grounds which shall be watered and therefore very fruitful and the Corn which you sow shall yield such increase and be so rank as that ye shall be fain to send in your cattle to eat it down All waters i. e. Abundance of waters or many waters All for Many Thither Supple Where ye have sowed your seed The feet of the Ox and Asse i. e. The Ox and the Asse there to feed and eat down your over-rank Corn. He puts the feet of the Oxe and Asse by a Synechdoche for the Oxe and the Asse themselves ISAIAH CHAP. XXXIII WO to thee that spoylest This place is also to be understood of Sennacherib to whom the Prophet makes this Apostrophe That spoylest Supple The Land of Judah and all other Lands And thou wast not spoyled i. e. When thou wast not spoyled by them whom thou hast spoyled whereby thou shouldst be provoked to spoyl them again And dealest treacherously Supple With the Jews and other people See Cap. 21. vers 2. And they have not delt treacherously with thee i. e. When they with whom thou hast delt treacherously have not delt treacherously with thee whereby they should provoke thee to deal treacherously with them When thou shalt cease to spoyl i. e. When thou shalt have spoyled so much and so long time as God will suffer thee to spoyl others and the time appointed for that is come to an end c. that is as the Prophet speaks Cap. 10.12 when the Lord hath performed his whole work which he will perform by thee upon Mount Sion and on Jerusalem c. Thou shalt be spoyled Understand this of Sennacherib in respect of his Army which was destroyed by the Angel 2 King 19.35 and the spoyls thereof taken
Jerusalem shall send out of the City to treat with the Assyrians for peace shall not obtain peace at the hands of the Assyrians and therefore as they return home while they are yet without the City they shall cry for grief and sorrow of heart Their valiant ones i. e. The valiant ones of the men of Jerusalem which shall be sent to treat with the Assyrians Those were in particular Eliakim the son of Helkiah which was over the Kings house and Shâbna the Scribe and Asaph the Recorder 2 King 18.18 whom he calls valiant ones because they were no doubt of great fortitude and valor of minde And this sheweth the greatness of the misery that it should make even those which are valiant thus to cry Shall cry Supple For grief and sorrow See 2 King 18.37 Without i. e. Without the City as they return from the Treaty The Embassadors of peace i. e. The Embassadors which Hezekiah and the men of Jerusalem shall send to treat of peace with the Assyrians Shall weep bitterly Supple For grief and sorrow that they cannot conclude peace This is a repetition of the former sentence The Prophet doth here set out the misery of the people of Jerusalem which they should suffer under Sennacherib that he might the more extol the goodness and power of God in their delivery 8. The high-ways lie waste i. e. The high-ways shall be desolate and without any man travelling therein The wayfaring man ceaseth i. e. The wayfaring man shall leave off travelling on the way He hath broken the Covenant i. e. Sennacherib shall covenant with Hezekiah and the men of Jerusalem to return with his Army for three hundred Talents of silver and thirty Talents of gold and shall break that covenant when he hath received his mony See 2 King 18.14 15 c. Here is a Relative put without an Antecedent He hath despised the Cities i. e. Sennacherib shall despise the Cities of Judah destroying them and glorying that he hath destroyed them 9. The Earth mourneth i. e. The Land of Judah shall be wasted and destroyed by the Assyrians and therefore mourn The Earth is put here by a Synecdoche for the Land of Judah of which he speaks Metaphorically as of a woman And languisheth i. e. And shall languish and pine away because of her desolation A Metaphor continued Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down Lebanon was an high Forest scituate on the North of the holy Land abounding with tall Cedars and other trees which Sennacherib did cut down to make warlike Ensigns thereof these trees were the glory of Lebanon Wherefore as when a woman loseth her hair which is her glory and her covering and is bare-headed she is ashamed so doth he say that Lebanon shall be ashamed by a Metaphor when the tall trees and woods which were on it shall be cut down and Lebanon thereby left naked Note that there is an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in these words Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down for Lebanon is hewn down and ashamed for the cause of Lebanons shame here was that her trees were cut down Sharon is like a wilderness Sharon was a most fertile ground for pasturage and feeding of cattel but where it lay it is not certainly known it is conjectured to have lien next to Bashan from 1 Chron. 5.16 This may be said to have been like a wilderness when it was withered and dryed up as it might be at this time by the feeding and trampling of Sennacheribs Horses and Soldiers And Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits What Bashan was and where scituate see cap. 2.13 Carmel was an hill scituate in the Tribe of Judah in which Nabal had great possessions 1 Sam. 15.12 and 25.2 There was also another hill of the same name which bordered upon three Tribes the Tribe of Aser the Tribe of Zabulon and half the Tribe of Manasses in which hill Elias dwelt Of which Josh 19. vers 26. and 1 King 18. vers 19 20 42. Both these hills were very fertile and fruitfull When he saith that Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits it is to be understood of the Vines and Fig-trees and Olive-trees and such other fruit trees as grew in Bashan and Carmel of which he seems to speak here as of men by a Prosopopoea and alludes to men which are hard-beset by Robbers for as they will so soon as they can deliver their mony to the Robbers for fear of further danger of their lives so these trees shook off their fruits to the Assyrians for fear of further danger which the Assyrians might do them To this sence doth Ovids Nut-tree speak Possem utinam fructus excutere ipsa meos Or he may allude here to the shaking and trembling of a man in a great fear attributing fear by a Metaphor to insensible things as he did shame just before q. d. And the Fruit-trees in Bashan and Carmel shall shake and tremble for fear and so greatly shall they shake and tremble as that they shall thereby shake off their fruits for fear Saepe meas frondes vento tremuisse putâstis Sed metus in nobis causa tremoris erat Saith the same Nut-tree The places which the Prophet here speaks of were few or none in the Tribe of Judah How cometh he therefore here to mention them Answ Though these places were not in the Tribe of Judah yet they were in the way in which Sennacherib marched and therefore the Prophet might mention them to signifie what spoyl the Assyrians were like to make about Jerusalem when as they made such spoyl in the way towards it Or we may say that the Prophet though he nameth these places yet he takes their names rather as appellatives then proper names and by Lebanon signifieth any woods and groves by Sharon any meadows and pastures by Bashan and Carmel any fruitful Orchards and Vineyards and Oliveyards c. whereof there were many in Judea 10. Now will I rise saith the Lord Now seeing the affairs of my people are in so deplorable a condition I will lie down or sit still no longer but will rise saith the Lord against their Enemies and deliver them He speaks here of future things as though they were even now present to signifie the certainty of them Now will I be exalted Now will I do that for which I will be exalted that is Now I will take vengeance upon the Assyrians and I will deliver my people See Vers 5. 11. Ye shall conceive chaff ye shall bring forth stubble i. e. That which ye conceive shall prove chaff and that which ye bring forth shall be but stubble This speech is directed to the Assyrians by an Apostrophe And for the speech it self it is Proverbial consisting of two Proverbs signifying both the same thing to wit that though they hoped to bring great matters to pass against Jerusalem yet they should not be able to do it their hope should be in vain for they hoped to take Jerusalem by
force of Arms but they should not prevail against it or take it The ground of the Proverbs seem to be taken from a woman who having companyed with her husband thinks she hath conceived by him and is in hope that she shall bring forth a man-childe into the world but she is deceived for her conception was a false conception and she bringeth forth nought Chaff and stubble are as nought and so to be here taken Your breath as fire shall devour you q. d. Your wrath and indignation against my people shall be your ruine and destruction By their breath he means their anger per Metonymiam Effecti because anger makes a mans breath hot See cap. 30.33 And their breath that is their anger is said to devoure them as fire because their anger towards the Jewâ should provoke God to destroy them by his Angel in revenge of his people whom they oppressed 12. And the people q. d. And the people which ye have gathered together to serve you in your siege against Jerusalem Shall be as the burning lime i. e. Shall be as chalk which men burn in a Kilne to make lime of Therefore shall they be like to such chalk because they shall be burned in the fire as such chalk is burned Of lime That is Of chalk of which they make lime The burnings of lime are put here per Metonymiam Adjuncti for lime or chalk that is burned As thorns cut up shall they be burnt in the fire We have often observed that this destruction of the Assyrians is described as done by fire whether is was accomplished by fire indeed as the Hebrews think or whether it was said to be done by fire because it was as suddain and as fearful as if it had bin done by fire 13. Hear ye that are a far off what I have done c. This is an Epiphonema to exhort and stirre up all people to praise God for this his marvelous act of destroying the Assyrians where the Lord is brought in speaking of a thing to come as if it were already past 14. The sinners in Sion are afraid By these sinners he means those which would not beleeve Isaiahs Prophecy concerning the Lords delivery of Jerusalem from the Assyrians and the Assyrians destruction of whom also we read cap. 29. v. 9 10. And therefore were afraid of the Assyrians and took secret counsel either to surrender all into the Assyrians hands or otherwise to comply with the Assyrians that so the Assyrians might spare them and would not trust in the Lord their God for safety As for the connexion of these words with the former it is q. d. I have told you that the Lord will preserve Jerusalem and destroy the Assyrians yet will not the sinners in Sion beleeve it but are afraid of the Assyrians and say who amongst us shall dwell with the devouring fire c In Sion i. e. In Jerusalem A Synecdoche of a part for the whole Are afraid Viz. Of the Assyrians Fearfulness hath surprized the Hypocrits By the Hypocrits he meaneth those sinners which he spoke of in the fore-going sentence whom he calls Hypocrits because they did frequent the Temple and served God with their mouths but would not beleeve his word which he spake by Isaiah in their heart nor trust in him See Cap. 29.13 Or he calls them Hypocrits because they dissembled by their countenance and carriage what they had in their minde and thoughts Who amongst us Supple Say they Who amongst us c. q. d. Who even amongst us say they which dwell in Jerusalem though a fenced City Who amongst us shall dwell with the devouring firâ q. d. The Assyrians have now possessed all the Land and they which will dwell in the Land must dwell with them but who even amongst us of Jerusalem can dwell with them in the Land in safety so long as he is out of friendship with them for they are as a devouring fire and everlasting burnings to all that are out of friendship with them and will not in time submit to them say they Shall dwell i. e. Shall dwell safely They liken the Assyrians to devouring fire because as the devouring fire consumeth all combustible matter which is near it so did the Assyrians destroy all the neighbouring people and all people which they approached to with their forces which would not submit to them and make their peace with them Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings This is every way a repetiti of the former sentence By burnings he means fire Per Metonymiam Adjuncti and by everlasting burnings he meanes unquenchable fire or fire that cannot be quenched untill it hath consumed all Note that the Hypocrits did not speak these words openly but they said them in their heart where God took notice of them and revealed them to his Prophet Isaiah Note also that they spoke them in their heart out of the fear that they had of the Assyrians and out of a desire they had to make their peace with them 15. He that walketh righteously The Prophet here answers the question which the sinners in Sion make in the former Verse As if he should say to those sinners Ye ask saying Who amongst us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who amongst us shall dwell with the eâerlasting burnings As though it were so that none could dwell in the Land no not in Jerusalem in safety by reason of the Assyrians but such as had made their peace with them But I will tell you who shall dwell with the devouring fire I will tell you who shall dwell with the everlasting burnings Even he that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly By these which walk righteously and speak uprightly the Prophet meaneth such as did believe his words concerning the preservation of Jerusalem against the Assyrians and did trust in God whom he here describes by their Adjuncts Note that the Prophet describes these men which believed his Prophecy concerning the preservation of Jerusalem from the Assyrians by signs and attributes contrary to those by which he described those which would not believe this his Prophecy and trust in God for delivery from the Assyrians Cap. 29.20 21. For they which would not believe his Prophecies there did not onely not believe what he said but did persecute him and seek to take away his life and took bribes some of them for that end contrary to what they did which believed his sayings here for they here hated all such wicked doings He that despiseth the gain of Oppressions i. e. He that despiseth gain gotten or to be gotten by Oppressions and therefore will not for gain oppress the Lords servants as they did Cap. 29.21 That shaketh his hands from holding of bribes i. e. He that will not take a bribe to do any wrong but hateth it He alludeth here to the manner of men who if they touched by chance any foul or unclean thing shake their hands that they may cast it off if
general Then per Synecdochen generis an Assyrian and such as served the Assyrians in their Wars against Judah in particular He makes choyce of this word the unclean in this place rather then any other word thereby to signifie the Assyrians and other Enemies of Judah because he spoke of the Way of Holiness just before to which uncleanness is opposite It made much to the comfort of Gods people the Jews in the midst of their troubles to think That though they were heavily oppressed by the Assyrians yet they should ere long so far be delivered from the Assyrians which distressed them and besieged them in their own Land as that not one Assyrian or any other Enemy of theirs should be left in the Land to vex them which is signified by that that the unclean shall not pass over the way of Holiness But it shall be for those i. e. But it shall be onely for the Jews which are a clean and circumcised Nation that is for those Jews which the Lord shall preserve from the sword of the Assyrians to walk in By Those he meaneth the Jews where he put a Relative without an Antecedent as Vers 1. Note that the word Onely as it is often so it is here to be understood The wayfaring men though fools shall not err therein q. d. And they viz. the Jews which are a clean and circumcised Nation shall walk therein so dayly and so frequently and by their dayly and frequent walking therein make the way so beaten and plain as that wayfaring men which would travel in that Way cannot miss though they were fools 9. No Lion shall be there nor any ravenous beast go thereon By the Lion and the ravenous beast he meaneth metaphorically the Assyrian and such as served the Assyrian in his Wars against Judah And the sence of these words is the same with those The unclean shall not pass over it which he here amplifieth and which both are like to those Cap. 49.19 They that swallowed thee up shall be far away Because the Lion and the ravenous beasts are beasts of the wilderness and he had likened Judea to a wilderness vers 1 c. therefore doth he make choyce of the Lion and ravenous beast for his Metaphor Shall go up thereon He saith Shall go up thereon because the way was a causey elevated above the plain ground and therefore he which would walk thereon must ascend up or go up before he could walk thereon But the redeemed shall walk there i. e. But those Jews whom the Lord shall deliver out of the hand of the Assyrian they shall walk there 10. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return i. e. Those Jews which shall be dispersed upon the coming of the Assyrians into Judea into divers parts of the World as Assyria Egypt Pathros Cush Elam Shinar Hamah and the Islands of the Sea or which shall be carryed captive away by the Assyrians into Babylon shall return from thence into Judea See Cap. 11.11 Note that to redeem and ransom if they be taken strictly signifie to buy out with a price as slaves are bought out of the hands of the Turk but in a general notion they often signifie to deliver out of distress though without a price By the redeemed mentioned in the former Verse are meant those Jews which remained in their own Country in Jerusalem and were there saved by the hand of the Lord from the fury of the Assyrians By the ransomed mentioned in this Verse are meant those Jews which were either carryed captive into Assyria or fled into some other parts of the Earth to save themselves from the Assyrians and were saved there and brought back by the goodness of the Lord to them He calls them the redeemed and the ransomed by anticipation for as yet they were not redeemed and ransomed Shall return Supple Out of the several places where they have been as it were Exiles into their own Land the Land of Judah And come to Sion i. e. And they shall come Supple By that way or upon that way to the Temple of the Lord which is in Sion By Sion he meaneth the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem which was built there upon Mount Sion per Metonymiam subjecti With songs Supple Of rejoycing upon their solemn Feast days and upon other special occasions And everlasting joy upon their heads He saith And with everlasting joy upon their heads because he speaks of joy as of a crown which is wore upon the head Everlasting joy i. e. Joy which shall long continue and shall not be interrupted for many years Note that this word Everlasting doth not always signifie an infinite duration but very often a long time and yet not very long onely They shall obtain joy and gladness i. e. For they shall obtain such an happy condition as shall make them joyful and glad Understand For for these words contain a reason why they shall come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads And sorrow and sighing Supple Which the Assyrians have brought upon them through their Oppression and Tyranny ISAIAH CHAP. XXXVI NOw it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah These things which Isaiah foretold concerning the desolation of Judea and the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrians under Sennacherib and the deliverance of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Assyrian Army by the Angel came to pass in the days of Isaiah therefore the Prophet makes a short History thereof and adds it to his Prophecies concerning the same that it might appear to all how the event of things answered his Prophecies Came up With an exceeding great Army And took them Jerusalem is here to be excepted What the Prophet speaks here he speaks by anticipation for many things which he mentioneth after this in this History were acted before Sennacherib came against and took all the Cities which he came against and took 2. Rabshakeh This Rabshakeh was Sennacheribs chief Captain From Lacish Lacish was a City of Judah which Sennacherib besieged at this time To Jerusalem Jerusalem was the Metropolis and chief City of the Kingdom of Judah where Hezekiah King of Judah was at this time God having promised by Isaiah to preserve that City from the Assyrians With a great Army To besiege Jerusalem and take it by force if Hezekiah would not yield it upon terms And he stood by the Conduit of the upper pool i. e. And Rabshakeh stood c. There were two pools about Jerusalem whereof one was called the upper the other the lower pool from their scituation Upon both these pools at least upon the upper pool there were Conduits made to conduct water from thence into the City In the high-way of the Fullers field i. e. In the high-way which went through or by that field which was called the Fullers field which field was called the Fullers field because the Fullers were wont to dry their clothes there when they had washed them in
Hostility against that City yet he came not thither he came no farther then Nob Cap. 10.32 And there he heard of that destruction of his Army which lay before Hierusalem which turned him with all haste and feare towards his owne Land and he staied not till he came to Nineveh v. 37. And return Supple upon hearing of that rumour Into his owne Land He returned to Nineveh verse 37. which was the chief City of Assyria And I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land Sennacherib was slaine with the sword by his two sons Adramelech and Sharezer as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his God v. 38. 8. So Rabshakeh returned c. This relates to the 21 or 22. verse of the former Chapter Note that though Rabshakeh returned himself yet he left his Armie before Jerusalem Against Libnah Libnah was a City of the Tribe of Judah belonging to the Priests Josh 21.13 9. And he heard say i. e. And the King of Assyria heard say He is come forth to make war with thee Tirakah King of Ethiopia came forth out of his own Countrey with an Armie not to encounter Sennacherib in Judea but to set upon Assyria the Kingdome of Sennacherib in Sennacherib's absence See cap. 18. He sent Messengers saying Sennacherib did not onely send a Message by those Messengers by words of mouth but he sent by them a Letter also to Hezekiah though it be here omitted for brevity sake verse 14. Sennacherib used all meanes possible to terrifie Hezekiah to a Surrender when he heard of the march of Tirakah King of Ethiopia that he might the better attend the motion of Tirakah's Armie 10. Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah c. The Assyrian doth repeat here and beat upon what he said Cap. 36.14 He doth not mention the weakness and perfidiousnesse of Egypt nor the scarcity of Souldiers in Jerusalem As he did Cap. 36. v. 6 8. because now he understood that Hezekiah did rely onely upon God and therefore he doth endeavour to afright him from that by telling him with what ill Successe others had relied upon their Gods Gozan By Gozan he meanes the people which lived near to the River Gozan which was a River of the Medes 2 Kings 17.6 Haran This seemeth to have been a City of Media near the River Gozan 1 Chron. 5.26 Though some make it a City of Mesopotamia Gen. 11.31 Rezeph There is no other mention of Rezeph in the whole Scripture but here and in the same Story 2 Kings 19.12 And therefore it is not easie to determine where it was seated Some therefore place it in Syria some in Mesopotamia others in Arabia The Children of Eden i. e. The People of Eden Eden was a Region of Mosopotamia in which Paradise was planted Gen. 2.8 Which were in Telassar It can hardly be gathered from Scripture where this Telassar was situate But it seemeth to have been a Region either of Syria or Mesopotamia Here upon some occasion or other did the people which were born in Eden dwell at this time 13. Where is the King of Hamath c. See Cap. 36.19 Henah This is thought to have been a City of the Medes Ivah This is thought to have been a Region of the Assyrians 14. And spread it before the Lord. Hezekiah did spread Sennacheribs Letter before the Lord for the Lord to seâ it and to read it because the Contents thereof were chiefely against the Lord that he being moved with the blasphemies and indignities therein contained might take vengeance upon Sennacherib and defend his owne people against him And Hezekiah did this because the Lord doth often accommodate himselfe to the fashion of men and men are eagerly stirred up to revenge when they see that which offends them before their eyes 16. That dwellest between the Cherubins In the two ends of the Mercy-Seat there were two Cherubins or Angels made of Gold of beaten work And these Cherubins did stretch forth their wings on high and their faces did look one towards another Exod. 25. v. 18 19 20. Between these two Cherubins was the Lord wont to manifest his presence and to sit Exod. 25. ver 22. Numbers 7.29 Hence was the Lord said to dwell between the Cherubins Psalm 80.1 And to sit between the Cherubins Psal 99.1 Thou art the God even Thou alone of all the Kingdomes of the earth This acknowledgement or confession doth Hezekiah here make in opposition to the many gods of the Nations which Sennacherib mentioned Cap. 36.18 and Cap. 37.12 And in full beliefe of this doth he make his prayer to the Lord. Thou hast made heaven and earth By Heaven and Earth understand also all things which are therein contained by a Metonymie He sheweth by this that the Right and Title to all the Kingdoms of the earth is the Lords and there is no God truely so called but the Lord onely 17. And heare Supple The blasphemous words which Sennacherib hath written against thee It is likely that Hezekiah did not onely spread Sennacherib's letter before the Lord for the Lord to see the blasphemy therein written but did also read it himselfe unto the Lord and therefore he desireth the Lord to hear it while he reads it And see Supple The blasphemous words which Sennacherib hath written in this Letter And heare Supple And see q. d. yea hear I say and see c. The living God i. e. Thee Here is an Enallage of the Person 18. Of a truth Lord the Kings of Assyria have laid waste all the Nations c. i. e. Hezekiah confesseth it here to be true which Sennacherib said v. 12. but draws a better conclusion from thence then Sennacherib did Laid waste the Nations This phrase is like that Cap. 24.6 viz. They that dwell therein are desolate Look therefore upon the Notes there 20. Now therefore O Lord our God save us from his hand that all the Kingdomes of the earth may know that Thou art the Lord even Thou onely It might be known to all the Kingdomes of the earth that the Lord God of Israel was the onely Lord God if he would but save his people out of the hands of the Assyrians out of whose hands no God was able to save his people For all the Kingdomes of the earth were perswaded that the God of every people would do his uttermost to save his people whereas therefore other Gods did not save their People and the God of Israel did save his they would conclude that he was God alone That thou art the Lord. i. e. That thou onely art the onely Lord and God 22. This is the word which the Lord hath spoken i. e. This is the word which I the Lord have spoken He puts the third for the first person by an Enallage The Virgin the daughter of Sion So Cap. 1.8 He cals Sion or Jerusalem a Virgin for the same reason that he calls her a Daughter that is for her beauty Hath despised thee and
laughed thee to scorn i. e. Shall despise thee and laugh thee to scorn A Preterperfect for a Future Tense The Jews might well despise Sennacherib when all his Army was slain and his forces and strength destroyed and laugh at him when he fled for fear to his strong Holds See cap. 31.8 9. and cap. 33.18 The Daughter of Jerusalem i. e. Jerusalem See cap. 1.8 Hath shaken her head at thee i. e. Shall deride thee and mock thee He alludes to the gesture of those which mock and deride who shake their head at those whom they deride and mock as Mat. 27.39 And he puts a Preterperfect Tense for a Future 23. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed c. He giveth a reason here in this and the six verses following why the condition of Sennacherib should be made both despicable and ridiculous and the reason is this to wit because Sennacherib had reproached and blasphemed the Lord and arrogantly assumed that to himselfe which was the Lords doing and had boasted that he would take Jerusalem by force which the Lord had said that he would preserve for which reasons the Lord would pull him down and make him an object of contempt and laughter This speech is directed to Sennacherib by an Apostrophe And lifted up thine eyes on high i. e. And carried thy selfe proudly He alludes to the gesture of proud men who lift up their eyes and their head and scornfully look upon those whom they despise Even against the Holy One of Israel i. e. Even against the Lord the only God whom the Children of Israel worship as the holy and onely God 24. By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord c. i. e. By Rabshakeh and his companions whom thou sentest to Hezekiah hast thou reproached the Lord. And hast said What followeth in this and the next verse is spoken in the person of Sennacherib by a Mimesis By the multitude of my Charets am I come up to the height of the mountains c. Sennacherib speaks here as he did cap. 10.13 attributing that which he had done wholly to himselfe and not acknowledging the hand of God therein though what he did he did by the hand of God as Gods instrument which was a reproach to God and a blaspheming of his name By the multitude of my Charets am I come up to the height of the mountains q. d. I am come up to the height of the Mountaines by mine own power and strength which is great and which none is able to resist To the height of the mountains Judea was very mountainous and hilly and most of the Cities thereof were seated upon hills and mountains By the height of the mountaines therefore we may understand either the most inaccessable places of Judea or ãâã may understand the Cities thereof and in particular Jerusalem which was the chiefest City of that Land and the greatest seated as is probable To the sides of Lebanon q. d. Yea to the Walls of Jerusalem Lebanon was a famous Forrest in the North of the Land of Canaan which was set not onely with ordinary Trees but was famous also for tall Cedars and choice Firre-trees And from this Forrest is Jerusalem here called Lebanon by a Metaphor Because Jerusalem was inhabited by much people as Lebanon was beset with many ordinary Trees and because the King and the Nobles and the Princes of the Land most of them dwelt there as many tall Cedars and Firre-trees grew on Lebanon Therefore doth he liken Jerusalem to Lebanon For it is usuall to compare a City to a Forrest and the multitude of the people to the multitude of the ordinary trees and the King and Nobles to the tallest trees thereof Aad I will cut down the tall Cedars thereof and the choice Firre-trees thereof i. e. Of Lebanon q. d. And I will destroy the Nobles and Princes of Jerusalem I will enter into the height of his border i. e. I will enter into the very highest part of Lebanon i. e. of Jerusalem Note that these words The height of his border are as if he should say The very height of his highest part For The Border signifieth the utmost part of a thing On the highest places of Jerusalem stood the Temples of the Lord and the Pallace and stately buildings of the Kings of Judah which Solomon built for they were built upon Mount Sion Into the Temple therefore and into the Pallace of the King of Judah doth Sennacharib threaten to enter or boast that he will enter when he saith I will entter into the height of his Border And into the Forrest of his Carmel He saith And into the Forrest of his Carmel For And into the Carmel of his Forrest By an Hypallage or Hyperbaton And the sense of this place is q. d. I will enter into the height of his Border yea into the Carmel of his that is of Lebanon's Forrest That is into the Carmel of Lebanon which is a Forrest Note here that And is put for Yea and is a note of asseveration or confirmation of what he said just before Carmel was a most excellent and pleasant Hill of which see cap. 33. v. 9. and cap. 35. v. 2. And it is here taken figuratively for Mount Sion which was scituate within Jerusalem and on which the most pleasant objects of Jerusalem were seated as the Temple the Kings Pallace and nigh unto that those goodly Gardens and Orchards which the Preacher speaks of Eccles 2. ver 4 5. I say Carmel is taken here figuratively for this Mount Sion as Lebanon is taken for Jerusalem it self a little before Of his border of his Carmel The Antecedent to this Relative His is Lebanon and His is as much as It s and the Carmel of his or its Forrest is no more then His or Its Carmel For the Forrest of Lebanon is but a periphrafis of Lebanon which was a Forrest 25. I have digged and drunk water q. d. For so great an Army have I as that when I have come into dry places where there hath bin no more water to be had I have digged Wells by the multitude of my Soldiers and have come at water enough to suffice me and my whole Army for drink and other necessaries Sennacherib may seem here obliquely to slight that policy of Hezekiah in cutting off the waters about Jerusalem hereby to distresse him when he came to besiege it 2 Chron. 32. v. 3 4. And with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the Rivers of besieged places Understand this place so that Sennacherib boasteth here that whensoever he came to besiege any place he came with so great a number of Soldiers as that they did presently drink all the Rivers of the place dry as if he should say So soon as ever I come to besiege any place and set my foot neer to the rivers thereof I have with the multitude of my men drunk them up dry immediately A Thrasonicall expression With the sole of my feet
Cap. 4.5 And see Cap. 52. v. 12. where he saith to the Jews The Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rearward For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it i. e. For the Lord hath spoken it who cannot lye and therefore what he hath spoken shall come to pass The Prophet speaks of the Lord as of a man by a Prosopopoeia and puts the mouth which is but part for the whole man by a Synecdoche 3. The voyce of him that cryeth in the wilderness What is meant by these words as they are taken in the first sence and as they concern the Redemption of the Jews out of Babylon ye have heard Now in the second and more sublime sence by the voyce of him that cryeth in the wilderness the Holy Ghost meaneth John the Baptist Mat. 3.3 For as the Cryer here cryeth to the people to prepare the way of the Lord so did John the Baptist cry to the people of his time to repent and so to prepare a way for the coming of the Lord Christ And as the voyce of this Cryer was heard in the wilderness which lay between Babylon and Judea so was the voyce of John heard in a wilderness too to wit the wilderness of Judea Matt. 3.1 Where note that as by the captivity of the Jews in Babylon is signified our spiritual captivity and misery under sin and Satan so by the deliverance of the Jews out of that their captivity is signified our spiritual Redemption by Christ Jesus In the Prophecy therefore of the deliverance of the Jews out of the captivity of Babylon there be many passages which as in a first sence they concern things which appertain to the deliverance of the Jews so in a second sence they concern things which appertain to the Redemption which was wrought by Christ Jesus 6. The voyce said Cry i. e. A voyce said to me Cry And he said what shall I cry i. e. And I said what shall I cry The Prophet speaks of himself here in a third person The like may you read of one speaking of himself in the third person cap. 21. vers 12. All flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field i. e. And the voyce said unto me cry and say with a loud voyce thus All flesh that is all men which are made of flesh are as the grass and all their glory and goodliness is as the flower of the field The Note of similitude is here left to be understood 7. The grass withereth and the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it As when a red burning wind bloweth upon the grass or upon the flower the grass withereth and the flower fadeth because thereof Even so for the Apodosis is left to be understood when God is angry with all or any kinde of flesh that is when he is angry with any men whatsoever they are he can easily consume them even with the breath of his nostrils and they shall perish By the Spirit of God is meant the wind which he brings out of his treasures when he would have it blow Psal 13.7 and yet not any wind but that which the Country-man calls a red wind which bliteth Trees and Herbs and Flowers Surely the people is grass q. d. Surely therefore the people that thou art afraid of even the people of the Babylonians are as grass 8. But the Word of our God shall stand for ever q. d. But the Word of our God shall never fail And therefore the Word whereby he hath spoken comfort to you and promised you deliverance out of the Babylonish captivity shall stand firm and come to pass maugre the Babylonians You may gather by what hath been said what coherence these three last Verses had with the former The coherence is this In the five first Verses the Prophet prophecyeth to the Jews Deliverance out of the Babylonish captivity but the Jews being at this time sore oppressed and seeing themselves weak and the Babylonians strong and mighty in power were like to give but little credence to the Prophets words and despair of ever being delivered That therefore they might lift up their heads and hope for deliverance according to the Word of God and might not fear the strength and mighty power of the Babylonians the Lord did for their sakes by way of prevention shew the Prophet a Vision in which the voyce of the Lord bids the Prophet to tell his Country-men that all flesh and the Babylonians as well as others were as grass therefore they need not fear them or any other men 9. O Sion that bringest good tydings i. e. O Jerusalem that bringest good tydings to the other Cities of Judah c. This seems to begin a new Sermon Sion is taken here for Jerusalem a part for the whole And he speaks to the material Jerusalem as if she were a person indeed as he doth often elsewhere by a Prosopopoeia The good tydings which Sion here brings are mentioned in the tenth and eleventh Verses Get thee up into the high mountain Supple and there proclaim the good tydings which thou bringest that they may be the Father-head O Jerusalem that bringest good tydings c. This is a repetition of the former sentence with which repetition the Prophet is much delighted Say unto the Cities of Judah i. e. Say unto other the Cities of Judah He speaks here of the Cities of Judah as of women by a Prosopopoeia as he did of Sion or Jerusalem Behold your God i. e. Behold your God cometh unto you See Vers 3. 10. Behold the Lord will come with a strong hand Behold the Lord himself will come with a strong hand against the Babylonians who hold us captive and will deliver us out of their hands And his arm shall rule i. e. And he shall now rule He shall rule over us as a King over his Subjects though till now the Babylonians have had dominion over us And he shall rule over the Babylonians as a Lord over his Vassals and a Conqueror over his Enemies though hitherto they have reigned as Conquerors and Lords themselves He speaks here of God as of man by an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and puts a part to wit the arm for the whole man by a Synecdoche the arm I say wherein the strength of man is most seen For him These words are redundant by an Hebrew elegancy Behold his reward is with him Supple To reward all such of his people as have waited for him And his work i. e. And his reward Work is put here for the reward of a work by a Metonymy And this is a repetition of the former sentence Is before him i. e. Is in a readiness See Cap. 62.11 11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd q. d. He shall bring his people out of Babylon into their own Cities And while he bringeth them he shall be to them as a shepherd is to
never flourish or attain to any honorable condition so long as they live though they were born of honorable Parents to honorable places Yea they shall not be planted c. Yea if he please they shall be as plants which shall never be planted they shall be as seeds or kernels which shall never be sown they shall be as stocks of trees which shall never take root in the Earth For as Plants which shall never be planted must needs wither away and by little and little become as dry sticks and as seeds and kernels which are not sown cannot grow up and flourish and as a stock of a Tree though it be set in the Earth yet if it takes no root dries away and rots So shall those Princes and Judges whom God would not have to flourish be in a contemptible condition from the very Cradle He shall also blow upon them and they shall wither He persists still in the Metaphor of Plants which if they lie out of the Earth in the open ayr and wind are quickly dryed up and wither The Prophet speaks all these glorious things of God that the Jews may have no thoughts of God but such as are worthy of God and that they might not think of making God like to any Idol or any Idol like unto him and by the way intimates that he is able to bring down the King and Princes of Babylon that the Jews might not despair of their delivery 25. To whom then will ye liken me or shall I be equal See Notes Vers 18. Saith the Holy One i. e. Saith the Lord which is the Holy One even the Holy One of Israel 26. Lift up your eyes on high i. e. Lift up your eyes towards Heaven And behold who hath created these things i. e. Behold and tell me who hath created the Stars By these things he means the Stars which he speaks of as though he pointed at them at this time That bringeth out their host by number q. d. Who is he which brings them out by number dayly while he makes them to arise at their determined times Their host i. e. Them to wit the Stars which are as an Host or Army for number and order By number He may be said to bring out the Stars by number because all the Stars rise not at a time but onely a certain number of them or because they arise in their order this first that second that third c. He calleth them all by their names q. d. Our God knows them all and all their names perfectly And he calleth them all by their names to come forth as a Master calleth his Servants by their names and they come at his Call and obey his Will The Call whereby God calleth his Stars by their names to come forth is an effectual Call and therefore is a sign of great power and might in God who by calling them to come forth giveth them power to come forth at his Call By the greatness of his might Supple Doth he do this that is doth he call them and they obey Not one faileth i. e. Not one Star faileth to come forth when he calls it by name either through impotency or disobedience or any other cause Here again the Prophet speaks gloriously of the Lord as he did vers 21 22 23 24. and he doth it for the same end as he did it there viz. That the Jews might have no thoughts of God but what were glorious and that they might not liken him to an Idol or an Idol to him and that they might not despair of being delivered out of captivity by their distrust of Gods power 27. Why sayst thou O Jacob i. e. Why then dost thou say O Jacob And speakest O Israel Supple Saying Israel is taken here for the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin as Cap. 1. v. 3. My way is hid from the Lord i. e. The Lord looks not upon my sad condition but it is as hid from his eyes he takes no notice of the troublesom way wherein I walk And my judgment is passed over from him Here seems to be an Hypallage in this sentence And my judgment is passed over from him seems to be put for He is passed over from my judgment Supple as he that will not cast an eye upon it or take any notice of it but purposely goeth away as though he would not see it I take judgment here for punishment or affliction and misery as it is taken 1 Pet. 4.17 This complaint is to be taken as proceeding from the Jews when they had layn a long time in the Babylonish captivity and it is grounded upon that That they thought that God was weary of delivering and doing for his people as he had done for them and their fathers informer time as appears by the Answer which the Prophet gives to this their Complaint in the next Verse though it be omitted here for brevity sake 28. The Creator of the ends of the Earth i. e. The Creator of all the Earth Here is a Synecdoche of the parts for the whole There is no searching of his understanding But yet there is no searching of his understanding to tell why your way is hid from him or why your judgment is passed over from him The Prophet doth here meet with a tacite Objection of the Jews for they might say If God did not faint nor was weary of fighting and pleading for us and delivering us out of our afflictions and of doing for us as he hath done heretofore surely he would not suffer us to lie helpless in the depth of this our captivity so long a time To this the Prophet answers That if God lets them lie so long in their captivity and hath not yet delivered them it is not because he is faint or weary but it is for some other reason The Jews ask For what reason The Prophet answers That he knoweth not for what particular reason for there is no searching of Gods understanding yet for what reason soever it be it is not for that that God fainteth or is weary for God giveth power to the faint c. 29. He giveth power to the faint c. i. e. He refresheth those which be faint This the Prophet brings as an argument to prove that God fainteth not For how can he faint which giveth power to the faint Or how can he be weary which giveth strength to the weary The Psalmist useth such a kinde of argument Psal 94.9 saying He that planted the ear shall not he hear and he that formed the eye shall not he see To them that have no might i. e. To them whose strength faileth through weariness 30. Even the youth shall faint and be weary These words contain not a prediction but a concession q. d. Though even youths which are strong and lusty by nature faint and be weary c. yet c. Or thus Even youths which are strong and lusty by nature may faint and be weary But they that
e. Abominable is he He puts an Abstract for a Concrete by a Metonymy That chooseth you Supple To be his gods 25. I have raised one up from the North and he shall come The Lord speaks this after an insulting manner as before to shew that He can do what the Idols of the Heathen cannot I have raised up i. e. I will raise up He puts a preterperfect tense here for a future to shew that what he saith shall come to pass as surely as if it were already done One from the North He meaneth Cyrus whom the Lord raised up that he might wage war against the Babylonians and overcome them and so free the Jews from the captivity in which they were in under them c. And he shall come Supple At my call From the rising of the Sun shall he call upon my Name i. e. He shall call upon me from the East Supple To know what my will and pleasure is for him to do The Name of God is put here ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for God himself as Cap. 30.27 And the Prophet alludeth here to the manner of good servants who when they would have something to do call upon their Master to know what work he hath for them to do Note here that we must not think by reason of this that Cyrus did enquire of God while he was in the East what work it would please the Lord to employ him in for Cyrus knew not God cap. 45.5 But this is onely that which is meant by this place That Cyrus should do the will and pleasure of God as truly and as fully as if he had asked the Lord what his will and pleasure was For this speech is onely an allusion to what good servants do And he shall come upon Princes c. i. e. And he shall come from thence that is from the East by my direction and tread upon Princes A question will be here asked How God raised Cyrus out of the North and how he is said to come from the East or Sun-rising For are the North and the East all one Ans Cyrus was a Mede by his Mothers side for his Mother was Mandane Daughter of Astyages King of the Medes And he was a Persian by his Fathers side for he was the son of Cambyses King of the Persians and he succeeded his Grandfather in the Kingdom of the Medes and his Father in the Kingdom of the Persians and both out of Media and Persia did he raise Soldiers when he warred against Babylon As therefore he was a Mede and King of Media and raised men out of Media when he came against Babylon he may be said to come out of the North for Media lay North both of Judea and Babylon And as he was a Persian and King of Persia and levyed men out of Persia when he came against Babylon he may be said to have come out of the East as from the Sun-rising for Persia lies East both of Babylon and Judea And he shall come upon Princes as upon mortar i. e. And he shall come and tread upon Princes as men tread and stamp upon mortar By these Princes he meaneth more especially the King of Babylon and the Kings and Princes which were subject unto him and served him And as the Potter treadeth clay Supple So shall he tread upon them The Prophet seemeth to allude to the manner of ancient Conquerors who were wont to tread upon the necks of them whom they conquered See Joshua cap. 10. v. 24 25. Observe here that God doth clearer and clearer explain the manner how he would restore the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity 26. Who hath declared from the begining q. d. Who or which of all the Idols or of all the gods of the Heathen hath dâclared this heretofore or before it cometh to pass From the beginning From the beginning being put absolutely signifieth From the Begining of the World in the Grammatical sence but by a Rhetorical Hyperbole it signifieth any antecedent or foregoing time and signifieth here Heretofore That we may know Supple That he is righteous as it followeth in the next sentence And before times i. e. And heretofore or before the time that it cometh to pass q. d. And who hath told of this before it cometh to pass That we may say that he is righteous i. e. That we may confess that he is righteous and pronounce in judgment that he hath justly assumed to himself the Name of God The word righteous in this place is a Law-term and signifieth such a one as hath the best in a Controversie or Suit of Law Yea there is none that sheweth i. e. Verily there is none among you all O ye Idols of the Heathen which sheweth the thing that I say shall come to pass Yea there is none that declareth This is a repetition of the former sentence Yea there is none that heareth your words i. e. Yea ye are all mute so that no man can hear you speak a word concerning the Deliverance of the Jews which yet I have foretold yea no man can hear you speak any one word at all 27. The first shall say to Sion c. q. d. The Lord shall say to Sion by his messenger The Lord speaks here of himself in the third person and calls himself the First as he doth also vers 4. the Notes whereof read Yet by the first may be meant the first messenger that cometh from Babylon to Judea q. d. The first messenger that cometh from Babylon to Judea shall say to Sion c. So that by this is shewed that the Jews should speedily be delivered out of their captivity He still insulteth over the Heathen Idols Sion Sion was part of Jerusalem and is here put for the whole City And here he speaks to it as to a woman yea a mother by a Prosopopeia Behold behold them i. e. Behold behold the Jews thy children which are scattered all abroad in the Land of their captivity gather themselves together and come to thee See Cap. 49. vers 18. He puts a Relative here without an Antecedent ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tydings For I the Lord will send to Jerusalem a messenger that shall bring good tydings to wit that her children the Jews are delivered out of the captivity in which the Babylonians held them and that they are upon their return to their own own Land again And is put here for For. 28. For I beheld and there was no man Between this and the former Verse we must understand these or the like words as spoken by God giving sentence in the Caâse between himself and the Idols of the Heathen viz. I therefore am God alone for as for the Idols of the Nations they are no gods q. d. I therefore am God alone for as for the Idols of the Nations they are no gods For I beheld and there was no man even among them and there was
his care and protection of them above others he may be said to sanctifie them and they which are thus separated may be said to be sanctified and holy See Notes cap. 4.3 As God therefore may be said to sanctifie a people when he separates them and puts a difference between them and others by his care and protection So when he deprives them of the care and protection which once he afforded them he may be said to profane them or pollute them The Princes of the Sanctuary By the Princes of the Sanctuary understand the chief Priests which ministred in the Temple and ordered things concerning the worship of God there who were called the Princes of the Sanctuary because they had inferior Priests and Levites and Nethinims to serve and attend them in their high Calling And given Jacob to the curse i. e. And have given the children of Jacob the Jews to destruction By Jacob understand the Jews the children of Jacob by a Metonymy And the curse here spoken of is such a curse whereby the thing accursed or the the thing given to the curse was to be destroyed as Josh 6.17 How Jacob that is how many of the Jews which were the children of Jacob were killed and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and his servants see 2 King 25. v. 7 21 c. And Israel i. e. And the Jews the children of Jacob who also was called Israel To reproaches i. e. To the reproach of their Enemies who in their captivity taunted them jeered them and reproached them ISAIAH CHAP. XLIV YEt now hear O Jacob c. This is to be continued with the former Chapter And the sence is q. d. But although I have profaned the Princes of the Sanctuary and have given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproach because of their sins yet now seeing your repentance Hear O Jacob my servant O Jacob my servant By Jacob he meaneth the Jews which were the children of Jacob the same also he meaneth by Israel 2. That made thee and formed thee from the womb i. e. That made thee a people from the first time that thou wast a people He speaks not of the making and forming of any one particular man which is made and formed in his mothers womb but of the making of a company of men into a people or Body politique yet he aliudes to the making and framing of a man in the womb of his mother Which will help thee Supple In all thy misery and distress Fear not Supple The Babylonians and their gods though thou art a Captive and hardly used in the Land of thy captivity For I will deliver thee and they shall not be able to hinder me See vers 8. And thou Jesurun This name Jesurun is taken out of Deut. 32. vers 15. where Moses gives it to the people of Israel and it signifieth right And it is therefore given to that people because God called them to lead a right or upright life and conversation Yet some think it to be an Hebrew diminutive of the Hebrew word Israel and to signifie as much as Little Israel as though the Lord had called his people here by a diminutive name as Fathers use to call their little children 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty The four sentences contained in this Verse signifie all one and the same thing namely That though the Jews were at this time in a poor decayed estate yet God would so bless them as that they should be delivered out of it and should revive and flourish again As the dry and thirsty ground though it be unpleasant and ill-favored to see to while it is so yet being watered it is hereby refreshed and recovereth its greenness and is clothed again with its former lustre I will pour water c. by water is meant rain the plenty whereof is signified by the word pour Vpon him i. e. Upon every Jew He speaketh of a Jew here as of a ground Metaphorically Vpon him that is thirsty i. e. Upon him that is as a thirsty Land that is upon him that is in misery and wants comfort Note that the thirstiness here mentioned is not the thirstiness of a man which is hot and dry and desireth drink to quench his thirst but the dryness of the ground for a dry ground is also called a thirsty ground Cap. 35.7 And to such a ground is the Jew in the depth of his misery and captivity here compared And floods upon the dry ground This is a repetition of the former sentence I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed i. e. I will greatly bless thy children By the Spirit of God is here meant Gods blessing as may appear by the following words which are but a repetition of these And the blessing of God is called the Spirit of God by a Metonymy because it proceedeth from the Spirit of God or from God who is a Spirit By seed are meant here children per Metonymiam Materiae 4. And they shall spring up as among the grass i. e. They shall spring up as young Trees or Plants among the grass which have moysture enough to nourish them and make them flourish 5. One shall say I am the Lords c. q. d. Such blessings will I pour upon them as that they shall confess that I am their God and that they are my servants because of the care I have of them and the favors that I shew to them though now they say My way is bid from the Lord my judgment is passed over from my God as Cap. 40. v. 27. I am the Lords Supple Servant And therefore shall call himself the Lords servant because he shall be sensible of the care which God hath of him and the blessing which he bestoweth upon him and shall in way of recompence resolve to serve the Lord so long as he shall live Another shall call himself by the name of Jacob And therefore shall he call himself by the name of Jacob because he shall see that the Lord hath as great respect to him as he had to Jacob and because he shall resolve to serve the Lord for the blessings which the Lord hath bestowed upon him as Jacob vowed to serve the Lord and did accordingly Gen. 28.21 Another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord Supple That he is his servant and will serve him And sirname himself by the name of Israel Israel is the name of Jacob and it was given to him because of the power which he had with God and prevailed with him Gen. 32.28 For the same reason as one named himself by the name of Jacob in the former part of this Verse doth another sirname himself by the name of Israel in this latter part And for the same reason as one said I am the Lords for the same reason doth the other subscribe with his hand unto the Lord. 6. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel That the Jews might the more firmly believe what the Lord had
Armies For by the River Euphrates and the Rivers thereof may be meant the King of Bâbyl n and his Armies as by the River and âs watârs is meant the King of Assyria and thâ gâeât mâltitude of men which the King o Assâria brought âp with him against Iudah Cap. 8.7 Againe we may observe that many take this place lâterally and interpret it of that Stratâgem which by the Lordâ providence Cyrus used when he tooke Babylon for when Cyrus tooke Babylon he divided the waters of the River Euphâates and divided them into certaine deep pits and great hollow places which he had made for that purpose by which meanes the Channell of Euphrates was passable by foot through which he led his Army into Babylon and so tooke that great City Which when he had took he set the Iewes free and did accommodate them in a most honourable manner for their returne into their own Land 28. That saith os Cyrus he is my Shepheard Cyrus is called here the Lords Shepâeaâd because the Lord appointed him to be as a Shepheard to gather his dispersed Sheep of the house of Iudah together and bring them home into the Land of Iâdah as into their owne Sheep-fold And this did Cyrus not by his own labour and paines but by his command and authority Ezra 1. And shall performe all my pleasure Supple Concerning the delivering of my people the Iewes out of Captivity and bringing them back into their own Land Even saying to Hierusalem i. e. That even say to Hierusalem Thou shalt be built That Hierusalem was ruined by the Chaldees or Babylonians we read 2 Chron. 36.19 and that it was built againe by the Iewes we read Nehem. 2. And to the Temple thy foundation shall be laid That the Temple of the Lord which was at Hierusalem was qâite destroyed we read 2 Chron. 36.19 2 Kings 25.9 And that it was built againe by the Iewes we read Ezra Cap. 4.5 6. The foundations shall be laid i. e. Thou shalt be built For by the Foundations understand the whole building by a Metonymy ISAIAH CHAP. XLV THus saith the Lrd to his annointed Cyrus is here called the Lords annointed because the Lord intended to make him a King yea a great King And by calling him His annointed he alludeth to the Kings of Israel and Iudah who at their Inauguration were wont to be annointed with oyle And were therefore called the Lords annointed as 1 Sam. 26.16 c. Or Cyrus might be called the Lords annointed because of those eminent gifts which God gave him as memory wisedome courage c. by which he surpassed ordinary men For such gifts by which one man surpasseth another may be well compared to Oyle which being mixt with other liquours alwayes floateth at the top Or when he saith Thus saith the Lord to his annointed it may be as if he should say Thus saith the Lord to his sanctified one as Cap. 13.3 That is to him whom he hath separated and set apart for this service To wit to subdue and destroy the Babylonians and to deliver the Iewes out of Captivity and bring them into their owne Land againe And him whom the Lord hath Sanctified That is He whom he hath or separated and set apart may be called The Lords annointed in allusion both to those Persons and those things which were Sanctified that is which were separated and set apart for Gods service in the Temple For they were so separated and set apart both persons and things were consecrated by Annoinâing Exod. 40. verse 9.13 To Cyruâ i. e. Even to Cyrus This Cyrus was King of Persia and he is here and in other places of this Prophet called by this name a long time yea above 200. yeares before he was borne the like we reade of Iâsiah he was called Iosiah long before his birth 1 Kings 13.2 Cyrus is a Persian name and in the Persian Language signifieth the Sunne so that this name did portend the great glory which Cyrus should be in For he which gave him this name was able to give him glory also sutable to his name Note that in these words Thus saith the Lord to his annointed the Lord speaketh and he speaketh of himselfe in the third person Whoâe right hand I bave holden i. e. Whose right hand I will hold Note here that he puts a Praeterperfect Tense for a Future To hold ones right hand may signifie to preserve or keep safe by a Metaphor from a man which layeth hold on a Childs arme or hand when he is in any danger to keep him safe therein and bring him out thereof Or from a man which taketh hold of the arme or hand of an old feeble man that so he may sustaine him and keep him up from falling And indeed the Lord did preserve Cyrus and keep him safe in the midst of all dangers even untill he had wrought the whole work which he had for him to worke Or to hold ones right hand may signifie to strengthen a man by a Metaphor from a man taking hold of the hand of a Child when he striketh that he may adde vigour thereto and make his blow or stroke the greater To subdue Nations before him i. e. That I may subdue many Nations before him That is That he may subdue many Nations by my helpe Cyrus did Conquer and subdue many Nations for he Conquered and subdued the Syrians and Assyrians and Arabians and Cappadâcians and Phrygians and Lydians and Carians and Phaenicians and Babylonians c. see Zenoph ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã lib. 1. And I will loose the Loines of Kings i. e. And for whose sake I will strike feare and terrour into Kings Feare looseth the Loines and the joynts of those which are terrified or put in feare as appeareth Dan. 5.6 Therefore he saith I will loose the Loines of Kings for I will strike feare and terrour into Kings To open before him the two-leaved Gates i. e. That they may open to him the Gates of their Cities and take him in as their Conquerour The two-leaved Gates By the two-leaved Gates he meaneth the Gates of Fenced Cities for the Gates of such Cities doe usually consist of two leaves And the Gates shall not be shut q.d. And the Gates of their Cities shall be surely opened to receive him they shall not be shut against him 2. I wil go before thee This is that which the Lord saith to his annointed even to Cyrus And the Lord speakes here in the person of a way maker which is sent sometimes before a King and his Court sometimes before a General and his Army to make their wayes even and straight that they may finde no rub or hinderance in their way And make the crooked places straight i. e. And make the crooked wayes straight that thou mayest passe by them with the greater speed See Cap. 40.3 I will breake in pieces the Gates of Brasse q.d. I will breake in pieces the Gates of those Cities which shut their Gates
against thee to keep thee out and so will make a way for thee to enter in The Gates oâ Brasse i. e. The Gates which are lined with brasse or brazen plates to make them the stronger yet we read that the Gates of Babylon were made of massy-brasse and to these may the Prophet here allude The Barreâ of Iron By the Barres of Iron are meant those Barres with which the Gates of Cities are made fast when they are shut Or Percullises which were wont to be set before the Gates of Cities to defend them which Percullises are made Bar-wise and lined with Iron 3. And I will give thee the treasures of darkenesse By treasures of darknesse are meant treasures which are hid in the earth or in darke holes as men use to hide them in the time of Warre Or treasures which have been kept close and have not seene the Sun as we say a great while Infinite were the treasures which Cyrus got of the People whom hâ subdued as Histories tell us That I the Lord i. e. That I who am the onely true God Which call thee by thy name i. e. Which call thee by thy name even by the name of Cyrus which argueth my respects to thee Or thus which câll thee by thy name that is which have made choyce of thee to be a servant of high esteem with me The like phrase to this we read Exod. 33.12 I know thee by thy name which phrase is taken from the manner of some great Lord or King who having many Servants knowes not all nor calls all by their names when he calls them but such only which are nigh by office to his person and in great esteem with him Am the God of Israel Supple For for Israels sake doe I doe this for thee that thou maist deliver Israel that is the Jewes which were the Children of Israel out of the Babylonish Captivity and shew them grace and favour 4. For Jacob my Servants sake c. i. e. For Jacob my Servants sake and Israel mine Elect that thou maist deliver him out of Captivity and be good to him have I called thee by thy name This containes a reason of that which went immediately before Mine elect That is whom I have chosen to be a peculiar people to my selfe By Jacob and Israel are here meant the Jewes or men of Judah who was the Sonne of Jacob who also was called Israel Have I called thee by thy name i e. Have I called thee to be my Servant yea to be my speciall Servant and a Servant of great esteeme with me See verse 3. I have Sirnamed thee q.d. Yea for his sake have I sirnamed thee and given thee the honourable name of Cyrus The Lord did sirname this man by calling him Cyrus long before he was borne and when he was borne by causing men by his secret working to give him that name Though thou hast not knowne me Cyrus was at first ignorant of the Lord who was the only true God and of his law and of his manner of worship And worshipped not the true God of Heaven but the many gods of the Heathen after their superstitious and Idolatrous manner yet afterward he came to know so much by the Jewes that the Lord was the true God Creator of Heaven and Earth Ezra 1.2 Josephus reports in his eleventh Book of Antiquities and first chapter that Cyrus read that which is here written of him for the Jewes did shew it to him and he when he had read it was animated thereby to deliver the Jewes out of the Babylonish Captivity and shew them many favours 5. I am the Lord and there is none else there is no God besides me It may be asked to what purpose the Lord doth mention here that he is the onely God and that there is no other God besides him Ans He doth it to shew Cyrus that it is he that girded him that is which gave him strength and power to vanquish and overcome Nations For that no man was ever great and singular in any kinde without the helpe of God the very Heathen have acknowledged See Cicero in the very last leafe of the second Book de Natura Deorum Now if no man could be great without the help of God Cyrus must needes have his power and greatnesse from a God And being that the Lord is the only God and there is no God besides him he must by consequence have his power and greatnesse from the Lord. I gâ deâ thâe Supple With a Sword That is I have given thee strength for the Warres Metonymia effecti Though thou hast not knowne me See vers 4. 6. That they may know from the rising of the Sunne and from the West i. e. That all which dwell from East to West may know That there is none besides me i. e. That there is no other God besides me I am the Lord i. e. For I am the Lord the Creator of Heaven and Earth And there is none else i. e. And there is no God else It may be asked how all people from East to West could come to know that the Lord was the onely God and that there was no other God besides him by his girding Cyrus that is by his giving Cyrus power and strength to the Warres Ans By Gods girding Cyrus that is by Gods giving Cyrus power and strength for the Warres Cyrus came to subdue many Nations and Babylon by name which when he had subdued according to this Prophesie of him he made a Proclamation throughout all his Kingdomes and put it in writing saying thus saith Cyrus King oâ Persia the Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdomes of the Earth c. Ezra Cap. 1.2 Which argues the Lord to be the onely God For they are no Gods which cannot keep the Kingdomes whereof they have undertaken the protection out of his hands And thus did all people come to know that the Lord was the onely God This is a second reason why God did so strengthen Cyrus to wit that he might be knowne to be the onely God The first reason was contained in the third and fourth verses to wit that Cyrus might deliver Israel out of Captivity and be good to him 7. I forme the light and âreat darknesse By the light is metaphorically meant Prosperity which is as gratefull to the minde of man as light is to his eyes And by darkenesse is meant Adversity which is as grievous to the minde of man as darkenesse is to his eyes I make peace By Peace is meant Prospârity for by Peace the Heârewes use to signifie all manner of Prosperity Per Synecdochen membri This is a repetition of the former Sentence And creat evill By evill is meant Adversity and it is opposed to Peace in that Notion which we gave of Peace Adversity is called Evill rather because men account it so then because it is so in it selfe I the Lord do all these things Supple Which I have named
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
to them all as if they had all so sinned for so it is that a people or aggregate body as it may have titles or attributes given to it which are verified of it in respect of the whole considered generally so may it have titles or attributes given to it which are not verified of it considered generally but onely in respect of some parts Hence one and the same people may in respect of some of its parts be called good and in respect of others be called evil Which swear by the Name of the Lord i. e. Which sware by the Lord. To swear by the Lord is an honor and worship of the Lord for he that sweareth by him acknowledgeth his Omniscience and that he seeth all transgressions and he acknowledgeth his power and that he is able to punish all offenders c. And make mention of the Lord of Israel Supple In your Oaths when ye swear But not in truth and righteousness i. e. But not sincerely and with an honest intent to honor God but hypocritically that ye may seem onely to honor him Or thus But not in truth and in righteousness that is But not truly and justly for when ye use an Assertory Oath ye swear not in truth because ye swear that which is false and when ye use a Promissory Oath ye swear not in righteousness because ye do not perform what ye promise 2. For they call themselves of the holy City i. e. Though ye call your selves Citizens of the holy City Jerusalem and would be thought therefore to be holy your selves Note that this Particle For must be expounded by though according to the frequent use of that Particle which is here used in the Hebrew Text. Note also that here is an Enallage of the person and that the third person is put for the second Note thirdly that by the holy City is here meant Jerusalem and Jerusalem was called the holy City because of the Ark on which God sat and of the Temple in which he dwelt both which were there Note fourthly that these words are to have their immediate connexion with the last words of the former verse namely with those But not in truth and in righteousness And stay themselves upon the God of Israel i. e. And though ye do rely and trust on the God of Israel Supple as ye say and boast The Lord of Hosts is his Name i. e. Whose Name or who is the Lord of Hosts A prepositive Pronoun is here put for a subjunctive 3. I have declared the former things i. e. He calleth those the former things which came first to pass in order of time before other and in particular those calamities and that captivity which befell this people of the Jews by the Babylonians For note though the Prophet spoke this long before the Babylonish captivity yet he speaks to the Jews as though they were then captive in Babylon by a Prophetique Spirit This is that which he bids them hear Vers 1. From the beginning i. e. Before they came to pass See Cap. 46.10 And they went forth out of my mouth i. e. And I spoke of them And I shewed them i. e. And I told of them I did them suddenly i. e. I did bring those calamities and that captivity which I foretold of upon you when you little thought of them 4. Because I knew that thou art obstinate The Lord sheweth a reason here why he told those former things that is why he spoke of those calamities before they came to pass I knew that thou art obstinate i. e. I knew that thou art refractory and that thou wouldst not give place to my sayings to believe them And thy neck is an iron sinew i. e. And that thou wouldst not bow down thine ear to hear me We cannot ordinarily bow down the ear to hear or harken unto any one but by bending of the neck and if the nerves or sinews of the neck which are the instruments of motion are iron or of iron the neck cannot bend And thy brow brass i. e. And that thou art impudent And therefore if I had not told of these things before they came to pass thou wouldst have been so impudent as to say that I did them not Thy brow bâass It is said of an impudent man that his brow that is that his face taking the brow for the whole face per Synecdochen partis is brass or that as we usually say he is brazen-faced The ground of the phrase is this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Arist Ethic. l. 4. c. 9. They that are ashamed blush or look red and the reason why thây blâsh and look red is because in that passion the blood flyeth into the face and dyeth the skin But now if the face were brass the blood could not fly into it for want of veins and pores neither could it alter the colour thereof because of its thickness and solidity 5. From the beginning i. e. Before it came to pass as the next Verse sheweth which is but a repetition of this Declared it to thee i. e. Told thee that which I have done Mine Idol hath done them i. e. Not the Lord the holy One of Israel but the Idol which I worship hath done it Hath commanded them i. e. Hath done these things He alludes to the power of the true God who when he would have any thing done doth but speak in way of command and say Let it be done and it is done as Gen. 1. v. 6 9 11 14 20 24 c. 6. Thou hast heard Supple Of me all this which is come to pass before it came to pass See all this Viz. That it is come to pass as you heard And will ye not declare it i. e. And will ye not now declare that I therefore am the true God Here is a Relative without an Antecedent I have shewed thee new things i. e. I have told of things which thou never heardst of before The new things which he speaks of are the things which concerned the Jews Delivery out of Babylon by Cyrus From this time i. e. Things which I now first spoke of and of which I spoke not from the beginning that is of which I spoke not of heretofore Even hidden things i. e. Things hidden heretofore from thy knowledg And thou didst not know them Supple Before I now told thee of them 7. They are created now i. e. They are now revealed to thee by me He saith They are created now for They are now revealed by a Metaphor because as things have a Being by Creation which they had not before so they have a kinde of Being when they are first revealed which before they had not And not from the beginning i. e. And not heretofore Even before the day Supple That thou knewest of them When thou heardest not of them i. e. When thou hadst not heard of them were they created or revealed to thee Lest thou shouldst say Supple When they came to pass Behold
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
c. From the beginning i. e. At any time heretofore From the time that it was there am I q. d. I have not been negligent in the performance of my duty but from the time that I have been called to be a Prophet I have been diligent in my calling From the time that it was i. e. From the time that the gift of Prophecy was Supple given to me or was in me Here is a Relative without an Antecedent There am I i. e. Therein have I spent my labour and travell and doe yet spend it Note that this verbe I am though it be of the present Tense yet by a Syllepsis it comprehends the time past also Note also that where a man spends his whole labour and travell there he may be said to be himselfe Per Metonymiam efficientis The like argument to this which the Prophet here useth to move attention doth the Apostle use 1 Cor. 15.10 His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vaine but I laboured c. And now the Lord God and his spirit hath sent me i. e. And now at this time hath the Lord sent me to you with this message And his spirit Many of the ancients doe interpret this spirit of the Holy Ghost the third person in the blessed Trinity But yet because the Scripture speakes often of God as of a man by an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And the Spirit is taken oftentimes for the Soul The Sense may be this And now the Lord God yea his soule hath sent me q. d. And now the Lord God hath sent me yea he hath sent me with all his Soule Which expression signifieth a great deale of Affection of him that sends to him to whom he sends This is the third argument by which the Prophet would move attention and how powerfull an argument this is Eglon King of Moab may shew who when Ehud said unto him I have a message from God unto thee Eglon arose presently out of his Seat Judges 3.20 which argument is the stronger when it is enforced with the love of God 17. Thus saith the Lord c. This is that which the Prophet speakes to them to heare verse 16. Thy Redeemer q.d. Which hath redeemed thee out of the hands of the Aegyptians and Moabits and Midianits and Assyrians and will redeeme thee out of the hands of the Babylonians The holy one of Israel i. e. The holy one whom Israel worshippeth I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit i. e. I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee such things as that if thou observest them thou shalt profit thy selfe by them for in observing my words there is great reward Which leadeth thee by the way which thou shouldst goe i. e. Which directeth thee as a guide doth a Traveller in the way wherein thou shouldst goe if thou wouldst be safe and happy The Commandements of God are often compared to a way because as by walking in the way we come to the place which we desire So doe we come to the happinesse which we long after by keeping the Commandements of the Lord. Note that that which the Lord speakes here in this and the two following verses is not that which he chiefly intends in this speech but that which he chiefly intends is to tell the house of Iacob of their delivery out of Babylon and of the afflictions which shall befall the Babylonians their enemies verse 20 21 22. And in this 17 18 19. verses he doth insinuate himselfe into the heart of his people by manifesting his love and compassion towards them that they may receive what he hath to say to them with the greater desire and beliefe 18. O that thou hadst hearkned to my Commandements i. e. O that thou hadst obeyed my Commandements heretofore This passionate Speech sheweth the love and compassion which the Lord had to his people Then had thy peace been as a River i. e. Then had not thy peace failed but had been as a River which runs continually and is not dryed up And as a River waters the earth and makes all things to flourish and look green So should thy peace have cheered thee and made all things to flourish within thee This peace which th y enjoyed was taken away by the Babylonians because of their sinnes And thy righteousnesse as the waves of the Sea The keeping of Gods commandements is righteousnesse But it is not that which is here meant by righteousnesse but the fruites of that righteousnesse and the blessings which God would have bestowed upon his people for keeping his commandments Per Metonymiam efficientis If therefore they had kept Gods commandements the blessings which God would have bestowed upon them as fruites of that their Righteousnesse should have been as the waves of the Sea Supple for abundance 19. Thy Seed i. e. Thy children Metonymia materiae Should have been as the Sand Supple for number And the off-spring of thy bowels i. e. And the off-spring which commeth out of thy bowels Like the gravell thereof i. e. Like the gravell of the Sea Soe some understanding Sea from verse 18. Others like the gravell that is like the little stones of the Sand Supple for multitude His name should not have been cut off q.d. Thou shouldst not have been cut off Supple as thou hast been by the Babylonians by reason of which thou art diminished and become few in number He speakes not here of a totall cutting off as verse 9. but a Partiall His name Note that his name is put here for He and He is put for thou by an Enallage of the Person For he speakes here of the house of Jacob in the third person to whom he spake in the Second immediately before Note that the word name doth often signifie a person as Act. 1.15 The number of the names together were about an hundred and twenty that is the number of the persons together were about an hundred and twenty And Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments that is thou hast a few persons even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments Note Secondly that this word name taken in this Nation is sometimes added Periphrastically to another word signifying or intimating a Person And yet augmenteth not the signification thereof as Isa 30.27 The name of the Lord commeth from farre that is the Lord commeth from farre c. Cap. 48.9 For my names sake will I deferre mine anger that is for mine owne sake will I deferre mine anger And 1 Iohn 32.3 This is his commandement that we should believe in the name of his Sonne Jesus Christ That is this is his commandement that we should believe in his Sonne Jesus Christ Now as the word name is Periphrastically added in those places without any augmentation of the signification so it is here and so His name is no more than He. Nor destroyed Supple As thou hast been of late by the
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 Sâcking 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 Sonnâs of their wombe Note here the Enallage of the numbâr how he passeth from a Singular to a Pâurall 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
Land of thy destruction for thy Land which is destroyed putting a Substantive of the Genitive Case for an Adjective or a Participle after the Hebrew manner Even now i. e. So soon as ever they to wit thy children which gather themselves together to come to thee shall be come to thee And they that swallowed thee up i. e. And the Babylonians which destroyed thee and now dwell in thee c. See verse 17. He saith swallowed thee up for destroyed thee by a Metaphor from a Lion or Beare or some such ravenous Beast or other which is wont to swallow downe his prey And they that swallowed thee up shall be farre away Read these words as with a Parenthesis 20. Thy children which thou shalt have i. e. These words have their immediate connexion with the formost words of verse 19. viz. with those Thy wast and thy desolate places and the Land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants And are for sense the same with them The children which thou shalt have Supple Even now He speakes as though the Jewes which were in Captivity in Babylon and dispersed elsewhere were even now comming to Sion or Hierusalem their mother After thou hast lost the other Supple Which thou hadst before the Babylonians besieged thee who slew some and carried others of thy children away Captive and made others to flye into forraigne Lands Shall say againe in thine eares i. e. Shall say againe to thee or in thine hearing Againe This relates to such time or times before the Babylonish Captivity in which Hierusalem was very populous so that many of the people thereof were faine to dwell in other Cities and Villages of Judah For they which did so did in effect say The place is too straight for mee The place is too straight for me i. e. The place wherein we dwell is too little for us we must seeke us a dwelling elsewhere For me i. e. For us For here is an Enallage of the number The Singular being put for the Plurall Give place to me that I may dwell q.d. Give me a place elsewhere that I may have a place to dwell in 21. Then shalt thou say in thine heart i. e. Then when thy children shal come to thee and they shall be straightned for want of roome to dwell in thee thou shalt wonder to see that they are so many and shalt say within thy selfe Who hath begotten me these i. e. By whom have I these so many children Seeing I have lost my children Supple Which I had Shee lost her children when the Babylonians slew many of them made many to flye away for feare of their lives and carried the rest away Captive into Babylon And am desolate i. e. And am without an husband The Lord was her husband and had married her but had put her away Cap. 50.1 So that shee was at this time desolate and without an husband A Captive and removing to and fro And shee which is a captive removing to and fro hath but little propension to the procreation of children A Captive Supple to the Babylonians Removing to and fro Conquerours use to hurry their Captives from place to place and City to City at their pleasures and seldome suffer them to abide long in one place Ob. It may be here objected that Sion being a City could not remove from place to place to and fro Ans What is said in this Chapter of Sion and attributâd to her is spoken of her and attributed to her by a Prosopopoeia by which figure shee may be made aswell to remove from place to place to and fro as to speake But what is spoken of Sion in this Chapter and attributed to her is spoken of her and attributed to her to set forth the condition of the Jewes as it was at that time as I said before And who hath brought up these And who hath nourished and brought up all these Behold I was left alone Supple without children and none of them all were with me therefore I could not nourish them and bring them up These where they had been q. d. Where have all these been wheresoever they have been they have not been with me so that I could not bring them up 22. Thus saith the Lord God behold I wil lift up mine hand to the Gentiles q. d. Moreover thus saith the Lord God Behold c. In the 18 19 20 verses the Lord assured Sion that her children should come to her to comfort her Here that he may yet further comfort her and shew her how mindfull he was of her she sheweth the manner how they shall come to her and how happy she shall be when she hath received them I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles i. e. I will call the Gentiles to me He alludeth to one man beckning to another with his hand to come to him And set up my Standard to the people i. e. And I will gather the people or Nations together For what end he will call the Gentiles to him and gather the Nations together he sheweth in the next following words This phrase is the same for sense with that which went immediately before but he alludes herein to a Captaine which sets up his Standard for his souldiers to come together and to be in a readinesse for what march or service he shall appoint them And they shall bring thy sonnes in their armes i. e. and they shall bring thy sonnes to thee in their armes as nurses use to carry their little ones And thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders i. e. And they shall carry thy daughters to thee upon their shoulders Supple on soft beds or pallate as they which are weak were wont to be carried Mark 2.3 The meaning is that the Gentiles shall carefully provide and accommodate the Jewes with all things necessary and convenient for their return from Babylon and other parts of the world to their own Land How this was fulfilled in part read Ezra 1. 23. And Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers i. e. And after thy sonnes and daughters are brought to thee Kings and Queens shall be as carefull to provide and shew kindnesse to thee as nursing fathers and nursing mothers are to their Foster-children Kings shall be their nursing fathers This was fulfilled in Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes whose good deeds to the Jewes are mentioned in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah and Assuerus of whom we read Esther 8.7 c. And Alexander the Great and his successors and especially Demetrius whom Josephus writeth of All which were exceeding good to the Jewes and to Hierusalem and to the Temple and gave them many gifts and priviledges And thâir Queens thy nursing mothers This was fulfilled in the Queenes of some of those forementioned Kings and particularly in Ester as may be seen in the book which beareth her name They shall bown down to thee with their face towards the
earth and lick up the dust of thy feet This as some think is not to be understood of the same Kings and Queens which were nursing fathers and nursing mothers to Sion But of others as of the Kings of Edom and of Moab whom the Jewes subdued after their return out of the Babylonish captivity for to bow down so low as to the earth and to lick the dust of the feet is not the gesture say they of Kings which are friends and benefactors but of enemies which are subdued and of such as worship rather out of feare and flattery than of love as will appeare Psal 72.9 Isaiah 60.14 Exod. 11.8 The sense therefore is say they q. d. And those Kings and Queens which will not be as nursing fathers and nursing mothers to thee shall bow down to thee with their face to the earth and shall lick the dust of thy feet for thou shalt subdue them and bring them under thee When therefore he saith They shall bow down to thee He doth as it were point at those which would not be nursing fathers and nursing mothers to Sion but would rather envy her and hate her But though these phrases taken in their prime and proper sense signifie as they aforementioned say yet by an Hyperbolicall Synecdoche putting one species of respect for any respect in generall they may signifie such respect as Kings which are friends and benefactors shew even to their inferiours And then the same Kings which are nursing fathers to Sion and the same Queens which are nursing mothers may be said to bow down to her with their faces towards the earth and lick up the dust of her feet because of that civil respect which they they gave unto her They shall bow down with their face towards the earth This sheweth respect and reverence to him to whom we bow but a submissive respect and reverence in the prime and proper sense of the words And lick up the dust of thy feet Many to shew their extream submission and reverence and respect to others have kissed the very footsteps where they have trod and licked up the dust which clove to their feet And thou shalt know that I am the Lord i. e. And thou shalt know by those things which I will doe for thee that I am the onely God for I will doe such things for thee as none but the true God can doe For they shall not be ashamed which wait for mee i. e. For they which wait with patience upon me in expectation and hope of salvation from my hand shall not be disappointed of their hope and expectation They which hope and look for great matters if they faile of their hope and expectation they are ashamed Hence he may be said not to be ashamed which obtaineth what he hopeth for 24. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty q. d. The Babylonians are mighty in power and I and my children are their prey They have taken us by the sword and kept us captive and hath any one so great strength as to deliver us out of their hands This is spoken in the person of Sion who doubts of the Lords sayings concerning the coming of her children to her again of her own happiness after their coming to her because of the great power which the Babylonians had and therefore doth she object thus against the Lord Shall the prey be taken from the mighty That which made Sion doubt of the delivery of her children v. 14. was the distrust which she had of the love of God That which makes her doubt here was the conceit which she had of the great power of the Babylonians which she thought invincible Or the lawful captive delivered Supple From the terrible This is but a repetition of the former words The lawful captive That is called a lawful captive here which is taken in a lawful war and that is called a lawful war which is denounced between people and people according to the Law of Arms before it be begun though otherwise that same War may be very unjust and injurious in respect of the Law of God and of the Moral Law Now a Captive which is taken in such a war as is denounced before it be begun sheweth the power of the Conqueror more then that Captive doth which is taken in a war which was not denounced For in a war which is denounced before it is begun he that begins the war relieth upon the greatness of his own strength and believeth that he can master the Enemy by meer force and therefore is more terrible in power But he that wageth a war and denounceth it not hath more confidence in the unpreparedness of his Enemy and such like advantages then in his own power and therefore is not so much to be feared for his strength as the other is 25. But thus saith the Lord even the captives c. This is the Lords Answer to Sions Objection Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away i. e. Thou and thy children though ye be lawful captives of the mighty Babylonians yet shall ye be taken away out of their hands And the prey of the terrible shall be delivered q. d. And though ye be the pâey of the Babylonians which are a terrible Nation yet shal ye be delivered from them For I will contend with him that contendeth with thee i. e. For I the Lord who am Almighty and can do whatsoever I please will fight against the Babylonians which fight against thee Concerning this phrase see cap. 41.12 and cap. 54.17 26. I will feed them which oppress thee with their own flesh they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine i. e. I will set the Babylonians which oppress thee with hard captivity one against another and they shall fight one with another and slay one another in great number The phrases here used are metaphorical taken from wilde beasts which fight with and kill one the other and when they have killed one the other eat the flesh and suck the blood one of the other Their own flesh Their own blood This is not to be understood of the flesh and blood of their own natural and individual bodies but of the flesh and blood of their Kinsmen and Country-men For these especially Kinsmen are said to be of the same flesh and of the same blood because they came out of the loyns of the same forefathers That which is here spoken might be fulfilled not onely by the Civil Wars of the Babylonians if any such were for we have not Records extant of all things memorable but also when many Babylonians served under Cyrus against other the Babylonians The mighty One of Jacob. i. e. The mighty One whom Jacob serveth and who protecteth Jacob. By Jacob he meaneth the Jews the children of Jacob. The Lord though he calleth himself most usually the holy One of Israel and the holy One of Jacob as cap. 29.23 yet here he calleth himself the
mighty One of Jacob to shew his power and that in opposition to the Babylonians whom Sion in her Objection called The Mighty ISAIAH CHAP. L. THus saith the Lord Where is the bill of your mothers divorcement whom I have put away This as I conceive must be continued with the former Chapter and be part of that Sermon For whereas the Lord speaketh there of what great things he would do for Sion and her children and that he would deliver them from the terrible and take them away from the mighty Babylonians who possessed them as captives and as their prey The Jews the children of Sion were ready to say If the Lord will do such great things for us and will now at length deliver us from the terrible and take us away from the mighty Why did he forsake us at the first when we deserved it not For why did he sell us which were his children when he had no reason to do it And why did he put away our mother to whom he was marryed as though she had been defiled and unclean whereas there was nothing to be blamed in her This Objection therefore of theirs the Lord prevents saying Where is the bill of your mothers divorcement whom I have put away Or which of my Creditors is it to whom I have sold you c. Where is the bill of your mothers divorcement whom I have put away This is spoken in the person of the Lord to the Jews which were in captivity in Babylon But who is meant here by the Mother of these Jews Ans Sion or Jerusalem whom Paul also intimateth to be the Mother of the Jews Galat. 4.25 And of this Sion or Jerusalem even the material City doth the Prophet speak as of a woman yea of a mother by a Prosopopoeia in chap. 3. vers 26. and in chap. 49. and so also doth he here in this place Where is the bill of yours mothers divorcement whom I have put away When any one did put away his wife he was by the old Law to give her a bill of divorcement to shew that she was divorced from her Husband Deut. 24.1 And in this bill were the reasons oftentimes set down why the man did put away his wife The Lord therefore who had been marryed to Sion and put her away again in allusion to this Law and in allusion to such a Bill in which the causes of divorce were set down calls to the Jews for the Bill of their Mothers divorcement that he might clear himself thereby and shew that he put her away not without cause as they surmized but for her uncleanness as the Bill would testifie Or which of my Creditors is it to whom I have sold you It was a Law or Custom at least among the ancient Hebrews that Parents if they grew poor and could not tell how to pay their debts might sell their children to their Creditors thereby to satisfie them as appeareth Exod. 21.7 To this Law or Custom doth the Lord here allude And to clear himself of that which the Jews which were captive in Babylon were ready to say to wit That he had sold them he bids them name the Creditor to which he had sold them that it might appear that he sold them not For your iniquities have you sold your selves Supple Into the hands of the Babylonians When the Lord had bid these Jews to name the Creditor to which he had sold them they named the Babylonian But when they had named the Babylonian the Lord shewed them that it was not he that sold them but that it was they who had sold themselves and that for their iniquities so that the Lord doth not onely clear himself of what they objected to him but layeth the fault of all wholly upon them themselves Quest But it may be asked how the Jews could be said to sell themselves to the Babylonians to be their captives for their iniquities Answ The Lord among other punishments threatened his people that if they sinned and did commit iniquity they should be carryed away captive into their enemies Land and should there pine away in their iniquity Levit. 26. v. 33 38 39. Yea he threatened the Jews by his Prophets that they should be carryed away by the Babylonians in particular if they sinned Now therefore if they would buy sin and the pleasure of it they knew the price they must sell their peace and liberty for it they must become captive to the Babylonians if they would have it Well sin they would because it was pleasant therefore having had sin they must pay for it they must go into the hands of the Babylonians for this was the price of their sins For as according to Pauls saying the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 so is death and captivity and all other miseries the price of sin also And for your transgressions is your mother put away Supple From me who was her Husband so that I put her not away without a lawful cause But a Jew might here say What justice or equity is in this that a Mother should be put away from her Husband for the trangressions of her Children Answ To put away a Mother for the transgressions of her Children if she be not thereby defiled and made unclean is against justice and equity but if she be defiled and made unclean by her Childrens transgressions it is not against justice or equity to put her away for a Husband might put away his Wife if he found any uncleanness in her Deut. 24.1 Now the case of Sion or Jerusalem was so that if the Children within her did transgress she her self was also defiled and polluted and became unclean by their transgressions For if the Land was defiled by the sins of them which dwelt therein as it was Isai 24.5 Jerem. 2.7 and 3.9 and 16.18 and Numb 35.33 34. Levit. 18.28 and if the Sanctuary of God was also defiled by the sins of the people which dwelt about it as it was Levit. 16.16 then surely was Sion and Jerusalem also defiled and made unclean by the transgressions of her Children that is by the transgressions of them which dwelt in her and therefore might Sion be justly put away for the transgressions of her children And for your transgressions is your mother put away Note that thâse words relate to those Where is the bill of your mothers divorcement whom I have put away And are grounded upon that That the bill was produced and read and that it was contained in the bill that Sion was put away for the uncleanness which she had contracted by the transgressions of her children for upon that doth the Lord conclude against them here saying Behold I have not put away your mother without a cause as ye say but for your transgressions is your mother put away 2. Wherefore when I came was there no man Supple To receive me When I called was there none to answer i. e. And wherefore when I called to you
Abraham v. 2. believe that the Lord was able to do what he saith in this verse that the Lord would do for Sion for that which he saith here that the Lord would do for Sion is in a manner the same that he saith the Lord did for Abraham vers 2. But if that which he saith the Lord would do for Sion here be in a manner the same as that was which he saith the Lord did for Abraham vers 2. why doth he not say the Lord will call Sion alone and bless her and encrease her as he said of Abraham vers 2. but saith The Lord will comfort Sion Ans Before this call of Abraham Abraham had been never called of God nor had he been blessed with that wealth which he afterwards enjoyed neither had he had any children at all so that he was not grieved for the loss of these things because he never had these things to lose But Sion had been called of God for she had been the wife of God but was put away and had been blessed with much wealth but was bereft of it and had had many children but was deprived of them by the Babylonians by reason of which she was in much sorrow and grief of heart at this time Therefore doth the Prophet say of Sion The Lord shall comfort Sion rather then as he did of Abraham the Lord shall call Sion alone and bless her and encrease her though her comfort consisted in a manner in the same things He will comfort all her waste places and he will make her wilderness like Eden and her Desart like the Garden of the Lord. These words are an amplification or declaration of those words which went immediately before to wit of those The Lord shall comfort Zion and tell how the Lord would comfort her He shall comfort all her waste places By the waste places of Zion are meant those dwelling places which the Babylonians had either broken down or made desolate without inhabitant these places he saith the Lord would comfort by building up those which were broken down and filling both the one and the other with children of Zion that is with Jews See cap. 49.9 If the Lord would fill the waste places of Zion with children of Zion then would God call Zion again though she were alone that she might have children by him and then would he encrease Zion with children as he did Abraham vers 2. And he will make her wilderness like Eden i. e. And he will make all the Land of Judah which lieth now untilled and neglected and fruitless as a wilderness like unto Eden for beauty fruitfulness by which she shall gather great store of wealth Like Eden Eden was the most fruitful and pleasant Country of the East in which the Lord planted Paradise Gen. 2.10 And her Desart like the garden of the Lord q. d. Yea he will make her Desart like the Garden of the Lord. By the Garden of the Lord is meant Paradise or that Garden which the Lord planted in Eden Gen. 2.10 Therein i. e. In Sion by reason of the comforts which the Lord will give her 4. Harken unto me This is spoken in the person of God to the Jews as if they were now in captivity in Babylon For a Law shall proceed from me i. e. For I will give a command concerning your delivery out of Babylon Note that the word Law among the Hebrews signifieth not onely a Law strictly taken but also any Word of God whatsoever See cap. 1.10 And I will make my judgment to rest Supple Upon Babylon which vexeth you and useth you cruelly in your captivity A judgment is said to rest upon a people when it remaineth long upon them For a light of the people i. e. That the Heathen may know by this my judgment which I will make to rest upon Babylon that I am the Lord. That is said to be a light to the people which is any way the cause to them of saving knowledge 5. My righteousness is neer i. e. My truth and fidelity is come neer unto you to make good that promise which I made to you concerning your delivery out of Babylon Righteousness is taken here for fidelity and truth of which he speaks as of a person by a Prosopopoeia My salvation is gone forth i. e. My saving power is gone forth to wit to save you out of the hand of the Babylonians Salvation is put here for Gods saving power as it is also put sometimes for God himself as cap. 12.2 per Metonymiam Effecti And he speaks of it as he did of righteousness as of a person yea as of a Champion by a Prosopopoeia And mine arm shall judge the people And I will punish and smite the Babylonians and other people that joyn with them to afflict you my servants the Jews The Isles shall wait upon me q. d. The Heathen when they shall see my judgment upon the Babylonians and those that joyn with them shall know that I am the true God and shall forsake their Idols and wait upon me for Salvation in their distress The Isles Concerning the meaning of this word Isles see cap. 49.1 And on mine arm shall they trust i. e. And they shall trust in me by reason of my power and strength The arm is put here for the whole man The arm I say which argues a mans power and strength This came to pass when many Heathen seeing what the Lord did to the Babylonians for his people the Jews sake forsook thâir Idolatry and became Proselytes 6. My salvation shall be for ever i. e. My saving power shall never fail See v. 5. And my righteousness i. e. And my truth and fidelity by which I perform whatsoever I have promised 7. Harken unto me ye that know righteousness He speaks to the righteous among the Jews which feared him That know righteousness i. e. That love righteousness and make much of it The people in whose heart is my Law i. e. The people which love my Law Fear ye not the reproach of men neither be afraid of their reâilings q. d. Though the Babylonians who hold you in captivity reproach you and revile you and call you by ignominious names yet being they are but men fear them not neither be afraid of them 8. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment i. e. For the sword or some plague or other shall consume them as the moth consumeth a garment See Cap. 50. vers 9. And the worm shall eat them like wool i. e. And the sword or some plague or other shall consume them as the worm eateth and consumeth the wool But my righteousness shall be for ever and my salvation from generation to generation i. e. But my Truth and my saving Power shall never fail and if they never fail then shall ye be safe when they which reproach you shall be consumed 9. Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord The Prophet speaks this to
of all the streets i. e. They lie some dead some ready to dye through famine and the sword at the entrance of every street Quest What streets of what City are here meant Ans The streets of the City of Jerusalem may be here meant But then understand this of that which happened presently after the taking of Jerusalem for not long after the Jews were carryed from thence captive to Babylon Or the streets of the City of Babylon may be here meant where no doubt but many Jews dyed in the streets in the time of their captivity for want of food and by reason of that cruelty which was used to them As a wilde Bull in a net Understand here they are q. d. They are as a wilde Bull in a net i. e. Some of thy sons have fainted others be dead or ready to dye at the head of every street And if any be in health and strength of body yet being he is in chains and in prison and captivity he is but as a wilde Bull in a net or toyl whose strength can avail him nothing so that none of thy sons are able to comfort thee Note that these words Thy sons have fainted they lie at the head of the streets they are as a wilde Bull in a net are not to be understood collectivè but disjunctivè or distributivè as I have expounded them They are full of the fury of the Lord i. e. They are full of the calamities and miseries which the Lord in his fury hath poured out upon them The fury of the Lord is put here by a Metonymy for calamities and miseries proceeding from the Lords fury The rebuke of thy God This is a repetition of the former sentence Rebuke signifieth properly a chiding but as Gods blessing is not meer verbal so is not his rebuke and his cursing but whom he rebuketh or curseth he afflicteth Therefore hear now this c. q. d. Though thy misery be thus great and thou hast none to comfort thee no not of all thy sons neither King nor Prince nor Priest c. yet notwithstanding I will comfort thee Therefore is put here for yet notwithstanding Thou afflicted i. e. Thou Jerusalem which art afflicted And drunken but not with wine i. e. And drunken but not with wine and strong drink which are pleasant to the pallate and with which most men are drunk but with a bitter potion a potion of poyson a potion which I the Lord mingled for thee to drink in my fury 22. That pleadeth the cause of his people Supple Against their Enemies And will now plead thy cause against the Babylonians which afflict thee and oppress thee He which pleads a mans cause for him in a Court of Justice is said to defend him and to contend for him and from hence to plead a mans cause is taken for to defend a man in any kinde whatsoever and to fight for him and be his friend Behold I will take out of thine hand the cup of trembling Supple Which I gave thee to drink vers 17. By this is meant that he would afflict Jerusalem no longer Even the dregs of the cup of my fury This is put by an Hypallage for Even the cup of the dregs of my fury For Jerusalem had left no dregs in the cup she had drunk them up clean as all Expositors expound the seventeenth Verse By the cup of the dregs of his fury is meant the cup in which were those dregs of his fury which Jerusalem drunk up and wrung out Thou shalt no more drink it again q. d. Thou shalt not be thus afflicted any more Note that these words no more do not always signifie Eternity but sometimes a long space of time onely as suppose time within the memory of man 23. But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee But I will fill it up again and put it into the hands of the Babylonians which afflict thee for them to drink The meaning is that he would deliver Jerusalem out of the hands of the Babylonians which afflicted her and would give the Babylonians into the hands of the Persians to be afflicted by them Which have said to thy Soul i. e. Which have said to thee Here is a synecdoche For the Soul which is but part is put for the whole woman for he spoke of Jerusalem as of a Mother Bow down that we may go over Supple Thee i. e. Lie down flat on the ground that we may trample upon thee And thou hast layd thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over Supple Thee q. d. And thou hast been fain to lay thy body flat on the ground to them and they have trampled upon thee as upon the ground whereon they walk The Eastern Conquerors were wont to tread upon them whom they had conquered So Joshua and the men of Israel did put their feet upon the neck of the Kings whom they had conquered Josh 10.24 And in allusion to this it is said Psal 110.1 The Lord said to my Lord Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy footstool And some did thiâ with more pride and insulting then others did But whether our Prophet doth allude to this custom or no I cannot say onely I say that by those expressions he would shew the proud carriage and the cruelty of the Babylonians towards Jerusalem and the Jews ISAIAH CHAP. LII AWake awake This may be joyned with the foregoing Chapter He speaks here to Jerusalem as he did cap. 50. vers 17. and bids her awake out of her drunken sleep which was caused by the cup which she drank of cap. 51.17 intimating thereby that the end of her miseries was at hand Put on strength This strength is opposed to the trembling which the cup of the Lords fury wrought cap. 50.17 He speaks of strength here Metaphorically as of a garment and when he hath called to Jerusalem to awake he bids her put on her strength in allusion to a man which when he awakes in a morning puts on his garments O Zion i. e. O Jerusalem The Prophet speaks here in his own person Put on thy beautiful garments i. e. Put on thy best apparel such as thou usest to wear at festival times and times of joy He alludeth to the manner of women who have one garment for times of mourning others for times of joy and intimates that a time of joy was approaching to Jerusalem by her redemption and the redemption of her children out of captivity when he bids her put on her beautiful garments O Jerusalem the holy City Why Jerusalem is called the holy City see Cap. 48. vers 2. He speaks to Jerusalem as to a woman yea a mother by a Prosopopoeia as before From henceforth there shall come no more into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean i. e. The Babylonians shall no more come into thee who have of late come into thee and trod thee down By
mother by a Prosopopoeia Thy God reigneth God is said to reign in general when he doth shew by any act worthy his greatness that he is King and in particular here he is said to reign because he shewed his Kingly Power in the delivery of his people out of the hands of their Enemies the Babylonians That which Isaiah speaketh here of a Messenger bringing good news of peace and salvation befaln the Jews in Babylon Saint Paul speaks of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ preaching peace and salvation by Christ and this may both do Isaiah in the first Saint Paul in the second and sublime sence For as I have often said as the temporal miseries of the Jews under their Enemies were a type of our spiritual miseries under Sin and Satan that grand Enemy of mankinde so were the Deliverances of the Jews out of those miseries types of our deliveries by Christ and of that Salvation which we have by him And the Holy Ghost doth often so order the words of the Prophets that they shall signifie as well one as the other word by word in particular 8. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voyce i. e. Thy watchmen which shall stand upon thy towers shall lift up their voyce and cry and shout aloud for joy O Sion He alludeth to the Watchmen which use to stand upon the Towers of great Cities to give notice of any danger or any great company approaching to the City See cap. 21.5 Why these Watchmen shall lift up their voyce he tells a little after viz. because they shall see when the Lord bringeth again Zion But why doth hâ mention the Watchmen here rather then any other Ans Because they shall see when the Lord bringeth Siân again before any other as being placed in the high Towers and set purposely to watch what companies approach to the City With the voyce together shall they sing i. e. They shall sing with a loud voyce Together This word signifieth All. For they shall see Supple From the Towers whereon they stand They shall see eye to eye i. e. They shall see very plainly and evidently and not be deceived in their sight When the Lord shall bring again Sion The Preposition To is here to be understood as also it is left to be understood in the Hebrew Text cap. 35.10 and cap. 51.11 though it is there expressed in our Translation and not here The sence therefore of this place is this When the Lord shall bring again to Sion that is When the Lord shall bring his people back again out of Babylon the place of their captivity to Sion their own City Here is such an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as in those words cap. 49.8 To cause to inherit the desolate heritages Yet by Sion may be here meant the Jews the children and inhabitants of Sion either as the same Jews are called Jacob because they are the children of Jacob cap. 41.14 Or as Kir is taken for the Citizens and Inhabitants of Kir cap. 22.6 9. Ye waste places of Jerusalem See cap. 51.3 The Lord hath comforted his people Supple Which were in captivity in Babylon by setting them free again He hath redeemed Jerusalem Supple Out of her captivity For she also was a captive vers 2. and cap. 49.21 He speaks of the City of Jerusalem as of a captive He speaketh also as if the Lord had comforted his people and redeemed Jerusalem already at this time And so do the Prophets often speak before the thing they speak of is come to pass to signifie that it shall as surely come to pass as if it were already come 10. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm i. e. The Lord hath shewed his peerless power viz. in overthrowing the Babylonians whose power was thought invincible and in delivering and bringing back again his people out of captivity Note here that the arm of the Lord is put for the power of the Lord and therefore is it put for the power of the Lord because the Prophet speaks here of the Lord as of a man by an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the strength and power of a man is seen in his arm Again because that a man when he would shew his arm must strip up the sleeve of the arm and make it bare he puts the making bare of the Lords arm for the shewing of his power His holy arm i. e. His matchless arm his peerless power For the word holy signifieth that which is separated from other things by way of excellency See Notes cap. 6.3 And all the ends of the Earth i. e. All they which dwell at the ends of the Earth that is All the Heathen Shall see the salvation of our God i. e. Shall see the Salvation which our God hath wrought for his people which were captive to the Babylonians by Cyrus 11. Depart ye depart ye This is spoken in particular to the Levites which were in Babylon intimating that they might go freely thence out of captivity and it is spoken as if Cyrus had already subdued Babylon and vanquished the Babylonians and given the Jews leave to depart thence to their own Land Go ye out from thence i. e. Go ye out from Babylon Here is a Relative put without an Antecedent ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Touch no unclean thing q. d. Touch no unclean thing thereby to defile your selves and make your selves unclean The unclean things here mentioned were such as caused legal uncleanness in those that touched them or such as those were which we read of Levit. 11.24 25 26 c. and Lev. 22.4 c. which uncleanness was not to be upon the Levites when they did any way minister about the vessels of the Lord that is about the vessels of the Temple or Sanctuary because they were holy things Go out of the midst of her i. e. Go out of her that is out of Babylon Be ye clean i. e. If ye are clean keep your selves clean If ye are not clean but are defiled by touching some unclean thing be ye cleansed and purified that ye may be clean That bear the vessels of the Lord. i. e. O ye Levites By the vessels of the Lord are here meant the vessels of the Sanctuary or of the Temple which were consecrated to the service of the Lord which kinde of vessels the Levites were appointed to carry Numb 1.50 and 2.8 c. By these therefore which bore the vessels of the Lord are meant the Levites which were appointed to carry those vessels See Ezra 8.30 Note here that when the Babylonians had taken Jerusalem Nebuzaradan one of the Captains of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon carryed the vessels of the Temple away into Babylon 2 King 25. vers 14 15 c. These vessels there continued during all the time of the Jews captivity and when Cyrus delivered the Jews out of captivity he gave them also these vessels of the house of the Lord which were brought from Jerusalem to carry to Jerusalem back
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 Babylân 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
in vaine for though thou hast wearied thy selfe yet thou hast received no profit at all by thine Adulterers That is by thine Idolls Note here that the Prophet useth a Metaphor taken from Travellers to whom because they are wearied or may well be wearied when they have travelled a great way he compareth these Idolaters which had taken a great deale of paines in their Idolatrous wayes and therefore might well be wearied thereby Note secondly that this word in vaine is here to be understood Yet said'st thou not there is no hope i. e. And yet thou did'st not consider with thy selfe and say There is no hope Supple in mine Idolls That is I cannot hope ever to receive any good from them Thou hast found the life of thine hand i. e. Surely thou hast found those that can strengthen thine hands and enliven them to any worke that they should not be weary He speakes of their Idolls and useth an Ironie in this his speech The life i. e. Those which can give life and strength Metonymia effectus Thine hand i. e. Thine hands A Singular for a Plurall number collective Note that he passeth here from the Metaphor of a Travellour to the Metaphor of a Workeman who laboureth with his hands Therefore thou wast not grieved i. e. Therfore forsooth thou wast not weary nor were the paines and the Travell which thou tookest in thine Idolatrous courses grievous to thee By these words Thou hast found the life of thine hand thereâore thou wast not grieved The Prophet seemeth to prevent an objection for becaâse hee said Thou art wearied in the greatnesse of thy way yet saidst thou not there is no hope Hierusalem might say I am not wearied in the greatnesse of any of my wayes To which the Prophet here answers by an Irony saying Thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore forsooth thou wast not grievâd 11. And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared that thou hast lyed c. q.d. But what are these thy Gods that thou hast broken thy promise and thy covenant made with me for feare of them These words are spoken with contempt of those Gods whom Hierusalem feared Or feared i. e. Who are they whom thou hast feared That thou hast lyed i. e. That thou hast brokân thy promise and the covenant which thou madest to me by which covenant and promise I became thy husband and thou becamest my wife The Iewes in generall made a covenant with God in their fore-fathers and promised to be obedient to him Exod. 24.7 and the same covenant did they make every one in particular at their circumcision For every one which was circumcised was by vertue of his circumcision a debtor to doe the whole Law Galat. 5.3 Part of this Law was this that they should have no other Gods but the Lord and that they should not worship any graven Image Exod. 20. vers 3 5. This part of the covenant therefore did Ierusalem breake when she worshipped Moloch and other Idolls Gods and in breaking that she brake the whole Iames 2.10 Being therefore that she did not keep the covenant and promise which she made with God but broke it she is said here to lye And hast not remembred me i. e. And hast not remembred the covenant and promise which thou madest to me Me Me is put here by a Metonymie for the covenant made with me Nor laid it to thine heart i. e. Nor hast seriously considered Supple that thou hast forsaken me and broken the Bonds of Wedlock which were made between thee and me by thine Idolatry Have not I held my peace even of old and thou fearest me not q.d. Have not I winked at thy sinnes now for a long time and not rebuked thee for them and therefore thou hast not feared me but put the feare of me farre from thee Note here for the connexion of these with the former words that as often elsewhere so here there is a Brachylogie or short kinde of speech and that here is something left to be understood by the circumstance of the place When therefore the Lord said Of whom hast thou been afraid or feared that thou hast lyed and hast not remembred me It is to be understood that Ierusalem willing to justifie her selfe Answered him that she was not afraid of any other than of him neither did shee feare any other but his holy name And him she did feare and was afraid to breake her promise and her covenant which shee had made with him But that this answer was but dissembling and falshood the Lord detecteth saying Have not I held my peace of old and thou fearest me not Where he doth not onely say that shee feared him not in contradiction to that that she said that shee feared him but also sheweth the reason why shee did not feare him which was this Because he had winked at her sinnes of a long time as though he had not seene them And thou fearest me not q.d. And therefore thou hast not feared me 12. I will declare thy righteousnesse and thy workes q. d. But I will not hold my peace long but will declare thy sinnes with a witnesse I will declare thy righteousnesse i. e. I will declare thy righteousnesse and shew what it is by the vengeance which I will take on thee for it i. e. I will surely punish thee for thy sinnes The punishment which the Lord inflicted upon her for these her sinnes was her captivity in Babylon and the miseries which she there suffered Thy righteousnesse Note that he speakes Ironically when he saith thy righteousnesse for by her righteousnesse he meaneth her sinnes but he calls her sinns her righteousnesse by an Irony because she justified her selfe concerning the feare of God and the consequences thereof and made her selfe as if she had been righteous in that answer of hers which was left to be understood vers 11. And thy workes i. e. And thy good workes But note that good workes are put here Ironically for evill workes as righteousnesse was put just before for sinne For they shall not profit thee i. e. For thy goodly workes shall not profit thee but bring vengeance upon thee This causall particle For relates to those words I will declare which signifie to declare with a witnesse or declare with a vengeance q. d. I will take vengeance on thee for thy workes and that openly for thy good workes shall not keep off my vengeance but bring it the sooner on thee 13. When thou cryest q. d. When I shall take thee in hand and punish thee for thy doings and thou cryest for help and deliverance out of the hands of the Babylonians to whom I will give thee Let thy companies deliver thee i. e. Let the companies of those many Idoll gods which thou worshippest deliver thee out of mine hands or the hands of the Babylonians into which I will give thee This is spoken with a Sarasme But the winde shall carry them all away q.d. But
reflexion of that light The meaning is q. d. Be thou happy and glorious through that happiness with which thy God will bless thee The Prophet seemeth to allude here to the Moon or to some Star which is enlightened by the Sun and compareth the Lord to the Sun and Sion to the Moon or Star enlightened by the Rays of the Sun It is a common thing with the Prophet to put light for prosperity and happiness By light therefore received understand the prosperity and happiness which the Lord would vouchsafe Sion by his favor And because the Moon and the Stars do shine by the reflexion of that light which they receive from the Sun understand by Sions shining the glory which Sion should have by the happiness which the Lord would vouchsafe her For thy light is come i. e. For thy God which will give thee light that is Prosperity and Redemption is come supple to give thee light By light understand God who is here likened to the Sun which is called a light because it giveth light Gen. 1.16 Because the Prophet doth often call prosperity light and God was to be the Author of Sions prosperity and redemption he likeneth God here to the Sun which giveth light to the Moon and to the Stars when he saith Thy light is come And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee i. e. And the glorious Lord is risen upon thee as the Sun riseth upon the Moon and the Stars by casting his rays upon them By the glory of the Lord understand the glorious Lord himself as cap. 58. vers 8. which he saith is risen upon thee by a Metaphor drawn from the Sun in which he persists 2. The darkness shall cover the Earth By darkness is understood misery and calamity by the Earth is understood the Land of Babylonia by a Synecdoche the whole Earth being put for a part thereof and by a Metonymy the inhabitants of that earth to wit the Babylonians And gross darkness the people i. e. And exceeding great misery and calamity the people which inhabit Babylonia This came to pass when Cyrus conquered and subdued Babylon He prophecyeth misery to the Babylonians because the Babylonians did mightily oppress Sion and her children the Jews in their captivity 3. But the Lord shall arise upon thee i. e. But the Lord shall arise upon thee by casting the beams of his favor upon thee as the Sun ariseth upon the Moon and the Stars by casting his rays upon them And his glory shall be seen upon thee i. e. And he shall be seen upon thee Supple by the light and brightness of the beams of his favor which he shall cast upon thee He compareth here the Lord to the Sun and the redemption and prosperity which he gave to Sion to the beams and brightness which proceedeth from the body of the Sun Then did the Lord arise upon Sion when Cyrus did vanquish the Babylonians and set the Jews free and do such great things for them as we read of in the book of Ezra His glory i. e. He. See vers 1. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light i. e. And so great shall thy glory and thy prosperity be as that the Gentiles shall come to thee because of the greatness of thy glory and prosperity to joy thee and to be partakers with thee of that thy prosperity or at least to behold it and admire it To thy light By light as I said is meant prosperity c. But he alludeth here to the light of the Moon or some glorious Star to which he here resembleth Sion And Kings to the brightness of thy rising i. e. Yea Kings shall come to thee by reason of thy brightness when thou shalt rise for brightness like to the Moon or some glorious Star enlightened by the beams and rays of the Sun The brightness of thy rising is put per Metonymiam Adjuncti for Sion her self rising in brightness 4. Lift up thine eyes round about i. e. Behold and look towards all the parts of the Earth Here he beginneth to shew in particular what the light and brightness that is what the prosperity and glory of Sion should be All they gather themselves together they come to thee i. e. All they which thou seest gathering themselves together in all the parts of the Earth are Jews thy children and they gather themselves together to come to thee He speaks here to Sion as if he had her in an high Watch-tower from whence she could see all the quarters of the Earth Thy sons shall come from far i. e. Thy sons shall come to thee from far even from Babylon where they were captive and from other parts of the world whither they fled when the Babylonians invaded thy Land The Jews which were captive in Babylon returned to Jerusalem by the favor of Cyrus which conquered Babylon and set them free The Jews which were in other parts of the Earth when they heard what Cyrus had done for their Countrymen were invited by their good success to return home and did return and take part with them of their happiness And thy daughters shall be nursed by thy side q. d. And thy daughters shall be no more taken away from thee but they shall be nursed up by thy side or in thy presence He speaks to Sion as to a most indulgent Mother 5. Then shalt thou see and flow together i. e. Then shalt thou see supple thy sons and thy daughters in thine own house and shalt flow together with them with abundance of joy and riches Shalt thou see Supple Thy sons and thy daughters within thine own walls And flow together i. e. And thou shalt flow together with them or thou and they together with thee shall flow with abundance of joy and riches Flow There is a Metaphor in this word taken from a river which floweth with abundance of waters to which waters he likeneth the joy and riches of Sion and her children And thine heart shall fear and be enlarged because the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee i. e. And thou shalt fear and rejoyce because of the abundance of people that shall come to thee A question will here be asked How the Prophet can say that she shall fear and rejoyce for these two are contrary passions and cannot happen upon the same occasion in the same person at the same time Ans The Prophet here alludeth to the manner of men who when they see a great company approaching toward them and toward their dwellings and knowing not what they are are dismayed and fear that they are some Enemies especially if they have been frighted before with companies of Enemies as Sion had been with the Babylonians but when they perceive upon their neer approach by their carriage and by their words that they are friends come to serve them their fear is turned into joy Sion then might fear when she saw so many coming to her while they are yet afar off
out of the Babylonish captivity to their own homes again As the Doves to their windows By windows understand here the windows or lover-holes of the Dove-houses or Pigeon-houses by which the Doves or Pigeons go in or out of their houses to wit the Pigeon-houses or Dove-houses 9. Surely the Isles shall wait for me and the ships of Tarshish first to bring thy sons from far i. e. Surely the Inhabitants of the Isles and the Merchants of Tarshish shall wait upon me as servants upon their Master that they may bring thy sons to me at my command The Isles By the Isles he meaneth the Inhabitants of the Isles that is of the sea-coasts by a Metonymy The ships of Tarshish By the ships of Tarshish he meaneth the Merchants of Tarshish who traffique by sea in ships What Tarshish was see cap. 2.16 First i. e. Before they do any other thing or take any voyage either for themselves or any other To bring thy sons from far i. e. To bring thy sons O Zion from those far Countries into which they were fled or were carryed when the Babylonians invaded Judea Thy sons He makes Zion here as a Mother and the Jews as her sons Their silver and their gold with them i. e. And to bring their silver and their gold with them This may be understood either of the silver and gold of the Merchants which they should bring with them to traffique within Jerusalem as vers 6. or of the silver and gold of the Jews which either they had gained by their labor or carryed with them when they fled for fear of the Babylonians or which had been given them by the benevolence of others for their Gods sake as Ezra 1.6 Note that these ships of Tarshish might have been employed to bring the Jews to Jerusalem not onely from Tarshish but from any other part of the World besides Vnto the Name of the Lord thy God That is To the dwelling place of the Lord thy God Note here that by the Name of the Lord God is meant the Lord God himself by a Metonymy Then by the Lord is meant the dwelling place of the Lord by another Metonymy as Vcalegon in the Poet is put for the house or dwelling place of Vcalegon Jam proximus ardet Vcalegon Virgil. Aenead lib. 2. Then by the dwelling place of the Lord is meant Jerusalem see Psa 76.2 To the holy One of Israel i. e. To the dwelling place of God who is the holy One of Israel This is a repetition of the former sentence Note here the Enallage of the person and how God speaketh of himself in the third person Because he hath glorified thee i. e. Because he hath honored thee and will honor thee in the sight of all the Nations 10. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls i. e. And strangers shall build up thy walls The sons of strangers are put for strangers by an Hebraism And those he calls strangers which were not Israelites born The walls of Jerusalem were beat down by the Babylonians 2 Chron. 36.19 and they were built up again after the Babylonish captivity by the favor and liberality of Cyrus Darius Hystaspis and Artaxerxes Ezra cap. 6 7. and by the hands of many Proselytes And their Kings shall minister unto thee i. e. And the Kings of strangers shall minister unto thee those things which are necessary for that worke Supple Of building up thy Walls For in my wrath I smote thee i. e. For I smote thee because I was angry with thee for thy sinnes Then he smote her when he gave her over into the hands of the Babylonians 11. Therefore thy gates shall be opened continually i. e. Moreover thy gates shall stand open continually Therefore for Moreover That men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles i. e. That the Armies of the Gentiles may be brought to thee as Captives in chaines He sheweth here the reason or end why the gates of Jerusalem should stand open continually night and day to wit that the captives which they took in warre should be brought thither And by saying that the gates shall stand open continually day and night he intimates the frequent victories which the Jewes should have and their often conquests over the Gentiles And that their Kings may be brought supple To thee as captives in linkes of Iron Note that what is here said of Sion in the first sence is to be understood of the Church of Christ in the second and sublime sense of which Sion was here a Type Revel 21.15 12. That will not serve thee i. e. That will not doe offices of civillity and kindenesse to thee but rather injure thee and wrong thee and give thee just cause to make warre upon them And when thou doest so make warre upon them will not submit to pay Tribute to thee and doe other conditions which thou shalt require of them Note that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to serve signifieth sometimes to doe offices of civillity and kindenesse to another as Cap. 19. v. 23. So that he that will not doe offices of civillity and kindenesse to another may be said to deny to serve him Yea to deny to serve a man may sometimes signifie to injure and wrong a man by a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Note further that to pay tribute and to performe other conditions which a potent Prince or People exacteth of another Prince or People doth usually fall under the name of service And tributaries are frequently called servants so that not to serve may signifie also not to pay tribute and not to submit to such conditions as a more powerfull Prince or People shall exact See 2 Sam. 10.9 1 Kings 4.21 2 Kings 18.7 Shall perish Supple From being a Nation or Kingdome of it selfe and living under its owne Lawes for thou shalt subdue it and bring it into captivity to thy selfe Yea those Nations Supple That will not serve thee Shall be utterly wasted Supple By thy sword Josephus writes of the victory of the Jewes over the Tyrians and those of Ptolemais as also of their victory over the Ammonites and Gileadites lib. 12. Antiq. Cap. 16. He writes also of the subversion of Pella by the Jewes lib. 13. Antiq. Cap. 23. In the book of Macchabees also we read of the victories of the Jewes by Judas Macchabaeus 1 Macchab. Cap. 5. c. All which tend to the fulfilling of this Prophecy 13. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee By the glory of Lebanon is meant the Cedar which is the tallest and stateliest of all Trees and it is called the glory of Lebanon because it brought a great deale of renoune to Lebanon which bore it and upon which it grew and made it famous Per metonymiam efficientis Lebanon was an high hill scituate on the North side of the Land of Canaan which brought forth as other godly Trees so especially the Cedar hence the Cedar of Lebanon went for a kinde of proverbe 2
Kings 14.9 Psal 22.12 Ezech. 31.3 Shall come unto thee i. e. Shall be brought unto thee For what purpose the Cedar should be brought he tells towards the end of this verse Note that this is another reason why the gates of Ierusalem should stand open continually and hereby is intimated also that the Syrians which possessed mount Lebanon should be subdued by the Jewes or at least should so farre either stand in feare of them or respect them as that they should furnish them with all things for the use of the Temple which their Country could afford For it must be either by the good will or by a conquest of this people that the Jewes could have these Trees brought to Jerusalem but Strabo relates that the Jewes did subdue this people by the sword To beautifie the place of my sanctuary i. e. To adorne my Temple for the Temple was adorned by the wood of these Trees being curiously wrought And I will make the place of my feet glorious i. e. For I will make my Temple glorious The place of my feet By the place of Gods feet is meant the Arke then by the Arke which stood in the Sanctum Sanctorum is meant the Temple Per metonymiam contenti The Arke is called the place of Gods feet as appeareth 1 Chron. 28.2 And therefore was it called the place of Gods feet because in the two ends of the mercy seat which covered the Arke there were two Cherubins of gold looking one towards another and spreading out their wings one towards another and by the spreading out of their wings making as it were a seat to sit upon Upon the wings of the Cherubins so stretched out was the Lord supposed to sit in shape of a man and to rest his feet upon the Arke And therefore was the Arke called the place of his feet See Exod. Cap. 25. v. 17 18 19 20 21 22. 14. The sonnes also of them which afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee q. d. So glorious also shalt thou be that not onely they which were thy friends but they also which afflicted thee as enemies shall be moved with thy glory and come and honour and reverence thee if not for love yet for feare and sâe to thee for thy favour and for thy friendship This is another reason why the gates of Hierusalem should stand open continually to wit because the sonnes of them that had afflicted Sion should come bending to thee The sonnes of them which afflicted thee i. e. The children of those that afflicted thee Or they themselves which afflicted thee O Sion For the Hebrewes put the sonnes of such and such for such and such themselves Shall come bending unto thee Supple In token of honour and reverence towards thee See this fulfilled in part Ezra 4. v. 1.2 Shall bow themselves at the soles of thy feet i. e. Shall bow themselves down even to the ground in most humble manner in signe of the greater respects to thee And they shall call thee the City of the Lord q. d. And when they speake unto thee and call thee they shall say O thou City of the Lord And this they shall say to shew the great esteeme which they have of thee and that they greatly reverence thee Sion or Jerusalem might be called the City of the Lord aswell in regard of the love which the Lord had to her as of the Temple which was scituate in Jerusalem which was the Lords house The Sion of the holy one of Israel i. e. The Sion of the Lord who is the holy One of Israel 15. Forsaken Supple Of me as of thine husband and of thy children thinâ Inhabitants during the Babylonish captivity Anâ hated Supple Of me as of thine husband against whom thou hast plaid the whore And of the Babylonians as of my Instruments which I called to pânish thee who out of hatred to thee have laid thee waste and desolate So that no man went through thee i. e. So that no man went through thy Streets I will make thee an eternall excellence i. e. I will make thee most excellent and glorious for a long time to come The Hebrewes when they would signifie a thing in the Superlative degree They use an Abstract for a Concrete so here when the Prophet would signifie that Sion should be most excellent saith that she shall be an excellency An eternall excellency i. e. Most excellent a long time The Hebrewes are somewhat hyperbolicall in their expression of time and duration and that that shall be eternall and everlasting which shall last onely a long time A joy of many generations i. e. Such a one as in which many generations successively shall rejoyce Note that joy is put here per Metonymium objecti for the thing in which we joy and many generations for the men of many generations per Metonymiam Efficientis When the Lord made Jerusalem an eternall excellency and a joy of many generations then did all men flock to her and tread her streets though none went through her before Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles i. e. Thou shalt draw the riches of the Gentiles to thy selfe and be enriched by them He useth a Metaphor taken from a sucking child milking his Nurses breasts and resembleth Riches to the milk which he drawes by sucking And shalt suck the breasts of Kings Hee persists in the Metaphor of a sucking child In the 49 Chapter vers 27. The Prophet saith That Kings shall be their i. e. the Jewes nursing fathers and that the same with this Thou shalt suck the breast of Kings Whe he saith The breast of Kings his Metaphor is Catachresticall For children use to suck not the brests of men but of women And thou shalt know i. e. For thou shalt know and that by experience And is put here for for Thy Saviour and thy Redeemer Supple which will save thee and redeem thee out of the hands of the Babylonians The Mighty one of Israel i. e. The mighty God whom Israel worshipped and who loved Israel By Israel may be here meant either Jacob himselfe who was named Israel Gen. 32.28 or the Jewes âhe children of Jacob. The Lord addeth this viz. The mighty God of Israel to shew that what he hath said here should surely be effected for there be but two things required to bring any thing to passe A power and a will to doe God sheweth his power in that he calleth himselfe the Mighty one his will in that he calls himselfe the Mighty one of Israel for by that he sheweth his love to the children of Israel 17. For Brasse I will bring Gold c. q. d. whereas now thou art poore I will make thee exceeding rich so as Gold shall be as plentifull with thee then as Brasse is now c. Thus rich God made Sion by the Gentiles whom he made as Conduit-pipes to convey these his favours to them so as these words are an explication of those Thou shalt
suck the milk of the Gentiles and shalt suck the breast of Kings I will also make thine Officers peace i. e. I will also give thee such Officers to beare rule in thee and govern thee as shall be meek and peaceable men This was fulfilled when the Lord made Ezra Zorobabel Nehemiah c. Rulers and Officers in Hierusalem Peace Peace is put here for most peaceable men as excellency was for most excellent Vers 15. And thine exactors righteousnesse i. e. And those which shall be appointed to leavie the Taxes and Tributes which are to be leavied in thee shall be righteous and just men such as will not impose nor exact more then they ought and is convenient and needfull God promiseth not Hierusalem that she shall be freed from Taxes for Taxes and Tributes must be leavied in all Kingdomes and Commonwealths as occasion requires for the pâblique good But he promiseth her here that they which impose or levy the Taxes or Tributes shall not be such as she felt during the Babylonish captivity who were cruell and unjust Extortioners but righteous Taxers which shall impose no more then necessity requireth and shall not exact what is imposed with rigour Righteousnesse i. e. Most righteous Righteousnesse is put here for most righteous as before peace for most peaceable and Excellency for most excellent Note that the Prophet preventeth an objection here for whereas he saith in the person of God in the former part of the verse For Brasse I will bring Gold and for Iron I will bring Silver and for Stones Iron Sion might say But what shall I be the better for this for if I had never so much such officers as I have now meaning those that ruled in Hierusalem under the King of Babylon during the Babylonish captivity and such exactors would wring it all from me This objection therefore the Prophet prevents in the person of the Lord saying I will also make thy Officers peace and thine Exactors Righteousnesse 18. Violence shall be no more heard in thy Land i. e. Nor shall violence be any more heard in thy Land for though there hath been much violence used in thy land by the Babylonians yet now thou shalt be free from the violence of all forraine enemies He seemeth to speak of violence as of a scolding woman by a Prosopopeia Wasting and destruction within thy borders Nor wasting and destruction within thy borders as they have been heard since the Babylonians first invaded these thy borders Here in this verse he promiseth security to Sion But thou shalt call thy walls salvation q. d. But thy walls shall be safe and shall keep all thy children within thee safe yea they shall be as safe as salvation and keepe thy children within thee as safe as salvation her selfe can keep them So that thou maist justly call thy walls Salvation He speaks of Salvation here as of a person or at least as of a thing subsisting by it selfe And what is more safe then salvation which if she could be hurt were not salvation and what can keep us more safe than Salvation For so long as salvation encompasseth us we must needs be safe otherwise salvation were not salvation And thy gates praise By praise he meaneth salvation for this is but as it were the former sentence repeated But how commeth praise to signifie salvation Answ Per metonymiam effectus for salvation produceth praise to God And Per metonymiam adjuncti for salvation is worthy of praise it selfe And not onely salvation but any other thing which doth either produce praise or is worthy of praise may be called praise Note that the Prophet presents another objection here in this verse for whereas the Lord had said That for brasse he would bring gold and so for Iron he would bring silver and for wood brasse and for stones Iron And had prevented an objection which Sion might have made saying But I shall be nothing the better for these for such officers and such exactors as I am now under will extort and wring all that I shall have away from me He prevents an other objection For Sion might say though I shall have peaceable officers and righteous exactors so that I may enjoy all that thou givest me for any thing I need feare from Officers within me Yet I have cause to fear the violent man and the destroyer I mean the forraign Souldier from without for I have felt them and their violence but lately for they have burnt downe my gates and broken downe my walls c. This objection therefore the Lord prevents and takes away in this verse Saying Violence shall be no more heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy walls salvation and thy gates praise 19. The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light q. d. The Lord shall give unto thee continually greater light by many degrees than the Sun doth give thee by day or the Moon by night For understanding of this place know first that the Hebrewes when they make comparison between two things and therein preferre one thing before another they affirme that which they preferre and deny that before which it is preferâed So I desired mercy and not sacrifice is put for I desired mercy more than sacrifice Hosea 6.6 And I am a worme and no man is put for I am a worme rather than a man Psal 22.6 According to which rule these words The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light Are put to signifie That the Lord would give Sion more light conâinually than the Sun could give her by day or the Moon by night Note secondly that whereas the Lord is said to be Sions everlasting light By light is meant prosperity For as I have often said the Hebrewes call prosperity light by a Metaphor Note in the third place that when the light which the Lord will here be to Sion is compared with the light of the Sun light metaphorically taken is compared with true naturall light and so the Hebrewes often compare things only so called by a Metaphor or figure with things properly so called as you may see Cap. 58.8 Ecclus 23. v. 19. The Sun By the Sun is meant the Sun which is placed in the Firmament of the Heavens Thy light i. e. The giver of light to thee Light is taken here for the giver of light Per metonymiam efficientis Neither for brightnesse i. e. Neither in respect of any brightnesse which the Moon shall have For her brightnesse shall be eclipsed or obscured by the brightnesse of the Lord. Shall the Moon give light unto thee Supple By night But the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light i. e. But the Lord shall be unto thee a
giver of light such light as shall farre exceed the light of the Sun and of the Moon and that an everlasting light too Light is taken here for the giver of light Per metonymiam efficientis by which figure the Sun is also called a light as a little before so also Gen. 1.16 The Lord is called the everlasting light because he is a light that is a Sun which never goeth downe See Psal 84.11 Whereas the Lord is here said to be a light or giver of light By light understand prosperity And thy God thy glory This is a repetition of the Sentence going immediately before and what he called light there he calleth glory here For light is a glorious thing God therefore is said here to be Sions glory Per metonymiam efficientis Because he gave glory that is light that is prosperity to Sion which light that is which prosperity might be called glory Per metonymiam adjuncti because it was glorious and Sions glory Per metonymiam efficientis because it rendred Sion glorious The Lord is said in this sense to give glory Psal 84.11 Note here that St. John in his revelation Cap. 21. v. 23. alludeth to this verse of our Prophet but he doth not only allude to it as to words which he may turne to his purpose but he alludes to it also as to a place principally intended to set out the glorious state of Christs Church And indeed so these words are intended in the second and sublime sense For though in the first sense they speake only of the prosperity which the Jewes should have after their captivity in Babylon Yet in the second and sublime sense they speake the glory and Blisse which Christs Church should receive after her delivery from sinne and ignorance and the power of the Devill For those temporall and bodily blessings which God bestowed upon the Jewes after their captivity were a Type of those spirituall and eternall blessings which God would give unto Christs Church after their delivery from sinne and ignorance and the power of the Devill And these words being understood of that blisse which the Church of Christ shall enjoy in Heaven may be understood as they said without any figure for in Heaven the Sunne shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light c. 20. Thy Sun shall no more goe downe Thy Sun shall no more goe downe as the Sun in the firmament useth to goe downe and set daily Sions Sun went downe when God withdrew his favour from her and delivered her into the hands of the Babylonians to be afflicted and oppressed by them But it rose againe when he delivered them again out of the hands of the Babylonians by Cyrus and vouchsafed her his favour Neither shall thy Moon withdraw it selfe Neither shall thy Moon set any more as the Moon in the firmament useth to set when it goeth under the earth For the Lord shall be thine everlasting light i. e. For the Lord shall be thy Sun and thy Moon which shall be above thine Horizon and shine upon thee everlastingly without intermission By light understand here the Sun and the Moon which are called lights because they give light as Genes 1.16 But the Lord is called Sions Sun and Moon onely by a Metaphor because he gave light that is prosperity and joy day and night to Sion as the Sun imparts his light by day and the Moon imparts her light by night to the Inhabitants of the Earth And the dayes of the mourning shall be ended He speaks of that mourning which the Babylonians caused by their oppression and hard usage of her in her captivity By this we may understand what he meant by light to wit prosperity and joy 21. Thy people also shall be all righteous i. e. Most of thy children which shall returne out of Babylon and come and dwell in thee shall be righteous All is put here for the greater part not for All without exception The greatest part of those which returned to Sion out of captivity were righteous and good men though the most part of those which went into captivity were wicked because the Sword and the Famine and diseases had consumed the greatest part of the wicked and many of them which remained alive returned not but remained still in Babylon Cap. 57. v. 20 21. See the like Cap. 1.25 See also Cap. 4.4 Note here that in these words thy people also shall be all righteous the Verbe shall be is supplyed by the Interpreter so that the words of themselves are these thy people all righteous which may be as if he should say thy people to wit all the righteous so that the meaning of this plurall may be this q. d. Thy people that is to say all the righteous shall inherit the Land for ever c. They shall inherit the Land for ever i. e. And they shall inherit the Land of Judah for a long time The Branch of my planting q. d. Even the branch of my planting c. This is governed of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they to wit Thy people by Apposition And he calleth the people of Sion here the branch of his planting by Anticipation But the branch of his planting hee calls them because hee would though he had not as yet plant them in their own land and cause them there to take root downwards and beare fruit upwards as he speaks Chap. 37.31 The work of my hands This also is governed of the former words by Apposition God calls the people of Sion the work of his hands because he would bring them out of their miserable thraldome and give them great prosperity and joy yea because he would plant them as a young slip or Tree in their own land and there cause them to flourish That I may be glorified Supple for that which I will doe to them that is to thy people A little one shall become a thousand i. e. And so I will blesse them as that a little Family in or among thy people shall grow into a thousand families And a small one a strange Nation i. e. And a small familie shall become a mighty Nation This is a repetition of the former sentence I the Lord will hasten it in his time i. e. I the Lord will make hast to accomplish this which I have said that it may be fulfilled in the due time that I have appointed for it His time i. e. My time or the time that I have appointed for it Here is an Enallage of the person where the Lord on a sudden speaks of himselfe in the third person See the like Chap. 51.15 ISAIAH CHAP. LXI THe Spirit of the Lord is upon me i. e. By the Spirit of the Lord is meant that Spirit of prophecie which is the gift of God q.d. The Lord God hath endued me with the gift of Prophecie c. Note that among the
many significations which this word Spirit hath in the Hebrew language it signifieth any quality of the mind whether it be permanent or whether it be transeunt And if the quality be good and given of God as this of Prophecie is it is called the Spirit of the Lord. And such a quality as it may be called a Spirit per Metonymiam subjecti because it is received in the soule which is a spirit so it may be called a spirit per Metonymiam efficientis because it is given of God who is a Spirit This the Prophet speakes in his own person of himselfe Yet in this he was an eminent Type of Christ of whom in the second and sublime sence these words also are to be understood See Luke 4.18 Because the Lord hath annointed me to preach good tydings i. e. because the Lord hath designed and separated me to preach good tidings c. He alludeth to that ceremonie of the Law whereby they which were designed and separated me to the office of a Prophet were designed and separated thereunto by the Ceremony of Anoynting See 1 Kings 19.16 By the same Ceremony of Anoynting were they separated to the Office of a Priest Exod. 29.21 And by the same were they separated also to the Office of a King 1 Sam. 16. v. 12 13. 2 Sam. 2.4 1 King 1.45 2 Kings 9.3 To preach good tydings to the meek The meeke to which Isaiah was to preach good tydings were those of the captive Jewes which were meek in heart and humble in Spirit and the good tidings which he came to preach was the good tidings of their delivery out of Babylon by Cyrus These good tidings did Isaiah preach to them by his Writings though he himself dyed before the captivity Note here that as these good tydings in their first sence do signifie the tydings of the delivery of the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity by Cyrus So in the second and sublime sence they signifie the good tydings of mans salvation whereby he is saved from the captivity of sin and of the Devil by Christ of which latter that former was a type He hath sent me to binde up the broken-hearted i. e. He hath sent me to comfort the sorrowful heart by my Prophecies This is a repetition of the former sentence and the Prophet useth here a Metaphor taken from a leg or an arm of a man which is broken which while the Chyrurgeon healeth he swadleth and bindeth up after he hath set the bone He hath sent me c. These words shew what these words mean viz. He hath anointed me To proclaim liberty to the captives i. e. To declare to the Jews which are captive in Babylon that they shall be delivered out of that their captivity And the opening of the prison to them that are bound i. e. And the enlarging of them which lie in prison bound in chains This is for sence the same with the foregoing words Note that the Jews which were carryed captive into Babylon were not chained and put up in prison as great Malefactors were wont therefore that which is here spoken is to be taken metaphorically For because the Jews could not go out of those Cities and places at large which were assigned them in their captivity therefore doth he by a metaphor call them prisoners and the places of their captivity prisons 2. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord i. e. He hath sent me to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord For these words are either to be referred to them to wit He hath sent me or they are to be repeated here To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord Supple To the Jews which are in captivity that is to proclaim that the time in which the Lord will redeem is at hand The acceptable year i. e. The year or time in which the Lord is well pleased and in which he will dispense his favors and shew his magnificence by giving gifts as a King unto his people and by delivering those which had offended out of prison This speech is metaphorical but concerning the Metaphor see Cap. 49.8 And the day of vengeance of our God i. e. And the time in which the Lord will pour out his vengeance upon his Enemies that is upon the Babylonians which have held his people in an hard captivity One and the same time may be an acceptable time and yet a day of vengeance an acceptable time in respect of the Kings subjects and a day of vengeance in respect of his Enemies whom he may put to death having taken them captive on that solemn day and the more to celebrate the day and the more to shew his love and care to his people To comfort all that mourn i. e. To comfort all that mourn by reason of their hard usage in Babylon if they mourn likewise for their sins 3. To appoint to them that mourn in Zion i. e. To tell that the Lord will appoint to them that mourn among the people of the Jews which are in Babylon Note that the Prophet suspends this sentence till the next words and there perfects it That mourn See Vers 2. In Zion i. e. Among the people of the Jews supple which are in Babylon Zion is often put by a Prosopopoeia as a woman yea as the mother of the Jews and it is put here by a Metonymy for the Jews themselves To give unto them beauty for ashes Here the Prophet doth perfect the sentence which he left imperfect and in suspence in the former words so that those words and these together are thus to be read or construed q. d. To tell that the Lord will appoint to them that mourn in Zion that is that he will give to them beauty for ashes c. Beauty Beauty is put here per Metonymiam Adjuncti for beautiful garments such as they were wont to wear in times of joy For ashes By ashes is here meant sackcloth basked in ashes such as they were wont to wear in times of mourning for in times of mourning they were wont to put on sackcloth and sit in ashes Or by beauty may be meant the beauty of the face which they were wont to wash and make as beautiful as they could in times of solemn joy and by ashes are meant the ashes which stuck upon the face and made it ill-favoâed in the time of sorrow and mourning and publique calamities for at such times they were not onely wont to sit in ashes but to sprinkle ashes upon their heads If you ask how the Prophet did appoint or give to them which mourn in Zion beauty for ashes I answer He did it by prophecying to them that God would give them beauty in stead of ashes as Jeremy is said to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant Cities because he foretold and prophecyed that they should be rooted out and pulled down and destroyed and thrown down and builded and
Land of Sion or the Land of Judah was desolate when the Babylonians destroyed many of the Inhabitants and caused others to flye for feare into forraigne countries and carried away the rest captive into Babylon But thou shalt be called Hephzibah i. e. Thou shalt be called my delight is in her Hephzibah by interpretation signifieth my delight is in her which name being given her by God himselfe v. 2. signifieth that God should take delight in her and rejoyce over her and note that this name Hephzibah was given her in opposition to that that she was termed Forsaken For whereas God forsook her because he had no delight in her now he will delight in her againe And thy land Beulah Beulah signifieth by interpretation married therefore should the Land of Sion or the Land of Judah be called Beulah that is married because her Sons should marry her v. 5. Note that this name Beulah is given to the Land of Sion or the Land of Judah in opposition to that that she was termed desolate for being that her Sons should marry her Land it is intimated that there should be a kinde of indissoluble knot between them as is between a man and his wife and that her children should alwayes dwell with her Land as an husband dwelleth with his wife For the Lord delighteth in thee This is the reason why Sion should be called Hephzibah And thy Land shall be married i. e. And thy Land shall be married to wit to thy children the Jewes This conteineth the reason why Sion should be called Beulah So shall thy sonnes marry thee i. e. So shall thy sonnes marry thy Land Supple And when they have married it they shall alwayes live in it or with it as an husband liveth with his wife they shall not depart from it as they have done of late by meanes of the Babylonians who scattered some of them abroad and carried others captive into Babylon By Thee that is by Sion is meant the Land of Sion that is the Land of Judah by a Metonymie as will appeare vers 4. Note that these words As a young man marrieth a Virgin so shall thy sonnes marry thee relate to those words of the fifth verse And thy Land shall be married as a demonstration thereof As the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride i. e. As the Bridegroom rejoyceth because of the Bride and taketh joy in her So shall thy God rejoyce over thee i. e. So shall thy God take joy in thee Supple and therefore he shall take thee to himselfe againe and not forsake thee as he hath done 6. I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem i. e I have given thee Priests and Levites Note that this phrase is Allegoricall alluding to watchmen watching upon the walls of a City for the safety of that City For the Priests and Levites are often called by a Metaphor watchmen because they are set over Gods people for the safety and welfare of their soules as the watchmen of a City are set over the walls of a City for the safety thereof And therefore because the Priests and Levites are called watchmen by a Metaphor he alludes to those watchmen from whom the Metaphor is taken when he saith I have set watchmen on thy walls O Jerusalem whereby is meant nothing else but this I have given to thee spirituall watchmen O Jerusalem and I have given them to thee for thy spirituall safety The duty of the spirituall watchmen is to labour and promote the safety of that people over which he is set which he doth partly by advertizing them of their sinnes when he seeth them in danger thereof partly by praying to God for them They shall never hold their peace day nor night i. e. They shall pray unto me without ceasing that I would save thee and deliver thee out of the hands of the Babylonians Note that though the Prophât did allude to the watchmen of a City when he said I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem yet in this passage he doth not allude to them but speaks onely of the spirituall watchmen For it is usuall with the Prophet to confound that which is Metaphoricall and that which is not Metaphoricall together What is spoken from the beginning of this verse hitherto is spoken in the person of God who when he intends to doe a thing doth often set and appoint men himselfe to intreat him to doe it See Genes 20.7 Job Cap. 42.8 Yee that make mention of the Lord keep not silence q. d. Being it is so that God hath set you upon the walls of Jerusalem and hath said that yee shall never hold your peace day nor night keep not silânce O yee Priests and Levites but call upon him without ceasing day and night c. Thsi the Prophet speakes in his owne person Yee that make mention of the Lord i. e. Yee Priests and Levites which are the Servants of the Lord as Psal 134. v. 1. He describeth the Priests and Levites by this that they make mention of the Lord because they were the servants of the Lord servants set apart in a peculiar manner for his service for to make mention of one in the Hebrew phrase is to be his servant of whom he maketh mention See Cap. 26.13 7. And give him no rest i. e. And give the Lord no rest by your continuall calling upon him Till he establish Supple Jerusalem in a firme state of prosperity A Praise i. e. Most praiseable or praise worthy scilicet by reason of his blessings to her A Substanttve abstract is put here for an Adjective of the Superlative degree Congrete as Cap 60. v. 15. Or Praise is put here by a Metonymium for the matter or subject of praise q.d. Such a one as may praise him her selfe and as others may praise him also for his exceeding goodnesse shewed to her by redeeming her out of the Babylonish captivity and setting her in perfect peace and prosperity In the Earth i. e. In sight of all the people of the Earth 8. The Lord hath sworne by his right hand and by the arme of his strength saying surely I will no more c The Prophet tells the Priests and Levites whom he called upon in the former verses to call upon God continually in the behalfe of Jerusaleâ that the Lord had sworne to Jerusalem to be good to her and this he doth to make them more confident and faithfull in their prayers that they might not doubt of the issue thereof The Lord sweareth here by his right hand because that is an Emblem of Fidelity and by his Arme because that is the Emblem of power to signifie that he is able to doe what he sweareth and will therefore fafthfully performe it And God when he sweareth sweareth alwayes by himselfe because he hath no greater to sweare by Heb 6.13 By the arme of his strenght i. e. By his strong arme I will no more give thy corne to be meaet to thine
enemies q.d. Although I have heretofore given the meat which thou hast taken paines for to the Assyrians and to the Babylonians and other thine enemies yet now I will doe so no more The sonnes of the stranger shall ntt drink of thy wine for which thou hair laboured i. e. Strangers such as the Assyrians and the Babylonians are shall not take away thy wine which thou hast laboured for by force and drinke wtthout thee 9. But they that have gathered tt shall eate it i. e. But they that have been at the cost or at the paines to sow the corne and to reape it and to gather it into the Barne shall eate it Haâe gathered it By gathering the corn into the Barne understand by a Syllepsis all other costs and paines necessary for the having of corne It i. e. The corne v. 8. Shall eare it Supple In the courts of the Lords house to wit the Temple See Deut. 14. v. 23. But note that the Tithe onely of the corne c. was to be eaten before the Lord in the court of his house but their eating of the Tithe there according to the Lords command was as it were an earnest that they should peaceably eate the whole harvest at their own places And praise the Lord Supple For his bounty and goodnesse in giving them corne to eate They that have brought it together i. e. They that have brought the wine together into their cellars and store-houses out of their severall Vineyards c. It That is the wine v. 8. Shall drink it in the courts of my holinesse i. e. Shall drinke it in my courts as I have commanded Deut. 14.23 In the courts of my holinesse i. e. In my courts Gods holinesse is put here Per metonymiam adjuncti for God himselfe so that in the courts of my holinesse is q.d. In the courts of me that is in my courts 10. Goe thorow goe thorow the gates q.d. Make hast make hast and goe yee into your own Land O yee Jewes which have been held here in Babylon captives This is spoken in the person of Cyrus or some from Cyrus to the Jewes which were in captivity and signifieth to them that they might goe out of their captivity so soon as they would Prepare yee the way of the people i. e. Prepare yee the way of the Jewes by which they are to passe from Babylon to Judea that their way may be without let or hinderance This is spoken to the way-makers or those which were set to see to it that the wayes were good See Cap. 40. v. 3. This sudden turning from persons to persons is done as if the Jewes were even then hastening to depart out of Babylon to their own home by which is signified the certainty of their returne Cast up cast up the highway See Cap. 57.14 Gather up tho stones Supple Out of the way in which they must goe that they may no way trouble or hinder them in their way Lift up a standard for the people This is spoken to other persons then before And the sense is q.d. call the Jewes together from the severall places of their captivity that they may goe together to their own Land He alludeth to the manner of Souldiers for whom when they were to meet together a standard was set up for them to meet at 11. Behold the Lord hath proclaimed untâ the end of the world supple saying i. e. Behold the Lord hath sent out his proclamation into all even into the uttermost parts of the world saying The proclamation here mentioned may relate to that proclamation which Cyrus made 2 Chron. Cap. 36. v. 22.23 For what Cyrus did by motion from the Lord the Lord himselfe may be said to doe Say yee to the daughter of Sion i. e. Say yee to Sion By the daughter of Sion is meant Sion that is Jerusalem As Cap. 1.8 And he speakes to Sion as to a woman by a Prosopopoeia And the sense of those words say yee to the daughter of Sion is q.d. Let the daughter of Sion know for these words say yee are to be taken indefinitely This and what followeth is the substance of the proclamation which the Lord proclaimed Behold thy salvation commeth i. e. Behold thy Saviour commeth even he which will save thee out of the hands of the Babylonians Salvation is put here for Saviour Per Metonymiam effectus The Saviour here meant is the Lord who saved the Jewes out of the hands of the Babylonians by Cyrus Behold his reward is with him i. e. Behold he hath brought with him the reward with which he will reward those Jewes which are meek and mourne and have not departed from him but have put their trust in him in the midst of their affliction which they suffered in captivity See Cap. 40.10 And his worke before him i. e. And his reward is in a readinesse This is a repetition of the former sentence By worke is meant the reward due to the work pe Metonymiam efficientis When he saith his worke or his reward is before him It may be that the Prophet alludeth to some such games as the Apostle alludeth to 1 Cor. 9.24 Where they that came to be Judges of the victory had the garland which was to be given to the victor carried before them to the Stadium or place of exercise and when they were there they had it lying before them ready to bestow upon him who deserved it best And they shall call them the holy people i. e. And they to wit the Jewes which are now in captivity shall be called the holy people They shall call them is put here for they shall be called The holy people i. e. The people whom God hath severed from all the people of the earth and preferred above them all by his blessings See Cap. 4.3 The redeemed of the Lord i. e. The people whom the Lord redeemed out of the hands of the Babylonians And thou shalt be called sought out i. e. And thou O Sion or O Jerusalem shall be sought out What it is for one to be called so or so See verse 4. Sought out i. e. Shee which was lost like a lost sheep but now is sought out and found againe See Ezek. Cap. 34.16 A City not forsaken See vers 4. ISAIAH CHAP. LXIII WHo is this that commeth from Edom The Lord appearing to Isaiah in a vision like a man of warre comming from Edom Isaiah asketh him who he is who receiveth his answer to this and other questions which he maketh in this and the verses following By this vision is signified the victory which the Jewes should have over the Edomites their enemies which victory was atchieved by the Jewes under Judas Machabaeus of which you may reade 1 Mach. 5.3 The Edomites were a people which did alwayes rejoyce at the afflictions and miseries of the Iewes Psal 137.7 Therefore it was very materiall for the Iewes to be acquainted with this victory which they should have over the
them Num. 21.6 and did afterwards when he brought them into the land which he promised to their fathers often raise up enemies against them as the Philistines and the Ammonites and the Moabites and Midianites and Syrians c. 11. Then he remembred the daies of old yet he remembred what he did in favour of hiâ people in the daies of old that he might shew them favour still Then for yet Moses and his people i. e. He remembred what he did for his people by Moses by whoÌ he brought them out of Egypt and did so great favours for them in former times Moses i. e. He remembred Moses viz. that he used him as an instrument to do his people good And his people q. d. And he remembred his people viz. That he had done great things for them by the hand of Moses Saying where is he that brought them out of the sea q.d. Saying where is he that divided the Râd Sea and brought his people safe through it hath he forgotten his people or forsaken them for whom he did so great things Note here that this is the speech of God arguing with himselfe and stirring up himselfe to pitty his people and to doe for them as he had done formerly for his names sake And God speaks to himselfe of himselfe though he saith where is he c. With the Shepheard of his Flock i. e. with or by the hand of Moses who was as the shepheard of his flock With is put here for by and is a signe of the instrument and Moses is likened to a Shepherd and the children of Israel whom Moses brought out of Egypt to a flock of sheep See Psal 77.20 Where is he that put his holy Spirit within him i. e. Where is that God which put his holy Spirit in Moses for the good of his people By the holy Spirit is meant all those gifts which God gave to Moses to enable him to be a Conductor and Protector of his people as the gift of Prophecy and of Wisdom and of Courage and of Fortitude c. For all the qualities of the Soul the Hebrews call by the name of the spirit and those qualities which the Lord giveth the Spirit of the Lord. 12. That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm That is Which led them like sheep by the hand of Moses Psal 77.20 working many miracles for them by his power With his glorious arm These words signifie the miracles which God did for his people under Moses as the dividing of the Sea c. which miracles he wrought by his glorious arm that is by his power which made him glorious in which work God was the principal Cause and Moses his Instrument Dividing the waters before them i. e. Dividing the waters of the red Sea before them that they might pass through the same to the Land which he had given them See Exod. 14.21 To make himself an everlasting Name i. e. By which he got himself everlasting honor and glory 13. That led them through the deep as an horse in the wilderness i. e. That led them through the red Sea by dividing the waters thereof and drying it by an East-wind Exod. 14.21 as easily and as firmly as an horse goeth or runneth up and down in the hard and dry wilderness That they should not stumble i. e. So that they did not so much as stumble To stumble signifieth by a Metaphor to come to harm as cap. 8.15 But it may be here properly taken for he that goes in muddy places such as is the bottom of the Sea cannot ordinarily make haste but he will stumble in pulling out one foot after another out of the mud But though the channel of the Sea was deep and the Sea were but newly divided for the people of Israel to pass through it yet did God so provide for his people that the mud caused them not to stumble 14. As a beast goeth down into the valley i. e. As a beast which is heavy laden goeth down a steep hill into the valley for he goeth easily and warily and with a great deal of care and circumspection that he fall not The Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest i. e. So did the Lord lead his people to their rest for he led them easily and warily with a great deal of care and circumspection that they should not be over-travelled and fall down by the way through weariness Deut. 8.4 and that they should not come to any other hurt Note that this is spoken in the person of a Jew for whom the Prophet composed this prayer where the Jew attesteth what the Lord said before and beareth witness to it as to the truth and encourageth himself from thence to ask of the Lord the like favors for himself and his brethren in their captivity in Babylon as he the Lord vouchsafed that his people in the days of old The Spirit of the Lord i. e. The Lord. By the Spirit of the Lord is here meant the goodness of the Lord for he speaks of God here as of a man by an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And all the qualities and passions of a mans Soul the Hebrews call the spirit By the spirit therefore of the Lord is here meant as I said the goodness of the Lord and the spirit or goodness of the Lord is put per Metonymiam adjuncti for the Lord himself Caused him to rest i. e. Led his people to their rest that is to the Land of Canaan which is called their rest Psal 95.11 and Deut. 12.9 because it was the end and period of all their travels The Lord is said to cause his people to rest because he did lead them through the red Sea and through the wilderness to the place of their rest that is to the Land of Canaan And so doth Jeremy also use this phrase Jerem. 31.2 Him That is Israel his people as appeareth by the following sentence So didst thou lead thy people i. e. As a beast goeth down into the valley so I say didst thou lead thy people to their rest The Prophet maketh his Apostrophe here to God in the person of the people of the Jews and repeateth what he said in the words before To make thy self a glorious Name i. e. So that thou didst purchase to thy self great glory and renown by bringing thy people in the Land of Canaan as thou didst 15. Look down from Heaven q. d. Look down therefore from Heaven upon us thy people which are now in captivity as thou didst look upon our Fathers in the days of old Look down from Heaven Supple With the eyes of mercy Behold Supple Us thy people which are in captivity From the habitation of thy holiness i. e. From thy holy habitation A substantive of the Genitive case is put here for an Adjective Heaven is called Gods habitation or dwelling place because God doth there manifest himself in greater glory then in any part of the world
besides And of thy glory i. e. And from the habitation of thy glory that is from thy glorious habitation He saith of glory for glorious as he said of holiness for holy Or else both holiness and glory may be put here per Metonymiam adjuncti for God himself q. d. From the habitation of thee that is from thine habitation who art holy and glorious Where is thy zeal i. e. Where is that love which thou hast heretofore shewed to us thy people in the days of our forefathers Zeal is oftentimes put for love but ardent love And thy strength i. e. And where is thy strength which thou hast heretofore shewed in delivery of us thy people out of the hands of our Enemies And the sounding of thy bowels and thy mercies towards me q. d. And where are those sighs and those groans towards me which thy pity and compassion was wont to move toward the sons of Israel This is also spoken in the person of a Jew The sounding of the bowels I take to be sighs and groans proceeding from the bowelâ that is proceeding from pity and compassion For the bowels being deemed the seat and subject of pity and compassion are often taken by a Metonymy for pity and compassion it self Ingemuit miserans graviter saith the Poet Virgil. lib. 10. Aenead vers 823. He out of pity sighed or groaned grievously Are they restrained i. e. Are thy zeal and thy strength and the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies restrained and kept in that they should not shew themselves towards me 16. Doubtless thou art our Father q. d. Surely thou livest and art still our Father and therefore wilt take notice of us as of thy children and of the miserable condition in which we are Though Abraham be ignorant of us i. e. Though Abraham who was our Father according to the flesh is now dead and therefore neither knoweth us nor our condition And Israel acknowledge us not i. e. And though Israel who was also our Father according to the flesh is now dead and therefore acknowledgeth us not though we were his sons Why was Abraham ignorant of them and why did not Israel acknowledge them at this time Ans Because Abraham and Israel were both dead at this time and so all their thoughts perished Psal 146.4 Thou O Lord art our Father i. e. Thou O Lord I say livest and art our Father Our Redeemer The people of the Jews calleth the Lord their Redeemer because he had redeemed them at all times out of the hands of their Enemies Thy Name is from everlasting i. e. Thou art from everlasting and so being from everlasting shalt be to everlasting for that which hath no beginning shall have no ending By this he preferred God as a Father before Abraham and before Jacob For though Abraham and Jacob were both their Fathers yet they were mortal and both dead and so had no longer any knowledge and care of them as a Father had of his children But God is everlasting and dyeth not and so can always both take notice and have a care of them which are his Thy Name i. e. Thou See Cap. 30. vers 27. He putteth the Lord in minde that he is their Father and Redeemer thereby to move him more vehemently to compassion 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to err from thy ways i. e. O Lord why hast thou suffered us so long to be oppressed by the Babylonians and by that means hast made us to err from thy Commandments Note that if the rod of the wicked lieth long upon the righteous it maketh them to put forth their hands to iniquity Psa 125.3 Hence it is that he saith here O Lord why hast thou made us to err from thy ways for Why hast thou so long oppressed us or suffered us to be oppressed per Metonymiam Effectus From thy ways i. e. From thy Commandments in which thou hast appointed us to walk And hardened our heart from thy Fear q. d. And why hast thou hardened our heart so as that we fear thee not God is said to harden their hearts so as he was said to make them err from his ways that is by prolonging their misery and captivity in Babylon Return i. e. Return unto us in mercy and deliver us out of our captivity and misery now after the time that thou hast been angry with us Anger oftentimes maketh one man to depart from another who returneth again when his anger is over and his wrath appeased In allusion therefore to such a one doth he say here Return speaking of God as of a man by an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã For thy servants sake i. e. For our sake who are thy servants lest if thou return not unto us we be utterly consumed The tribes of thine inheritance i. e. The Tribes to whom thou gavest the Land of Canaan which is thine inheritance to dwell in These words are governed of the former by Apposition and those which he called the Lords servants there he calls the Tribes of the Lords inheritance here for the people of the Lord were divided into Tribes Exod. 28.21 Though the people of Israel were sometimes called the Lords inheritance because the Lord chose them for himself to be his own as a mans inheritance is his own yet here the Land of Canaan which God gave them to dwell in and not the people themselves is called Gods inheritance as will appear by the next Verse And the Land of Canaan might be called Gods inheritance because God reserved to himself a peculiar right in that Land Levit. 25.23 18. The people of thy Holiness have possessed it but a little while i. e. Thy people or thy holy people the Jews have possessed the Land of Canaan which is thine inheritance but a little while Supple Therefore bring us back again O Lord out of our captivity in Babylon into thine inheritance that we may possess it yet longer according to thy promise He saith that they had possessed the Land of Canaan the Lords inheritance but a little while though they had possessed itâ eight or nine hundred years because the Lord promised that they should inherit it for ever Exod. 32.13 And what is eight or nine hundred years to that which is for ever The people of thine Holiness Of thine Holiness may be put here for Of thee Gods Holiness being put for God himself per Metonymiam Adjuncti q. d. Thy people Or the substantive of the Genitive case may be put here for an Adjective as the Hebrews often put it and so the people of thine Holiness may be put for thine holy people And the Jews the children of Israel might be called Gods holy people because God took them to himself and separated them from all the people in the Earth to be his servants for Holiness is nothing else but a separation from others by way of eminency It i. e. Thine inheritance mentioned Vers 17. Our adversaries have broken down
thy Sanctuary i. e. The Babylonians which are our adversaries and which hold us in hard captivity have broken down thy holy Temple Supple Therefore destroy thou them for so doing that we may be freed out of their hands The Temple was called the Sanctuary be-of the sanctity and holiness thereof How the Babylonians trod down the Temple see 2 Chron. 36.19 19. We are thine i. e. We are thy servants and thy peculiar people Supple Therefore let not the Babylonians tyrannize over us Thou never barest rule over them i. e. Thou wast never the King and the God and the Lord of our adversaries in that special manner as thou wast ours as that thou shouldst regard them before us They were not called by thy Name i. e. They were not ever thy peculiar servants as we were so that thou shouldst have any great respect or care of them Supple Why therefore dost thou suffer them to tyrannize over us and oppress us And why dost thou suffer us to be oppressed by them And why dost thou do for them more then thou didst for us Note that to be called by ones name is to be his servant or wife or his in some relation or other as the circumstance of the place requireth by whose name he is called See Cap. 4.1 c. ISAIAH CHAP. LXIV O That thou wouldst rent the Heavens Supple To make a way through them He speaks of God as if he were a man by an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for if a man were in Heaven and would come down from thence he must have the Heavens opened and divided some way or other that he might have passage through them before he could come down he cannot pass through them shut or undivided being solid bodies Wouldst rent This word rent imports anger and indignation in the renter as though he could not tarry till the Heavens were orderly opened but would rend them in haste aâd make a way through them by violence Note that this is to be continued with the former Chapter That thou wouldst come down Supple Upon the Earth That the mountains might flow down at thy presence q. d. O that thou wouldst come down in flaming fire that the mountains might melt and run down like melted wax at thy presence with the heat thereof Here is an Ellipsis of those words O that thou wouldst come down with flaming fire Note that the Scripture when it describeth God coming to take vengeance describeth him for the most part coming with fire as Psal 50.3 97.3 Deut. 32.22 2 Sam. 22.9 Joel 2.3 2 Thess 1.8 c. And so doth our Prophet tacitely here describe him when he calls upon him to come and take vengeance on the Babylonians for he tacitely calls upon him to come with fire when he would have him so to come as that the mountains might flow down at his presence as appeareth Psal 97.5 Judg. 5.5 Note secondly that the mountains being earth are not of a nature fit to be melted no not with the greatest fire The Prophet therefore when he speaketh of the melting or flowing down of the mountains useth a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Metaphor with an Hyperbole 2. As when the melting fire burneth q. d. O that thou wouldst come down with fire which would burn as hot as when the fire burneth c. Note these words O that thou wouldst come with fire which would burn as hot are here to be understood Note also that by the melting fire he nameth a vehement and strong fire for such a fire is required to the melting of metals The fire causeth the waters to boyl Here also the same words are to be understood which were to be understood in the former Verse q. d. O that thou wouldst come down with fire which would burn as hot as when the fire causeth the waters to boyl Note that by the fire which causeth the waters to boyle he meaneth a strange and vehement fire as he did by the melting fire for it must be a strong fire and a vehement which maketh a great furnace of water to boyle To make thy name known to thine adversaries Here he sheweth the ends why he would have the Lord come down from Heaven and come with fire to wit that he might take vengeance of his adversaries To make thy name known to thine adversaries i. e. To make thine Adversaries know thy power Supple by feeling of it That is q.d. To punish thine Adversaries and take vengeance on them Thy Name i. e. The Name of God is put here for God himselfe as Cap. 63. v. 16. And God for the power of God To thine Adversaries By these he meaneth the Babylonians whom he calleth the adversaries of God because they destroyed his Sanctuary Cap. 63.18 And because they kept the Jewes the people of God in an hard bondage That the Nations may tremble at thy presence i. e. That other Nations also may tremble when they see how heavily thou layest thy judgements upon the Babylonians Yet by the Babylonians I mean not those onely which lived in Babylon and the Precincts thereof but all those Nations which were subject to the King of Babylon which were many which Nations onely may be here meant when he saith that the Nations may tremble at thy presence And therefore might they tremble because the hand of God would be as well upon them as upon those which dwelt in Babylon and the Precincts thereof which are called Babylonia 3. When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for What these terrible things were and when they were done is not so easie to determine but they seem to have been done upon the Egyptians when God delivered his people out of their hands though they be not recorded in holy Writ For many things were received among the Hebrews for truth which were not therein recorded as will appeare by the Prophecie of Enoch which Jude mentioneth Jude 14. which is no where recorded in the Old Testament Which we looked yet for i. e. Which thou didst for us when we little dreamed of them and which therefore were the more welcome to us But how can the Prophet say here which we lookâd not for when they were done many hundred yeeres before his daies Answ Indeed these things were done long before the Prophets daies for they were done in the daies of his forefathers yet because all the Jewes were of one race and one people the children speak often of their fathers as of themselves and say that they did that or saw that which their fathers onely did and saw Thou camest down Supple from Heaven in flaming fire The mountaines flowed at thy presence See vers 1. After these words understand these or the like Being therefore O Lord thou hast come down heretofore from Heaven in flaming fire so that the mountaines flowed at thy presence when we looked not for it Thou canst come down again when we intreat thee 4. For since the beginning of the world men
part of the Jews which were in captivity and he speaks of himself in the third person That forget my holy mountain i. e. That forget my Temple where I was wont to be worshipped and mourn not for the destruction thereof By the holy mountain is meant Mount Sion and by that the Temple of God which was built thereon per Metonymiam Subjecti or Continentis Therefore are they said to forget the holy mountain or Temple of God because they did not remember that that was the onely place where they ought to sacrifice Deut. 12.14 15. and that that was the holy place where they ought to keep their solemn and religious Feasts to the Lord Deut. 16.13 14 15 16. and because they were not moved nor did mourn for the destruction thereof See cap. 66.10 That prepare a table for that troop i. e. That make a Feast in honor of the Stars He pointed as it were with his fingers towards the Stars when he said that troop and he calls the Stars a troop because they were many and saith that troop in contempt of them to think that they should be esteemed as gods Note that Feasts were wont to accompany all solemn sacrifices and it may be that such Feasts are here meant But Idolaters had other Feasts also in honor of their Idols which did not relate to any sacrifice as may appear Judg. 9.27 And of these kinde of Feasts may this place be understood And that furnish the drink-offering i. e. And that provide a plentiful drink-offering To that number i. e. In honor of the Stars which he calleth a number because they were many in number 12. Therefore will I number you to the sword q. d. Because ye are they that furnish the drink-offering to that number therefore will I give you all over to the sword by tale or by number to be slain by it so as that not one of you shall escape He speaks here of the sword as of a person by a Prosopopoeia Or takes the sword by a Metonymy for the Soldier that useth the sword Observe the Paranomasia here from the former Verse or the playing as I may so speak in the word number And ye shall all bow down to the slaughter q.d. And as ye did bow down to that troop and that number that is to the Stars so shall ye bow down to the slaughter either voluntarily to beg your lives at her hands or against your wills when ye shall not onely bow down but fall down flat at her feet dead in your blood He speaks of slaughter here as of a person by a Prosopopoeia Or else by the slaughter he meaneth the slayer by a Metonymy Because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not hear He giveth another reason here why he would number them to the sword and make them to bow down to the slaughter and this their sin he threateneth with another judgment vers 13. When I called Supple To you by my Prophâts He alludeth to a master calling his servant when he would have him to do any thing for him Ye did not answer He alludeth to servants which if they are dutiful are at hand and ready to answer when their masters call But did evil before mine eyes i. e. But for all my calling and my speaking did evil before my face And did choose that wherein I delighted not i. e. And did choose that from which I was so far from taking delight in as that I abhorred it as being sin Here is a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in these words wherein I delighted not 13. My servants i. e. They which harkened to my voyce and sought me Shall eat i. e. Shall have plenty of food and that in their own Land Shall rejoyce Supple Because of the prosperity which I will give them in their own Land But ye shall be ashamed Supple Because of the vile condition which ye shall be in in the Land of your captivity 15. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen q. d. And so miserable shall ye be as that my Elect when they take an Oath and in their Oath shall wish evil unto themselves if they do not as they say they shall wish that evil unto themselves as shall befall you saying v. g. If I do not as I say let that misery befall me which befell those captive Jews which would not harken unto the voyce of the Lord in Babylon My chosen i. e. Mine Elect vers 9. For the Lord God shall slay thee i. e. For the Lord God shall slay you A singular is put here for a plural number The slaughter here spoken of was executed upon these men by the Medes and Persians under Cyrus who slew them among the Babylonians which were slain And call his servants by another name q. d. And when he hath slain you he shall call them which have harkened to his voyce by another name This other name which the Lord would give unto his servants was Amen that is truth that is stability That whereas they were now called tossed with tempest as cap. 54.11 and removing to and fro as cap. 49.21 they should be no more so called But from henceforth they should be called Truth that is stability because of the stability which they should enjoy in their own Land That Amen that is truth or stability is the name which the Lord would here give unto his servants appeareth by the following Verse Note that when the Lord gave these his servants this name he gave them also the thing signified by the name as he gave it to Jerusalem when he called her Hepzibah and as he gave it to her Land when he called it Beulah cap. 62.4 Yea rather the Lord gave these his servants that thing which might be the foundation of this name For then is the Lord said to call a man so and so when he gives them those gifts for which he might be so or so called See cap. 9.6 The meaning of this place then is this That when these men were slain he would bring those which had harkened to his voyce to a far better condition and estate then they enjoyed at the present And whereas they were tossed to and fro in the Land of their captivity he would bring them to their own Land again and there establish them in rest and quiet 16. That he that blesseth himself in the Earth shall bless himself in the God of Truth i. e. So that he that blesseth himself in the Earth shall bless himself by the God of Truth saying Bless me I pray thee O God of Truth O God of Truth have mercy upon me That blesseth himself i. e. That shall desire or pray for a blessing upon himself To bless a man is to pray God for a blessing upon him and to wish well to him To bless God is to praise God and to give him thanks for his goodness In the Earth
deliverance They did comply with the Babylonians in their Religion and their abominations And because the Babylonians did sacrifice in Gardens and burn Incense upon Altars of brick they also would sacrifice in Gardens and burn Incense upon Altars of brick Cap. 65.3 And because the Babylonians did prepare a Table and furnish a drink-offering to the Host of Heaven they also would prepare a Table to that troop and furnish a drink-offering to that number Cap. 65.11 And because the Babylonians did use Sorceries and Necromancy they also would do the like Cap. 65.4 And because the Babylonians did eat all unclean meats they also would eat them Cap. 65.4 thinking by this means to gain the favor of the Babylonians and to prevent the miseries which they feared Because the Babylonians promised them that they would deal better with them if they would comply with them in these things then they would with other Jews which would not comply with them Therefore the Lord threateneth them with this That by doing this wickedness they should gain nothing but should be deluded by the Babylonians For notwithstanding this their complying with the Babylonians in these their abominations and the Babylonians promise the Babylonians should afflict them and should deal as bad with them as with others I will choose their delusions i. e. I will choose this That they shall be deluded by the Babylonians How they should be deluded by the Babylonians I said immediately before Note that this word Delusions is to be taken here not in an active but in a passive sence or signification And they are called their delusions not because they did delude others thereby but because they were thereby deluded themselves And will bring their fears upon them q. d. And whereas they are afraid that they shall never be delivered out of Babylon and that their misery will be day by day greater in the Land of their captivity and therefore they strive to prevent these their fears by complying with the Babylonians in their abominations they shall not prevent them but for all their abominations I will bring their fears upon them I will bring their fears upon them i. e. I will bring those things upon them which they are afraid of and then their delight shall come to an end Note that the word Fears is to be taken here objectivè for the things feared And where such things befall a man he can have no pleasure or delight in any thing Because when I called c. He adds another reason here why he would chuse their delusions and bring their fears upon them When I called none did answer See cap. 65.12 5. Hear the Word of the Lord ye that tremble at his Word q. d. But as for you which tremble at the Word of the Lord hear the word of comfort which the Lord speaks unto you Ye that tremble at his Word See Notes vers 2. Your Brethren that hated you By these their Brethren he meaneth those ungodly Jews to whom and of whom he spoke in the four first Verses whom he calleth their Brethren because they were all brethren according to the flesh and were all descended from the same Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob who for all this did hate these their brethren which feared the Lord. That cast you out c. Viz. Of their company as though ye were impure and would defile them if you drew nigh to them and did converse with them See Cap. 65.5 For my Names sake i. e. For my sake that is because ye cleave to my Commandments and live according to them Said Supple In derision and mockery of you Let the Lord be glorified Though the ungodly party of the Jews did not believe that the Lord could deliver those which were in captivity in Babylon out of their captivity yet most of the godly party did and out of the fulness of their heart did often say that the Lord would be glorified in their deliverance according to what the Lord said by his Prophet cap. 44.23 and cap. 60.21 The ungodly party therefore which hated the godly party as for other things so for this that they believed that the Lord would deliver them out of the hands of the Babylonians because they themselves could not think it were wont to mock the godly party with this saying Let the Lord be glorified Supple In your deliverance as though they believed and looked for that which God could not do But he shall appear to your joy i. e. But he shall shew himself in your deliverance to your joy And they shall be ashamed To wit That they mocked you with this saying Let God be glorified when they shall see that God hath delivered you to his glory 6. A voyce of noise from the City a voyce from the Temple q. d. I hear a voyce of a noise of rejoycing from the City of Jerusalem and a voyce of singing and thanksgiving from the Temple The Prophet speaks this as if he had heard on a sudden a noise of rejoycing made by the Jews from Jerusalem and a noise of praise and thanksgiving made by the Levites from the Temple for their redemption out of the Babylonish captivity By which he signifieth that the godly Jews should be certainly redeemed and brought to their own Land again and that they should build again the waste places of Jerusalem and that they should raise up the Temple which the Babylonians had destroyed and rejoyce in all this A voyce of the Lord that rendreth recompence to his Enemies q. d. I hear the voyce of the Lord who recompenceth his Enemies according to their deserts In those Psalms of praise and thanksgiving which were wont to be sung in the Temple many passages were made and sung in the person of God triumphing over his Enemies and threatening them with due vengeance as Psal 68.22 23. 132.18 81.14 c. 89.23 c. And to such passages as these may the Prophet allude when he saith A voyce of the Lord that rendereth recompence to his Enemies Yet that which followeth in the three next Verses may be the voyce and song of rejoycing which the Prophet heard which song is sung in the person of the Lord or at least part thereof as appeareth vers 9. And those words That rendereth recompence to his Enemies may be added here not to denote any passage in the song but as an Epithite of the Lord an Epithite opportunely added because the wicked part of the Jews thought that God was not able to punish the Babylonians But if the song here sung was not sung in the person of God yet the subject thereof was the acts of the Lord whatsoever the song was And those words Of the Lord may as well signifie the subject matter as the Author of the voyce or song which uttereth the voyce or singeth the song That rendereth recompence to his Enemies This is meant especially of the Babylonians whom the Lord accounted his Enemies because they did use
all should be consumed that do these things And their thoughts Yea their thoughts And is put here for Yea. It shall come that I will gather all Nations These words relate to and follow those words v. 14. And the Hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants for as they so these speak of that happy and glorious condition which the godly Jews should enjoy after their return out of Babylon into their own Land It shall come that I will gather all Nations and tongues and they shall come and see my glory i. e. It shall come to passe that I will gather many of all Nations and of all Languages together and they shall come and see those glorious things which I will do for Jerusalem and for my people the Jewes which serve me The meaning is q. d. And it shall come to passe that the glory which I will give my Servants when they come into their own Land shall be so great as that all Nations shall be taken with the fame thereof and many of them shall come to see that their glory which I will give them Note that many of these Nations did not only come to see the glory of the Jewes but did also desire a League of amity with them and many of them also did upon sight of what the Lord had done for them become Proselytes as appeareth v. 2.3 I will gather all Nations i. e. I will gather many of all Nations This he saith to signifie that very many of all Nations and Countries should come to Jerusalem to see the glory which God gave her i. e. the Jews being moved with the fame thereof All Nations i. e. Many of all Nations A Synecdoche Generis Or an Hyperbole God saith here that he would gather all Nations to come and see His Glory because he would bestowe such glory upon Jerusalem and his Servants the Jewes as that all Nations should heare of it and many of all Nations should come and that in great multitudes to Jerusalem to see that glory And all tongues i. e. Men of all Tongues and Languages My glory i. e. That glory which I will give to Jerusalem vers 12. and my Servants the Jewes vers 10. This glory he calleth His because he was the Authour of it 91 And I will set a sign among them i. e. And I will set up an Ensign among the men of Israel that is I will gather the men of Israel together which are scattered abroad and they also shall come and see my glory By them are meant the men of Israel or of the ten Tribes which were scattered abroad whom he calls their Brethren v. 20. and at whom he seemeth to point when he saith I will set a sâgn among them And he alludeth here to a Captain or Generall who when he would call his Souldiers together to march any where sets up a Standard or an Ensigne for them to repair to Note here that though the greatest part of the ten Tribes of Israel were destroyed or carried away captive into Assyria and their Common-wealth was brought to naught by Salmaneser 2 Kings 18.11 yet God left a few in the Land of Israel as it were gleaning Grapes and the shaking of the Olive Tree Isaiah 17.6 And besides those that were left in the Land of Israel and those that were carried away Captive into Assyria there were others which fled in their extremity to other Countries to save themselves as to Tarshish Pul Lud c. of which many returned to Jerusalem and lived among their Brethren the Jews when they heard what great things the Lord had done for the people the Jews and what glory he had bestowed upon Jerusalem Among them i. e. By them he meaneth the men of Israel or of the ten Tribes whom he seemeth to point at when he saith among them He maketh particular mention of the men of Israel that is of the ten Tribes because he had said âe would have no more mercy upon the house of Israel but would utterly take them away Hos 1.6 And I will send those that escape of them to the Nations i. e. And I will send many of the men of Israel which live among the Jewt and have escaped those dangers into which they fell c. These God sent to the Nations not by any express or open command but by his secret providence directing them that way when they had a mind to traffick or the like And God might make these an Instrument of reducing the scattered of Israel rather then any other because of the neer relation which was between them and the dispersed of Israel To Tarshish Tarshish I take to be the same with Tartessus a City in Spain and by a Metonymy the inhabitants of that City Pul Some take Pul to signifie Africa in general others that part of Africa which is neer to Fez and here they take it for the Inhabitants of one or other of these places Lud By Lud is meant the posterity of Lud which were called Lydians of whom Gen. 10.22 That draw the Bow i. e. That are skilful Archers and have strength and knowledge how to draw the Bow well To Tubal By Tubal are meant the children of Tubal which was the son of Japhet Gen. 10.2 To Javan By Javan are meant the children of Javan which was the son of Japhet Gen. 10.2 The Isles afar off q. d. That is To the habitants of the Regions and Countries which are afar off The Hebrews call all Regions and Countries Islands especially if they abut upon the Sea or any great river That have not heard my fame i. e. That have not heard the report of those things which I have done for my servants the Jews Neither have seen my glory i. e. Neither have seen those glorious things which I have done for my servants the Jews Glory is put here per Metonymiam effecti or adjuncti for great acts or things worthy of glory and bringing glory to the author or doer of them And they shall declare my glory amongst the Gentiles i. e. And they shall declare to the Gentiles among whom their Brethren of Israel live the glorious works that I have done for my servants the Jews and the glory which I have bestowed upon Jerusalem 20. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord i. e. And the Gentiles when they hear of my glory shall come themselves and shall bring all your brethren the men of Israel which live among them with them as an offering to the Lord. That which is here meant is that many of these Nations should become proselytes and that many of the children of Israel or ten Tribes should turn to the Lord and dwell among the Jews He speaks to the Jews and he calleth the men of Israel their brethren a lovely name because they were all descended from the same father Jacob. Note that the Lord useth an Enallage of the person here and speaks here of
setting judgment in the Earth See the like phrase Cap. 7.6 And the Isles shall wait for his Law q. d. And when he hath made known my judgments the inhabitants of the Isles shall look for the fulfilling and accomplishment of these my judgments In such credit shall my servant be By Isles the Hebrews mean not onely those places which are environed with the Sea but those also which are neer to the Sea and to great Rivers and Waters as was said cap. 41. v. 1. Yea every particular Land may be called an Isle as we shewed cap. 20.6 But by Isles here are meant not the Isles themselves but the inhabitants of the Isles by a Metonymy His Law The word Law is sometimes taken in a large sence for any Word of God whatsoever See Notes cap. 1.10 And here it is taken first for the judgments of God denounced then by a Metonymy for the fulfilling or accomplishment of those judgments This testimony from the beginning of the Chapter hitherto the Lord gave of the Prophet that his words might finde the better entertainment with them that should hear him while he lived or read his Writings after his death 5. Thus saith the Lord Thus say I the Lord Supple To my servant Isaiah The Lord speaketh here of himself in the third person And stretched them out Supple Like the curtains of a Tent or Tabernacle to dwell in See cap. 40. v. 22. He that spreadeth forth the Earth and that which cometh out of it i. e. I that made the Earth and all things that spring out of it The Prophet alludeth here to the spreading forth of a sheet or some other cloth or to the spreading forth of a garment which was folded up before see Heb. 1.12 And he alludeth to this while he speaketh of Gods making the Earth and all that cometh out thereof Because when God made the Earth and that which cometh out thereof he made them quanta that is he gave them quantity and extension so soon as ever he gave them their substantial Being And spirit to them that walk therein i. e. And Breath to every living creature Spirit is taken here for Breath Therein i. e. Thereon The Lord doth here magnifie his power First That he might the more encourage his Prophet in the execution of that business on which he sets him Secondly That all men may be the better perswaded of the event of what he foretels Thirdly That he might shew himself to be greater then the gods of the Heathen who worshipped Idols 6. I the Lord have called thee i. e. I the Lord have called thee O Isaiah my servant to do the work which I have appointed for thee to do In righteousness i. e. In good-will towards thee or in that wise that thou shalt see my goodness towards thee whilest thou art doing that work to which I have called thee Righteousness is put here for goodness as it is also cap. 41.10 I will hold thine hand i. e. I will preserve thee Supple Until thou hast done all my work Concerning the reason of this phrase see cap. 41.10 And give thee for a Covenant of the people These words must needs be figuratively that is Metonymically understood The meaning therefore of these words is this q.d. I will give thee to be a Remembrancer of my people the Jews that thou mayst put them in minde of the Covenant which they their fathers made with me and they have broken and to be a means to them to renew their Covenant again For a light of the Gentiles i. e. And for a light to the Gentiles Tò And is here to be understood Isaiah was a light to the Gentiles in that he shewed them the vanity of the Idols which they worshipped and taught them that there was but one God who created Heaven and Earth And this he doth in many places of this Book of his Prophecy 7. To open the blinde eyes i. e. To instruct those which are ignorant yea very ignorant ignorant of the Vanity of Idols and ignorant of the Unity of the Godhead c. By eyes he meaneth the eyes of the understanding which are blinde through ignorance Note that these words To open the blind eyes relate to those words which went immediately before viz. For a light to the Gentiles To bring out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house i. e. And to bring my people the Jews which are in captivity in Babylon out of that their captivity Tò And is here to be understood Note that these words To bring the prisoners from the prisons and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house relate to those words of the sixth Verse I will give thee for a Covenant of the people The Prophet speaks here of the captivity of the Jews as of an Imprisonment and compares the Land of their captivity to a prison both because they could no more get out thence then a prisoner can get out of a prison as also because it was as irksom to them as a prison is to a prisoner Yea it may be that many of them were shut up in houses and there kept to hard work as in prisons The Prophet is therefore said to bring the prisoners out of prison that is the Jews out of their captivity because he did by his admonitions bring the Jews to think of the Covenant which they had broken and the sins which they had committed and bewail them and amend their lives and renew their Covenant with God which moved God to free them and deliver them out of captivity and bring them to their own Land again But you will say that Isaiah was dead before the Jews were carryed captive into Babylon which was a long time before their delivery thence How then could he so admonish them as that they should repent them of their sins and amend their lives and renew their Covenant with God by his Admonitions and so move God to deliver them Ans Though Isaiah were dead yet might he be said to admonish them because of his Writings which he directed to them by a Prophetique Spirit So Moses though he was dead many years before was said to command the Jews which lived in our Saviours time Mark 10.3 And so the Jews called themselves Moses's Disciples Joh. 9.28 And them that sit in darkness out of the prison house Though darkness be oftentimes put figuratively for misery and affliction yet I conceive that the Prophet alludeth here to prisons which use to be dark having but few windows and those small ones too that the walls of the prison might be the stronger and especially to Dungeons which are under ground Note that this is but a repetition of the former sentence 8. I am the Lord q. d. I am the Lord the onely God which created Heaven and Earth who am of my self but give Being to all things c. That is my Name i. e. That is the Name
by which I am known and by which I am distinguished from all others whatsoever And my glory I will not give to another neither my praise to graven Images i. e. And I will not have this my glory that I am the Lord given to another nor this my praise that I am the Lord given to graven Images He saith I will not give for I will not have given Whosoever acknowledgeth or worshipeth any other God then the Lord he giveth the glory of the Lord to another and his praise to graven Images For whatsoever is God that must be Lord too Now as for the connexion of this Verse with the former know that the words of this Verse contain a reason of what was said in the former Verses that is a reason why the Lord would give Isaiah to be a Covenant of the people to bring them out of prison and a light to the Gentiles to open their eyes For to speak of the Gentiles first The Gentiles they worshipped Idols and fell down to their graven Images taking them through the ignorance which was in them to be gods and so gave the glory of the Lord to another and his praise to graven Images But that they might not do so any longer the Lord gave Isaiah to be a light to them and to open their eyes that they might know that an Idol is nothing and that there is but one onely God to wit the Lord and that therefore they might leave off to worship Idols and worship the Lord onely And as for the Jews which were in captivity If the Lord should not have delivered them out of their captivity the Heathen would have said and many a weak Jew too that the Lord was not able to deliver them and that the gods of the Babylonians were stronger then he and so would have preferred the gods of the Babylonians before him and have worshipped them as well as him yea them more then him yea them and not him and so have given his glory to others and his praise to graven Images That therefore they might not do so the Lord gave Isaiah to be a Covenant to his people the Jews which were in prison that is which were in captivity in Babylon to bring them out of prison that is to bring them out of captivity See cap. 48.11 From the first Verse hitherto the Prophet hath set forth himself and shewed as it were his commission that his message might have the better acceptance 9. Behold the former things are come to pass Hitherto the Prophet spoke in the person of God now the Prophet having shewed as it were his commission from God beginneth to speak in his own person Behold the former things q. d. Behold I have told you heretofore of things which are since come to pass Many things did the Prophet foretell by the word of the Lord which they which lived in his days saw fulfilled as the Invasion of Judah by Rezin King of Syria and Pekah King of Israel And that notwithstanding their threats they should not utterly destroy Judah As also the Invasion of Judah by Sennacherib and the saving of Jerusalem out of his hand and the destruction of his Army Which things they which lived in the Prophets days saw fulfilled with their eyes and they which lived in the Babylonish captivity knew to be true and could not deny Moreover he foretold the Jews of their being carryed away captive into Babylon the fulfilling whereof they of the captivity felt to their grief The Prophet puts them in minde of these things which he foretold and they themselves saw accomplished that they might the rather believe what he had more to foretell unto them And new things do I declare unto you i. e. And now I declare unto you new things such as neither you nor any other man ever heard of before What these new things are he tells us vers 13. c. Before they spring forth i. e. Before they come to pass He useth a Metaphor here from Plants c. 10. Sing unto the Lord a new song c. The Prophet considering the great goodnesses which he was to tell of and how worthy they were of praises invites the people to sing praises unto the Lord for them before he tells them what they are thereby to make the people the more desirous to hear them and when he tells them he tells them as if the Babylonish captivity were even then and as if he were even then among the captives A new song When the Jews had any extraordinary cause of rejoycing they were invited by way of thanksgiving to sing a new song as Psal 33.3 40.3 96.1 149.1 And therefore it may be conjectured that this was because they had Set-Psalms of Thanksgiving to use upon occasions which happened ordinarily But when they had extraordinary mercies shewed them such as was their Redemption out of Egypt and their Delivery out of the Babylonish captivity they had a new song made by some holy man of God or other for that special occasion Ye that go down into the Sea i. e. Ye Mariners and ye which pass through the Sea with ships sing ye to the Lord. And all that is therein c. q. d. Yea sing unto him all that is in the Sea By All that is therein that is in the Sea understand all the Ships which are in the Sea and by a Meâonymy all those which are in the Ships This is a repetition or amplification of the former sentence By those that go down into the Sea understand chiefly the Tyrians which were great Sea-men whom the Babylonians oppressed and whom Nebuchadnezzar besieged thirteen years And by the inhabitants of the Isles understand such Islanders as had suffered under the Babylonians whom the Lord destroyed for their cruelty to the Jews that he might redeem the Jews out of the captivity which they suffered under them by reason therefore of the destruction of the Babylonians he invites all to rejoyce and to praise God for this their destruction who had suffered under them and were freed from their suffârings by this their downfall 11. Let the Wilderness and the Cities thereof liât up their voyce viz. In songs of rejoycing By the Wilderness he meaneth the Wilderness by the red Seâ in which the Edomites dwelt which were ill used by the Babylonians The villages that Kedar doth inhabit Kedar is put here for the Kedarens the children of Kedar who was the son of Ismael Gen. 25.13 per Metonymiam Efficientis The Kedarens were Arabians such as they called Scenitae because of their dwellings in Tents By the Villages therefore are here meant some number of Tents pitched together in one and the same place for standing houses of timber or stone these had none Let the inhabitants of the Rock sing Supple For joy that the Babylonians shall be destroyed It is doubtful who he meaneth by the inhabitants of the Rock whether he meaneth such in general as dwelt among Rocks