that time which was between the building of the Temple and the deliverance out of the Babylonish Captivity was the middle time which is the most flourishing time of life For from the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt which time was as I may so call it the time of Israels birth for while Israel was in Egypt he was but as it were an embrio in the womb but when the Lord brought him out of Egypt he made him a People and Commonwealth of himself I say from the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt to the building of the Temple by Solomon were 480 years from the building of the Temple by Solomon to the end of the Babylonish captivity were 452 years from the end of the Babylonish captivity to the Incarnation of Christ 525 years So that that shame which he calls the shame of her youth here I take to be the same with the reproach of her widowhood mentioned in the next sentence for our Prophet is frequent in such repetitions And it is called the shame of her youth because it happened to her in her youth And shall not remember the reproach of thy Widdow-hood This is a repetition of the former sentence And what he calls the shame of her youth there he calls the shame of her Widdow-hood here Because this shame and reproach befell her when God had put her away from him from being his wife Cap. 50.1 which was all the time of the Babylonish captivity 5. For thy maker is thy Husband And therefore will doe the office of an Husband to thee in protecting thee and delivering thee and in givâ—ng thee children by which thy shame and â—eproach shall be taken away Ob. If the Lord were Sions Husband how could Sion be a Widdow Ans The Lord had married Sion and afterwards put her away and then tooke her to wife againâ—â— So that betweene the Lords putting her away and taking her againe Sion was a Widdow Ob. But a man when he had put away his wife and she became another mans could not take her for his wife again Deut. 24.4 Ans What man could not doe which was under the Law God might do which was above the Law Therefore thus we read Jer. 3.1 They say If a man put away his wife and she goe from him and become another mans shall he returne to her againe shall not that land be greatly polluted But thou hast played the Harlot yet return again to me saith the Lord. The Lord of Hosts is his name The Lord of Hosts is He And therefore he is able to subdue the Babylonians which cause thy feare and thy shame Thy Redeemer the Holy one of Israel i. e. And the holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer who as he is able so also is willing to Redeeme thee oâ—t of the hands of the Babylonians and to take away thy reproach because he is the Holy One That is because he is the God of Israel The God of the whole earth shall he be called To wit because he will make it manifest by his power which he will shew in your Redemption that he is Lord of all the earth and that he can doe therein whatsoever he pleaseth 6. For the Lord hath called thee i. e. For the Lord hath called thee Supple to his Bed or to be his wife againe These words relate to those words thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth and shalt not remember the â—eproach of thy Widdowhood any more vers 4. As a proofe thereof as the fifth verse was As a woman forsaken i. e. Who wa st or when thou wast as a woman forsaken of all her friends How Sion was forsaken See Lament 1.2 Note that this Particle As is not to be taken here as a note of Similitude but of Identity as it is often taken For Sion was not onely as a woman forsaken but a woman forsaken indeed And grieved in spirit i. e. And who wa st or when thou wast as a woman grieved in spirit and mourning because she was afflicted and had none to comfort her And a wife of youth i. e. Yea who wa st or when thou wast as a wife which had plaid the Harlot in her youth The Prophet may call her a wife of youth which is naught and played the Harlot in in her youth by the like Metonymie as he calleth the waters which drowned the world in the dayes of Noah the waters of Noah v. 4. A wife which is naught and playeth the Harlot in her youth proveth the most notorious strumpet of all For lust reigneth in her more than it doth in the aged and her affections are hotter and more unbrideled When thou wast refused i. e. When the Lord had refused thee and cast thee off from being his wife and therefore thou couldst not expect to be taken to be his wife againe That the Lord should call Sion when she was as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit speakes the great goodnesse and loving kindnesse of the Lord to her for such a woman seldome findeth friends But that he should call her again and make her his wife when she had played the Harlot in her youth and he had put her away for her whoredomes speakes yet his greater goodnesse and loving kindnesse And as to say that the Lord called her as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit And a woman of youth when she was refused speakes the loving kindnesse and goodnesse of the Lord to Sion So may it cheere Sion and make her more confident of the goodnesse and loving kindenesse of the Lord. For otherwise she had good cause to doubt whether the Lord would look upon her and call her to his bed when she was as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit And when she had played the Harlot in the dayes of her youth and had beene divorced for her whoredomes 7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee It was seventy yeares that the Lord forsook Sion Jer. 25.11 Yet this is but a small time and but as a very little moment in regard of that time in which he had or would have had mercy upon her if she had kept his Covenant v. 10. Have I forsaken thee Supple And given thee over to be afflicted by the Babylonians But in great mercy will I gather thee This is spoken in relation to the Jewes the children of Sion which as they were scattered here and there in many Countreyes in the time of their Captivity so did the Lord gather them together out of those Countreyes when he brought them back to Sion See Cap. 44.18 Note here that he speakes of the Jewes as of Sion her selfe And of Sion her selfe as of the Iewes when he saith I will gather thee And that because of the great relation and Iove which was between Sion and her children So Christ saith Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 when he persecuted onely those that believed in Christ because of the great affection and love which was
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 thâ—y 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
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 Vndâ—rstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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-favoâ—ed 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
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
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 â—emple 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 mâ—run 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 â—t 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 Râ—lative 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 â—â—d shall have purged away the bloud of Hierâ—â—â—â—â—â— 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
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 Jewâ—s 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 â—saiah 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 foretâ—ld 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 hâ—â—â— 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 theâ—efore 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
ruled by me And I have robbed their Treasures i. e. And I have got their wealth to my self And I have put down the Inhabitants i. e. And I have subdued the Inhabitants supple which did inhabit and dwell in strang places or which did inhabit the Thrones and royal Pallaces of the earth by mine own strength Like a valiant man i. e. Like a valiant man as I am And my hand hath found as a neast the riches of the people q. d. And I have taken by my might the riches of the people with as great ease as a countrey man takes young birds out of a neast He puts here the hard for the whole man by a Synechdoche and to find for to get and to take by an Hebraisme And a neast for the young birds in the neast by a Metonymie And to find for to take away that which he hath found And as one that gathereth eggs that are left c. q. d. Yea as one taketh and gathereth eggs which the Hen or Bird hath forsaken which is easier than to take Birds And is put here for Yea. Have I gathered all the earth i. e. Have I gathered and taken all the spoiles and Treasures of the earth By the earth he meaneth the spoiles and Treasures of the earth by a Metonymie And there was none that moved the wing or opened the mouth â—r peeped c. i. e. And there was none which did or durst resist me or as much as murmure against me This Phrase is Metaphoricall wherein the Prophet alludes to Birds whereof some fly with the wing at those which come near them to take away their eggs or their young ones as the Hen Some strike at them with the wing as the Pidgeon Some open the mouth and peck them Some peep onely and make a mournfull noise as small Birds 15. Shall the Axe beast it self against him that heweth therewith From the thirteenth verse hitherto the Prophet personated Sennacharib by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here he speaks either in his own Person or in the person of God Shall the Axe boast it self against him that heweth therewith This and the following sentences of this verse are proverbiall The sense whereof is as if he should say Shall they that are but Gods Instruments advance themselves against God They advance themselves against God and boast against him who attribute that to themselves which is to be attributed to him Now the strength and power and other meanes by which Sennacharib did such great things was from God not from himself Cap. 37. v. 26. Therefore this boasting of Sennacharib was an advancing and boasting of himself against God Him that shaketh it i. e. Him that useth it and saweth therewith He saith shaketh it for useth it by a Metonymie because the saw shaketh while it is used As if the rod should shake it self c As if the rod should brussle and exalt it self and lift it self up in pride or disdain A rod being small and slender at the top shaketh when it is lifted up Therefore he puts shaking it self here by a Metonymie for lifting it self up c. Against them that lift it up Supple To smite or strike naughty men therewith as though it could lift up it self for that purpose and need not another to lift it up As if the staffe Supple Wherewith Offenders are beaten Should lift it self up Supple In pride and contempt against him that used it and did strike with it and say that he himself of himself did strike or smite As if it were no wonder i. e. As if it were not a senselesse thing which cannot move it self but a man or more than a man that could strike at his pleasure 16. Therefore i. e. Because Sennacharib doth thus senslesly advance himself aginst the Lord Therefore c Among his fat ones By fat ones are meant Metaphorically the great Captains and Officers of Sennacharibs Army of whom he boasted v. 8. Leannesse By leann sse he meanes death and destruction as Psal 106. v. 15. which therefore may signifie death and destruction because the death and destruction of the body usually followeth sicknesse which consumeth the body and makes it lean Or by leannesse may be meant Metaphorically any low estate For we say of a corpulent and fat man when that any sicknesse hath wasted his fat and his flesh that it hath pulled him down And of such men as are here meant the Prophet when he speakes of such a judgement as he doth here saith That they shall be brought low Cap. 2. v. 12. He maketh choice of the word leannesse here that he might oppose it to the fatnesse of the fat ones And under his glory he shall kindle a burning i. e. He shall consume his great Army by fire By his glory he meaneth his Armie for the Hebrews call the Army and Military strength of a King his Glory because he is wont to glory of it and to confide in it and to be glorified for it of others This Army of Sennacherib he compares here to a Sacrifice which is laid upon the wood and the fire upon the Altar and so consumed A burning i. e. A fire He putteth a burning here for fire per Metonymiam adjuncti Like the burning of a fire i. e. Even a burning of fire q d. A burning even a burning of fire Note that words which commonly signifie likenesse do sometimes neverthelesse signifie Identitie As John 1.14 We behold his glory speaking of Christ the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father where that common note of similitude As signifieth an Identity for Christ was in truth the onely begotten of the Father So also 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord where the last as though it goeth commonly for a note of similitude is taken for a note of Identity For this change is truly made by the Spirit of the Lord. And as elsewhere so here this particle like or as signifieth Identity There is nothing more active than fire therefore the Prophet doth expresse the great and suddaine destruction of Sennacherib's Army in one night as if it were caused by true and real fire Yea the Hebrewes say that it was really performed by true fire See Notes Cap. 9. v. 5. 17. And the light of Israel By the light of Israel is meant the Lord the God of Israel who is called the Light of Israel here because he did enlighten them with his word or rather because he did cheere them and make them joyfull in misery by his Salvation For light with the Hebrewes signifieth joy and mirth and prosperity And at the time here prophesied of he was a light to them when he delivered them from Sennacherib's Army and consumed that Army When he saith The light of Israel he hath some allusion to the light of fire or to fire
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
chief-Officers to the tall trees The common Souldiers to the Briars and thornes thereof where note that the Prophet passeth here from his first to another Metaphor which thing is usuall with him And the haughty i. e And the high Trees Shall be humbled i. e. Shall be felled down This is a repetition of the former sentence 34. And he shall cut down the Thickets of the Forrest By the Thickets of the Forrest he meanneth here the Briars and Thornes which grow thick in the Forrest And by them are meant the common Souldiers of Sennacherib's Army The thickets of the Forrest are taken otherwise here than they are taken cap. 9.18 With iron i. e. With an Instrument of iron as v. g. An Ax. Metonymia materiae The Prophet alludes here to a Woodman And Lebanon i. e. And the whole forrest i. e. The whole Army Lebanon was a famous Forrest lying on the outmost borders of the land of Canaan Northwards which abounded with tall Cedars and other goodly Trees Shall fall i. e. Shall be cut down By a mighty one By this is meant the Angel of the Lord which shewed his might in killing of Sennacherib's Army For he slew an hundred fourscore and five thousand in one night 2 Kings 19.35 ISAIAH CHAP. XI AND there shall come forth a Rod out of the stemme of Jesse This Rod was Hezekiah for whose sake God destroyed the Assyrians This Chapter therefore depends upon the former and containes a reason why the Lord would destroy the Assyrians as is mentioned in the later part of the former Chapter The reason whereof is because Hezekiah was to be King at that time who would prove a godly and religious King and therefore God would so favour him as that for his sake he would destroy the Assyrians This reason also the Prophet gives of the destruction of the Assyrians Army when he mentioneth it Cap. 9.6 and Cap. 10.27 Therefore the Particle And may be here rendered For q. d. For there shall come forth a rod out of the stemme of Jesse c. But here some do object That Hezekiah cannot be here meant by this Rod which should come out of the stemme of Jesse For it is not here said that this Rod is come forth but that it shall come forth out of the stemme of Jesse But Hezekiah was come out of the stemme of Jesse already and was sprung up and was of good years at the time of this Prophesie for before this time the Prophet was sent to Ahaz who was then King of Judah Cap. 7. And that was before this in order of time for it is set down in the book before it And if the Prophet prophesied to Ahaz when he was King before he declared this Prophesie then must Hezekiah be at that time at least nine yeares old for Ahaz raigned but sixteen yeares 2 Kings 16.2 and Hezekiah succeeded Ahaz his Father immediately and when Hezekiah began to raign he was twenty five yeares old 2 Kings 18. v. 2. By this Rod therefore we cannot understand Hezekiah In Answer to this I say First that though the Prophesie which the Prophet prophesied to Ahaz be set down and registred in order before this Prophesie as that being registred in the seventh this in the eleventh Chapter yet it doth not follow for that reason that that Prophesie was before this in order of time For it is confessed by all Interpreters that the Prophesies of Isaiah are not registred in this book in the same order of time as they were at the first delivered Secondly I may answer that because neither the particular time of the destruction of the Assyrianâ— Army nor the time when the Assyrians would invade Judah nor who should raign over Judah at that time was as yet distinctly known The Prophet might speak of Hezekiah as yet to rise or spring out though he was already born Thirdly The Prophet speakes here of Hezekiah not as of a private person but as of a King And therefore though he was born before this yet because he was not a King before this he might say there shall come forth a Rod out of the stemme of Jesse c. Howsoever we read Cap. 14.29 Rejoyce not thou whole Palestina because the Rod of him that smote thee is broken For out of the Serpents Root shall come forth a Cockatrice And his fruit shall be a fiery flying Serpent Where that by the Cockatrice and fiery flying Serpent is meant Hezekiah is generally agreed by all And it was spoken in the year that Ahaz died Cap. 14. vers 28. at which time Hezekiah was about twenty five yeares old Compare 2 Kings 16.20 with 2 Kings 18.2 If therefore any one be not satisfied with the former Answers let him tell how the Prophet could say Out of the Serpents root shall come a fiery flying Serpent c. when as Hezekiah was born already and what he saies in satisfaction to that place will likewise satisfie this Note that though Hezekiah be meant here by this Rod and by this Branch in the first and meaner sence yet in the second and more sublime sence Christ Jesus is here meant See what we said Chap. 9. v. 6. There shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his root Here Hezekiah is compared by a Metaphor to a Rod or Twig which sprouts out of the stem of a Tree and to a Branch or Shoot which springs out of the Root of a Tree And Jesse is compared in one place to a stemme out of which the Rod in the other to a Root of a Tree out of which the Branch groweth Jesse was the Father of David Matt. 1.6 Of whom by divers descents Hezekiah came Matth. 1. v. 6 7 8 9. which is the reason that the Prophet here saith There shall come forth a Rod out of the stemme of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his Root The stemme of Jesse The Prophet saith the stemme of Jesse and the root of Jesse as St. Paul saith the signe of Circumcision Rom. 4.11 where the Genitive case is a Genitive case of Identity For it is as if he should say The stemme Jesse and the root Jesse and as if St. Paul should say the signe Circumcision 2. And the spirit of the Lord. By the Spirit of the Lord is here meant the gifts of Gods Spirit per Metonymiam efficientis which gifts he rehearseth in the next words Shall rest upon him i. e. Shall be given him and alwayes remaine with him for rest signifieth Permanencie The Spirit of wisedome i. e. The gift of wisdome By Wisdome understand knowledge of divine matters Vnderstanding By Vnderstanding is signified Knowledge in naturall things The spirit of Counsel By Counsell understand Prudence by which he was able to give good advise in Civil matters yea and in matters concerning Religion to See cap. 9. v. 6. And might By might understand the might and fortitude of mind which enableth a man
to do with valour and to suffer with Patience and Constancie The Spirit of knowledge By knowledge understand by a Synecdoche generis the knowledge of interpreting expounding Scriptures And of the fear of the Lord By the fâ—ar of the Lord understand the duties of man towards God 3. And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. q. d. And that Spirit of the Lord shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and in things which concern mans duty towards God The Prophet as he shewed what that Spirit of the Lord was which he spoke of v. 2. in it self and in its own nature that it was a Spirit of wisedome and understanding a Spirit of counsell and might a Spirit of knowledge and the of fear of the Lord So here he sheweth what it shall be in its effects and what effects it shall produce in Hezekiah It shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord expert in knowledge strong and stout in courage and might ready in counsel prompt in understanding and excellent in wisdome These are the effects which that Spirit should produce in Hezekiah yet the Prophet mentioneth but one of these for brevities sake and leaves the rest to us to be understood out of the former verse where he shewes the nature of this Spirit If you aske why the Prophet mentioneth this effect of the Spirit namely he or it shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord rather than any of the other I answer because he made mention last of that Spirit as it was the Spirit of the fear of the Lord of which to be of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord is an immediate effect And the Hebrewes when they repeate or descant upon the particulars which they have rehearsed use an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and begin with the last first And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes i. e. And Supple by virtue of that Spirit which shall rest upon him when he shall sit in judgement and give sentence upon any man he shall not judge according to the outward appearance of things For such unwary Judges as do so are often decieved by the specious shewes of Hypocrites But he shall dive into the heart and truth thereof He puts the sight of the eyes for the outward Object of the eyes by a Metonymie Neither reprove after the hearing of his eares i. e. Neither shall he reprove any one which is brought before him as a Delinquent according to the Tales which are told him or according to the flying reports which come to his eares which are for the most part false But he shall examine and search out the truth and reprove according to that As he puts the sight of the eyes for the thing seen just before So here he puts the hearing of the eares for the things heard or the tales told him 4. With righteousnesse shall he judge the Poor He instructeth in the judgement of the Poor because they are still opprest by corrupt Judges And therefore to judge them with righteoâ—snesse or to give an upright sentence in their cause sheweth evidently the justice or uprightnesse of the Judge And reprove with equity This is a repetition of the former sentence Because Judges when they judge or give sentence do reprove directly or indirectly the party which doth wrong hence to reprove may be taken for to judge For the meek of the earth i e. For the good and comfort of the Poor of the Land By the Meeke he meaneth the Poor per Metonymiam adjuncti For meekenesse and humility use to be the companions of Poverty And by the earth he meaneth the Land of Judah by a Synecdoche of a part for the whole And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth i. e. And he shall condemne those wicked men to the rod to be whipt which deserve the Rod. By the earth he meaneth the wicked of the Land where there is first a Metonymie whereby the earth is put for the men which inhabite the earth And then there is a Synecdoche whereby the Inhabitants of the earth in generall are put for the wicked which inhabite the Land of Judah in particular By the rod of his mouth he meaneth the sentence of condemnation which proceedeth out of the mouth of him the Judge whereby the Malefactor is condemned to be whipt or smitten with a rod For because a Malefactor which is condemned to the rod by the sentence which proceedeth out of the Judges mouth is smitteâ— with the rod according to the Judges Sentence therefore doth he call the sentence of the Judge whereby he doth sentence or condemne the Malefactor to the rod a smiting with the rod of the mouth And with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked i. e. By the sentence which proceedeth as the breath out of his lips shall he condemn the wicked which deserve death to death and his sentence shall be executed upon them and they shall be slain accordingly The wicked Supple Which deserve death 5. And righteousnesse shall be the girdle of his loynes and faithfullnesse the girdle of his reines i. e. And he shall have Righteous and Faithful men alwayes about him which shall encompasse him as a girdle doth the loines and reines He commends him here from his Counsellors and attendants The Hebrews often leave the note of similitude to be understood as so it is left to be understood here in this place Righteousnesse is put here per Metonymiam adjuncti for righteous men An Abstract for a Concrete And Faithfullnesse for faithfull men A Girdle is a strength to the loines and an ornament to the whole man being usually more rich and costly thâ—n the other garments are So are righteous Counsellors the strength of a King Prov. 11. v. 14. and 15.22 compared with Prov. 25.5 And they are an Ornament also to him Psal 101. Thus some interpret this place But because Virtues which are the Ornaments of the mind are often compared to the Ornaments of apparrel which adorne the body as to a Robe and to a Diademe Job 29. v. 14. and because he speakes here of the Virtues of Hezekiah I take righteousnesse and faithfullnesse here rather for the Virtues of righteousnesse and faithfullnesse than for righteous and faithfull men And I take And for For q. d. For righteousnesse shall be as the Girdle of his loines which doth adorne him and faithfullnesse shall be as a girdle of his reines which is an Ornament to him Righteousnesse Righteousnesse according to this last interpretation is a Virtue inherent in a Judge by which he doth administer justice impartially to the poor aswell as to the rich Faithfullnesse Faithfullnesse signifieth the same according to the last interpretation as righteousnesse doth And faithfullness comes to signifie righteousnesse in this place Because in that covenant which Israel made with the Lord the
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 Mâ—taphoricall 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. Neâ—ther 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
exhorting the men of Jerusalem to bear the siege of Jerusalem patiently thus bespeaks them Come my people enter thou into thy Chambers and shut the doors about thee hide thy self as it were a little while until the indignation be overpast Cap. 26.20 11. There is a crying for wine in the streets i. There shall be heard in the streets a crying and lamenting for want of wine This cry might come from within the houses though it were heard without in the streets Wine was the ordinary drink of the Hebrews as it is now of many people wherefore being that the Assyrians had spilt all their Wine they must needs cry for want of drink All joy is darkened i. e. All joy shall be turned into mourning The Prophet speaks here of joy as of light which is taken away by darkness and indeed joy is often resembled to light and call'd by the name of light in the Scriptures And the gate i. e. And the Gates of the City A singular for a plural number In the gates of the City their Courts of Justice and publique Assemblies were wont to be held therefore he mentioneth these particularly 13. When thus it shall be i. e. q. d. Yet when thus it shall be In the midst of the Land i. e. In the Land viz. of Israel In the midst of the Land is put for in the Land by an Hebrew Periphrasis Among the people Supple Of the ten Tribes There shall be as the shaking of an Olive tree and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done i. e. There shall be a few of the many thousands of Israel left See cap. 17.6 14. They shall lift up their voyce i. e. Those Jews which live by the sea-coast upon the borders of the Land of Israel shall lift up their voyce by way of rejoycing He seemeth to point at the men of Judah which lived by the sea-coast upon the borders of the Land of Israel when he saith They shall lift up their voyce and so to tell whom he meaneth For the Majesty of the Lord i. e. Because of the Lord that is because of the goodness of the Lord which he will shew at this time towards them in delivering them from the hand of Salmaneser when he shall destroy the ten Tribes The Majesty of the Lord is put here for the Lord himself as when we say of a King the Kings Majesty for the King himself And the Lord is put here for the goodness and mercy of the Lord per Metonymiam Subjecti They shall cry aloud from the Sea He meaneth by these the Jews which lived in Joppa and other places nigh the sea side towards the Land of Israel And he mâ—ntioneth their joy more particularly then he doth the joy of any other of the people of the Jews though all the Jews were delivered at this time because they were nigher the danger then any other of that people were as lying next to the Land of Israel which Salmaneser destroyed and were as is very probable much oppressed with the free quarter of Salmaneseâ—'s Army by Land and forced with the rest of the maritime Towns to provide him a Navy to fight against Tyre by Sea For when Salmaneser had destroyed the Land of Israel he made War against Tyre and put the Maritime Towns to furnish him with a Fleet of ships and to provide for it and afterwards blockt up Tyre five years as we read in Joseph lib. 9. Antiquit. cap. 14. In which time all Maritime Towns suffered no doubt much by the Assyrians 15. Wherefore glorifie ye the Lord in the fires c. I take that which we read in this Verse to be the song which these men sung which song beginneth abruptly as passionate songs and sayings often do whether they proceed from joy or any other passion If it were entire it might be this The Lord hath delivered us from the Assyrians wherefore glorifie ye the Lord in the fires even the Name of the Lord God of Israel ye that dwell in the Isles of the Sea In the fires That is In the fires of understanding and of zeal q. d. Glorifie ye the Lord with understanding as understanding what the Lord hath done for you and with ardency of spirit and true zeal as giving him praise for what he hath done for you not lightly and for fashion sake but feelingly and heartily Note that the Preposition In among the Hebrews serveth in the place of almost all other Prepositions whatsoever and here it may be put for With. Note also that fire by reason of its light may signifie knowledge and understanding and by reason of its heat may signifie zeal and fervency or ardency of spirit by a Metaphor And he may say fires in the plural number not fire in the singular to signifie these two things understanding and zeal Even the Name of the Lord God of Isrâ—el i. e. Even the Lord God of Israel Note that the word Name is here redundant by an Hebrew Elegancy Or that the Name is put for the thing it self whose name it is In the Isles of the Sea i. e. In Joppa and the sea-coasts where ye live and let your songs and exclamations of joy be heard from thence Note that the Hâ—brews call not onely those Lands which are environed and compassed about with the Sea Isles or Islandâ— but also those parts of the Continent which lie neer to the Sea 16. From the utmost part of the Earth have we heard songs i. e. We who live in Jerusalem shall hear songs of rejoycing from the utmost part of our Land By the Earth he meaneth the Land of Judah by a Synecdoche The songs which he meaneth were to be songs of rejoycing because of their deliverance from Salmaneser such as that was vers 15. Even glory to the righteous i. e. Even songs containing the glory of God the righteous One Glory may here signifie any attribute of God which makes him glorious and here it signifies his mercy and goodness to wit his mercy and goodness which he shewed to the Jews and especially those which lived about Joppa in delivering them from Salmaneser per Metonymiam Adjuncti It is also further put for songs which contain or speak of that mercy and goodness of God and the praises thereof per Metonymiam Subjecti To the righteous i. e. To the praise of the righteous One that is to the praise of God By the righteous or righteous One is meant God who as he is called the holy One 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so mâ—y he be called the righteous One He is called the righteous One because of his faithfulness at this time in preserving his people the Jews or because of his goodness at this time to them for righteousness is taken sometimes for goodness even in this sence as when Joseph was said to be a righteous or a just man Matth. 1. vers 19. Note that a song to the righteous signifieth a song sung in the praise of
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 sâ—ngular for a plurall number And by the Cities of the terrible Nations Hâ— meanâ—th 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 destruâ—tion 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 poâ—r 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
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 onâ—s 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 bâ—t yet it was but as a blaâ—t 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— whâ—n 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 shoâ—ld 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 themsâ—lves 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 Wâ—nes on or upon the Lees for wines purgâ—d from the Lees because as the wine growes clâ—aâ— 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 purâ—ed There are a Repetition and exposition of those words Wines â—n the Lees. As by fat things were metaâ—horically 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 deâ—troy 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 coverâ—ng 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
attaine to the end which God hath propounded to us by holy actions as we come by the way to the place to which we would go Of the just i. e. Of the just men Supple which hide themselves in Jerusalem from the Assyrians He puts here a Singular for a Plural number by an Enallage Is uprightnesse i. e. Is upright and without hypocrisie He saith uprightnesse for upright using an Abstract for a Concrete per Metonymiam Adjuncti Thou most upright i. e. Thou O God which art the most upright Dost weigh the path of the just i. e. Dost examin the wayes or the actions of these just men and dost finde them to be truly upright Dost weigh i e. Dost examin This word is metaphoricall taken from the weighing of such merchantable Commodities as are sold by weight or from the weighing of gold in scales to know whether it be weight or no. Note that the word weight is to be taken here not onely for to examine but also to finde good upon examination by a Syllepsis The path i. e. The way that is the actions as before 8. Yea in the way of thy judgements O Lord have we waited for thee i. e. Yea when thy judgements and chastisements and afflictions brought upon us by the Assyrians have been upon us we have not fainted or started aside but have waited for thee that is for thy salvation and for thy coming to deliver us This is a great argument of true and sincere uprightnesse not to be offended because of afflictions and persecutions but to put our trust in God even when he doth chastise us and afflict us Note here the Enallage first of the number for he speaks of the just in the Plural number whereas he spoke of them in the Singular number just before then of the person for he speaks of them here in the first person making himself one of the number whereas he spoke of them there in the third Have we waited for thee i. e. For thy coming See cap. 25.9 Or for thee that is for thy help or for thy loving kindnesse The desire of our soule is to thy name i. e. The desire of our soul hath been to thee as to the object thereof that is we have heartily desired thee thy presence to help us or we have heartily desired thy loving kindness towards us A Present is here put for a Preterperfect tense To thy name i. e. To thee An Hebrew Periphrase And to the remembrance of thee i. e. And to the remembrance of those things which thou hast done for them which trust in thee and of the promises which thou hast made to us for by the remembrance of thâ—se things are we sustained in the midst of all our afflictions Of thee i. e. Of the things which thou hast done for them which trust in thee and of the promises which thou hast made to us for God may be and is often put especially in the Psalmes for his actions and his attributes by a metonymy of the cause and of the subject 9. With my soule have I desired thee i. e. And I thy servant have also with my soule desired and prayed for thy mercy and loving kindness towards us thy people In the night Supple At which time I have bin waking when others have been asleep It is probable which some say that this Song ended at the eight verse and that Isaiah himself fore-seeing by this song what God would do for the righteous and their prayers and how he would deale with the proud becomes a suiter to God for the salvation of the poor Jews from the fury of the Assyrians and for the destruction of those Assyrians their proud and deadly enemies Will I seâ—k thee i. e. I will seek thy mercy and loving-kindness and pray for it What we desire and seek for truly sincerely at Gods hands we pray to him for for that is the means appointed to us to obtaine from him for call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee saith the Lord Psal 50.15 Ask and it shall be given you saith our Saviour Mat. 7.7 Early i. e. Betimes in the morning when my spirits are fresh and before I doe any other thing yea while others are yet scarce awake For when thy judgements are in the earth Between these and the former words we must understand this or the like prayer or petition viz. Shew us therefore thy mercy and loving-kindness O Lord and take away thy judgements from us which trust in thee and poure them out upon our enemies the wicked Assyrians which fear not thy Name When thy judgements are in the earth i. e. When thy judgements are upon the Inhabitants of the earth that is upon the Assyrians Note that in is put here for on or upon and that by the earth are meant the Inhabitants of the earth by a metonymy and by the Inhabitants of the earth in generall are meant the Assyrians in particular whom he calls the Inhabitants of the world in the next words and againe in the eighteen verse The Inhabitants of the world i. e. The Assyrians See verse 18. Will learn righteousness And so by consequence will not use oppression as now they do towards us 10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked i. e. If thou sparest him that is wicked and dost suffer him to go unpunished and to escape thy judgements By the wicked in generall he meaneth the Assyrians in particular by a Synecdoche He will not learn righteousnesse i. e. He will not learn righteousnesse and so by consequence will not leave off to do evill and to oppresse In the Land of uprightnesse c. q.d. Yea though he be in a Land where uprightnesse is professed and practiseâ— such as the Land of Judah is and liveth among righteous men whose example might move him to deale righteously yet if thou dost not smite him but sparest him he will do unrightly The Laâ—d of uprightnesse i. e. The upright Land for the Hebrews put a Substantive of the Genitive Case for an Adjective And a Land is called a Land of uprightnesse or an upright Land because of the Inhabitants thereof which are upright men and professe and practise uprightnesse therein He will deale unjustly i. e. He will do wrong And will not behold the Majesty of the Lord. i. e. And will not take notice of the power of God over all men and of his justice so as to reverence and feare him and leave off to deal unjustly to do wrong for fear of him The Majesty of the Lord By the Majesty of the Lord is meant the Lord himselfe See cap. 24.14 And by the Lord himselfe is meant the power and justice of the Lord by a Metonymy Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see i. e. Yea though thou dost threaten them for their evill doings and art ready to smite them if thou dost not smite them they will take no notice of it but
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 Nâ—lus 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.
and hungry as ever he was And behold he eateth i. e. And behold he eateth in his dream that is he dreameth that he eateth His soul is empty i. e. He is empty for he hath not eaten indeed The soul is put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche And behold he drinketh Subaudi In his dream that is behold he dreameth that he drinketh He is faint Supple For want of drink having not drunk indeed And his soul hath appetite i. e. And he hath an appetite to eat and to drink that is He is still hungry and thirsty for hunger and thirst are but an appetite or desire of meat and drink He puts the soul here again for the whole man by a Synecdoche as before So shall all the multitude of the nations be that fight against Mount Sion q.d. Even so I say shall all the multitude of the nations be which fight against Ariel 9. Stay your selves and wonder When the Prophet had prophesied of the destruction of the Assyrians which should besiege Ariel that is Which should besiege Jerusalem his auditors would not believe this his Prophesie whereupon the Prophet calls to those which passe by or to the faithfull party of the Jews to stay and wonder at these men because they would not understand and beleeve so plain a word or vision of the Lord as this was Stay your selves Supple All that passe by And wonder Supple At the unbelief and blindness of these men Câ—â— ye out and cry They are drunk but not with wine i. e. Cry ye out and say of these men They are drunk but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drink Cry ye out and cry i. e. Cry ye out and say or cry ye out yea cry saying They are drunk but not with wine This is that which he would have them cry They are drunken c. They are said to be drunken in the scripture phrase which have received abundance and are filled as it were with that with which they are said to be drunken and that by a Metaphor from drunken men which have drunk abundance and are full of wine or strong drink and then especially when they doe by reason of that with which they are said to be drunken any way resemble a drunken man in any thing as this people do here in that they seem to be stupid and void of understanding and to have lost the use of reason for the time like to the drunken men that are said to be drunken in the Scripture phrase which have abundance and are filled as it were with that which they are said to be drunken will appear from hence because they which are said here to be drunken but not with wine are therefore said to be drunken because the Lord hath powred out upon them the spirit of deep sleep and powring out argueth abundance of that which is powered out He speaks here of those people in Jerusem which would not beleeve what he prophesied unto them concerning the Assyrians encamping against Jerusalem and the deliverance thereof and the destruction of the Assyrians for though many in Jerusalem did beleeve yet many again beleeved not But not with wine With what then were they drunk They were drunk with the spirit of sleep v. 10. They stagger i. e. They are drunken for drunken men use to stagger as they go Metonymia Effecti The sense of this is the very same with the former sentence 10. For the Lord hath poured out upon you c. This the Prophet speaks in his own person and makes an Apostrophe to those unbeleevers which would not beleeve this his Prophesie wherein he gives a reason why they which passe by may justly wonder and say of them they are drunk but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drink And the reason is this because God had poured upon them and so had made them drunken that is had filled them with the spirit of deep sleep For the Lord hath poured upon you the spirit of deep sleep He useth a Metaphor here taken from liquid things which are poured out of some vessel in abundance When he saith the Lord hath poured upon you the spirit of deep sleep It is as if he should say he hath poured upon them a deepe sleep without any other addition for the word spirit is often redundant among the Hebrews by an elegancie That which the Lord poured out upon these men he calleth the spirit of deep sleep because it made them senseless and blinde as he is senseless and seeth not who is in a sleep And hath closed your eyes Supple So that you cannot see that is So that you cannot beleeve what is spoken This is metaphorically to be understood of the minde which is the eye of the soul The Prophets See cap. 28.7 The Seers Prophets were wont to be called Seers See notes cap. 1.1 He hath covered Supple With a vaile which he hath cast over their faces so they cannot see This is also metaphorically to be understood and all these three phrases signifie one and the same thing to wit that God had blinded their minde and their understanding that they could not understand and beleeve the vision which he had delivered to them concerning Jerusalem and the deliverance thereof 11. And the vision of all c. And my Prophesie wherein I prophesied to you of the encamping of the Assyrians against Jerusalem and the Lords preservation thereof and the destruction of the Assyrians is not understood that is is not believed of you but is as a word of a book that is sealed As the word of a book that is sealed The words of a book which is shut and sealed up cannot be known or understood no not by him which is learned because he cannot come to read the words which are written in such a book how then can he believe them Of a book which is sealed He alludes to the use of the ancients which were wont to seal their books that is their rouls when they laid them by See cap. 8.16 12. And the book is deliverd to him c. i. e. And the book is unsealed and opened and delivered to him that is not learned I am not learned i. e. I cannot read for I never learned to know letters The meaning of all this place is q.d. The Prophesie whereby I have prophesied to you of all these things concerning the siege and the preservation of Jerusalem and the destruction of her enemies is understood and beleeved no more by you then the words of a book which is sealed up are understood and beleeved of a learned man or the words of a book which is opened is understood and beleeved of an ignorant and illiterate man Note that by their not understanding here is meant their not believing the Prophesies of God and his words for the Scripture useth to tax Infidelity by the name of Ignorance because it profiteth not to know the word of God except
him Or of corrupt Judges who had taken a bribe of his Enemies to condemn him whose wickedness was the greater that they would be corrupted to do such a piece of injustice for a small matter How these men were consumed we told Vers 14. 22. Therefore thus saith the Lord c. This relates to the 17 18 19 20 and 21 Verses as an inference deduced from thence q. d. And because Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forrest and because the deaf upon that shall hear the words of the Book c. Therefore thus saith the Lord who redeemed Abraham concerning the House of Jacob c. Who redeemed Abraham God redeemed Abraham out of Vr of the Caldees from Idolatry Genes 12.1 and he redeemed him out of danger in Egypt Genes 12.20 and he redeemed him out of the like danger in Gerar Gen. 20.9 And Abraham is mentioned as redeemed here because as the Lord redeemed him so for his sake would he redeem his posterity at this time Concerning the house of Jacob i. e. Concerning Jacob and his children the Jews For the Father is part yea the chief part of the house Jacob shall not now be ashamed i. e. Being that the Lord will turn Lebanon into a fruitful field and the fruitful field into a forrest so that the deaf shall hear the words of the Book c. when this cometh to pass Jacob shall not now be ashamed though he hath been ashamed heretofore The Prophet useth a Prosopopoeia here whereby he brings in Jacob as though he were alive though he were dead long before Jacob shall not now be ashamed Supple For the disobedience and infidelity and unbelief of his children For they which would not believe the Vision mentioned vers 14. shall be all consumed and all they which watch for iniquity shall be cut off but the meek shall survive and all they that have erred shall return into the right way The misdemeanor of the son is the shame of the Parents in allusion to which he here saith Jacob shall not now be ashamed Nor shall his face now wax pale Supple For fear q. d. Neither shall he now be afraid as he hath been lest his children should be utterly destroyed by the Assyrians through the wrath of God so that they be no more a people for the Assyrian is brought to nought vers 20. 23. When he seeth his children the work of mine hands i. e. When he seeth his children whom I have delivered out of the hands of the Assyrians A deliverance out of eminent and unavoydable danger of death is as it were a new Creation therefore doth the Lord call the Jews the work of his hands because he delivered them from the Assyrians In the midst of him i. e. In the midst of the Land which I gave him Gen. 28.13 Jacob himself is put here by a Metonymy for the Land which God gave Jacob as Moab is put for the Land of Moab Jerem. 40.11 Note that in the midst of the Land is put by an Hebrew redundancy for in the Land They shall sanctifie my Name q. d. They to wit his children shall sanctifie and praise my Name for their deliverance out of the hands of the Assyrians And if they shall sanctifie his Name He shall see them sanctifying it and so shall not be afraid for them but rejoyce rather My Name i. e. Me. An Hebraism And shall fear the God of Israel i. e. And they shall fear to offend the God of Israel and shall serve him and worship him And if they shall fear the God of Israel Jacob shall see that they fear him and so he shall not be ashamed for their sakes 24. They also that erred in spirit i. e. They also that erred in judgment and opinion thinking that Jerusalem would not have been delivered out of the hands of the Assyrians and that the Assyrians would not have been destroyed as they were He speaks of such that erred rather out of weakness and by being ignorantly misled then out of pride and malice as those scorners did mentioned vers 20. Shall come to understanding i. e. Shall experimentally know that what the Prophet prophecyed concerning the deliverance of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Assyrians was true They that murmured It is probable that many otherwise none of the worst when they were distressed and found some hardship in the siege of Jerusalem did murmur against Isaiah who prophecyed of the deliverance of Jerusalem and did what he could to hold up their drooping spirits with that hope Shall learn doctrine i. e. Shall learn the Instruction of the Lord which shall teach them not to murmur any more at his Prophets in whatsoever case they are ISAIAH CHAP. XXX WO to the rebellious children i. e. When the report was first spred abroad of Sennacheribs intent to march out of Assyria with an huge Army the Jews which lived out of Jerusalem in other parts of the Land of Judah and many also which lived in Jerusalem were distracted and in doubt what to do to preserve themselves Some thought it best to comply with the Assyrians and to practise with them for the surrender or giving up of the whole Land into their hands Others thought it best to call in the Egyptians to their ayd And this did they both in so foul a manner as that the one scrupled not to profess the Religion of the Assyrians and the other of the Egyptians to save their lives Onely King Hezekiah and some few with him chose rather to trust in the promises of God which he had promised by Isaiah then to do as the others did Against those which thought it best to call in the ayd of the Egyptians and endeavored to bring them into help them doth the Prophet here inveigh To the rebellious children It is rebellion in man to do any thing against the Will of God as these men did by distrusting God and trusting in the arm of flesh See cap. 1.20 That take counsel Supple How to save themselves from the fury of Sennacherib and the Assyrians But not of me q. d. But not of my Prophets whose counsel is my counsel That cover with a covering but not of my Spirit Note that the word Spirit is a word of many significations with the Hebrews but among the many significations which it hath any act of the Will or Understanding is called the spirit And any quality or ability of doing is called the spirit so that the spirit may here signifie counsel and advice or it may signifie power and protection And the meaning of this place may be this q. d. And which cover themselves with a covering but not of my advising or to which I advised them Or the meaning of this place may be this q. d. And which cover themselves with a covering but not with the covering of my power and protection that is which get themselves ayd to defend
in Jerusalem For the better understanding of this place note that the destruction which the Lord threatned against those which went down to Egypt for strength the Lord brought upon those men by the Assyrians whom he brought so suddainly upon them as that their destruction is said to have come upon them suddenly at an instant vers 13. And so being suddainly surprized and unprovided they became a prey to the sword of their enemies But though the Lord intended to bring ths Assyrians against Jerusalem as wel as against other parts and Cities of Judah yet he brought them not so suddainly against her as against other Cities and places for after the Assyrians came and entred into Judah and encamped against the fenced Cities thereof the men of Jerusalem had time to take counsel and to fortifie their City and to hunble themselves and in a solemn manner to commend themselves to Gods protection and rely upon him for safety before the Assyrians pitched against her 2 Chron. cap. 32. ver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. By which means they were able to hold out against the Assyrians untill the Assyrians themselves were destroyed Therefore because the Lord brought not the Assyrians so soon against the men of Jerusalem as he did against other the men of Judah but staid untill the men of Jerusalem had exceedingly well fortified their City and had humbled themselves and in a solemn manner committed themselves to the Lords protection The Lord is said here to waite And therefore c. Note that And is put here for Yet notwithstanding for he opposeth here the condition of the faithfull in Jerusalem to the condition of those which he hitherto spoke of Will the Lord waite i. e. Will the Lord stay till ye have fortified your City and put your selves in a solemn manner under his protection before he brings the Assyrians against you To waite is put here for to stay or to tarry because they use to stay and tarry which use to waite for any one That he may be gracious unto you i. e. That he may shew favour unto you for it was Gods favour and mercy to keep off the Assyrians from the men of Jerusalem till they had fortified their City and solemnly committed themselves to the Lords protection otherwise they might have been destroyed by the Assyrians as well as other the men of Judah Will he be exalted i. e. Will he defer his punishment intended against you that is He will defer the bringing of the Assyrians against you c. This sense this place requireth for this is a repâ—tition of the former sentence but how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be exalted should come to signifie to defer a punishment is a question Some think that the Prophet alludes to a man correcting his son or his servant with a rod who stretcheth out his arm and lifteth up his whole body and standeth on tip-toe that he may fetch the greater stroke but the higher he lifteth up himself and the further he stretcheth out his arm the longer he is before he strikes from whom to be exalted or to exalt himself may be taken say they for to defer a punishment or to be long before he strikes by a Metaphor Others say thus When God is about to punish he is said to come out of his place which is heaven as cap. 26.21 and Mic. 1.3 That therefore he might punish this people he came as it were out of heaven but because he would not then punish them but spare them a little longer he returned on high into Heaven to his place again Hence to be exalted that is to return on high or to go up to Heaven signifieth they say to deferre a punishment and to spare a while Others say thus When God doth any notable thing he is said to be exalted and glorified Per Metonymiam Effecti Because he doth that for which he may justly be exalted and glorified See cap. 12.4 and cap. 26.15 Now because God was willing to shew his long-suffering and forbearance a while longer to his faithful people which must needs redound to the praise and glory of God The Prophet saith he will be exalted for he will suffer them and spare them a little longer Per Metonymiam Effecti That he may have mercy upon you i. e. That ye may not be destroyed by the Assyrians This as I said is but a repetition of the former sentence already expounded For the Lord is a God of judgment i. e. For the Lord is a God of mercy and compassion Judgment is taken here for mercy or compassion and so it is taken Jer. 10.24 where it is said O Lord correct me but in thy judgment not in thine anger c. Where judgment is opposed to anger and is taken for mercy or pitty or compassion Or judgment may be taken here for discretion and God may be called a God of judgment because he knoweth how to punish one and how another how to shew favour to some and how to deny it to others That waite for him i. e. That waite for his aide and for his mercy and deliverance and run not to Egypt for strength c. 19. For the people Supple That waite for the Lord that is for the aide and mercy of the Lord at this time He makes good that here which he said in the former verse to wit Blessed are they which waite for him and he speaks of the faithful of Jerusalem here in the third person to whom he spoke a little before in the second Shall dwell in Sion at Jerusalem i. e. Shall dwell in safety at Jerusalem Supple when the Assyrians destroy all the Land besides Shall dwell in Sion Sion was an impregnable Fort in Jerusalem as appears 2 Sam. 5. v. 6 7 c. Wherefore to dwell in Sion may proverbially signifie to dwell in safety Thou shalt weep no more Supple After a while The Prophet turneth his speech again to the people of Jerusalem which did waite for the Lord. He will be very gracious unto thee i. e. The Lord will be very gracious unto thee and shew thee a great deal of favour At the voice of thy cry i. e. When thou criest to him for help against the Assyrians When he shall hear it i. e. When he shall hear thy cry that is when thou shalt cry unto him He will answer thee For God to answer us when we cry or pray is in the Scripture phrase for God to grant our request 20. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity i. e. Wherefore though the Lord give you the bread of adversity c. And for Wherefore Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction q. d. Though the Lord suffer you to be besieged in Jerusalem by Sennacheribs Army during which time ye shall have but a little bread and a little water allowed you a is usuall in besieged Cities where every one hath his bread and his
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
is fire and much wood q. d. There is a pile in it and that pile is very great consisting of fire and much wood While Tophet was employed to Idolatry and Moloch was there worshipped there was a pile or piles of wood there continually provided to burn their children withall to Moloch To this pile or piles of wood doth the Prophet here allude and saith that the pile of Tophet which is prepared for the Assyrians to burn them up and consume them as the children of Idolaters were wont to be burned to Moloch and consumed is very great by which the Prophet signifies either that the Assyrians which besieged Jerusalem should be destroyed by fire which is according to the Tradition of the Hebrews or that they should be destroyed as suddenly as if it were by fire as others are of opinion So that herein is a double allusion first to the pile of wood which was wont to be provided here for the sacrificing of children secondly to the manner of the destruction of the Assyrians by the Angel which was by fire or as in as quick a manner as if it had been done by fire The breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it By this he denoteth the anger of the Lord against the Assyrians and speaketh of God as of an angry man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and alludes to the breath of an angry man which is exceeding hot and proceeds from his nostrils and from his mouth like a stream See Notes vers 28. ISAIAH CHAP. XXXI WO to them that go down to Egypt The subject of this Chapter is the same with the former See therefore notes on cap. 30.1 For help Supple Against the Assyrians under Sennacherib And stay on horses ii e. And put their confidence in horses which they hope to procure from Egypt The word stay is metaphoricall taken from a Staff which is the stay of a man which leaneth on it In Charets i. e. In warlike Charets which they likewise expect from Egypt Because they are many q. d. Which stay or trust in the number or multitude of Horses and Charets because it is great But they look not unto the Holy One of Israel Supple To ask strength of him Neither seek the Lord Supple For his counsel and advise what he would have them to do in this invasion of the Assyrians See cap. 30.1 2. Yet he also is wise q. d. Yet they might have asked counsel of the Lord and sought to him for advice for he is wise as well as they whom they make their Counsellors And will bring evil q. d. And because they have despised his wisdom in passing him by and asking counsel at others mouths he will bring evill upon these wicked men whereby they shall know that he is so wise as to know when he is neglected and that he is strong also And will not call back his words Supple By which he hath threatned to bring evill upon them He threatned a Wo against them in the former Chapter and he threatneth the like in this But will arise Supple Like a Lion Against the house of evil doers i. e. Against the family of these men which went down into Egypt for Horses and Charets and rely upon them but asked not counsel at God nor relyed on him And against the help of them that work iniquity i. e. And against the aid and auxiliary forces of these men which have committed this sin i. e. Against the Egyptians which come to help them 3. Now the Egyptians are men and not God The Prophet prevents an Objection here for sinful man might say yea but it is not so easie a thing as you speak of for the Holy One of Israel to overthrow the Egyptians which are these mens help and the force of horses which they will bring To which the Prophet answers q. d. Yea but it is an easie matter for the Lord to overthrow the Egyptians and their horses for the Egyptians are men not God and their horses flesh and not spirit Are men And therefore weak creatures yea they are but as the grass that withereth and as the flower of the field which fadeth away cap. 40.6 7. And not God For God is but One but such a One as the nations are but as the drop of a Bucket and as the small dust of the Ballance in comparison of him Cap. 40.15 And their Horses flesh And therefore weak and no better then grass cap. 40.6 And not spirit As God is who is therefore of great strength yea omnipotent because he is an uncreated Spirit When the Lord shall stretch out his hand i. e. Therefore when the Lord smiteth them He alludes to the stretching out or lifting up of the arm or hand in striking and speaks of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Both he that helpeth i. e. Both the Egyptians which help these perverse Jews against the Assyrians And he that is holpen i. e. And these perverse Jews which have help and aid from the Egyptians Shall fall down i. e. Shall be beaten down They all i. e. All the Egyptians which come to the help of these Jews and all these Jews which procured the help of the Egyptians Shall fail together Shall perisn together by the Assyrians 4. For thus hath the Lord spoken i. e. Moreover or But yet or Yet neverthelesse for one of these is the Particle For put thus hath the Lord spoken c. Is called forth against him Supple To keep him from the sheep or greater cattle which he would make his prey He will not be afraid of their voice Supple Whereby they think to fright him and scare him away The Pronoun He is redundant here after the Hebrew manner Nor abase himself Nor carry himself basely by running away Come down Supple Out of heaven or come down from between the Cherubins He speaks of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To fight Supple Against the Assyrian whose multitude shall not make him afraid For Mount Sion i. e. For Jerusalem See Cap. 1.8 And the hill thereof i. e. And the hill of Zion This is a repetition of the former words 5. As birds flying Supple Defend their young ones Flying i. e. Extending and stretching out their wings over them as they do when they fly See cap. 6. v. 2. Thus hens defend their chickens or flying that is flying against the Kite or Hawk or man which would take their young ones away thus many birds which are otherwise timerous do defend their young ones Defending also he will deliver it i. e. He will defend it and deliver it from the Assyrians And passing over i. e. And passing over it while he destroyeth all other the Cities and Villages of Judah which did distrust him and seek for help to the Egyptians He alludeth to that place of Exodus cap. 12.13 where the Lord seeing the blood upon the side-posts and the upper door-posts of the houses of the children of Israel passed over the Children
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
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 eâ—erlasting 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
his similitudes doth often give more respect in his expressions to the thing signified by his similitude then to the thing from which his similitude is taken 12. They shall call the Nobles to the Kingdom i. e. After this slaughter and desolation the common people which are left alive shall hearing of the death of their King call for the Nobles of the Land to govern the Kingdom or to choose a King out of them By They are meant the Commons of the Land of Idumea which are left alive where a Relative is put without an Antecedent and by the Kingdom is meant the Government of the Kingdom But none shall be there i. e. But none of the Nobles shall be left in the Land All her Princes shall be nothing i. e. All the Nobles of Idumea shall be nothing that is they shall be slain Whom he called Nobles before be calls Princes here 13. And thorns shall come up in her palaces i. e. And thorns shall come up in the places where now her palaces stand See Cap. 32.13 14. In the fortresses i. e. In the compass of ground where her Fortresses and strong Cities stood 14. The wilde beasts of the desart shall also meet with the wilde beasts of the Islands Supple There i. e. All manner of wilde beasts shall meet there The wilde beasts of the Desart i. e. The wilde beasts which use to live in the Desart and Wilderness With the wilde beasts of the Islands i. e. With strange wilde beasts such as inhabit Islands and remote places neer the Sea See Cap. 13.22 The Satyre See Cap. 13.21 The Satyre shall cry to his fellow i. e. One Satyre shall cry there to another so that there shall be more Satyres there then one Shall cry The cry here meant is a cry of mirth and joy See Cap. 13.21 15. Gather under her shadow i. e. Gather her young ones under her wings He putteth her shadow for her wings per Metonymiam Effecti because birds cover their young ones with their wings as with a shadow The Vultures The Vulture is a ravenous bird which loveth desolate places 16. Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord and read q. d. When this desolation shall come to pass which I have spoken of in this Chapter then take ye into your hands the Book of this my Prophecy and read it and mark it well and observe from thence what solitary creatures I have said shall dwell in Idumea after this desolation He calls the Book of this his Prophecy the Book of the Lord either because he did write it at the commandment of the Lord or because he wrote nothing in it but what he heard of the Lord. Not one shall fail i. e. Not one of these solitary creatures shall fail of being there None shall want her mate q. d. Every one shall be there with her mate or fâ—llow and their being there every one with their mate or fellow sheweth that they shall not come thither to fly away again presently but shall make their abode there For my mouth it hath commanded it i. e. For I will command them every one to come and dwell there with her mate The Prophet speaks here in the person of God and yet speaks of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and puts the mouth for the whole man by a Synecdoche he puts also a preterfect for a future tense It hath commanded it The Particle It is redundant here after the Hebrew manner Commanded it i. e. Commanded that every one shall come and dwell there And his Spirit i. e. And the Lord. The Prophet speaks here in his own person and he speaks of God as of a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and puts the spirit which is but part for the whole man Or by his Spirit he meaneth his power for any quality or ability of doing do the Hebrews call Spirit It This Pronoun It is redundant here by an Hebraism as it is once before in this Verse Hath gathered them i. e. Will gather these solitary creatures together in Idumea when it is layd desolate mate with mate And he hath cast the lot for them i. e. And he will give them every one an inheritance and a several place of abode in that Land viz. the Land of Idumea He puts here a preterperfect for a future tense and he alludes here to the division of the Land of Canaan to the Tribes of Israel by lot of which you may read Josh 18.8 c. where Joshua did cast lots when the Land was divided into several divisions which division should be given to which Tribe for his inheritance And his hand hath divided it unto them i. e. And he will divide it unto them He puts the hand for he a part for the whole man and by he he meaneth the Lord of whom he speaks as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Prophet persists still in his allusion to the division of the Land of Canaan for an inheritance to the several Tribes of Israel where the Land was first divided into so many parts then the lot was cast which Tribe should inherit which part Joshua cap. 18. Note here that the division which we spoke of was before the casting of lots for the Land of Canaan was first divided into so many parts then did Joshua cast lots what Tribe should inherit what part The Prophet therefore useth here an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he doth also Cap. 1.6 and elsewhere By line He alludes here to the manner of measuring and dividing Lands which was wont to be done by a line See Josh 17.5 14. and 19.9 where the Hebrew hath it line and lines whereas it is rendered portions by our Translators See also Psal 78.55 where the Kingly Prophet speaking of the division of Canaan to the Tribes of Israel and the manner thereof saith He cast out the Heathen also before them and divided them an inheritance by line and made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their Tents From generation to generation See vers 10. ISAIAH CHAP. XXXV THe wilderness and the solitary places shall be glad for them This cohereth with the former Chapter and seemeth to have been delivered at the same time And the sence of this place is this q.d. And when the indignation of the Lord shall have passed upon all Nations Cap. 34.2 and his Sword shall have come down upon Idumea Cap. 34.5 then shall the happiness of the Jews be such as that the very Earth or Land of Judah shall be glad and rejoyce for this their happiness The wilderness c. By the wilderness he meaneth Judea which the Assyrians made like a wilderness in the days of Hezekiah by depopulating and laying waste the Cities and Towns cutting down the trees and hedges treading down the Vines and Vineyards trampling under feet the grass and fruit of the field and killing and driving out the Husbandmen thereof so that there were none
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 〈◊〉 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
his flock which he feeds and for which he provides whatsoever is needful He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom i. e. He shall gather the lambs together and take them up in his arms and carry them in his lap or bosom The meaning is that he shall take care and provide even for the poorest and weakest of all the Jews and bring them into their own Land safe again And shall gently lead those which are with young Supple Lest he should tire them or kill them by hard travel He saith And shall lead those which are with young because Shepherds were wont to go before their sheep as well as follow them for their sheep knew them well and were taught to follow them See Psal 80.1 Joh. 10.4 That which the Prophet meaneth by this Metaphor of a Shepherd is onely this That the Lord should bring his people the Jews out of Babylon where they were in captivity into their own Land with as great care and safety as a Shepherd doth lead his flock from place to place 12. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand The Prophet speaks of God here as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a vast and great man is he who can hold all the waters of the Sea and all Rivers and Fountains in the hollow of his hand and therewith measure them And meted out Heaven with a span He speaks of God as of a man as before and a vast and great man is he whose stand is so big as that he can therewith span the Heavens at once And comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure He speaketh still of God as of a man and a vast man and strong is he that can put all the dust of the Earth in a measure and as easily take it up as we can a measure of dust of a pinte or less And weighed the mountains in the scales and the hills in a ballance He speaketh still of God as of a man And a vast man he is and of great strength which can weigh all the mountains of the Earth in scales and all the hills thereof in a ballance as easily as we can weigh that which is but of a drachm weight Note that after those words viz. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out Heaven with the span and comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a ballance These or the like words are to be understood Hath not the Lord In this Verse the Prophet sheweth the power and might of God And that he doth two ways First by describing God as a man of a vast stature which he doth while he saith that he measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out the Heavens with a span c. And secondly by telling that the Lord made Heaven and Earth which he doth while he telleth us that he measured the Waters and the dust of the Earth and meted the Heavens and weighed the hills and the mountains Note that when God created all things he created them in measure and number and weight as the Wise-man speaks Wisd 11.20 Therefore it is that the Prophet when he would tell us that God created the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein contained thereby to shew us Gods might and his power and strength saith That he measured the Waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out Heaven with a Span and comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed the Mountains in Scales and the Hills in a Ballance alluding to Architects who measure the particular parts of their buildings and the materials thereof that they may be proportionable part to part and all and every part to the whole But it may be asked here how the Prophet cometh here to speak of Gods power and might Ans He doth it to prevent a tacite Objection For whereas the Prophet said that the Lord would come with a strong hand against the Babylonians and deliver his people which were in captivity c. A weak Jew might object and say Yea but is the Lord God of might enough to come against that mighty people the Babylonians and to deliver his people which are in captivity under them out of their hands c. To which the Prophet here answereth That he is of might enough to come against the Babylonians as mighty as they are and to deliver his people which are in captivity under them out of their hands when he saith Who hath measured the Waters in the hollow of his hand c. For he that could do that and the Lord did it had might enough to come against the Babylonians and deliver the Jews out of their hands For he that could do that had not his equal for might and power 13. Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord or being his Counsellor hath taught him q. d. Who was the Lords Counsellor to direct him and teach him how he should make the World and order the things therein contained when he had made them 14. Who instructed him and taught him in the path of judgment i. e. Who instructed the Lord and taught him in the way of judgment that is Who instructed him and taught him wisdom and discretion when he built and ordered the World These Interrogatives have the force of Negatives q. d. There was none which did instruct him He did all these things by his own wisdom and judgment It may be asked How the Prophet cometh to speak here of the wisdom and judgment of God To which I answer That the Prophet doth it to prevent a tacite Objection which a weak Jew might make For a weak Jew might go on and say Yea but the Babylonians are a subtil and politique people as well as a strong Though therefore we should grant that God had strength enough to come against the Babylonians yet he may not have judgment and discretion enough to manage that strength And vis consilii expers mole ruit suâ Strength without judgment and discretion will ruine it self In answer to which the Prophet here saith that God wanted not judgment and discretion to manage his strength For who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord c. 15. Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket i. e. The Nations are as a thing of nought in respect of God As a drop of a bucket i. e. As a drop of water which hangs to the side or bottom of a bucket which if it falls off no body regardeth And are counted as the small dust of the ballance This is a repetition of the former sentence By the small dust of the ballance is meant any light thing that sticks to the scale or ballance and is of no moment so light it is to turn the scale any way He taketh up the Isles as a very little
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 dâ—clared 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 Caâ—se 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
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
e. They are all kept in holes and dark places that is in dungeons and prisons and there they lie in chains so that they are not able to get out no more then a bird can get out of the snare in which it is taken or the wilde beast out of the toyl in which it is caught They are hid in prison houses i. e. They lie in prison houses as men forgotten and quite out of minde so that none think upon them to set them free The Scripture saith of a thing forgotten that it is hid as Cap. 41.27 They are for a prey i. e. They are made as a prey to their enemies And none delivereth i. e. And none delivers them out of their Enemies hands For a spoyl i. e. They are made as a spoyl And none saith Restore i. e. And none saith to them which imprisoned them and which spoyled them Restore the men again out of prison or Restore the goods which thou hast taken from them that is And none is able to rescue them or any way to help them 23. Who amongst you will give ear to this i. e. Who amongst you will give ear to what I shall now say This Relative this relates to that which followeth and he speaks still to those which he spoke to vers 18. and taketh away the Objection which was made vers 22. Who will harken and hear for the time to come i. e. Who will harken and hear what I shall say that he may believe what God shall speak concerning the delivery of the Jews out of captivity for the time to come and that he may also learn not to sin herâ—after 24. Who gave Jacob for a spoyl i. e. Who gave us Jews which are the children of Jacob for a spoyl to the Babylonians Jacob is taken here for the Jews the children of Jacob and the Prophet speaks here as if the Jews were in captivity to the Babylonians at this time and as if he were present with them And he speaks to them of themselves though by an Enallage he useth a third person for a first or second And Israel to the robbers This is a repetition of the former sentence Did not the Lord By this he gives them to understand that as the Lord gave them for a spoyl to the robbers so the Lord could rescue them again and deliver them out of the hands of the robbers so that they need not doubt of his power in this matter For they would not walk in his ways Observe the Enallage of the person here how he passeth from the first to the third from we to they The Prophet sheweth the reason here why the Lord gave the Jews over as a spoyl to the robbers and the reason is because they sinned and would not walk in his ways By which he intimates that being they had broken off their sins by repentance the Lord would be willing to take them again out of those hands into which he had given them So that where neither will nor power is wanting there is no reason to doubt of the success or effect 25. He hath poured upon him i. e. He hath poured upon Jacob or Israel mentioned v. 24. Note here again the Enallage of the number how he passeth from a plural to the singular number The strength of battel i. e. Most vehement wars such as he was not able to withstand In these words there is an Hypallage for he saith The strength of battel for The battel of strength and the battel of strength for strong or most strong battel For a Substantive of the Genitive case is often put for an Adjective He hath set him on fire round about i. e. And the fury of his anger did set on fire his Cities and his dwelling places round about He saith him for his Cities and dwelling places by a Metonymy So Virgil Jam proximus ardet Vcalegon for Jam proxima ardet Vcalegonis domus Virgil. Aenead lib. 2. See the History of that which he here speaks of 2 King 25.9 and Jer. 39.8 Yet he knew not i. e. Yet he did not understand or take notice that this was from the Lord as a punishment for his sins he knew not the cause of it And it burned him i. e. It burned to the ground his Cities and dwelling houses Yet he layd it not to his heart i. e. Yet he did not seriously consider it which if he had done he would have considered from whom it came and what was the cause thereof and so have repented That which the Prophet here saith came not to pass while after he had written this yet being endued with a prophetique spirit he speaks of it as though it had been done long before yea he speaks as though he himself were among his Country-men the Jews in the Babylonish captivity though he were dead long before that time ISAIAH CHAP. XLIII BVt now Supple That thou knowest that it was the Lord which gave thee as a spoile into the hands of the Babylonians and that sinne was the cause thereof and thou hast repented thee of thy sinnes Thus saith the Lord q. d. Though heretofore he poured forth the fury of his anger and the strength of the battle upon thee yet now that thou mayest know that he is well pleased with thee upon thy repentance for his righteousnesse sake thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and he that formed thee O Israel c. Thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob By Jacob are meant the Jewes the children of Jacob per metonymiam efficientis The Lord is said to have created Jacob that is the children of Jacob because he took them to himselfe for a peculiar people and made them a Commonwealth of themselves This hath its immediate connexion with the former Chapter and had been better to have been continued with that than to have been divided from it and made the head of a severall Chapter as now it is And he that formed thee O Israel This sentence is for the sence the same with that which went before But when hee saith he that formed thee he useth a metaphor taken from Potters making or forming pots For I have redeemed thee q. d. For I have redeemed thee divers times out of the hands of thine enemies and oppressors as the Egyptians the Midianites the Philistines c. And as I have redeemed thee out of their hands so will I redeem thee out of the hands of the Babylonians Yet it may be that he speakes here peculiarly of the redemption by which he redeemed his people Israel out of Egypt to be to him a peculiar people and an holy Nation I have called thee by thy name q. d. Thou art my chosen servant whom I have made choice of to serve me in a speciall manner and whom I greatly regard He alludes here to the manner of great men who when they call a servant to them whom they like and whom they preferre before others they call him
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
was well pleased In a day of salvation have I helped thee q. d. And thou hast prayed to me for help against thine Enemies in a day as it were of salvation and I have granted thy request for I will help thee against them In a day of salvation What he calleth an acceptable time before he calls a day of salvation here and he calls it a day of salvation in allusion to the day in which a King had received some great salvation and deliverance Have I helped thee i. e. I have promised to help thee That Isaiah did pray unto God at this time is intimated in that that God saith that he had heard him But what was it which he prayed for Ans We may gather from the following words what he prayed for That therefore that he prayed for was this First That it would please God to preserve him and keep him safe from his Enemies which were many until he had performed his Ministry Secondly That it would pleale him so to bless his Ministry about which he was sent that thereby the people of the Jews which were carryed into Babylon by reason of their sins might be reduced to their obedience and so redeemed out of the Babylonish captivity and return safe into their own Land again It may be here objected That Isaiah was dead long before the Babylonish captivity how therefore could he reduce the captive Jews to their obedience and so bring them out of captivity again Ans Though Isaiah were dead a long time before the captivity of the Jews in Babylon yet may he be said to reduce them to obediâ—nce and so bring them out of captivity again because they were reduced to their obedience by the reading of his Writings which he by a Prophetique Spirit wrought for them and to them and when they returned to their obedience the Lord raised up Cyrus to deliver them out of captivity and send them home free So was Moses said to teach and to be a Master Mark 10.3 Joh. 9.28 though he was dead long before That the Jews in their captivity had these Prophecies and Writings of Isaiah among them and read them and believed them and were bettered by them is evident by that that they shewed Cyrus out of them those things that concerned himself by which he was not a little moved to deliver them and send them home free out of captivity That which is here spoken of Isaiah is in a more sublime sence spoken also of Christ as well appears 2 Cor. 6.2 of whom Isaiah was here a Type As therefore Isaiah prayed to God that He would preserve him against his Enemies that they might not destroy him until he had performed his Ministry and God heard him So did Christ pray that God the Father would save him from death and was heard in that he feared Heb. 5.7 And as Isaiah was a Covenant to the people and prayed that the Jews might be delivered out of their captivity by his Ministry and was heard So was Christ a Covenant to the people in that he was the Mediator of the new Covenant between God and man and he makes continual intercession for us that we may be delivered out of the power of darkness and come to his heavenly Kingdom Heb. 7.25 and is heard in this his intercession I will preserve thee i. e. For I will preserve thee out of the hands of thine Enemies so that they shall not destroy thee until thou hast finished my work And give thee for a Covenant of the people i. e. And I will make thee a Restorer or Reviver of the Covenant which was between my people and me Isaiah is said to be a Covenant of the people because he was the Restorer or Reviver of the Covenant which was between the people of the Jews and their God But how did Isaiah restore or revive the Covenant which was between the people of the Jews and their God Ans He did it by his Sermons to the Jews For whereas the Jews had broken and forsaken the Covenant which they had made with God by their sins and were therefore sent into captivity By reading of Isaiahs Sermons they were touched in heart and repented them of their sins and renewed their Covenant with God as they had done before this in the days of Josiah and as they did after this in the days of Nehemiah Of the people i. e. Of the people of the Jews To establish the Earth i. e. That thou mayst make the Land of Judah stable and sure that I destroy it not for the sins of my people but preserve it for my people to dwell in See cap. 45.18 Upon the repentance of the Jews and their renewing their Covenant with the Lord the Lord would not destroy the Land of Judah but preserve it for the Jews to dwell in Wherefore because the Jews repented and renewed their Covenant by Isaiahs Ministry Isaiah is said to establish the Earth that is the Land of Judah The Earth By the Earth is meant the Land of Judah which was but part of the whole Earth per Synecdochen Generis To cause to inherit the desolate heritaâ—es i. e. That thou mayst cause the people of the Jews which are carryed away captive into Babylon and who have left their heritages which they had in the Land of Judah desolate to return into their own Land and inherit their desolate heritages again He speaks as if the Jews were captives even then when he spoke As Isaiah was said to establish the Earth so is he here said to cause to inherit the desolate heritages 9. That thou mayst say to the prisoners Go forth Supple Out of prison that is That thou mayst bring the Jews which are captive in Babylon out of the Land of their captivity By the prisoners he meaneth the Jews which were captives for captives are often resembled to prisoners and the Land of their captivity to a prison See cap. 42. vers 7. To them that sit in darkness i. e. To the Jews which are in sorrow by reason of their captivity or to the Jews which are in dark places such as prisons are They which are overwhelmed with sorrow do love to get into dark places where they may neither see nor be seen there to weep See cap. 47.5 Hence they that are in darkness may be put here for them which are in great sorrow And yet as I said the Prophet by darkness may mean Prisons per Metonymiam adjuncti For prisons are usually dark and this darkness the Jews made not choyce of but were forced to Shew your selves i. e. Come out of the dark places in which you have hid your selves and shew your selves in the light They which get into dark places by reason of sorrow come not out thence into the light until they have shook off their sorrow When therefore he saith Shew your selves it is as if he should say You have no longer cause to be sad be ye therefore joyful Yet if we
the Lord hath forsaken me c. In the former verse it was said that God would comfort his people and would have mercy upon his afflicted but Zion when she heard of it did hardly believe it but saith she here surely that is not so for the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me And this she saith in a kind of despaire having been sorely oppressed by the Babylonians But it may be asked what it concerned Zion to heare that God would comfort his people and shew mercy upon his afflicted and what she should be the better for it that she should say when she heard of it in despaire Surely it will not be so for the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Answ The comfort and mercy which is here spoken of was the bringing in of the afflicted Jewes into their own Land again and to Sion the holy City And if they were once brought into their own Land again and to Sion the holy City then should Sion have joy in their prosperity as a mother in the prosperity of her children and then should her walls and her houses which the Babylonian had broken down be builded up again And then should her inhabitants be to her again as the ornament of a bride V. 18. But Zion said c. But Zion hath said heretofore and saith still c. This word said denoteth a continuall saying and signifies not onely the time past but also the present time by a Syllepsis The Lord hath forsaken me aad my Lord hath forgotten me i. e. The Lord hath cast me off and will take no more care of me nor any way pitty me How then can he comfort his peoplâ— and have mercy upon his afflicted for their comfort is my comfort and their joy is my joy When the Lord hath cast any one off so that he will take no more care of him or shew him any pity he is said in the Scripture-phrase to have forsaken him and forgot him 15. Can a woman forget her sucking childe The Prophet speaketh this in the person of God and answereth to the complaint of Sion and sheweth that the Lord hath not forgotten her Or the Sonne of heâ— wombe i. e. Or her Sâ—cking child which is a Sonne and a Sonne of her owne wombe Yea they may forget q. d. Verily though it be unlikely yet women may forget their Sucking children and the Sonnâ—s of their wombe Note here the Enallage of the numbâ—r how he passeth from a Singular to a Pâ—urall number 16. I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands i. e. I have writ Sion upon the palme of my hands that it may bâ— to me as a memoriall of thee and so often as I see or read it I may remember thee By this he would shew that he is alwayes mindfull of Sion And he alludeth to those who that they may remember some one thing or businesse which they would not forget put some signe or memoriall thereof upon their hands which some doe by tying a thred about their fingers Others by writing the thing or name of the thing which they would remember upon some part of the hand either backe or palme c. See Exod. 13.9 I have graven c. That is I have written thy name upon the palmes of my hand so that it cannot be blotted out He useth a Metaphor from a Graver in Stone or Brasse or the like whose engravings are not easily blotted out or defaced Thee i. e. Thy name viz. Sion Thy walls are continually before me i. e. Thy ruined walls are continually in my thoughts yea in my sight and it pittieth me to see them in the dust 17. Thy children shall make hast q. d. Therefore thy children which shall build up thy walls againe shall make hast to come unto thee By the children of Sion are meant the Jewes which were in Captivity in Babylon or else where in exile Thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall goe forth of thee i. e. The Babylonians which destroyed thee and laid thee waste shall goe forth of thee and give place to thy children Note that when the Iewes were carried away Captive into Babylon many Babylonians inhabited their Cities either of their own private voluntary minde or by the publike authority of their King who when he conquered a Countrey and carried away the Inhabitants thereof sent other of his own Subjects to Inhabit there And these saith the Lord to Sion shall goe forth of thee 18. Cast up thine eyes round about i. e. Looke towards the East and towards the West towards the North and towards the South He speakes still to Sion And behold He speakes as though the Jewes which were scattered abroad by the comming of the Babylonians into Judaea were even then gathering themselves together to returne into Judaea againe in kenne of eye All these gather themselves together and come to thee q. d. All these whom thou seest are Jewes which gather themselves together to come to thee He speakes as though he pointed at them with his finger In the former verse he said to Sion that her children should make hast to come to her here he saith that they are comming already Thou shalt surely cloth thy selfe with them all as with an ornament q. d. They shall all come and when they are all come they shall be as great an Ornament and a glory to thee by reason of their multitude as the Robe is to a King or Queene He alludeth to a glorious Robe wherewith a King or Queene is clothed when he saith Thou shalt cloth thy self with them all as with an Ornament When he saith Thou shalt surely cloth thy selfe with them all as with an Ornament He speaketh not so much of their quality as of their number as may appeare by the content For the glory of a City consisteth also in the number and multitude of the Inhabitants And binde them on thee as a Bride doth Supple Her Jewells or Bracelets or her head attire q. d. And they shall be as great an Ornament to thee by reason of their number as the Jewells or Bracelets or Head attire which shee bindes on her are to a Bride These are the same for sense with the former words only the Metaphor or Allusion is different 19. For thy waste and thy desolate places and the Land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants q. d. For they which shall come and inhabite thee shall be so many in number and their multitude shall be so great as that thy waste and thy desolate places and the Land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow to containe the Inhabitants thereof because of their number and multitude Thy waste and desolate places i. e. Those places which lay waste and desolate in thee for want of Inhabitants The Land of thy destruction i. e. Thy Land which is destroyed by the Babylonians He saith the
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 attributâ—d 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 thâ—ir 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 pâ—ey 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 thâ—se 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
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
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 thâ—ir 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 reâ—ilings 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
the Lord in his own person yet it may be understood of the Lords speaking thus to himself and stirring up himself for this work See the like cap. 63.11 Because the Lord had suffered his people to lie in captivity a long time and did not shew his power in their deliverance he might seem to be like a man asleep therefore he saith Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord Supple That thou mayst deliver thy people out of Babylon as thou hast promised Put on strength He alludeth to a mans putting on his garments when he awaketh which he did put off and lay aside when he went to sleep O arm of the Lord i. e. O powerful God He speaks of God as of a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and puts the arm which is but part for the whole man by a Synecdoche as Vers 5. As in the ancient days and in the generations of old Supple When thou didst bring the children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab i. e. Art not thou He which didst cut and hew the Egyptians to pieces It This relateth to that O thou arm of the Lord by which as I said is meant the Lord himself Rahab By Rahab is meant Egypt and by Egypt the Egyptians as Psal 87. v. 4. And Egypt was called Rahab because of her pride for Rahab signifieth one that is proud and Egypt carryed her self proudly at least towards Israel Exod. 18.11 And wounded the Dragon Supple Even to death By the Dragon he meaneth Pharaoh King of Egypt whom the Lord overthrew in the red Sea For the Prophet calls tyrants by that name See cap. 27.1 10. Art not thou it which hath dryed the Sea c. He meaneth by the Sea the red Sea which the Lord divided and through which he made a dry way for his people of Israel to pass when he brought them out of Egypt Exod. 14.21 The waters of the great deep q. d. Even the waters of the red Sea which was very deep For the ransomed to pass over i. e. For the Israelites which thou didst redeem out of Egypt from the bondage which they suffered there to pass over This is mentioned here to strengthen the faith of the people in God For if God had power to do such things heretofore he hath as much power to do the like now and to redeem his people out of Babylon now as he had to redeem them out of Egypt in times past 11. The redeemed of the Lord i. e. The Jews which are now in captivity in Babylon He calleth these Jews the redeemed of the Lord by anticipation for as yet they were not redeemed though afterwards they were Shall return Supple Out of Babylon where they are captive And come with singing unto Sion i. e. And come back with a great deal of joy to Jerusalem Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads He resembleth joy to a crown therefore he saith that it shall be upon their heads q. d. They shall be crowned with everlasting joy See cap. 35.10 And sorrow and mourning Supple Which they now suffer by reason of their captivity 12. I even I am he that comforteth you This is spoken in the person of the Lord to Zion who fearing the great power of the Babylonians could not receive that comfort from the promises of God as she should do I even I c. q. d. I the Lord who am the true and Almighty God even I am he that comforteth you c. That comforteth you i. e. That comforteth you now by my promises of your redemption and will comfort you hereafter by performing what I promise Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall dye q. d. What a fearful woman art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of the Babylonians because they are many which yet are but men and shall dye This was that which made the Lords promise of the redemption of the Jews out of Babylon so hardly to be believed to wit the strength and abundance of men which the Babylonians had and therefore the Lord would take this Objection or stumbling block away Who art thou This in the Hebrew is of the Feminine gender and therefore is spoken to Zion whom he speaks to as to a woman or a mother by a Prosopopoeia as cap. 49.14 And of the son of man which shall be made as grass i. e. And of the son of man which shall be cut down and wither as the grass This is a repetition of the former sentence The son of man Every man livinâ— as he is man himself so is he the son of a man 13. And forgettest the Lord thy Maker i. e. And art not mindf ll of the power of the Lord which made thee who because he made thee will have mercy upon thee That hath stretched out the Heavens and layd the foundations of the Earth Supple And therefore is of exceeding great power power enough to turn the Babylonians to nothing Hath stretched out the Heavens i. e. Hath made the Heavens See Cap. 45. vers 12. And layd the foundations of the Earth See cap. 55.13 And hast feared continually every day Supple Lest thou and thy children should be destroyed by hard usage and by famine Because of the fury of the oppressor i. e. Because of the fury of the Babylonian which oppresseth thee and thy children As if he were ready to destroy i. e. As if he i. e. the Babylonian thy oppressor would instantly destroy thee and thy children by hard usage and by starving And where is the fury of the oppressor i. e. And what I pray you is become of the fury of the Oppressor This is to be pronounced with contempt to vilifie the power and fury of the Babylonian when Zion feared And he speaketh as if the Babylonians were already destroyed 14. The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed q. d. Behold notwithstanding all the fury of the Oppressor the captive Exile already hasteneth that he may be loosed The captive Exile i. e. The Jew which is captive in Babylon and liveth there as an Exile or banished man Hasteneth that he may be loosed i. e. Maketh haste already that he may be loosed supple out of prison that is out of the Land of his captivity from being a captive any longer He likeneth the Land of Babylon in which the Jews were captive to a prison and alludeth thereunto as cap. 42.7 He speaketh here as though the captived Jews were even then hastening to get out of their captivity But how did they hasten that they might be loosed Ans By sending Zorobbabel to Cyrus to entreat him to let them go free And this was after Cyrus had subdued Babylon so that the Lord might well say as he did Vers 13. And wheâ—e is the fury of the Oppressor And that he should not dye in the pit i. e. And that he
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
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 thi◠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 Siâ—n 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
they shall be but poor Helpers and poor deliverers for they themselves shall come to naught and be as the chaffe which the winde carries away Vanity shall take them q. d. They shall prove but vaine things But he that putteth his trust in me q.d. Bâ—t he which shall be carried away into Babylon with thee if he putteth not his trust in such Idolls as you doe but putteth his trust in me who am the living God in the mid'st of his afflictions Shall possesse the Land i. e. He shall returne out of Babylon and possesse his owne land even the land of Iudah againe And shall inherit mine holy mountaine i. e. And shall inherit Mount Sion and dwell there 14. And shall say Supple to the way labourers Cast ye up Cast ye up i. e. Cast ye up cast ye up the earth and make a cause-way for the people of the Lord to passe by from Babylon to their owne Land Thus doe they make good wayes in Moorish and Fenny grounds which otherwayes are very bad for Travellers to wit by casting up the earth and making a causway to this manner of making wayes God doth he therefore allude when he saith Cast ye up cast ye up as if he should say prepare ye the wayes and make them good c. and as Cap. 40.3 Take up the stumbling blocke out of the way of my people q. d. Take away the dirt and stones and other impediments that lye in the way from Babylon to Judaea That the Jewes my brethren and countrey-men may not stumble or be hindred in their journey from Babylon into their own Lands The meaning of this place is this that those Jewes which did trust in the Lord in the land of Babylon the land of their Captivity should returne safe out of Babylon and have no hinderance or want of any thing in their way as they passed from Babylon to Judaea Of my people These words may relate either to him that saith cast ye up cast yâ— up c. and then when he saith of my people it is as if he should say of my brethren and country men or they may relate to the Lord who saith of him who trusteth in him that he shall say cast ye up cast ye up 15. The high and lofty one i. e. The high and lofty God That inhabiteth eternity i. e. Who alone is eternall He speakes of Eternity as of an house or Pallace which a King or a Prince inhabiteth as his own peculiar possession in which no other man hath any right but himselfe Whose name is holy i. e. Who is holy that is who is separate from all other by way of excellency above all Whose name i. e. Who. The name of God is put here for God himselfe Holy To be holy signifieth to be separate and be above all others by way of eminency I dwell in the high and holy place i. e. I dwell in heaven which is high in regard of the earth and which is a place separate and above sublunary things The holy place Though heaven be a place in which righteousnesse dwelleth 2 Pet. 1.13 and into which no uncleane or unholy thing shall enter Rev. 21.27 yet I take not that to be the meaning of the word holy here but heaven is called here the holy place because it is separated in a most glorious manner from all sublunary things and is above them all For this word holy in its originall signification signifieth a separation from other things by way of excellency as I have often said With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit q.d. And yet for all that I dwell in the high and holy place I dwell also with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit I dwell with him i. e. I am present with him by my favour and tokens of my love to him c. for God is said among the Hebrewes to be with and to dwell with him whom he favours and shewes kindnesse to That is of a contrite and humble spirit i. e. That trembleth at my words when he is reproved and humbleth himselfe for his sinnes A contrite spirit is opposed to an obstinate spirit which will not yeild to any reproofe and it is so called by a Metaphor taken from such a stone as will breake in pieces at the knock of a hammer or the like As a contrite spirit is opposed to an obstinate spirit so an humble spirit is opposed to a proud spirit To revive the spirit of the humble i. e. To comfort and refresh the heart of the humble when they are made sad and oppressed with any griefe or sorrow 16. For I will not contend for ever i. e. I will not alwayes be angry Supple with him which is of an humble and contrite spirit but will in time breake off mine anger towards him To contend is properly spoken of those which sue and plead one against another in a Court of justice which because it is seldome done without anger it is put here by a Metaphor for to be angry with For the spirit should faile before me i. e. For the spirit of a man would faint in my presence as being over-whelmed with horrour and despaire Supple if I should be alwayes wroth with him And the soules which I have made Supple Would faile or faint away if I should be angry with them for ever Note here that the spirit and soules which are but parts are put by a Synecdoche for the whole men By these words which I have made The Lord doth either intimate his compassion upon these men as being his own creatures therefore to be pittied by him as Psalm 138.8 Or else he doth hereby intimate that he knowes that what he saith is true viz. That the soules and spirits of men would faile if he should be alwayes wroth with them because he made them and therefore he knew what their condition was Note here that when God smiteth his people he is often moved to stay his hand so that he doth not utterly destroy them or utterly discourage them upon consideration of the frailty of their nature especially if they relent at his words and humble themselves before him as Psalm 103. v. 14. c. 17. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse was I wroth and smote him i. e. I was angry with Jacob i. e. with the Jewes which were the children of Jacob and smote him for his covetousnesse Note here that the smiting here meant was the judgement which he executed upon the Jewes by the Babylonians who took them and carried them captive into Babylon and there afflicted them Note Secondly that though he mentioneth covetousnesse yet that was not the only sinne for which he smote the Iewes and delivered them over into the Babylonians hands but the sinnes which caused this were many whereof he mentioneth sometimes one sometimes another but seldome altogether Note Thirdly that this is spoken as though the Jewes were at this time captive in Babylon
in these words we have in hand and cap. 63.5 an allusion to a King arming himself for a Battel that he might war against his Enemies in the behalf of his Subjects whom they have wronged So that I conceive that the words in hand must be interpreted some such way as followeth His arm brought salvation to him q. d. He hath brought salvation out of his armory and made use of it He speaks of salvation here as of a piece of armor wherewith a Soldier is armed If you ask what piece of armor it is which he alludeth to the next Verse will tell you where he calls it the helmet of salvation Note that the arm which is but a part is put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche Object But you will say that the Hebrew being translated word for word is not His arm brought salvation to him but His arm hath saved him Ans Be it so yet there may be the same meaning and the same allusion in these words as was in the former For the meaning of these words His arm hath saved him may be this He hath made himself safe that is He hath armed himself supple with salvation For armor is a safeguard to the body which is therewith armed And his righteousness it sustained him Rather And his righteousness doth sustain him q. d. And his righteousness armeth him that is is upon him as a piece of armor to preserve him If you ask what piece of armor he alludes to the next verse will tell you that it is a brestplate But note that in these words It sustained him or It sustaineth him there is a Metaphor borrowed from a staff which a man hath in his hand whereby he is sustained or upheld while he leaneth upon it but we must transfer this Metaphor to the having on or being armed with a brest-plate For as a staff which a man hath in his hand doth preserve him and keep him from falling so doth the brestplate which a man hath on him or with which he is armed preserve him and keep him from wounds Such kinde of mingling or confounding or transferring Metaphors our Prophet often useth Note that the Pronoune It is here redundant by an Hebraisme What is meant by Righteousnesse here See in the next verse following 17. For he put on righteousnesse as a brest-plate Better For he hath put on righteousnesse as a breast-plate A breast-plate is a piece of ormour which defendeth the heart and the vitall parts to a breast-plate therefore doth he liken righteousnesse that is the justnesse of the cause of warre because there is no greater comfort to the heart of a man nor any thing that can give him greater assurance or on which he may more rely for safety and preservation in the Battle than this that he knoweth that his cause of taking up armes is just By righteousnesse therefore I understand the just cause which the Lord had in taking up armes or making Warre upon his enemies the Babylonians the justnesse of whose cause you may read Cap. 47. v. 6. c. An helmet of salvation upon his head i. e. And salvation as an helmet upon his head An Helmet is a piece of armour which is to guard and defend the head wherein the braines lye which are the Mint of the Animall spirits which being wounded death presently followeth Nothing can yeild more safety than salvation it selfe for where salvation is there can be no hurt otherwise salvation were not salvation Therefore the Lord saith that he will appoint Hierusalem salvation for walls Cap. 26.1 And therefore doth the Lord take salvation here for his own Helmets Note that this salvation which the Lord here takes is to protect himselfe not to save his people For salvation is here as an Helmet and an Helmet is for the safety onely of him which weareth it and therefore the Lord is said to put on an Helmet of salvation to shew that he is invincible and can receive no hurt By this that the Prophet saith that the Lord hath put on righteousnesse as a breast-plate and salvation as an Helmet upon his head we may learne that God is a just God and therefore draweth not out his sword against a man to punish him without a cause and that he is invincible and therefore is not afraid to set upon the most potent enemies so that all men have just reason to stand in awe of him St. Paul Ephes 6. v. 14 17. describing the whole armour of a Christian seemeth to allude to this place And he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing i. e. And he hath put on garments made of vengeance for his clothing Vengeance is to be taken here for a desire of executing vengeance upon his enemies And he was clad with zeale as with a cloake i. e. And he is clad c. By zeale may be meant the zeale and love which he bore to his owne honour which honour of his had been given to Idols even the Idols of the Babylonians if he had suffered the Babylonians alwayes to oppresse his own people And the zeal and love which he bore to his owne people whom the Babylonians did make to houle Cap. 52.5 And the zeal and indignation for zeal intimates as well indignation as love which he bore towards the Babylonians for his own honour's and his peoples sake Besides their garments of ordinary wearing in times of peace most of the most ancient people of the world had their garments extraordinary which they wore upon their armour in time of Warre of which you may read Alex ab Alexand Genial Dier lib. 1 Cap. 20. c. And not to ordinary garments worne in time of peace but to these warlike garments doth our Prophet seem to allude when he saith And he put on garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as with a cloake 18. According to their deeds accordingly will he repay fury to his adversaries i. e. He will recompence his adversaries who have without mercy oppressed his people he will recompence them I say with such effects of his fury as they have deserved Fury Fury is put here for miseries and calamities and other the effects of Gods fury and wrath Per metonymiam efficientis His adversaries He meaneth the Babylonians whom therefore God calleth his adversaries because they did most cruelly oppresse and shew no mercy at all to his people when they were in Captivity Recompence to his enemies By Recompence is meant that which they have deserved that is the like cruell usage as they had used towards the Jewes And this is a Repetition of the former sentence To the Islands he will repay recompence By Islands understand the Inhabitants of the Islands by a Metonymie and by these Islands understand Mesopotamia and other Islands which were neer to Tigris and Euphrates For Mesopotamia was an Iland or Islands made by those two Rivers Tigris and Euphrates But the Hebrewes call not onely that
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
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 sâ—e 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 pâ—nish 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 â—he 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 pâ—blique 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 preferâ—ed 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 conâ—inually 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
planted Jer. 1.10 See Notes cap. 6.10 The oyl of joy for mourning i. e. Joy for mourning When he saith the oyl of joy he alludeth to the sweet oyls and ointments with which they were wont to anoint themselves in times of joy Of which see Psa 23.5 104.15 and Mat. 6.17 The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness i. e. Gladness for heaviness By praise he meaneth gladness and that either because gladness is a thing in it self praise-worthy or because it produceth praise to God while they which rejoyce praise God for his benefits to them and for the cause of their rejoycing When he saith the garment of praise or of gladness he alludeth to the garments which they were wont to use in days of publique rejoycing which were better then those which they wore on ordinary days as they which they wore on days of sorrow and humiliation were worse Or by the garments of praise may be meant such garments which they were wont to wear on the days of praise and publique thanksgiving when they praised God for some great mercy received and by such garments may be meant the joy and gladness of heart which the people had when they wore those garments by a Metonymy For the spirit of heaviness The word spirit signifieth here a passion but it is here redundant as it is often among the Hebrews so that the spirit of heaviness is no more then heaviness That they might be called trees of righteousness That is That they to whom I preach may by my preaching become trees of righteousness that is such trees as the Lord will plant in the Land of Judea there to flourish for ever The meaning is that they might by his preaching stir up themselves to take hold of the gracious promises of the Lord that so they might go out of captivity and inherit their own Land that is the Land of Judea for ever For if they did stir up themselves to take hold of the gracious promises of the Lord by Faith the Lord would surely deliver them out of captivity and bring them to their own home again Note here first that he saith that they might be called for that they might be See the like cap. 7.14 9.6 Note secondly that this that they might be called or that they might be trees of righteousness is the same with that That they might inherit their own Land even the Land of Judah for ever Cap. 60.21 For he useth a Metaphor here and in this Metaphor he compareth the Land of Judah or Judea to an Orchard or a Vineyard and the inheritors of that Land to a tree which taketh root in that Orchard or Vineyard So that these words That they might be called the trees of righteousness are no more then this That they might go out of the Land of their captivity and inherit their own Land even the Land of Judah for ever Trees of righteousness i. e. Righteous and holy trees A substantive of the Genitive case is put here for an Adjective By why doth he say That they might be trees of righteousness that is righteous or holy trees Ans To shew that he desired that they might be trees agreeable to the soyl wherein they were to be planted that they agreeing with the soyl the soyl with them they might always flourish therein Now the soyl wherein they were to be planted was Judea and no other trees were to be planted in that soyl to wit Judea then holy and righteous trees neither was it seemly that there should for Judea was the holy Land as Jerusalem was the holy City Matth. 4.5 27.53 And it was not meet to plant any other Trees or Plants in the holy Land then such as were holy and righteous For men will not set Nettles or plant Bryars and Thorns in a choyce Vineyard or Orchard Secondly the trees which were to be planted in Judea were to be planted by the Lord who is holy and righteous And would the Lord plant any other trees in his Orchard or Vineyard but such as he liked and approved And he could like and approve of none but what were righteous being that he himself is righteous But you will say Who ever heard of holy trees or rightrous trees What trees and yet holy or righteous Trees are without sense but righteousness presupposeth sense and reason too Answ The Prophet speaks here of men under the metaphor of trees and therefore he saith righteous trees or trees of righteousness and he hath respect not to trees when he mentioneth righteousness but to the men signified by the trees For it is usual with the Prophet as to confound Metaphors so to confound that which is metaphorical and figurative with that which is real and without a figure The planting of the Lord i. e. Plants planted of the Lord. Planting is put here for plants or trees planted per Metonymiam adjuncti And this is a repetition of the former words That he might be glorified That is That he might receive honor and praise and glory by this his planting of them in their own Land and making them thus to flourish 4. And they shall build the old wastes i. e. And they which are now captives and mourn in Babylon shall build up those Cities and Towns which the Assyrians and the Babylonians and other the Enemies of the Jews have layd waste in Judea They shall raise up the former desolations i. e. They shall build up those places which the Assyrians and the Babylonians and other the Enemies of the Jews pulled down and made desolate in Judea in former time Desolations are put here for desolate places or Cities per metonymiam adjuncti The desolations of many generations i. e. The place and Cities which have layn waste and desolate many ages See cap. 58. vers 12. 5. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks i. e. Strangers which are not Jews born nor of the stock of Abraham shall serve you and be your shepherds c. Note that this word stand signifieth to be ready at hand as the servant is at the hand of his Master to do his will when he calls him for standing is the posture of one which is in a readiness to do any thing See Cap. 48.13 As this word stand signifieth a readiness to do any service so to feed the flock to be plow-men to be vine-dressers limits the service and shews in what they shall serve them Note here the Enallage of the person how he speaks to them in the second person of whom he spoke in the third just before And the sons of the alien shall be your plow-men What he called strangers before he calls the sons of the aliens here who he saith shall be their plow-men to fallow and plow their Lands and sow their Corn and reap it and bring it in c. And your Vine-dressers Supple To dress your Vines and to do all the labor and toyl which a Vineyard requireth That
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 pâ—osperity 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
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 Prophâ—t 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 silâ—nce 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 Haâ—e 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 Râ—d 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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