saith the Tabernacle of David for the House or Pallâ—ce of David And he so saith either in allusion to that that David was once a Shepheard and Shepheards live abroad in Tents and Tabernacles Or he saith it to signifie that the Pallace of David should be as a refuge to all that were oppressed with wrong as a Tabernacle is a refuge to those which are beaten with a storm or parched with the heat Cap. 4. vers 6. And indeed the Pallace of a righteous King should be a Sanctuary and refuge to all that are oppressed see Cap. 32. v. 2. Or he saith the Tabernacle of David for the House of David because the most ancient dwellings were in Tents and Tabernacles Of David David may be taken here per Mâ—tonymiam Efficientis for the Kings of Judah which were the Sonnes and Heires of David Judging Supple All causes which are brought before him And seeking judgement i. e. And seeking the truth and uprightnesse of a Cause that he may give sentence accordingly And hasting righteousnesse i. e. And hasting the decision of the Causes which are brought before him and the administration of Justice Not delaying or spinning out Sutes to the vexation of the Poor Righteousnesse is taken here for that which we commonly call Justice which consists in judging and deciding controversies c. That Hezekiah should sit upon the Throne administring Justice after this manner was a sign that he should be rid of the sword of the Assyrians for Silent Leges inter Arma War makes Justice silent and the Laws dumb It was a sign also that his Kingdome should be established and flourish again For the Throne is established by Righteousnesse Prov. 16. v. 12. 6. We have heard of the pride of Moab The sense is as if he should say But I speak to them which aâ—e deaf It is but lost labour to admonish them For according as we have heard the Moabites are full of pride and wrath And pride and wrath stop the eares against all good counsell Moab is put here for the Moabites or children of Moab Even of his haughtinesse and his pride and his wrath q. d. We have heard I say even of their haughtiness and their pride and their wrath Because of their haughtinesse and pride the Moabites despised Judah And therefore they would not hear to become Hezekiah's servants and to pay Tribute to him And because of their wrath against the people of Judah they would not hear to relieve them when they were persecuted or to let them dwell with them when they were forced to flee from their own homes But his lies shall not be so q. d. But though they are now proud and angry and their speech is haughty and tumultuous yet ere long be their pride shall be pull'd down and their wrath abated and their speech shall be humble and calm The meaning is that ere long be they should fall into their enemies hands And then their speech to them should be humble and lowly and meek and calm The speech of Captives to their Conquerour is called lies for Captives which are taken in warrs use to invent lies that they might please their Conquerours and procure favour of them Hence in the Hebrew Phrase to tell a lie signifieth to be subdued and overcome as Deut. 33.29 Thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee Thou shalt subdue thine enemies and Psal 81.15 Whereas we read the haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him In the Hebrew it is they should have lied unto him and Psal 66. vers 3. Where we read through the greatnesse of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee in the Hebrew it is shall lie unto thee And Captives when they tell their lies they tell them with all lowlinesse and meeknesse even to basenesse In allusion to which the Prophet may here say of Moab his lies shall not be such i. e. His lies shall not favour of haughtinesse and pride and wrath But yet these words may be otherwise expounded thus q. d. But yet their great braggs and threats which they give out against the men of Judah shall not be so that is shall not fall out so as they would have them In this sence he puts Lies for Braggs and Threats which he calls lies because their braggs and threats shall not come to passe in reallity as they thunder them out in words This last exposition is most generally given of this place but I leave the Reader to his choice but for mine owne part I approve most of the former exposition we may read these words but his lies shall not be so as with a Parenthesis Therefore Moab shall howle for Moab i. e. Therefore because the Moabites are so proud and haughty and angrie as that they will not hearken to my counsell nor follow it therefore the miseries of the Moabites shall be such as that one Moabite shall weep and lament for another Moabite by reason of the misery which shall come upon him they shall mutually bewaile one anothers miseries For the Foundations of Kirhareseth i. e. For Kirhareseth The part is put here for the whole Kirhareseth was a City so strong that the Kings of Judah Israel and Edom besiedged it and yet could not take it 2 Kings 3. v. 25. He here sheweth the matter of their grief and the cause why every Moabite shall howle Shall ye mourn Supple O ye Moabites Here is an Enallage of the Person for he changeth the Third into the Second person Surely they are stricken Surely they shall be stricken and so stricken as that they shall be overthrown by Rams and other warlike Engines He useth a Preterperfect tense here for a Future 8. For the fields of Heshbone languish i. e. Moreover the fields of Heshbone shall languish and faint away He puts For for Moreover as Cap. 7. Verse 16. And a Present for a Future tense The fields of Heshbone are here said to languish because all the grasse and corn and green hearbs and plants thereof are broken or trodden down and so withered Note that the word languish is a Metaphoricall word taken from those who through infirmity of body pine and are ready to faint away for want of Spirits What he spoke here of Heshbone he would have us also to understand of Elealeh as appeares by the next following Verse by a Sylepsis And these two Heshbone and Elealeh he joynes together in the 15. Chapter vers 4. The like Sylepsis we have Matth. 5. v. 14. Where our Saviour saith to his Apostles Ye are the light of the world A City that is set on a hill cannot be hidd neither do men light a Candle and put it under a bushell Where these words are omitted and left to be understood by a Sylepsis Viz. Ye are a City set on a Hill For the full sentence should run thus Ye are the Light of the world ye are a City set on a Hill A City that is set on a
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
whose light is inherent because he saith the light of Israel shall be for a fire For we kindle fire with fire Shall be for a fire Supple To kindle that burning spoken of before v. 16. God is said to be for a fire to kindle that burning by which Sennacherib's Army was destroyed because he sent his Angel to destroy it and so was the principall cause of its destruction And his holy one for a flame By his holy one is meant God who is called the holy one of Israel So that this is but a repetition of the former sentence And it shall consume and devoure i. e. and he shall consume and destroy He speakes of God under the Metaphor of a fire or flame and therefore he saith it for he His thornes and his briars i. e. The common and meanest Souldiers of his that is of Sennacherib's Army The Prophet compareth Sennacherib's Army to a forrest and the common Souldiers to the thornes and briars thereof And the Captaines and Officers to the high Tree In one day i. e. In one naturall day whereof the night is a part in which this Army was destroyed This here spoken of was fulfilled 2 Kings 19. v. 35. 18. The glory of his forrest By the glory of his forrest are meant the high trees and tall Cedars which grew in the forrest which are indeed the glory and grace of the whole forrest And by the high Trees and tall Cedars of the forrest he meaneth Metaphorically the Captaines and Officers of Sennacherib's Hoste which he compareth to a forrest Of his fruitfull field He compared Sennacherib's Army to a forrest of trees and bushes immediately before for the majesty thereof Now he compareth it to a fruitfull field of Corne because of the riches thereof with which it abounded Of the forrest the tall trees were the Glory Of the fruitfull field the full and large and tall eares of standing Corne are the grace Both soul and body i. e. Utterly This Phrase is Proverbial and containeth an Hyperbole It is spoken of man properly and commonly of trees but improperly and unusually There is therefore here a Confusion of Metaphors And they i. e. And all the men of Sennacherib's Army Both Captaines and Officers which were called the glory of the forrest And the common Souldiers which were termed thornes and briars Shall be as when a Standard-bearer fainteth i. e. Shall be utterly discomfited ruined and destroyed A Standard-bearer is said to faint either when his courage failes him and he flies or when he is wounded and so his vitall and animall spirits faile him and he falls down dead And when he fainteth his whole company is soon disordered ruined and destroyed being persecuted and slain by the enemy And as it is with one company so it is with the whole Army also if all the Standard-bearers thereof faint because the Army hath no meanes left to bring or keep it self in Order hence the losse of all its Colours or Standards is put often to signifie the losse and destruction of an whole Army A Standard-bearer i. e. The Standard-bearers A Singular for a Plurall number 19. And the rest of the Trees of his forrest i. e. And the rest of the Souldiers of Sennacherib's Army which shall escape the fire that is the destruction which the Angel shall make He persists in his Metaphor still Shall be so few that a Child shall write them i. e. Shall be so few in number as that a Child who hath no skill in Arithmetick shall easily number them and make a List or a note of them 20. And it shall come to passe in that day i. e. And it shall come to passe after this Here is a Relative without an Antecedent exprest The Remnant of Israel i. e. The Remnant of the men of Judah which were the Children of Jacob who was called Israel which shall remaine after the destruction which Sennacherib shall make This Remnant were they which were in Hierusalem which Sennacerib could not take Shall no more stay upon him that smote him i. e. Shall no more rely upon the King of Assyria which smote them as heretofore they did when Ahaz relyed upon Tiglah-Pileser 2 Kings 16. v. 7. Note that though they were divers Kings of Assyria of whom he speakes here yet he speakes of them as if they were the same person because they were in the same place and Kings of the same Kingdome wherein they succeeded the one the other In truth i. e. Truly and sincerely without hypocrisie 21. Shall return unto the mighty God i. e. Shall relie and stay upon the mighty God For this is but a repetition of the former words repeated here for the greater confirmation of what he said They forsake God who leave him to relie upon the arme of flesh And they return to him who leave the arme of flesh to make him their stay 22. For though thy people Israel i. e. For though thy people O Israel So some making this an Apostrophe to Jacob and taking Israel in the Vocative case Or though thy People O Hezekiah which are the Children of Israel So others who make this an Apostrophe to Hezekiah and make Israel of the same case with thy people by Apposition taking Israel by a Metonymie for the Children of Israel Or which is the same for sense though thy people O Israel that is O Hezekiah who art a true Son of Israel Be as the sand of the Sea Supple for number or multitude Yet a remnant shall return i. e. Yet onely a remnant of them shall escape and return unto the Lord. This Particle Onely is often left by the Hebrewes to be understood The Prophet giveth a reason here why he said in the former verses A remnant of Israel He said it because there should be but a remnant that is a very few saved out the hands of the Assyrians The Consumption decreed shall overflow i. e. The Consumption which God hath decreed and determined to bring upon the Land of Judah for the sinnes thereof by the hand of Sennacharib shall overflow the Land like a mighty River and take away most of the Inhabitants thereof He alludes here to a great River which overflowes it's banks after a great Rain With righteousnesse Righteousnesse is sometimes taken for Justice in opposition to Mercy and so if we take it here we may interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Righteousnesse q. d. with all severity Again Righteousnesse is sometimes taken for Truth in fulfilling and performing what a man hath spoken and so if we take it here the sense will be as if he should say according as he hath decreed 23. Even determined i. e. Even such a Consumption as he hath determined to make which is a great one In the midst of the Land i. e. In the Land supple of Judah The Land in general is taken here by a Synechdoche or by way of excellency for the Land of Judah in particular And he saith In the midst of