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
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
Judge promiseth that he will be righteous in his Office and administer justice justly and truly and indifferently who if he keeps this his promise and doth according to it he is said to be faithfull And this his righteous d aling may therefore be called faithfullnâ—sse But otherwise he is unfaithfull and his doings may be tearmed an adultery and he an Adulterer by a Metaphor from the keeping or breaking a promise made in wedlock between man and wife See Notes Cap. 1. v. 21. 6. The Wolfe also shall dwell with the Lamb. q. d. And because of Hezekiah's due and faithfull administration of justice men shall dwell so peaceably together that one shall not dare to offend or wrong the other The Wolf is a ravenous beast which devoureth the Lamb the lamb a gentle Creature and the usuall prey of the Wolfe When therefore he saith that the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb quietly his meaning by a Proverbe is to shew that those men which were given to rapine and violence shall in Hezekiah's dayes give over their lewd Courses and betake themselves to an honest kind of life This is that also which he meaneth by the Leopards lying down with the Kid And the Calfes and young Lyons being together c. And the young Lyon The young Lyon is more fierce and lusty than the old Lyon and more greedy of his prey yet here he saith that he shall not prey as he was wont upon the Calfe and the fatling but go and walk friendly together with them The Fatling i. e. The fat Cattle Together i. e. Shall be or walk or go together for these or one of these words is here to be understood And a little Child shall lead them i. e. And a little Child shall be able to lead them It sheweth every one of these beasts to be tame that they will be lead by a man but much more if they be such as that a little Child may lead them 7. Shall feed and lye down together He meaneth they shall lye down together peaceably and quietly And the Lyon shall eat straw like an Oxe And if the Lyon shall eat straw like an Oxe he will no more prey upon other Beasts which he did onely to eat them for satisfaction of his hunger but be as free from that as the Oxe 8. The sucking Child The sucking Child is the weakest of all Children and lesse able to resist any hurtfull thing Shall play on the hole of the Aspe Supple Without any hurt q. d. The sucking Child shall play on the hole of the Aspe and yet notwithstanding the Aspe shall not hurt him The Aspe is a venomous kind of Serpent though it be but little and loveth holes to lurk in The weaned Child i. e. The Child which is newly weaned and therefore unable to withstand any noxious thing Shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den Supple And yet the Cockatrice shall neither hurt him nor sting him The Cockatrice also is a Venomous kind of Creature and dangerous 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy i. e. Neither the Wolfe nor the Leopard nor the young Lyon nor the Beare nor the Lyon nor the Aspe nor the Cockatrice by which are meant wicked men or men of rapine and violence shall hurt or destroy the Lamb the Kid the Calfe and fatling the Cow the Oxe the Sucking Child by which are meant simple and well-meaning men in all my holy mountaine In all my holy mountaine i. e. In all the Kingdome of Judah The Prophet speakes here in the person of God and by Gods holy mountaine he meaneth Mount Sion upon which the Temple stood and by a Synecdoche the whole Kingdome of Judah For the earth shall be full By the earth is meant the land of Judah by a Synecdoche as v. 4. Full of the knewledge of the Lord. i. e. Full of the knowledge of the will and law of the Lord. The Lord is put here by a Metonymie for the will and commandements of the Lord. And here he alludes to a Channel full of water as appeares by the next words where he compares the Land of Judah to the Channel and the knowledge of the Lord to the waters which fill the Channel As the waters cover the Sea q. d. As the Channel of the Sea is full of waters with which it is covered By the Sea is meant here the Channel of the sea per Metonymiam adjuncti For properly the Sea is the waters which are gathered together in a great Channel Gen. 1. v. 10. The Prophet here gives another reason of what he said from the sixth verse hitherto that is why the Wolfe should dwell with the Lamb c. That is Why wicked men or men of rapine and violence should leave their old course of life and live civilly with civill men And this other reason is because the knowledge of God should be more plentifull among them than it had been For if the ignorance of the will of God doth alienate from the life of God as the Apostle speakes Eph. 4.18 That is doth make men strangers to a godly life the knowledge of God will cause men to lead the life of God that is to lead a godly life Now that Hezekiah did promote and propagate the knowledge of the Lord Read 2 Chron. Cap. 29.30 31. and in particular 2 Chron. Cap. 30. v. 22. 10. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensigne c. i. e. q. d. And at that time in which there shall come forth a rod out of the stemme of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his root as v. 1. that stemme of Jesse and that branch which shall grow out of his root shall stand for an ensigne for the people c. There shall be a root of Jesse By the root of Jesse he meaneth Hezekiah which he called the rod of the stem of Jesse and the branch of the root of Jesse v. 1. Hezekiah is said to be a root of Jesse by a Metonymie because he was a branch growing out of the root of Jesse v. 1. Or we may say that as by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Genus is understood both the lead of a generation or kindred and the generation or kinred it self So both the head of a generation or kinred and the generation or kinred it self is meant by the root in the Hebrews manner of speaking For it signifies the head v. 1. And it signifies the off-spring Revel 22. v. 16. Which shall stand for an ensigne of the people i. e. To whom many of the Gentiles shall repaire as Souldiers do to their Ensigne or Colours A Metaphoricall Phrase More than probable it is that the people which dwelt near unto Judaea hearing of and seeing the happinesse and prosperity of Hezekiah's raign did desire to dwell or sojourne in the land of Judah and to be under the protection of Hezekiah especially such as did turn to the Lord By which
5. And the waters shall faile from the Sea c That which the Prophet saith from this to the eleventh Verse is an amplification of one and the same thing which is this to wit that it should be so with the Egyptians as if there were no water in the Sea in regard of traffique and commerce by sea For as if there were no water in the Sea there could no Ships goe and so there would be no traffique and commerce between People and People Port and Port So should there be no traffique for the Egyptians by Sea at this time The reason why there was no traffique by sea at this time was because the Carians and Ionians took part with Psammitichus in his warres with the eleven Kings who being strong by sea took all the Vessells and Ships of Egypt which stirred out and made them Prize so that few durst stirre abroad And the River He meanes the River Nilus which was navigable in all parts of it Shall be wasted and dried up What he meaneth by these you may understand by the Notes or these words The waters shall faile from the Sea 6. And they shall turne the Rivers farre away i. e. And Nilus and other Rivers of Egypt shall be turned away out of their wonted Channels and their Channels left dry The meaning of this place is that there should be no more traffique upon the Rivers with Beates and Barks than if the Rivers were quite dried up and turned out of their Channels The Brooks of defence i. e The Brooks which defend Supple Egypt The Brooks being many in Egypt were a defence to it so that it could not be so easily over-runne by an Enemy as other Countreys might Hence the Brookâ— of Egypt might be called Brooks of defence taking defence actively Or they may be called Brookes of defence q. d. fenced Brooks or Brooks which have a defence because they were fenced and kept in with banks and heapes of earth that their waters might not easily overflow and so defence is taken passively 7. The reeds and flags shall wither Supple For lack of water The Prophet doth here Rhetorically amplifie the matter which he hath in hand and say over againe what he said before The Paper Reeds by the Brooks i. e. The Paper Reeds which grow by the Brooks Of these Reeds was writing-paper at the first made and from thence hath our Paper also its name By the mouth of the brooks i. e. By the brinks or banks of the Brooks He puts here the mouth by a Synechdoche for the lipps which are part of the mouth And by the lipps he meaneth Metaphorically the brinks of the Rivers or Brooks because as the mouth hath two lipps so hath a Brooke or River two brinks or banks on each side one Be driven away i. e. Wither or dry away This is a Metaphor taken from cattle which are driven away by Theeves and Robbers from the place where they fed Or from Birds which are driven away from their food or prey and not suffered there to be 8. The Fishers also shall mourn Viz. Because the waters shall be dried up For the waters being dried up their trade faileth there are no more fish for them to take And all they that cast Angle into the brooks i. e. And all they that were wont to angle for fish in the Brooks And they that spread nets upon the waters i. e. And they which use to spread nets upon the waters to catch fish thereby Shall languish i. e. Shall pine away and even faint supple For grief of mind that their trade of fishing by which they live failes them 9. Shall be confounded i. e. Shall be ashamed Sulppe because they have no flax to make their works of For the Rivers and Brooks being dried up the flax which was fed by them must needs dye They are said in the Scripture phrase to be ashamed or confounded who are frustrate of their hope These men therefore being frustrate of the flax which they hoped for that they might make their wonted workes of it are said to be confounded or ashamed when the waters faile whose failing causeth the flax to wither away 10. And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof all that make sluces and ponds for fish i. e. And all which make sluces to let in waters out of the Rivers into fish-ponds and all that make Ponds to keep fish in either for pleasure or profit shall be broken in the purposes of your work because the waters shall be dryed up for which they made their sluces and digged their ponds Shall be broken in their purposes i. e. Shall faile and come short of the intents and purposes of what they take in hand Thereof i. e. Of their works that is of the Sluces and the Ponds which they make and intend for fish 11. Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles Zoan was an ancient City of Egypt Numb Chap. 13. vers 22. called also Tanais The sence is q. d. the Counsellours of that King which shall be the King of Zoan or King of Tanais at that time here prophesied of shall be fooles in that day in which the Lord shall punish Egypt with civill warrs He puts a present tense for a future and speakes here of the Princes of Zoan and Noph and the Kings as though the Kingdome of Egypt were already divided into twelve Kingdoms which was not so divided at the time in which he prophesied though it was at the time of which he Prophesieth The Counsell of the wise Counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish i. e. The Counsell of the Counsellors of that King of the twelve which ruled in Zoan shall be as the Counsell of a fool which is no wiser than a brute beast The meaning is that the Counsel which their Counsellors shall give shall be no wiser to prevent the judgements which God shall bring upon Egypt than the counsell of a foole He derides the State Counsellors and wise men of Egypt because the Egyptians had a high conceit of themselves for wisedome and policie and were highly esteemed for them abroad by others And calls Pharaohs Counsellors wise Counsellors by an Ironie Of Pharaoh Pharaoh was a common name of all the Kings of Egypt as Caesar was of all the Romane Emperours How say ye unto Pharaoh I am the sonne of the wise q. d. With what face can you say unto your King glorying and baosting as you do that ye are wise He useth an Apostrophe to Pharaoh's State Counsellors I am the sonne of the wise This he speakes in the person of one of Pharaoh's privie-Counsellors or Counsellors of State by a Mimesis I am the sonne of the wise By this he would shew that Pharaoh's Counsellors thought they had wisdome and Policie as it were by inheritance The sonne of ancient Kings The chief Counsellors of the Kings of Egypt were the Egyptian Priests And they derived their Pedegree from the Ancient Kings of that Country who therefore
for He shall break them in regard that he compared them to the breach in a wall So because our Prophet compared the holy One of Israel to a fire he saith of the holy One of Israel not He but It shall burn and devour his thorns and his bryars in one day Cap. 10.17 As the breaking of a Potters vessel i. e. According to the breaking of a Potters vessel or earthen pot or as if a man should break an earthen pot or a Potters vessel Which is broken in pieces i. e. Which a man dasheth with all his might against the stones and so breaks into small bits or pieces He shall not spare i. e. The holy One of Israel shall not spare Supple these sinners These words may be read with a Parenthesis So that there shall not be found in the bursting of it i. e. So that there is not to be found when it is broke These depend upon those words That is broken in pieces A sheard to take fire from the harth or to take water withall out of the pit i. e. A sheard big enough to take fire from the harth or water out of the pit Poor people even at this day use potsheards to take up and carry fire in and to catch up water out of a pond or pit or river for their use Out of the pit In Judea which was a mountainous and so a dry Country a great part of it there were many pits made to save and keep water in for necessary uses 15. In returning i. e. I said that by returning or if ye would return from your purpose and alter your resolution of sending for ayd to Egypt and of relying upon the Egyptians c. This phrase is Metaphorical translated from the body to the minde Note that these words I said are here to be understood And rest i. e. And by rest and sitting still at home or if you would take your rest and sit still at home and not go down into Egypt Ye shall be saved Supple From the hand of the Assyrian In quietness i. e. In sitting quietly at home and not travelling into Egypt This is a repetition of the former sentence And in confidence i. e. And in trusting and confiding in me the Lord who have promised to save you if you rely on me and confide on me Shall be your strength Their strength was said to be in this quietness and confidence because if they would have been quiet and confided in God God would have strengthened them so as that their Enemies the Assyrians should not have prevailed against them And ye would not i. e. But ye would not Subaudi Harken to the Word of me the Lord and believe it ye would not return and rest at home ye would not be quiet and confide in me 16. But ye said No q. d. But ye said No We will not return and alter our purpose we will not rest and sit still at home but we will go down into Egypt and get strength from thence We will flee upon horses i. e. We will get our selves many good Horses that we may if we be routed and overcome by the Assyrians flee the faster from them In Judea there were great abundance of Asses 1 Chron. 27. v. 30. therefore their Princes and chief men were wont to ride upon Asses Judg. 10.4 12.14 But there was great scarcity of Horses for the Lord had forbidden them to multiply Horses Deut. 17.16 But Judea was not so scarce of Horses but Egypt was as full Deut. 17.16 and 1 King 10. v. 28. therefore did these Jews desire ayd of the Egyptians and send their Embassadors thither to procure good store of Horses thence for this their service Therefore shall ye flee Supple Before your Enemies the Assyrians This is the judgment threatned against their sin And we will ride upon the swift i. e. We will get us the swift creatures that if need be we may flee swiftly from our Enemies By the swift he meaneth Horses per Metonymiam Adjuncti with which Egypt abounded which were far more swift then Asses which were bred in Judea Therefore shall they which pursue you be swift i. e. Therefore shall your Enemies the Assyrians be swift also and shall pursue you and overtake you This is a repetition of what was said immediately before in both which places the Prophet plays in his words making the sin and punishment alike Note here that though the Prophet attributes these words we will flee upon horses and we will ride upon the swift to the men of Judah as spoken by them yet it is probable that they never used these formall words for they were so confident of the strength of Egypt as that they were not likely to speak of flying but because the Prophet fore-saw that they would flee before their enemies and that that was all the steed their horses would stand them in namely to flee therefore he brings them in saying we will flee vpon horses we will ride upon the swift so doth he bring them in speaking and saying We have made lyes our refuge and under falsehood have we hid our selves Cap. 28.15 And Prophesie not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophesie deceits Cap. 30.10 whereas it is not likely that they would use those formal words though they did and said as much in effect See the notes upon those severall places One thousand Supple Of you Jews Shall flee at the rebuke of One i. e. Shall flee if they do but hear the voice of one single Assyrian threatning them At the rebuke of five i. e. At the chiding or threatning of a very few He puts a certain for an uncertain number Shall ye flee i. e. Shall ye all flee Till ye be left as a Beacon upon the top of a mountain q. d. Till there be not two of you left together in company A Beacon is one only single Post or Pole whereon there is a pan fastened to the top in which they put pitch and flax or some such like combustible matter which they set on fire in the time of danger this useth to be set on an high hill that it may be the more conspicuous and seen the further off But happily the Beacon here meant is only a bare Mast or Pole set up in an eminent place by the Sea-side As an Ensign on an hill i. e. As a single Banner which is pitcht upon an high hill See cap. 13.2 18. And therefore will the Lord waite that He may be gracious unto you and therefore will He be exalted that He way have mercy upon you The sense is q. d. Yet nevertheless the Lord will waite and He will be exalted for these words are to be understood here by a Syllepsis the like whereunto we observed cap. 3.6 And therefore will the Lord wait that He may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you He useth an Apostrophe to the faithfull
i. e. So soon as ever I came Supple To places which I have besieged The Hebrews use to put the foot for coming for see Gen. 30.30 Where Jacob saith thus to Laban Jehovah hath blessed thee at my foot the meaning is this Lord hath blessed thee by my coming and this Preposition With signifies often the time or instant in which any thing is done as Cum diluculo abij I went away with the morning light that is I went away so soon as ever it was morning To dry up therefore with the sole of my feet may very well be rendred To dry up so soon as I came So then the sense of this verse is q. d. When I have come to besiege any place where there hath bin no water I have not wanted water for I have come with such a mighty Army of men as that my men could dig wells presently which should afford me water enough And on the contrary when I have come to besiege any place which aboundeth with rivers of water so numerous is my Army as that I have drunk all those rivers dry After this there is an application left to be understood q. d. What therefore is there that I cannot do by my strength and what places are there that I cannot subdue by my power Note here that we do not read these reproachfull words among Rabshakehs reproaches above mentioned yet were they spoken by him but were there omitted for brevities sake because they were here to be rehearsed 26. Hast thou not heard long agoe that I have done it c. i. e. Hast thou not heard long agoe that I did contrive it and determine it If thou hast not heard of it thou mightst have heard of it It the Antecedent to this Relative is to be understood from the latter part of this verse and it is this viz. That thou shouldst be to lay wast defenced Cities into ruinous heaps q. d. Hast thou not heard long ago that I contrived it and determined it that thou shouldst be to lay waste defenced Cities into ruinous heapes Two questions do here arise first how this hangs together with Sennacheribs speech Secondly how Sennacherib could come to hear that he should be to lay waste defenced Cities into ruinous heaps Answer To the first question I answer That this doth not relate to the words of Sennacherib which went immediately before but to those words which are mentioned cap. 36. v. 18 19 20. and repeated cap. 37.13 For those words are here to be understood though they are here omitted for brevity sake because they were there mentioned as the words which went immediately before were there omitted because they were to be mentioned here To the second question I answer That God said of Sennacherib that he was the rod of his anger and that the staffe in his hand was his indignation Cap. 10.5 And this he said because he intended to use him as an instrument to punish and destroy Cities and Countries and as he said this so might he have said more then this by his Prophets though their Prophecies came not to our hands by which Sennacherib might understand that what he did he did but as the instrument of the Lord and not as a supream and independent cause as he boasted Long agoe i. e. Heretofore Hyperbole That I have done it i. e. That I have contrived it A Metaphor from a Potter as in the word formed for I have done it is q. d. I have made it And of ancient times that I have formed it This is a repetition of the former sentence and for sense the same therewith Of ancient times i. e. Before now An Hyperbole That I have formed it i. e. That I have contrived it and determined it The word formed is metaphoricall taken from a Potter or some such like artist who makes some rude matter into some handsome forme See the like phrase Cap. 22. v. 11. Now I have brought it to passe i. e. And now I have brought to passe what I contrived and determined before to wit That thou shouldst be to lay waste defenced Citieâ— c. That thou shouldst be to lay waste defenced Cities into ruinous heapes i. e. That thou shouldst destroy and lay desolate those Cities though they be defenced Cities and well fortified which have sinned against me 27. Therefore their Inhabitants were of small power q. d. And therefore because I contrived it and determined it that thou shouldst lay waste defenced Cities into ruinous heapes and because I would at this time bring to passe what I determined and contrived were the Inhabitants of those Cities of small power and fainted at thy coming against them for I struck a feare into their hearts who otherwise would not have been so dismayed and easie to be overcome by thee They were as the grasse of the field Supple Which withereth if the wind bloweth upon it See cap. 40. vers 7 8. that is They were weak and fainted away and were not able to resist nor stand before thee As grass on the house tops Which withereth with a little heat of the Sun for want of root 28. But I know thy abode i. e. But I know what thou doest when thou abidest at home and sittest even in thy Closet and what thou dost meditate there against me Metonymia Adjuncti And thy going out and thy coming in i. e. And what thou doest or meditatest when thou goest out or comest in These speeches seem to be proverbiall and to signifie all the actions and counsells of a man both publique and private And thy rage against me q. d. And I know how mad thou art against me and how thou reproachest my power and threatenest me as though I were an idol as thou didst cap. 36.20 and cap. 37.10 and 24. 29. Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears i. e. Because I have heard thy outragious and ruffling words which thou hast belched forth against me Thy tumult i. e. Thy tumultuous and ruffling words Therefore will I put my hooke in thy nose He alludes here to Fisher-men who having struck the hooke with which they fish into the nose of the fish draw him which way they will in the waters And my bridle in thy lips He alludes to Horsemen who by putting a bridle into the horses mouth turne him which way they please James 3.3 I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest This is a proverbiall kinde of speech signifying as we say that he should go as he came or he should go without his errand That which is signified by the hooke and by the bridle and that which turned Sennacherib back was the rumor of the slaughter of an hundred fourscore and five thousand of his Army which were slaine by the Angel as they lay in siege before Jerusalem for when Sennacherib heard of this he returned in hast to his own place 30. And this shall be a sign unto thee He useth
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
by his name whereas they call an ordinary servant not by his name but with an hisse or a whistle or the like Thou art mine i. e. Thou art my servant yea my peculiar servant and therefore I will have a care of thee These words contain the meaning of those that went immediately before 2. When thou passest thorow the waters I will be with thee c. This and the other sentences which follow in this verse are proverbiall kinds of speeches and signifie all one and the same thing namely that the Lord will keep him safe in all dangers 3. Thy God And therfore will protect thee and provide for thee I gave Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee i. e. When Senacherib King of Assyria warred against thee and left Ashardhaddon his sonne to govern Assyria in his absence and to supply him with men and all things necessary for the absolute conquest of Judaea And Asharhaddon thought now to doe his utmost for subduing thee and destroying thy Land I diverted him and imployed his forces against Tirakah King of Ethiopia and the Egyptians and Sabaeans which accompanied him in his expedition against Assyria all whom I made a prey to the Assyrians sword and so I preserved thee Concerning Tirakah King of Egypt his expedition against Assyria See Cap. 37.9 and Cap. 18. where the event of his Expedition is foretold which was that hee should be overcome by the Assyrians Egypt By Egypt understand the Egyptians by a Metonymy And by the Egyptians those Egyptians which warred under Tirakah King of Ethiopia when he went in expedition against Assyria by a Synechdoche For thy ransome i. e. That I might deliver thee from the danger of the Assyrians and preserve thee A ransome properly taken is the price which is given for the redemption of a Captive by the mutuall consent of the redeemer and him of whom the Captive is redeemed when therefore he saith He gave Egypt for thy ransome c. He speaketh Metaphorically Ethiopia Ethiopia is a large Region lying beyond Egypt Southward Here it is taken by a Metonymy for the Ethiopians those Ethiopians which served under Tirakah their King against Assyria Seba. Seba was the Son of Cush Gen. 10.7 which was the father of the Sabaeans which inhabited Arabia the Happy And it is taken here for the Sabaeans the children of Seba or Laba even these Sabaeans that served under Tirakah King of Ethiopia in the expedition aforesaid For Thee i. e. For thy ransome or that I might deliver thee from the fury of the Assyrians Since thou wast precious in my sight i. e. Since the time that I made thee a peculiar Treasure to my selfe Exod. 19.5 That is since the time that I brought thee out of Egypt and cast a favourable eye upon thee Thou hast been honourable i. e. Thou hast been honourable in the sight of the Nations by reason of these great things which I have done for thee And I have loved thee i. e. And I have shewed my love unto thee Metonymia Efficientis Therefore will I give men for thee q. d. I am I say The Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy Saviour and I have given Egypt for thy ransome c. and I have loved thee therefore will I give men for thee c. God is not like man but whom he loveth he loveth to the end Iohn 13.1 And his former blessings are a motive to blesse againe whom he hath blest before I will give men for thee i. e. I will give men for thy ransom that I may redeeme thee out of the Babylonish captivity This was fulfilled when God gave the Babylonians as a prey to Cyrus by reason of which the Jewes which were held Captives by the Babylonians were delivered out of that Captivity And people for thy life i. e. And people to save thy life This is a repetition of the former Sentence 5. I will bring thy seed from the East and gather thee from the West c When the Babylonians invaded Iudaea they carried many of the Jewes away Captive into Babylon which lay Eastward from Iudaea and many of the Iewes fled Westward and many Northward and many Southward to save their lives and there lived in a kinde of Exile These therefore doth God here promise to bring backe againe into their own Land And he brought those of the Captivity into their own Land by the meanes of Cyrus Ezra 1. And the other hearing how mercifully God had dealt with them of the Captivity returned to their own Countrey againe not without joy and gladnesse of heart I will bring thy Seed i. e I will bring thy children O Iacob c. Metonymia Materiae And gather thee i. e. And gather thy Children Metonymia Efficientis 6. I will say to the North i. e. I will say to the Northerne people or people which dwell in the North parts of the earth Give up i. e. Give up my people which is among you into mine hands Bring my sonnes from farre i. e. All you which live a farre off bring the children of Israel which are to me as my sonnes which dwell among you into their owne Land 7. Even every one that is called by my name i. e. Bring yee even every one that is mine What is Gods is called by Gods name as v.g. The Son of God the Daughter of God As that which is Pauls is called by the name of Paul as Pauls cloake And what is Peters is called by the name of Peter as Peters sword c. And every thing which is owned is called by the name of its owner For I have created him i. e. I have made him For my glory i. e. That my glory That is that my power and my fidelity and my goodnesse may appeare in his preservation And that he may glorifie me and serve me onely because of these great things which I have determined and will doe for him I have formed him yea I have made him supple that I may be glorified in him and by him 8. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes and the deafe that have eares Bring forth the Idolls that have â—yes but see not and have eares but heare not Psa 115.6 This manner of speaking carrieth contempt with it As the Lord when he had told what he would doe for his people the Iewes and how he would deliver them out of the Babylonians Captivity made that his telling or foretelling of this an argument of his divinity And called upon the Idolaters and their Idols to bring what reasons they could The Idols to prove their own divinity and the Idolaters to prove the divinity which they gave to their Idols and in particular to shew whether they did ever foretell of that which God said He would bring to passe namely the delivery out of the Babylonish Captivity and bringing them to their own Land againe Cap. 42. v. 21 22 c. So doth he here and so often as he
his care and protection of them above others he may be said to sanctifie them and they which are thus separated may be said to be sanctified and holy See Notes cap. 4.3 As God therefore may be said to sanctifie a people when he separates them and puts a difference between them and others by his care and protection So when he deprives them of the care and protection which once he afforded them he may be said to profane them or pollute them The Princes of the Sanctuary By the Princes of the Sanctuary understand the chief Priests which ministred in the Temple and ordered things concerning the worship of God there who were called the Princes of the Sanctuary because they had inferior Priests and Levites and Nethinims to serve and attend them in their high Calling And given Jacob to the curse i. e. And have given the children of Jacob the Jews to destruction By Jacob understand the Jews the children of Jacob by a Metonymy And the curse here spoken of is such a curse whereby the thing accursed or the the thing given to the curse was to be destroyed as Josh 6.17 How Jacob that is how many of the Jews which were the children of Jacob were killed and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and his servants see 2 King 25. v. 7 21 c. And Israel i. e. And the Jews the children of Jacob who also was called Israel To reproaches i. e. To the reproach of their Enemies who in their captivity taunted them jeered them and reproached them ISAIAH CHAP. XLIV YEt now hear O Jacob c. This is to be continued with the former Chapter And the sence is q. d. But although I have profaned the Princes of the Sanctuary and have given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproach because of their sins yet now seeing your repentance Hear O Jacob my servant O Jacob my servant By Jacob he meaneth the Jews which were the children of Jacob the same also he meaneth by Israel 2. That made thee and formed thee from the womb i. e. That made thee a people from the first time that thou wast a people He speaks not of the making and forming of any one particular man which is made and formed in his mothers womb but of the making of a company of men into a people or Body politique yet he aliudes to the making and framing of a man in the womb of his mother Which will help thee Supple In all thy misery and distress Fear not Supple The Babylonians and their gods though thou art a Captive and hardly used in the Land of thy captivity For I will deliver thee and they shall not be able to hinder me See vers 8. And thou Jesurun This name Jesurun is taken out of Deut. 32. vers 15. where Moses gives it to the people of Israel and it signifieth right And it is therefore given to that people because God called them to lead a right or upright life and conversation Yet some think it to be an Hebrew diminutive of the Hebrew word Israel and to signifie as much as Little Israel as though the Lord had called his people here by a diminutive name as Fathers use to call their little children 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty The four sentences contained in this Verse signifie all one and the same thing namely That though the Jews were at this time in a poor decayed estate yet God would so bless them as that they should be delivered out of it and should revive and flourish again As the dry and thirsty ground though it be unpleasant and ill-favored to see to while it is so yet being watered it is hereby refreshed and recovereth its greenness and is clothed again with its former lustre I will pour water c. by water is meant rain the plenty whereof is signified by the word pour Vpon him i. e. Upon every Jew He speaketh of a Jew here as of a ground Metaphorically Vpon him that is thirsty i. e. Upon him that is as a thirsty Land that is upon him that is in misery and wants comfort Note that the thirstiness here mentioned is not the thirstiness of a man which is hot and dry and desireth drink to quench his thirst but the dryness of the ground for a dry ground is also called a thirsty ground Cap. 35.7 And to such a ground is the Jew in the depth of his misery and captivity here compared And floods upon the dry ground This is a repetition of the former sentence I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed i. e. I will greatly bless thy children By the Spirit of God is here meant Gods blessing as may appear by the following words which are but a repetition of these And the blessing of God is called the Spirit of God by a Metonymy because it proceedeth from the Spirit of God or from God who is a Spirit By seed are meant here children per Metonymiam Materiae 4. And they shall spring up as among the grass i. e. They shall spring up as young Trees or Plants among the grass which have moysture enough to nourish them and make them flourish 5. One shall say I am the Lords c. q. d. Such blessings will I pour upon them as that they shall confess that I am their God and that they are my servants because of the care I have of them and the favors that I shew to them though now they say My way is bid from the Lord my judgment is passed over from my God as Cap. 40. v. 27. I am the Lords Supple Servant And therefore shall call himself the Lords servant because he shall be sensible of the care which God hath of him and the blessing which he bestoweth upon him and shall in way of recompence resolve to serve the Lord so long as he shall live Another shall call himself by the name of Jacob And therefore shall he call himself by the name of Jacob because he shall see that the Lord hath as great respect to him as he had to Jacob and because he shall resolve to serve the Lord for the blessings which the Lord hath bestowed upon him as Jacob vowed to serve the Lord and did accordingly Gen. 28.21 Another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord Supple That he is his servant and will serve him And sirname himself by the name of Israel Israel is the name of Jacob and it was given to him because of the power which he had with God and prevailed with him Gen. 32.28 For the same reason as one named himself by the name of Jacob in the former part of this Verse doth another sirname himself by the name of Israel in this latter part And for the same reason as one said I am the Lords for the same reason doth the other subscribe with his hand unto the Lord. 6. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel That the Jews might the more firmly believe what the Lord had
between Christ and those believers 8. I hid my face from thee i. e. I was angry with thee A Metaphor taken from men who will not look upon those with whom they are very angry This verse is a repetition of the former And this repetition is for the more vehement Asseveration of what is spoken With everlasting kindnesse i. e. With kindnesse which shall endure a long time or many Generations 9. For this is as the waters of Noah i. e. For this That I have been wrath with thee shall be as the waters of Noah In what his anger shall be like the waters of Noah he sheweth in the ensuing words The waters of Noah by the waters of Noah he meaneth The waters which overwhelmed the earth and drowned all living Creatures in the dayes of Noah I have sworne that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the earth He alludeth to Gen. 9.11 where the Lord saith I will establish my Covenant with you neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a Floud neither shall there any more be a Floud to destroy the earth Obj. You may say that in that place of Genesis God doth not Sweare or make mention of any Oath How therefore is it said here I have sworne that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the earth Ans In that place of Genesis there is no explicite mention made of any Oath but yet it is implicitely involved that God did sweare at that time for God saith there that he will establish a Covenant Now solemne Covenants were wont to be confirmed with an Oath Hence I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworne to David my servant saith the Lord Ps 89.3 Nor rebuke thee i. e. Nor chide thee But where God chideth he punisheth too even by his chiding for his words are operative 10. For the Mountaines shall depart and the Hills be removed i. e. For the Mountaines may depart and be removed out of their place Neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed Neither shall the Covenant which I have made with thee In which Covenant I for my part have bound my selfe to give thee my peace Note here that the word peace signifieth all manner of good things and all prosperity in the Hebrew Dialect And all good things and all prosperity are from God So that God may well call peace his peace Yet the Covenant of my peace may be put for my covenant of peace but which way soever we take it the Sense is the same Note that the peace and mercy which God promised to the Iewes was by covenant Now in a covenant there be two parties and each party hath his condition and part of the covenant to performe wherefore if the Iewes performed not their part in the covenant and observed not the condition to which they were bound God was not bound on his part to performe what hee promised because his promise was conditionall Note that when he saith Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed he speakes of his covenant as of a corporall thing and alludeth to the removing of the Hills which he speakes of a little before in this verse 11. O thou afflicted tossed with tempest c. This is an Apostrophe to the Temple of Hierusalem which the Babylonians burned downe and was built againe after the Babylonish captivity To which Temple he speakes as he did to Sion as to a woman and a woman afflicted and tossed to and fro By a Prosopopoeia As Sion so the Temple is here a Type of Christs Church which is called the House of God Hebr. 10.21 1 Tim. 3.15 and 1 Pet. 4.17 Note that the Prophet speakes this to the Temple in the person of God Afflicted To wit by the Babylonians Tossed with tempest This is a Metaphor taken from a ship which is tossed and driven to and fro in the Sea by tempestuous winds and weather And not comforted behold c. i. e. And which hast no man to comfort thee behold Supple I the Lord will comfort thee I will lay thy stones with faire colours Iosephus writes that the very out-side of the Temple which he saw was curiously wrought with stones of divers colours And what stones were provided for the Temple which Solomon built See 1 Chron. 29.2 And the same stones did they use in building and adorning the Second Temple as farre as they were able to procure them as were used in building and adorning the First And lay the foundations with Saphir A Saphir is a pretious stone worne now in Rings of a sky colour 12. And I will make thy windowes of Agates An Agate is the name of a pretious stone which is sometimes of one sometimes of another colour And thy Gates of Carbuncles A Carbuncle is a pretious stone red and sparkling so called ab igniti carbonis colore i. e. From the colour of a live fire-coale And all thy Borders i. e. And all the Borders of thy Building 13. All thy children shall be taught of the Lord i. e. The Lord shall teach all thy children For he shall send his servants the Prophets as namely Haggai Zachary and Malachy to thy children that they may teach them and instruct them in his wayes Thy children By her children are meant the Jewes who were wont to goe up and worship in the Temple All thy children shall be taught of the Lord These words as they are meant of the children of the Temple in the first sense so in the second and more sublime sense they are meant of the children of the Church even the Church of Christ whom the Father will teach whatsoever they are to learne or believe Iohn 6.45 The children of the Temple being herein a Type of the children of the Church And great shall be the peace of thy children i. e. And thy children shall enjoy great prosperity 14. In righteousnesse shalt thou be established i. e. Thou shalt be established in peace and prosperity as I have said or according to my word By rtghteousnesse understand the truth and fidelity of God in performing what he saith or promiseth Or thus In righteousnesse thou shalt be established i. e. Thou shalt be established in peace and prosperity by thy righteousnesse i. e. By walking uprightly before me where In is put for By. Thou shalt be farre from oppression i. e. Thou shalt be farre from being oppressed by any as thou hast been of late and art still oppressed by the Babylonians Oppression is taken here passively For thou shalt not feare i. e. For thou shalt not have cause so much as to feare a-any oppressour And from terrour i. e. Thou shalt be farre from the dread or terrour of oppression 15. They shall surely be gathered together i. e. Behold they which wish thee evill and which are malitiously bent against thee shall gather themselves together to hinder thy building and thy peace Here is the Relative They put without
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
thy Sanctuary i. e. The Babylonians which are our adversaries and which hold us in hard captivity have broken down thy holy Temple Supple Therefore destroy thou them for so doing that we may be freed out of their hands The Temple was called the Sanctuary be-of the sanctity and holiness thereof How the Babylonians trod down the Temple see 2 Chron. 36.19 19. We are thine i. e. We are thy servants and thy peculiar people Supple Therefore let not the Babylonians tyrannize over us Thou never barest rule over them i. e. Thou wast never the King and the God and the Lord of our adversaries in that special manner as thou wast ours as that thou shouldst regard them before us They were not called by thy Name i. e. They were not ever thy peculiar servants as we were so that thou shouldst have any great respect or care of them Supple Why therefore dost thou suffer them to tyrannize over us and oppress us And why dost thou suffer us to be oppressed by them And why dost thou do for them more then thou didst for us Note that to be called by ones name is to be his servant or wife or his in some relation or other as the circumstance of the place requireth by whose name he is called See Cap. 4.1 c. ISAIAH CHAP. LXIV O That thou wouldst rent the Heavens Supple To make a way through them He speaks of God as if he were a man by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for if a man were in Heaven and would come down from thence he must have the Heavens opened and divided some way or other that he might have passage through them before he could come down he cannot pass through them shut or undivided being solid bodies Wouldst rent This word rent imports anger and indignation in the renter as though he could not tarry till the Heavens were orderly opened but would rend them in haste aâ—d make a way through them by violence Note that this is to be continued with the former Chapter That thou wouldst come down Supple Upon the Earth That the mountains might flow down at thy presence q. d. O that thou wouldst come down in flaming fire that the mountains might melt and run down like melted wax at thy presence with the heat thereof Here is an Ellipsis of those words O that thou wouldst come down with flaming fire Note that the Scripture when it describeth God coming to take vengeance describeth him for the most part coming with fire as Psal 50.3 97.3 Deut. 32.22 2 Sam. 22.9 Joel 2.3 2 Thess 1.8 c. And so doth our Prophet tacitely here describe him when he calls upon him to come and take vengeance on the Babylonians for he tacitely calls upon him to come with fire when he would have him so to come as that the mountains might flow down at his presence as appeareth Psal 97.5 Judg. 5.5 Note secondly that the mountains being earth are not of a nature fit to be melted no not with the greatest fire The Prophet therefore when he speaketh of the melting or flowing down of the mountains useth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Metaphor with an Hyperbole 2. As when the melting fire burneth q. d. O that thou wouldst come down with fire which would burn as hot as when the fire burneth c. Note these words O that thou wouldst come with fire which would burn as hot are here to be understood Note also that by the melting fire he nameth a vehement and strong fire for such a fire is required to the melting of metals The fire causeth the waters to boyl Here also the same words are to be understood which were to be understood in the former Verse q. d. O that thou wouldst come down with fire which would burn as hot as when the fire causeth the waters to boyl Note that by the fire which causeth the waters to boyle he meaneth a strange and vehement fire as he did by the melting fire for it must be a strong fire and a vehement which maketh a great furnace of water to boyle To make thy name known to thine adversaries Here he sheweth the ends why he would have the Lord come down from Heaven and come with fire to wit that he might take vengeance of his adversaries To make thy name known to thine adversaries i. e. To make thine Adversaries know thy power Supple by feeling of it That is q.d. To punish thine Adversaries and take vengeance on them Thy Name i. e. The Name of God is put here for God himselfe as Cap. 63. v. 16. And God for the power of God To thine Adversaries By these he meaneth the Babylonians whom he calleth the adversaries of God because they destroyed his Sanctuary Cap. 63.18 And because they kept the Jewes the people of God in an hard bondage That the Nations may tremble at thy presence i. e. That other Nations also may tremble when they see how heavily thou layest thy judgements upon the Babylonians Yet by the Babylonians I mean not those onely which lived in Babylon and the Precincts thereof but all those Nations which were subject to the King of Babylon which were many which Nations onely may be here meant when he saith that the Nations may tremble at thy presence And therefore might they tremble because the hand of God would be as well upon them as upon those which dwelt in Babylon and the Precincts thereof which are called Babylonia 3. When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for What these terrible things were and when they were done is not so easie to determine but they seem to have been done upon the Egyptians when God delivered his people out of their hands though they be not recorded in holy Writ For many things were received among the Hebrews for truth which were not therein recorded as will appeare by the Prophecie of Enoch which Jude mentioneth Jude 14. which is no where recorded in the Old Testament Which we looked yet for i. e. Which thou didst for us when we little dreamed of them and which therefore were the more welcome to us But how can the Prophet say here which we lookâ—d not for when they were done many hundred yeeres before his daies Answ Indeed these things were done long before the Prophets daies for they were done in the daies of his forefathers yet because all the Jewes were of one race and one people the children speak often of their fathers as of themselves and say that they did that or saw that which their fathers onely did and saw Thou camest down Supple from Heaven in flaming fire The mountaines flowed at thy presence See vers 1. After these words understand these or the like Being therefore O Lord thou hast come down heretofore from Heaven in flaming fire so that the mountaines flowed at thy presence when we looked not for it Thou canst come down again when we intreat thee 4. For since the beginning of the world men
the Lord mentioneth both his power and his good will towards Hierusalem and her children the Jewes that he might the better perswade the Jewes of what he said verse 23. To wit that he would redeeme Jacob and glorifie himselfe in Israel For what will not come to passe where neither power nor good will is wanting This latter part of the Chapter is as a reason therefore to enforce these words The Lord hath redeemed Jacob and glorified himselfe in Israel and may be ushered in with the causall conjunction For q. d. For thus saith the Lord thy redeemer c. Thy Redeemer i. e. Who hath often redeemed thee and will yet redeeme thee That formed thee from the wombe See verse 2. That stretcheth forth the Heavens i. e. That made and preserveth the heavens He alludeth to the stretching out the Curtaines of a Tent or Tabernacle Alone i. e. Without the helpe of any other q.d. And needed not the helpe of any Idoll to helpe me For he seemes to speake this especially in opposition to and in depression of Idols That spreadeth abroad the earth See Cap. 42.5 By my selfe i. e. Without any other to helpe me This is also spoken in opposition to and depression of Idols as that before 25. That frustrateth the tokens of the Lyars i. e. Which makes the Signes and the Tokens which Astrologers take from the Starres of future Events to be vaine and of no effect So that that shall not come to passe which they prognosticate from those signes and tokens in the Starres The Tokenâ— i. e. The Signes of future Events which they gather from the position of the Starres c. Of the Lyars By Lyars he meaneth Astrologers whom he calls Lyars because the Event of things shall not answer their Praedictions and Prognostications but happen or fall out cleane otherwise than they did prognosticate and foretell He speakes here of frustrating the tokens of Lyars because many Aâ—trologers did at this time Prognosticate by the Starres that Everlasting happinesse and dominion should be to the Babylonians and Eternall Captivity and Servitude to the Jewes And maketh Diviners mad i. e. And which will make the Divinations and Praedictions of Diviners and Sooth-sayers to prove false whereupon they shall runne mad to see their Divinations and Praedictions of so little worth or truth He speakes of making Diviners mad because many Diviners and Soothsayers did at this time Prophesie Peace to Babylon and Mercy without hope of redemption to the Captive Iewes And when Diviners and Sooth-sayers speake confidently of a thing to come if the thing doth not come to passe which they speake of they are oftentimes laughed and mocked and scoffed at by the People at which proud natures not knowing either how to beare it or how to avoyd it are so vexed as that they fret and storme and runne even mad to think of it That turneth wise men backward i. e. Which turneth the wise men from wisedome to folly That is which maketh the wise men of the earth fooles by infatuating their Counsells He useth a Metaphor taken from a man which when he either turneth or is turned from a thing hath his backe toward the thing from which he turneth or is turned He speaketh here of turning wise men backward and making their Counsell foolish because the State Counsellors of Babylon where the Iewes were Captive were famous for their wisedome and Policy in State Affaires From the 24. verse hitherto the Prophet hath showne especially the power of God from this place to the end of the Chapter he sheweth especially the good will of God to Hierusalem and so to the Iewes that the Iewes may no whit doubt of their Redemption out of Captivity 26. That confirmeth the word of his servant i. e. Which will make good the word of his Prophet Isaiah which he spake concerning the delivery of his People the Iewes out of Captivity And performeth the Counsell of his messengers i. e. And which will performe the Newes or Message which he sent by his Prophets his Messengers concerning the Redemption of his People out of Babylon and Babylons downfall The Counsell of his messengers He saith the Counsell of his messengers for the message of his messengers by a Metonymy because their message conteined the Counsell or determination of God concerning the downefall of Babylon and the Delivery of his People thence That saith to Hierusalem thou shalt be inhabited i. e. Which saith to Hierusalem though thou art now desolate and without Inhabitants thy Inhabitants being carried away Captive into Babylon yet thou shalt be inhabited againe for thy children and thine Inhabitants shall returne from Babylon and dwell againe in thee He speaketh to the City of Hierusalem as to a Person by a Metaphor or Prosopopoeia Yee shall be built i. e. Though the Babylonians have burnt you or beat you downe with Ramms and other Engines yet shall my ancient people the Iewes come out of Babylon where they are Captive and build you and dwell in you again And I will raise up the decayed places thereof i. e. For I will raise up the decayed places thereof And for For 27. That saith to the deep be dry and I will dry up thy Rivers By the deep I understand here the River Euphrates for not only the Sea but any great River also may be called the deep and Euphrates was the greatest River which was then known And by the Rivers I understand the waters of Euphrates and those smaller Rivers which either came out of or ran into Euphrates that great River of Babylonia For many such Rivâ—rs there were Now as for the meaning of these words in this place they may be taken Allegorically and the sense thereof may be this q. d. which say to all impediments which may hinder the way of my People the Iewes in their returne out of Babylon and the Dominions thereof homewards Be yâ—e removed and hinder not my People For understanding of which sense know that the Iewes though they were all Captive to the Babylonians yet many of them were carriâ—d into Captivity beyond the City of Babylon so that between the Land of Iudah and the place of their Captivity ran Euphrates and its other Rivers which might be a stop and an hindrance to the ready passage of the Iewes which were to passe from the Lâ—nd of their Captivity into the Land of Iudah their owne home That thereâ—ore he might signifie that none of the Iewes should be hindred in their passage homeward out of their Captivity He saith That saith to the deep be dry and I will dry up thy Rivers alluding herein to what the Lord did to Iordan when he brought his pâ—ople out of Egypt into Canaan for at that time he divided the waters of Iordâ—n and made his people a way throuâ—h the Channell thereof Iosh 3. Or Secondly the sense of those words Allegorically taken may be this q. d. That will destroy the King of Babylon and all his
Armies For by the River Euphrates and the Rivers thereof may be meant the King of Bâ—byl n and his Armies as by the River and â—s watâ—rs is meant the King of Assyria and thâ— gâ—eâ—t mâ—ltitude of men which the King o Assâ—ria brought â—p with him against Iudah Cap. 8.7 Againe we may observe that many take this place lâ—terally and interpret it of that Stratâ—gem which by the Lordâ— providence Cyrus used when he tooke Babylon for when Cyrus tooke Babylon he divided the waters of the River Euphâ—ates and divided them into certaine deep pits and great hollow places which he had made for that purpose by which meanes the Channell of Euphrates was passable by foot through which he led his Army into Babylon and so tooke that great City Which when he had took he set the Iewes free and did accommodate them in a most honourable manner for their returne into their own Land 28. That saith os Cyrus he is my Shepheard Cyrus is called here the Lords Shepâ—eaâ—d because the Lord appointed him to be as a Shepheard to gather his dispersed Sheep of the house of Iudah together and bring them home into the Land of Iâ—dah as into their owne Sheep-fold And this did Cyrus not by his own labour and paines but by his command and authority Ezra 1. And shall performe all my pleasure Supple Concerning the delivering of my people the Iewes out of Captivity and bringing them back into their own Land Even saying to Hierusalem i. e. That even say to Hierusalem Thou shalt be built That Hierusalem was ruined by the Chaldees or Babylonians we read 2 Chron. 36.19 and that it was built againe by the Iewes we read Nehem. 2. And to the Temple thy foundation shall be laid That the Temple of the Lord which was at Hierusalem was qâ—ite destroyed we read 2 Chron. 36.19 2 Kings 25.9 And that it was built againe by the Iewes we read Ezra Cap. 4.5 6. The foundations shall be laid i. e. Thou shalt be built For by the Foundations understand the whole building by a Metonymy ISAIAH CHAP. XLV THus saith the Lrd to his annointed Cyrus is here called the Lords annointed because the Lord intended to make him a King yea a great King And by calling him His annointed he alludeth to the Kings of Israel and Iudah who at their Inauguration were wont to be annointed with oyle And were therefore called the Lords annointed as 1 Sam. 26.16 c. Or Cyrus might be called the Lords annointed because of those eminent gifts which God gave him as memory wisedome courage c. by which he surpassed ordinary men For such gifts by which one man surpasseth another may be well compared to Oyle which being mixt with other liquours alwayes floateth at the top Or when he saith Thus saith the Lord to his annointed it may be as if he should say Thus saith the Lord to his sanctified one as Cap. 13.3 That is to him whom he hath separated and set apart for this service To wit to subdue and destroy the Babylonians and to deliver the Iewes out of Captivity and bring them into their owne Land againe And him whom the Lord hath Sanctified That is He whom he hath or separated and set apart may be called The Lords annointed in allusion both to those Persons and those things which were Sanctified that is which were separated and set apart for Gods service in the Temple For they were so separated and set apart both persons and things were consecrated by Annoinâ—ing Exod. 40. verse 9.13 To Cyruâ— i. e. Even to Cyrus This Cyrus was King of Persia and he is here and in other places of this Prophet called by this name a long time yea above 200. yeares before he was borne the like we reade of Iâ—siah he was called Iosiah long before his birth 1 Kings 13.2 Cyrus is a Persian name and in the Persian Language signifieth the Sunne so that this name did portend the great glory which Cyrus should be in For he which gave him this name was able to give him glory also sutable to his name Note that in these words Thus saith the Lord to his annointed the Lord speaketh and he speaketh of himselfe in the third person Whoâ—e right hand I bave holden i. e. Whose right hand I will hold Note here that he puts a Praeterperfect Tense for a Future To hold ones right hand may signifie to preserve or keep safe by a Metaphor from a man which layeth hold on a Childs arme or hand when he is in any danger to keep him safe therein and bring him out thereof Or from a man which taketh hold of the arme or hand of an old feeble man that so he may sustaine him and keep him up from falling And indeed the Lord did preserve Cyrus and keep him safe in the midst of all dangers even untill he had wrought the whole work which he had for him to worke Or to hold ones right hand may signifie to strengthen a man by a Metaphor from a man taking hold of the hand of a Child when he striketh that he may adde vigour thereto and make his blow or stroke the greater To subdue Nations before him i. e. That I may subdue many Nations before him That is That he may subdue many Nations by my helpe Cyrus did Conquer and subdue many Nations for he Conquered and subdued the Syrians and Assyrians and Arabians and Cappadâ—cians and Phrygians and Lydians and Carians and Phaenicians and Babylonians c. see Zenoph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 1. And I will loose the Loines of Kings i. e. And for whose sake I will strike feare and terrour into Kings Feare looseth the Loines and the joynts of those which are terrified or put in feare as appeareth Dan. 5.6 Therefore he saith I will loose the Loines of Kings for I will strike feare and terrour into Kings To open before him the two-leaved Gates i. e. That they may open to him the Gates of their Cities and take him in as their Conquerour The two-leaved Gates By the two-leaved Gates he meaneth the Gates of Fenced Cities for the Gates of such Cities doe usually consist of two leaves And the Gates shall not be shut q.d. And the Gates of their Cities shall be surely opened to receive him they shall not be shut against him 2. I wil go before thee This is that which the Lord saith to his annointed even to Cyrus And the Lord speakes here in the person of a way maker which is sent sometimes before a King and his Court sometimes before a General and his Army to make their wayes even and straight that they may finde no rub or hinderance in their way And make the crooked places straight i. e. And make the crooked wayes straight that thou mayest passe by them with the greater speed See Cap. 40.3 I will breake in pieces the Gates of Brasse q.d. I will breake in pieces the Gates of those Cities which shut their Gates
his people the Jews with all cruelty when they were in captivity and upon whom he poured out vengeance when he delivered his people by Cyrus Before she travelled she brought forth i. e. The Jews which were in captivity were delivered out of captivity and brought back to Sion sooner then any one could expect This is the meaning of the words which are proverbial and where Sion is compared to a teeming woman yea to a woman bringing forth before her pains came upon her and the Jews which were in captivity and brought home again to the children brought forth by such a woman Note that by she is meant Sion or Jerusalem of which he speaks as of a woman by a Prosopopoeia But the Relative She is put without an Antecedent which is a thing ordinary with the Hebrews Before her pain came she was delivered of a man-childe This is a repetition of the former words Of a man-childe The birth of a man-childe makes the joy the greater Joh. 16. vers 21. But whom doth he mean by this man-childe Ans He meaneth the whole people of the Jews for he speaks often of a people as of one individual man as Cap. 17.4 Or a man-childe may be taken collectivè for men-children q. d. Before her pain she was delivered of many men-children 8. Who hath heard such a thing q. d. Who ever heard or saw such a thing Who hath seen such things i. e. Supple as this That a woman should bring forth before she travelled and that she should be delivered before she was in pain as Sion was that is That a City should be so suddenly redeemed out of so great captivity and so suddenly filled with people which was so utterly desolate before as Jerusalem was when she was redeemed by Cyrus Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one day i. e. Shall a Land be made to bring forth in one day people enough to inhabit it The whole Earth is put by a Synecdoche for one Land and Country Or shall a Nation be born at once Or shall a whole Nation be suddenly born at one birth For as soon as Sion travelled she brought forth her children i. e. Yet Sion did all on the sudden bring forth all these her children which are more then enough to inhabit her cap. 49.20 By this Metaphor of Sion travelling and bringing forth the Prophet meaneth that Jerusalem was replenished in a moment with inhabitants which was desolate before multitudes of people returning on a sudden out of Babylon into her as if a whole Nation had been born in her in one day For is put here for Yet A question may here be asked How he can say As soon as Sion travelled she brought forth when as he said vers 7. Before she travelled she brought forth Ans These two phrases are both proverbial To bring forth before she travelled and To bring forth as soon as she travelled and both these may signifie one and the same thing viz. To bring forth of a sudden And this is all which is intended by this place to wit to shew the suddenness of Sions bringing forth her children And therefore he may say As soon as Sion travelled and Before Sion travelled she brought forth without any contradiction or contrariety So Cap. 65.24 The Lord saith Before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear By which phrases is onely meant that the Lord would be forward to help them when they stood in need of him So we read Matt. 10.10 that our Saviour whâ—n he sends forth his Disciples bids them carry no staves yet Mark 6.8 our Saviour tells them that they should take nothing for their journey save a staff onely in which words there is no contradiction if we look to the sence for by both phrases our Saviour intendeth that his Disciples should have nothing but what was necessary for the present and that Matthew signified when he said no staves for every poor man hath a staff And Mark when he said nothing save a staff onely for he that hath onely a staff hath nothing superfluous 9. Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth q. d. Shall I cause Sion to conceive and shall I perfect her fruit within her and bring it to the birth and shall I not cause her to bring it forth that is Shall I give Sion hopes of having her children return to her out of captivity and shall I not bring it to pass Shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb q. d. Shall I cause all mothers to bring forth and be fruitful and shall I shut the womb of my beloved Sion so that she shall not bring forth No I will not but I will open her womb and make her more fruitful then any mother in the world besides for I will make her very populous Or thus q. d. Shall I say that I will cause Sion to bring forth and yet shut her womb I will not do it To cause to bring forth in this last interpretation is taken for To say that he would cause to bring forth and To shut her womb for To suffer her womb to be shut 10. Rejoyce ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye which love her Supple Because of the happiness and prosperity which she shall enjoy He speaks to the captive Jews which sought the Lord and served him who therefore loved Jerusalem because the Lord had chosen it for the place of his worship And hereby he prophecyeth both of theirs and of Jerusalems prosperity All ye that mourn for her Supple Now in the time of her affliction and desolation because she lieth waste and desolate without Altar and without Temple to serve God in 11. That ye may suck and be satisfied with the brest of her consolation i. e. For though ye be now afflicted ye shall be partakers of her comfort This phrase is Metaphorical and alludeth to children which when they cry and weep the mother to quiet them and comfort them layeth them to the brest to suck Note that the Particle that signifieth here as often elsewhere either the connexion and consequence or else the cause of rejoycing That ye may milk out i. e. For ye shall milk out of her brests abundance of glory And be delighted with the abundance of her glory i. e. Ye shall eat and be delighted with the abundance of her glory that is of her prosperity and happiness By glory he meaneth prosperity and happiness per Metonymiam Effecti or Adjuncti because prosperity and happiness make him glorious who hath them And he compareth this glory that is this prosperity and happiness here to the milk of the brest 12. I will extend peace to her like a river i. e. I will give her that is Jerusalem abundance of prosperity and happiness The word peace signifieth in the Hebrew language all manner of prosperity and happiness And the word extend noteth abundance and continuance of
what is extended and when he saith He will extend peace as a river he signifieth exceâ—ding plenty of peace from the exceeding plenty of waters which flow in the river And the glory of the Gentiles i. e. And the riches of the Gentiles God gave Jerusalem the riches of the Gentiles partly by the victories which he gave the Jews over the Gentiles as the Edomites Moabites Philistins c. By which they had great preys and spoyls And partly by the Nations bringing into Jerusalem the riches of their several Countries by way of merchandize cap. 60.6 7 8. Like a flowing stream i. e. Like a full stream that is q. d. in abundance Then shall ye suck Supple Comfort and consolation and wealth from her See vers 11. Ye shall be born upon her sides i. e. Ye shall be carryed by her as children are carryed in the arms of their Nurse and so shall be always with her whereas ye are now snatched from her and carryed into captivity See cap. 60.4 Note that they which carry children in their arms carry them not at their arms end but so carry them as that they rest them upon their sides which is that which the Prophet alludeth to when he saith Ye shall be born upon her sides And dandled upon her knees The meaning of this and the foregoing phrases is That they shall live in Jerusalem and in as much joy and delight as the child doth which is always either carryed in the arms or danced upon the knees of a tender Mother or tender Nurse 14 When ye see this He meaneth that which is mentioned in vers 12 13. Your heart shall rejoyce i. e. Ye shall heartily rejoyce The heart being but a part is put here for the whole man by a Synecdoche And your bones shall flourish like an herb i. e. And your bones which were heretofore dryed away with sorrow and grief shall flourish again by reason of joy and mirth as herbs do in the spring which withered in the winter season As sorrow and grief do dry up the bones and consume the marrow thereof So joy and mirth do moisten them and make them abound with marrow and fatness Prov. 17.22 And the hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants i. e. For the power of the Lord shall be known by what he will do to his servants that is He will do such things for his servants as that all men shall take notice of his power for it The hand is put here by a metonymie for power which is shown by the hand Or by the hand may be meant bounty and liberality for the bountifull and liberall man giveth freely and what he giveth he giveth with the hand And then the sence is this q. d. For the bounty and liberality of the Lord shall be known towards his Servants by those great guifts and blessings which he will bestowe upon them And his indignation i. e. But his indignation and wrath And for But. Towards his Enemies By the enemies of the Lord are here meant the wicked Jews which transgressed against him as well as the Babylonians for both were his enemies 15 The Lord will come with fire This sheweth how terrible his coming should be against his enemies for fire is terrible See Heb. 12. v. 18.21 And with his Chariots like a whirlwind By Chariots he meaneth such Chariots as were wont to be used in Warre And hereby he speaketh of God as of a great King marching with terrour and great strength against his Enemies He compareth these Chariots here to a whirle-wind to signifie their swiftness and the speed which they should make see more of this Cap. 5.28 To render his anger Supple To or upon his enemies Anger is put here for punishment proceeding from anger Per metonymiam efficientis With fury In fury there is little mercy shown this therefore sheweth the grievousness of the punishment which he will inflict And his rebuke with flames of fire This is in a manner a repetition of the former sentence for the Lords rebuke is operative and therefore whom he rebuketh he doth also punish And as for fire it is merciless and terrible the most merciless and terrible of all the Elements Will the Lord plead with all flesh i. e. will the Lord fight with all flesh He useth a Law-word here for a military word pleading for fighting because in pleading also there is a contest between two Adversaries With all flesh That is with all his enemies whether they be Babylonians or the wicked part of the Jews also In these words there is a double Synecdoche There is Synecdoche membri and Synecdoche generis Synecdoche membri in that the flesh is put for the whole man And Synecdoche generis in that men in generall are put for those men onely which were Gods enemies in particular And the slain of the Lord shall be many i. e. And many shall they be which the Lord shall slay 17 They that sanctifie themselveâ— and purifie themselves Then these wicked Jews that use superstitious Ceremonies and washings thereby to cleanse themselves when they deem themselves unclean and impure In the Gardens In Gardens they were wont to set up their Idolls and use their Idolatry and superstitious rites See Cap. 1.29 65.3 There also it is likely they had their Lavers and waters to wash in Behind one Tree in the midst i. e. Behind or under one Tree planted in the midst thereof By one Tree is here meant some one speciall Tree which they seem to have made choyce of and set apart for their Idolatry and superstitious rites about the midd'st of their Gardens Eating Swines flesh This was unlawfull for a Jew to do Levit. 11.17 And the abomination i. e. And other abominable meats which were unlawfull for the Jew to eat such as are mentioned Levit. 11. Abomination is put here Per metonymiam adjuncti for abominable meat and abominable meat in the singular for abominable meats in the plurall number And the mouse The mouse was pronounced unclean to be eaten Levit. 11.29 Note that the Mouse in the singular number is put here collective for mice in the plurall number Note also that the Mouse was part of the abomination spoken of in the foregoing words But it is here particularly mentioned because it may be they took most delight in eating of the mouse Shall be consumed together i. e. Shall be all of them destroyed with the Babylonians and that by Cyrus in his expedition against Babylon 18 For I know their works their thoughts He prevents an objection here for whereas the Lord said they shall be all consumed together it might be said that the Lord may not know all those that did these things for many did these things very privately and therefore many might escape To this the Lord answers saying that he knew not all their works all the doings of their hands only but their thoughts also therefore none should escape but