The gross folly and B. C. 710. CHAPTER XL. A. M. 3294. bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. 16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering. 17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. 18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? 19 The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains. 20 He that 14 is so empoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved. Dan. iv. 34.-P Psa. lxii. 9.4 Verse 25; Chap. xlvi. 5; vanity of idolatry. B. C. 710. 21 Have ye not known? have ye A. M. 3294 not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 15 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that "stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: 23 That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. 24 Yea, they shall not be planted: yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. Psalm xix. 1; Acts xiv. 17; Romans i. 19.- 15 Or, him that sitteth, &c.- - Job ix. 8; Psa. civ. 2; Chap. xlii. 5; xliv. 24; li. 13; Jer. x. 12. Job xii. 21; Psa. cvii. 40. silver chains-For ornaments; or rather, for use, to fasten it to a wall or pillar, lest it should fall down and be broken in pieces. Which is spoken by way of derision of such ridiculous deities as needed such supports. He that hath no oblation-That can hardly procure money to buy the meanest sacrifice; chooseth a tree, &c.-He is so mad upon his idols, that he will find money to procure the choicest materials, and the best artist to make his idol; to prepare a graven image, &c.—Which, after all this cost, cannot stir one step out of its place to give him any help. of the world are as nothing when compared with of it. The goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold God; and are counted by him, and in comparison-Beaten out into leaves or plates; and casteth of him, as the small dust which accidentally cleaves to the balance, but makes no alteration of the weight. Behold, he taketh up the isles, &c.-Those numerous and vast countries, to which they went from Judea by sea, which are commonly called isles in the Scriptures. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, &c.-Although he is pleased to accept poor and small sacrifices from his people, yet, if men were to offer a sacrifice suitable to his infinite excellency, the whole forest of Lebanon could not afford either a sufficient number of beasts to be sacrificed, or a sufficient quantity of wood to consume the sacrifice. All nations before him-In his eyes, or being set against him, as 1713 properly and usually signifies; are as nothing-In his judgment; or in comparison of him; less than nothing-Less than a thing of naught, or of no account or worth. Verses 21-24. Have ye not known--Jehovah to be the only true God, the Maker and Governor of the world, and all its inhabitants? How can ye be ignorant of so evident a truth? He addresses his speech to the idolatrous Gentiles; from the beginning-Namely, of the world, as the next clause Verse 18. To whom then will ye liken God?-This explains it were not these infinite perfections is a proper inference from the foregoing discourse of of God manifestly discovered to all mankind, by God's infinite greatness; from whence he takes oc- the creation of the world? It is he that sitteth casion to show both the folly of those that make-As a judge or governor upon his throne; upon, mean and visible representations of God, and the or rather, above, the circle of the earth-Far above utter inability of men or idols to give any opposition this round earth, even in the highest heavens; to God. And this discourse, concerning the madness from whence he looketh down upon the earth, of idolaters, prosecuted both here and in the follow-where men appear to him like grasshoppers. As ing chapter, was designed by God as a necessary antidote, whereby the Jews might be preserved from the contagion of idolatry, to which God saw they now had strong inclinations, and would have many and great temptations while they were in captivity. here we have the circle of the earth, so elsewhere we read of the circle of heaven, Job xxii. 14, and of the circle of the deep, or sea, Prov. viii. 27, because the form of the heaven, and earth, and sea, is circular. Spreadeth them out as a tent-For the benefit Verses 19, 20. The workman melteth a graven of the earth and of mankind, that all parts might image-He melteth some base metal into a mould partake of their comfortable influences. That bringwhich giveth it the form of an image, which after-eth the princes to nothing-Who can, at his pleaward is graven or carved to make it the more exact || sure, destroy all the great potentates of the world. and pleasing likeness of some creature. Thus the image owes all its excellence to the earth for the matter of it, and to the art of man for the fashion || ( 14 ) VOL. III. Yea, they--The princes and judges last mentioned; shall not be planted, &c.-They shall take no root, for planting and sowing are in order to taking root. 209 3 The infinite sufficiency ISAIAH. B. C. 710. of the Lord. A. M. 3294. 25 y To whom then will ye liken || heard, that the everlasting God, the A. M. 3294 me, or shall I be equal? saith the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? a there is no searching of his understanding. B. C. 710. Holy One. 29 He giveth power to the faint: and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: b 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall 16 renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. y Verse 18; Deut. iv. 15, &c.- Psa. cxlvii. 4. a Psa. cxlvii. 5; Rom. xi. 33.- D Psa. ciii. 5.- 16 Heb. change. They shall not continue and flourish, as they have of his church, or of the world? He is not by age vainly imagined, but shall be rooted up, and perish. or labour become weak and unable to help his peoVerses 25, 26. To whom then will ye liken me- || ple, as men are wont to be; nor is the care of them He repeats what he said verse 18, that he might any burden to him. There is no searching of his oblige them to the more serious and frequent consi- || understanding--His providence comprehends all deration of the absurdity of idolatry. Lift up your things, and nothing is exempted from it: and the eyes on high-To the high and starry heaven, as ap- counsels by which he governs all the world, and, in an pears from the following words. Who created these especial manner, the affairs of his people, are far above things--Which you see on high? The host of hea- the reach of any human understanding; and thereven, as it follows. That bringeth out their host- fore we act ignorantly and foolishly if we pass a rash That at first brought them out of nothing, and from day judgment upon the ways of the infinitely wise God. to day brings them forth, making them to rise and set in their appointed times; by number-As a general brings forth his army into the field, and there musters them. He calleth them all by names--As a master calleth all the members of his family. For that he is strong--Which work is a certain and evident proof of God's infinite power; not one faileth --Either to appear when he calls them, or to do the work to which he sends them. Verses 29-31. He giveth power to the faint--He hath strength enough, not only for himself, but for all, even the weakest of his creatures, whom he can easily strengthen to bear all their burdens, and to vanquish all their oppressors. The prophet seems to speak with an especial reference to those among God's people whose faith and hope were very low, which he would support, even until the time of their promised deliverance. Even the youths shall faint Verses 27, 28. Why sayest thou, O Jacob--The-Those that make the greatest boast of their consolatory part of the prophet's discourse begins at strength, as young men are apt to do, shall find it this verse, wherein the foregoing doctrine and prophe-fail them whenever God withdraws his support. cy are applied to the comfort of the church, complain- || But they that wait upon the Lord-That rely on him ing, amid her various afflictions, that she had been for strength to bear their burdens, and for deliverneglected of the Lord; which complaint makes the ance from them in due time; shall renew their basis of the consolation contained in this period. strength-Shall grow stronger and stronger in faith, Why dost thou give way to such jealousies con- patience, and fortitude, whereby they shall be more cerning thy God, of whose infinite power, and wis- than conquerors over all their enemies and adversidom, and goodness, there are such evident demon- ties. They shall mount up on wings as eaglesstrations? My way is hid-He takes no notice of Which, of all fowls, fly most strongly and swiftly, my prayers, and tears, and sufferings, but suffers and rise highest in their flight, and out of the reach mine enemies to abuse me at their pleasure. This of all danger. Instead of, They shall mount up, complaint is uttered in the name of the people, be- || &c., Bishop Lowth reads, They shall put forth fresh ing prophetically supposed to be in captivity. My feathers, like the moulting eagle; observing, "It judgment is passed over from my God--My cause. has been a common and popular opinion, that the God has neglected to plead my cause, and to give eagle lives and retains his vigour to a great age; judgment for me against mine enemies. Hast thou and that, beyond the common lot of other birds, he not known?--Art thou ignorant, wilt thou not consi- moults in his old age, and renews his feathers, and der; that the everlasting God-Who had no begin- with them his youth. Thou shalt renew my youth ning of days, and will have no end of life; who was like the eagle, says the psalmist, on which place St. from eternity, and will be to eternity, and with whom Ambrose notes, 'Aquila longam ætatem ducit, dum, therefore there is no deficiency, no decay; the Lord vetustis plumis fatiscentibus, nova pennarum suc--Hebrew, JEHOVAH, the self-existent Being; the cessione juvenescit.' The eagle extends his age to Creator of the ends of the earth--That is, of the whole earth, to its utmost bounds, and of all that is in it; fainteth not, neither is weary--With the care 210 a great length, while the old feathers failing, he grows 3 Gracious purposes CHAPTER XLI. CHAPTER XLI. of redemption. In this and the five following chapters, God is introduced as pleading his own cause against the false gods of the heathen, and challenging the idols to show such instances of their power and goodness in protecting their votaries, as might be alleged in his behalf, with respect to his care and providence over his people. These instructions were very proper to confirm the Jews in their religion, and preserve them from being drawn aside to comply with the Babylonish idolatry. But they likewise contain plain predictions of the coming of the Messiah, and of the calling of the Gentiles and their turning from idols to serve the true and living God. In this chapter, God, by his prophet, (1,) Shows the folly of those that worshipped idols, 1-9. (2,) He encourages his faithful people to trust in him, with an assurance that he would take their part against their enemies, make them victorious over them, and bring about a happy change in their affairs, 10-20. (3,) He challenges the idols, that were rivals with him for men's adoration, to vie with him, either for knowledge or power: either to show things to come, or to do good or evil, 21–29. NOTES ON CHAPTER XLI. Verse 1. Keep, &c.-"The prophet, having in view the subversion of idolatry, had, in the former chapter, from verse 18, argued against it, from the essence and nature of God, the supreme Creator and Ruler of the world, being such as not to be represented by any corporeal matter or figure. To this disputation he subjoined a consolation, directed to the people of God, from verse 27 to the end of the chapter. Therefore, after this consolatory parenthesis, he renews his disputation against idolaters, by an argument taken from God's certain foreknowledge, and foretelling of future events, from which he selects that remarkable one respecting Cyrus, as the deliverer of the people of God, and the destroyer of Babylon: an event utterly unknown to idols and idolaters, and therefore an astonishment to the nations; and yet an event which God so long time before exactly foretold in every circumstance by our prophet. He who can thus predict future events, the prophet urges, must be allowed to possess true divinity. He who cannot, has no claim to that honour. The prophet the rather makes use of this argument, because paganism so much gloried in its false prophecies and oracles. Here then is God exhibited, as if appearing in public, and preparing himself to dispute with idolaters, for his truth and || glory; and therefore the islands and people, all the nations of the world, are summoned to plead their cause; and an awful silence is enjoined, according to the forms observed in courts of justice, for both in this and verse 21 the expressions and ideas are taken || from those courts." See Vitringa and Dodd. The phrase, Let the people renew their strength, signifies, "Let them prepare themselves, and come forth to the cause, furnished with all the strength of argument and reason they can collect; let them unite all their powers, and set their cause in the best light possible." Verses 2, 3. Who raised up-Into being and power? Was it not my work alone? The righteous man-Many expositors understand this of Abraham, who was a person eminently righteous, and was called from the other side of the Euphrates, which lay eastward from Judea, and who performed the things here mentioned, partly in his own person, conquering five kings and their people with them, (Gen. xiv.,) and following God he knew not whither; and partly by his posterity, whose exploits may well be ascribed to him, not only because they came out of his loins, but also, and especially, because all their successes and victories were given to them for Abraham's sake, and by the virtue of God's covenant made with him. And this interpretation seems to receive some countenance from verses 5, 6, which agree well with the practice of the Canaanites and neighbouring nations; who, upon Israel's march toward them, were filled with great consternation, and used all possible diligence in seeking both to their idols and to men for help against them. To which may be added, that Abraham was called out of the east; and his posterity were introduced into the land of Canaan, in order to destroy the idolaters of that country; and they were established there on purpose to stand as a barrier against idolatry, then prevailing, and threatening to overrun the whole face of the earth. But though the particulars here mentioned by the prophet are most, or all of them, applicable to Abraham, yet Lowth, Vitringa, and many other commentators of great authority, think that they more exactly belong to Cyrus, and that upon a comparison of them with what is asserted verse 25; chap. xlv. 1, 13; and xlvi. 11, there can be no doubt that he is here meant. Cyrus might be called a righteous man, or, a man of righteousness, as the Hebrew rather means, because he was raised up in righteousness, as is said of him chap. xlv. 13, and was God's great instrument, to manifest his faithfulness in fulfilling his promise of delivering his people out of Babylon, and his justice in punishing the enemies and oppressors of his people, the Babylonians; upon which account the Medes, who served under Cyrus in his expedition, are called God's sanctified ones, chap. xiii. 3, 17. And all the other expressions here used are very applicable to The gross folly of A. M. 3294. 2 B. C. 710. 3 He pursued them, and passed || smith, and he that smootheth with A. M. 3294. safely; even by the way that he the hammer 5 him that smote the had not gone with his feet. anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering; and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. 4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. e 5 The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came. 6 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, 3 Be of good courage. 4 So the carpenter encouraged the gold-away. 2 Hebrew, in peace. d Verse 26; Chapter xliv. 7; xlvi. 10. e Chapter xliii. 10; xliv. 6; xlviii. 12; Rev. i. 17; xxii. 13. Chap. xl. 19; xliv. 12. Heb. Be strong.- - Chap. xl. 19. 4 Or, founder. him, and were verified in him. He came from the Verses 4-6. Who hath done it?-Whose work was this but mine? Calling the generations-Calling them out of nothing; giving them breath and being; disposing and employing them as I see fit: from the beginning-All persons and generations of mankind from the beginning of the world. I the Lord, the first, &c.-Who was before all things, even from eternity, and shall be unto eternity: the isles saw it, and feared-Even remote countries discerned the mighty work of God in delivering his people, and 5 Or, the smiting: -6 Or, saying of the solder, It is good. b Chapter xl. 20.- -i Deuteron. vii. 6; x. 15; xiv. 2; Psalm cxxxv. 4; Chapter xliii. 1; xliv. 1.—k 2 Chronicles xx. 7; James ii. 23. overthrowing their enemies in so wonderful a manner, and were afraid lest they should be involved in the same calamity. The ends of the earth drew near and came-They gathered themselves together to consult for their common safety, and to maintain the cause of their idols, which, by this instance, they perceived to be in great jeopardy. They helped every one his neighbour―They encouraged and assisted one another in their idolatrous practices. "Remote countries," says Lowth, "were astonished at the sudden rise of the conqueror Cyrus, and joined in an alliance to check his growing greatness, just as several artificers that are concerned in the trade of idol-making assist one another in carrying on their common interest, and stir up the zeal of others in defence of image-worship :" see Acts xix. 25. Or, according to others, the prophet describes in these verses the vain and fruitless attempt of idolaters to hinder the effect of Cyrus's appearance, namely, the demolition of Babylon and its idols. "The passage may be also fitly applied to the heathen powers combining together to support idolatry, and suppress the Christian religion." Verses 8-13. But thou, Israel, art my servant— Thus the Gentiles show themselves to be the servants of their idols, and own them for their gods: but thou art my people, and I am and will be thy God. Jacob, whom I have chosen-Out of the multitude of idolatrous nations, to be my peculiar people. The seed of Abraham my friend-With whom I made a strict league of perpetual friendship: see Gen. xii. 2, 3, and xv. 1, 8. "The expressions are very endearing it is honourable to be God's servant, still more so to be his chosen servant, and to be descended from one to whom he vouchsafed the title of friend, as God did to Abraham, (2 Chron. xx. 7,) the greatest honour that any man is capable of: which glorious privilege Christ was pleased to communicate to his disciples, John xv. 13. Thou whom I have taken, &c.-Thou Israel, whom I took to myself, and brought hither in the loins of thy father Abraham, from a remote country, namely, from Chaldea; or, whom I brought out of Babylon into thine own land: God's merciful purpose A. M. 3294. CHAPTER XLI. 10 Fear thou not; m for I am B. C. 710. with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. 7 12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught. 9 13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. 10 men 14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp thrash Ver. 13, 14; Chap. xliii. 5.- Deut. xxxi. 6, 8.- - Ex. xxiii. 22; Chap. xlv. 24; lx. 12; Zech. xii. 3.Heb. the men of thy strife. - Heb. the men of thy contention.9 Heb. the men to defend his followers. ing instrument having "teeth: thou A. M. 3294. shalt thrash the mountains, and beat B. C. 710. them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. 16 Thou shalt a fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. 17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah-tree, and the myrtle, and the oiltree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, and the pine, and the box-tree together: of thy war. Verse 10.- 10 Or, few men. which, though yet to come, he may speak of as of a Verses 14-16. Fear not, thou worm Jacob-Who thing past, according to the usual custom of the art weak in thyself, despised and trodden under foot prophets when foretelling future events. But the by thy proud and potent enemies. I will make thee former interpretation seems better to agree with the a new sharp thrashing instrument-Such as were foregoing verse. And called thee from the chief || usual in those times and places. Thou shalt thrash men thereof-From the midst of many great and the mountains and hills-The great and lofty ponoble persons, among whom he lived in Chaldea. tentates of the world, which set themselves against But the Hebrew, np, is rendered by Vitringa thee: or, the greater or lesser kingdoms or countries and Dr. Waterland, from the sides thereof, and by which were enemies to God's truth and people; so Bishop Lowth, from the extremities thereof, which the phrase signifies, chap. ii. 14, and Psa. lxxii. 3. is probably the prophet's meaning. I have chosen, The expressions of this and the following verse and not cast thee away-Or, and will not reject thee: allude to the custom of the eastern countries, of I have chosen thee and thy seed through all gene- || having their thrashing-floors upon the tops of hills rations. They that were incensed against thee and mountains. Thou shalt fan them-When thou shall be confounded-Both because their hopes and hast beaten them as small as chaff; and the wind designs shall be utterly disappointed, and because the shall carry them away-They shall no more molest mischief which they contrived against thee shall thee; they shall be scattered and lost. And thou fall on themselves. They shall be as nothing-Shall shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel—For to him, come to nothing, or perish. Thou shalt not find and not to thyself, thou shalt ascribe thy victory over them-They shall be so totally consumed, that thine enemies. although thou search for them, thou shalt not be able Verses 17-20. When the poor and needy seek wato find them anywhere in the world. "The power-ter, &c.-When my poor people are come to the ful monarchies that have been incensed against the greatest extremity of danger and misery, then will church, and have contended with her, have been I appear for their relief. I will open rivers in high put to shame, and brought to nothing: and this pre-places-Upon the hills and mountains, where, by the diction hath already been fulfilled in the ruin of the Egyptian, Assyrian, Chaldean, Macedonian, and Roman empires, which we now may seek for in vain; for no vestiges of the four former, and scarcely any of the last, can be found; while the church still subsists! In like manner all that now do, or hereafter shall contend with her, shall perish."-Scott. I the Lord will hold thy hand-Or, will strengthen it, as pin signifies: I will assist and enable thee to vanquish all thine enemies. course of nature, there are no rivers; and fountains in the midst of valleys-Or, in the valleys, namely, in such of them as are not well watered. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, &c.-Those people who are like a dry and barren wilderness, I will abundantly water with my blessings, and make them fruitful: which may be understood either of the Jews, who were in a wilderness condition, till God brought them out of it; or of the Gentiles converted to the true religion under the gospel. I will |