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Isaiah prophesies

CHAPTER VIII.

against Israel. A. M. 3246. head, and the hair of the feet: and it || thousand vines at a thousand silver- A. M. 3246. shall also consume the beard. lings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.

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21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep;

22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give that he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left 12 in the land.

23 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a

12 Heb. in the midst of the land.

ing of the people from the highest to the lowest. The hairs of the head are those of the highest order in the state; those of the feet, or lower parts, are the common people: the beard is the king, the highpriest, the very supreme in dignity and majesty: for the eastern people have always held the beard in the highest veneration, and have been extremely jealous of its honour."

Verses 21-25. These verses "contain an elegant and very expressive description of a country depopulated, and left to run wild, from its adjuncts and circumstances; the vineyards and corn-fields, before well cultivated, now overrun with briers and

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24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.

25 And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

Chap. v. 6.

thorns; much grass, so that the few cattle that are left, a young cow and two sheep, have their full range, and abundant pasture; so as to yield milk in plenty to the scanty family of the owner: the thinly-scattered people living not on corn, wine, and oil, the produce of cultivation, but on milk and honey, the gifts of nature; and the whole land given up to the wild beasts; so that the miserable inhabitants are forced to go out armed with bows and arrows, either to defend themselves against the wild beasts, or to supply themselves with necessary food by hunting."-Bishop Lowth.

CHAPTER VIII.

That Judah also should be afflicted, 5-8.
That the Lord is a sanctuary to the
God must be waited on, even when he
The perplexity

The prophet foretels that Syria and Israel should be subdued by Assyria, 1-4.
Declares God's judgments to be irresistible, and that they ought to be feared, 9-13.
godly, and a stone of stumbling to the wicked, 14, 15. The prophecy is sure, 16.
seems to disregard his people's prayers, and necromancers and wizards must not be consulted, 17–20.
and misery of idolaters, 21, 22.

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A. M. 3216. MOREOVER, the LORD said unto write in it with a man's pen con- A. M. 3246. B. C. 36. me, Take thee a great roll, and cerning 1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

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a Chap. xxx. 8; Hab. ii. 2.——1 Heb. in making speed || to the spoil he hasteneth the prey, or, make speed, &c.

NOTES ON CHAPTER VIII.

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large and legible characters; and write in it with a man's pen-With such a pen as writers use, that so all may read and understand it. Bishop Lowth, deriving the word 2, here rendered roll, from 1, to show, to reveal, rather than from 4, to roll, translates it, a large mirror, or polished tablet of metal, like those which were anciently used for mir

Verse 1. Moreover, the Lord said unto me-Here || begins "the second section of this discourse, which reaches to the seventh verse of the next chapter, and is nearly of the same argument with the preceding; being prophetical, and containing matter both of comfort and reproof. It may be divided into two parts. The first part, in the first four verses, con-rors, and also for engraving on. Accordingly, he tains a confirmation and sign of the prediction con- renders the word , which we translate a pen, a cerning the sudden subversion of the kingdoms of graving tool. "In this manner," says he, "the Syria and Israel. The second part more fully and prophet was to record the prophecy of the destrucdistinctly explains the purpose of God with respect tion of Damascus and Samaria by the Assyrians: both to the Israelites and Jews, for the consolation || the subject and sum of which prophecy are here of the pious, and the terror of the impious and car- expressed, with great brevity, in four words, maher, nal, among them." Take thee a great roll-Or, a || shalal, hash, baz; that is, to hasten the spoil, to take great volume, because the prophecy to be written in || quickly the prey: which was afterward applied as it was large, and God would have it written in very || the name of the prophet's son, who was made a sign

Conquest of the Assyrians

ISAIAH.

over Israel predicted. A. M. 3246. 2 And I took unto me faithful wit- || of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria A. M. 3246. b nesses to record, Uriah the priest, shall be taken away before the king and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. of Assyria.

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as they were by Tiglath-pileser, within the time here limited, 2 Kings xv. 29.

Verse 5. The Lord spake also-"After having given the promise concerning the deliverance of the people from the fear of the two adverse kingdoms, God, by a new, or a continued revelation, (for it was not very distant in time from the former,) more distinctly unfolds his purpose concerning the fate, not only of Israel, but of Judah, and confirms what he had advised in the former prophecy concerning them. See chap. vii. 17, &c. For this is of nearly the same argument, except that it is more extensive,

is entirely prophetical, from this to verse 11, and contains a declaration of the events of the subsequent period, immediately leading to the time of fulfilling the promise respecting Immanuel; of these events, the first is the subversion of Ephraim, verses 6, 7; the second, the affliction of Judah, by the Assyrians also, verse 8; the third, the destruction of the hostile counsels and attempts of future times, which seemed to threaten a total excision of the church of God, verses 9, 10."-Vitringa and Dodd.

of the speedy completion of it; Haste-to-the-spoil, Quick-to-the-prey. And that it might be done with the greater solemnity, and to preclude all doubt of the real delivery of the prophecy before the event, he calls witnesses to attest the recording of it." Concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz --Concerning that thing which is signified by the name of the child, which is here mentioned by way of anticipation, as not being given him till verse 3; that is, concerning that which God is making haste to do, the giving up Syria and Israel for a prey to the Assyrians. Verses 2, 3. And I took me faithful witnesses-and involves many more mysteries. The first part Persons of unquestionable reputation, who should bear witness that the following name and prophecy were written and published by me, according to God's command. It is likely these witnesses signed a copy of the prophecy with their own hands, and || dated it according to the time it was declared by the prophet. And I went unto the prophetess-His own wife, so called, because she was the wife of a prophet, wives being frequently denominated from their husband's titles. Or possibly she herself might be endowed with the gift of prophecy. Some commentators suppose that Isaiah married another wife on this occasion, and that the witnesses above mentioned were called to attest the matrimonial contract, according to the custom of the Jews. But there are no indications of this, and, as it is certain from the preceding chapter that he already had a wife, the mother of Shear-jashub, it seems highly improbable that he should take another. Others again suppose, that these witnesses, who were persons of rank, "were called on to attend the circumcision of the prophet's son, and to attest the name by which he was called, as well as the prophecy, confirmed and illustrated by that name."

Verse 6. Forasmuch as this people-The people of Israel, of whom he last spake, and who are the chief subject of this whole prophecy; and who did rejoice, not only in their own king Pekah, but also in the assistance of so powerful an ally as Rezin was; refuseth-Or, rather, despiseth, as the word more properly, and most frequently, signifies; the waters of Shiloah that go softly-That small and contemptible brook which ran gently (as little rivers generally do) by Jerusalem, and which is here opposed to the great rivers of Tigris and Euphrates, by which the Assyrian empire was fortified. By these waters of Shiloah, he intends the munitions and strength of the Jews, including the kingdom of DaVerse 4. Before the child shall have knowledge to vid, and the divine protection and promise engaged cry, My father, &c.—To speak and know his parents; to support it, all which their enemies despised. And, which is within the space of two years. And this as the people of Judah, from a consideration of their agrees with the other prophecy, chap. vii. 16. For own weakness, and a distrust of God's promises, apit requires a longer time for a child to know to re- plied for assistance to the Assyrians, they also might fuse the evil, and choose the good, than to distinguish || properly be said to despise or refuse these waters of his parents from strangers; and Shear-jashub, being Shiloah, although they could not be said to rejoice born some years before this child, was capable of in Rezin and Remaliah's son. Here, therefore, the that higher degree of knowledge as soon as this was prophet assigns the reason which moved God to puncapable of the lower degree. The riches of Da-ish both the Ephraimites and the Jews by the Assymascus, &c., shall be taken away-The kingdoms of rians. They disbelieved his word, distrusted his proSyria and Israel, here signified by their two capital tection, and confided in an arm of flesh, and therefore cities, shall be stripped of their wealth and power, || the Lord chastised them.

Exhortation to

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A. M. 3263. 7 Now, therefore, behold, the LORD || ye shall be broken in pieces; and give A. M. 3263. bringeth up upon them the waters of ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourthe river, strong and many, even the king of selves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. up over all his channels, and go over all his 10 Take counsel together, and it shall come banks: to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand: "for God is with us.

8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, h he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

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11 ¶ For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, 12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to

9¶ Associate yourselves, O ye people, 5 and whom this people shall say, A confederacy;

Chap. x. 12.breadth of thy land Chap. vii. 14.

h Chap xxx. 28.—Heb. the fulness of the
shall be the stretchings out of his wings.
Joel iii. 9, 11.

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5 Or, yet.-
Job v. 12. Chap. vii. 7.- Chap. vii. 14;
Acts v. 38, 39; Rom. viii. 13.- Heb. in strength of hand.
Chap. vii. 2.

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that notwithstanding this dreadful scourge, yet God would make a difference between Israel and Judah; and whereas Israel should be so broken by the Assyrian, that they should not be a people, Judah should be restored, for the sake of the Messiah, to be the place of his birth and ministry, according to Gen.

xlix. 10.

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Verses 7, 8. Now, therefore-Because the Israel-|| ites and their army, combined with the Syrians, despise the weak state of the Jews, and the kingdom of David, now brought very low, and having no such || defence as can be compared to a great river, but only one that resembles a small brook that glides gently along; behold, the Lord bringeth upon them the waters of the river-Of Euphrates, often called the Verses 9, 10. Associate yourselves, O ye peopleriver, for its eminent greatness; whereby he under- || O ye Syrians and Israelites; and ye shall be broken stands the Assyrian forces, as the next words ex- in pieces-Your attempts against the house of Daplain the metaphor, which should overwhelm the || vid, and kingdom of Judah, will be fruitless, yea, will whole kingdom of Israel under Tiglath-pileser and issue in your own ruin. And give ear, all ye of far Shalmaneser; the king of Assyria and all his glo- || countries-Immanuel's name inspires the prophet ry-His numerous and puissant army, in which he gloried, chap. x. 8. He shall come up over all his channels-This great river shall overflow its own proper channels: that is, this great monarch shall not keep within his own proper bounds, but invade and overrun the whole land of Syria and Israel, as an overflowing river does the neighbouring meadows. As multitudes of people are often spoken of|| in Scripture under the emblem of great waters, so an invading army is very fitly represented by the|| inundation of a rapid river, which carries all before it, and leaves the ground waste and desolate. And he shall pass through Judah-Having overrun the land of Israel he shall invade the land of Judah, as Sennacherib did a few years after the conquest of || Samaria by Shalmaneser; see 2 Kings xviii. 9, 13. And he shall reach even to the neck-So that they shall be in great danger of being destroyed. He persists in the metaphor of a river swelling so high as to reach to a man's neck, and be ready to overwhelm him. Such was the danger of Judah's land when Sennacherib took all the fenced cities of Judah, (2 Kings xviii. 13,) and sent his army against the capital city of Jerusalem. The stretching out of his wings Of his forces, or of the wings of his army, as they anciently were, and still are, called. Shall fill the breadth of thy land-Of the land of Judah, so called, because the Messiah, who is called Immanuel, (chap. vii. 14,) should certainly be born, and live, and die there. And this is added emphatically for the consolation of God's people, to assure them,

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with new courage, and makes him send a challenge to all God's enemies, and foretel their certain downfall. He is, indeed, wrapt, as it were, into an ecstasy, upon considering the land as belonging to Immanuel, and foreseeing the future interposition of God for its protection. Gird yourselves—With armour: prepare for war; and ye shall be broken in pieces--He repeats it again for the greater assurance of the thing, and the comfort of God's people. Take counsel together--Against the Lord, and against his anointed, Psa. ii. 2; and it shall come to naught--All your counsels shall be defeated, and your designs rendered abortive. Speak the word-Not only fix, but declare your purpose, and make your boast of it; and it shall not stand-Still you shall fail of accomplishing what you so ardently desire; for God is with us--The Almighty and only true God fighteth for us and against you. This address of the prophet, to the confederate nations, is most elegant and spirited; and the foundation of his confidence is finely expressed in this last clause, in which he himself interprets the name Immanuel before given to the Messiah.

Verses 11, 12. For the Lord spake thus unto me -Here the prophet teaches the people by his own example, as one immediately taught by God, with what dispositions they should receive all the attempts of their enemies, to subvert the kingdom of God in their land, even to the time of the Messiah, of whose manifestation this instruction contains a repeated prophecy for the consolation of the pious, together

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A. M. 3263. P neither fear ye their fear, nor be || to both the houses of Israel, for a gin A. M. 3263 and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

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13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

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P1 Pet iii. 14, 15.

-9 Num. xx. 12.- Psa. lxxvi. 7; Luke
xii. 5. Ezek. xi. 16.

15 And many among them shall "stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. 16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

Chapter xxviii. 16; Luke ii. 34; Romans ix. 33; 1 Pet. ii. 8. Matt. xxi. 44; Luke xx. 18; Rom. ix. 32; xi. 25. with a denunciation of the most grievous judgments, complishment hereof was a notable confirmation of spiritual and temporal, upon the impious, incredu- their faith. And many among them-Not all; for lous, and profane. See Vitringa. With a strong there shall be a remnant, as was foretold, chap. iv. 2; hand-With a vehement and more than ordinary vi. 13; shall stumble-At that stone or rock, meninspiration. The Chaldee renders it, In the strength tioned verse 14. The writers of the New Testaof prophecy; perhaps it refers to those ecstasies into ment, who have so frequently quoted this passage, which the prophets were frequently wrapt. That prove, beyond all controversy, that the subject of it I should not walk in the way of this people--Of || is, God manifest in the flesh; the Messiah, who the generality of the people of Judah; whose immi- performed for his people all those benefits of grace nent danger and calamity he foretold, (verse 8,) giv- which this promise implies, being a sanctuary, or ing them, however, full assurance that God would de- || place of refuge to them; and who, at the same time, liver them out of it, verses 9, 10. Say ye not, A con- became to the hypocrites and unbelievers in Judea, federacy, &c.--You, my people, be not associated a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, to the with them in the confederacies which they are pro- destruction of the far greater part of that people. jecting: do not join with those that, for the securing See the margin. of themselves, are for making a league with the Assyrians, through unbelief, and distrust of God and their cause: do not come into any such confederacy. Neither fear ye their fear-Be not afraid of the confederacy with which they frighten themselves and one another, namely, that between Syria and Ephraim; or that thing which they fear, that, if they do not call in the Assyrian succours, they shall be destroyed by those two potent kings. Thus, when sinful confederacies are formed against God's church and people by their enemies, they should guard against sinful fears of such confederacies.

Verse 16. Bind up the testimony-There seems no doubt that the person here introduced speaking, is God the Father. By the testimony, and the law or doctrine, the prophet understands one and the same thing, as he doth also verse 20, namely, the word of God, and especially that which is the main scope thereof, the doctrine of the Messiah, which, though now professed by all the Israelites, should be disowned by the generality of them, when the Messiah should come. Bind up and seal are to be under stood prophetically, that is, declare and prophesy, that it shall be bound up and sealed; as Isaiah is said Verses 13-15. Sanctify the Lord of hosts-Give to make fat, and to blind, &c., Isa. vi. 10; and Jerehim the glory of his power, and goodness, and faith- miah, to root out, and pull down, &c., Jer. i. 10, fulness, by trusting in his promises for deliverance; when they foretel these events. Moreover, the exand let him be your fear-Let God, and not the pressions, bind up, and seal, design the same thing; kings of Syria and Israel, be the chief object of your and that is, 1st, Security, as things are bound up and fear. And he shall be for a sanctuary—A sure re-sealed, that they may not be lost. So he signifies, fuge to all that truly fear him, and rely upon him; but for a stone of stumbling-An occasion of sin and ruin, at whom they will take offence, and stumble, so as to fall and be broken, as it is expressed verse 15; to both the houses of Israel-To the two kingdoms, that of the ten tribes, and that of the two tribes. And for a gin, c., to the inhabitants of Jerusalem-This is distinctly mentioned as a wonderful thing, because Jerusalem was the seat of the temple, and of God's solemn worship; where all the means of knowledge and grace were in the greatest plenty; where the thrones of civil and ecclesiastical judicature were established; where the most wise and learned doctors had their constant abode. And that such a place and people should reject Immanuel, when he should appear, was so strange an occurrence, that the prediction of it was highly necessary, lest otherwise, when it came to pass, it should shake the faith of all who did believe on him; whereas, now the ac- Il

that although this doctrine should be lost among the body of the Israelites, yet it should be preserved among his disciples; and, 2d, Secrecy, as many things are bound up, or sealed, that they may be hid from the eyes of others. And so he informs them that this doctrine now was, and should be, hid, in a great measure, from all God's people, till the accomplishment of it; and that even when it was accomplished, it should still continue to be as a secret and mystery, known, indeed, to God's true disciples, but hid from the body of the nation, who would not see it, and therefore should be blinded by God's just judgment, that they should not see it, as was prophesied Isa. vi. 9, 10. By God's disciples, Hebrew, ", he means those who were taught of him, as it is expressed Isa. liv. 13, where this very word is used; or, every one that hath heard and learned of the Father, and therefore cometh unto Christ, as it is explained, John vi. 45.

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not a people seek unto their God? for the liv-behold trouble and darkness; dimness of aning to the dead?

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Chap. liv. 8. Hab. ii. 3; Luke ii. 25, 38.- 2 Heb. ii.

guish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

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Chap. xxix. 4.-d Psa. cvi. 28.- Luke xvi. 29. Mic. 13. Psa. lxxi. 7; Zech. iii. 8.- b 1 Sam. xxviii. 8; Chap. || iii. 6.- Heb. no morning.— - Rev. xvi. 11. Chap. v. 30. i Chap. ix. 1.

kix. 3.

Of whom, and of familiar spirits, see on Lev. xix. 31, and xx. 27; Deut. xviii. 11; that peep and mutter-That speak with a low voice, as the two words here used signify, which they affected to do, speaking rather inwardly in their bellies, than audibly with their mouths. Should not a people seek unto their God?--This answer the prophet puts into their mouths; doth not every nation, in cases of difficulty, seek to their gods? Much more should we do so, that have the only true God for our God. For the living to the dead-That is, for living men to inquire of the living God, is proper and reasonable ; but it is highly absurd for them to forsake him, and to seek dead idols, either to the images, or to the spirits of dead men, which are supposed to speak in them.

Verses 17, 18. And-Or yet, as the same particle is idolatry; shall say unto you-Who are the true peoiranslated, Jer. ii. 32, 35, and elsewhere; I will wait ple of God; Seek unto them that have familiar on the Lord-Notwithstanding this dreadful prophe- || spirits-For advice and help; and unto wizardscy, concerning the unbelief and rejection of Israel,|| will cast my care upon him, and expect the accomplishment of his promise, in sending the Messiah, and in conferring upon me, and all believing Israelites, all his mercies and blessings, to be procured for mankind by his merits; that hideth his face from the house of Jacob-That now doth, and threatens that he will hereafter, withdraw his favour and blessing from the family or people of Israel. And I will look for him--With an eye of faith and expectation, till his time come. Behold, I, &c.-These words were literally spoken by Isaiah concerning himself, but mystically concerning Christ, of whom the prophet was a type, and therefore they are fitly applied to Christ, Heb. ii. 13; and the children whom the Lord hath given me-His spiritual children, whom he had either begotten or instructed by his ministry; are for signs, &c., in Israel—Are a gazing-stock; are derided and ridiculed, for our folly in believing God's promises, and this even among the Israelites, who have been taught and who profess better things. From the Lord of hosts-Which comes to pass by the wise counsel and providence of God; which dwelleth in Zion-Where the temple was now, and where the Messiah was to set up his kingdom.

Verse 19. And when, &c.--The prophet, having foretold the coming of the Messiah, and spoken of the disciples he should have, takes this occasion of addressing the Jews, and reminding them of their duty, as he had done, chap. ii. 6, compared with verses 1, 2. He saw the nation much inclined to foreign superstitions, particularly to the divinations, soothsayings, and astrology of the Syrians, Egyptians, &c., but not regarding the pure doctrine of God's word as they ought: he therefore warns them against placing any dependance on such follies, and exhorts them to disregard all merely human teaching and assistance, and to apply solely to the divine law and testimony. When they--Those Israelites, to whom I and my children are for signs and wonders, and who are fallen from God into superstition and

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Verse 20. To the law and to the testimony-Let this dispute between you and them be determined by God's word, which is here, and in many other places, called the law, to signify their obligation to believe and obey it; and the testimony, because it is a witness between God and man, of God's will, and of man's duty. If they speak not, &c.--Your antagonists, who seek to pervert you. No lightThis proceeds from the darkness of their minds; they are blind, and cannot see. But these words are understood by divers learned interpreters, not as a declaration of their ignorance, but a prediction of their misery, light being most commonly used in Scripture for comfort and happiness, and darkness for sorrows and calamities. be much favoured by the then the words,

And this sense seems to following passage: and ', mean, no light, or no morning, shall be to them; that is, a night of misery shall come upon them, and they shall never have a morning of deliverance from it; they shall be swallowed up in endless calamities, as is farther declared in the following verses.

Verses 21, 22. And they--The idolatrous and apostate Israelites ; shall pass through it—Namely, their own land, into captivity; or, as ny may be

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