כי ככה

komatı u izuzym ciazioah ki
non

pereen a chasdo zabar

*For a the heavens are high above the earth,

e naman vos mster, the rocks rejoice; euw Bros perake of human voice." DRYDEN.

Verse 11. Jutent of the thorn-Instead of the Jury bushes. These Chewise (see note on the preresting verse, and on chap. lv. 11) are general poetra mages, expressing a great and happy change for the better. The widerness turned into a paradise, Lebanon into Carmel: the desert of the Gentiles watered with the heavenly snow and rain, which fail not to have their due effect, and becoming fruitful in piety and righteousness: or, as the Chaldee gives the moral sense of the emblem, "instead of the wicked shall arise the just; and instead of sinners, such as fear to sin." Compare chap. xxxv. 1, 2; xli. 19.

And instead of] The conjunction rau is added, vetachath, in forty-five MSS. of Kennicott's, several of De Rossi's, and five editions; and it is acknowledged by all the ancient Versions. The Masoretes therefore might have safely received it into the text, and not have referred us for it to the margin. But this is no uncommon case with them. Even in our own Version the best reading is very often found These are in the margin.

So with a ha goodness over them that fear him." Where, by the nature of the sentence, the verb in the second line ought to be the same with that in the first; TTC) gabah, not ~2 gabar: so Archbishop Secker conjectured; referring however to Psa. exvii. 2. Verse 12. The mountains and the hills]

212

CHAP. LVI.

CHAPTER LVI.

Whoever would partake of the blessings of the Gospel is required to be holy in all manner of life and conversation. And he that will be so is declared to be accepted according to this gracious dispensation, the blessings of which are large as the human race, without any respect to persons or to nations, 1–8. At the ninth verse begins a different subject, or new section of prophecy. It opens with calling on the enemies of the Jews, (the Chaldeans, or perhaps the Romans,) as beasts of prey against them, for the sins of their rulers, teachers, and other profane people among them, whose guilt drew down judgments on the nation,

ISAIAH.

10 His watchmen are blind: Olymp. XVII. 1. they are all ignorant, they are

cir. annum

૧

Numa Pompilii, all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to

R. Roman. 4. r

and worldly ministers.

A. M. cir. 3292.

B. C. cir. 712.

Olymp. XVII. 1.

cir. annum

Numa Pompilii,

R. Roman., 4.

that cannot understand: they all
look to their own way, every one
for his gain, from his quarter.
12 Come ye, say they, I will
fetch wine; and we will fill ourselves with
strong drink; and to-morrow shall be as this
day, and much more abundant.

u Heb. know not to be satisfied.- - Ezek. xxxiv. 2, 3.-w Psa. x. 6; Prov. xxiii. 35; chap. xxii. 13; Luke xii. 19; 1 Cor. xv. 32.

Septuagint. This seems to be the best authority for the meaning of this word, which occurs only in this place: but it is to be observed, that eleven MSS. of Kennicott's and De Rossi's, and four editions, have D' chazim, seers, or those who see; and so the Vulgate seems to have read, videntes vana, "seeing vain things."

bably having in view the destruction of their city and polity by the Chaldeans, and perhaps by the Romans. The same subject is continued in the next chapter; in which the charge of corruption and apostasy becomes more general against the whole Jewish Church. Some expositors have made great difficulties in the 9th verse of this chapter, where there seems to be none, It is perfectly well explained by Jeremiah, chap. xii. Loving to slumber.] olanum: but six of Ken7, 9, where, having introduced God declaring his pur-nicott's and seven of De Rossi's MSS. read Duh lanus, pose of punishing his people, by giving them up as a to fly, "to change their residence:" but what conprey to their enemies the Chaldeans, a charge to these nexion such reading can have with the sense of the his agents is given in words very nearly. the same passage, I cannot discern. What is taken for ▷ sawith those of Isaiah in this place:→→→ mech here is, I have no doubt, à narrow formed final instances occur in my own MSS., where the final □ Dmem, which has been mistaken for the above. Many mem is similar to the samech; and yet no such change was intended by the scribe.

"I have forsaken my house ;. I have deserted my heritage;

I have given up the beloved of my soul into the

hands of her enemies.

Come away, be gathered together, all the field;

Come away to devour."

ye beasts of

All ye beasts in the forest-" All ye beasts of the forest."] Instead of y' baiyaar, three MSS. have yaar, without the preposition; which seems to be right, and is confirmed by all the ancient Versions.

Verse 11. Greedy dogs] Insatiably feeding themselves with the fat, and clothing themselves with the wool, while the flock is scattered, ravaged, and starved! O what an abundance of these dumb and greedy dogs are there found hanging on and prowling about the flock of Christ! How can any careless, avaricious, hireling minister read this without agitation and dismay?

So

The

Verse 12. I will fetch wine-"Let us provide Verse 10. His watchmen are blind] Kimchi ob- wine"] For ps ekchah, first person singular, an anserves, "The flock is intrusted to the care of these cient MS. has p nikchah, first person plural; and watchmen. The wild beasts come; these dogs bark another ancient MS. has pr ak upon a rasure. not; and the wild beasts devour the flock. Thus they the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate render it. do not profit the flock. Yea, they injure it; for the spirit of this epicurean sentiment is this: Let us in owner trusts in them, that they will watch and be faith-dulge ourselves in the present time to the utmost, and ful; but they are not. These are the false teachers instead of any gloomy forebodings of the future, let us and careless shepherds." expect nothing but increasing hilarity for every day we shall live. Thus they,

Dumb dogs, they cannot bark] See note on chap. Ixii. 6.

Sleeping Dreamers"] D'n hozim, svuvia oμevos,

"Counting on long years of pleasure here,
Are quite unfurnished for the world to come,"

CHAPTER LVII.

After mentioning the removal of righteous persons as an awful symptom of the approach of Divine judg ments, 1, 2, the prophet goes on to charge the nation in general with idolatry, and with courting the unproptable alliance of idolatrous kings, 3-12. In opposition to such vain confidence, the prophet enjoins trust in God, with whom the penitent and humble are sure to find acceptance, and from whom they should obtain temporal and spiritual deliverances, 13-19. Awful condition of the wicked and finally impenitent, 20, 21,

214

Threatenings against

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Olymp. XVII. 1.

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CHAP. LVII.

THE righteous perisheth, and

the wicked,

B. C. cir. 712. Olymp. XVII. 1.

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sorceress, the seed of the adul- A. M. cir. 3292, no man layeth it to heart: terer and the whore. and merciful b men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to

Numa Pompilii,
R. Roman., 4.

с

4 Against whom do ye sport Numa Pompilii, yourselves? against whom make

R. Roman., 4.

i

า

ye. a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue d are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

3 But draw near hither, hye sons of the

Heb. men of kindness, or godliness. Psa. xii. 1; Mic. vii. 2. 1 Kings xiv. 13; see 2 Kings xxii. 20; Wisd. iv. 20, &c. dOr, from that which is evil. Or, go in peace; Luke ii. 29. 12 Chron. xvi. 14.

NOTES ON CHAP. LVII.

I shall give Bishop Lowth's translation of the two first verses, and give the substance of his criticisms with additional evidence.

Ver. 1. The righteous man perisheth, and no one considereth;

same sense is expressed at large and in full terms, Gen. xv. 15 : piha pian veattah tibbo al abotheycha beshalom," and thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace."

They shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness" He shall rest in his bed; even the perfect man"] This obscure sentence is reduced to a perfectly good sense, and easy construction by an inThat the righteous man is taken away be- genious remark of Dr. Durell. He reads by

And pious men are taken away, and no one
understandeth,

cause of the evil.

2. He shall go in peace he shall rest in his bed; Even the perfect man: he that walketh in the straight path. Verse 1. The righteous perisheth—8 pyn hatstsadik abad. There is an emphasis here which seems intended to point out a particular person. See below. Perisheth-As the root y abad signifies the straying of cattle, their passing away from one pasture to another, I feel inclined to follow the grammatical - meaning of the word "perish," pereo. So the Vulgate, justus periit, from per, BY or THROUGH, and eo, to do. In his death the righteous man may be said to have passed through life, and to have passed by men, i. e., gone or passed before them into the eternal world. A similar mode of speech is used by our Saxon ancestors to express death: geroɲon site, he went out of sight; and geron, he went away; and foɲoroɲen, to fare forth, to die.

There are very few places in Isaiah where Jesus Christ is not intended; and I am inclined to think that He is intended here, THAT Just One; and perhaps Stephen had this place in view, when he thus charged the Jews, "Ye denied rov ȧyov xai dixasov, that HOLY and JUST One," Acts iii. 14. That his death was not laid to heart by the wicked Jewish people, needs no proof.

On 19 yanuach al mishcabo tam, "the perfect man shall rest in his bed." Two MSS. (one of them an cient) have ♪ yanuach, singular; and so the Vulgate renders it, requiescat, "he shall rest." The verb was probably altered to make it plural, and so consistent with what follows, after the mistake had been made in the following words, by uniting 1 mishcabo and on tam into one word. See Merrick's Annotations on the Psalms, Addenda; where the reader will find that J. S. Moerlius, by the same sort of correction, and by rescuing the adjective □ tam, which had been swallowed up in another word in the same manner, has restored to a clear sense a passage before absolutely un« intelligible :

ulam ubari tham

"For no distresses happen to them;

Perfect and firm is their strength." Psa. lxxiii. 4. To follow on my application of this to our Lord :HE, the JUST ONE, shall enter into peace—the peaceable, prosperous possession of the glorious mediatorial kingdom. They shall rest upon their beds—the hand of wrong and oppression can reach these persecuted Merciful men] If the first refers to Christ, this may followers of Christ no more. (But see below.) well refer to the apostles, and to others of the primi- perfect man walking in his uprightness. This may be tive Christians, who were taken away, some by death considered as a general declaration. The separated and martyrdom, and others by a providential escape spirit, though disunited from its body, walking in confrom the city that they knew was devoted to destruc-scious existence in the paradise of God, reaping the

tion.

The evil to come.] That destruction which was to come upon this disobedient people by the Romans.

Verse 2. He shall enter into peace-" He shall go in peace"] D ɔ yabo shalom; the expression is elliptical, such as the prophet frequently uses. The

The

fruit of righteousness. The word which we render their beds, mishkebotham, the learned bishop sup poses to be two words; and to be compounded of 12 mishkabo, his bed, and On tam, the upright or perfect man. This is the reading both of the Syriae and Vulgate, and it is favoured by the Chaldee; and

Hypocritical idolaters

A. M. cir. 3292.-
B. C. cir. 712.

cir. annum

A. M. cir. 3292.
B. C. cir. 712.

cir. annum

6. Among the smooth stones of thou set up thy remembrance : Olymp. XVII. 1. the stream is thy portion; they, for thou hast discovered thyself Olymp. XVII. 1. Numa Pompilii, they are thy lot: even to them to another than me, and art gone Numa Pompilii, R. Roman., 4. hast thou poured a drink-offering, up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, R. Roman., 4. thou hast offered a meat-offering. Should I and made thee a covenant with them; a thou receive comfort in these? lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

n

7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou

set thy bed even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst

8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast debase thyself even unto hell.

p

-P Or, hewed it for
Ezek. xvi. 26, 28; xxiii. 2-20.

n Ezek. xvi. 16, 25.—— o Ezek. xxiii. 41.thyself larger than theirs.

S

Or, thou providest room. Or, thou respectedst the king. Chap. xxx. 6; Ezek. xvi. 33; xxiii. 16; Hos. vii. 11; xii. 1. one of De Rossi's MS. has 11 mishkabo, his bed, practice in this respect before he became a Christian : without the word D tam, which has been added by a Si quando conspexeram lubricatum lapidem, et ex olivi later hand. Bishop Lowth, as we have seen, adopts this unguine sordidatum; tanquam inesset vis præsens, separation of the word; and for yanuchu, they adulabar, affabar, et beneficia poscebam nihil sentiente shall rest, reads 'yanuach, he shall rest, which is de trunco." When I have met with a smooth stone, supported by two of Dr. Kennicott's MSS., and by the smeared with oil, supposing a spiritual power to be conVulgate, Septuagint, and Arabic. The word tam,nected with it, I worshipped it, paid my addresses to taken from mishkebotham, should begin the latter clause of the verse; and then the interpolated words, each one, which our translators supplied, may be very well spared. The verse may be then read and paraphrased thus :—

He shall enter into peace: he shall rest upon his bed;
The perfect man walking in his uprightness.

:

The bed must signify the grave ; the walking in uprightness after death, the conscious existence of the happy spirit, and its eternal progression in happiness and perfection in nechocho, straight before him; proceeding into the unlimited extent of eternal glory, increasing in happiness, and increasing in perfection. My old MS. Bible translates very nervously :— The rightwise man perishith,

And there is not that bethinke in his herte.
And men of mercy ben gedrid,
For there is not that understonde:
From the face forgoth of malice,
Gedrid is the rigtwise. -
Cumm pese: reste it in his bed
That geede in his rigt rewlinge.

It has been often remarked that, previously to the execution of God's judgments upon a wicked place, he has removed good men from it, that they might not suffer with the wicked. When great and good men are removed by death, or otherwise, from any place, the remaining inhabitants have much cause to

tremble.

66

Verse 6. Among the smooth stones of the stream Among the smooth stones of the valley"] The Jews were extremely addicted to the practice of many superstitious and idolatrous rites, which the prophet here inveighs against with great vehemence. Of the worship of rude stones consecrated, there are many testimonials of the ancients. They were called Bauruλοι and Βαιτυλια· probably from the stone which Jacob erected at Beth-el, pouring oil upon the top of it. This practice was very common in different ages and places. Arnobius, lib. i., gives an account of his own

it, and requested blessings," &c. Clemens Alex.,
Strom. lib. vii., speaks of a worshipper of every smooth
stone in a proverbial way, to denote one given up to
superstition. And accordingly Theophrastus has mark-
ed this as one strong feature in the character of the
superstitious man: Kai swv XaрWV WV TWV Ev sais
τριόδοις παρίων, εκ της ληκυθου ελαίου καταχειν, και επι
γονατα πεσων και προσκύνησας απαλλάττεσθαι. “ Pass-
ing by the anointed stones in the streets, he takes out
his phial of oil, and pours it on them; and having fallen
on his knees, and made his adorations, he departs."
Kimchi "When they found a beautiful polished
says:
stone in a brook or river, they paid Divine adoration to
it." This idolatry is still prevalent among the Hindoos.
The stone which is the object of their adoration is
called salgram. They are found about eighty miles from
the source of the river Sown, in the viceroyalty of
Bahar, on the coast of Bengal. Ayeen Akbery, vol.
ii. p. 29.

Verse 8. Behind the doors also and the posts hast
thou set up thy remembrance-" Behind the door, and
the door-posts, hast thou set up thy memorial"] That
is, the image of their tutelary gods, or something dedi-
cated to them; in direct opposition to the law of God,
which commanded them to write upon the door-posts of
their house, and upon their gates, the words of God's
law; Deut. vi. 9; xi. 20. If they chose for them
such a situation as more private, it was in defiance
of a particular curse denounced in the law against
the man who should make a graven or a molten image,
and put it in a secret place; Deut. xxvii. 15.
An an-
cient MS., with another, has
conjunction 1 vau, and,

achar, without the

Verse 9. And thou wentest to the king with ointment "And thou hast visited the king with a present of oil"] That is, the king of Assyria, or Egypt. Hosea, chap. xii. 1, reproaches the Israelites for the same practice :

"They make a covenant with Assyria,
And oil is carried to Egypt,"